Hey Friends,

Today is all about pampering yourself! It’s Friday and after the long week, you deserve it. Below I have featured a video for you to show you what I do to treat myself (& my skin) before I take on the weekend. I’ll also link the products below in case you want to have the same skincare routine. So kick back, put on some Netflix, grab a glass of wine, and enjoy a half hour soothing bliss.

(*The mask takes 20/30 minutes to fully harden so you can remove easily. After that, the rest of the process takes less than 5 minutes. Just make sure you wash your face before this whole process.)

Products:

Glam Glow #Glittermask (This is expensive BUT it’s such an amazing face mask and soooooo cute! I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something amazing and don’t mind spending the money.)
Micellar Water (I linked the one I used in the video which is from Dollar General and it’s identical to the Garnier one. If you want to save a couple bucks, try this one.)
Cotton Pads (I like these square ones so much more than any other kind I’ve used. You only need to use two of them versus ten with the cotton balls.)
Cetaphil Moisturizing Face and Body Lotion (I just started using this and I love it. It’s so light and very moisturizing, definitely check it out. I found a smaller bottle in Dollar General and it was priced well.)

Well that’s it, pretty simple and so worth it. You won’t regret taking a couple minutes out of your day to pamper yourself and enjoy a much needed relaxation time. Enjoy!

March 22, 2019March 22, 2019Leave a comment

Welcome back friends,

I’m so excited to share with you all that in just one week I’ll be at the Happiest Place on Earth, Walt Disney World! It’s truly one of my favorite places to be and I can’t wait to be back. I thought while I was packing it would be fun to share with your guys my must haves that I pack for park days. Below I have listed and linked the items I never leave behind when I go to any amusement park. Here they are:

iPhone Fan
Portable Phone Charger (This is not the same one that I own, but I thought this was incredibly cute and on sale for a great price.)
Face Sunblock (Amazing sunblock, especially underneath your makeup. Highly recommend this for anyone in need of a skin protector.)
Sunblock & After Sun Lotion (If you noticed in my picture featured above, I have a travel sized bottle of each of these but couldn’t find a link to them online. Instead I featured the full bottles products. What I like to do is if they don’t have a travel sized product that is a favorite of mine, I purchase those travel sized TSA approved bottles and fill those up with the desired product.)
Friction Defense (No shame, I gotta protect these thicker thighs of mine and use this stick to avoid getting blisters. If you like wearing shorts in warm weather but have problems with your thighs rubbing, try out this stick. It’s a life saver and keeps you pain free during your vacay!)
Instax Mini 70 & Film
Umbrella (I own a Vera Bradley one and have had it for 7 years now. It’s a great umbrella and still in quality shape. I linked an umbrella by Vera Bradley, just with a different pattern since mine is discontinued.)
Hand Sanitizer
LED Compact Mirror
Lip Balm
Sunglasses Case (I used to always end up with broken sunglasses at the end of vacations but no more with a sunglasses case. The one I have featured about is a Disney one but I linked a super cute one from Quay Australia that I think you guys will love.)
Sunglasses (I didn’t link mine featured above because they are from last year but I purchased them from Charming Charlie’s.)
Travel sized perfume (I linked the one featured in my photo above.)
Tums Travel Size (Just in case you get a stomach ache, these are amazing to take care of you so you can enjoy your vacation. Usually when I drink a sugary alcoholic drink, my stomach starts to hurt a little, so I just pop one of these in and they make me instantly feel better.)

I usually try to only keep the essentials in my bag only because my back starts to hurt if I carry too much around. Hope this post helps you all out in your future trips. I plan on doing more “What’s in my Bag?” soon, so make sure you stay tuned!

