Keurig 2.0 review

I was sent the Keurig 2.0 from Influenter, in exchange for my honest opinion. 

The Keurig 2.0 is the newest brewer in the Keurig systems family. Here is what the Keurig website says about this new brewer (via http://www.keurig.com/brewers/keurig-2-0-k550-brewing-system)

Features:

• 10 Brew Sizes: from 4 oz. to 30 oz.
• 80 oz. Water Reservoir with Easy-fill Flip-top Reservoir Lid
• 2.8” Color Touch Display
• Brewer Maintenance Alerts
• Strength Control
• Illuminated Water Reservoir
• Customizable User Interface Wallpaper
• Hot Water On-Demand Function
• Programmable Controls: Auto On/Off; Auto Brew K-Carafe™; Customizable Clock; Favorite Settings; and Night Light with Customizable Color
• Includes 4-cup starter carafe, 4 K-Carafe™ packs, 6 K-Cup® packs, & 2.0 Water Filter Starter Kit with one filter

With the 2.0, you have the option of brewing anything from 4oz to a carafe of 30oz. 

The brewer is very sleek looking, with a touch screen display. You can customize the colors of the display, along with a backlight in the water reservoir. The display is large enough to easily read, even when you're still half asleep. 

Now, onto the actual functionality of the brewer. You can only use certain kcups in this brewer. The kcups you have stocked up on previsiously will NOT work in this brewer. The stores don't even carry the new version of kcups you need, so lose/lose situation. I know it's still a new brewer and the new kcups will eventually make it's way into the store. But, until then, I can't even brew any coffee. You can't even use the brew your own kcups, because the brewer "reads" the label on the kcup and that's how it brews. 

But that's okay, I can easily just brew some hot water for my tea, right? Wrong. You can only brew 6oz of hot water (without a kcup) at a time. I don't know about you, but when I drink tea, I drink it by the big mug-ful. 6 ounces is barely half of my usual mugs. Also, you have to hold the brew button to get to the 6oz. If you drink tea, you KNOW that buying tea bags instead of the tea kcups is so much more affordable. If you buy the 24 back of tea bags, you pay $2-$4. If you buy the 12/18 pack of kcups of tea, it's about $10. Not a better value in any way. 

So yes, it nicer looking. Yes, you can brew a carafe of coffee. But for me, the price tag of $200 is NOT worth the "issues" that come along with it. It is a newer brewer so eventually, the newer style of kcups will pop up. But for now, it is just wasting counter space. 

I won't recommend this brewer, until the new style of kcups are readily available in every store. If you're looking for a Keurig brewer, this one isn't the best option. Spend a little les, and get the older models. 

Get to know me! Q&A

So, I asked a week ago or so for questions so I could do a Q&A blog post. I always love getting to know everyone that I follow on youtube, IG, blogs, etc so I figured I would share a few things about me. 

First of all, I am Emily. I am 25 years old. I am married to my high school sweetheart, we've been together since 2004, and married since 2008. I was 19 when I got married, so yes, I married young. My husband and I have 2 beautiful little girls together. They are Irish twins (A was born July 2008, J was born June 2009) so for 2 months out of the year, I have 2 little girls that are the same age. This year, I will have two 5 year olds. We own our home in the same city where I grew up. We also just welcomed a new fur baby into our lives. In addition to our dog, Morocco who is a German Shorthaired Pointer, we have a cat named Kona. I suffer from anxiety and, while I am shy when I first meet someone, I am very outgoing when I open up to someone. 

And now, for the questions from Instagram!

• How did you get into makeup? How did you get started in blogging?

I got a very late start for both wearing makeup and getting really interested into it. I was 20/21 when I first started wearing makeup. When I turned 22, I discovered youtube, and the amazing beauty community that it held. From then on, I became obsessed we everything makeup, and 3 years later, I'm still just as obsessed, if not more, the. I was before. I love learning about new trends, new products, trying out new things and reviewing kings to help other girls!

