It's summer, and I couldn't be happier. 

Days on the deck with lemonade, sunshine, and ponytails for days. 

In all seriousness, summer is a time for me to step back from the makeup routine and keep it easy, breezy. 

Below, check out a sneak peek inside my all-time favorite products for a 5-minute face. These are my tried and true products of all price points that you'll want to latch onto this summer. 

Do you have any products that are must-try products? I'm a proponent of cruelty-free products, and I love a good bargain. Comment below with the must-haves for the season.

I'm a huge animal lover and an advocate for cruelty-free beauty. I love my makeup products, but I also do not want any animals suffering for them.

Thus, the Petit Vour beauty box is a perfect subscription box to give me the best of both worlds. This box is $18 shipped each month and comes with four products, all of which are Vegan and cruelty-free. The sizes are great, the products are high-quality, and I am in love with getting a beauty gift in the mail every month.

Check out my video to see what's inside the April box, and comment below with any cruelty-free beauty boxes or products you think I should try next!

I'm a bookworm, but I'm also a beauty addict. I've spent tons of cash over the years at Ulta, Sephora, Target, and all sorts of places looking for the best beauty products for the average woman. I believe in cruelty-free cosmetics as well. Every Tuesday, I bring you quick information about a beauty product I've tried and loved. Feel free to comment below with products you think I should try out. I'm always on the hunt for the next best product :)
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This mask came in my Petit Vour box, which I'm obsessed with. For $15 total (shipped) a month, I get the Petit Vour beauty box. It's like Birchbox or Ipsy, but all products are vegan and cruelty-free. You get four products per box, and the sizes are usually really great. Sometimes, you even get a full-size product.

This face mask came in my last box, and I'm loving it. It's a deep, nourishing mask. It smells amazing. My favorite part, though, is that it is a leave-on mask. You don't have to rinse it off, peel it off, or anything like that. I put this on once a week at night before bed and let it work it's magic.

I wake up with super soft skin without the heavy, greasy feeling. This mask is pricey to buy, but I like the ease of application. It's $38 at Petit Vour. 

I recommend getting the beauty box subscription because it's super fun, a great price, and you get to try new fun products like this.

​How about you? Any mask recommendations? 

I'm a bookworm, but I'm also a beauty addict. I've spent tons of cash over the years at Ulta, Sephora, Target, and all sorts of places looking for the best beauty products for the average woman. I believe in cruelty-free cosmetics as well. Every Tuesday, I bring you quick information about a beauty product I've tried and loved. Feel free to comment below with products you think I should try out. I'm always on the hunt for the next best product :)

Okay, I know what you're thinking...
So 1st, no, I am in no way sponsored by Lipsense or have any financial benefits from sales. At all.

And 2, it is not a gimmick. Seriously.

When I first saw Lipsense, I thought, "Here we go. Another FB group sales nightmare. There's no WAY that stuff can work."

And then I bought some...and guess what?

It freaking works. Seriously!!!!

Lipsense is made to last between 4-18 hours. You layer on three thin layers of the lip color, put on some gloss, and voila! Done.  

I get closer to 18 hours out of my Lipsense. Seriously. And at the end of the day...it hasn't budged. I will drink three cups of coffee, eat lunch and dinner and a million snacks...and it's still there. You are supposed to reapply the gloss throughout the day, but I'm way too lazy for that. But it still stays on!

This product works better over time. There is an exfoliating process ( I know, it sounds weird and you're skeptical, but trust me on this one). For the first week or so, your lips will sort of peel, the product won't really stay on that long, and you'll think you got ripped off.

And then, week two, once all the junk you've been putting on your lips is gone, it happens. You'll start getting all-day wear.

I have two colors right now with a third on the way. My favorite color is coral. It looks freaking scary in the tube, but actually it's perfect on. Below is a pic of me wearing the coral color.

It is a little pricey to get started. The starter kit is around $55. That comes with a color, gloss, and color remover in case you make a mistake. However, I've dropped $20-30 on a regular lipstick that I have to reapply constantly. Once you get started, you can just buy colors for around $29 with shipping.

Seriously give this stuff a whirl. I've tried probably a hundred lipsticks looking for color that I love. I finally found it. Oh, and it's cruelty-free, which is super important to me.

You can find sellers online, but I go through Deborah Biter. She's super helpful with color choices and is not pushy at all. Like at all, seriously. Here is her group link if you want to check it out.

Have you tried Lipsense? Do you have a different favorite lipstick? Let me know below!

I'm a bookworm, but I'm also a beauty addict. I've spent tons of cash over the years at Ulta, Sephora, Target, and all sorts of places looking for the best beauty products for the average woman. I believe in cruelty-free cosmetics as well. Every Tuesday, I bring you quick information about a beauty product I've tried and loved. Feel free to comment below with products you think I should try out. I'm always on the hunt for the next best product :)

It is so important to set your liquid foundation. I've learned, however, to make sure to let it dry first to avoid a caked-on look.

Once my Rainforest of the Sea Foundation dries, I use a fluffy brush to dust this perfecting veil over my foundation. It is perfect because it is super light and gives that airbrushed look without the weight. It also helps keep my oily forehead under control.

There are numerous colors in this finishing powder and at $26, it is pretty affordable. What's your favorite setting powder? Let me know in the comments below and I'll give them a try.

