Oh hey... how are ya?!  Lets address the elephant in the room-- her name is "My Absence."  I apologize.  Some of you care and some of you don't, but I just want to say to those that do-- I'm sorry!  This is a place where I can get my creative juices flowing and talk about the stuff I love the most and I can't tell you how happy it makes me when other people like to talk about it too!  It makes me sad when I don't post on here consistently because I feel like I'm letting myself down and those that enjoy the same things that I do as well.

So, I think I want to jump back in with an easier topic which is all what I was loving during the month of February, 2020.  We can all agree that January was a tough year, so we are just going to ignore her.  February, 2020, is where it's at!  During this month I discovered some things I loved, some things I hated and some things I forgot that I loved.  Let's get into it!

Hi!  The mirrors in the dressing rooms at Anthropologie are a favorite too :)

I really bumped it up this year with my vanity setup.  I got an amazing mirror gifted to me for Christmas by my Mom and it has made my morning GRWM's so much better!  It has three different colored light settings and can dim and brighten at the touch of a button!  Now, if the weather is gloomy in the mornings or I'm glamming it up for a night on the town I have the perfect lighting.  I feel like a glamorous beauty guru with all of the bells and whistles.  Get ready for more #motd posts!

Food:
In January I started the #ketodiet and have been trying to find alternatives for my starchy cravings.  One of the things I randomly started craving was pancakes.  I can tell you that, in my adult life, I have only ever made pancakes once.  I had been researching a bunch of different keto bloggers and instagrams and came across a couple that calls themsleves "KetoConnect."  They have a ton of different recipes on their feed and their YouTube, but something that caught my eye were their reviews of different "keto" friendly foods.  I watched a video where they reviewed the brand Birch Benders and their Keto Pancake mix.  They had said that it was one of their favorites, so I decided to give it a try.  I doctored it up a little and added some cinnamon and vanilla extract.  They were so good!  I have repurchased three times and will continue to repurchase!  They are 5 net carbs for a serving and totally worth it to me!  There are more products by that brand that I would love to try, but for now these are perfect for me!

Click here to purchase!

I have been on the hunt for the last month to find a replacement for my favorite foundation, Covergirl's Vitalist Healthy Elixir.  They discontinued this foundation and my heart broke!  I went out and bought three bottles when I heard and I am at the tail end of my last one!  So, I went on a search for a new foundation and tried a few out during this month.  The first one I tried was the it!Cosmetics CC+ Cream Illumination with SPF 50+.  I liked it, but it was a little TOO dewy.  Then I tried the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Stick Foundation.  I have never used a stick foundation and was curious to see if I would like it.  I have tried a few different ways applying it and I think I have found the holy grail of applications:

1. Smashbox Primer Water ($25)
2. elf Poreless Putty Primer ($14)
3. Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation mixed with the it!Cosmetics CC+ Cream ($46 & $44) applied with a dampened Real Techniques beauty sponge.

It is no secret that I am a big fan of not washing my hair every day.  I am lucky if I get more than one wash in per week.  Dry Shampoo is my jam and my favorite is the Detox Dry Shampoo by Dry Bar.  After not washing for a week and using a ton of products my scalp could use a little pampering.  I was looking for a gentle detox shampoo and came across a scalp scrub at Target by the brand Love Beauty and Planet.  As a brand, LBP boasts the following:

The scalp scrub is part of the "Delightful Detox" line by Love Beauty and Planet.  I don't have the regular shampoo or conditioner, but the scrub has been amazing!  I feel like I am getting all of the weekly gunk out of my hair and my scalp feels refreshed every time!  I may be making this up, but I feel like I get more time after a wash before I need another one with this scrub.  After I use the scrub I follow it up with a hydrating conditioning treatment and my hair feels amazing!  I get more volume, which I love, and this has become a staple in my routine.  Click the link below the picture if you want to give it a try!

Click Here

After starting Keto I realized the importance of vitamins and keeping up with my nutrients.  I had seen a ton of advertisements for the Care/of vitamin packs that are curated just for you.  I decided one day to take the quiz and see what they recommended me.  The quiz was super easy and took only a few minutes.  I had a code that gave me 50% off, so I decided to give it a whirl.  Here is what was recommended to me and why:

I'm fascinated!  I have only been taking them for a little while, but so far I'm pleased.  The individual packets are so easy!  I have a code that will give you $40 off your first order, so if you are interested in trying your own Care/of vitamins click here to take the quiz.

Y'all... these shoes are ridiculous and I know it, but they are so beautiful!  I got them to wear for a work event in March and I cannot wait.  They are going to look so good with the pink dress I rented from Rent the Runway  Have you ever used RTR?  If you haven't it is an amazing site where you can rent designer dresses for an insane discount and then return them!  It is the perfect solution for weddings, cocktail events, formal affairs... so much easier than paying an arm and a leg for a dress that you will likely only wear once!  I have used it for the last 3 weddings I've attended and the last 5 years of my company's awards event!  If you click here you can save $30 on your first rental!

@LashesandLeggingsBlog on Instagram

Is there anything that you've discovered over the last few weeks that you have fallen in love with?  There are so many other things that I could ramble on about (Love is Blind is one of those things-- don't get me started!), but I think this lineup is pretty great!  All of them bring a little smile to my face.  Let me know what some of your favorite things have been in the comments below!