• What are four products you CAN'T live without?

This is possibly the hardest question ever. First off, I'd have to say my Tangle Teezer. It makes brushing my hair so simple and doesn't pull and break the strands of hair. It's meant to be used while wet, which is when I do the majority of my hair brushing. Next would have to be my Nars Radiant Creamy concealer. I am obsessed with this concealer and how creamy it is, and how much coverage it gives. It's pricey, but I seriously haven't found a concealer that I love that much. Next is my Urban Decay Naked palette. Yes, it's pricey but I seriously love it so much and can create so many gorgeous looks with it. Finally, is a newer purchase but I love it SO much..it the Milani Eyeshados Primer. It works so so much better than the Urban Decay primers. And it is a fraction of the price. 

• Where are you from?

I am from a little bit south of Boston, MA. Yes, I'm a Masshole and proud of it!

• How did you get your self confidence?

My confidence really started with how I was raised. I was raised to not like anyone push me around, and I stand up for myself and for whatever I believe in. Sometimes that gets twisted and I'm cLled a bitch, which I can be, but I am very strong willed and my confidence comes from inside. I know who I am, and that is all the matters. 

• What are you favorite and least favorite makeup brands?

My favorite makeup brand would have to be either Revlon or Covergirl but I don't think I really have a least favorite brand. Every brand I've tried has something good, and something not so good. 

• What is your go to lipstick brand?

I always seem to go for Revlon lip products.

• Do you follow any trends or march to your own beat?

I don't really do either of those. I'm very much a jeans and t shirt kind of girl. My makeup is usually always natural looking and I'm very laid back style wise. 

• How often do you deep clean your brushes?

I probably don't do it as often as I should.... Usually do it once every 2 weeks or so. Like I said, not as often as I should.....

• If you had to depend on one brand for everything, which would you choose? (Color cosmetics, primers, nail color)

Oh, that's difficult. I would have to say Revlon. They have the most variety and have very good products and their nail products are pretty decent as well. 

• Do you plan on having any more kids?

Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I've been asked this question, I would be a millionaire. We are very undecided on if we will have another child. I had a difficult pregnancy with my youngest, and she was a difficult baby, so I'm still pretty wound up from that. I'm only 25 though, so I still have time to figure out if I want more kids. Will it be any time soon? Probably not..but who knows that the future holds for us. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer Review

I've been asked many times for a review on the newer Rimmel Stay Matte primer when I did my updated makeup collection on Instagram. So, let's get to it!

This is the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. This is 1 fl oz and retails for about $6 at drugstores. The package says you can use alone, under makeup or over makeup. I've only ever used it as a primer, under my makeup. 

Skin-perfecting primer can be worn alone, under makeup or on top to create a perfect matte complexion. Controls shine for up to 8 hours. Ultra lightweight formula minimizes the appearance of pores. 

This does control shine on me for about 6-8 hours, but I also do not have a horrible issue with getting very oily throughout the day. I can see it being a little less effective on people who get more oily, much quicker. With that said, it does still control oil very well, especially for the price. 

It is like a lotion and blends very well into the skin, to give a matte finish to the skin instantly. It doesn't make your face feel greasy like other primers do. Also, it does not make your foundation and any other makeup slip around. It keeps your makeup in place where you put it, and keeps it there until you take it off. This is a great little item to have if you are oily, or have a tendency to have oily skin in the warmer weather. You can apply this all over your face, or just in the areas you get oily. Like me, I just tend to get oily around my nose and my forehead.

If you pick this up, be sure to let me know, and let me know what you think about it!

Battle of the (drugstore) BB creams!

Nowadays, there are so many BB creams to chose from. You see them in Sephora, Ulta, Target, CVS..they even have BB creams for your BODY now. How are you suppose to know which one to grab? Is this one good, or is that one even better? Well, I have bought and tried out 5 popular drugstore BB creams, tested them on my skin and I want to let you know how they held up, or didn't hold up.

