Mandii's Muse

This is going to be a PSA of sorts.  I was at my local Wal-Mart yesterday, and there were tons of beauty deals going on! They had Rimmel blush for $1.00, Nivea Lip Butters for $3.42, Hard Candy Lipsticks for $3.00, and SO much more! You might want to check this out! I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case you had a trip to Wal-Mart in your future. Happy beauty deal hunting!!

Even though my hair is fine, I can still get some nasty tangles in it. My hair especially becomes tangled when I am in need of a haircut. Does your hair do that too? When I received this in an Ipsy bag, I was excited. I have used Big Sexy Hair products before, but I have not used Healthy Sexy Hair products before. Image found here This is a great leave in conditioner! I spray this on towel dried hair at the ends, and rub it in with my hands. Then, I just comb through my hair! This product does not make my hair heavy, or not want to hold a style. The scent is slightly minty, and doesn't linger. This formula has soy to reconstruct the protein in your hair. The cocoa in this replenishes moisture. The tougher question is, would I repurchase this? Honestly, I probably would not. Being the frugal girl that I am, I can't see myself spending 10 dollars on this. I could go to the drugstore and pick out a cheaper version, that would ultimately do the same thing for a lot less. Wo...

I absolutely love walking into a room and it smells "homey." To me, it makes your home even more personal. One way I scent my home is by using wax melts and a warmer. Picking out the right scent can be tough. Some are too strong and not realistic. The Glade Wax Melts are wonderful. *I'm a BzzAgent, and was sent coupons to use for this review.* These Glade Wax melts come in a package of 8 cubes.. The package has a slim design, so it won't take up much space for storage. Using my coupon I chose the scent Apple Cinnamon. The scent is a perfect mix of you guessed it, apples and cinnamon! It is not over powering, and does not give me a headache. If you did not have a wax warmer, Glade has those available to purchase as well. They also have a variety of scents to choose from. Glade wax on the left, Better Homes and Gardens wax on right. These melt beautifully! I turn my warmer on and within minutes I can smell the scent. Even when the warmer is turned off, and I...

It is safe to say that I am officially over Winter. I am ready for Spring. I am starting to wear brighter colors, and brighten up my face with the makeup I am using. When I first received this blush in my Ipsy bag, I thought that it was bright. However when I swatched it, I was pleasantly surprised. The Be Matte blush from City Color is a definite keeper! Prior to using this, I have never used  a matte blush before. I received the color Fresh Melon. While this blush appears bright, it is actually very natural looking. It is a coral blush, and very buildable. On my pale, white, winter skin, this gives me a perfect healthy glow. On a tan, this would look absolutely amazing. What I love about this blush is the fact that it is matte. It blends smoothly into my skin, and looks so natural. With my oily skin, using a blush with heavy shimmer makes my skin look even oilier. Not flattering. This is great for those of you like me, who suffer from oil. This blush did not make me break out...

If you live in Pennsylvania, you know that we are experiencing a bit of a "heat wave." I'm not sure I remember what 50 degrees feels like!! The good news is that today is Friday and the weekend is just beginning. I'm linking up with Lauren like I always do! Here are my thoughts about this week! 1. Meryl Davis and Charlie White won a gold medal!! I have been a fan of theirs for a long time! They skate with such synchronization and fluidity, it is just awesome to watch!! 2. We had another snow storm roll through on Tuesday, it may be a hassle, but it is pretty! 3. I did a lot better about scheduling my posts for this past week. I need to continue to do this! #bloggergoal 4. Jeans day at school today! Love casual Friday's! 5. Duke played last night! UNC will always be their arch rival! How has your week been? Leave me a comment and let me know!

