On My Packing List | JORD Wood Watches...

As you all know by now, I'm going to Iceland and Amsterdam in a few months with Justin, Erin, Phil, Rob and Day. And since the moment we booked the trip I've been all about making sure I have everything I could possibly need for this trip. Which is quite honestly, a lot of things (So much so that you should all be expecting a packing list post and a things I should have brought with me post when I get back because I'm sure even though I'm trying my damnedest to be prepare for this trip, I wont be).

And one of the many things on my ever growing list of items to purchase for this particular trip was a watch. Yes, a watch.

Why a watch you ask? Well while Justin and I were on our honeymoon, we figured that we'd tell time like we do while we're at home. With our cellphones. But what we didn't realize was that bring our cellphones on various excursions was not an option because a number of different factors. So we decided while we were still in Greece, that we'd buy ourselves a watch specifically to use while traveling when we got home before our next international vacation. Thus a watch is on my packing list.

And quite serendipitously the week I began looking into watches I was contacted by JORD Wood Watches* and asked if I'd like to try out one of their timepieces. After looking at their website and learning a little bit more about them, I said sure and they graciously let me pick out one of their beautiful 100% wood watches to test drive.

The particular piece I decided upon (Which was very hard for me, because I loved more than one of their designs) was their Fieldcrest in Zebrawood & Maple because I felt like it was perfect for both Justin and I to wear (It just so happens that Justin and I have the same wrist size, which I figured out with JORD's spiffy ruler template).

Upon receiving the watch, I couldn't have been more right. The Fieldcrest is the perfect unisex timepiece (And it comes in four different types of wood for those of you that might not be feeling the Zebrawood & Maple combo).

So for the past month both Justin and I have been testing this beautifully handcrafted piece out (I wanted to make sure that we both gave the watch a good go before writing this post). And we both really enjoy it. I mean, what is there not to like? It's a stylish, comfortable and splash proof watch that was handcrafted from natural and sustainable wood.

Also, they're quite affordable for being what they are. The prices range from $120 to $295 which is very reasonable (I'd totally drop the $295 for the Dover in Koa & Black).

Overall Justin and I are both very happy with the watch and would totally recommend it to anyone looking for a new timepiece. As a matter of fact, we had a long discussion just this past weekend with one of our friends that collects watches about it.

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For anyone interested here is JORD's description, as well as the specs on the particular watch I chose to receive:

The Fieldcrest Series is produced in a classic midsize. The monochromatic wood face, bezel, and strap serve to showcase the intricacy of the wood grain. Designed to be androgynous, the attitude of the wearer is the final elemental design to this timepiece. 

• Deployment Buckle with Push Button
• Scratch Resistant Mineral
• Citizen Miyota Quartz Movement (2035)
• Case Width: 39mm
• Case Thickness: 11mm
• Lug Ends: 49mm
• Band Length: 205mm
• Band Thickness: 20mm

Also if you were wondering about the name of the company, JORD is Swedish for earth, soil, land.

And you can find them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Vine.

Unique Watches

* FTC Disclaimer: Wooden Watches by JORD provided me with the watch to review but all opinions are my own.

New Makeup Obsession | ColourPop...

As many of you may or may not know, I'm addicted to makeup and I love trying out new products. So after weeks of watching Dani from Coffee Break With Dani's tutorials using ColourPop's Super Shock Shadows and Lippie Stix on YouTube I finally caved and purchased a handful of items from ColourPop. And can I tell you, I am in love with my purchases and I now know why Dani has a weekly series that feature's their products.

First off, their eyeshadow comes in some of the most beautiful shades I have ever seen and are this cool mousse texture (Kind of like that of Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush) that dries like a powder. And their lipsticks come in equally beautiful shades and are super pigmented (Bonus for those of you MAC lovers out there, a handful of their shades are dupes for some popular lipsticks).

Now if that didn't get you to want to try them, this will... All of their eyeshadow and lipsticks are $5 each with free shipping within the United States on orders over $30 (For those of you outside of the United States, ColourPop ships to the following countries; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and APO’s, plus they are still trying to expand. I'm not sure about international shipping costs though, so you'll have to look into that), all of their products are cruelty free and all of their products are made in the United States.

Now on to my actual purchase.

These are the shades of the Super Shock Shadows that I ended up buying...