To start off, I currently have dry/combo skin. My skin doesn't get very oily at this time of year, so if you have oily skin, these BB creams might work differently for you. I will try and include my thoughts on how I think they would work for oily skin. 

Let's start off with the NYC BB Creme. This is 1 fluid oz and retails for about $5. This is the cheapest out of the BB creams that I have picked up. I have it in the shade 01 Light, and it comes in 2 other shades in this collection. This is a decent match for me, it's on the darker side, but nothing that I can't work with. 

This BB cream is very lightweight on the skin, like most BB creams are. The coverage is VERY sheer, almost like I'm just applying a lotion with a very very small amount of pigmentation. It didn't cover much of anything. It is a dewy finish, and makes your skin look pretty luminous, so I do not think this would be a good pick for anyone with oily skin. With the lack of pigmentation and coverage, I also wouldn't recommend it for anyone who has redness or dark spots, since it won't even begin to soften the discoloration. I still had to cake on concealer to even feel like I had any coverage. It also did not last very long on my face, maybe 3 hours worth of wear. With all of these cons, and no pros, I would not recommend this BB cream for anyone that needs any amount of coverage. Honestly, save your money and just mix a little of your favorite foundation with your moisterizer and you would get a better result.  

This is the Rimmel BB cream. This is 1 fluid oz and retails for about $6-$7. I have the shade light and this also comes in 2 other shades. This has SPF 25 which is always a good thing if you're going to be spending any amount of time outside/in the sun. 

Again, this is a very lightweight formula and feels very nice on your skin. It has light coverage, but it does even out my redness. The finish on this is a natural/dewy finish. It is not very long wearing, on my face it lasted about 4 hours before it started to wear off. The coverage is decent for a bb cream, not my favorite but it covers enough that even on my simple makeup days, I don't have to layer on concealers. It's worth checking out if you have minimal redness/breakouts, or if you don't mind having to use more concealer then usual. 

This is the Rimmel BB cream MATTE. This is 1fl oz and retails for $6-$7. I have the shade Light and there are 2 other shade in this line. This line is slowly popping up in Targets, but I have only seen them in Kmarts. This has SPF 15. 

This is very similar to the regular BB cream by Rimmel, but this formula is matte and controls shine/oil and is longer lasting. If you have oily skin, or oily prone, this would be the perfect formula for you instead of the regular formula. This is also longer lasting, but I believe that is attributed to it being a matte formula. This will be a good go to, for me, come the warm months when my skin gets oily. 

This is the NYX BB cream. It is 1 fl oz and retails for $13, but you can usually find it on sale at Ulta. I have the shade Nude 01 and there are 3 total shades in this line.

This color is the perfect shade for me. It does a great job at covering everything, it is light coverage but something about it makes it cover most flaws very easily. I do still need concealer, as expected, but this does a great job that sometimes I can get by without concealer. This has a natural finish, not matte or dewy, which makes it great for all skin types. This is longer wearing then most BB creams, I can usually get about 6 hours or so of wear out of it. 

Last up, is the Garnier BB cream. This is the original formula, they also have an anti aging formula and a formula for oily/combo skin. This BB cream has 2.5 fl oz and retails for about $12-$14, which makes this the best deal out of all the BB creams I've featured. I have the shade Fair/Light, and this also comes in 2 other shade ranges (light/medium and medium/deep). This shade is a little too dark for me, but I can usually sheer it out and blend down my neck and it blends fine. 

The coverage on this BB cream is the best of the drugstore BB creams. It is light to medium coverage. It has SPF 15 which means it's perfect to have for a beach day! The finish of this BB cream is quite dewy, but as I said previsiously, it also comes in a formula for oily/combo skin types. I can usually get a good 6 hours wearing time out of this BB cream, sometimes up towards 8 hours. 

