Contest

Thank you to all those who entered my contest and a congratulations to Miranda!  Your bracelet will be made in the next few days and sent out to you.  I'll share the finished product with the rest of you in the near future, but first I would like the recipient to be surprised.

I've been making a lot of bracelets lately and taking custom orders.  I personally love custom orders and being able to make something personalized, while getting creative.  Don't hesitate to contact me if you are interested in handmade, unique, one of a kind bracelets.  All my beads are made with love!

Follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with my creations.

Justine's Chia Seed Water + Giveaway *** WINNER PICKED ***

I first tried chia seeds when I did the Jus by Julie cleanse 15 months ago (thank you Instagram).  That's when I met Jus by Julie's Chia Berry and fell in love!  The flavor combo is on point:  strawberries, lemon, and pomegranate merge together to create a tangy and sweet perfection.  The only thing about this drink that is a miss is that it claims to be "blended," but since these drinks are free of preservatives, which I appreciate, I can understand why they don't hold a very nice texture.  Additionally these drinks are $8 a pop, which is pushing it when you can blend them yourself at home.  I'll post my version of this drink soon.  

When I first started eating chia seeds at work everyone made fun of me.  Now many of my co-workers make chia a part of their daily diet.  Chia seeds may be little, but they pack a nutritional punch.  In fact their name comes from the Mayan language and means strength.

Nutritional Info for Bob's Red Mill Chia Seeds

Chia are rich in fiber, high in Omega 3, and have no added sodium or sugar.  They contain antioxidants and calcium, which are good for your skin, hair, and nails.  These are a great source of non animal based protein, but please remember to eat all things in moderation.  Yes I tell myself this when I drive by McDonald's and whisper Big Mac...  

There's something in my water.

It seems everyone has jumped on the chia pudding band wagon, but have you tried chia water?  I like to think of it as my protein / fiber drink in one.  Move over Metamucil.  There's a new sheriff in town.

Justine's Chia Seed Water

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 8 oz Bai Molokai Coconut
• 4 oz Bai Brasilia Blueberry
• Juice of 1 lime (approximately 1 ounce) (more if you like it limey mate)  
• 1 tablespoon / 13g chia seeds 

Directions:

1.  Muddle blueberries in a shakeable cup.

2.  Top off with the remaining liquids and chia seeds.
3.  Close and tighten lid and immediately shake.
Note: chia seeds will clump if not shaken immediately.  

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy in 010 Top Coat, Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy in 430 Showtime, Tervis Cherry Blossom Tumbler, Fitbit Charge HR in plum

Drink my Chia Seed Water when you need a pick me up or during / after a workout.  It is delicious, nutritious, and refreshing.

Showtime Giveaway

Now I promised a giveaway and a giveaway you shall have.  As my way of saying thanks to my recent giveaway wins one lucky winner will win a brand new set of Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish in 430 Showtime and 010 Top Coat.  

Please note that I am hosting this giveaway.  This product was not given to me by a sponsor so do not enter this contest if you will be a sore loser.  Enter through Rafflecopter as many or as few times as you like.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway
You must be 18 years or older to enter and reside in the continental US.  Thanks for the support and good luck!

UPDATE

Rachel B. aka littodinozombeh is the winner!  Congrats girl.

It Cosmetics Friends and Family Event - Save 25%

Guess what day it is?  Guess what day it is!?  Not hump day.  Even better.  It's that time of year where It Cosmetics decides to bless us with their Friends & Family Event.  It Cosmetics is probably my overall favorite beauty brand.  Almost every product I buy I like and they continue to improve upon their products.  Their mascaras and eyebrow products get better with each new launch.  It Cosmetics is truly innovative and high tech makeup.

The first two rows are my tried and true every day products in the colors I wear (if applicable).  The last row features products I'm purchasing with 25% sale event.

