Hey Lovelies!

It's me again! Here to talk about Thrive!

However first, here's a little background about ME when it comes to dietary supplements. I drink a protein shake every morning for breakfast, Her Whey in Chocolate Eclair; it is delicious, smooth and made for women(for men I suggest Optimum Nutrition: Platinum Hydrowhey) both can be purchased from bodybuilding.com. I also take a multivitamin(gummy) every morning with at least 16oz of water first thing.

Now, for my Thrive experience,

Day 1) It says to start with one capsule to test your tolerance so that's what we did, then 40 minutes later I had the chocolate shake. I did not experience anything from the capsule, no relief from back pain or any marketable increases in mental clarity(though Mondays are hard to combat, haha), I also did not have any negative side affects, no jitters or nausea to report! The shake however is another story! This shake is one of the hardest things I have had to choke down, it's gritty, chunky and chalky tasting. I mentioned this to the rep and was advised that I should have put it in milk instead of water(which I don't like since it's unnecessary calories in my book). I did however notice that I was not quite as hungry for my mid-morning snack as normal, However my husband stated that he was crazy hungry even right after the shake. My(and my husbands) most notable difference this morning was the need to pee WAAAAY more than normal! Overall, Day 1 we didn't notice anything too different than normal.

Day 2) We upped to 2 capsules this morning, and followed 40 minutes later with the vanilla shake this time. Again I saw no notable decrease in back pain, weight, or an increase in mental clarity associated with the capsules. Today I mixed the shake with skim milk and saw NO improvement in texture and the taste was still pretty rough! There is no increase in energy to report for me in either of the first two days and the husband had to drink an energy drink in the afternoons in order to not fall asleep at work.

Day 3) Today we took one tablet each and applied the patch. Throughout the day I noticed no significant difference in energy nor did my husband. We left the Patch on for the full 24 hours it says it lasts and still nothing. My favorite thing about day 3 was that I got to drink my normal protein shake for breakfast again! Sweet glorious delicious protein, unlike the Thrive shake the prior two days.


Overall,
I full heartedly believe that the only way to TRULY get more energy, mental clarity, less pain and lose weight is to work for it. I lost 15lbs(a lot on a not quite 5' stature) by working out(lifting heavy things combined with cardio) 3 days a week, dropping ALL grains and limiting sugars(no matter the source) to 20g or less a day! It's hard work but it PAYS off! There is no shortcuts to success, only stairs.

Go climb those stairs,
Amanda

Gerard Cosmetics Butter Cup lipstick and Candy Kiss lip gloss review and lip swatches

I have been on the hunt for a good "Nude lip" for my pale skin and light hair. I feel like everyone can pull it off but me! This is my most recent addition to my lipstick collection. The Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in Butter Cup and the Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Candy Kiss.

The Butter Cup lipstick was created when Gerard Cosmetics partnered up with Beauty Guru Jaclyn Hill. This is a beautiful Pinky nude shade perfect for that neutral lip to pair with any eye look! It's got a very nice smooth creamy texture and a light sweet scent to it, nothing overpowering. I do love this lipstick, however, it does take some time to get used to a "nude lip" if you're not accustom to it. On the right You can see it on my lips, I would recommend Using a lip liner to get a more defined edge to clean it up a little (I like Makeup forever lip liner in 2C).

The Candy Kiss lip gloss was created when Gerard Cosmetics teamed up with Another Beauty Guru(My Favorite one) Shaaanxo, or Shannon Harris from New Zealand. Candy Kiss is a Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in a light pink/coral shade, it's got an awesome little mirror and built in light perfect for reapplying or touching up throughout the day. It's got a nice doe foot applicator making it easy to apply and accurate. It is a little on the "sticky" side but you'll want a little of that to ensure it doesn't slide all over and it stays put. For my lips it has a tendency to accentuate the dryness(but i do have VERY dry lips). As long as I exfoliate and moisturize this is a great color for me. On the right I have this lip gloss over the GC Buttercup lipstick.

Be the best you, 

SparkleMe

NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette Swatches & Review

I watched loads of videos on this palette before I went out and purchased it and MAN OH MAN am I happy that I did get out there and get it! It was, however, quite the task to get my hands on it once I decided I wanted it (I drove 45 minutes one way in rush hour traffic)! But here's a picture of me after I had success!

Highlighting and contouring is all the rage right now evident by the COUNTLESS number of contouring products available on the market, but my favorite thing and the reason I chose this one is because of it's affordability@ $24.99! This product has good pigmentation and it blends out wonderfully for me. It has three what I would classify as "highlighting" shades, one under eye setting powder(also great for brightening the under eye area), and it has four contouring/bronzing shades (three matte and one with shimmer). 

Note: Don't judge my hairy arms or my scar(made by a hungry iguana!)

Shade One: A light shimmery pink champagne color, love this on tops of cheekbones.

Shade Two: A beige matte highlight, perfect for under the brow highlight!

Shade Three: A yellow matte powder perfect for setting and brightening the under eye concealer.

Shade Four: A shimmery yellow based champagne highlight, also great for tops of cheekbones!

Shade Five: A Light cool toned matte brown perfect for contouring.

Shade Six: A cool toned brown with some notable shimmers in it making it better for bronzing.

Shade Seven: A warm toned matte brown great for contouring.

Shade Eight: A deep warm toned matte brown good for contouring deeper skin tones.

Overall I LOVE LOVE LOVE this palette it's got great pigmentation and it blends well on my skin; it is a little powdery when you put your brush in it but it's manageable. I have been using the Real Techniques blush brush to apply and blend out.  I have normal skin, not particularly oily nor dry and always apply this product after using a setting powder all over the face.  Take that into consideration when thinking about your own product and experience. Everyone's skin is different.

Be The Best You,

Amanda