My Hair & Makeup Routine Must Haves

Let's talk about make up today!  I don't usually post a lot of beauty/makeup related content, but I am excited about several new products I've added into my routine this Summer.  I like to mix high end and drug store make ups.  Ulta and Walmart are my go to spots.  I think Ulta is intimidating so I try to make myself always ask for help when I need help vs wandering around the store not finding what I need.   

Have you ever gone into a store or online to order a tried and true make up item only to find out it's been discontinued!?!?  Gosh, that's the worst.  That happened to me  with a favorite foundation I'd been wearing for years.  

I messaged a sweet blog friend who lives in the South and her make up always looks fabulous - hey Jess!  I asked her about a humidity friendly go to foundation and she recommended:

1. NEW- Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear - it's got SPF 15, boasts up to 24 hours wear & transfer resistant.  

There are 50 colors to pick from.  Hence why I needed help from the ladies at Ulta.  I asked one for help and she said they had a Lancome expert so she'd get her to help me.  She looked at my skin closely.  Grabbed a sample and bam.  She got it right on the first try!  She sent me home with 310 Bisque C and I've loved it all summer long.  It wears really well, goes on so quickly and blends really great.  I'd highly recommend it.  It's got 8000+ reviews on Ulta.com and it's SPLURGE at $47.

 2. NEW- Milani Baked Powder Blush color Luminoso

This blush is gorgeous!  It's got highlighter and blush in one and it's the prettiest shimmer on your cheeks.  It's $6.99 and can easily be added to your Wal-Mart grocery pick up order.  SAVE!

3. Water Proof Mascara

I always wear waterproof mascara.  It stays put so well and doesn't flake off.  I'm currently alternating Brown mascara from Maybelline Lash Sensational and Voluminous Million Lashes.

4. Tarte Shape Tape Concealer.

This stuff is great.  A little goes a long way.  It conceals and brightens.  It's a splurge at $29.00.  It has 13000+ reviews on ulta.com and I love it.

5. Make up brushes

Any mid range set of brushes will do :)

6. NYX lipstick or lip butter

This is a definite SAVE.  You can get the prettiest shades of pinks, reds, orangey pinks, etc. for about $5 a tube at the grocery store.  It wears really well and the colors are gorgeous.  I always have NYX lipstick and lip butter on me wherever I go.

7. Maybelline Master Strobing Stick

This pretty highlighter is great if you're using a more matte blush with no highlighter in it.  I wouldn't recommend using this and the Milani blush I mentioned above. It's got plenty of highlighter in it already.  This is a SAVE at around $5 a tube.

8. L'Oreal Eye Shadow Palette 111

I bought this for myself for Christmas and it's been AMAZING.  It was a big SAVE at $14.  The colors are so pretty, are really long lasting and it has lasted for such a long time.  I use the darker shade on my brows with the angle brush and the lighter shades on my lids.  I love this and will definitely buy it again.  

And everything I mentioned above on my face here: I love it!  And it only takes me about 5 minutes max to apply.  I also need to mention the no crease twisty hair ties!  They're amazing.  They really leave no crease in my hair which is a miracle.  I've got them everywhere so I can put my hair up anytime.  I'd highly recommend them.

 

NEW - I am loving this Moroccan Oil hydrating shampoo, conditioner and smoothing lotion.  It smells amazing and it's done wonders for my hair.  It's smoother, shinier and feels healthier.  I bought the smaller size bottles to give it a try and plan to buy the big bottles when I run out.  This is my second tube of the smoothing lotion.  This is a SPLURGE that I'd highly recommend.

NEW - Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub.  It smells amazing, is a gentle exfoliater and it leaves your skin feeling so soft.  This was a random grocery pick up addition to my Walmart order.  It's around $6 and is a great SAVE.  There's even an Ibotta coupon for it right now if you want to try it.  Or you can get an even better deal with my Amazon link below - it's marked down to $5.12 right now!

What are some of your favorite skin care and hair care products?

Here are my Amazon links to some of my favorite beauty products!  Thanks for shopping my links if you see something you want to try.  I appreciate you supporting my blog so much.

Favorite Kid Shoes for Summer

It's almost Summer and it's starting to feel like it in Indiana.

I am starting to swap out the clothes in our closets and drawers for the hot weather.

I've been collecting shoes for the kids and ended up with some great ones.

It involved lots of trying on, measuring and returning to get the best shoe options for the kids.  I think we are set with shoes for the season - tennis shoes, water shoes, church shoes and play shoes.  And since I've already done a lot of leg work, I thought I'd share our favorites with you today so that you  could keep an eye out for them.

