Tasty Tuesday! Pesto Chicken

Today I'm posting a recipe that I LOVE from the South Beach Diet Cookbook.  It is a low carb and low sugar pesto chicken recipe. When I cook this at school, my housemates would always come out of their rooms asking 'WHAT IS THAT?!!!' because the delicious smell would waft through our house!

Here's what you will need for this light n' tasty entree:

-1 chicken breast (fresh or frozen, whatever's available!)
-about a quarter cup of pesto sauce (I always use the Classico pesto from the jar but there are a ton of great recipes online to make pesto from scratch! I just don't have a food processor....merp)
-skim/ low-moisture mozzarella cheese
-a small casserole dish
-your favorite seasonings (I like rosemary and pepper!)
-aluminum foil (optional!)

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. spray bottom of casserole dish with non stick spray
3. spoon some pesto into the bottom of the dish where your chicken breast will rest
4. place chicken on pesto in casserole dish, and season to taste (I sprinkle some rosemary and pepper on my chicken!)
5.Cover (or smother!) chicken breast with pesto sauce
6. Cover top with aluminum foil and place in oven and set timer for 20 minutes
7. After 20 minutes, take the aluminum off the top of the dish and sprinkle mozzarella over the chicken breast and cook for 5 minutes more
8. After 5 more minutes of baking, the chicken should be cooked through and the cheese should be browned!

ENJOY! This recipe is for a singling serving. If you wanted to make more than one breast, you can definitely do that and cook for about 25 minutes at 375.
Super easy. Super tasty. Pure love :)

xxSJ

photo from kalynskitchen.com

NOTD: Julep in 'Kate'

Today's nail of the day is one of the polishes I got in my Julep Maven intro box. It is the opaque white with pearl color called 'Kate' (2152)

You can definitely see the sheen of the pearl color in the bottle here. Super pretty right?!! I was so excited to put this on my nails but then when I did, I realized that the pearly shimmer is non existent on your nails :( 
Very sad.  The application of this polish was interesting. It was very VERY thick, almost too thick.  The thickness made the color super opaque (rare for a pure white polish) however pretty hard to work with. The brush is about the same size as an OPI brush, maybe a tad smaller.

I also found it difficult to use the little brush handle with this one... overall application was pretty tough but I was left with an opaque white finish.
I think it is hard to judge a nail polish collection based on a white color--whites are generally pretty kooky colors so I'm going to wait to try out the raspberry color I got in my box as well.
As of now I'm feeling pretty 'meh' about Julep nail polishes... I'm happy I have an opaque white now but the application was almost too rough to be worth it.

What do you guys think? Do you have Julep polishes that work well?

xx SJ

Save or Splurge? Butter London Nail Polish

Today's Save or Splurge is on Butter London nail lacquer, a '3 Free' polish with English inspired (and super cute!) names:

From left: Tart with a heart, The full monty, Trout Pout, Primrose Hill Picnic, Victoriana, Bluey

Butter London polishes cost $14 for a .4 fl oz bottle. The price is due to them being non-toxic, and in fact the first non-toxic polish sold in the US.  The polishes are free of parabens, formaldehyde, and tuolene (all things we've heard before that are dangerous).
The packaging of this product is so pretty. The cap comes off to reveal the smaller brush handle inside:

 The brush itself is very small. Even smaller than an Essie brush:

For those girls that love OPI for the size of the brush may want to steer clear of this polish for that reason! As far as application is concerned, these polishes are amazing. It takes two coats (sometimes one) for full opaque color and it applies so creamy smooth. The polish also smells a bit better than normal! A little less alcohol-y if that makes sense.
I started buying these polishes because they are what is sold in my University's bookstore on campus, so they were just what was easily available. I probably would have never picked one up had it not been for that simply because they are expensive.
However, I do recommend these polishes. They are great quality and also non-toxic (always a plus!). I would recommend splurging on one. Just try out one of their more unique shades in a cream color. You won't be dissappointed and then you have a super nice polish in your collection. Save on more mainstream shades like red or baby pink though. You can find the same color at a cheaper cost.
http://www.butterlondon.com/

I hope this was informative and helpful! Look for future NOTD posts where I wear my Butter London colors!