So there you have it! My run down on the drugstore BB creams that I've found and tried. My favorite is the Garnier BB cream, with NYX in close second. I would pass on the NYC one, and spend the extra $2 for one of the Rimmel ones if you are on that tight of a budget. 

Have you tried any of these? Tried any other drugstore BB creams? What is your favorite BB cream? I'd love to hear from you and hear your thoughts!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette Review

The beautiful, sought after, yummy Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. What's not to love? The smell. The colors. The packaging. Let's just jump right in to the review, shall we? 

This is the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette that released a few months ago, and basically sold out everywhere once it was released. It has 16 beautiful neutral toned shadows and retails for $49. It has both matte and shimmer shades and is made with REAL cocoa powder, which makes this very tempting to every female. If you're familiar with Too Faced shadows, then you know how they are formulated. If you aren't familiar, then let me explain them for you. They are possibly the best, in my opinion. They are so incredibly pigmented and buttery smooth and blend like a dream. There has not been a Too Faced shadow that I have used or swatch that I haven't fallen in love with. 

You can create any look possible with this palette, and in the process, you are being lulled with the intoxicating scent of chocolate. Yes, this palette of eyeshadow even SMELLS like chocolate. You can go from an innocent simple day look with this palette, to a dramatic sexy night time look very easily. Do you want to see some swatches of this gorgeous palette? Of course you do!

swatches of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette in natural light

So, have you gotten this palette yet? If not, you need it...just kidding. You don't NEED it, but it's definitely a nice add to your collection and it smells like chocolate! Plus, it's pigmented. 

NEW Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Face Products Review [VERY IMG heavy]

About a week ago, I manged to stumble upon the new Covergirl products, and picked a few up to try out. I've had a chance to try them out now, and I wanted to review them for you guys. I picked up the Ready Set Goregous Fresh Complexion Foundation, Concealer, and the Powder Foundation. First, let's talk about the foundation. 

This is the Covergirl Ready, Set Gorgeous Fresh Complexion oil free foundation. I got the shade 105 Classic Ivory and it seems to be the perfect match for me. This is 1 fl oz and retails for $8.99 and it's only been spotted at Walgreen so far, but I'm sure it will make its way to other drugstores soon! It comes in 12 shades total. Now, onto the actual product! Here is the packaging:

"One simple step for a flawless, natural look that lasts all day. The formula blends easily to even skin tone and reduces shine all day.

*Oil free *Won't clog pores *Suitable for sensitive skin *Lasts all day"

Now, for MY thoughts! I love this foundation. It is very lightweight. It is light to medium coverage, and isn't matte or dewy. It evens out my skin tone, does a good job at covering imperfections without looking like I'm wearing make up, and lasts all day. I usually apply it at around 8-9am, and it lasts until 5pm before I start it wearing off around my acne spots. I'm definitely really enjoying this foundation, and recommend to check it out if you see it! Here are some pictures to show you what I'm talking about, since a picture is worth a thousand words!

Me, without any makeup. Eeek!

With one layer of the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation! 

Now, for the concealer. 

I have the shade 105-110 Fair, but these seem to run VERY light. This is .37 fl oz and retail for about $5.49. The concealer comes in 6 different shade ranges and they run on the light side. 

"Helps conceal dark circles and imperfections in an instant! The lightweight formula glides on smoothly, blends easily and lasts all day.

*Oil free *Won't clog pores *Dermatologically tested"

MY thoughts? This concealer is very thin. It's not the best concealer but it will do in a pinch. It's not great for a dry patch or really red or dark areas. If you have just a very minor imperfections to cover, this would work for you, but anything more, it's not worth it. Definitely a pass in this collection in general. 

With foundation and concealer

And now onto the powder in this collection. 

I have the shade 105-110. This is .37 oz and retails for $8.99. This is a powder foundation, not a setting powder. This also comes in 6 other shade ranges, but the shades seem to look darker in the container, but seem to be pretty blendable to match your skin tone. 