March 19, 2019March 20, 2019Leave a comment

Go-To Tuesday

Do you ever just have one of those days when you get home from work, school, or just a long exhausting day and want to chill and watch something on Netflix? Then you open up the app just to see millions of different options of what you can watch. Well I’m here to help you with what to choose next. I don’t know about you, but I’m all about watching shows that are funny and put me in a good mood, especially if it’s before I go to bed. I don’t like to watch anything too dark or serious, just lighthearted and fun. Which is why “The Office” has been my go-to show to stream for a couple years now. I can’t suggest this show enough to people. Those you that have already watched the show and are fans will attest to this, it’s AMAZING! Such a great show with stupid humor that you can’t help but laugh at. The best part about this show is that I’ve watched all of the episodes multiple times and still laugh at new things I never caught before that. My one piece of advice I give to all the people I suggest the show to is to make sure you give season 1 a chance. It’s rough starting and if it doesn’t seem interesting enough for you, then just skip to Season 2, Episode 1 (trust me, that’s when it gets good). So make sure you check out “The Office” and don’t be intimidated by the many seasons, once you get started you’re gonna wish there was more!

March 15, 2019March 15, 2019Leave a comment

Hello Friends,

Top of the mornin’ to ya and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today’s blog post is something a little festive for this lucky holiday. So if you’re going to the parade, bar hopping, or celebrating with family this look is super cute, easy, and festive for any occasion. So let’s get to it:

When it comes to an eye look with brighter colors, I always like to start with my eyeshadow first. I included the video below to see how I applied the eye makeup exactly. Underneath the video I will have a breakdown with pictures and how to achieve this look from beginning to end.

To start off the look, I always prime my eyes with Urban Decay Primer Potion to help keep the shadow stay intact.
Then I went in with the color Anaheim from the Gwen Stefani Urban Decay palette that I’ve owned for a few years now. The color is comparable to a desert taupe. I applied this color to the crease of my lid. I used a blending brush to help apply the shadow into my crease with a curved sliding motion going side to side.
The second color I went in with, the main event, was the bright Kelly Green called fins (from a mermaid palette I’ve also owned for years). This color was the perfect shamrock green that I was looking for (below I’ll attached some palettes that are newer that have comparable colors for this makeup look). I went in with an Eyeshadow brush and dabbed the Kelly Green onto my inner lip to the middle of my eyelid.
Next, I used a black eyeshadow with gold flecks throughout it, called Cinders, for my outer corner. I used another eyeshadow brush to dab this black eyeshadow delicately onto my lid. You must be very gentle with how much product you place onto your brush because a little bit of black always goes a long way. You also need to make sure you blend blend and blend.
After you apply that black eyeshadow, it’s best to go back with the first color we applied (Desert Taupe) and just go over the crease again. This will help blend the black, green, and desert taupe all together.
My last step to my eyeshadow look is the brow bone highlight. I went in with a light shimmer cream color, like Seashell shown below.
Once I finished my eyeshadow color, I grabbed my Green eyeliner (the same green eyeshadow can be used under the eyes if you don’t own liner) and smudged it on my bottom lash line. After that I went in with my NYX Makeup Wonder Pencil on my lower waterline.
Moving onto my top lash line, I grabbed my favorite liner which is the Maybelline Line Stiletto Eyeliner. I created a cat eyed liner for this look.
Moving onto my favorite part, the fake eyelashes by Kiss. I apply these with Ardell Lash Adhesive which has made my process of putting them on so much easier!
Once my eyelook has been accomplished, I follow my basic makeup routine I’ve featured before (Click the hyperlink to be taken to that page). My only difference is I finish it off with Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Color in the color Ruler.

And that’s it! Here’s the finished look:

Below, I’ve attached makeup palettes that are available for purchase with the same colors used to achieve this look:

BEST PALETTE TO ACHIEVE THIS WHOLE LOOK!:

Tartiest Pro Remix Palette (Wall Art, Color Explosion, Best Drop, Flow)

Others:

Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette (Emerald)

Morphe x Jaclyn Hill The Vault Armed & Gorgeous Eyeshadow Palette

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, the best of luck, and find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019Leave a comment

Hey friends,

Welcome back to my blog! Today, I wanted to share some of my newer purchases from Target. I explored the sale section and the Wild Fable clothing line section and found some amazing deals. First of all, the Wild Fable collection is a relatively newer clothing line within the Target Style Department. I like to think of it as the Forever 21 of Target’s Women/Juniors/Plus clothing department. Why is that great? I like it because you can buy trendy pieces cheaper and not have to worry about not wearing it in a year cause you only spent $20 on it. I also like it because you can get a lot for a little, who can argue with that? Not me! So below, check out some of the pieces I purchased and I’ll link them (if available online) or I’ll share the price that I purchased it for in the store. Here we go:

Wild Fable Red Spaghetti Strap Dress: Original price $18.00, Sale price that I received $5.40. Unfortunately it is no longer available online but I did see multiple at different target store locations in my area so definitely take a look in stores if you’re interested.