Here are our favorite Summer kid shoes:

4 FAVORITE BOY SHOES:
Fletcher has WIDE, chunky feet.  It is hard to find shoes that don't squish his cute feet.  He's wearing an 8.  I've never bought wide width shoes for him.  Instead I just stick to brands and shoes that run wide.

1. Red Nike Star Runners
These velcro on and have faux laces.  They're SO LIGHT and so comfy.  They go on sale regularly at stores like Academy and online.

2. Gray Crocs
"Croc Kids Crocband Clogs"
These are the only style that are wide enough for him.  We keep trying different styles that are marketed as wide and always come back to these.

3. Academy Sports Native Knock Off Slip Ons
These are SO cute and were only $7.99 in stores.  They have boy and girl options.

4. Meijer Croc Knock Offs
I like the navy and orange combo and think these will be great play shoes.  They come in boy and girl color options and my kids have liked them.    They were $8

4 FAVORITE GIRL SHOES
Olive's feet are regular width and she prefers a looser fit.  She's wearing an 11

1. Velcro Nikes
"Nike Girl's Flex Contact Running Shoes Purple/Pink" These are the first pair of tennis shoes she's really loved.  They're so light, so comfy and come in tons of cute colors.  These came from Academy and go on sale regularly

2. Livie & Luca Mary Janes
This is our first pair of Livie & Luca shoes and they're amazing.  They are very nice shoes.  They're really well made, super comfy and super cute.  We picked up these for a great deal at a local boutique.  This pair is a part of the special Matilda Jane collaboration.

3. Rainbow Crocs
"Kid's Crocs Isabella Charm Clog" - This is a new style of crocs for us.  We picked them up on sale and they're so cute!  They are cushioned and a little dressier than her usual crocs.

4. Pink Crocs
"Kid's Baya Clog"

Solid color crocs.  They've got some good holes for venting and hold up so well.  They go on sale regularly and we have never had a real Croc shoe break.  All of our knock off crocs have broken over time.

What kind of shoes do your kids love??

I've included links to as many shoes or similar shoes as possible below!

*Affiliate links.  Thanks for supporting Polka-Dotty Place!

Spring Outfit Inspiration

Does it finally feel like Spring where you live?

We are still having some chilly weather, but Spring has definitely arrived.

We rarely leave home without a jacket this time of year.  The flowers are all blooming and everything is greening up nicely.  Achoo!  My allergies have been acting up this week.

Let's talk about my Spring Outfit Inspiration:

Light Denim:
I picked up these really light wash distressed pair of Rockstar Skinnes from Old Navy during their last half off sale.  They're my go to jeans so I'm hoping I'll find some cute ways to style the light wash.  I think they'll look great with graphic tees for Summer.  I just love this outfit combo!  Scrunchies (make me smile every time I see them in stores!), cute graphic tees and a good pair of jeans.  Stay tuned for outfits wearing these or white jeans this Summer!

Lightweight Sweaters:
I found this lightweight floral sweater at TJ Maxx a couple months ago.  It was under $20.  I just love anything floral so this sweater was a no brainer for me.  I layered it with my favorite sleeveless chambray top, distressed Rockstar skinnies, leather earrings and pointy toe flats.

Fancy Sleeves:
Bell sleeves, flutter sleeves, lacey sleeves - they're all beautiful!!  I love a 3/4 bell sleeve because they don't get in your way.  I also love the pretty layers of flutter sleeves.  Sign me up for all of them!  This pretty floral top came from WALMART and was $11.86.  It's so pretty that I have it in two different patterns.  This Time and Tru top fits true to size and is really flattering.  I get so many compliments on it every time I wear it.

More flutter sleeves from Old Navy in a sunny yellow stripe!

Pattern Mixing:
Long live this trend!!  I just love it years after it became a thing.  I love this striped blazer and button down polk-dot top.  Both are old from Old Navy.  We are all dressed and ready for church.

Now let's talk about my current favorite dress!!  It's got fancy sleeves, mixes patterns and is floral.  I just love my maxi Easter dress from Matilda Jane.  It's so cute, comfy and it gets lot of compliments every time I wear it.  I've seen a lot of pattern mixing like this in stores.  Designers are taking the guess work out of pattern mixing and doing it for you!  I just love it.  I picked it up during a great Good Luck Trunk sale months ago so it ended up being half off.  I'm going to be wearing it on repeat all year.

What things are you wearing this Spring??

