I did one of these not too long ago in July, but I wanted to show what I keep in my new purse. Both because I want to show what it fits, and because for the past year, or so, I've been carrying smaller bags, like my Mini Macs or my wristlet. 

With the Small Leslie I don't have to narrow my purse down to the nitty gritty, which allows me to include some of my favorite items. The last time I showed what I keep in a larger bag was my Disney Dooney, and most of that has changed.

Here's what's typically hiding inside: L to R, Top to Bottom

Sunglasses
iPad Mini with a It's a Fine Day case from Target and Stylus
Book- right now it's Let it Snow, but I prefer my Nook since it's much smaller
Sony ear phones
Chap Stick (pr sample)
But's Bees Cuticle Cream
Hand sanitizer
Lilly Brush (ifabbo sample)
Nail file
Lip crayon- Honey by Revlon
Lip crayon- Pink Umbrellas by ELF
Coin Sock- bought at Pier One Imports last year
Moleskin Journal
Pencil and Pen
Pill Case and Nail kit
Urbanears Plattan headphones
Eraser
BlackBerry Z10
Wallet

I don't put my sunglasses in a hard case simply because it wouldn't fit. I can't go too high when packing the bag or I risk the zipper missing the magnet. I figured if I'm doing something that would smash them, then the flimsy white case that I normally use wouldn't protect it anyways.

I keep two pairs of headphones because I often forget the white ones at home, which are my favorite. I like to leave my Urbanears in there as an emergency pair (quite a large emergency pair, to tell you the truth). If I don't have something for longer car rides I become very VERY grumpy. About as grumpy as I get if I can't fix a broken nail, hence all the nail supplies. Though, what you can't see is that I stuffed two small emery boards to the white and gold nail kit. Why I need to have three nail files with me, I'll never understand, but I can't bring myself to part with it. I'm convinced that I'll need them one of these days.

You won't find a makeup bag in this purse for two reasons: 1. I never touchup through out the day other than lip products, and 2. One wouldn't fit. It's not a huge loss, but it probably would be a deal breaker to some.

The Cobble Hill Small Leslie fits everything that I need nicely. It's definitely not a Mary Poppins bag, though it does its job very effectively.

What do you look for in a bag? Do you like the idea of downsizing, or prefer to keep all of your favorite things with you?

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from Florida! I spent yesterday on the beach with my family, and they decided to make a snowman out of sand. Too bad the tide washed it away shortly after this picture was taken, but that's a risk when playing with sand =D

I hope you all have a safe and fantastic holiday. Stay safe! I'll see you all in a few days.

Oakley Deviation

Oakley Deviation in Brown Camo

A bit of a switch up today, since sunglasses aren't a normal topic around here. Sometimes change is nice. I'm also posting on a Sunday. That usually doesn't happen. Newness abound!

Last year I purchased my Oakley Miss Conduct sunglasses from the local outlet store. It was the first pair of good sunglasses that I had ever bought, and also the first pair that I didn't lose. Well, not thinking about the sunglasses, I wore them in the pool over the summer. The chlorine basically ruined the lenses, making it difficult to see out of them.

About 2 years ago I had an eye infection where everything was too bright. I couldn't go outside, and the day I went to the doctor I stayed in the dark bathroom with the light off until my appointment. Even after the infection was gone I still have light sensitivity, making it necessary for me to have sunglasses. I don't like big sunglasses, but I need my eyes to be completely covered.

I didn't want to purchase new glasses, I actually went in seeing if they could replace the lens of mine. Sadly they couldn't.

They were, however, having a friends and family promo where everything in the store was 25% off. Spencer saw these in a display case near the discount wall, and told me to try them out. I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg, but I needed something. I don't remember what the tag said, but the receipt says that they come out to be $39.14 after tax, and the promotion was added. Not bad at all.

They are men's sunglasses, but I don't really care. The women's sunglasses on the discounted wall made me look bug eyed, and then the ones that I liked were too heavy. The only thing I'm bummed out about is that the men's don't come with a case, but my old white one works anyways (plus I have a hard case, so it's not a big deal).

I really do like them. The frame is lightweight, and fits comfortably on my face. My nose, and ears do not hurt after wearing them for long periods of time.

The only major complaint is that the rubber bits get caught in my hair if I'm wearing them on my head, but since they are men's, that doesn't really surprise me. If they're on my face, it's fine. I just have to careful with them.

I like them. Not quite as much as my old pair, but I couldn't get those on a sale like I did last time, and they're $200 on their own. Not really in the budget right now. Spencer likes them though, and will steal them off my face if it's not too bright out and try them on. He's strange sometimes.

