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

Have you ever dropped a pressed powder, highlighter, eye shadow, etc. and it shattered into a million small pieces?  Did your soul leave your body for just a moment when that happened?  Mine usually does because I can just see the dollar signs floating up to the heavens along with my beautiful makeup.  Well-- don't fret, my pet.  This isn't the end of your makeup's life!  You can fix it yourself and it doesn't cost you anything extra and you get to be a scientist for a few minutes!

For my birthday this year I got a BEAUTIFUL, limited edition Becca Cosmetics highlighter that I had been eyeing up in Ulta called "Lilac Geode."  It is the most gorgeous cool lilac pink with gold pearl.  It is so stinkin' pretty!!

Photo cred: Beauddiction

Anyway-- I was loving it and using it daily for about two weeks when tragedy struck my world and I dropped the compact on my tiled bathroom floor.  I watched the beautiful powder crumble into a million tiny pieces.  I was so sad, but remembered that I could repair it myself using isopropyl alcohol.  I had seen a couple of videos and blog posts about it, but had never done it myself.

Ladies-- we all want that perfect, smooth skin and will usually try anything to get it.  What if I told you that I have found something that has helped my skin become more smooth?  What if I told you that was that I shave my face?  Don't be alarmed!  I am not taking a Schick to the face-- I'm not that crazy!  It is basically the at-home version of dermaplaning.  What is dermaplaning, you ask?  Well, according to an article from Refinery29:


Agreed, Refinery29, a scalpel does sound scary.   Wanna know what else sounds scary?  Paying the average of $75-150 for a dermaplaning service!  So, after doing some YouTube research (my favorite) I learned that a lot of women were using small, eyebrow razors to shave their faces!  After watching a TON of my favorite beauty vloggers (Jaclyn Hill & Michelle Money) videos I decided to give it a try.  I ordered some of the razors on Amazon and got to work! 

1. The hair does not grow back faster, thicker and darker.
   Shaving the hair does not alter your follicles nor does it change the rate of growth.   This is a myth and you don't need to be worried!  What I would suggest, and practice myself, is using a warm washcloth to open the pores and hair follicles to prep them for shaving.  I also like to cleanse my skin before I start shaving in order to make sure that I am working with a clean canvas.  I use a light face oil or serum right before to work like a gentle "shaving cream."  This helps me with avoiding possible ingrown hairs.
2. It is really great for your skin!
   Not only are you removing the peach fuzz, but you are exfoliating dead skin!  The gentle razor helps to get rid of the pesky small hairs as well as a layer of dead skin on your face.  After you are done you can do your regular skin care routine and you will start to see (almost immediately) a more clear and smooth appearance to your face.
3. Makeup application will be beautiful!
   You won't believe how much better your makeup will apply and look!  It applies so much smoother and easier.  Shockingly, the peach fuzz and dead skin really make a difference in the way your foundation lays on your skin (kidding).  It is easier to blend with a smooth surface and it just looks better overall.  Also, removing the dead skin and texture that comes with it makes your highlight look sooooo good!  I'm telling you guys-- its amazing!