Wild Fable Cropped Denim Jacket: Original price $30.00, Sale price that I received $9.00. Unfortunately this one is also no longer available online but one of my best friends just purchased it recently so definitely take a look in stores if you’re interested.

Wild Fable Off the Shoulder Long Sleeve & Wild Fable High Rise Skinny Jeans : Both of these are still available online and I linked them above. Just click the hyperlink to the product you wish to see. Both great prices and I absolutely LOVE these jeans. Super comfy, stretchy, and I love where they high rise hits my body.

Wild Fable Smocked Off the Shoulder Purple Floral Top: Original Price $20.00, Sale Price that I purchased it for $5.40. Again, this one is also no longer available online, which is a shame because it’s gorgeous on! BUT again, check out your local targets and search their sale racks in your size. You may get lucky and find this great piece.

Wild Fable Black Denim Mini Skirt: This is not the same exact skirt that I have on but this is a great price so I figured I’d include it in the haul.

Wild Fable Square Neck White Long Sleeved Tee & Wild Fable Faux Suede Button Front Skirt : This is my favorite outfit I’ve purchased from them so far. This tee is super comfy, cropped slightly but fits like a glove. The skirt has an elastic band on the back which makes it super easy to put on. No worries about squeezing into a zipped up skirt here. Can I get an Amen? Haha

Well friends, that’s it for my Target’s Wild Fable haul. I hope you all enjoyed this and let me know if you’d like to see more posts like this.

March 8, 2019March 8, 2019Leave a comment

Hey all,

I have some great products to share with you on this wonderful Friday! I don’t know about you, but I always find myself with 20 tabs open on my internet browser with things I want but don’t need. I think we all have those impulse buy days where we just decide to treat ourselves (I know I do haha). With that being said, I figured I could make a blog post out of it and share with you all my Five Fabulous Finds for this week. So without future ado, here they are:

1.) Meltdown– Currently, my skin has been crappy, so when I came across this product I was instantly intrigued. I think out of this list of my finds this week this is the most essential to me. Not so much of an “I want” product but more like a “I want and kind of need too” type.

2.) Pink Letter Board– Recently, these cute and fun looking boards are all the rage. People use them as decorations for their house, bedroom, events, parties, etc. I think this is so adorable, plus it’s pink, which is my favorite. This is so cute to add to your decor to spice it up a bit, plus it’s customizable! Also guys, it’s super affordable, win-win in my book.

3.) Tarte’s High Tides and Good Vibes Palette– I’m a big tarte lover, if you couldn’t tell by my basic makeup routine. I love their products and this palette is no different. I think this new addition is gorgeous and the pigment from the glitter shadows looks insane! This palette is going to be great for summer with all these vivid colors. Definitely worth a look!

4.) Bath Tub/Bed Tray– So I came across this Instagram blogger from Germany a week ago and she had the cutest picture at the top of her feed. It was her in the bath tub with a tray sitting on top with some of her favorite things. I was intrigued and got stuck scrolling through amazon for a similar tray. Unfortunately, my bath tub can’t support these types of tray (so dream ruined haha) but maybe my future home will have a better bathtub (fingers crossed). With that being said, I came across this tray and thought it would be amazing for me currently because not only is it a bath tub tray but you can also use it on your bed, couch, automan, bench, etc. I thought that was so cool and had to include it on this list.

5.) F87 Edge Kabuki– I know what a lot of you are thinking, what the heck is that? Well for starters, it’s a makeup brush. What else does it do? It applies foundation, concealer, and powder to hard to reach creases. Why do I have it on this list? Great question! I follow two beauty bloggers on Instagram (@exteriorglam & @annalovesyou) and they both highly suggest this brush for “baking” their concealer. I’ve watched them apply their powder with this brush by dabbing it into the powder then dabbing across the undereyes, forehead, and jawline (under contour). Needless to say, they made the process look seamless and it’s been sitting in my browser purgatory ever since.