♥ Fringe - Shimmering champagne with gold and silver glitter.
♥ La La - True rose gold in a metallic finish. 
♥ Bae - Rich eggplant purple with an emerald & turquoise, glittery duo chrome metallic finish.
♥ Shameless - Black with multiple shades of green, subtle hints of blue & gold glitter in a metallic finish.
♥ Lace - Deep rich blue violet with a pearlized finish.

I also purchased one of their Lippie Stix and one of their pencils, both in the color Feminist which is a black purple.

I honestly love everything I purchased so much and I cannot wait to order more products from them. I'm already plotting which shades of Super Shock Shadows I'm going to get next.

If you've tried ColourPop before or plan on trying them, lemme know. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Product Review: Spooky Eyes "DreamEyes" Contacts...

Since I've had LASIK I've been able to play around with colored and funky contacts, so when I was give the opportunity to receive a pair of Spooky Eyes' new DreamEyes I jumped on that.

What is Spooky Eyes? It's an online retailer from the UK that has a pretty awesome selection of non-prescription contact lenses. The prices vary from $19.95 for a pair to $29.95 for a complete lens set with the contacts, contact lens case, contact lens tweezers and a 40ml bottle of contact lens solution. Which is really good because I've seen comparable lenses for double or triple the price. Plus Spooky Eyes offers free shipping.

The pair I picked out was their Glimmer Black & Silver Contact Lenses (60174), which look like this...

Unfortunately I am unable to get a good picture of them in my own eyes, so I will insert one when I can get someone to take a picture for me.

But take my word for it, these Glimmer Black & Silver Contact Lenses look awesome and they are super comfortable. I have several pairs of colored contacts from another company that were double the price of these and I cannot wear them for long periods of time because one pair in particular irritates my eyes.

Spooky Eyes contacts really are great if you are looking to change your eye color or to enhance your look. They have a great range of contacts from natural looking colors to sparkle and party colors, they also have some amazing Halloween lenses.

Over all, the Spooky Eyes lenses are beautiful, comfortable, affordable and most of all FDA approved.

Mr. Kate Beautymarks (A Review But Not Really)...

As of last month I've been completely obsessed with Mr. Kate's Beautymarks and I've gotten a lot of real life questions about them, so I thought that I'd do a little post about them since I love them so.

Mr. Kate's Beautymarks are temporary gold and silver foiled, black and watercolor "make-up" (Think fancy amazing adult temporary tattoos. Yes, they are like Flash Tattoos but way more awesome in my opinion) with hand-drawn/painted designs by Kate Albrecht -- Who for those of you that aren't familiar with her, is a jewelry designer/blogger/YouTuber.

Each package of Beautymarks contains two sheets with a variety of quirky designs and they retail for $12.00 a package and the shipping is free if you are in the United States, $8.00 for Canada and $11.00 for all other international destinations.

The packages state that the Beautymarks will last from 2-4 days but from personal experience with the "Original" foiled ones, that time varies depends on where you put them. I've had them on my feet and legs for weeks, while ones on my hands or wrists only last 5-6 days. That being said, the color does change on them after awhile. So instead of shiny gold (Those are the only ones I've used as of thus far) they turn kind of an antique-ish gold, which is still beautiful and might be more wearable to some.

In terms of the real time wear time on the Watercolor Beautymarks I'll have to get back to you. I'm saving them for my Halloween costume and I will definitely add a note to the bottom of this post about how long they lasted me.

So as you have probably guessed, I highly recommend Mr. Kate's Beautymarks. They are a wonderful and beautiful way to add a little something to your look without having to commit.

If you try out Mr. Kate's Beautymarks let me know, I'd love to know your thoughts on them.

Product Review: Personalized Card From Cardstore.com...

Mother's Day is right around the corner and you know what that mean, you have to get mom and grandma cards. Instead of going to the store and picking out a generic Mother's Day card (Which are mostly all really lame in my opinion), this year I used online retailer Cardstore to make my mother a customized card.

I must say, the card making process over at Cardstore is extremely easy and is very user friendly. They provide tons of pre-made themes one can choose from, as well as the option for individuals to create their own photo cards. Since this bad boy was for my mother I thought I should let my creative juices flow and make her a personalized one. I opted to go with their simple sixteen square 4.75x4.75 folded photo card (I though that my mom could put it in her locker at work and take whatever old ass pictures she has of my sister and I down).
Here are some examples of the pre-made Mother's Day cards for those interested in seeing what they have to offer...

