Hey y’all! Today I wanted to do a quick review of another Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. I already sang the praises of Honey and Crush, so I picked up Romantic on my last trip to Ulta assuming I’d love it just as much. Unfortunately…I didn’t. I gave it a whirl this morning as I was leaving to go babysit. I felt like a showgirl…this was definitely not the best morning babysitting look. The things I do for y’all.
The outside of Romantic’s tube made me think it was going to be a rich cranberry red with tons of color like the other balm stains. However, Romantic was more like (shocker) a balm stain. It was kind of sheer and shiny without as much pigmentation as some of the other shades. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because it does fit the bill as a balm stain, but it really differs from my other shades.
It looks thick in my pictures, but I can assure you it was pretty sheer. There was definitely a good amount of color, but Romantic wasn’t as vibrant as Crush for sure. It was also slightly pinker than I was expecting. The wear was comparable to Crush and Honey, but Romantic may have worn off slightly quicker. I think the more sheer color caused less of a stain to remain on my lips as well. Although I do like how it looks in my natural light pictures, I decided to return this shade to Ulta today. It definitely looks better in my pictures than it did in person. At least Ulta has an awesome return policy!
For someone looking for more of a sheer balm-like lip product, I would say go for Romantic. I wasn’t a fan, but the color was pretty, and I could see others liking it for sure. If you think you’d like it, grab a tube of Romantic here! I was able to pick up another Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm to try today, so hopefully I can review that soon! I also have some new eyeliners, eyeshadows, and primers to review too! Lots of Beauty Blurbs coming your way!
And, to round out this post, some more super awkward pictures of me. Enjoy!
I just wanted to pop in and rave about this Aveeno Positively Nourishing Body Wash that I’ve been loving lately! As far as I know, there are 4 varieties. I’ve tried the antioxidant infused body wash and the calming body wash. The other two are supposed to be hydrating and smoothing. The hydrating and smoothing bottles would probably be more beneficial for my dry skin, but I honestly typically pick body washes based on scent. I also figured since they all claim to be nourishing, I couldn’t really go wrong. Besides, they’re less than $7 a bottle at Walmart.
The first one I tried was the Calming body wash which contains lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang. It smells so good! It has a calming (duh), relaxing scent. It’s moisturizing without being slimy, and I love it! The bottle is a great size, and it lasted me for a long time. If it sounds like your cup of tea, you can get a bottle here!
When I finally started running low on the calming body wash, I picked up a bottle of the antioxidant infused white peach and ginger scented body wash. This little fella smells even better! It’s super fresh and moisturizes just as well as the calming body wash. It’s supposed to “nourish your skin while uplifting your senses.” What is that supposed to mean? I don’t think I had a stronger sense of vision or hearing when I used it, but who’s to say? If you want your senses possibly affected, get your own bottle here…I know this post may be kind of boring, but there are always a billion body washes on the shelf. I wanted to throw in my two cents to make it less stressful for you next time you’re out of body wash. 🙂 Besides, if it’s good enough for Jen, it’s good enough for you.
Hey y’all! I’ve been trying to get my hands on some of the new Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms, but they’re so popular I can never find the colors I’ve been wanting! I had my heart set on Standout, which is supposed to be “the perfect red.” Every time I looked, it was nowhere to be found! I think it was a blessing in disguise though, because I wound up buying Sultry instead, and I love it!
It’s a much more everyday color, so I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of it. I snagged mine for $8.99 at Ulta, and it’s one of 10 colors you can select from. Sultry is super pigmented, so the color comes out nice and rich. It also had a slight, refreshing, minty smell.
My one con is that the Matte Balm isn’t very balm-like at all. According to the website, “Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm offers velvety color with balm-like moisture.” First of all, I don’t think a color can be velvety? Secondly, I definitely didn’t feel a balm-like moisture. It actually sort of dried out my lips. It wasn’t too terrible, but I may try layering it with gloss or over some chapstick in the future. It sank into all my lip cracks and crevices, so maybe a lip primer would work as well?
Overall, the color was great. It was sort of a punched up “natural” lip color like Honey but with a little more “oomph.” The wear time is pretty good, too. I’d say it lasted me about 4-5 hours before eating. After, I ate dinner, I definitely had to reapply. I wouldn’t say that’s unexpected though…especially since the Revlon Matte Balm doesn’t claim to be long-wearing.
I definitely want to buy a few more colors if they ever aren’t all sold out! And, just to round out this post, here are some real awkward pictures of me. The life of a wannabe blogger isn’t ALL glamour. Enjoy! Get your own tube of Sultry here!
As January comes to an end, I wanted to share some of my favorite things of the month!
Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Louis and I went to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty earlier this month. It came out in December with mixed reviews, so we were hesitant to spend $40 on tickets (and snacks because who can to the movie theater and not get popcorn). However, we were craving a movie night date, so we went for it. Yay us because it was soooo good! It was funny, had beautiful scenery, and an amazing soundtrack! We totally loved all of it! It’s still in theaters here, so if it’s in one near you, I’d say go check it out!
