Tory Burch Perfume Review

I am one of those girls who has a canister( I used an old Benefit canister with a cheesy saying on it. ) of sample perfumes. And yes, I have a separate container for skin and hair samples. So this morning I was in a hurry and just felt the need to try out a new perfume. I reached in and pulled out this little beauty.

Tory Burch "My First Fragrance"

Bloomingdale's describes it this way:

"The first fragrance from Tory Burch captures classic elements in unexpected ways. Feminine and tomboy. Easy and polished. Floral peony and tuberose blend with crisp citrus notes of grapefruit and neroli, anchored by earthy vetiver.

A bright and complex mix—the epitome of tomboy chic."

I agreed completely with the description, once I looked up the words neroli and vetiver. :)
Neroli apparently is the essential oil of oranges, and vetiver is a tall Indian grass that is used in perfume making.

I spritzed myself this morning and it lasted for about 8 hours. And as a bonus - I smelled amazing as I worked out. (It took me a second to realize that delicious smelling thing was me, because normally I definitely am not at the top of my game smells-wise at the gym...)

I did notice that as I wore it, it deepened and blended well with my body. So as you wear it, it changes to your body just like most high-end perfumes do.

So, I am in love with the scent. I'll just say it. BUT with the price tag I don't know if I'll be purchasing it soon. It might be a splurge in a few months(I'm still recovering from some recent spending on life necessities like car repairs and dentistry), but for now I'll keep collecting all the samples I can! If you are able to drop $62- $110 on some perfume in the near future then check this one out for sure!

Kale Chips! Yay or Nay?

So yesterday I tried an experiment. I have heard all the hype about kale chips and they always sound delicious!!! So I FINALLY braved the task and tried out 2 recipes.


What you'll need:
1 Gallon Ziplock Bag ( or smaller if you aren't making a lot)
1 Tbsp. of Olive oil
1 bunch of Kale (torn up into 2 to 3 inch chunks)
Pan ( I used a cookie sheet and pizza pan. )
Parchment Paper
Oven set to 300 degrees

Seasonings: (There are tons of variations, but here are the 2 I tried.)
Variation 1: 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning

Variation 2: 1/4 cup of Asiago/Parmesan/Romano Cheese mixture

So..... I just put the kale, olive oil, and variation 1 seasoning in the gallon ziplock bag. Then seal up the bag and shake until completely coated. Place parchment paper on pan. Pour kale (or place.. whatever is easiest) on the parchment paper lined pan. Place in the oven for 30 minutes! (or until crispy)

Repeat all these steps for variation 2 seasoning. But for the cheese save a handful to sprinkle on top of kale once you've placed them on pan.

So... first of all..... STINKY!!!! Hahaha, it wasn't the kale, it was the cheese. Cook with an open window! For the Fiesta Lime seasoning, I put more than 1 Tbsp. but.... it was a little too strong - so stick with the 1 Tbsp! Because it was a little too strong, I didn't enjoy as much, but I think I'd like it with less seasoning. The cheese was my favorite, it had extra crunch to it!

Here are the final products! Fiesta Lime on the left, Cheese on the right!


So when they're cooled - eat and enjoy!!! Yum!

My roommates each voted for their favorite - one voted for the fiesta lime, and one voted for the asiago cheese. And my vote was for the cheese! Woot! Woot! 2 to 1! :)

So kale chips = YAY!
All flavors = NAY - I think you have to play around to find flavors you like. I'll keep testing some and keep you posted!

Too Faced - Matte Eye Palette

I'm gonna be honest, I have such mixed feelings about this palette...... but let's take a look shall we?

A whole palette of matte shades? LOVE! And they're not all brown! That was the first reason I wanted this palette.

Here are the overall swatches for the day, classic, and fashion looks.

In indoor lighting, here are what the colors swatch like.

From top to bottom: Tufted Suede, Chinchilla, and Coffee Bean
It took a lot of swatching to build up the color on these. Chinchilla and Coffee Bean are my most used - but not as eye shadow. When I was in a fix, I used them for brow powder. And I gotta say, I haven't met their match!