So after picking out the sixteen square 4.75x4.75 folded photo card, I hit up mine and my sister's Facebook and Instagram accounts looking for pictures to fill this bad boy up with.

After finishing up the front I customized the inside with one of their seven options and moved on to the back of the card (I don't want to give too much detail on what I did with the card only because I know my mother reads my blog).

Once you've got the card to your liking Cardstore asks that you preview it to make sure everything is correct, then you let them know how you want it shipped (You can have it mailed to the recipient or sent to yourself, and they offer you a blank envelope or envelope with the return address printed on it) and then you pay.

The particular card I got cost $2.99 plus $1.00 shipping which I think is totally reasonable. Obviously I didn't pay for this card because I got sent a free promotional code, but I totally would have paid that amount!
 
Overall, I think Cardstore is an amazing value and has quality cards. If you need to make cards for any occasion I'd totally recommend you go check them out.

This post was sponsored by Cardstore but all opinions are my own.

Empties: Products I've Used Up...

Since I love watching empties videos on YouTube (Because it's a great way to find out how someone truly feels about a product) I thought I'd do a little empties blog post. So here are a handful of products I bought (Or a family member gave me) that I've used to the very last drop...

• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder • St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub •

When I ran out of my previous setting powder I decided that I'd give Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (Shade: Transparent 001) a try and I actually really really liked it. I loved the finish it left over my makeup, it didn't settle into my creases, it was easy to use, inexpensive, etc. I would have very much so repurchased this product after I finished it but I could not find the transparent shade anywhere, so I just bought NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder.

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The St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub was actually something that my mother threw into my stocking at Christmas as a filler and I'm glad she decided to do so because I flipping love this face scrub. I love the exfoliating bits, the way it makes my skin feel after I rinse it off, etc. I'd buy this product in a heartbeat but I haven't been able to find it at any of my local drugstores.

• Redken Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo •

Whenever my cousin moves from one place to another she always sends my sister and I random hair and beauty products that she bought, didn't like yet didn't want to throw away and this was one of those products (I like trying new products, so I'm cool with this little thing she does).

When I got the Redken Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo from my cousin it was practically full, so I got to really try this product and I'm kinda indifferent about it. It wasn't a horrible shampoo but it also wasn't some life changing shampooing experience. So I wouldn't go out an buy this but if my cousin gave me more I'd use it.

• Cover Girl Clump Crusher by LashBlast Water Resistant Mascara •

The Cover Girl Clump Crusher Mascara is hands down my favorite drugstore mascara ever and when you use it in conjunction with Cover Girl LashBlast Volume Mascara it is just perfection. I would repurchase this bad boy in a heart beat but I have so many mascaras from Birchbox, Ipsy & various makeup sets that I don't need to purchase any anytime soon, but once I work through my current stash I'll be going back to this one.

• EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System Moisture Shampoo •

• EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System Moisture Conditioner •

I picked up the L'Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner because I used to like the St. Ives Hair Repair Intensive Conditioner (Which was discontinued forever go) and I figured since these were both rosemary/mint that I'd like these just as much, I was wrong. I mean, they weren't horrible but they weren't amazing either. So yeah, another hair product that I'm indifferent about but would use if I had to.

• Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Facial Wipes • Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener •

I absolutely love love love the Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Facial Wipes. As you can see by how many empty packages I have, I buy these a lot and they are very much so a must have product for me. I always have a forty-five count in my refrigerator and I carry a travel ten pack with me in my purse (Everyone is always asking me for one, especially in the summer months). They are refreshing and great to have on hand. I highly recommend these.

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The Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener is another product that I love and have repurchased multiple times (I already had a new one before I got to the end of the one pictured above). I use this product to help combat any darkness in my under eye area and I think it does a good job.

I will say though, when I'm done with my current one I will be purchasing the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer only because I've heard good things about it and want to give it a shot. And if it doesn't work out for me I know I can always go back to my trusty Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener.

Warby Parker Spectrum Sun Review...

Spring is here, which means summer is around the corner and I don't know about you guys but I'm super excited to pick up some cute new sunglasses to rock while I'm at the beach or on whatever adventures I decide to embark on this fine summer.

