Mommy's Drugstore Make-up Must-Haves

A couple of months ago I was turned onto the world of YouTube Beauty Gurus by my fabulous sista-in-law, Kelly, and it has forever changed my life. I realized everything I was doing wrong in the make-up world and had to do a major revamp of my make-up collection! I could have easily walked into Nordstrom and purchased all the necessities, but I don't know what Danny and I would be on the same page about that ;)

So as any stay-at-home mom does, I researched and found a lot of drugstore dupes that would work just fine. Now don't get me wrong, I do have my department store must-haves, but I will save that for another post!

Here are a couple of products that I really won't ever be able to live without! I don't necessarily use them daily, but they are definitely a drugstore staple in my make-bag these days...

1.  My first item I love is my Revlon Colorstay Lipstick Ultimate Suede Lipstick. I have this in a red and a pink and it's the perfect lipstick for a busy mom who doesn't have time to constantly be reapplying. I know there is nothing worse than a red lip that isn't bold and beautiful at all times! These can tend to be a little drying so I just whip out the Aquaphor that this mom always has on her and it gives the perfect amount of moisture needed!
2. Next I have the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. This is THE best eyeliner I have ever used. It comes with the perfect brush to apply it and always turns out flawless! The only reason I don't use this is if I am in a hurry and realized I forgot to clean the brush after my last use, in which I then use my felt-tip Physician's Formula liquid eyeliner. Beauty Guru, Jaclyn Hill, is the one that turned me onto this one so check out her videos for some tips!
3. Next I have another Maybelline product, The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara. Kelly told me about this one day because she really is my go-to when I have a make-up questions! Before using this I was a Dior Show snob so it was very hard to break away, but this mascara really gets those lashes up there (I rarely curl too)! I've also heard from many that the Loreal Voluminous mascara is another drugstore staple for your make-up bag. I will have to try it, but as you saw here, I am well stocked in the mascara department.
4. Now I rarely ever use foundation, but there are those special occasions when you really want flawless skin so that is why I went the drugstore route for this next one. I ran in one day and grabbed the Revlon PhotoReady foundation and never looked back. It gives me great coverage and matched my skin perfectly considering I wasn't able to test it in the store. It's very lightweight which is an added bonus! I've seen a lot of beauty gurus use whipped foundation as well! Maybe if I am feeling adventurous one day I will try it :)
5. For awhile I had been set on purchasing the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and when I mentioned it to Kelly she told me I should look into a BB cream. I decided to try the Loreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream. It's the perfect alternative for someone who doesn't like a heavy foundation and needs a little more coverage than powder can provide. It also is good for your skin!
6. And last, but not least this fabulous Love & Beauty nail polish in the gold glitter. Now I didn't actually get this at drugstore, but it caught my eye while at the register paying in XXI. It was in one of those little bowls sitting in front of you so you add on all these unnecessary things. Well I am very glad I decided to throw this one into the mix because it is simply fabulous! Now with this polish I actually pat it on the nail bed to get a thick layer of glitter on. After a couple of coats and a clear coat over, you will have a stunning mani that shows no imperfections! Now the downside to this 99 cent polish is that within three days it was chipping, but this is usually a polish I will put on for a special occasion like this one. It's simply fab!
So there you have it! Some of my make-up must-haves that you can find at your local drugstore! There are a lot more, but these are just the essentials. 
And stay tuned for a post on this mommy's Department Store Must-Haves!!

A Life With Les Deux GIVEAWAY: Little Hip Squeaks Maya Headbands

I am so excited tonight I can't stop dancing like I have ants in my pants! haha ok, but really... Tonight I am launching Life With Les Deux's first-ever Instagram giveaway! If you haven't heard of the brand Little Hip Squeaks I don't know where you've been, but they have the cutest ultra-modern clothes and accessories for your little ones! They have blankets, leggings, headbands and so much more!

Here in his house I am proud to say we own a set of the recently retired headbands from the Maya Collection. And this week, two of my lucky Instagram followers will be the proud owners of a set for themselves...
YES!! Thats right!! I will be giving away TWO sets of Little Hip Squeaks Headbands from the recently retired Maya Collection for YOU and A FRIEND!! (Sorry about the caps, you can probably tell how excited I am)

Here is everything you need to do to enter:
1. Follow @lifewithlesdeux on Instagram 2. Like the INITIAL photo announcing the giveaway on Instagram 3. Tag a friend in the comments under the INITIAL photo on Instagram (You may tag as many friends as you'd like, but only one friend per comment please) 4. You AND Your friend that you tagged will each win a pack of headbands (3 in a pack) from the retired Little Hip Squeaks Maya Collection
Additional Rules:
This giveaway is open to US residents only.  Again you can tag as many friends as you would like for additional entries to the giveaway as long as you keep it to one tagged friend per comment. This giveaway will be open for entry until 11:59pm on Monday, October 21, 2013. You must have Instagram to enter. This is a Life With Les Deux giveaway! The winner must follow @lifewithlesdeux on Instagram, have liked the giveaway photo, and tagged a friend to win. Headbands will be separately shipped to the winner and their friend!
Don't forget to spread the word and repost on Instagram is you'd like :)
Good Luck!!!