I'm currently on the hunt for a cute pair of brown clogs, a new pair of dark wash denim and am in the process of updating/replacing all my bras, socks and underwear.  So glamorous... not!  It does feel good to do it even though it's an investment.  Tell me what you're shopping for this season.

Swim Suit Ready

Are you swim suit ready?


It feels like swim suit weather is a long way away in Indiana, but I know it's not.  We're counting down the days until the pool opens.

SUITS:
I picked up some really cute suits for the kids this year.  I love to coordinate their suits and buy them a couple options since we spend so much time in them this summer.  I found some great options at Target and from Rufflebutts this year.

Red, White & Blue = all from RuffleButts.

Have you heard of them before??  We're BIG fans.  Their suits are so soft, cute and look brand new after wearing them all summer long.  They have boy (Rugged Butts) and girl options and monogram options.  Their suits run true to size.  Their rash guards are amazing and really do keep your kids from getting sun burned.  This is the THIRD SUMMER we've purchased from there for Olive.  They also run sales regularly.  The red suits were on sale around Valentine's Day.  Sign up for their emails to get deals sent to your inbox often.

Target Suits.  You just can't beat the selection, the patterns and the prices at Target.  I loved mixing and matching Fletcher's swim trunks with his striped rash guard.  I also loved finding coordinating suits for both kids.  Now if they'll just happily head to the pool in matchy swim suits I'll be thrilled.

Click on the pictures below to find out more details -->






SHOES:
We are also excited to have our summer shoes taken care of already - Crocs/Stride Rite for Fletcher's wide feet and Natives/jellies for Olive.

Navy Crocs with red and white stripe -->
Crocs Kids' Crocband K Clog, Navy/Red, 12 M US Little Kid

Lightning McQueen crocs -->
Crocs Kids' Crocsfunlab Cars K Clog, Flame, 9 M US Toddler

Navy Natives - a bargain!! -->
native Kids Jefferson Child Water Proof Shoes, Regatta Blue/Shell White, 6 Medium US Toddler

Girl Natives -->
native Jefferson Iridescent Child Water Proof Shoes, Malibu Pink/Shell White/Galaxy Iridescent, 11 Medium US Little Kid

I'd love to find a solid colored suit for myself this year.  I have had great luck finding cute floral one at JCP so I'll probably check there for a black suit.  I'll keep you posted.


Where have you found great suits for yourself and your kids this year??

PS Some affiliate links included.  Thanks for reading & supporting Polka-Dotty Place!

In case you missed it on Polka-Dotty Place:

Monday: New 100 Day Challenge
Tuesday: 10 Things You Will Always Find in My Car
Wednesday: Loving to Learn

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Linking up with
My Glittery Heart

HighFiveforFriday, FiveonFriday, and Momfessionals

Favorite Summer Shoes

My favorite shoes for summer are Saltwater Sandals.

They are cute, comfy and last forever.

I've had my red pair for 8ish years and they still look brand new.  I've worn them everywhere, gotten them wet and they still look great.  

The sizing is a little strange.

I wear a 7 in Saltwaters and a 9 in other brands so be sure to check the size chart.

They are $40 with free shipping on mysaltwatersandals

Olive had fuscia Saltwaters last summer and they were adorable.

They come in all colors for girls and boys.

 
We went with Sea Wees this year and have loved them.

They are super cute, durable and look great after wearing them daily.

I bought Olive's off of e-bay this year and they have been great.

I paid around $15 and would definitely buy gently used Sea Wees in the future.

I'd love to have the navy ones, brown ones or the gold.

I'd also love to have matching sandals with Olive one summer.

What shoes do you wear the most in the summer?
Linking up with Momfessionals today

Polka-Dotty Place Etsy Shop Giveaway!!

I'm excited to talk to you about my etsy shop today!!

It just turned THREE years old so I thought a celebration was in order.

I started the shop three years ago and filled it with a variety of accessories.  I've made earrings, flower pins and used a variety of new and vintage material.  I only put things in my shop that I would and do actually wear.  I enjoyed doing some art shows when I was in Utah and always get excited when I go to fill an etsy order.  I love making money for my family and being creative at the same time. 

I've shipped all over the US.  I love when ladies contact me to send birthday gifts to their friends and I've even sent 5 matching pairs of earrings to a bride to give to her bridesmaids.  My accessories always come wrapped and ready to gift.

Take a look around Polka-Dotty Place Etsy Shop

I hope you find some things you cannot live without!!

