Elf Nude to Bold Look Books - Eyeshadow Swatches!

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Today's post is all about eyeshadow. I got this awesome e.l.f. Nude to Bold Book of Look Books set for Christmas from my inlaws. It has 4 eyeshadow books and each one features silky, highly pigmented colors. I've never tried e.l.f. eye shadows before but I'm loving these. I did some swatches from each lookbook.  I didn't use any eye primers underneath so these are just quick swatches, and my first time doing this!

Each look is in it's own little book with a mirror which is convenient for people like myself who wear glasses and have to get right up in front of the sink to do eye makeup.

1) "Bronzed" I love the first two colors on this one. I tend to gravitate towards gold, brown, and nude shadows so I'll be using this one a lot.

2) "Party" Oh, look at that blue! I can honestly say I've never worn blue shadow before because I had no clue what to pair it with. I love how these colors go together in this book, can't wait to test this one out.

3) "Nude" Love this one! I always wear nude colors. I need to branch out more. These colors are perfect for everyday wear. These have a rosy, pinkish-brown look. These remind me of my Naked 3 palette. Might have to do a comparison! I love the 2nd color.

4) "Drama" Purple = My favorite color! This palette definitely brings the drama. I love it, silver and purple look great together. I'll probably use the black for smoking out my eye liners.

Okay, don't laugh, but I got bored and wanted to do a half and half make up look for comparison. Here I am wearing "Drama" on one side and "Nude" on the other!

Have a great weekend and an awesome 2016!!!



- Melle Belle

Simply Earth Essential Oils: Pine, Camphor & Tea Tree

Hi Everyone! Can you believe it's almost Christmas?! I worked on lots of handmade gifts over the weekend and those gifts may or may not (hint,hint) include ingredients from Simply Earth! I don't want to give out too much information on what I made for gifts yet, but stay tuned and I'll post after the holidays!

Anyways, you may remember from my previous post about the amazing Peppermint Essential Oil I tested earlier this month. It was fantastic and I've already used it in a few different things. I'm just beginning my essential oil journey, so I have a lot to learn but it's been fun googling and pinning information on products to make with essential oils. 

I've tested 3 other essential oils from Simply Earth. This blog post features Pine, Camphor and Tea Tree from their essential oil line. 

First up: Pine! I got all fancy with this picture! 

This pine essential oil has a woody, evergreen aroma. I was worried it was going to be overwhelming but it's just perfect. I plan on using this around the house for cleaning and for muscle pain relief. 

Click here to check out Simply Earth's Pine essential oil and for more information.

Next up: Camphor! I'm digging the burlap background, how about you?

This essential oil has a clean, medicinal scent that reminds me of vapor rubs. I plan on making a salve out of this the next time we get sick. 

 Click Here to purchase Simply Earth's Camphor EO and find more information!

Last but not least: Tea Tree! The Christmas tree has the best lighting for these pictures, Haha!

I love the smell of Tea Tree. It's hard to describe, it's like a medicinal scent with woody notes. I've heard it's perfect for acne treatments and I'm gonna use it for that! 

Click Here to purchase Simply Earth's Tea Tree EO and find more information on their products.

In my last Simply Earth post I shared some information on the company. I definitely love that they are a purpose driven company. They give 13% of their profits to ending human trafficking. Their products are affordable and they have 100% pure essential oils. They offer many different types of oils and other products as well. Take the time to check out their website: SimplyEarth.com

 * I received all of these products for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions and reviews.* 

Thanks for reading and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! XOXO

-Melle Belle

Chomping on Chomps!

I'm always on the hunt to find filling, healthy, and easy to eat snacks to eat at work and on the go. Sometimes I get stuck in a 'funk' and I get tired of eating the same things all the time. One of my favorite snacks to eat on the road is jerky and most, if not all, beef sticks and jerky at gas stations are full of fat and questionable (scary) ingredients.

Look no further, check out these yummy snack sticks from Chomps!

Check out GoChomps.com here!

Chomps Snack Sticks are made with 100% Non-GMO grass-fed beef. The sticks contain no artificial ingredients (no nitrites, nitrates, MSG, colors, flavors) and are shelf stable for a year with the help of celery juice! I had no idea celery juice can be used as a preservative! They are made with no added sugars and no gluten, so this is a perfect paleo snack.

Check out those ingredients in the Original Flavor sticks! I can pronounce everything! 

Chomps sent me a generous amount of each flavor to try! So far, I've sampled the original flavor and it tastes great. I can't wait to try the other flavors, Hoppin' Jalapeno and Crankin' Cran flavor. 

If you're looking for a high protein snack with healthy ingredients that you can pronounce, give Chomps Snack Sticks a try!

GoChomps.com

It's Chomp Time!

I recieved these samples for free in exchange for my honest & unbiased opinions and reviews. All reviews and opinions are my own and Powered by Brandbacker.

Thanks for reading!

- Melle Belle

HoMegaStyle Lemon Squeezer and Zester Set - Plus Quick, Healthy Snack

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Check out this lemon squeezer/juicer and zester set from HoMegaStyle!

This set is made from stainless steel and it's dishwasher safe. Upon receiving this set, I had to first test it out by running both the juicer and zester through the dishwasher. I've washed them both a handful of times since I got them and I have no complaints! I love being able to throw my kitchen dishes and tools in the dishwasher. It makes my life way easier!

The zester comes with a plastic sleeve which is perfect for storing it safely. It works great and gets the job done.

I used the juicer/squeezer the first time using a large lemon. I made one of my favorite healthy snacks: Chili Lemon Cucumbers. It sounds weird, but don't knock it till you try it.