Do you stick to one pair of sunglasses at a time, or do you have several?

Top Three iOS Apps for Bloggers

I carry my iPad with me most places I go. When I'm not near my computer, I use my iPad to plan my blogs, keep a list of what I want to post about, write the blog, and read other blogs. All that wouldn't be possible without these three apps; Posts, Feedly, and AnyList.

After some trial and error, paying for an app, and several deletions, I have figured out what works best for me. I really wanted to share with you all how I get things done on the go.

These are only for iOS. I know, there are other operating systems out there. I wish I could speak for Android, Windows, or even BlackBerry. But, I can't. I'm sure there are apps out there that are similar, and maybe even free. Except BlackBerry. I'm looking at you RSS readers.

Posts

Posts is without a doubt the best blogging app for Blogger. It's no secret that the official Blogger app isn't very useful, and a paid app that I once used fails in comparison to Posts.

With Posts you can do anything you can do from your Blogger dashboard. It has both an offline, and online option, and you can access your drafts easily whether you created them with the app, or on your computer. The only draw back is that you can't directly control/respond to comments if you're using Disqus, or I assume Commentluv. You can see the comment, just not respond to them.

It also has landscape and portrait mode, tags, HTML, shows you all your posts in a timeline format, and you can even manage your pages. It has so many features. There's nothing better, in my opinion. Best part? Completely free with no ads.

Feedly

I love being connected to blogs at all times. I just get bored sometimes, and one of the best ways to curb that boredom is by catching up on blogs.

The Feedly app does pretty much everything that the website does, and makes it super easy to browse through posts.

Psst. They also have this app for Android.

AnyList

I normally don't like keeping notes on my iPad. I hardly ever look at them, and they don't really help me. AnyList makes it easy to manage my lists, and keep updated on posts. The free version has a lot of different options to customize my list so that the categories are actually relevant.

If I finish a task/get an item I can cross it off. I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing that little red line on an item. I use this for all of my lists; grocery, wish list, to buy, and blog posts. It's an all around useful app that's great for organization.

What apps do you like to use?

My latest obsession. . . Kate Spade Small Leslie

I'll spare you the backstory to how this purse came into my possession (I deleted it because it was looooong). Basically it was a matter of it right price, right bag. It fit my needs, and it was a slight (albeit better) variation of what I originally wanted.

A while ago I mentioned the purses I was looking at. The Small Leslie is similar in size to the Cobble Hill Little Minka, which is the larger version of the Mini Minka, which is way too small after all is said and done.

This little speck of purse beauty (in my eyes, at least) is the Kate Spate Cobble Hill Small Leslie in Storm. It's smooshy leather is a nice shade of grey; not too light, not too dark. It has a zip closure which folds over, and is secured via a magnet. There is also a sneaky pocket that runs the length of the back, and a decent portion of the height. I bought it for about 40-something% off at Kate Spade's Thanksgiving weekend surprise sale.

-My thoughts-

Quality: superb. I would expect nothing less from Kate Spade. I literally can't walk into the local outlet store without buying something, even if it's just cute earrings. The metal hardware feels sturdy (it's apparently 14kt light gold, which has my husband concerned), and the leather and the bag in general feels very well made. I definitely got what I paid for, and so far its worth every penny.

With the removable crossbody strap on the shortest hole (there are five) the bag hits below my hip. I'm 4'11", btw. The top handles are too small to put on my shoulder, but that doesn't bother me since I don't want to carry it that way. It can be held on the arm. The bag is light, and doesn't add too much stress on my shoulder even when full.

The zipper lifts up from its magnetic closure to reveal the inside of the bag, and a decent sized pocket in the front. It's large enough that my Nook fits in there comfortably with a few other items. Inside there are two pockets, and a zip pocket. I feel like I need a flashlight when digging around in there, it's so dark. I try to keep the random items from floating around. I'm afraid I'd never get them back.

When I first played around with the bag the zipper wasn't really functional. It was difficult to close, but with use, its gotten significantly better. I'm not sure what caused that, but I did have an issue with my Kate Spade Wallet, which I had to exchange since that one just flat out broke (prior to my review).

I can already tell that it's going to slouch over time, which is what I want. When a larger purse hangs that low, I want it to be slouchy. It looks more casual, and is closer to my day to day style (not that I really have one).

-Complaints and Drawbacks-

Sadly, even though I love it there are a few things about it that I would have changed. 