I'm a bookworm, but I'm also a beauty addict. I've spent tons of cash over the years at Ulta, Sephora, Target, and all sorts of places looking for the best beauty products for the average woman. I believe in cruelty-free cosmetics as well. Every Tuesday, I bring you quick information about a beauty product I've tried and loved. Feel free to comment below with products you think I should try out. I'm always on the hunt for the next best product :)

I have been on the hunt for the perfect foundation for years. I want one with the perfect amount of coverage. I've tried dozens of foundations, and they're either too heavy, the wrong color, too sheer, too greasy, etc.

I found TARTE's Rainforest of the Sea foundation thanks to Christen Dominque, my latest Youtube obsession. I bought it from Sephora for $39.00 with fingers crossed Christen wouldn't lead me wrong. She didn't.

This is by far the best foundation I've ever bought. I have super pale skin, so usually even the lightest foundation colors look too dark on me. The porcelain color in this foundation is truly porcelain and perfect for my pale skin. The water-base helps it blend into your skin effortlessly, but somehow the coverage manages to be at a medium level. Once it soaks in, you don't even feel like you have foundation on, which is amazing.

The foundation uses a dropper, which helps eliminate waste of the product. There is a brush you can buy to apply, but I use a beauty blender for seamless application. Below is a picture of me wearing the foundation...I do not claim to be a makeup expert, just an average woman who loves beauty products. Thus, my motto is that if I can pull it off, anyone can!

Have you tried this foundation or another foundation you love? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Tuesday Beauty Break! Please share with your friends if you want to see more Tuesday Beauty Break :)

*See this article on the Huffington Post**

I’m a cosmetic junkie, but I’m also an animal lover. When I realized a few years ago my 2 biggest passions were not supporting each other, I was devastated. I loved my makeup, but I couldn’t stand the fact that many cosmetic companies test products on animals.
Making the choice to go cruelty-free was initially hard, but I’m glad I did. In the past few years, a lot of companies have taken up the mission of offering cruelty-free products, making it easier to make the switch.

​Here are 8 reasons I went cruelty-free and the benefits of my choice.

 This organization’s video started it all for me. Seeing the look on those dogs’ faces when they touched grass for the first time after being rescued… I lost it. I made the decision to support companies who didn’t test on animals.

 The first video got me interested in cruelty-free. This video solidified my stance against animal testing in general. Whenever I think cruelty-free is too hard, I just think of how hard the lives of these animals were. Spending more time choosing my products is not a major hardship compared to the hardships faced because of animal testing.

I have always been obsessed with animals. Using products that support cruel practices toward them is unethical and goes against who I am at the core.
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Supporting a mission doesn’t always mean you have to devote bundles of money or time. Sometimes it’s just about being more conscientious in your day-to-day choices. Buying cruelty-free products is a small way I can help better the lives of animals.

Many of the products I use now that are cruelty-free lack harsh chemicals. Many products are vegan, so sensitive skin sufferers can rejoice at the lack of harsh ingredients.I notice I suffer from less breakouts since making the switch.

The easiest way to find a cruelty-free product is to look for the leaping bunny symbol. Some companies use a different bunny symbol, but there are sometimes questions about the legitimacy of the claim.

Be sure to look for clear markings that the product is cruelty-free. Some products will spell it out for you.

Some organizations are trying to make it easier for consumers to know they are purchasing cruelty-free products. See this website for more information about the leaping bunny campaign.
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Some of my favorite cruelty-free brands include: Urban Decay, It’s a 10 Hair Care, Paul Mitchell, and The Body Shop.

I love, love, love getting beauty boxes in the mail but had to stop my subscription when I realized I was getting products tested on animals. Enter Petit Vour. This beauty subscription service costs $15 a month. They send you a box with four beauty products that are cruelty-free and vegan.

Initially, making the switch to cruelty-free was tough on the wallet, but many low-price products are now surfacing.
Sonia Kashuk, ELF, Pacifica, and NYX are my favorite bargain-priced product, butthis article discusses several other affordable cruelty-free products as well as items to avoid.

Cruelty-free Products Promote a Better Global VisionOnce I opened my eyes to the realities of animal testing, I couldn’t put mascara on and pretend it was okay. I couldn’t keep buying brands that tortured animals while I was a self-proclaimed animal lover.
Buying cruelty-free products has helped me feel better about the way I’m living and about how I’m contributing to a better global vision. Isn’t this a big part of what the beauty industry should be about?
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Making the Switch to Cruelty-Free

Going cruelty-free is a big decision, and it does mean you’ll have to leave some brands behind. It will also mean you will make mistakes. I’m not perfect in my mission to go cruelty-free. I’ve struggled with abandoning some favorite brands.
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However, making a conscientious choice to support cruelty-free brands will ultimately lead to more ethical relationships between beauty products and animals, a win-win for both areas. If we beauty junkies unite with the common mission of ethical products, perhaps the industry will listen to our goals and help us achieve them.
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Have you gone cruelty-free? What are your favorite products?

Check out the February Petit Vour box!

I love Petit Vour because it is Vegan AND (more importantly for me) Cruelty Free. All products are from companies who do not test on animals. Each box is $15 shipped and includes four products, sometimes full-sized.

Here's what I got this month:

1. JUICE Beauty Stem Cellular Booster Serum
2. HAN Skin Care Cosmetics Eyeshadow
3. CHRISTY ORGANICS  "Trance" Perfume
4. GRAYDON Hair Smoothie