Mrs Frances Marie: 2016

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

BEAUTY: URBAN DECAY MOONDUST REVIEW

Hello lovelies! Hope you are doing well. The other day I went to ULTA (which I have to mention is never a good idea for me, since I have zero self control when it comes to purchasing makeup) and got the Urban Decay Moondust Palette. I had my eyes on it for a while so I decided to finally get it. I have a few festive makeup looks I want to do for December so this palette is perfect for those shimmery looks. If you want to see some of them you should definitely follow me on Instagram @mrsfrancesmarie (You can access my IG through this website too). I have to say, I am really loving this palette!

First of all, can we talk about how absolutely gorgeous the packaging is?! I have to admit, part of me picked this palette because it is so stinking beautiful! Black/Silver glitter? Do I need to say more? Also, the magnetic packaging is a great touch. I love when companies do this. First of all, it makes it feel so much more luxurious, and secondly, it will always stay close, even if it is in a makeup bag (not that I would put this beauty in a bag).

Like always, Urban Decay never fails to disappoint on the quality of their eye shadows. They are so pigmented and they blend beautifully! They almost feel like foiled eye shadows. These apply best with your fingertips or with a wet brush. I have all of the Urban Decay palettes and the pigmentation on these is by far the best. Not only that, even when I washed the swatches with soap, I needed makeup remover which is a great sign. These will last and will not fade on your eyelids during the day.

From left to right: Specter, Element, Magnetic, Lightyear, Granite, Lithium, Vega and Galaxy. Picture was taken with a ring light flash and swatched dry. Wet colors are more intense.

The palette has eight (8) shades: Specter (soft pink with almost translucent shimmers), Element (peach with pink sparkles), Magnetic (purple with blue sparkles), Lightyear (green with green sparkles), Granite (black with multi color sparkles), Lithium (brown with gold/rose gold sparkles), Vega (Blue with blue sparkles) and Galaxy (blue gray with translucent sparkles)

I am so happy with my purchase and I know many glamorous eye looks will come from it. The Moondust Palette retails for $49.00 dollars and you can get them through ULTA, Sephora and Urban Decay Website.

I hope you enjoy the looks I create with this beauty. Until next time, stay gorgeous!

Monday, October 10, 2016

BEAUTY: HALLOWEEN SCARECROW MAKEUP

Another October Monday, another Halloween makeup! I have to say, I am really enjoying doing these looks! So, on Sunday I played with this look and I have to say I was quite happy with how it turned. I will admit, the lines under the eyes were so hard to do, and basically I can't smile or they will look bent. If you know me, you will know it is impossible for me not to smile when taking a picture so that is why they look a bit crooked but hey, whatever, I liked it and that's all that matters. What other makeups have you guys been doing or planing on doing for Halloween. Leave a comment below! I hope you enjoy this look and until next time, stay gorgeous!

Products I used:

Foundation: Loreal Paris true match in the shade W2 Light Ivory

Concealer: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in the shade NW15

Setting Powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in the shade 001 Transparent

Contour/Bronzer: Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in the shade Park Avenue Princess

Blush: Coastal Scents 10 Blush Palette (no name on the shades, but it was the darkest peach color)

Eyes: Tartelette in Bloom Palette
          All over the lid - charmer
          Crease: first Flower Child, then intensified with Smarty Pants, then intensified again with Rebel
          Outer Corner: first Leader, then Firecraker (applied with my finger to have a foiled shadow appearance)
          Center of the lid: Rocker (applied with my finger as well)

Liner: Maybeline New York Master Precise Skinny Gel Pencil in the shade blackest black (only for the tightline and the top of the lid liner. For the stitching and lines I used Loreal Infallible Laquer Liner 24H in the shade blackest black

Mascara: it Cosmetics Hello Lashes Mascara in Black

Eyelashes: Ardel Semi Wispies

Lips: Loreal Paris La Lacque in the shade 209 Choco Lacque

Monday, October 3, 2016

BEAUTY: HALLOWEEN LEOPARD MAKEUP

Hello there loves, I know...so long without a post. I have to say, I have been so busy with so many other things that it was simply impossible for me to squeeze in some time to write and blog. I would rather always give you quality content instead of just posting stuff that is sub-par to what I always give you. I hope you understand. Sometimes family is more important and I needed to focus my energy on my house, husband and baby. Anyways, no more excuses. I am back and I will try my best to post once a week from now on.