What's your favorite Butter London color?

xxSJ

Sunday Funday! My Favorite things

These are my favorite things from the week!
1. Musiccccccc

'Where We Used To Run' by Landon Austin. A super mellow and sweet song :) I've been listening to this one because it makes me feel optimistic :)

'Supernova Girl' by Protozoa: Yes this is the song from the Disney movie 'Zenon.' I think this is one of the best songs the Disney channel has ever produced. NOSTALGIA!!!

'Levels' by Avicii: I'm going back to school soon and I'm thinking about hanging out with friends again and the party scene...Levels is an electronic song that makes me think of college

2. My MAC cream color base in 'Hush'

I've been grabbing this product to highlight my cheekbones and down the center of my nose this week and I have re-fallen in love! I forgot how much I love this product! It's a peachy pink beige with slight shimmer

3. THE OLYMPICS!!! AMERICUHHHHHHH
I loved watching the opening ceremonies and am looking forward to the upcoming events. I have my eye on a couple athletes in particular....

Michael Phelps--- ya, I guess he's okay ;)

4. Japanese Flying Squirrel, what up?

Those were my faves from the week!
Let me know some of yours!
xx SJ

My Fave Drugstore Lipsticks! Revlon

I love love love lipstick. I think there is nothing more feminine and beautiful than a tube of fresh lipstick and I have distinct memories of playing with my mom's lipsticks when I was younger! That being said I can be pretty picky when it comes to my lipstick (aka I'm a bit of a lipstick snob). Everything comes in to play when I'm choosing one: appearance, color payoff, texture, smell....you name it!

I have found that Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick takes the cake in the drugstore for scoring an A+ in all my judging criteria.  The packaging in itself is beautiful.  Just a simple black tube (with clear top so you can see what color is inside!) with gold embellishing. The lipsticks are amazingly pigmented. Some of them can be a little bit shimmery, but if you don't like that look than slapping on a creamy lipgloss will offset the shimmer! The lipsticks also basically have no scent....I know that seems weird to care about but when its on your lips you can smell it!

I own four of these babies. From left to right: Silver City Pink (405), Softshell Pink (410), Champagne on Ice (205), and Blushed (420).

The Softshell Pink color (second from left) is my ultimate favorite for the summer. It is a brighter pink with out being totally fuschia and adds the most beautiful yet noticeable flush of pink to your lips! It comes highly recommended :)
The right two colors are great for fall. They're a little darker and more sultry.

Do you like Revlon lipsticks? What are your favorite colors??

xxSJ

Drugstore Find!: Covergirl's Tapestry Taupe

I'm lovin these drugstore finds! High end products are great to use but they're not so great on your wallet :/ That's why it is so so SO exciting to find great makeup at the drugstore! Fabulous quality at a low cost = a happy beauty junkie :)
Today's drugstore find is a single eyeshadow by Covergirl called 'Tapestry Taupe.'

It is a beautiful taupe color that would be so lovely in the crease or even washed all over the lid for a nice neutral look.

This color has some goldish undertones to it and is more brown than gray. I love that about this shadow because it means it's a warmer color allowing for you to rock it on your lid with out looking too dramatic!
This color does not get chunky or chalky upon application, and the eyeshadow stays put on the lid. There was no fall-out when I applied this tantalizing taupe!

The pigmentation of this product is lovely so I think it is a must for a makeup maven! It was only about $3 and you get quite a bit of product--2.5g. For comparison's sake, a MAC eyeshadow only has 1.5g of product. This was definitely a pleasant find for me!
Let me know if you're going to check out this color! I can't speak for any other Covergirl single eyeshadows as I haven't tried them, so let me know if you have and what your faves are!

How would you rock this taupe shade?

xxSJ

All About Eye Primers!

Today's post is just going to be my two cents on eye primers: my favorite ones and why I think everyone should wear one!