The handles become less stiff if they're pushed down, which isn't the best for me since I want them to stay up. I think the bag looks nicer that way, and they make it easier to maneuver it in and out of my husband's truck. If you want the handles to stay up, please don't push them down.

I'm also not a huge fan of how dark it gets inside. It's fine now that I've come to terms with the fact that I can't keep anything loose in the main compartment, but if something were to go in there, I would have to dig out a flashlight of some sorts.

As you can suspect, it does get a little cumbersome getting things in and out of the main compartment. It's not made to be zipped with one hand, and with the zipper still not 100% where I want it to be, it's slightly difficult. That can be solved easily by keeping the most reached for things like my phone, and maybe even cards in the front pocket.

I'm probably going to show you what I keep in the purse later this week, or even next week. I really (to the umpteenth power) love this purse. It's comfortable to carry on my shoulder, looks great, and holds my favorite things. Plus it just fuels my Kate Spade obsession. Eek, I need an intervention. Stat!

Maybelline Color Tattoo | Inked in Pink

How have I not swatched/reviewed this eyeshadow before now? I wear it nearly every time I apply makeup, and have loved it since the moment it was applied. That and I talk about it all the time.

Inked in Pink is part of the Maybelline Tattoo 24/hr Metal eyeshadow line. It's a pink shimmer cream shadow that is contained in a glass pot.

Take the name seriously, folks, because this eyeshadow is not going anywhere. It's super easy to apply, whether you choose to use your finger or brush (in my opinion using your finger gives off more color). It doesn't take a whole lot to cover the lid, which is probably why it's lasted so long.

It doesn't smudge, and it lasts all day without creasing. The Color Tattoo practically blends itself. I usually don't have to do much to it after it's applied. There are no harsh lines, and it applies evenly. Very easy to use.

I like using this as a base, and choosing a darker color for the crease, and outer edge. It plays well with others.

I need to buy more. I always stare at them when I go to Target, but have yet to pick up another one. I can see myself repurchasing Inked in Pink in a heart beat. If/when I pick up more shades, I'll be sure to post a swatch of them. It'll probably become a favorite. I've heard nothing but fantastic things when it comes to this line, and in my opinion it lives up to the hype, 100%.

Do you use a Color Tattoo? If so, which one is your favorite?

Lilly Brush Save our Sweaters | Review

To be honest I've had this for a while now. I purchased it on iFabbo thinking it was a pet hair remover. Then I read the package, and was under the impression that it was mainly for cashmere sweaters, which I do not own (and not for pet hair remover). Que the everlasting guilt every time I logged into iFabbo to submit a review.

Earlier this week I looked more into it, and realized that they're both right (yeah, let's just ignore my blatant ignorance and paranoia). Finally I am reviewing this bad boy, which has been living in my drawer waiting to be reviewed.

I have animals, that's no secret. 1 cat, 1 dog, and more rabbits than need mentioning. One thing I am never in short supply with is fur.

It's not the smallest item, just shy of 7" long, and 3cm in diameter. It fits well in a larger bag though, and is a hand item to carry around if you're like me, and don't even think about de-linting yourself before leaving the house.

The easiest thing it removes is my rabbit's fur, which is very wooly, and soft. The brush picks it up with ease, and only requires one run over the area. Much better than the sticky rollers, which can become full after the first few runs. As for fur that tends to be more coarse, like dog fur, I recommend removing the fur from the brush before each pass. The bristles don't grab onto the strands as easily, and they get knocked off.

My mom suggested that I test it out on her lamp shades (ploy to get me to clean them for her? Probably), and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It didn't remove ever little piece of hair, and after every pass I did have to pick the hair/fur out of the brush, but it did work really well on it. You can clearly see the clean vs dirty parts on the shade in the picture above.

Overall I think it's a great alternative to the sticky rollers, which can become a hassle (especially when there is no trashcan in site), and masking tape (which I used to use in high school). It looks nice, especially with the houndstooth print, and I like the grey one slightly more than the red.

Lilly Brush comes in two different colors; Red and Grey. It costs $12.95, and is available for purchase through their website, or through Amazon.ca.

*This is an iFabbo sample

Studio Gear Holiday Smokey Palette | Swatch and Review

A while ago I received an invite to join BrandBacker. It's a site where a blogger can join campaigns designed on advertising a product. It took several months before there was a campaign that actually suited me.

I received this pallet from Studio Gear to review, and show you guys. It's a beautiful collection of shimmery shadows, and a blush; perfect for a smokey look (hence the name; Holiday Smokey Palette).

Keep reading for a review. All opinions are my own, but you guys know that.

