I ain't blue over Twenty2

This color tho... 💙 @twenty2cosmetics #me

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Sep 17, 2017 at 8:12pm PDT

By day, I am a professional broadcast journalist, covering the top stories of the day, digging deep for pieces that I hope will connect with my audience. But I am human -- and need a break from the daily grind too. And one of my favorite things to do with my down time: play with makeup.

When I am at work, I put on a ton of make up (that would rival some of the greats from RuPaul's Drag Race), but I can't have too much fun. No crazy colors, keep it as natural looking as possible. Even though I am wearing layers of paint, I can't do anything too trendy or bizarre.

So when I get a night out with the girls, you best believe I am letting my makeup freak flag fly! Cue "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" -- that's right, I channel my inner-Cyndi Lauper. I can't dye my hair wild colors, but I can go Rainbow Brite meets Jem with the makeup! And when I saw 22Cosmetics lipstick, I was like.....Must have -- must have now!

via GIPHY

They have a fantastic collection, with colors ranging from classic to atypical. But the best part about this brand -- their lipstick containers look like Sailor Scout Pens...

via GIPHY

I am just kidding... that's not the best part (but do you see a resemblance? Maybe it's just me). Anyway, I love their brand because it promotes confidence and individuality. Being yourself, expressing yourself 100% and using makeup to find yourself, be yourself, develop yourself, grow yourself.

The company, just like their lipstick containers, are bold, brave and ostentatious. Their website says:

Twenty2Cosmetics represents the journey to BECOMING and BEING a well-rounded woman of beauty and substance. No matter where you are in your journey.

With our products, every day you are reminded of how you mean something and how important and valuable you are.

Lipsticks and makeup that never take away from who you are!

I mean, how can you not be a fan of this message. Have fun with your make up. Be adventurous. Take some risks. And I felt inspired, so I went right for the funnest color (imo) -- Sincerely22. Sincerely22 is described as a "gray lip color with blue undertones. Highly Pigmented and easily applicable"-- and boy were they right! This color popped. It looked AWESOME. And it made me feel empowered and intrepid. I felt like a super hero wearing it. It went on easily and stayed on pretty well too. So, basically, I am in love. I love this company. I love the product. I love it's message. My lips may be blue, but girl, I ain't blue over Twenty2 -- I am in love and want more!

pinkblush perfection

I cannot get enough of this brand. The last three dresses I got fit so nicely, the fabric felt fantastic, they were incredibly comfortable and very flattering. The "Purple Floral Hi-Low Wrap Dress" had me feeling like a princess. I felt feminine and adorable in this lovely lavender piece, covered with delicate flowers. It's form fitting at the top and shows off the collar bone. I just felt lovely in it! I wore it to work on-air, but I could have worn this to a baby/bridal shower or a picnic. Extremely versatile dress! 

Little stroll down #magazinestreet in the #gardendistrict #nola 🌷@shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Aug 25, 2017 at 4:02am PDT

This little black number gave me so much confidence. It showed off my shoulders and collar bone! It was a little shorter and sexier. Again, a very adaptable dress. I wore this one on a hot date at a speakeasy, followed by a fun night on the town. But you could wear this as a cover-up on the beach or for brunch with the besties!

🍸@shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Sep 2, 2017 at 8:47pm PDT

This blue dress with black palm leaves was the edgiest out of the three. The spaghetti straps made it quite seductive. Perfect for a night of dancing out on Frenchmen Street. These pictures fail to show the incredible detail on the back. The criss cross back was very fun and sultry. The dress is a little longer though and could (again) be used for an event that's more casual. 

i like nighttime things🌙 @shoppinkblush 📸: @sweetee13

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Sep 9, 2017 at 1:47pm PDT

Long story short, these are fabulous dresses that you can wear frequently -- and for lots of different events -- whether it's for work or fun!

feelin fancy in pinkblush

🎶I could have spread my wings And done a thousand things I've never done before🎵 #fridayfeels @shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Jul 21, 2017 at 4:03am PDT

PinkBlush does it again. I am just impressed by every piece I recently received in the mail! If you want to be comfortable and cute -- this is the clothing company hands down. It was hard to decide on a favorite between these three items, but I finally decided this Blue Floral Crochet Cold Shoulder Top was the winner. 