Kindle Paperwhite: For months, Louis has been asking me what I think about getting a Kindle. I love reading, but I was stubbornly against getting a Kindle for some reason. I kept saying that I liked the feel of a book in my hands and all this other baloney. Finally, he was like “whatevs, I’m buying it.” Just kidding…he totally doesn’t talk like that. He did finally convince me that we should get one though, and I’m in love! We chose to get the Kindle Paperwhite because it has a light, so I can read in bed at night while Louis’s snoozes. It’s super lightweight, doesn’t hurt my eyes, can hold a bajillion books (seriously like 1,100), and the battery lasts forevs. I should seriously write an entire review about it, but for now, I’ll just say it’s incredible! Like I read 3 books in the first 2 days we had it incredible.
Yummy Baked Chicken Strips & Simple Homemade Baked Fries: I already posted recipes singing the praises of this chicken and potatoes combo, but it’s been on my weekly menu rotation ever since I discovered how much Louis loved it! Figured I’d go ahead and include it on my monthly favorites, and I’m sure it’s not going away anytime soon!
Matched: I’ve had Matched on my goodreads “To Read” list for over a year, so I finally decided to buy it when we got the Kindle. It was good! I read it in 4 hours (what up Young Adult fiction!?), and I was satisfied at the end…it’s a trilogy, so I’m definitely going to read the next two books soon. If you’re looking for a dystopian society young romance novel that’s a quick read…give this one a shot! Bonus: The author’s name is Ally, so (even though it’s spelled wrong) she’s probably pretty cool.
The Elite: This book is basically a less trashy version of The Bachelor with a prince and 35 girls vying to become his princess. The Elite is the second book in a trilogy, and it’s totally just a guilty pleasure. It’s a super quick read (again, Young Adult fiction because I’m only 25), and it’s just fun. I’ve heard rumors of it becoming a TV series, and I would be so happy!
Reign: Oh man, y’all, Reign is so goooood. I think it’s The CW’s answer to the end of Gossip Girl. I mean it basically IS Gossip Girl, just replace Blair with Mary, Queen of Scots, Chuck with Sebastian, and Nate with Prince Francis. The wardrobe is to die for, there are so many love triangles, and SO. MUCH. DRAMA. This show’s been on since the fall, but I’m still obsessed with it, so I wanted to include it on this list. If you loved GG, you’ll love Reign. Trust me.
Dance Moms: Dance Moms is in its 4th season, and the drama has never been better. This show is absolutely ridiculous and so wonderful. The moms are insane, the girls are precious, and Abby is so intense. I love it. My favorite part may be texting my mom about all of the girls and their moms like we know them.
Frozen Soundtrack: I saw Frozen in December, and it was good, but the music OH MAN. It wasn’t until mid-January that I realized, I had been singing, “Let It Go” in my head for a month. Apparently, there’s a Demi Lovato version, but don’t bother listening to that crap. Idina Menzel sings the movie version, and it’s basically the best song ever. There are a few other great songs on the soundtrack, too. Just look up Frozen Playlist on YouTube, and thank me later.
Juno Pandora: I bought the Juno soundtrack when it came out in 2007 (SO LONG AGO!), and I always loved it. I figured I would add Juno on my Pandora playlist, and it’s great! It plays such a cool variety of artists like Bright Eyes, Regina Spektor, Keane, and Sondre Lerche. Most of the songs they play are from movie soundtracks, which makes me feel like my life is a movie. And I’m all about that. Give it a listen if you want.
Thanks for reading my short list of favorites. I’m excited to see what February brings!
Lately, I’ve tried about a million, okay maybe just five, homemade french fry recipes. They all require soaking the potatoes in water for six years, flipping them seven times during baking, or adding twelve different spices. Too much hassle for this girl. So…I took things into my own hands and just kinda made something up. Go head, call me a chef.
You may be thinking, “Anyone can bake fries.” Maybe someone can’t though! I’ve had to look up a surprising amount of things since I got married that I just thought for some reason I knew. Like making mashed potatoes or cooking a pot of rice! Some things are harder than they sound when you’re trying them for the first time! Thankfully, this recipe isn’t.
You only need a few ingredients:
2-3 Russet Potatoes (3 makes the perfect amount for myself and my husband, but feel free to make as many/few as you need!)
3/4 tsp Kosher Salt (I’ve used regular table salt too…I doubt it matters either way)
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil
First, peel and wash your potatoes. Also, go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Then, cut your potatoes into “fries.” I typically slice mine in about 1/2″ sections and then cut those slices into quarters.
After your potatoes are all cut up, toss them in a gallon ziploc bag. Pour in some Olive Oil (about 2 tbsp…just enough to coat them), and shake the bag to evenly cover all of your potatoes.
Next, add your salt and pepper and shake again to coat the potatoes. Make sure you shut the bag before you shake it also. Obviously. Just making sure we’re all on the same page here. 😉
Line your baking sheet with foil, and spray it with cooking spray. Don’t want your potatoes sticking! Then, sprinkle some salt and pepper all over to make sure your potatoes have plenty of seasoning.
Spread out your potatoes on the baking sheet, and toss them in the oven!
Bake the potatoes for about 30-35 minutes. You want to make sure they’re crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Once they’re all done, pair them with your favorite entree and enjoy! My favorite thing to eat them with is the Yummy Baked Chicken Strips I recently posted about. The best thing is they’re both cooked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes! I don’t have the luxury of a double oven in our apartment, so being able to cook my entree and side in the oven at the same time is awesome.
I love these potatoes, and more importantly, so does my husband! They’re definitely our favorite side right now!