They're not as opaque as some eyeshadows out there, but for someone like me, who is a big chicken when it comes to makeup, this is perfect. I do with Glimmer was more pigmented, as it is my favorite color out of the set. Below is a picture of the colors swatched. I used a brush to swatch, and had a slight issue building the color up, even though I did notice that other bloggers had no issue.

I did notice that I had some fallout when it came to Frost, but the others were fine.

Snowy Glow is a nice blush color, and gives off a slight rose tint. The glitter isn't too noticeable after it's applied, and it's easily blendable. Platinum lives up to its name I would describe it as a metallic silver, and is the most opaque of the bunch. Coal is black with gold glitter scattered in it, which isn't easily noticeable to the naked eye (but wow does it show up on camera), and is the most sheer of the bunch. Glimmer is a shimmery gold, while Frost is a shimmery white. Great for highlighting.

The pallet comes with a mini tutorial on how to apply the colors to achieve a smokey look using the colors provided. However, my favorite way to use this pallet is to put my Maybelline Color Tattoo all over the lid, then apply Glimmer on the outer corner, and if I'm in the mood; lightly apply Coal to the crease.

I thought that they wore quite well, and were very easy to work with. I find myself reaching for this pallet more than my Avon one that I've been using. I really like it, and it's not a product that I would normally reach for.

The Studio Gear Holiday Smokey Palette normally retails for $40, but is on sale at a special introductory price of $25. Add that on with a 10% off your entire order (Code: SGHOLIDAY. I believe there is no expiration date at the moment), and you have yourself a lovely little holiday deal =) It is available online at studiogearcosmetics.com.

This pallet was sent to me through BrandBacker, and as always all opinions are my own.

Manna Kadar Transfix | Review

Manna Kadar Transfix

Directions:
Dip brush along outer rim of the shadow, or pigment, for a perfect line.

Basically it's amazing, and it takes any powder product, and turns it into a smudge proof liquid eyeliner.

When I first pulled this out of my Wantable Box I was excited. I was intrigued, and immediately started playing with it. I was surprised at how well it worked.

I did find that I had to dip it into the tube to get it to pick up the color after I applied, since the eyeliner would be a bit too dry on the brush if I put a bit too much on. It became a little process of dip>color>apply>dip>color>apply. It wasn't as time consuming as I expected it to be.

One sweep with each color

I used Mark Star Status Eyeshadow Palette in Earth Angel in the pictures above.

It does suggest that you wipe the eyeliner off before you dip it back into the tube, which is a good idea if you plan on using eyeshadow with glitter with it, but I didn't bother. The liquid inside does a good job at cleaning it, and I haven't seen any residue from past applications coming out. If you're concerned with contamination, I would wipe it off. I'll probably start doing that, since that hadn't occurred to me before.

It does smudge a bit, as you can see above. It's not as bad as I was expecting, though, considering it's technically eyeshadow.

Overall I really do like this product. I hadn't heard of it before, I believe it's technically an eyeliner sealer. I was impressed. I wasn't expecting it to work as well as it did.

This product is not technically a PR Sample

It did come in a Wantable Box, which was a PR Sample

Loving lately №4

I jumped on the Lorde bandwagon. Buzzcut Session and White Teeth Teens are my favorite from her album. I love the feel of it, and her voice sounds beautiful. I this simplicity to her music which I'm intrigued by. I find myself playing it more than anything else at the moment.

I've also been playing a lot of Minion Rush on my phone. It's become a problem. I just love those little minions! I prefer to play on my phone. It's kind of hard to hold, and do the motions, on my iPad. Plus some of the features I like are better on my phone, like to switch to another level it's only 500 bananas instead of the tokens. Though, I do like playing in the mall, which the BlackBerry OS one doesn't have. Give and take, I suppose.

I replaced my old red notebook, which is too tiny to actually write anything out in length. I'm not a list maker like many bloggers are, but I am an idea person. I get these crazy story ideas, and I have to write them down. It's glued to my hip, and I do not leave home without it.

I went with a Moleskin notebook I found at Target. My husband disappeared, and me beginning to get bored,  I started browsing around. Bad idea on his part since I landed in the stationary area. I love the pattern, and how the inside is pink. I wanted something black, since my red one is filthy after using it for the past two years (it was cloth on the outside), a pocket in the back, and something to keep it closed. There was another one I saw that was similar, but it was flimsy and didn't feel like it would last, so I went with the Moleskin. Unfortunately I can't find it online =(

The only makeup that I've been truly loving lately is the Boots Mineral Foundation, which I mentioned in my daily face post, Essie Cocktail Bling, and my Transfix eyeliner. I mentioned it in my daily eye makeup post, and I plan on having a review up later this week.