So, it is OCTOBER!!! I am so excited about it. It is by far my favorite month because I always manage to play with makeup a lot and really the sky is the limit on what you can do. I will post every week a new Halloween themed makeup for you guys. I will list the products I used down below as well. If you want to see an actual tutorial, let me know and I will make it happen. Until next week! Like always, stay gorgeous!

Products I used:

Foundation: Bourjois Paris Healthy Mix Serum in the shade Light Vanilla

Concealer: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in the shade NW15

Setting powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in the shade 001 Transparent

Contour/Bronzer: Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in the shade Park Avenue Princess

Highlighter: Physicians Formula Nude Wear Touch of Glow Palette in the shade Light

Eyes: Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette (Used these also for the spots)
All over the lid: Super Mom
Crease: Natural Beauty
Outer Corner/under the eye: Power Player

Liner: Maybeline New York Long Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in the shade Blackest Black (Used this also for the spots and the nose)

Waterline: Maybeline New York Master Precise Skinny Gel Pencil in the shade Defining Black (also lined my lips with this)

Mascara: Loreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara in the shade Blackest Black

Lips: NYX Liquid Suede Creme Lipstick in the shade Kitten Heels (How appropriate the name, ha ha ha)

*Forgot to apply false eyelashes this time... so sorry of the lashes were not that intense.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

BEAUTY: JUNE FAVORITES

Welcome! This is my very first monthly favorites post!!

First I will talk about makeup favorites

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

I have already raved about this product but I have to mention in again. I have been loving this foundation and for a good reason. This is the perfect foundation for the summer because it is very light and dewy. It never looks caked and you can build it up to a medium coverage. If you are interested in reading a more in detail review check out this post for my full review.

Maybeline Superstay Better Skin Concealer Corrector

This concealer has been my favorite for almost 6 months now and I have repurchased it several times. I love this concealer. It is very light but with extraordinary coverage. It is slightly pink which is perfect for my under eye darkness. I don't feel the need to buy any other concealer, that is how good this one is!

bhcosetics brush #125 and crown brush (no name or number)

Because it is summer I have been reaching out for these two brushes a lot. The bhcosmetics 125 brush I have been using for applying concealer and for setting it as well. I have also used it to apply a bit of highlighter and blush. The Crown brush I have been using to lightly dust face powder and for lightly contouring my cheekbones. Both makeup brushes are super soft and fluffy. The last thing you want to do in summer and with such a hot weather is packing on makeup, and that is why these two brushes have been amazing for a couple of months. I keep both of them on my makeup bag.

Skin Care


Burt's Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream

I am loving this hand cream. It is thick guys, but in a good way. It is so rich and moisturizing. I have been using it as a cuticle cream, hand cream and foot cream for this past month. I can see the difference in my hands and feet for sure. Also, it smells amazing. Almost like marzipan... It helps that I love anything almond scented but this is so good.

Bath and Body Works Ultra Shea bodycream in Coconut Sunset

I talked about this lotion on a recent Bath and Body Works Haul and I have been using it ever since I bought it. It smells so good and it is so moisturizing. It takes me to a white sandy beach every time I apply it. If you want to see more of what I got at BBW check out this post.

Home

Ultra Downy infusions in Honey Flower

I had to talk real quick about this fabric softener. I am absolutely obsessed with this product. It smells so incredibly delightful! I love how my laundry smells after I have washed them and how soft our sheets feel. I have repurchased this a whole lot since I just cant get enough of it!!! You definitely need to go to the store and get one of these bottles and try it out!

Disclaimer: I purchase all of these items and I am not being paid to review them. I only share my honest opinion on these products.

Monday, July 4, 2016

4TH OF JULY CUPCAKES

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him" - G.K. Chesterton

I was feeling festive today so I decided to make some yummy cupcakes.

These were delicious! I have to confess, I did cheat a bit and made a box red velvet cupcake, but in my defense, my son was being a total energetic young boy so I had to take a shortcut. BUT, the buttercream is ALL MINE!