It is time for my monthly Birchbox post. I'm not going to lie, this month was probably my least favorite month for Birchbox, ever. I did get a few products I am excited to try, but this month overall was just okay. Here is what I got in my box! Ayres|Bar Soap in Patagonia- This is STRONG! So strong, I immediately took it out of my box and put it somewhere where I can't smell it anymore. I won't be using this. Beauty Protector| Protect & Oil- Now this product, I am excited about! You know I love a hair oil! This "defends against UV rays, heat, and breakage." I like that I can protect my hair from the sun. This also smells divine! Cynthia Rowley Beauty| Liquid Liner in Black- I am always willing to give liquid liner a try. This has a great point, and has a nice black line. Oh, and the packaging is just too cute! I am still practicing with my liquid liner, but I think this has great potential! Juicy Couture| Couture La La Malibu- I have got a lot of fr...

Can you believe this blog is ONE year old today?! I sure can't! I've learned that creating a blog is like a part time job, and sustaining one is a full time job. There were some very slow weeks in the beginning, like building my readership, and not knowing what to write. Once people started reading, commenting, and sharing my posts, I got excited and didn't want to quit! Let's take a look back at some of my favorite posts! This Celtic Thunder post on their new DVD Mythology was the one that started it all! This was my very first post! This post on Simple Sugars is still one of my most popular posts! Let's Talk About: Court Storming was probably one of my most passionate posts. I was so fired up, I wrote that post in 15 minutes. My brain was on turbo for that post. These two posts about Amish flower auctions , and the yearly benefit auction was fun because I got to show you a different way of life that some people don't see every day, or even in th...

My Ipsy bag came filled with makeup for me to try this month! I always love getting my bags each month, and this month was no exception. Here is what my bag had inside! City Color: Be Matte Blush- I have never tried a matte blush before. I think this will be perfect for my oily skin! I received the color Fresh Melon, and it is a mix of coral and orange. I have only swatched this, but I think it can either be applied with a light hand, or built up to a fuller coverage. On my pale winter skin, this will make me look healthy, and on tan skin this will look so great! Zoya: Odette- This purple neutral is absolutely gorgeous! This would definitely be appropriate for work, and the upcoming Spring season! (If it would ever get here!) Dr Lin: Acne Spot Corrector- As a girl who suffers with acne, I could always use a spot corrector! I am really excited to try this and see how it words on my acne prone skin! POP Beauty Lipstick: Peony Petal- I am going to classify this as a full cov...

As a lifetime single girl, I have always had a disdain for Valentine's Day. Could these feelings change one day? Perhaps, but I am just not a fan of the holiday. This year though, I tried to keep my mind open. Here is how I spent my Valentine's Day! In the morning, I created a spa day for myself. I put on a paper mask, did a hand scrub, and painted my toe nails. For dinner, I used this as a cheat meal, and had some pizza. After dinner, there is no better treat than chocolate cake! My mom made this cake, and it is clean. It is made using beets, and unsweetened cocoa powder. It was delicious! I can't even describe how delicious this cake was!! Plus, how cute is the heart shape?? I mean, seriously! At bedtime, I chose to watch Sabrina. This is a great classic movie starring Harrison Ford. Nothing like a romantic movie on Valentine's Day right? So that was my Valentine's Day! How did you spend the day? Leave me a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear fr...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! How are you spending the day? I'll show you how I spent mine in an upcoming post! As always, I'm linking up with Lauren ! Here is what I have loved this week! 1. These wedge boots. I finally found a pair that fit my "athletic calf." I don't know where they have been all of my life. In my opinion, wedge>heels. I got these from Lane Bryant, and they were on sale! Yes! 2. I got some Valentines from the students at school. I'm glad I was the lucky recipient of them! 3. On Wednesday, Duke was supposed to play their arch rival, UNC. Unfortunately, it got cancelled because the weather was pretty terrible down South. As long as everyone is safe is the most important thing. (And that Duke gets a W!) 4. My ab workouts have been rough, but I am pushing myself. Clean eating is still going strong too! 5. My goal is to pre-plan my posts again. I didn't do that this week, and you saw what happened! Let me know if you lin...