Eye primers are so important for multiple reasons:
-they smooth the skin on your lid to provide an even surface for applying shadows
-they can even out the skin tone on your lid (either uneven pigmentation or little purple or red veins showing through) for even eyeshadow coverage
-they can make the surface of your lid slightly stickier to prevent eyeshadow creasing or smudging or traveling through out the day

I started wearing eye primer when I realized that only a couple hours after I applied my shadow or eyeliner, I would get  big creases in my lids from my colors getting smooshed together. Ew :(
Now, if oily lids are not a problem for you, you may want to consider wearing an eye primer anyway simply because it makes your colors more vibrant and visible and all in all, more beautiful.

My favorite primers are as follows:

1. MAC Paint Pots ($17.50)

MAC paint pots are meant to be eye colors but they actually work amazingly as primers! My favorite color is 'rubanesque' which is a pinky peach because it adds some complexity to shadow colors I place on top, but there are flesh toned colors offered as well. This product also lasts so long!  I've had mine for a year and am only about half way done with it.

2. Urban Decay Primer Potion ($20.00)

This primer potion is the most popular as well as award-winning. Part of the hype is because this was the first product of its kind, however it deserves the praise it receives. This product WORKS. It goes on your skin nude colored and dries basically invisible (there are 3 different colors available) and it keeps your shadows flawless all day.

3. Too-Faced Shadow Insurance ($18.00)

This is my favorite eye primer of them all.  This product is very similar to Urban Decay's in consistency but I just think it works a little bit better. I find it's a tad thicker than the primer potion and my eye shadow has NEVER creased while wearing this product.

Keep in mind with all of these products that a little goes a LONG way.  For the primers in the tube, you just need the tiniest little amount to cover your whole lid and for the paint pot, you only need to dip your finger in!
They may seem expensive but these products will last your for at least 6 months.

If you aren't interested in investing in a primer, you can use items you may already have! The following would work as an eye primer as well (just maybe not as well as the products listed above):
-oil free liquid foundation
-white matte eyeshadow
-concealer (this works great!)

 If you don't wear primer already please try it for a day! I bet your shadows will look amazing :)
Let me know: what's your favorite eye primer???

Revlon Color Stay Nail Enamel in 'Buttercup': Review and NOTD

Revlon released a new line of nail polishes called ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel. Being a nail polish addict, I had to check this out!  The claim is that this polish will leave your nails with a 'gel like' finish that can last up to 11 days....hmmm I'll believe it when I see it!

These nail polishes are about $8 at the drugstore... I found that hard to swallow, personally.  I wanted to try these out for the longest time but it was hard to think about dropping $8 on this when I could get an Essie nail polish (one of my tried and true fave brands) for the same price.
Finally one day, the heavens opened up. **play hallelujah chorus** My CVS was having a sale where all revlon nail products were $4.99 and then you got $3 extra bucks back when you bought it....um yes.
I decided on the color 'Buttercup.'  It's a soft pastel yellow color that I thought would be beautiful and an instant mood lifter too. Yellow is such a happy color:)

And I am very very happy with this on my nails :) This color is gorgeous and this pic was taken on the third day of wearing it.  This color is a successful yellow in that it is a pale pastel (not buttery or orangey!) and is extremely opaque.  I achieved that color in only 2 coats.
The brush on this polish is also awesome.  It is a thick brush (think OPI) that is slightly tapered making application by the nail bed and overall so easy:

I recommend this nail polish! Try it out when it goes on sale (or not! be daring!) because I know I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this product.
As far as purchasing more colors, I don't think I will, only because other colors didn't stick out to me as much as this beautiful yellow did.  I bought it to be a unique addition to my nail polish collection, but if you don't have a lot of nail polish, this might be a great way to get your collection growing!

Have you tried this nail polish? What are your favorite colors in Revlon's colorstay line??

xx SJ

Review: NARS eyeshadow duo in 'Alhambra'

Ladies. Can I state the obvious here? Makeup can be expensive. I find that my most lusted after products tend to be the hardest on my wallet.... don't get me wrong though!! I love love love drugstore makeup, but sometimes making an investment in a beautiful product from a high end brand is just what you need to add to your collection--a staple product that you can turn to on an important occasion when you just want to make sure you're lookin' good. Enter NARS:

NARS has some truly beautiful products.  Known for its sleek black packaging with white embossed logo in block letters, NARS is a makeup brand that consumes my time in Sephora-- I frantically swatch as much as possible, trying to find the prettiest colors and rarely end up making a purchase because of the steep price. When I finally decided that I was going to just take the plunge and buy an eyeshadow duo, I wanted to make sure it was the PERFECT one that I could wear with everything and was easy to work with.