And that’s it for this week’s edition of Katey’s Five Fabulous Finds on Friday! Let me know in the comments below if you own any of these products, plan to buy any of these, and/or how you feel about them. Thanks for reading all!

February 22, 2019March 10, 2019Leave a comment

Day to Night Looks- Neutrals Edition

Welcome back y’all,

I recently got some new clothing that I thought, “hmm.. how could I use these all in a future blog post?” Then it hit me, Day to Night Looks! Who doesn’t love an outfit that can simply be used from your early coffee meet up with your besties to date night with your man? I know I do! 💁🏻‍♀️ Scroll below for some ideas to how to turn your look from daytime chic to hot night out.

1.) Going shopping (left) to Drinks with the gals (right):

My first look on the left is a comfortable black jegging, cropped puff sleeved patterned top, sherpa jacket, and combat boots. Let’s start with the jeggings, seriously, these are the best! If you are in need of skinny legged dress pants that are plus size, these pants are your new best friend! My sister and I both own a pair and literally wear them all the time. Next, the sherpa jacket is actually on sale right now from Shein (check out this blog about my experience with SHEIN if you’re curious from ordering from there, https://iridescentlykatey.com/2019/02/17/157). This sherpa is actually super warm and cozy, although it is lined inside. I don’t mind it but I figured I’d mention that since you can’t tell from the picture. I love this jacket and thought it was a great purchase from SHEIN. Now to focus on how I changed it to make it day to night:

1.) Shoe change! I went from a simple combat boot to a sparkly heeled bootie. A plain heeled bootie would do the trick too, I’m just all about the bling.

2.) Changing my purse is always a big thing for me for a few reasons. During the day I always need my bigger bag for the essential but when I go out with my gals I hate lugging around a big bag. I switched over from a cute handbag from Vera Bradley to my go-to black cross body from Kate Spade. The purses are both older and neither company makes the exact same purse anymore BUT I did find a cute Kate Spade (I linked it below) that looks pretty similar and works great for a night out. I also linked below a cute tan bag for the day look that will complete a similar look.

3.) Change up your jewelry from simple to sexy. I started with a simple pair Sabika drop studs and changed into silver hoops and a simple black choker.

4.) Simple little hair change from day to night is up to down. I always look at pictures of myself and hate that my hair looks so flat by the end of the night. Starting with your hair up in a ponytail then taking it down and shaking it out before you leave to go out will give your hair the extra volume you were searching for.

Pieces for both looks (Article of clothing is hyperlinked to place where you can purchase exact piece or similar piece):

Day look:

Purse: Not the same bag because I bought mine at the Vera Bradley outlet and it’s discontinued BUT this is adorable and a great price if you want to shop the look for less.

Night look:

Purse: Not exactly the same but close to my current style.

Booties: I bought these booties 3 years ago from Kohl’s and couldn’t find any alike online BUT Kohl’s does have a super cute collection of booties right now and a lot on sale. Check out this link below for a cute pair that would totally work with this outfit.

Hoop Earrings

Choker: I only typically wear the plain and lacy chokers so the ones linked are mainly for the plain but whatever style you prefer would work with this look.

2.) Saturday Morning Brunch (left) to Saturday Date Night (right):

I gotta say, I really love brunch (especially cranberry juice mimosas 🙌🏼)! But ya know what I love more? This set I bought from Shein! It’s super cute, comfy, and I love the sleeves. They are a bell sleeve and in my opinion, they create such a great shape for anyone that’s wearing them. What I love even more about this outfit was it was super simple to change it from day to night and changed from sweet to sexy in just a few steps.

1.) Started the first look with a pair of tights for a sweet and simple look. Then I decided to take the tights off to be able to create a sexier vibe and show a little leg.

2.) Once I removed the tights from the first look, I ditched the combat boots and traded them in for my absolute favorite pair of boots I own. MY THIGH HIGH BOOTS! I ADORE my thigh high boots because not only do they keep my legs warm during the bitter PA winters but they also give my outfits a sexy look, make my legs look longer, and I got them for a great price.

3.) To accessorize this look I stared with these gold statement studs and exchanged them for silver hoops and a statement necklace. I also have this adorable heart shaped purse that is Disney themed with “Fairest of them all” embroidered on it that I paired with this outfit. It actually works great for both day and night and I love the pop of red it gives to this outfit. I definitely would pair a red lip with the night look if that’s your style.