From top to bottom: Velveteen Bunny, Pebbles, and London Fog.
In the box Pebbles and London Fog look very blue toned, but when swatched I always feel I was fooled! They always end up more grey than blue when worn.

From top to bottom: Fresh Linen, Vintage Violet, and Midnight.
Midnight took some work to build up here, but the other two weren't bad.

My Thoughts

Like I said, I have mixed feelings on this palette. Velveteen Bunny is one of my favorite brow bone colors of all time. Chinchilla and Coffee Bean and perfect for brows, and I love the subtle purple.lavender hue of Vintage Violet. But the other colors just don't have the pigment I always hope for, and I just don't reach for them as often because of it. 

So even though I love all things Too Faced (besides people.....), this palette isn't a must have for everyone. You can find matte shades in other places (even in the drugstore!) that will have more pigment. :) 

Too Faced - Natural at Night Palette

This palette has incredible pigmentation, much less fall out than other shimmery shades, and blends like a dream.

Swatches

From top to bottom: Full Moon, Nightcap, Cocoa Star

From Top to bottom: Night Light, After Hours, and Eclipse

From Top to Bottom: Spotlight, Moon Stone, Night Fever

My Thoughts

This palette really delivered some serious awesomeness! On me, browns and golds make the best smokey eyes. :) So this palette gets a thumbs up from me! There is a little fall out on the glittery shades, but not terrible. Overall, too faced delivered great quality once again!!!!

Too Faced - Natural Eye Palette

I still remember the day. My first "high-end" make-up purchase.

This eye shadow was a far cry from the quality of my first ever eye shadow. (Sixth grade - Bonne Bell loose pigment shadows. I had the blue, purple, and white. Man, I was a babe, huh? ;) )

I saw it on display in a Beauty Brand store when I was 16. I was on break from working at the Gap around the corner. I fell in love in an instant. I had to have it. I shelled out $36 for the palette and loved it for years. In fact, it wasn't until a year ago that I began to purchase more high-end makeup. This trusty palette went through dates, dances, work, and daily life.

So I felt it was appropriate that I share swatches and my thoughts on the palette first.

I loved the simplicity of the setup of this palette - it has a "Day" Look, a "Classic" Look, and a "Fashion" Look.

SWATCHES 

 From top to bottom: Heaven (Matches my skin tone so it's hard to see....), Velvet Revolver Sexpresso, Silk Teddy, Push-Up, Erotica, Nude Beach, Honey Pot, Cocoa Puff.

 A few close ups (from left to right): Cocoa Puff, Honey Pot, Nude Beach, Erotica.

A few close ups (from left to right): Push-Up, Silk Teddy, Sexpresso, Velvet Revolver, Heaven (a perfect cream highlight -hope fully you can see it's there!)

My Thoughts

My favorite colors from this palette are definitely the 3 matte shades.  (Heaven, Velvet Revolver, and Sexpresso) They are creamy and last really well. I also love Silk Teddy and Erotica....

Honey Pot isn't a great shade on my skin tone - but it's a beautiful color with great pigmentation.

But.... nude beach I rarely ever wear. It has a lot of fall out, the glitter gets everywhere on me...... you can even see on the swatch that it kind of has a chunky look to it.

BUT, I love this palette. It was my gateway palette :) I would recommend this to someone who loves neutral shades. I feel I don't reach for it as often as I used to since I purchased many other palettes and eye shadows.... it's a classic palette worth trying!

Why????

Blogging.... Blogging.... Blogging....

I never thought I would get on the internet to blog. I love reading blogs, and I'm practically addicted to watching Youtube videos. But I never thought I would have a blog!

Then, out of nowhere, I had this intense desire to do it!

Who am I to deny fate, right?

Right.....

I have a strange obsession with makeup, hair, cooking, baking, teaching, dancing, laughing, reading, watching movies, and occasionally.... doing nothing. :) Guilty pleasure here and there.

I'll post several times a week from here on out, posts about my life and the craziness that is happening, posts about recipes I'm loving, beauty products I love (or hate....), and a few reflections on memories and deeper things.

So follow along with my crazy journey of life, and help me out along the way too! :) We all need motivation now and again, and I'm hoping this will be a great addition to mine!