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I recently made a purchase that exposed my "too much" gene as Jenna Marbles would call it.  I bought a tiny retro fridge specifically to hold my skin care products.  Yup-- I'm that bitch now.  You may ask "What is the purpose of a skin care fridge?"  Well... there isn't really a purpose or point.  Products don't necessarily have to be kept cold, but damn to they feel good on the skin if they are!  Certain products may gain a little extra shelf life if kept refrigerated such as products with retinol or benzoyl peroxide.  So, why not keep them cold!?
I do not currently have any products in my routine that are perishable, but I have in the past.  Lush USA has an amazing mask called "Mask of Magnaminty" and it is perishable and must be kept in the fridge.  I used to use this all the time, but got tired of having to go to the kitchen to grab my skin care.  It got to the point where I would forget that it was there and it would go bad before I could use it all.  I stopped buying it because I was wasting my money!  Well-- now I can add it back into my routine!

Besides the perishable products there really is no need to keep your skin care products chilled.  The only other benefit would be that the chilled products do help to calm irritation and swelling.  I just like how it feels, so I decided I needed a boujee mini fridge.  I like to keep my moisturizers, under eye patches, toner, essence and exfoliating pads in there.  When I do my skin care routine (you can find my skin care routine HERE) in the mornings it wakes me right up and helps to eliminate the puffiness in my face after sleeping.  It is really one of my new favorite things!
What is currently in my skin care fridge?

1. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater
2. Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic To Go Pads
3. Origins Ginzing Energizing Gel Moisturizer
4. Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
5. Soap & Glory Daily Youth Moisture Lotion
6. Activated Charcoal Under Eye Mask with Hydrogel by BLAQ
7. May Coop "Raw Sauce"
8. Boscia Deep Hydrating Japanese Tsubaki Sleeping Mask
9. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

It's that time again!  Can you believe February is almost over?  I feel like January dragged on for two years and February went by in the blink of an eye!  I did my January monthly favorites and it went over well, so I figured I would start a tradition!

So, come along with me through a few of my favorite things!

I recently decided to venture out of my comfort zone and tried a new nail shape.  I know-- I'm getting wild!  I decided to try an almond shaped nail and ended up loving it!  I had wanted to try this shape becuase I felt like it would compliment my hands.  My fingers are the only skinny things on my body, so I felt like the slightly tapered tip would help to create a nice length and compliment my hands.  Weird-- I know, but these are things I think about!

Fashion:
I have been interested in the "paper bag" pant trend and wasn't sure if I could pull it off.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a trendy piece of clothing, so I went to Target with a mission.  What I found isn't a traditional "paper bag" pant, but it was close and I decided to try them out!  They are lightweight, tapered ankle and are incredibly comfortable.

Music:
I have been obsessed (understatement) with the new Ariana Grande album "Thank U, Next."  I can't stop listening to it!  Besides her released singles I am a big fan of "Imagine," "Needy," and "NASA."  This album is very different from her normal style and I am really liking it.



Food:
So, I know that I mentioned in my last post that I was doing the Freestyle program with WW and I have had a hard time finding substitutes for some of my favorite foods.  On weekend mornings I like to have a bigger breakfast and bacon is usually a part of that.  I love bacon!  Regular bacon was running around 5 points for 2-3 slices and that is just too high for my point count!  I found that center cut bacon runs a little lower on points at 1 point per slice!  I can have two scrambled eggs with "Everything but the bagel" seasoning, three slices of bacon, a slice of toast and a cup of coffee for 6 points!  That is totally worth it for me!  One of my favorite breakfasts for lazy weekend mornings.

Can you believe we are already one month in to 2019?  I can't-- It feels longer.  I saw a meme on IG today that said "It feels like January 74th" and all I can say is FACTS!

I am a YouTube junkie (Hello, my name is Carlye and I have a problem) and I have always loved watching monthly favorite videos.  I like seeing what people choose as their favorite things each month and have even gotten some of my own favorite things from these videos!  I am not going to make a video, but thought it could be fun to make a list here each month that showcases some of my favorite things and hope that maybe they can spark an interest for you and maybe they will become some of your favorite things too!

One of the main criteria of a good favorites video is to cover all bases-- I like covering a wide variety of categories!  So, I decided that I would pick one thing as my favorite in each category:

I have been verrrry into candles over the last few months and of course hit up the BBW candle day sale for some seasonal favorites. They usually have different sales throughout the year that you can catch and during one of those sales I saw a gorgeous candle stuffed in the back of a shelf.  The outside was beautiful, but I wasn't sure if I was going to like the scent.  Y'all-- Pistachio Ice Cream smells so damn good!  It throws a strong scent, but that is fine with me!  It is incredible.  The notes are roasted pistachio, almond extract and vanilla extract.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this candle, but just take my word for it.  You need this in your life!

I had never shopped at a Trader Joe's before I moved to Baltimore and I didn't know what I was missing!  Everything is so delicious, but I discovered their Mediterranean Style Orzo Pasta Salad and it is so good!  It is a cold pasta salad and when paired with some grilled chicken is lunch time perfection!  It's got spinach, sun dried tomatoes, feta and a yummy dressing.  It has become one of my favorite things to pack for lunch.

Photo Cred: Become Betty Blog

I got a few eyeshadow palettes for Christmas and they are all gorgeous!  I got the Jeffree Star Cosmetics "Blood Sugar" palette as a little gift to myself this year and recreated one of my favorite looks by Jaclyn Hill.  I have never worn bright colored shadows like these and was very impressed by the pigmentation and quality of the shadows.  I've never bought anything from JSC, but this has convinced me that I may need more in my life!

Kristin Ess range at Target

I watched all 8 episodes during a four-day off stretch and cannot wait until season 2 (fingers crossed it gets renewed).  Do yourself a favor and watch this show!  It may be a bit awkward if someone walks in and sees the show out of context, but it does make for a hilarious story!