Pieces for both looks:

Two Piece Set: This is an amazing price right now. Don’t miss out of this outfit!

Purse: This is not the same purse since that was a limited edition but I did link a cute and cheap Red Cross body that would pair well with this outfit.

Day look:

Black tights

Combat Boots

Black Cateye Sunglasses

Night look:

Thigh High Heeled Boots

Hoop Earrings

Statement Necklace: It’s not the same one that I’m wearing but I found this from target and it would look great on the black turtleneck.

3. Coffee with company to Dinner with Friends

This outfit change was the easiest of the three. How so? Just a swap of the jacket, shoes, and purse helped create a perfect day to night look. This time of year for us we are constantly battling with temperatures. At noon, we have a 50 degree day and by 5 we’re down to the low 30s. That’s a big difference when it comes to outfit planning. I never want to throw on a big jacket during the day but almost always need one by the time the sun is down. This outfit is the perfect fix to that solution. I paired a simple embellished sweater with a button up the front black skirt with two different jackets that can cover the different temperatures. So what’s the difference?

1.) The most obvious change is the two jackets that I mentioned above. Our day look includes an adorable cropped jean jacket. The simple switch would be to switch it out with a dressier jacket that can add a little flair to your outfit. What I love about this jacket I have is that it can make most outfits look dressier than they look by themselves.

2.) The shoe change that we have seen for the last couple looks. Started with a simple combat boot (can you tell they’re a favorite of mine?) and changed into a platform open toe heel that give you a casual dressy feel.

3.) Lastly, the good ole purse exchange. Like I mentioned earlier, I have a love/hate relationship with bigger purses. As much as I love them, they are not my favorite choice to carry when I’m out for the night.

Pieces for both looks:

Skirt

Sweater: Obviously this is not the same sweater but I thought it was closest to what I’m wearing in the photo. My sweater is a forever 21 design that I got for Christmas 3 years ago. I actually did see it on posh mark being resold by someone if it’s something you’re really interested in.

Day look:

Cropped Jean Jacket: Another amazing piece for an even more amazing price. I actually got mine even cheaper than this in the actual store. My fellow bigger busted ladies, this is the Jean jacket of your dreams! Why? When I buy a jean jacket, I have to find one that fits my chest. Therefore, the bottom of it is wider and makes me look bigger than I already am. This jean jacket leaves me the ability to still have a waist, which is a winner for me.

Combat Boots

Tan Purse: Not the same bag because I bought mine at the Vera Bradley outlet and it’s discontinued BUT this is adorable and a great price if you want to shop the look for less.

Sunglasses

Night looks:

Faux Fur Jacket: Not the same one but adorable and a great price.

Heels: These Anne Klein heels are the real deal y’all. You won’t believe how comfy they are! I gotta say I was a little hesitant to buy them cause they were a little pricier but I’m so glad I invested in them. They are worth the price because they are super cute and comfy (which is feel is a rarity in shoes.

Purse: Not exactly the same but close to my current style.

Well that’s it for this edition of Day to Night looks, hope you all enjoyed and would love to know what you’d like to see next. Comment below what you’d like to see me blog about.

February 19, 20191 Comment

Go-To Tuesday

During the winter months my lips are always chapped, anyone else? I think a lot of us have either chapsticks or lip balms that we wear out in the first couple weeks of the cold weather. Does yours do the job? Well if yours isn’t cutting it or you’re in desperate need of some lip care, try out Jack Black’s Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint. I order mine from amazon because it comes with prime (which is a major plus for me) AND it’s ONLY $8! What more can a girl ask for? A lip balm that locks in moisture, smells great, AND doesn’t break the bank! This one is definitely a no brainer. When my lips are sore from dryness and the bitter cold I usually slide on this lip balm during the day or before I go to sleep. In the morning, my lips still have the product on them making my lips super soft and silky. If this is a problem you have and a result you’re looking for Jack Black’s Intense Therapy Lip Balm is the way to go!

