Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Soother

The winner for the beauty contest is Abby from California whose favorite beauty product is Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Soother. Her prize is Vaseline Healthy Body Glow. Thank you to everyone that entered and stick around for another contest soon. In honor of the winner, I am reviewing the product. The lip soother costs around seven dollars and can be purchased at any drugstore. It comes in a variety of colors and I chose Gleam, which is a light, somewhat peachy pink. It has SPF 20 in it that protects your lips from getting burned by the sun. The product is easily applied and not sticky. It has a sweet scent and and a nice tint to it. :) It actually soothes your lips and I am impressed. It is one of my favorite lip glosses of the moment!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

My hair has looked and felt unbelievably softer since I began using Aussie 3 Minute Miracle moisture treatment. It contains Australian aloe and jojoba oil. Aloe is a natural healing ingredient, so this is a very good ingredient to use on your hair. Jojoba oil is from the jojoba plant and is supposed to really help your hair. Native Americans also used jojoba oil for medical and cosmetic purposes. I use Aussie 3 Minute Miracle daily after shampooing and yes, I do leave it on for three minutes! The smell, like all Aussie products, is absolutely amazing. It is a creamy blend of sweet fragrances that do not fade throughout the day. I was really impressed by this product because as soon as I used it, my hair was shinier, softer, and healthier. I think it would be a fabulous idea if you bought this conditioner and plus, it is only three dollars. Did I mention the bottle is really cool? Three dollars for three minutes daily...taken.

Beauty Contest Ending Soon

The contest for a free beauty product is coming to an end in about a week, so get those entries in! The product I have decided on giving away is Vaseline Healthy Body Glow. I have been testing this product for a few weeks and the review should be coming soon. :) To win this product, send an email to me at ideasfromlivy@yahoo.com and tell me your favorite beauty product. Hurry hurry!

Bee Lieve Lotion

Easter is coming up this Sunday and a good product to put in your Easter basket is the Bee Lieve lotion. Bee Lieve products were made to inspire people by the healing affects of honey and aloe vera and also by including a Bible verse on the package. I thought this was a great idea and I tried the Honey Melonbee lotion. It is made for your whole body, but I recommend it only for your hands and other dry spots of your body. The lotion has a sweet smell and it is not overpowering. The lotion moisturizes really well and it makes my hands feel very soft. It was a bit greasy at first, but after a few minutes it soaked in. The lotion costs around nine dollars, so check out their site and you can look for places in your area that sell Bee Lieve products or purchase them online. Enjoy!

Free Sample from Vaseline

Walmart is offering a free sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue Lotion. I am very fond of Vaseline's products so this should be a good one to try. I am testing their tanning lotion right now and a review is coming soon. :) You free sample awaits you here. Make sure to check out Walmart's other variety of samples. Enjoy!

Spring Time

Wow! I walked on my pier at the lake that I live on and I was almost blown away, literally. It is so windy outside and the pier is rocking. It feels really good and I am enjoying this spring weather by doing many things. I jogged three miles one morning while soaking up the sun. Yesterday I charged up my iPod, which has been dead for two weeks, and walked on the pier. I am not much of an outdoorsy person, but I love being outside when the weather is like this. It is pretty nice to have more daylight because I was certainly missing it. The time change was hard at first, but now I am very happy about it. Also, one of the things I have been trying to do lately is drink a lot of water. If you are not so fond of plain water, you can try flavored water or use a mixture (my favorite is Crystal Light On the Go) to add to your bottled water. You can get a free sample of K2O protein and water mix when you purchase a box of Special K mixed berry cereal or other flavors. Enjoy this spring weather and don't take it for granted!

Crafty Invitations

My New Year's "aspiration" was to be creative. I wanted to make things for my friends and be crafty in general. It has been more complicated than I thought and I am having trouble finding time to do crafts. Nevertheless, I am having a party this week for my birthday and I decided to be super crafty and make some fabulous invitations. I wanted to make invitations that people would not want to throw away, and I think I achieved that. My party is out in the country where there is a creek and you are surrounded by nature. So, I wanted my invitations to reflect that atmosphere. The majority of the things I used to make my invitations were rubber stamps. The invitation: The background is water made with a stamp using blue ink symbolizing the creek. I stamped a pier in brown ink over the water. I got a sheet of white paper and stamped butterflies all over the page. I colored the butterflies and then cut them out. Tabs are very helpful when you wantsomething to stand off the page. They are little sticky squares that you put underneath something. I used tabs with the butterflies and with the squares of paper. You may be wondering how I did the squares of paper because it does look confusing. First, I cut out a bigger piece of textured green paper. Remember to always use a measuring tool, because I could not have done the invitation without one. After the textured paper, I cut some patterned ribbon and glued it around the invitation. Next, I cut out some light green paper and grass paper, each different sizes with the grass paper being the smallest. I glued the grass paper on top of the light green and put tabs underneath them. I stuck the layered paper to the textured paper. Finally, I used a stamp of little girls running on top of the grass paper and voila! You have the cover of your invitation. On the inside I used a stamp that said For, Date, Time, Place, and RSVP. I glued a sheer silk green leaf on top. Wow! They were pretty, but being crafty does require patience!