 I swatched a ton of colors and found an awesome duo called 'Alhambra.' 

As you can see, the left shade is a pinky champagne color with shimmer, and the right shade is a golden peach color with shimmer.  These are my go to colors when I want a basic, neutral eye.  These colors would be super easy to wear during the day and then I could slap a darker brown or purple into my crease if I wanted to vamp it up for the night time. Also check the packaging please: That mirror covers the whole bottom of the case's lid. AWESOME. You go, Nars!

Look at how pretty :) Not chalky. Not chunky. Not disco ball shimmery. No fall out....Just perfect.
I love love love this duo and I'm so glad I made the purchase.  The duo was $34.... I know. Eeeeep.  However, you get a full 4g of product (2g per eyeshadow) which is a lot of product.  To compare, MAC eyeshadows are $15 (in the pot) and you get 1.5 g of product. NARS is still more expensive, yes. But these are colors I am in love with and will be getting full use out of.
Will I be purchasing another NARS duo in the future? Sure, perhaps if I find another set of shades that I can get as much use out of. I definitely wouldn't splurge on say this duo in 'Bateau Ivre':

 Gorgeous but I'd wear it like 5 times a year or at least very sparingly. Understand my reasoning?

I hope this review was helpful and enjoyable!
What are items you recently splurged on and are loving????

xx SJ

Urban Decay 24/7 Liners vs NYX Slide On Pencils

Urban Decay's 24/7 Eye Pencils are award winning for being silky smooth during the application process while also being waterproof and lasting for FOREVER. The pencil also comes in a ton of beautiful bright and vibrant colors:

The brand touts that one is sold every 7 minutes....say what?!! The only downside of these awesome pencils is that they are $19. That is STEEP for an eye pencil, even if it is award winning...so I found something else I wanted to compare them to :) Introducing:

The NYX Slide On, Glide on, Stay on & Definitely a Turn On Waterproof, Extreme Shine Eye Liner. Mouthful but oh well.  I have heard that these little beauties are comparable to the UD eyeliners except they are only $8 (when not on a NYX sale) so I did a little experiment while I was at Ulta to compare:

I did the best I could in matching some colors from the NYX collection with comparable colors from UD's collection.  The NYX lines are on the left while the UD is on the right.  As far as application, NYX pencils went on my hand as buttery smooth as Urban Decay's. Now for colors: Only some of them can be considered legitimate dupes. That blue for instance...my goodness that blue.  The bright blue on the left is 'Azure' by NYX while the blue on the right is 'Electrify' by UD....they're almost an exact match. Also the browns looks pretty good. On the left is NYX 'Golden Bronze' and on the right is UD 'Lucky.'  Some of the colors are noticeably more pigmented like the blacks (which are probably the most important of the colors).  The left is NYX 'Jet Black' and the right is UD's famous 'Perversion,' the blackest black can get. The silver colors ended up being quite different after application, but I think NYX's silver color beats Urban Decay's silver that they offer (the two swatches on the right). That's NYX's 'Platinum' if you're interested in a bright silver, while the right is UD 'Gunmetal' if you're looking for a slated gray silver.
I did one last test while the swatches were on my hand. I took my fingers and did the unthinkable....I scraped down my skin trying to get the swatches to smudge:

Smeared. So, so smeared. I don't know if the picture picked it up as well as it did in person, but the Urban Decay swatches stayed put while the NYX swatches are the ones that smeared...sad day (and 'smear' is now a very weird word having typed it so much. huh.) I suppose that's what the extra $10 is what you're paying for with UD.  They truly are waterproof and will last you ALL DAY LONG.  I mean, look at that black! It didn't go anywhere and I pressed pretty hard into my skin to get the colors to move, and Perversion was staying put.