"Powder foundation covers like a liquid to help even skin tone for a natural look. Extra fine oil absorbing powder control shine.

*Oil free *Won't clog pores"

I'm not incredibly impressed with this powder, but nothing is bad about it either. It is very smooth and blends into your skin very easily, but it doesn't give much coverage like it implies it does. I'll keep you updated on Instagram on how I like it in the upcoming weeks, so keep checking there to keep updated. 

With foundation, concealer, and powder

Full face of makeup

Conclusion: The products are hit or miss. The foundation is awesome and I highly recommend it. The concealer would be a pass for me. The powder I would pick up if you like wearing a powder, but if you don't wear a powder normally, then I would take it or leave it. Be sure you're following me on Instagram (emsbeautydiaryx) for any updates on if anything changes or if any of these products go on sale and when they start becomes available elsewhere. 

Favorite Foundations

I get asked so so much what my favorite foundations are. So, I figured I would make a blog post on it since it seems to be such a common question. I have a few favorites, both drugstore and high end, different finishes and for the different types of skin that I have throughout the year. Okay, let's get to it, and start with drugstore foundations. 

This is the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation. I have it in shade 110 Ivory. This foundation usually runs about $8-$10, and you can usually find it on sale at different retailers. The shade selection is pretty decent, and I find that shade 110 fits my skin tone very well. This foundation has SPF 20, and it has about a medium coverage. It feels very lightweight on the skin, but still covers most flaws. I still need concealer on problem areas. The finish of this foundation is a pretty natural looking finish, not too dewy but not matte either. It makes your skin just look very healthy. On my skin, it lasts about 8 hours which is the usual amount of time that I keep my makeup on. This is a great foundation for dry to normal skin types, I think it would wear off on oily skin types very quickly. 

This is the Revlon Colorstay foundation, in the Normal/Dry skin formula. The shade I have is, again, in 110 Ivory. This seems to be just about everyone's favorite, or at least on their list of favorites. The price of this foundation ranges from $9-$12. The shade selection is very impressive for a drugstore foundation. This foundation is very long wearing and claims to wear for 24 hours. I'm not sure about that claim, since I never have kept my foundation on for longer than 15 hours. This foundation is the type of foundation where you can apply it at 7am, and it still looks freshly applied at 10pm. The coverage is medium to full coverage. It has a matte finish, but doesn't look flat, as some matte foundations can look. This comes. 2 different types for different skin types, Normal/Dry or Combination/Oily. Everyone is sure to find one that fits their skin type AND skin tone. 

And now onto the higher end foundations!

This is the MakeUp ForEver Mat Velvet+ foundation. This foundation is $36 at Sephora, and comes in 16 shades. This foundation is a basic must have for my oily skin typed girls! I have repurchased this foundation twice. I am in the shade 20. This foundation is oil free and water resistant. It has a matte finish, as the name suggests. It lasts ALL DAY long. It is very full coverage and I have to barely use concealer. It's a good one to check out if you have oily skin, but my dry skin girls (like me in the cooler months) might find this clinging to their dry patches or getting a little cakey. 

This is the Nars Sheer Glow foundation, and it's a fairly recent purchase for me. It is $45 at Sephora and comes in 16 shades. I am in shade Light2 Mont Blanc, and it's the perfect match for my skin tone. As the name states, this foundation is light to medium coverage, and has a dewy finish. It makes your face glow, but not look oily and like a grease slick. It is similar to the Revlon Nearly Naked, but different enough that I can justify having both. The wear time is about 8 hours before it starts to wear off on me. I love how it feels light on my skin and makes my skin look so very healthy. 

So, that's it! Those are my top foundations that I use the most, and that I love! What are you favorite foundations? Please share so everyone else can check it your favorites as well! 

Have a beautiful day

Emily

What's in my makeup bag!

