Ole Henriksen-3 Little Wonders Mini Collection Review

Posted on January 29, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

So we are only getting older every day and this unfortunate fact is not lost on me. It seems like as the days go by I am reminded that youth is fleeting and to take advantage of it while I can. This year I turn 26 and I figured it’s time I take a cue from my sister and start taking better care of my skin. I took advantage of insane sales that Sephora was having during the holiday season and bought this trio of products in hopes to review them and perhaps make them apart of my skin routine. Ole Henriksen is a bit pricey but gets amazing reviews so this mini “3 Little Wonders Collection” was the perfect way to try some of the top products without fully committing to the full priced options. It includes the truth serum collagen booster, “sheer transformation” day time moisturizer and invigorating night treatment. Below are my pros and cons and a link to the item!

Truth Serum Collagen Booster– Daytime Anti-Aging Serum with Vitamin C said to brighten, firm, reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and prevent future damage.

It is incredibly light weight and glides easy over your face. It does not provide any moisture but does have a pleasant smell and my face feels a little tight right after putting it on (I’m assuming this is where the “firming” comes into play.

Follow up your serum with the Sheer Transformation meant to diminish dark spots, sun damage and protect from free radicals.

This lotion is super lightweight and takes away the tight feeling from the serum. It is oil free and has not made me have acne break outs with 1 month of use so far.

Lastly the Night treatment is just that, solely for use at night seeing as its meant to resurface your skin to smooth texture, fine lines, wrinkles and even the look of big pores.

In using this product I did notice slight peeling of my skin especially in sensitive areas like my nose and chin. This is not necessarily a bad thing seeing as it’s meant to essentially take off the dead layers on the surface. Trust me it is not comparable to getting a chemical peel or flaking like a snake, it was very slight and easily fixed with some extra moisturizer.

Overall I am extremely happy with my results so far and a little goes a long way so I have some time before needing to replace with full size. Don’t forget your neck or décolletage so that you can have smooth youthful radiant skin there as well. Sometimes I even spread the remaining on the back of my hands (they always can show true age).

Forever young, – Ari

3 Little Wonders Mini Collection

Weekend Warrior Outfit Inspiration

Posted on January 22, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

The weekend is almost here! Even though this was technically a shorter work week because of the holiday (Yay for Martin Luther King) I still feel like it has dragged on. Below is a casual outfit inspired by the weekend and wanting to be relaxed and chill yet still stylish. I paired my trustee willow & clay utility vest that I throw on with absolutely everything (need this thing in 20 colors) with a cozy long sleeved striped crew neck t shirt from old navy. My love affair with these boyfriend jeans from H&M also continues and compliments the “star” of this outfit which in my opinion is this pair of Aldo lace up booties. I scored these babies on clearance for $25 and although they only had a size 6.5 and I am typically a 6, I bought them anyway because of how pretty and genuinely comfortable they are. The thick chunky heel allows for me to strut my stuff all over town if I wanted or just simply run a few errands and look badass while doing so. Links to items can be found below!

Old Navy Black & White Striped Top

H&M Boyfriend Jeans

Aldo “Trorecia” Lace Up Booties

Willow & Clay Olive Utility Vest

Old Season Forever 21 Leopard Clutch

-Ari

Sunday Funday (London Edition)

Posted on January 19, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Second weekend in London and it of course was an exciting one! On Saturday morning I decided to walk around my new neighborhood a bit checking out the local eats, where to get my nails and eyebrows done etc. I then rode the tube up north to
Islington to meet up with a friend for drinks and dinner, boy did we have fun! You English people sure know how to have a good time!

Sunday was sort of a low key day, I again did some walking to the next town over called Clapham and discovered this lovely restaurant called the Bolingbroke and had an amazing English roast! What’s not to love about Yorkshire pudding am I right?

After that huge meal I rested for a while then decided I could not let myself get into a food coma and walked over to the Southside shopping center. This shopping center has everything you could ever dream of! Primark, Boots, Superdrug, H&M, River Island, The Body Shop etc. I’ve come to the realization that Boots is the equivalent to Target back home, every time I walk in there I leave with at least £40 worth of stuff. Here’s what I picked up from Boots and the Body shop…

I am most excited about the XXL volume Batiste dry shampoo and the Real Techniques contour brush. (Will keep you updated on how they perform).

That is all my friends, as always until next time!

-Gwen

S.W. Basics of Brooklyn-Natural Product Review

Posted on January 14, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Review time!!! So as some of you may or may not know, I have tried to incorporate more natural based products into my beauty regiment starting with the process of growing out my chemical processing and getting my healthy curls back. In my search for new products to try I came across this company called S.W. Basics of Brooklyn. First and foremost the name caught my eye immediately, anything that reminds me of home is so fun for me to support. Started by Adina Grigore, this company uses no more than 5 ingredients in every single one of their products. All responsibly sourced and simple enough to be accessible to everyone yet potent.

-100% All natural (not just a sneaky advertising label)
Ingredients are either certified organic, fair trade, or sourced from small family farms. This contributes to sustainable agriculture, supports small businesses and healthier communities.
Amazing and adorable packaging that can be recycled and reused how you see fit.
Did I mention none of the products have more than 5 ingredients? YES PLEASE

I went with the eye makeup remover to start with. It goes on smooth using a cotton round or ball and dosent have a strong scent. Made from just three ingredients super-light organic sweet almond oil, a bit of organic extra-virgin olive oil, and a little jojoba oil a little bit of this product goes a long way. It removes my eye makeup including mascara and can double as a moisturizer. I don’t have to wash off the residue and can actually rub it around my eyes for that sensitive skin area to soak up all the goodness. I am definitely looking forward to trying more of their products in the future including body scrubs and cleansers. Check them out if you have sensitive skin or are just interested in using all natural products. Link Below!