February 17, 20191 Comment

Hey everybody,

For starters, raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by a cheap clothing store website? 🙋🏻‍ I think a lot of us have at least once. You search online for a piece of clothing that you’ve been seeing on Instagram that looks super cute. You find the exact piece you’re looking for and it’s out of your price range. The link next to it has a similar piece and it’s $20, maybe even less. You decide to take a chance on the product and after waiting 2 months to get the package it ends up being a toddler sized tank top versus the XL that you ordered. Well I gotta say, I thought that was going to be the predicament with SHEIN.

What is SHEIN? It is a new (at least, new to me) trendy website that features adorable and trendy clothing for affordable prices. What’s the catch? You’re ordering from China. So let me first tell you that I’ve ordered from them on three separate occasions. My first purchase was a maxi dress. The second was pjs and a sweatshirt. My last and most recent purchase was a cropped sweater and skirt set, Sherpa blazer, and lightweight long sleeve thermal tee. When I purchased my first order with SHEIN, I was very skeptical which is why I only bought one thing. I found a good discount code, PLUS free shipping, so I figured it was worth a try. As I searched the website, I noticed that they had some outfits on models and others that were on hangers or laid on the ground. I checked out the reviews to the outfits that were NOT featured on models and the recent customers were posting photos of how the product looked on them. Majority of the articles of clothings that were presented on hangers and such were not very appealing on any of the recent customer’s review photos. Of course, that’s my opinion, and I encourage you to make your own opinions. I prefer to just send a word of caution that those products aren’t always what they seem. Here’s why…

As I said in the last paragraph, I placed my first order for a maxi dress. This dress was advertised on their website on a beautiful plus sized model and I found a great discount code that I couldn’t pass up. I received the package about 8 days after ordering it and I was pleasantly surprised. I have to be honest, I didn’t have high expectations but I loved the dress. It fit well, the quality was a lot better than I anticipated, and I loved the way it looked on my body. I’m not going to say the quality was top notch but I will say that I was very pleased with the product I got for the price I paid. The dress washed well and it was perfect for an 80 degree day in Las Vegas (which is where I wore it). The next order I placed was 4 months later and the experience was not up to par with my first order. I ordered two items that were both displayed on the ground/hanger and I should have known better to order them BUT we all make mistakes. My order came in about two weeks later because it was the holiday season, therefore many stores were backed up. With that being said, I didn’t hold that against them. Many of us are very understanding to that since it is the season of giving and lots of shopping happens at the end of the year. When I opened my package the clothing I had purchased it seemed to be adequate until I tried them on. The first piece was a pair of red velour pjs that I thought would look adorable for Christmas morning. Although, I did like the pjs a lot, they were not exactly what I was expecting for Christmas morning with my family. It was a crop top and booty shorts, which I was aware that could potentially be the issue. I took that risk and I own it. Alas, I still like the pjs a lot. So what’s the issue you may ask? Well the next piece I bought was supposed to be an oversized red sweatshirt with gold and silver sequins on the arms. I wanted this sweatshirt for Christmas to possible add a cute screen printed holiday themed quote on it. That didn’t get to happen though. The shirt was labeled as a women’s XL but it ended up being equivalent to a Girls 16. I should have known better but again, I took the risk. My last package I ordered came with a few more products, all that I made sure were all featured on human models this time. Each piece I ordered were beautiful pieces and I was very happy with my purchases again.

With all of that being said, out of six pieces I’ve ordered, only one of those pieces was truly unwearable. The others were all affordable, trendy, and lovely pieces. I definitely suggest ordering from SHEIN if you want to purchase trendy items and/or want to buy a lot of clothing for good price. I think it’s definitely worth it for you to browse their site and try it out.

Let’s Review:

1.) Check out SHEIN.com

2.) Only consider buying clothing that is being worn on human models and/or another customers is wearing the clothing in the review for that product.

3.) Remember you’re ordering from China so the shipping takes a little longer (7-12 is what they advertise).

4.) The quality isn’t exactly top notch but still a decent quality.

5.) Before finishing your checkout process, Google “SHEIN coupon codes.” I promise you’ll be able to find codes on sites like retailmenot.com for at least 15% off.

5.) Definitely try it out!

Well I hope my experience and tips helped to persuade you into exploring SHEIN’s website and try it out for yourself. Let know below if you ordered from them and what your experience was.