Since this is my first summer sans eyeglasses I already know the size of my sunglasses collection is going to grow exponentially and I'm blaming Warby Parker (Which is this awesome company that sells affordable prescription and non-prescription vintage-inspired eyewear) because they have some flippin' amazing sunglasses in their new Spectrum Sun Collection.

DEAN // English Oak and Striped Olive

HALL // Cherry Blossom and Whiskey Tortoise

MINNIE // Eucalyptus and Striped Sassafras

PIPER // Woodland Tortoise and Revolver Black

DOWNING // Striped Sassafras

C'mon, how beautiful are these sunglasses? I could see myself rocking all of these.

If you can't see your self wearing some of theses because you aren't sure if the frames will work with the shape of your face, Warby Parker has a Home Try-On Program where you can choose five frames, try them out for five days absolutely free to see what you like before actually purchasing them. How awesome is that?!

I actually attempted to try out their Home Try-On Program, so I could tell you first hand how it was but I ended up not being home the day the glasses were delivered and the post office sent them back. Which sucked because I was all set to do a little sunglasses photo shoot, but now I know to make sure I have them delivered when I know someone is going to be at the apartment.

Aside from them being sent back the process of ordering them was super simple. You make an account with Warby Parker, pick out the glasses you want to try (The have a handful they wont send but it says whether or not you can at home try-on with the pairs on the frame's page) and have them sent to you. You do have to put a credit card number in when you make an account but they only place a pending $1.00 charge for the five days you have the glasses but if you don't ship them back in time they will charge you for all five pairs -- Which is fair.

Despite my try-on set back I think I will attempt to do it again because I am seriously considering getting a pair of their sunglasses (Piper in Woodland Tortoise) and possibly a pair of their prescription glasses (Walker in Canton Blue) if my doctor tells me I need night time driving glasses when I go for my next LASIK post-op appointment in May.

So, what do you think of  Warby Parker's Spectrum Sun Collection and their Home Try-On Program? Lemme know!

This post was sponsored by Warby Parker but all opinions are my own.

Book Review: Knock Knock My Dad's Dream For Me...

The other day I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of award-winning actor, singer and writer Daniel Beaty's book "Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me" in the mail. Beaty's newest offering is a picture book adaption of the author's monologue "Knock Knock" which is a tale of loss and hope from a child's perspective.

"Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me"is an extremely thought provoking, "powerful and inspiring book [that] shows the love that an absent parent can leave behind, and the strength that children find in themselves as they grow up and follow their dream" -- The portion in quotation is from the book's jacket and I honestly couldn't have described it any better, sorry.

Beaty's powerful tale is exceptional transformed into beautiful visuals using watercolor and collage by the book's illustrator Bryan Collier.

"Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me"is honestly most touching picture book that I've come across in awhile. It perfectly illustrates loss and how one can grow and move on despite of their past. And I think that it would be an amazing read for anyone currently dealing with any type of loss and who is in need of a little encouragement.

One thing I do recommend for any adult reader is to watch the clip of Daniel Beaty performing Knock Knock, it is just so incredibly powerful and moving -- And it may bring you to tears, I cried the first time I watched it.


Overall, I love this book and I will be ordering multiple copies for my library.

"Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me"is available as of today, December 17th.

This book was sent to me for free for review. That being said, all of the above opinions are truly my own. As always if you wanna send me free stuff I'd totally take it, try it & give you my honest opinion of it!

I'm Obessed With Trader Joe's Contemplates Inner Peas...

As most of you know, despite my love of food I don't typically do food reviews on here. But today I am, because I am totally obsessed with Trader Joe's Contemplates Inner Peas (I don't even like peas, I really really don't like peas) and I feel like I need to talk about it like I'm in Snackers Anonymous or something.

It all started on Friday at Justin's mother's house, where there was a bowl of Inner Peas just sitting on the kitchen island. Despite how odd they look I decided to try one because I was feeling a bit peckish after working all day. And that one turned into almost a whole bag, I could not stop eating them.

Now three bags of Inner Peas and a failed attempt at going to Trader Joe's later, I am a Trader Joe's Contemplates Inner Peas crack head. I kinda hate Justin's mom for having these on the counter when I was visiting the other day because this is a snack I honestly I wouldn't have taken a second glance at while walking through Trader Joe's.

Have any of you tried these? Are you a Trader Joe's Contemplates Inner Peas crack head like me? Lemme know.