This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  Nothing is more important on Mother’s Day than making the woman that gave you life feel like she is the most special person on the planet.  I am fine with a handmade card and a delicious breakfast, but giving unique items that you put a lot of thought into is priceless.

For me, Mother’s Day is all about family and where you come from.  A fun, and interesting, way to celebrate that is by gifting your mother a 23andMe Ancestry kit.  It is a saliva collection kit that dives into what your DNA says about you.  Technology is amazing and it is kinda crazy that you can spit it into a tube, mail it off, and a couple weeks later you will know where your ancestors lived more than 500 years ago.

I think the thing that makes this so awesome is that it is essentially a DNA test you can take out of the comfort of your own home. You can get $20 off now through May 14 if you click through the link above; no special code necessary.

Nothing is more comforting to be wrapped up in your mother’s arms.  I can remember the feeling of NEEDING to hold my mom’s hand when we were out and about when I was younger.  Her hands were always soft, comfortable, and strong.  A sweet way to remind her of that is mentioning those hand-holding needs in a card and giving her a Sabon Butter Hand Cream so that she can preserve those hands.

Skincare is something that I firmly believe EVERYONE should be serious about, so giving skincare as a gift is something that I really enjoy.  Most adult women have a skincare routine firmly in place so I like to give something that can assist in their regular routine.  The Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Gel Face Moisturizer is the PERFECT addition to any daily ritual.  It fortifies skin and makes it more resistant to visible aging caused by pollution, stress to skin, and fatigue.  You can save 20% through June 30th by using the code BABBLE!

For the finishing touches to your gift basket, add flowers or plants.  I personally love succulents.  If the mom in your life loves flowers, get some for her to replant in her garden.  They are super inexpensive and they will last not only the entire season, but in some cases they come back year after year.

If you use any of the ideas I gave in the post or have any amazingly unique ideas of your own, let me know in the comments below!

My Newest Addiction at times reviews products provided by PR companies. This is disclosed at the top of those posts. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

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The older I get, the more important exfoliation has become to me.  My skin has gotten duller and I am just not down with that.  The good thing about exfoliates and scrubs is that they rid your skin of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface.  The brighter, more youthful skin is what is left behind. The exfoliation process also keeps the skin clean, as too many dead skin cells can clog pores and cause acne, ingrown hairs and wrinkles.  Today I am going to walk you through the best exfoliates that I have used for the face, body, feet and scalp.

FACE

Exfoliating grains have been popular for a while now, and I have tried my fair share.  I have claimed this one or that one have been my favorites overtime, but I have finally come across one that deserves the title “The Best”.  Farmacy New Day Gentle Exfoliating Grains.

It is a potent, all-inclusive cleansing face exfoliater with innovative grains that transform from a powder into a gentle, foaming exfoliating cream with the addition of water that cleanses, exfoliates, and clarifies in one step for fresh, clear skin. CREAM!  The first time I ever used this exfoliate, it blew my mind.  I was expecting a paste-like texture, and was sort-of confused at first over the super creamy feeling.  I was skeptical that it wasn’t really going to do anything but I after about a week or two of using them I noticed that my skin looked amazingly smooth and brighter.  You can pick this baby up at Sephora.

BODY

The skin on my arm, legs, and mid-section is prone to pores that get clogged and ingrown hairs.  It is honestly just a pain in the you-know-what.  Keeping the skin on my body exfoliated is really important to me.  The Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub is one of my favorites because it is super inexpensive (under $7 at NEX) and it actually moisturizes while it exfoliates.  You can easily find this in several scents at Ulta.

FEET

Exfoliating your feet is an affordable way to keep the dead skin off your keeps.  I do enjoy going and getting pedicures ever so often, but in between visits I like to paint my own toes and exfoliate my feet myself.  It stretches the professional-looking pedicure even further.  The Tree Hut Exfoliating Food Scrub in Peppermint & Sugar is the best foot scrub I have ever used.  I love the minty cooling feeling and it does a great job at keeping the skin on my heels looking nice and fresh.  You can pick this up from Walmart.

SCALP

You may be questioning an exfoliate for the scalp, but listen to me.  IT. IS. LIFE. CHANGING.  I have been using the Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt for a little over 2 years now.  The house I moved into 2 years ago is on well water, and as a direct result of that I have been getting a lot of buildup at the roots of my hair.

This purifying, moisturizing, and soothing scrub is the ideal detox treatment to remove product buildup and rebalance sensitive or oily scalps. It can also be used as a post-coloring treatment to relieve itchiness and remove chemical residues left on the scalp. Its original formula contains sea salt—a natural exfoliant—which eliminates impurities and supports natural blood circulation. The paste is enriched with a 100 percent plant-derived agent, which offers deep and long-lasting hydration to the scalp even after rinsing, leaving it soothed, rebalanced, and healthy.  You can pick this up at Sephora!

If you have used any of these exfoliates or try it out because you read this, please let me know in the comments!

My Newest Addiction at times reviews products provided by PR companies. This is disclosed at the top of those posts. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Sponsored post by Mirum Shopper.

Brushes are my favorite.  I have about a million brushes and I think that is because I love watching beauty videos and when I see my favorite makeup artists/YouTubers using new and different brushes I usually decide that I have to have them.  It is no surprise that I own the entire Real Techniques line twice over.

What I absolutely love about this line, aside from the fact that it was created by Sam & Nic from PixiWoo (aka my Beauty BFFs), is that they are synthetic and affordable.  Sam & Nic are practicing makeup artists as well as YouTubers, and they can teach anyone how to create beautiful looks with their line of makeup brushes and sponges—which are available at Walmart’s everyday low price.

