I wore this outfit to church and grocery shopping.  These pants are a new find from Target and I am loving them.  I’d been wanting a pair of skinny trousers for a long time and was thrilled when I found these.  Although from the looks of them on the hanger I never guessed they would have been the skinny trousers I was looking for.

I’ve found over the years that you can’t judge something completely just by how it looks on the hanger, you have to try things on to really know if something will work for you or not.

I paired the skinny trousers {sold out online, check your local Target} with a smocked bottom green top from F21 that I’ve had for years.  I added a feather necklace I found at Kohl’s a few weeks ago and layered my peacock feather pendant {similar here} with it.  I completed the look with my leopard pumps from Sole Society and new satchel I found at TJ Maxx on Saturday.

PS:  Kohl’s has informed me you can use the code BLOGGER10 through June 23 and stack your savings with one other code as well.  So if you’re interested in the feather necklace it’ll be even cheaper for you   Enjoy!

I’ve used liquid foundation for as long as I can remember.  I’d always wanted to try the mineral makeup I’d seen on the infomercials but I’d always been unsure.  I needed good coverage and didn’t want to look “powdery”.

Erica at Mineral Hygienics offered to send me some of their mineral makeup to try and I was excited to test it.  I wanted to give it enough time before I reviewed it and it’s been almost two months since I started using it.

Not having used mineral makeup before it did take some getting used to.  The swirling and tapping was very different than the pump and spread I’d been doing and it did take extra time.  At first I wasn’t so sure it was going to be worth it.  I used it for a few days and then one morning when I was running really late I used my liquid foundation to save a few minutes.  However, it just wasn’t the same and needless to say I haven’t used my liquid foundation since.  {And it was a brand new bottle! haha}

I did run into a few things which is why it took me several weeks to be ready to write this review.  The first brush I received shed horrifically.  At first I thought maybe that was normal…like I said I was totally new to using a mineral brush.  I told my mom about it and she said that it was in fact NOT normal for a mineral brush to shed that much.  After using it for a week or so I contacted Erica and she offered to ship another one to me.  Three days later it was on my doorstep.  I’ve had no problems with the second brush.

Also I was having trouble with some caking and after contacting Erica again she helped me narrow the problem down to the sticky serum I was using before applying the minerals.  So now I use my serums at night and apply the minerals over moisturizer.  No more caking.

Ok so the nitty gritty of what makes these minerals so awesome…here are just a few reasons:

• They are 100% natural.
• They are made from only 4 ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica and Zinc Oxide.  Compare that to the tens, some times dozens, listed in some major mineral brands.
• Provides complete coverage that feels as light as air.
• Deflects light to minimize the appearance of fine lines, large pores, and other imperfections.  My smile lines were definitely less noticeable.  I noticed that because I obsess about them.
• Chemical-free SPF sun protection – zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offer natural, broad-spectrum sun protection effectively blocking harmful UVA and UVB rays.
• Ingredients adhere to the skin’s surface and are not absorbed – so you can have full day coverage without it clogging your pores or building up within your body.
• Made in the USA.

I’ve really enjoyed using these minerals and I’m officially a convert.  No more liquid foundation for me.  These minerals make my skin look and feel velvety.  I love it.  What do you think?

These photos are untouched and SOOC {straight out of the camera} except for some cropping.  As you can tell the minerals completely even out my splotchy red skin.

Mineral Hygienics has offered a discount code to readers of this lil ole blog for 10% off purchases made with code “xoxotrina”.  This offer is good through June 01, 2012.

Hi girls!  I checked my email this morning and was so excited to see the sneak peek of May’s Julep Maven boxes.

This month there is MAGNETIC polish!  How fun is that?!  I remember when I first heard about magnetic polish through my friend Jenn but at the time it was expensive and not readily available.  I wanted to try it but didn’t take the leap so I’m excited that I’m finally going to get my hands on some!

This month’s American Beauty box comes with:

What I’m loving also is Jane has done videos talking about the products in each box.  Here is the American Beauty video where she explains how to apply the magnetic polish and use the wand.

You can check out the rest of the May videos here for the scoop on the Classic with a Twist, Bombshell, It Girl and Boho Glam boxes.

If you still haven’t tried Julep, my $5 code is still active.  To get your first box for $5, take the style quiz here and then use code XOXOTRINA at checkout.

Happy polishing!

I went on a major shopping spree over the weekend because I was determined to wear more color.  I hit up Express first and walked out with this outfit.

Blue blouse and green ankle pants from Express, medallion necklace from Charming Charlie, Jessica Simpson tan peep toe pumps {similar}, assorted gold bangles.

Here are some “closer ups”.

{Please excuse the HAY all over our backyard.  Our grass in the back had gotten extremely bare so we {and by “we” I mean my stepdad } spread some grass seed and had to cover it with hay to keep the moisture in.}

I am clearly really into green/blue combos right now.  And I noticed after my shopping spree that I bought a lot of blue stuff.

Blue is apparently my new black.  Oops.

This look is also featured at All Things Chic this week for Everyday Style.  Head over there to check out some more fashionable ladies.