Magalog 3 Kickoff FREEBIE

In love with the In a Flash ring? Get it FREE with ANY $50 + purchase, Today, February 22nd - Monday, February 25th. Shop at my e-boutique, http://laurengarcia.mymarkstore.com/, to get yours today! Don't forget to register for future promos, giveaways, and more.

The Taste: Tuesday at 8|7c on ABC

This show is AMAZING! If you haven't heard about, The Taste, it's a cooking competition where contestants are competing for $100,000 grand prize based on "The Taste" of their dishes. Each week contestants are mentored by one of four chefs they are teamed with. Each week is a different challenge and they have to submitted one spoonful of their dish to the judges, who then in turn blind taste each dish. When I say blind test, I mean, they don't know who's dish they are tasting. In Tonight's episode, "The Art of the Sandwich", the contestants had to create the perfect sandwich. While the sandwiches looked yummy, "the taste" is of course the key in all challenges. They had 12 contestants and two had to leave the competition tonight. The contestants to leave from tonight's challenge were Huda and Mia. Why did they leave? Huda left for raw-chicken that one of the judges had and too much pesto in her dish. Mia might have gone above and beyond with her homemade bread but that bread was too burnt for the judges liking. Stay tuned for next weeks episode on ABC at 8/7c.

Here's the most recent episode: Episode 4: Dairing Pairings

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hookin' It Up!

Treat yourself (or your girlfriends) to some mark. this Valentine's Day! Register at my mark. e-boutique (click here) to stay-up-to date on mark. promotions, PLUS my giveaways, contest, promotions, and more...

January Ipsy Glam Bag

It's the last day of January! Can you believe that we're 31 days into 2013? January is the beginning of a New Year & fresh new starts. I was looking forward to the January Ipsy Glam Bag to see what new items to add to my routine or replace. Let's take a look into the glam bag for January:

 

• Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil ($14 Value .5 oz - Sephora.com) - used as a daily treatment for nails, hair, or skin. I've used it as a face moisturizer when I get out of the shower. I have combination skin and noticed a difference in my face. I also use it at the ends of my hair for less frizz and shine.
 
• Sexy Hair Spray & Play ($17.50 Value 10.6 oz  - Ulta.com) - living in South Texas we have some crazy weather and this spray does it's thing. Where I live there is so much humidity that it's very rare I fix it because within minutes of stepping outside it's flat and up in a crazy bun it goes.

• Nailtini in Bloody Mary ($13 Value - Tini Beauty) - Made in the USA, Triple-Free. I love this nail polish! My manicure lasted about a week (without a top coat), so I've been impressed with the brand. It's also the perfect color for Valentine's Day, too.

• Soho Beauty Concealer Brush ($7.99 Value - Soho Beauty) - These brushes are pretty amazing and affordable. The first set of brushes I tried was the SOHO Travel Brush 5 pc. set that included a blush brush, foundation brush, all-over-eye shadow brush, smudge brush, and a travel-size cosmetic bag. The concealer brush was the perfect addition to this set. They are very affordable if you are on a budget, so I highly recommend them.  

• Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter ($7 Value - Pacifica Perfume) - notes of Strawberry, Raspberry, Mandarin and Italian Sweet Orange. I opened that bottle and fell in love. The smell is so invigorating! It's currently my go-to lotion and perfect for Spring. 

Palmolive Fresh Infusions

 

 

Palmolive recently came out with Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish soap in yummy scents: Lime Basil, Lemon Thyme, & Ginger White Tea. I was chosen by Influenster to test these products complimentary and given a series of tasks to complete.

 

Here's a couple of questions asked:

Your favorite scent and why?: Ginger White Tea, I love the smell of White Tea, I own several White Tea hand soaps from Dial (You never know when you'll run out. Plus, I've been using coupons to stock up, too.)

Which scent you shared with a girlfriend - what did she think of it?: I shared the Lime Basil with my mom, since she ran out of dish soap. She used it the other night while washing dishes and the entire kitchen smelled. I related the scent to Skittles.

Where you can find Fresh Infusions™? - Walmart or Target!

When I first got the box in, I knew exactly what I was going to test them out on...MAKEUP BRUSHES! Yes, you read correctly. I washed my makeup brushes in the Ginger White Tea. I find that dish soap cleans brushes more effectively and it's cost efficient. Once the brushes dried, they were left with a light flowery scent and soft to the touch. I store them under my bathroom cabinet for later use. I cleaned 25+ makeup brushes and you can hardly tell I've used the bottle. Remember, when cleaning your makeup brushes that the soap/shampoo you'd use should be minimal. You don't want to have tons of bubbles and taking a lot of time getting the soap out from the bristles.

The second use for me...BATHE THE DOGS! Ok, so I have TWO 2 1/2 year old pups that are not the most excited about bath time unless it's a shower. Yes, my dogs will occasionally take a shower (I'm normally in the shower with them). So, one's petite and the other twice her size (he's a boy - go figure he's the bigger one). I had to bathe them separate this time because I had no help, they can get pretty crazy at the same time. I used the soap because it's been said that it helps kill fleas. I left it on them for about 5 minutes, rinsed, then shampooed with their regular dog soap. I will say it worked!

I plan on using my FIVE coupons at the nearest Walmart or Target to stock up before I run out or the coupons expiration date. I'd suggest testing these products out for yourself.

Check these websites for more information:

 Palmolive® website (Click Here)

 Influenster review page: (Click Here)

Disclaimer:

This product was received complimentary through Influenster. The opinions given are 100% my own.

Review: Motives Color Perfecting Foundation Quad

Back in August/September, I received this Motives for LaLa Color Perfecting Foundation Quad in Medium Dark from a wonderful woman, Ronica Dorries Garcia, who create a group for her team/promoters. I signed up to become a promoter to educate those about Motives and test out new products.

(From the website) 

Primary Benefits of Motives® Color Perfection Quads: 

• All-in-one quad to contour, highlight and conceal
• Build your foundation from medium to full coverage
• Customize your foundation with four shades to match your skin tone
• Moisturize and condition for smoother-looking skin
• Great for all skin types
• Paraben, fragrance, oil and dye free

This has been my go-to compact the last few months. I've learned when applying this product, a little goes a long way unlike other foundations. I do use a face primer underneath the quad and I typically pick two-three darker shades to mix my perfect shade, then use the lightest as a concealer. My best foundation applying tip is to use a damp blending sponge to apply the product all over. The product retails for $35 but it's definitely worth the price. To get your own, go to Ronica Dorries Garcia - Motives Website: (Click Here).