I'm offering one FREE pair of earrings with any etsy order from my shop

starting right now until midnight on Saturday the 9th.

No code necessary.  I'll just add a surprise pair to your order :)

I'm also giving away this set of FOUR pairs of earrings

that are perfectly on trend right now and perfect for summer.

I love the blush roses,

think the stars would be perfectly patriotic this summer,

and adore the mint and gold pairs.

The stars and gold are both vintage and the flowers are new.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!

The contest has now ended.  Congratulations to Jennifer D!!

Tips for Cleaning Suede

I got this Dooney & Bourke bag as a birthday gift several years ago and have loved it.  I love the mustard color, the size, the leather details and all of the pockets.  I did not love that one side of the bag seemed to pick up everything it touched.  I wore dark wash jeans for a while and they rubbed off on the bag.  I tried to clean it with several things and had no luck.

BEFORE:

The interior still looked brand new after several years of use.

I just wanted the outside to look as good as the inside again.

I got the wild idea to try using Oxyclean on my bag.

I started out by trying the solution out on the bottom of the bag.  

I figured it was the least seen side of the bag so it was worth the risk.

 It worked well to remove the dirt and stains so I continued to do the front and back of the bag.  I did the back first since the stains were worse and ended up rubbing the solution on it twice and rinsing it off.  After it dried the back of the bag was a little darker than the front so I went ahead and cleaned the front too.

 AFTER:

 The front side.  I hung it from a knob to help it air dry faster.  It took two days to do the whole cleaning process and I'm really pleased with the results.

 Taaaaaaaa Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

 The stain faded tremendously and the bag looks like new again.

Be sure to do a small test area before cleaning anything suede 

to make sure you're happy with the results.

bareMinerals Believer

I know you've seen bareMinerals infomercials and have likely heard about their mineral make up.  Well, I'm here to give you MY honest review of their products today.

I was in the market for a new foundation last month and decided to give the whole bareMinerals system a try (primer, concealer, powder foundations and mineral veil).  I bought this get started kit from Sephora in fairly light and this concealer in light 1.  I was thrilled to get smaller sizes of everything I wanted in a set for $49 instead of buying full sized products.  The Get Started Kit also comes with a mirrored case so you can organize all your products.  This organizer LOVED that feature.  I was also interested in trying their blushes and eye shadows, but decided to keep things simple at first.

I chose not to order through the bareMinerals website because the items I wanted to ordered required me to sign up for reoccurring shipments/payments each month.  I only wanted to pay once to try it out and wasn't interested in signing my life away.  Plus, when you order through Sephora you earn points towards bonuses and get to pick three free samples of new products to try with every order.  Shipping is also free if your order is over $50.  No brainer.

I've been wearing it for almost two weeks

and I'll probably NEVER WEAR ANOTHER FOUNDATION!

I am a bareMinerals groupie, super fan and supporter for life!!

PROS:

The make-up is so easy to apply, covers really well and seriously feels like you are wearing no make-up.  It is a very quick process to apply the make-up once your primer dries.  Your make up looks almost airbrushed, light and perfect on your skin as long as you pick the right color.  The finish is amazing and you don't have to worry about any lines or blending issues you get from liquid foundations.  My make-up looks great ALL day.  I rarely touch it up and it DOES NOT WEAR OFF throughout the day.  I have allergies and have had a cold since Christmas and I'm here to tell you that even after a day of nose blowing the make up still looks great.  How is that even possible??  Who knows, but I'm a fan :)

CON:

It's hardly a con, but worth noting.  The powder can be a tiny bit messy so I don't get dressed before doing my make up anymore.  I stay in my pjs just in case any powder falls down on my shirt. 

I should also say that I don't have sensitive skin and my skin is really easy to manage.  I deal with oilness and the occasional break out.  My skin has agreed very well with bareMinerals and feels great.  I have always worn liquid foundation because I didn't want to cake on some powdery foundation.  It turns out that all powder foundations are not created equal and bareMinerals is amazing!!

My make up has never looked better

and here's the bathroom selfie proof:

Mascara only Whitney ------> A day of light make up

So easy, fast and looks great!!

 Dressing up a bit more:

A little more foundation gives you more coverage and looks GREAT!!

So happy with this finished look and it's very doable every day.

I am spreading the word about this wonderful product because I love it. I bought everything on my own and bareMinerals doesn't know that I exist.  I keep finding out more and more people use and LOVE bareMinerals - Tabitah, Sarah, Katie - and I'm sure there are more of you!!

What bareMinerals products do you LOVE???