Row 1, from left to right: Vitality Lip Flush in Je Ne Sais Quoi (favorite lip product ever), Celebration Foundation in Light Medium or Medium-Beige, Heavenly Luxe Complexion Brush #7, CC+ Radiance Palette
Row 2, from left to right: YLBB Your Lips But Better Waterproof Lip Liner Stain in Buff Nude, CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush, Brow Power Waterproof Perfector in Blonde, Hello Lashes Extensions, Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer in Neutral Medium
Row 3, from left to right: CC+ Radiance Vitality Brightening Creme Disc, Heavenly Luxe Build-A-Brow Brush #12, Build-A-Brow in Blonde (I'm really excited about the Build-A-Brow)

Before I even knew of the Friends & Family Event I posted a selfie on Instagram giving some love to It Cosmetics.  Random?  I think not.  My everyday work look takes less than 5 minutes and all makeup products I'm wearing in the picture below are from It Cosmetics as featured above.

A photo posted by J$ (@justineelise13) on Apr 13, 2015 at 6:03am PDT

Use code Friends2015 and save 25% off your It Cosmetics purchase of $30 or more.

Louis Vuitton Love

I had wanted to buy a new Louis Vuitton handbag for awhile and figured this year I would be completely irresponsible with my tax return and treat myself.  My husband agreed to this plan because he too had his eye on something he wanted, but did not need, so my plan, needless to say, come to fruition rather easily.  But then something marvelous happened.  I won a contest and not just any contest, but the #hellomarchgiveaway on instagram.  And with that I won $500 (and two other items, which I am waiting to receive and then will happily review).  So what is a girl to do when she receives such a large amount of money?  Go shopping!  And that I did.

 Totally MM in Damier Ebene Canvas and Medium Ring Agenda Cover in Monogram Canvas

I ended up splurging with the rationalization that I am working oh so hard, which I am!  Did I need  
a handbag and agenda?  Not really, but with an extra $500 my eyes got a little wider while shopping.  Do I love them?  Yes!  I love the agenda.  Planners are my life line.  I have to write things down and visually see what I have due and check things off as I go along. I like the feeling of accomplishment when I see a long list of things completed.  With this agenda I will have it for years to come.  And the Totally MM is big enough for me to carry my things including my laptop.  It is cute, but functional and has a zipper, which is essential.

Stay tuned to see what I keep in my agenda and to see what else I received in the #hellomarchgiveaway.

Ipsy Match Glam Bag Review

In early March I wrote about Ipsy. At that time I was excited because I received a sneak preview of what I would receive in my March Glam Bag and I thought the color of the NYX Butter Lipstick was fabulous.  Little did I know, however, I would not receive the pink color pictured, but instead a dark purple colored lipstick called Hunk.

I'm not afraid of taking makeup risks, I think that is part of the fun of beauty, but the purple looked clownish on me.  Let's put it this way, when your husband who knows enough to tell you that a new lipstick looks, "great," even if he doesn't "really" think so, but for once says, "well..." with a long pause, you know that the color is a miss!

Lucky for me a friend of mine also receives Ipsy Glam Bags and she did not like her color either.  So we swapped and I got to try out the color I had originally wanted, Little Susie.

From left to right: the two eyeshadow swatches from Pixi by Petra in Apricot Glow and NYX Butter Lipstick in Little Susie

Little Susie is definitely Barbie pink, but I find it a much better Spring color than Hunk.  The third NYX Butter Gloss color some folks received in their Glam Bag was Pops, a nice mauve, which I would have loved, but you get what you get.  These lipsticks retails for $10.

I definitely was not crazy about this month's Glam Bag.  Frankly the only items I really liked were the:

• Coolway Glow Oil Treatment - Normally hair oils make my fine hair greasy, but this manages to tame flyaways without weighing down my hair.  And my hair never looks greasy!  I loved this product.
• Crownbrush Infinity Shadow / Crease Duet Brush - You can never go wrong with a crease brush.  The quality is good.
• The Ipsy bag, which is super cute and I love neon.  

I wasn't impressed with the:

• Pixi by Petra Mesmerizing Mineral Duo - While I like the color selection, the eyeshadow is not very good quality.  
• skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels - These did not feel like they did anything for my sensitive, under eye area.  Last month I received a sample of GlamGlow under eye mask and I would highly recommend that product instead.  
• NYX Butter Lipstick - I am undecided about this item.  I'm not the biggest lipstick fan, but the color is pigmented and it does feel somewhat moisturizing.  I found this product just OK.  

Overall I still love receiving my $10 personalized, surprise Ipsy Glam Bag and I would still recommend it.  February's bag was awesome and I hope April's bag will be even better!