The brushes are synthetic and SUPER soft.  You can tell they put a lot of thought into every single angle and bristle in each bristle to help you create the most flawless looks possible—which will make you a Beauty Boss in no time!  Every Real Techniques tool comes with tips and inspiration to help you achieve your favorite go-to looks or experiment with on-trend styles. And since Sam and Nic are your partners, you can always check out their fun YouTube videos if you want a little more inspiration. 

Let me take you through a few of my favorite sets and individual brushes!

Enahnced Eye Set 2.0

This set includes: Medium shadow brush, essential crease brush, fine liner brush, and shading brush.  These 4 brushes are all you need to create any eye look you could possibly want.  The medium shadow brush is wide and flat with tapered bristles to softly sweep and blend powder or cream shadows. The essential crease brush features a soft, tapered design for effortless shaping using powder or cream shadows. The fine liner brush is the ultimate tool for precision application of liquid or cream eyeliner. The shading brush is short and dense for max color pickup and even distribution.

 

Expert Face Brush

This densely packed brush of taklon bristles is heaven for anyone looking to buff their foundation in for a professional looking finish.  It features ultra-firm bristles that last for a long time. The broad dimensions of the foundation brush let you work quickly so you can get on to the next step. It’s ideal for both cream or liquid foundation or you can blend the two together.

Blush Brush

This brush is hand-cut to contour and define cheeks for flawlessly blended, high-definition results.  It is super soft and flexible, which is exactly what you want in a blush brush.  It is also an ideal brush for applying bronzer. Load the brush with a dark blush for a dramatic evening look or choose something lighter for a natural daytime style. It delivers high-definition results for a flawless look in natural or artificial light.

Miracle Complexion Sponge

I am obsessed with this sponge.  The flat edges contour around eyes and nose, while the sides blend large areas of the face. These Real Techniques beauty sponges give you high definition results that you can be confident about.

I am into creating looks that involve a super flawless base and a very relaxed, natural look in all other areas so the two pieces that I CAN NEVER be without are the Expert Face Brush and the Miracle Complexion Sponge.  No matter what, these two are in my makeup bag.  I need that sponge in my life for every day makeup looks (when I only have 5 minutes to pull myself together) and and I love the Expert Face Brush for when I want a more polished look.  No matter what, I have a perfected, FLAWLESS foundation finish and that is what my entire look is always all about.

The next time you’re in Walmart—remember to stop in the beauty aisle. Right now when you do, you’ll earn 15 kicks on Shopkick for scanning Real Techniques products and 150 for uploading your receipt when you purchase them.   It is really easy. just download the Shopkick app iTunes or Google Play.

My Newest Addiction at times reviews products provided by PR companies. This is disclosed at the top of those posts. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Press Sample. Affiliate Links.

OBSESSED!  That is the only word I have for the MAC Viva Glam Taraji P. Hensen.

Taraji P. Henson’s VIVA GLAM Lipstick. Her matte fuchsia with pearl shade of our iconic M∙A∙C Lipstick formula. Flaunt your confidence and panache. Wear it alone or under Lipglass / VIVA GLAM Taraji P. Henson. Since 1994, every cent from the selling price of M·A·C VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass has gone toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition packaging features Taraji’s signature.

Taraji P. Henson’s VIVA GLAM Lipstick in a matte fuchsia with pearl shade.
I am seriously loving the color.  It is perfectly bold but also super wearable.  It feels comfortable on the lips and appeals to the part of me that loves matte lipstick but the slight pearl finish makes your lips look superbly luscious.  The lipstick CLAIMS to be matte, but it really is has more of a sheen due to the pearl.  In some lights the lipstick is more of a deep pink, while in others it has more of a red tone. I don’t own anything else like it and have been gravitating towards it when I am going for a bold lip.

Taraji P. Henson’s VIVA GLAM Lipglass in a shimmery fuchsia shade.
You either love or hate MAC Lipglass, and I for one have always been a fan.  This shade is the perfect compliment to the lipstick of a matching name.  I love that it has good color payoff on it’s own, so there is no real need to put it over a lipstick.  You gotta love a good stand-alone gloss.

Get yourself to your local MAC store now to see this beauty in person.  Pictures don’t do it justice.  You can also check it out at MACCOSMETICS.COM!

My Newest Addiction at times reviews products provided by PR companies. This is disclosed at the top of those posts. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Know Cosmetics. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring is right around the corner and one trend that comes up year after year is bold lips.  One of the things that makes people shy away from bold lips is the upkeep that goes along with them.  Without taking measures to make your bold lips long-lasting, they can fade unevenly, smear, kiss off onto others, and a ton of other issues.  I have found an easy, fool-proof method to make sure your lip color lasts as long as possible and it is something you NEED TO KNOW. “No, My Lips Are Sealed” Lipstick Topcoat is a transparent gel that helps your lipstick last longer with less fading & smudging, and ensures that fewer embarrassing stains are left behind!  It is fascinating that this transparent gel goes on and once it sets your lips don’t move.  Want to hear the steps on how to apply this? {ONE} Apply your lipstick. {TWO} Apply “No, My Lips Are Sealed”. That is it.  After a couple minutes, your lips will be completely perfect.  A surefire test to make sure the topcoat has set is to kiss the back of your hand.  If there is no residue then you are all set. I have never felt more confident wearing bold lips than with the amazing “No, My Lips Are Sealed” topcoat.  I don’t have to worry about the smudging, smearing. fading, and leaving stains behind that usually comes along with bold lips.  The best part is that I can make it work for ALL of my favorite lip colors.  That makes it invaluable in my book. Do yourself a favor.  Pick up this lipstick topcoat from Know Cosmetics (sold at Sephora) and don’t look back!  You can thank me later.  

My Newest Addiction at times reviews products provided by PR companies. This is disclosed at the top of those posts. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.