The final verdict: If you need a basic eyeliner like a black, plum, or brown, go with Urban Decay.  An investment in something you wear nearly everyday is worth it because you won't have to worry about touching up or checking to make sure your eyeliner isn't traveling all over the place.
BUT: if you need a colorful blue, green or silver, I'd say save your money and go with NYX. They've proven to be pigmented and if you're not planning on wearing the color for an extended period of time then the smear factor isn't a big deal.

I hope this review was helpful to you all!
Let me know: What do you think of Urban Decay's 24/7 liners? Are they worth the hype?

Julep Maven Unboxing and First Impression

I've been researching monthly beauty subscription services for a while now and am just really not sure if I want to commit. Recently I read that you can get an introductory box from Julep (nail polish!) for only ONE PENNY just so you can try out the service and see if its something you would like to do monthly.
I decided to try it out and my box arrived today. I wanted to share with you all what the presentation was like!

The box is a small 6x6 black box. It arrived about 4 days after it was shipped.

Inside there was a welcome card (I love how these services are all 'so excited' that you've joined!!) and underneath that:

The card describing my style profile.  You take a quiz on red carpet fashion and accessories and receive one out of (I believe) 5 styles. I got 'Classic With a Twist'. What you get your first time determines the color nail polish you get in your intro box, but after that you are free to pick whatever style you like as your monthly subscription from  month to month (which is nice that you have SOME say in the products you receive).

The items came packaged up in a little pink paper bag wrapped in black ribbon. And look! Little toe separater pedicure guys! (I'll never use em but hey, they were exciting!)

Here is the lovely pedicure cream (sorry *creme*) and then the two nail polishes were wrapped in bubble wrap (I'm going to have some serious fun with that later) to ensure a crack free voyage for the little guys inside!

Here are the colors I got : Kate: a soft white pearl, and Rose: juicy watermelon red creme.
I haven't tried the colors yet (or the 'pedi creme'....and yes I'm going to call it that when I'm feeling snooty) but I'll review them when I do.

So there you have it! This is what a penny will get you! If you want more details about what being a monthly subscriber would entail then visit the website but the basics are as follows:
AFTER YOUR INTRO BOX:
-it's $20 for over $40 worth of products per box
-on the 20th of the month you are sent an email with the sneak previews of what every style box has inside
-you get to pick whatever style box you like best (so if I subscribed I would NOT have to get the classic with a twist box every month if I fancied other colors more)
-you can skip a month free of charge if you don't like the color selection as long as it is by the 27th
-shipments go out on the 28th and you should get your box at the beginning of the month

We'll see if I stay subscribed! It depends on the quality of the nail polishes when I try them out.

Are you subscribed to any beauty subscriptions?

NOTD: Essie's 'Bikini So Teeny'

Today's nail of the day is Essie's 'Bikini so Teeny' from their Summer 2012 collection. I think this was the most highly anticipated color of the collection because of it's uniqueness. I actually couldn't get my hands on it for a while as it was the only color sold out everywhere! My mom can attest to the fact that I squeaked when I saw this in stock at Target one day:

It is a cornflower blue with a silver microshimmer in it that is virtually invisible on the nail. You can really only see it if you're squinting for it so keep that in mind if you want to purchase this pretty shade.

In some lighting this color could really be called a periwinkle rather than a blue, but for the most part it is a vivid creamy blue.  Application is a bit scary. The first coat is rather sheer but two coats is all you need for an opaque mani!
I love this color and get tons of compliments when I wear it :)
Essie can be found at CVS, Target, and ULTA for $8 in my neck of the woods if you're interested in picking up this color.
What's your favorite blue shade to sport on your nails???

Sigma Brush Haul and Review!

I recently made my first purchase from Sigma! As I mentioned before, I am in the process of rebuilding my brush collection (grrr grumble grumble) and I have heard such great things about the brushes from Sigma that I decided to try them out. The brushes are so much less expensive than MAC brushes or even Sephora brand brushes that I figured it was worth a shot.
I was SO excited when I received my rectangular package in the mail that a happy dance and short celebratory song was in order.
Right from the get go, I was very impressed with the packaging!

