Beauty Benefit

benefit cosmetics has always been one of my favorite beauty brands on the market.  with their adorable packaging, fun names and quality products, you just can't seem to go wrong with anything they make!

 

since moving to brentwood, i am that much closer to the benefit cosmetic store on montana avenue and have been going every three weeks to get my brows tinted and waxed for $32!  these girls know what they are doing and i can honestly say that the store is always packed with customers, a testament to their results!

 

the only problem i encounter when i head into benefit to get my brows done, is i end up leaving with a bag full of products i didn't realize existed until i tried them out.  one of those products is the  instant brow pencil in light...

if you tweezed a little too much in your lifetime and need a little help filling in where some hair is missing, this pencil is for you!  the color is spot on and it fills in your brows without them looking "drawn on" with the help of the brush at the end.  a permanent staple in my makeup bag now! 

my other favorite recent purchase is the finding mr. bright makeup kit...

 

this is the perfect kit if you like glowing skin and products that you can fit in your purse to take with you.  seriously, everything in this kit is amazing!  i had not used the girl meets pearl luminizer before and have to say thank goodness it had a mini size in here as i LOVE it.  i use it now every single day.  i feel flat without it. 

 

i have long been a fan of the posietint product, but love it even more in the travel size, since a little goes a long way!  again this product giver you a pretty, glowy, dewy complexion which is perfection!

 

i have already shared my love for high beam here and the love continues with the mini version.

 

the last perfect piece is the erase paste which is a soft creamy concealer which has brightening undertones to help conceal not only dark circles but also yucky blemishes.  the texture is creamy and doesn't leave your face dry and feeling cake-y like some other concealers do. 

 

best party about the kit is all four of these products are travel ready for under $30! 

 

i also shared my love of their they're real mascara earlier this year here. 

 

if you haven't already jumped on the benefit bandwagon, might i ask you to join me now, as looking fresh, dewy and bright is always in style.  also, if you live close to a benefit store, be sure to pop in and get your brows some loving, they do a marvelous job and it really makes all the difference in the world!

Top Chef Seattle Finale Tonight!

 

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i was ever so excited this past november to see that one of my fave shows top chef would be taking place in my hometown seattle! 

 

brandon and i have very different opinions on what constitutes good television, but both agree that top chef is definitely good television.  this season was fun to watch not only because of the beautiful backdrop of a city i love so much but also because the contestants were extra likable and talented. 

 

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we started the season a little differently with 21 chefs competing at each of the judges restaurants for a final 15 on top chef.  it was a fun twist and change to the show and the ended up with a good group of chefs. 

 

one of my favorite episodes was episode five.   they started off in the wee morning hours at pike place and prepared breakfast for all the vendors.  it was exciting to see them dash around and struggle to come up with a creation to please all the vendors.  the winning team of bart and (my favorite) sheldon were granted immunity due to their Green Forest Breakfast Sandwich (click for recipe).  immunity turned out to be key for this episode as their elimination challenge was to create a dish, by drawing knives, to feature an ingredient created by the vendors at Pike Place.

 

some of the options were unique and interesting and cj and tyler drew spicy dill pickles.  piece of cake right?  wrong!  the judges table that evening concluded that there would not be a winner for this challenge (shocker!) and the banter between cj and the judges table was comical. 

 

unfortunately for poor cj & tyler, their pork crumpet burger with fried spicy dill pickles just wouldn't cut it and so it was time for them to "please pack their knives and go".  cj was one of my favorites and while it was sad to see him go, he ended up doing pretty darn well in last chance kitchen. 

 

cj was the first chef eliminated that i really disagreed with by the judges but had agreed with the judges opinion for most of the season...that is until episode 11 - restaurant wars.

 

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i always love the restaurant wars episodes!  and this one ended up being boys vs. girls, even more fun! 

 

this episode killed me for many reasons.  chef stefan was the most entertaining with his front of the house antics.  diners enjoyed the food at sheldon's restaurant so much they wouldn't leave!  there are all these great soundbites of stefan trying to persuade diners to leave with booze and pats on the back, only for him to return to the kitchen to say "get them the f*ck out of here". 

 

the gorgeous chef kristen was the other chef with the winning concept and perhaps one of the most promising contestants of the season.  this episode is where things went all wrong and the person to blame is josie (and the judges quite frankly).  poor time management had plagued josie all season long and her dish ended up sending kristen home. 