Here I come weekend 😊 @shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Jul 21, 2017 at 12:53pm PDT

It's incredibly flattering, showing off the collar bone, very airy and light. I cannot talk about the color enough. I rarely see this shade -- it's pretty, playful and looks good on everybody!

🌴@shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Jul 23, 2017 at 1:50pm PDT

This navy number also wowed me. I love the neckline. The turtleneck collar is so in right now -- and that criss crossing gives this dress a little edginess and sex appeal. 

happiness blooms from within 💐@shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Jul 24, 2017 at 4:55am PDT

This Yellow Floral Sash Tie Dress is just unbelievably beautiful. The colors are eye-catching and gorgeous. It fits the body so well, accentuating all the right areas. The fabric is comfortable and not too thick. It is absolutely the perfect maxi. If you couldn't tell, I am in LOVE with this dress -- I too multiple photos in it, LOL!

I must have flowers, always and always 🌸 @shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Jul 25, 2017 at 5:54am PDT

sunshine in my soul ☀️ @shoppinkblush

A post shared by Jacki Jing (@jackijing) on Jul 25, 2017 at 3:50pm PDT

PinkBlush continues to perform, churning out beautiful floral, pretty clothes...I literally go to their website and want to buy everything on there. Their clothes are fun and easily vacillate between classy and casual. Can't wait to order more!

In <3 with Flower Mound Soap Works

I have never received a package that smells so good!!! When my FlowerMound Soap Works box came in the mail, I was instantly intrigued! I received a few of their Ugly Soaps for face care! They had a bar for all different skin types: normal, combination, oily, mature, sensitive.

https://www.flowermoundsoapworks.com/face-care

And these bars blow Irish Spring and Dove out of the water. The company's Owner/Mad Scientist uses the "cold-process method of saponification" to make these incorporating a long list of botanicals, fragrance/essential oils, shea/cocoa butter, clay, milk! The face soap is about $21 per bar. As you can see in the photo above, the bars are beautiful -- look at that craftsmanship and carving! They're heavier and just seem packed with goodness, too!

The soap feels fantastic on your skin -- you feel so clean and fresh after -- and I was worried it would be too drying. Not at all! I also wear a ton of makeup, and with a lot of cleansers, it doesn't get all my make up off after one use. Not a problem with these face soaps! I am a HUGE fan of this product. 

I want to talk about using an actual bar of soap  -- since I've used gels and creams as facial cleansers for most of my life. Initially, I was a little thrown off. But I actually really like that it's a bar. Sometimes with creams/gels I end up squirting out too much, but with the Ugly Soaps, I get the bar a little wet and get just the right amount on my hands. This is a product I will definitely be using in my skincare routine from now on!

FlowerMound Soap Works also has pet care soaps, natural ddeodorants, lion balm for muscle rubs and lip balm! I really hope I can try out some of their other products, I can only imagine how great they all smell!  

Another cool note about the company, they partner with local shelters and help with other charitable events!

Facebook.com/FlowerMoundSoapWorks

Instagram/FlowerMoundSoapWorks

Aminocare Ageless Day Cream

My battle against aging continues, and my weapon of choice for this blog: Aminocare Ageless Day Cream! Aminocare has a wide variety of skin, beauty and hair products, plus supplements, touting that their brand is "Found in Nature. Advanced by Science."

The Day Cream is supposed to help firm, moisturize, restore elasticity, reverse aging, promote renewal of damaged skin -- all that jazz! Their ingrediends include a lot of great natural products -- including essential oils,  jojoba seed oil, grape seed oil. I did not see any Retinol listed in here, which is usually a must for me, but it did have Triglycerides and other anti-aging chemicals. 

https://www.aminocare.com/shop

The Ageless Day Cream is $80, so pricier, but definitely not the worst price I have seen. 