Jane Shimmering Bronzer

I have been testing out Jane shimmering bronzer for the past few weeks. The bronzer costs around six dollars and I bought it at Walgreen's. The powder contains a variety of different colors ranging from brown to gold. The shade I am using is Tahiti (shown left) and it works well with my fair skin. The bronzer is not heavy and it is easy to wash off. It also gives you a nice glow to your face, but it does seem to fade throughout the day. When you use this product, your face does shimmer and it is noticeable. It is perfect for night time, but it still looks pretty during the day. The bronzer is sheer so you can add more until you get the shade you like. This compact also contains a small brush with a mirror, but investing in a better brush is a smart idea considering that the one it comes with does not work well. This is a good product if you want a glow with some shimmer and for six dollars, it is worth trying out. You can get that glow without the sun!

Jane Eyre: A Book Review

Jane Eyre is a good book written by Charlotte Bronte and was published in 1847. It is a story of a girl, Jane Eyre, who struggles through life with many disappointments and suffering. Jane was an orphan with a terrible childhood, and as she ages she encounters mysteries and tragedies that will affect her forever. She greives, loves, and grows as a person throughout this book. Jane inspires you to act with love because of her good nature and admirable character. It moves slowly at times, but it is a good book to read. Jany Eyre is more modern than other books written in that time period and it is a classic, so I recommend you read it. Enjoy!

A Chocolate Bath

Last night, I decided to pamper myself with a chocolate milk bath and a banana oatmeal facial. Both seemed to be disappointing. I pictured a luxurious chocolate bath that I could soak in for hours, and a delicious, strong smell that would make me want to drink it. When I first stepped into my brown bath, it smelled good but the scent soon faded. The chocolate stuck to my body because the recipe did not blend well. I took a shower after that to rinse my body and my tub off. I am still hooked on the idea of a nice chocolate bath, so there are more reviews to come. With the banana facial, I was also disappointed. It was very messy and did not stick to my face because it was so chunky. After a few minutes my face began to burn. The banana recipe is my own creation (a mix of dried oatmeal, honey, and a banana) and the chocolate recipe is from all free crafts. If you are in the mood for experimenting, I suggest you try the chocolate bath The banana facial, I would not even bother. How about a chocolate sundae?

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

A couple of weeks ago I bought an eyebrow waxing kit from Bliss that was worth around $40, but I paid $8. Wow, talk about being a smart shopper! Shipping was about $7, which was a bit pricey, but I got some great freebies. One of them was an ounce of the Fabulous Foaming Face Wash and I have to say, it is fabulous! The face wash is blue and has a gel like texture and it foams up when you apply it to your face. The wash also contains tiny beads that are very soft and do not irritate sensitive skin. This product has an extraordinary smell! It contains rose hips, chamomile, and passion flower that all blend to make a sweet and refreshing scent. My skin felt very smooth afterwards and it does a good job of taking off your makeup. This face wash lasts a while, because a little goes a long way. I am about to buy an 8 oz. bottle of this face wash ($22), and I recommend you do the same. I have never found a face wash that achieves things this one does! This puts me in a blissful mood...

Fruit and Nut Bars

I happen to be a very faithful customer of Nature's Valley fruit and nut bars. They contain peanuts, raisins, honey, and cranberries. The bars keep you full and are a healthy snack. They are crunchy, chewy, and sweet all at the same time. You can buy them at any grocery store. They are not the cheapest snack, but they are definitely worth it. I suggest when you are hungry to grab this sin-free food. Delicious!

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

Life seems to be so hectic lately. Things that should be simple have suddenly complicated and nothing is easy anymore. Hint, my updating has been very irregular! Do I have a solution to make life completely wonderful and carefree? Well, not quite, but I do have something that can make life a little easier beauty-wise. The life or lip saver is Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in watermelon. It moisturizes your lips and gives them a nice tint. I like this balm, but it is not my favorite shade. It is a very unnatural pink color that does not go with my fair skin. The balm does have a good, minty smell to it and it helps the cracks in my lips. It is for days when you either want to go for a “natural” look or make your lips look pretty, but not overpowering. It seems like the balm does not last very long, but overall this is a decent product. It costs around five dollars and for a 2 in 1 balm, that is nice. Color and moisture! Try it out and I suggest fair skin ladies to steer clear of the watermelon color. Enjoy and remember it is the little things in life that make a huge difference!

Neutrogena Healthy Volume

Everyone knows my HUGE addiction to mascara! I love trying a lot of different ones, and writing reviews on them. :)
So, my new mascara is Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara in black brown. I love this mascara more than LashBlast, and it is about the same price. The mascara contains olive oil that penetrates your lashes to make them thick inside and out. Sounds wonderful, right? My lashes were nowhere near clumpy, and they looked thick. This mascara is extremely easy to apply. I love this brush more than others, because it is very thick. If you get a little smudge on the top of your eyelids, it wiped off my skin with a lick of my finger. Wow! No complaints here!
Don't forget about the amazing contest we have going! Win a FREE beauty product! There is more information at the side of the page.