Inside the box was this other box where the brushes were hiding inside. The brushes were wrapped in plastic and thicker plastic brush guard type thingies to keep the bristles in perfect condition while they were journeying to my house.

There was also this card on how to take care of the brushes from the first use to how to deep clean them when they great reaaaaaaaaaaaaal dirty. I had no idea you should wash them before the first use! The card also congratulated me, as you can see... Gee that was nice of them! Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

These are the brushes I chose. From bottome: F30 Large powder brush, F40 Large Angled Contour (which doesn't usually have pink on the edges I just used it today), E35 Tapered Blending Brush, and the E55 Eye Shading Brush.
The brush quality is AMAZING! The bristles are so so so heavenly soft and they pick up color splendidly.  I'm especially in love with the blending brush....it's amazing and easily comparable to the MAC 224. The MAC one is $30 and the Sigma brush is only $11 sooooooooooo I think I know which one I would vote for :)
As an added bonus I got the CUTEST free gift with purchase:

Tiny! Compare with the size of the tip of my thumb in the pic!

It's a tiny little eyeshadow palette sampling colors from the Sigma Palettes (comes in Dare, Bare, or Flare). I love all things miniature and so this little guy was the cause of yet another happy dance. Two in one day...its casual.

Overall I was immensely pleased with my experience purchasing from Sigma Beauty.  The shipping was fast, the packaging was glorious, the products are fantastic, and they included an amazing high quality free gift that I will definitely use.
I recommend this brand wholeheartedly!
Also every month Sigma Beauty has a discount code offer for 10% off everything. How cool is that? This month the codes you can use are: AP2012, or TIFFANYD

Have you shopped from Sigma before? What do you think are their must have brushes??

Sunday Funday! My favorite things from the week

These are some of my favorite miscellaneous things from the week!

1. MUSICCCCCC

Brokenhearted by Karmin--this song is so upbeat and fun I'm lovin it! Also my dad loves this too. It makes me laugh so much because he likes to sing along with her when she says 'cheerio' haha

Daylight by Matt and Kim--this song has and always will be a favorite of mine! I love it and have been listening to it this week on repeat

2. Eating Healthy!
My parents and I are doing the South Beach Diet and this past week was the first week on it. It was tough giving up all sugar and starchy foods (no in n out french fries...wah!) but I feel so great!

3. The Tone It Up girls!
These girls make the most AWESOME work out videos on youtube that I have been loving!

This one is my fave workout--try the sit up move. Its difficult but you feel great afterward!

4. This picture:

 AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Those are some of my favorites from the week! I did quite a bit of makeup shopping this week too so I'll be sure to post some reviews on the things I got! Stay tuned!

What were some of your favorites from the week?

Drugstore Find! Maybelline's 'Champagne Fizz'

I picked up a little eyeshadow from Target recently and it turned out to be so lovely! It's a Maybelline single eyeshadow in the color 'Champagne Fizz.'  It is a very light peachy color with a lot of frost and shimmer. I picked this out as a highlight color and boy did I strike gold!

This color isn't wearable as a lid color really at all...it would just look like a frosty white mess on me (but if it looks good on you then go for it!)  However, as a brow highlight, inner corner highlight, and even a cheekbone highlight, this color is beautiful! It's super subtle so it gives you the effortless dewy finish with out screaming 'OMG I'M A DISCO BALL!' when you step outside due to being glitterific.
The color does NOT have fallout, the color has no problem transferring to a brush, and all in all, it's a nice little product and it was only $3.00! Booyah!

Here is the product swatched on my hand. As you can see it swatches with less beige than shows up in the pan, so don't freak out if you look for this color in the store and you're like 'what the heck. This color is beige!' because it doesn't show up that way, no sir! And despite what the picture shows, it still definitely has gold reflects in it, not silver.
I highly recommend this color if you're looking for an inexpensive highlighter! It certainly gets the job done!

Are you going to try out this inexpensive beauty? What's your favorite highlighting product???