It feels fantastic, I really like the texture. It's a cream, that's incredibly light-weight that does not leave you feeling oily at all. There's no strange smell, it leaves your skin feeling fresh. A great way to end your morning skincare routine. I also though it made a great primer for make up since it doesn't leave your face greasy at all!

As for effectiveness, the product didn't seem to make lines or wrinkles magically melt away, but it seems like a great way to prevent aging. For someone in their 20s or 30s, who doesn't need to do damage control, but more maintenance, this could be a great product for you -- especially because the price is not exorbitant by any means!

ODIN Skin Perfecting Serum

https://www.amazon.com/ODIN-Skin-Perfecting-Serum/dp/B01G2ON7X4

Real talk. I am 30 years old -- and preventing lines and wrinkles is no joke. Finding the right products has become an incredibly, arduous task! There are so many products out there, so many reviews. I am just trying to navigate my way around the beauty aisle (basically clueless) like every other lady out there.

I actually saw a post for ODIN pop up on my Instagram and I was instantly intrigued for a number of reasons. The "Skin Perfecting Serum"  is advertised as natural, vegan -- cruelty-free, gluten-free, synthetic free, fragrance-free and vegan. It's also made in the USA using wind power -- ya 'Murica and going green!

The ingredients include the right combo of "chemicals and naturals" (as I like to put it). Their website aptly says the serum is packed with "essential ingredients" -- including Retinol, hyaluronic acid, botanicals, ocean minerals, Astaxanthin, CoQ10, and Niacinamide. 

The serum is light-weight, has a fresh feel. The texture is gel-like, it dries quickly and doesn't leave your skin feeling oily. Oh, and there's no weird smell (which I always find important, lol). 

I did see an improvement with my wrinkles. My stubborn crows feet didn't magically erase, but there was a softening -- and my forehead looked really good! And for just $38 bucks... I mean my COLBERT MD serum costs $170 -- the price on this product is just flat out a steal. 

I am definitely going to add this serum to my beauty routine. I am currently using my COLBERT MD in the mornings and then the ODIN serum at night. It's affordable and effective.I am a big fan! 

Odinskincare.com

https://www.facebook.com/odinskincare

https://www.instagram.com/odinskincare/

BeautiScoop is genius!

My beauty adventures continue! And this time I am actually reviewing a tool that every lady -- and frankly everybody, family-- should have: the BeautiScoop from Beautility.

http://livebeautility.com/shoponline/

When I got this in the mail, I was like what the heck is this unusual torture device, LOL! But then after a little inspection, I realized I had a incredible invention in my hands. The BeautiScoop is a long stick (roughly 7 to 8 inches) with two spoon heads on the ends (one smaller, another a little larger). And it's easy to use! You stick it in bottles of product you're using and scoop out those remnants -- that are almost always impossible to get without this nifty device! 

Their website claims, when using the BeautiScoop, that users can save up to 25 percent of products, like lip gloss, make up containers, serums, lip sticks, travel-size tubes, lotion, foundations, moisturizers, shampoo, creams, gels, toothpastes, prescriptions -- the list goes on and on. 

"It fits into the narrow openings of the smallest and tallest containers to reach every drop you paid for. It’s patented dual-scoop design collapses to fit in to tiny openings, clings to the inside of the container and cradles without spilling."

You can get a BeautiScoop for just 10 bucks, two for $20. Fun gift for friends or family -- they're stylish, sleek. Obviously, using a BeautiScoop is much better than digging around with a potentially hazardous knife or an ineffective chop stick. 

Another positive about BeautiScoop, parts of your purchase go towards two great causes, fighting clean water inequality and human trafficking, helping them "move toward the goal of cleaner water, more justice, and more freedom."

https://www.facebook.com/livebeautility

https://twitter.com/livebeautility

https://www.instagram.com/beautiscoop/