All you need is a cucumber, chili powder, and lemon juice. Salt is optional.

I used half of a cucumber and half of a large lemon.

 Just slice the cucumber however you like, put the slices in a container, and then get the lemon ready.  It helps to roll and press the lemon on the counter before cutting and juicing to break down the pulp inside. Squeeze the lemon over the cucumber slices.

The lemon has been squeezed to death. And here's the bottom of the squeezer. The holes are the right size to prevent any seeds from getting through.

Sprinkle  desired amount of chili powder on top of the cucumbers. Seal container and refrigerate for 30 mins to 1 hour. 

Enjoy!

HoMegaStyle's lemon squeezer made this recipe a breeze. It can also be used on limes, small oranges, and more. This would be great for making mixed drinks too!

I received this set for free in exchange for my honest & unbiased opinions and reviews.

Click here to buy this set on Amazon!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

-Melle Belle

Peppermint Essential Oil

I've recently started using essential oils and I've been pinning so many essential oil ideas on Pinterest.

I've checked out a few different companies online and I had the chance to try this Peppermint Essential Oil by Simply Earth.

Simply Earth offers high quality products at affordable prices and they give back! 13% of the profits from each purchase goes towards ending human trafficking. Plus 7.5% of each purchase goes towards the cause of the month also!

This peppermint essential oil smells so good and I plan on using it for headache relief plus much, much more!

Here's a breakdown of the Peppermint product info that I found on their Amazon listing:

Info About the Product
Main Constituents: L-Menthol: 36.75%; L-Menthone: 24.05%; Menthofuran: 5.10%
Botanical Name: Mentha Piperita
Origin: India
Extraction Method: Steam Distillation
Plant Part: Herb
Note: Top
Family: Lamiaceae
Blends Well With: Basil, Bergamot, Cajeput, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Marjoram, Niaouli, Pine, Rosemary, Spearmint, and Thyme
Aroma: Sharp, penetrating scent based on its high menthol content; a minty sweetness
Consistency: Thin
Color: Colorless to pale yellow 

I love the design of their labels. It's simple and tells you everything you need to know.

 

Check out simplyearth.com for more information on this purpose driven company.

Their products can be purchased on their website or from Amazon.

Click here to check out this product on Amazon 

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest & unbiased opinions and reviews.  

Have a great week!

-Melle Belle

Christmas Cards and Gel Pens!

 Hello Again!

It's that time of year, Christmas Card time! I love sending out cards to my family & friends, and I love getting cards in return!

One of my favorite parts about sending cards is picking them out at the store and buying stamps. I found a really cute set of cards at Target that I'll be sending out this year. And this year I'll be using these super cute Charlie Brown stamps!

I'll be using these awesome Jewelescent gel pens on my Christmas cards, my adult coloring books, and everything else! 

There's **48** gel pens in this set and it includes classic, glitters, metallics, neons, pastels, swirls, and 2 black gel pens. Basically this set of pens has any and every color you would want!

 

Look at all the pretty colors...

I loved the swirly ones in jr. high, and I still do. 

I got a little carried away and tested out almost every color...

I really like these gel pens. They write very smoothly, and the colors are vibrant and crisp. If you're looking for a Christmas gift for that artist (or doodler like me) in your life, I definitely recommend these gel ink pens!

Click here to buy Jewelescent Gel Pens on Amazon

                                  I received this Jewelescent gel pen set for free in exchange for my honest review.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

- Melle Belle

Sunsella Pastry Scraper & Chopper Review

 I hope all of my readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Today's review features a handy kitchen tool!



I love this pastry scraper and chopper from Sunsella! I received it complimentary in exchange for my honest review.

This scraper can be used in so many ways. It's perfect for chopping veggies! You can also easily transport your chopped veggies from the cutting board to the pan. It also has a ruler on it which is really handy. It can also be used to get stubborn burnt food off pans and casserole dishes (make sure to be careful doing this, I don't recommend it for non-stick pans).

The scraper is made out of stainless steel and it's dishwasher safe.

I always see chefs on The Food Network using a tool like this and I'm so happy to have one. It's going to make holiday cooking a breeze this year.


Click here to purchase a Sunsella Scraper & Chopper on Amazon!

Thanks for reading!

-Melle Belle

#TryDry Influenster VoxBox Review

Influenster sent me a VoxBox with 2 Degree Dry Sprays. 1 for men and 1 for women.

Here's the VoxBox:

First off, I was really surprised to get one for Kyle to try too! I was expecting just one sample for me to try.


I love the packaging and the fact that both containers have a lock and unlock feature in case you're traveling or you need to throw it in your gym bag.

I really like the scent of the Degree MotionSense in Fresh Energy. It's clean and not overpowering, and it's easy to apply. The package claims to last 48 hours. So yes, I did test that out. I applied it once (don't worry I still took showers during the 48 hrs lol). It worked fine for me but keep in mind I didn't exercise during that time. I prefer to apply this once a day.

Kyle likes his. He was apprehensive to try it but he said he likes it! That's about as far as his review goes!

A $1.50 off coupon off 1 dry spray antiperspirant was also included. I believe you can use this on other brands offered by Unilever, like Dove.

I want to try the Dove dry spray next!

When I first heard that I would be trying a dry spray all I could think about was that AWFUL Secret deo spray (in the tall baby blue bottle), that everyone used in Jr. High gym class. That powdery, burning smell is still ingrained in my brain. I was worried it would be like that stuff but it wasn't. No offense if you still use that brand or scent, it's just not for me.

Are you on Influenster? You should check it out! Here's my referral link: www.influenster.com/r/161607

Disclosure: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.