 

this episode had the judges arguing like crazy and padma showing a side i've never seen before.  and so to the contestants surprise, as well as every viewer watching, kristen was sent home and josie was safe.  i tweeted that night (as did everyone else it seems) in outrage, but knew deep down inside we would be seeing kristen again. 

 

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Bravo.

 

and we do...in the finale, tonight.  that kick ass chef battled her way through last chance kitchen and returned to compete against chef brooke and sheldon for the final two spots of top chef. 

 

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and then there were three.

 

and a great and fitting and appropriate three they were.  while i was pleased to see kristen return to the kitchen, episode 16 was a sad one for me.  the sweet and smiley sheldon was sent packing and i was surprised by how sad i was to see him go.  i have a feeling however that he may end up winning fan favorite (which you can still vote for #chefsheldon). 

 

and so my friends the season ends tonight with these two very talented chefs.

 

 

and i have to admit, i was feeling a little torn on who i wanted to win.  and then the more i thought about it, the more i realized that duh, i want chef brooke to win. 

 

chef brooke is the co-owner and co-executive chef of the tripel (one of my neighborhood faves - get the sweet potato tater tots - they are incredible) and hudson house (dying to go after reading her review).  brooke has done an incredible job all season winning a lot of the challenges and creating innovative recipes and ideas.  her most creative concoction may have been her take on "surf & turf" with the winning Mussels & Frog Legs with Celery Root & Fennel Purée, Papadums & Shallot Chutney. 

 

and so while i am sad to see the season end, i think this season of top chef has been one of my favorites.  not only because of seattle, but also because i felt for a change, all the contestants really cared for and respected one another. 

 

don't forget to tune in tonight, February 27th 10/9c for the first ever live finale and to see who will be crowned top chef!  GO BROOKE! 

 

*this is a sponsored post by bravo but all opinions are my own*

Drug Store Beauty Booty

 

1 ~ got2b rockin it encore fresh dry shampoo

i have never used the got2b products before and kind of find them a bit gimmicky.  i was forced to try this dry shampoo as it was the only option at the grocery store and i was in dire need of some.  well my friends, turns out jokes on me, because not only is this stuff totally cheap but it always totally works and makes your hair smell amazing.  it isn't the best dry shampoo i have ever used but i much prefer it over the dove and suave dry shampoos. 

 

2 ~ clean clear morning burst skin brightening scrub

this goodie was recommended to me by mr. b himself.  when we were home in may for the young wedding my parents had this in their shower and b kept raving about how much he liked it.  so i thought i'd surprise him with a tube of it at my house.  well wouldn't you just know that it turns out i quite enjoy it myself as well!  the scent is incredible and it really does do a lovely job of exfoliating and leaving your skin clean and clear and under control!

 

3 ~ maybelline color show nail color "green with envy"

i kept seeing this color at the drug store and picking it up and then putting it back because i needed another nail polish color like i needed  a hole in the head, but it turns out that i did need this color for the wedding i attended in september!  the color is very similar to the essie "mint candy apple" but a lot less goopy.  it required two coats (like most polishes) and lasted at least 3 days without chipping.  i received many compliments on the color and will definitely be exploring the other colors in the collection for my next special event. 

 

4 ~ garnier fructis body boost conditioner

i have extremely fine hair that is so easily weighed down.  finding the right shampoo and conditioner is down right difficult.  i usually stick with the bumble & bumble thickening products but always require a little extra conditioner for my ends and don't want to waste the expensive stuff on that.  i recently purchased this conditioner for less than $4 and i absolutely love it!  it has a lovely scent and leaves my ends soft, straight and healthy.  in fact since i started using it, people have complimented me on my hair a lot more frequently. 

 

THE FAIL

 

organix nutritional acai berry avocado shampoo

after raving last post about organix coconut conditioner, i figured i would absolutely love their acai berry avocado shampoo which smelled wonderful.  wrong.  i have pretty normal hair, neither oily nor dry, but when i began using this shampoo i noticed my hair looked really flat, dry and dull.  not at all what the bottle promised.  i also felt as though i had to use a lot of the shampoo to get my hair clean.  not a fan at all.  after about two weeks it was back to bumble and bumble and my hair has been a lot happier.