Ingredients:

4 cups of sifted powdered sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 sticks butter, softened.

Directions:

On a stand up mixer beat softened butter until light in color and creamy. Add 2 cups of sifted powder sugar and beat on low until all sugar is incorporated or you will end up with a sugar dust cloud. Add the milk and beat on medium high for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the sugar and the vanilla extract on low until incorporated, then on medium high for 2 - 3 minutes. Mixture should be light and fluffy. Voila!

For the blue and red stripes effect, paint a line of red gel color on one side of your piping bag and a line of blue gel color on the opposite side. Then fill your piping bag as usual with buttercream. I used a large star tip to frost my cupcakes. As a little added bonus I found Star-Spangled Sprinkles at HomeGoods and I added a few to each cupcake.

If you are curious to see more of my creations check this post.

Monday, June 27, 2016

MOMMY BLOG: STAGE 2 HOMEMADE BABY FOOD RECIPES

I tried these yummy baby food recipes. I am surprised they were so easy to make! I had them all done in about an hour. They are super nutritious and my son tried a couple and he liked them all #winning.

Banana, Raspberry and Oats Baby Food

I have to admit, this recipe in particular was the reason why I made all the other ones. I found this recipe from the Happy Baby Organics website. I edited quantities based on what I know my son loves and what flavors he prefers.

Ingredients:
1 small package of raspberries

3 1/2 tsp of oats
2 bananas

*Add everything to a blender and blend until you reach the desired consistency.

Blueberry, Apples & Oats Baby Food

I taste all of these recipes before I give them to my son, and I have to say, this one is my favorite! Another Happy Baby Organics recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup of Blueberries
2 Apples
4 tsp oats

*Add everything to blender and blend until you reach desired consistency.

Broccoli, Pears and Peas Baby Food

This is a nutrition punch! So much good stuff all together. This is the least favorite of my son, since he hates green veggies but I put extra pears to mask the taste of the peas and the broccoli. This is also a Happy Baby Organics recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peas
1 cup broccoli
2 pears

*Add everything to a blender with 2 tbsp of water and blend until you reach desired consistency.

Apples, Mint and Ricotta Cheese Baby Food

This recipe is from "Little Foodie" by Michelle Oliver cookbook. For this, if you plan to freeze. blend apples and mint together and freeze. Add ricotta before serving.

Ingredients:

I did not add cheese to this since I plan on freezing.

2 apples
3 mint leaves
2 tbsp ricotta cheese

*Add everything to blender and blend until you reach desired consistency. IF YOU PLAN TO FREEZE DO NOT ADD CHEESE. ADD IT BEFORE SERVING.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. If you have other yummy recipes, leave a comment below and let me know. I am always searching for new recipes for my very picky eater.

Friday, June 24, 2016

BEAUTY: GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER REVIEW

Today I am reviewing the new Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for waterproof makeup. I have been cursed with very watery eyes and because of that I tend to use waterproof mascara, which if you have ever used this type of mascara, takes forever and a day to remove. So many eyelashes have been lost due to the constant washing and rubbing to get all the product off. I am the last person to jump on the bandwagon of micellar water, so I decided to start with Garnier's.

I've heard mixed reviews about this product in particular so I decided to give it a try. Let me tell you, I did not like this product at all! I will elaborate more about the reason why I do not like it but I will give you the pros first.

Pros - It has no smell. I actually like face products to be fragrance free because I have very sensitive skin and most of the time the perfumes used on many skincare products can irritate my skin. This for me was a huge plus as soon as I opened the bottle. Next thing on my pros list is that it actually removes all makeup, matte liquid lipstick? No problem. Waterproof mascara? I got you girl. It really does remove ALL makeup.

Cons - Holy guacamole this thing STINGS your eyes. Not only your eyeball but if you have very sensitive skin around your eyes it will also irritate that area. After I used it my eyes and the skin around it was red and irritated. After burning my eyeballs out I decided to look at the bottle again, and this is where the irony is. If you see the picture above it clearly states: "No rinse, no harsh rubbing Face, Lips, EYES". Now if you turn the bottle and read the back label (picture below) you will find the following warning : "Avoid getting in eyes". Are you kidding me?!?! This claims to be an EYE MAKEUP remover but you have to avoid the eyes. It is not like I was trying to remove my eye makeup with my eyes open. They were closed, but it is inevitable to apply a water cleanser on your eyes and not have some liquid get on your eyeball. Seriously! This is the most deceiving product out there! They should remove the "for EYES" part from the label.