Mascara, you ain’t the boss of me.

S.W Basics Makeup Remover

S.W. Basics of Brooklyn

Tourist in London

Posted on January 12, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Hiya Everyone! (I’ve learned this is how Londoners say Hello). I’ve had such an amazing weekend getting to know a bit of this wonderful city and wanted to share some of it with you all. Here goes…

Classic phone booth shot

Ready for the Big Bus Tour!

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Tower of London

London Eye

Big Ben

Proper Fish and Chips is a must!

Could not walk past Primark and Boots
without picking up a few things!

Sneak Peek at my new items

What a great weekend right? I am absolutely delighted with this city and all that I’ve seen so far. Keep those suggestions coming if you reside here or have ever been. Thanks loves!

Until next time,
-Gwen

Giveaway Winner Announcement!

Posted on January 8, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

So we have slightly surpassed our 250 followers goal for last year and are more than happy to host another giveaway to bring in 2015. The lucky winner of some makeup and skin care goodies this time is the lovely Rosemary Christine! Next up, lets get to 300 so we can giveaway some more prizes to our dedicated followers! Thanks to those who entered and there will be plenty more of these to come in the future. Lets get to 300!!

Winner- Rosemary Christine
Ig- Rosemary_Christine

Feel free to follow us on our other social media outlets as well.

Ig- Itsapplesandorangesblog
Pinterest-itsapplnoranges
Twitter- Ari (@_ari_pena) , Gwen (gwendi3)

With so much love,

Ari & Gwen

Casual Beach Day Essentials- Featuring Dove Dry Spray

Posted on January 5, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

New year’s resolution-take advantage of nice weather days more often! Of course the temps took a turn after my sister Gwen left (even though we did enjoy some slight warm days as well). Sunday turned into a sun filled day … Continue reading →

Its that time again…Giveaway time that is!

Posted on December 31, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

So we’ve done it again!! 250 followers on our blog and we couldn’t be happier and greatful to still be growing steadily. From nearly 100 to now 250 in such a short time! We would like to show our gratitude for keeping up with us all this time by hosting another giveaway. We’ve done many in the past and expect this one to go off without a hitch. The rules are simple, the winner will be chosen through a generator and you can enter multiple times (the more entries the better your chances) by using the raffle link provided below. The winner will receive makeup goodies sure to impress! Once again thanks to our old friends/followers, we look forward to making many more!

!!!Rafflecopter Giveaway Link!!!

Previous Giveaways Here, Here & Here

Looking forward to 2015!

Love-

Ari & Gwen

Holiday Shine

Posted on December 16, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

The Holidays are upon us and what better way to celebrate than to look the part with lots of glitz and glam. I posted the photo above on Instagram and decided to show you all what products I used. I am in love with the rusty copper shade I used all over the lid! Colors like this are a great way to add a bit of shine without it being too overpowering or for those who are not into chunks of glitter on your eyelid (for those that are I will have a post up for you soon). I hope to soon be able to incorporate mini video clips on other makeup looks I create. Well then, lets get started!

Base: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer great for creating a smooth canvas and filing in pores before applying foundation.
Color Corrector: Bobbi Brown in the shade Peach (I put this under my foundation to counter-act the darkness under my eyes and around my mouth)
Foundation: Ex1 Invisiwear foundation in the shades F300 & F400 mixed together (I am so pale during winter months)
Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me in the shade medium #25 under my eyes
Bronzer: NYX matte bronzer in the shade Deep-Tan to give my face some all over color and I also used it for slight contouring
Blush: MAC sheertone blush in the shade Peaches
Eyeshadows: Makeup Geek’s vanilla bean for brow bone highlight, Revlon Matte in the shade rich sable for the crease and outer corner and for the standout color I used NYX loose pearl pigment in the shade Rust ( I wet my brush a bit with MAC’s fix plus)
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wiz in the shade Dark Brown
Eyelashes: One coat of Too Faced Better than Sex mascara and on top a coat of Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes.
Lips: MAC lipstick in the shade Craving ( I dabbed it with my finger) topped it off with Gerard Cosmetics lipgloss in the shade Nude.

Here’s a closer look of the shadow

How vibrant does that cooper shade look? Utterly Obsessed!
Hope you all enjoyed this quick “tutorial” so to speak. Once again I will be working on putting out Video Clips so you can actually see what I am doing.

What are some of your favorite Holiday looks? Leave comments/requests down below!
Happy Holidays everyone!
-Gwen

Josie Maran -Argan Hand Healers

Posted on December 12, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

I don’t believe there is a need for any introductions to Josie Maran and how amazing her entire line is. Featured on the blog so many times before, they are go-to products that get the job done. The job in this case being dry chapped hands! With the colder weather comes overall dry skin and your hands are no exception. Keeping in mind, hands can often tell a persons true age we want to keep them as soft and supple as possible! I picked this small kit up on sephora.com during their Black Friday sale and am once again thoroughly impressed. The lotion is thick, incredibly creamy and smells delicious! It went on my hands like butter and quickly removed the dry feeling. The nail polish remover pads are an added bonus for those quick touch ups/removals on the go. It is said these won’t damage your nail bed and also provide some moisture for your cuticles. I don’t necessarily think it smells like lavender as advertised but it does not have a strong acetone scent either. All in all I’m excited to keep pampering my hands and overall take better care of my body this winter. Links down below!