What have you been loving lately?

Crown Brush HD Set | Review

This is an iFabbo Sample. For more information, please click here.

When I saw these brushes pop up on the iFabbo Store, I was ecstatic. I had never heard of Crown before, and I was eager to try them out. First off, the color is phenomenal. I love the orange handles, and bristle tips, even if they were a pain and a half to photograph.

The set comes with 6 brushes, tweezers, and a carrying case. The case matches whichever set you chose (orange, purple, or white/blue). It has slots for each brush, and the tweezers, and a zip closure. Compared to my Real Techniques case that came with the travel essentials kit, they're not even on the same level. I wouldn't say the quality is fantastic, but it is nice. Definitely doesn't feel like a cheap addition like the Real Techniques one does (even though it pains me to say that, since the brushes are great). The case also features a mirror, which can be removed if necessary.

They are all vegan friendly, and can be used to apply liquids, creams, and powders. Brushes included are: Detail Liner, Chisel Shadow, Crease Blender, Deluxe Contour, Tapered Blush, and Pro Powder.

L to R: Chisel Shadow, Crease Blender, and Detail Liner

The biggest surprise with this set has to be the tweezers. I wasn't expecting them to work well. Normally when tweezers are included in a set, in my experience, they're low quality, and usually do not grab anything. When looking at them closed, there's no gap.

I haven't had the chance to use the Detail Liner brush; I don't have any products to test it out with. It seems firm, but flares out at the end. I wish I had more to offer, but since I've never used a brush like this, I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

When I first used the Crease Blender, I was worried that it wasn't picking up any product. After playing around, I realized that it was just human error due to my own inexperience with the type of brush. It picks up just the right amount of product, and is easy to build up product. It's also very simple to use, and as a first time user of a crease brush (I know, what's wrong with me?), I didn't have any trouble getting the hang of the brush. It was easy to hold, and easy to control.

Comparing the Chisel Shadow brush to the Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush, I like this one slightly better. It's smaller (though the handle is longer), stiffer, and slightly more tapered at the tip, while still being fluffy and soft. It packs on cream, and powder, eye shadow easily. Unfortunately I did notice slight staining when I used a black eyeshadow, even after washing it several times. It's not too noticeable, though. Just a slight discoloration.

L to R: Pro Powder, Tapered Blush, and Deluxe Contour

I love the size of all three of these brushes.

The Contour Brush is very dense, and fits in all the right areas. I don't contour, but I did try it out with a random blush. I can't get over this brush. I find myself looking for a reason to use it. It's great for precise application, and it's very easy to blend.

The Pro Powder isn't as dense as I would have liked it to be. I see myself reaching for this less than my Real Techiniques, and even my Guerlain brush. It works well, and does its job, but I do feel as though I have something better. It's larger than the Multi Task Brush that comes in the Real Techniques set that I keep mentioning, not as dense, and not as soft. It's very loose, which allows for a light application. I also after washing noticed that there were a few hairs that were longer than the rest, and there was one stray hair that I believe came from this brush, but I tossed it before I got a chance to look at it without thinking about it. The length of it is what makes me believe that the Pro Powder is the culptret. As for those longer hairs, I'm pretty sure they appeared after wasting, since I don't remember seeing any prior to the thorough cleaning. It is possible that they weren't cut. It's only a few, and they don't feel loose when I lightly tug on them. It's kind of bizarre, and I'm interested in seeing if anyone else has notices this. This is probably one of my least favorites in the set, to be honest. I was a little let down, though it's not a huge loss since I have a enough powder brushes to chose from.

Blush is a product that always gets me nervous. I'm always paranoid that I'll apply too much, and end up looking like a clown. The Tapered Blush brush applies the perfect amount. It's a smaller brush, firm, and very dense. I really enjoyed using it, even though I'm not a blush person (I may be changing that soon!)


Overall, I did not notice any shedding, even while washing, aside from the Pro Powder brush. The brushes maintained their shape well. All of the brushes in this set are soft, and the handles just feel so nice. The case is great for travel, and it feels like a very complete set. Perfect for beginners, or if you want a set specifically for travel.

My favorites are the Tapered Blush, and the Crease Blender. They all work well with what they're designed to do, but are also great for a variety of uses.

The Crown Brush HD Set retails for $69.99, but is on sale for $27.95 (I have no idea how long for). They come on three colors; orange, purple, and white/blue

iFabbo provided the sample for review purposes