So in my opinion, skip this product! It burns your eyes. Oh Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, I had such high hopes for you and you've let me down!!

Hope this was useful, until my next review, stay gorgeous.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

BEAUTY: BOLD LIP & CAT EYE MAKEUP

This was today's makeup. Super glam, but so simple to do. I kept the face makeup simple. No contour, just highlight on my cheekbones, tip of the nose and cupid's bow. Kept eyebrows pretty natural. For the bold lips, I used ColourPop's Lippie Stix in the shade Wifey (satin finish). I used Maybeline Lasting Drama Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner in the shade Blackest Black for the wing. I also used false lashes, these are Ardel's 110 Black Lashes.

I had to do a goofy face!

I hope you enjoyed this makeup. See you soon! Until then, stay gorgeous!

Monday, June 20, 2016

JUNE IPSY BAG REVIEW

A new month and a new Ipsy bag. Every month I keep getting more and more disappointed with Ipsy bag! I follow them on Snapchat and they are always searching and trying a bunch of cool amazing products but what they actually send is just blah! I will be canceling my subscription soon, not next month because I am redeeming all the points I have but maybe after that. I think I will transition to FabFitFun now. I will keep you posted.

This is what I got this month:

The products I got, although hit every category (skin, makeup, skincare and nails) the products themselves were not the best.

This bag is very cute. One thing that I do not like is that they keep sending the same type of bag with different artwork. I have like 5 bags with this type of front zipper. Maybe it is time to change the design of the bag itself. Anyways, the theme of this bag is Rebel Rebel.

Hey Honey 24Seven Honey Day & Night Moisturizing Cream.

I liked this moisturizer. It is not oily at all, smells pretty good and it does feel nourishing. Not, I don't think I will be purchasing it because I do have my holy grail moisturizer so I do not intend changing it ever. This product retails for $38.00 and you can purchase it here.

Seraphine Botanicals, Happy Hibiscus Blush

I was not impressed at all by this blush. Pigmentation is ok, not super pigmented though, color pretty, but to be quite honest, they claim this blush works for every skin tone and that is not true. I have very fair skin and this color looks odd on my skin. I will be using it as an eye shadow though. This product retails for $18.00 and you can purchase it here.


Formula X Nail Color in the shade Wingwoman

I have received this nail polish before on an Ipsy Bag. The pros of this color, very rich color so you can get away with one layer (which is good if your nails tend to chip really quick). Color selections are amazing, and it dries very fast (if you are a mom, you appreciate this). The cons- my nails chipped the very first day I applied it. :( This product retails for $10.50 and you can purchase it here.

Urban Decay Eye shadow in the shade fireball

Urban Decay never disappoints. This eye shadow is beautiful, perfect pigmentation and color payoff with very little fallout. Easy to blend and this color is so lovely. It looks like a shimmery rose gold on my skin. This product retails for $19.00 and you can purchase it here.

Delectable by Cake Beauty Everything Balm

Ok, this is the worst product EVER!! I really just tossed this in the garbage. It is basically an oil. It is too oily for anything they claim it does. No smell and just bad! For lip gloss - too oily. Tame brows- too oily (brow product will rub off), cheeks - too oily, makes foundation run. Cuticles - too oily, you will want to wash your hands immediately. Dark circles - wth? Really, not good at all. This product retails for $16.00 and you can purchase it here.

*Disclaimer- I am not paid by Ipsy or any other brand to review these products. These are my true, honest opinions and what works and doesn't work for me might be different for you.

Friday, June 17, 2016

TRUST FUND NAIL POLISH REVIEW

Have you ever found a nail polish you apply and it is just perfect. Does not chip and lasts around a week? No? Me neither!