Theme Park Essentials With Toddlers

One of the reasons we love living in Florida is that we literally have multiple amusement parks in our backyard.  We have annual passes to Busch Gardens and the zoo, so I often take the kids to the parks alone for just a morning play date. With our annual trip to Disney World coming up as well our first trip to Sea World, I thought this would be a great time to fill you in on what essential items we need when going to a theme park. 

1. BOB Duallie- I can't say how much I LOVE my BOB! It is the perfect stroller for the theme park because it rides smoothly, reclines so the kids can nap if they need to, and has huge sun shades for those hot Florida days! You don't need this exact stroller for the park, but I would definitely recommend something a little more comfortable than an umbrella stroller. 

2. Thirty One Thermal Tote- This tote is not only a theme park essential, but an every day essential. Since a lot of theme parks don't allow coolers, this is the perfect tote to throw a couple of ice packs in and load it with a few snacks or drinks! Definitely check the rules before taking this into a park because some do have their restrictions, but whenever attendants see two toddlers or babies they never usually mind the snacks. 

3. Sunscreen- Living in Florida sunscreen is just another item I have to keep in the diaper bag. For a day at the theme park I make sure to put it on the kids (and me too) at the beginning of the day and reapply depending on how long we are there for.

4. Bathing suit & Towel- (and swim diapers if needed!) Most of the theme parks we go to have splash areas that the kids can play in so I always have a bathing suit and towel just in case. It's usually the day I don't have it when we really need it! 

5. Hand Sanitizer- This is another diaper bag essential that we need at the parks since the kids are pretty much touching everything! And theme parks are usually filled with tourists so I get nervous about a lot of germs in one area :)

6. Camera- A camera is a necessary to catch all of the cute moments, but I usually just have my iPhone for a casual play date at the theme park. If we are going to Disney or a park we don't often go to I won't hesitate to bring my DSLR. I brought it to Disney for the first time last year and was able to capture such beautiful moments with it! I had no problem bringing it on all of the rides with me either since they were all toddler friendly.  Most theme parks have lockers as well if you need to store it for a bit. 

6. Water Bottles- It came as a surprise the first time I learned that most theme parks allow you to bring in sealed water bottles (even Disney!). Not only can you save a buck, but it never hurts to stay a little extra hydrated. You can even freeze one and it will serve as an icepack :)

You can find some of these items in my Mommy Must-haves post here. You can also see our trip to Disney I referenced here. And if you still don't believe me on how much I love my BOB stroller click here.

Happy theme-parking!

My Ipsy & Benefit Cosmetics Lash Bash

I couldn't be more excited to share that I was one of 1,000 women across the United States to have been chosen to host a REALvolution Lash Bash soiree by Ipsy & Benefit Cosmetics! It couldn't have been more perfect since a couple of months ago I started my 'mommy time' section on the blog! Every mommy needs a little makeup to help her feel extra beautiful!

Ipsy & Benefit sent me some fabulous swag bags full of Benefit goodies for nine of my closest friends and I broke out the raspberry champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and more! 

After some eating and schmoozing we got down to business! The lash bash was meant to showcase Benefit's They're Real mascara and  some other products! I gave the girls a quick tutorial on correctly applying the mascara and then they were off to try.

Each guest received a swag bag with luxury sized samples of Benefit's They're Real mascara, Liquid Benetint lip and cheek stain, their Sugarbomb lip gloss in Ultra Plush, and some fabulous coupons to use. They also sent some full sized products that a few lucky winners took home after we played a some games!

We all had such an amazing time at the Lash Bash! It's not every day that we get play with make-up while drinking champagne and eating chocolate covered strawberries!
Thank you Benefit Cosmetics & Ipsy! I was already a fan, but you definitely gained 9 more!

End of Summer Fun

Recently we decided to take another trip to the Guy Harvey Outpost in St. Petersburg, FL. As you know we are big fans of the Hotel Tonight app so there is nothing better than a spontaneous one night stay at the beach! Since it's the slow season, we preactically had the entire resort to ourselves which was a nice treat! It's these moments that make Florida's long summers oh so enjoyable :)

I'm hoping we can get one more beach stay before our 'winter' comes :)
Be sure to click here to see our last visit to Guy Harvey Outpost!