Love at First Bite - #TheAmuseBouche Lipstick from Bite Beauty

I've never been much of a lipstick fan...until now!

I was lucky enough to be selected to receive the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipstick VoxBox from Influenster and it has turned me into a lipstick lover. I always had issues with lipsticks before because of the texture, odd smells or the fact that they would never stay on. I felt like it was never worth it when I hated the smell or how they felt on. Then came along Amuse Bouche!

Sleek and fabulous packaging.

Bite Beauty's newest launch of their Amuse Bouche line of lipsticks is spot on.  These lipsticks ($26 each) are highly pigmented and provide amazing colors that go on seamlessly and beautifully. When I first swiped the color on my lips, I was impressed with the intensity and saturation of the color and the creamy texture. It didn't go on chalky and left my lips feeling super moisturized while still feeling lightweight and non-greasy. The color lasts a long time too! I applied mine before lunch and by dinnertime (6 hours later), there was still significant color remaining despite eating and drinking.

This shade is Pepper.

The citrus scent alone of these lipsticks is intoxicating. They each are made with 12 edible oils (avocado, olive and coconut oil are among them) that leave your lip healthy looking and feeling and a scent that is made from fresh pressed fruit. Another bonus: they are paraben, sulfate and phthalates free because no one needs those terrible chemicals (linked to cancers and reproductive issues) on a product that is likely to be somewhat ingested.

Left to Right: Beetroot, Gazpacho & Pepper

Beetroot, Gazpacho & Pepper

 I was sent three bold and bright colors. These would likely never be colors that I would have picked out on my own as I tend to stick to more neutral tones, but I was shocked at how much I loved having a bold lip added to my normal makeup repetoire. There are 34 shades in the Amuse Bouche line and it's incredibly likely that I'll be adding at least a few more to my makeup obsession (shown below) and checking out the rest of their makeup line.

Peachy Nude

Dusty Mauve

Rich Toffee

If you're interested in checking out Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche line of lipsticks, check out their selection on the Sephora website.


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

A Green Smoothie That Will ShamROCK Your World

Today's St. Patrick's Day is a whole new world compared to the celebrations that we had ten years ago. Ten years ago I would have already been at the bar for a few hours with a group of my closest friends drinking green beer, dressed head to toe in ridiculous green outfits and maybe even pretending to have an Irish accent while drinking beer out of a leprechaun hat...it happens.

This year, I've folded laundry, kissed boo boo's, changed more diapers that I want to admit and am sipping on a green smoothie with my two mini leprechaun children in tow. LOL. Worlds apart from years past. I did buy a corned beef brisket to cook, but just realized I have no cabbage. #MomFail. Hopefully, the toddler is in the arts and crafts mood later because I have some art projects planned to celebrate today.

Today's green smoothie is about as close to a green beer as I'm getting. This green smoothie is my new go-to afternoon pick me up and it's great for sneaking some veggies into my veggie avoiding toddler. It's packed with fruits and veggies and the greek yogurt adds a protein punch.

Ingredients:

1 banana (I prefer super ripe as they're more sweet and I like to freeze them)
1/2 cup pineapple (add juice if you want it sweeter)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 large handfuls of spinach
1 tsp coconut oil (add this last and melt before adding)

Add all ingredients together and blend until smooth. If you find that you need more liquid, you can add pineapple juice or a splash of milk. This prepares 1 large serving.

My two year old chugs these down and always ask for more. It's definitely a new staple to our diet and I love it too because it satisfies my sweet craving while providing some nutrition and protein.

Do you have a favorite green smoothie recipe?

 How have your St. Patrick's Days changed from years prior? Let me know below. 

Simple & Savory Red Enchilada Sauce

The other day I was doing my usually refrigerator inventory to see what needed to be used. We've been on a mission to make sure that we don't waste any food and so far it's being going really well. Food is entirely too expensive to waste and being conscious of what we have has prevented us from eating out or ordering take out (my postpartum waist line is thanking me for this). What I've been doing is taking stock of what we have and developing a meal from there...basically putting together all the odds and ends and making a meal of some sort. I had tons of ground beef, black beans and soft tortillas, but wasn't feeling the ordinary taco dinner. I've had a hankering for enchiladas, but definitely didn't want to leave the house with a willful, tired toddler and newborn so I decided to try my hand at my own enchilada sauce....

SO GOOD.

I'm never buying it pre-made again. Not only is it good, it's healthier, has simple ingredients (nothing questionable) and super easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of cayenne powder (or more, depending on how much heat you like)
Salt, to taste
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Add spices and mix well. Slowly mix in chicken stock and reduce temperature to low. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer for 15 minutes (mixture will reduce and thicken over time).

That's it!

I filled whole wheat tortillas with a seasoned beef and black bean mixture, rolled them up, placed in an oiled pan, and smothered them with enchilada sauce and cheese. 40 minutes in the oven and dinner is served.  Simple, easy and filling meal.