Benefit Makeup Bag from Ulta

Do you ever wonder what is in everyone's makeup bags? You know, the stuff that they carry for emergencies, tried and true products that they can count on! Well, this post is dedicated just to that. I am going to show you everything that I carry in my makeup bag, that stays in my purse at all times, so whenever I need it, it's right with me. Okay, enough of my babbling...let's get to it!

Inside of my makeup bag!

Little sneak peek of what's inside!

The first thing that I always, always, always carry in my makeup bag, is hand sanitizer. I also have hand sanitizer in my car, in my purse, and just everywhere. You never know when you'll be somewhere that just is...gross...and you need to wash your hands. Plus, when you have kids, and you find yourself in some interesting situations. This is just the Bath and Body Works unscented one. 

Next that I have in my makeup bag, is my Rimmel Stay Matte powder in translucent. This is awesome if I notice I'm getting oily when I'm out somewhere. It is transparent, which means it's not going to add any color to whatever foundation I'm using that day, it just mattifies my skin where ever I put this. I can use this multiple times a day, in the same areas over and over again, and it never looks cakey. 

To apply the Rimmel Stay Matte powder, I use my Laura Gellar Retractable Baked Powder brush. This is the perfect size to fit in my makeup bag. The cap goes over the bristles, which means that the bristles won't get all messed up, rolling around in my makeup bag. The brush is super soft, and also small enough that I can really pinpoint where I want the powder to go. 

A great recent addition to my makeup bag, is my Covergirl trio in Shimmering Sands. I seem to always find myself needing something to bring my eye look together for going out at night, and we are always already out, away from home. This little trio is great for freshening  up your makeup midday, or using the darker color to bring your daytime look into a smokey eye for nighttime. 

Am I the only one who seems to have an unwanted spot pop up after you've left the house, and heading out for the day..or pop up midday, in the middle of your errands?! No...okay. That's why I always carry my L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Crayon concealer. This is the best. It provides awesome coverage, and doesn't need to be sharpened. It is very creamy and can very quickly cover up any spots that are unwanted. I usually dab the Rimmel Stay Matte powder over the concealer just to make sure it sets. 

One of the MANY lip products I carry in my makeup bag. This is Revlon lip butter in Berry Smoothie. This is the one I wear in the fall/winter time, so I'll be switching this out soon, to Peach Parfait. But, lip butters are great to just apply on to the go to pull together your look. They are so smooth and hydrating, and give a glossy look to your lips. 

If I want just a touch of color, and my lips are feeling dry, I use my Fresh Sugar Rosé lip balm. It does a great job at healing my dry lips, while giving my lips a slight tint to them. This is the mini size, so perfect size to put into my makeup bag and always have it around when my lips get dehydrated. 

These are the three (yes, 3. A girl needs options!) lip glosses that I carry with me. I have the Palladio Herbal gloss in Eleventhgorgeous, Buxom gloss in White Russian, and NYX butter gloss in Creme Brûlée. None of these glosses are sticky, so I can wear them with my hair down and I don't have to worry about getting lip gloss in my hair or my hair sticking to my lips. They all have different qualities to them, so depending on what I'm feeling that day, I can choose which gloss to apply. 

So, I know every girl carries one (or 12) of these with her whenever she goes somewhere. I have a couple hair elastics and a small jaw clip. You have NO idea how many times I'll be out, and just get sick of my hair and just pull it up into a ponytail. Also, having 2 little girls, these objects come in incredibly handy when their hair is in their face and trying to eat, or we are playing, or just, whatever. Definite must have! I also have them floating around my hair,  their car seats, probably under my seat...

And that, is what I carry with me in my makeup bag. The lip products tends to rotate quite often, depending on the season and what I'm currently loving. I'd love if you let me know what you carry in your makeup bag! You can let me know in the comments, or over on Instagram at emsbeautydiaryx. 

Have an awesome and beautiful day today! Thank you for reading!