For about about 15 years now I have searched planet earth for the nail polish that does not chip on my nails. It doesn't exist. We have sent people to the moon, but we cannot figure out how to make nail polish stay!! I struggle with every nail polish I own, they never stay long enough. A couple hours later, boom, there is a chip! I don't know what it is, but it is nearly impossible for me to keep a manicure looking good for more than a day. This nail polish is the closest I've come to something somewhat descent. It lasts on my nails about 3 days. After that it chips and it's the end of everything that is beautiful, but at least is something? Right?

The color is called "I'm kind of a big deal" and it's a very pretty pink. It is not barbie pink but more of a dusty rose. The formula is pretty nice. Very pigmented, you can almost get away with one layer. It is pretty opaque and it does not streak. Dries pretty fast and stays shiny for a couple of days. Like I said before, on me, it chips around day 3.

This is how it looks the day of application. Don't mind my stubby nails. Breastfeeding made my nails incredibly brittle.

I got this one on February's Ipsy bag, and I really like it. I also have a purple and they have become my favorite nail polishes. It retails for $15.00 which is pretty expensive for a nail polish, but because it is the best I've found I would say it is worth it. You can buy it here.

What's your favorite nail polish? I hope you find this useful, if you, like me, struggle with nail polish chipping right away!

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

CARTER'S HAUL FOR BOY (12 MONTHS)

I had to share these cute outfits I got for my son at Carter's two weeks ago.

The main reason I went shopping was because I was in desperate need of some pajamas for my son. How cute are these. They are footsie pajamas with silicone grips on the bottom so babies can have more grip when they walk. We call our son "monkey" so I had to buy monkey pajamas!

How cute is this little octopus?

As my son gets older, it is getting harder to find footsie pajamas that do not have buttons, since my husband struggles every single time with them, so we like the zipper ones. Because it was so hard to find more zipper pajamas I got him big boy pajamas. Meaning it was a shirt and pant set. He looks so incredibly cute on these!

For the summer I though two rompers would be great to add to his collection. Again, monkey themed and I didn't realize until I was writing this blog that the blue romper is very similar to the dump truck set I got him for his 9 month old haul. Still love it so much!

I love this outfit! The chameleon and cargo pants look so cute on my son. He looks like a big boy. It is such a funky style and I feel like black really suits him.

I also got him the blue stripped shorts and a set of shorts and polo. With the weather starting to get so hot, these would be great for going out but keeping him cool!

Again, Carter's is always running all kinds of promotions and sales, so you will always find great deals there.

*Disclaimer- I bought everything on this haul. It is not a sponsored post and I do not get paid by anybody to talk nicely or badly about a brand or store. These are my opinions about things I buy for me and my family.

Monday, June 13, 2016

PEAR & CLOVES BABY FOOD RECIPE

I have been blessed with an extremely picky eater. What does that mean? I have to find very creative ways to hide foods my son will not eat with very flavorful foods that he loves. This is why I love this recipe. It is so good, I would eat it. The best thing, my son loves this baby food. I make this baby food puree every week because I use it to hide these foods: peas, spinach, cottage cheese and cauliflower. Now, let's just say I wouldn't mix this with those foods for myself, but for some reason, my son will eat those foods if they are drowned by this puree. I am currently trying to mask chicken with this...unsuccessfully... but I am thinking I might cook the chicken on pear glaze and see if he might eat it. I will let you know. Anyways, here is the recipe. I hope you (or your little one) enjoys it!

Ingredients:

4 pears

1/8 ground cloves

Diretions:

Peel and core the pears. I use very ripe pears, since they are the sweetest. Cut pears in 1 in cubes. On a deep pot put pears and fill with about 1 inch of water. Boil them on medium high heat until they are tender and clear. Let them cool completely. Once completely cooled, add ground cloves and puree them to the desired consistency. You can freeze the puree on ice cube trays and keep frozen for about 3 months.

*You can use a food processor for the puree. I use my KitchenAid Fruit and Vegetable Strainer since it makes a chunkier baby food. My son is 10 months old so he likes very chunky purees. It also helps with masking chunkier foods.

I found this recipe on "Little Foodie: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste" recipe book but updated the amount of ground cloves since it was too much in my opinion. If you want to get this book you can buy it here.

If you have a picky eater, like I do, please leave a comment and let me know what have you tried and what works for you.

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