I'm sorry my blog didn't go up the past 2 days. I have been a horrible blogger this week. Stick with me though, I have some great posts coming up! I am still learning the ropes when it comes to blogging. Forgive me?  Today, I have a very small haul from JC Penney! It is one of my favorite stores to shop at, and the items I got were $4.97. Yes, that was the actual price.  The bright colored top is by Liz Claiborne. I am not usually drawn to colorful tops like this, but when I tried it on, I was instantly in love with it. This type of blouse can be worn with jeans, grey pants, you name it. It came with a lilac tank to go underneath. I have been loving chiffon type blouses lately, and these can be worn summer or winter.  This black jacket is by Xersion. I love the material on this jacket. It isn't t-shirt material, but won't pill or get snagged. I can throw this on with jeans, or with my black workout shorts. Plus, you can't go wrong with the color black!! ...

I do have a post coming for you today, but bear with me! It is coming soon!

I feel like mascara is one of the hardest items to review. Everyone has different mascara wants, and if you like a product, someone else may not. So keep that in mind while reading this review. Today's review is on the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara. In this review, I am breaking it down into separate categories. I hope this helps! Packaging: I absolutely adore the packaging! The colors range from green, pink, and purple with a bright pink cap. Brush: The brush on the Lash Potion mascara is on the larger side. It makes it a little difficult to get those inner corner lashes. More often than not, I leave a dot of mascara on my inner corner as I am trying to get those lashes covered. Formula: The formula on this mascara is decent. It is a wetter base, and doesn't clump much. This mascara doesn't make me have "spider" lashes. This does appear to make my lashes longer, but adds no volume at all. I tend to prefer how rubber bristle brushes separate my lashes. H...

Have you thawed out? The good news is that it is Friday! So if you haven't thawed out yet, you can sip some hot chocolate and warm up! Like usual, I am linking up with Lauren , and here is what I loved this week! 1. I am going out to dinner tonight with my parents and aunt and uncle! It is always a fun time when we all get together! 2. It was jeans day at school today. Nothing better than a casual Friday! 3. I think Bon Jovi should perform at the Super Bowl next year! What do you think? Get it trending: #BonJoviSB49halftime   (I am well aware that this probably will not work! Haha!) 4. In keeping with my clean eating, I have started on an ab toning program. Looking good for Summer! 5. I am trying to get better with my Thursday blog hiatus. I swear my brain shuts down, and I can't think of anything to write about on Thursday's! A bonus post! I ordered some knee high wedge boots! I am so excited to get them and wear them. I had a gift card for $18 and I only had...

Today's review is going to be short and sweet. I wanted to give you a review on a new lip balm I have been loving lately. The Blistex Lip Vibrance is a tinted lip balm that is a pinky rose color. There is micro, micro glitter in it. I don't mind the glitter because it gives your lips a hint of sheen. It also smells very fruity. One of the great things about this balm, is the SPF 15! On the lips this feels very slick, and does a pretty good job of moisturizing. It does not feel gritty from the micro glitter at all. The packaging is unique, and is what caused me to notice it in the beginning. The color on the package is close to what the color in the tube is. Also, there is a mirror on the cap! Now, it isn't the best mirror, but in a pinch it would work wonderfully! I wear this lip balm around the house. I think it is nice to have some color on while you are around the house.  In this cold, dreary, colorless weather we are having, I think everyone needs something to bri...

I think for most people, the Super Bowl food is more important than the actual game. I was rooting for the Broncos, and unfortunately that didn't go well. However, my mom made some delicious food to eat before the game! The best part is that is was somewhat healthy! (If you forgot, I am doing a clean eating program.) Here is what we had!  Buffalo Chicken sliders using ground chicken, these were really good. They were topped with ranch and bleu cheese crumbles. Our pasta salad was made with whole wheat pasta, and oil and vinegar dressing with some spices and peppers and onions. The spinach and artichoke dip was made with low fat cream cheese and powdered ranch dressing mix. For dessert, we had a brownie made with, wait for it, black beans! You absolutely could not tell, and it was very delicious! (Don't tell my dad, he loved them!) I neglected to get a picture of the brownie, because it was in my bowl, and in my tummy in no time flat! What did you eat for the big game? L...