A Few Of My Favorite Things || April + A Giveaway

Ah… April has been a lovely month. Many days were warm and sunny and just made me excited for spring and summer! Who is ready for more favorites? Oh, and before I forget, I purchased a new something special that I hope to talk about in next month's installment of A Few Of My Favorite Things so sty tuned!

1. Okay! I just had to try the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer! I had such a good experience with their Baby Lips lip balms (did I mention that I bought another one?) that I had a pretty good feeling that this pore eraser/primer would be amazing. For a while, I had been on the hunt for a product that would blur my pores and give me a more even looking face. I'm telling you, the first time I applied the product, I was astonished at how well it worked! Now, it didn't completely erase my pores, but I noticed that they were indeed visibly blurred and that I had an almost airbrushed look. Something else I noticed about this product was its velvety feel and finish on my skin, just like baby skin! This product does not have color so it isn't for concealing but it work very well on pores!

2. My second favorite item this month was the e.l.f Zit Zapper. Both Liza and Elina shared how well it worked so I thought I'd give it a try. Plus, it was only a dollar at Target! #TargetDoesItAgain! This roll-on product worked well for me. Over a period of a few days I noticed that it helped to reduce redness and swelling caused by my *wonderfully* acne-prone skin. It smells minty, like menthol and that is due to the Salicylic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, Witch Hazel and Camphor in it. It's now definitely a staple in my skin care routine!

3. If you read my last A Few Of My Favorite Things post, you know I'm a lip balm lover! I can now proudly say that since my last post, I have nearly finished two lip products, and one of which was my EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit. I first got "into" the evolution of smooth (EOS) when my mom purchased an EOS lip balm several years ago. She had a couple of them in our stock pile so I asked for one. I've used this lip balm almost daily and I can say that it definitely moisturizes. I've also noticed that this lip balm is long lasting which I think could be attributed to the thickness of the product. I even bought three more! I got the Strawberry Sorbet, the limited edition Passion Fruit and the Blueberry Acai. 

4. I don't always have time sign on to blogger to check my favorite blogs (can you tell?) and read the latest posts, so I decided to download the Bloglovin' app. Now, if you know me, then you know how picky I am when it comes to having apps on my phone! I don't like to take up my phone's memory if I don't need whatever's on there and that includes pictures, notes, and apps! Basically, if there's an app on my phone, then you know I like it! I like that I can easily see when a favorite blog has a new post and I like that I can "heart" posts. The cool part is that the "hearts" are saved so I can look back to any post I want to re-read or reference.

I hope you enjoyed this month's installment of A Few Of My Favorite Things! For this month's giveaway, one lady willwin an EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit! All you have to do to enter is tell me what are some of your favorite apps? If you don't have apps, then share some of your favorite things (movies, music, products, etc.) (Giveaway open until 4/2. Must live in the USA)

(Disclaimer: The items in this post were not selected or mentioned for review)

A Few Of My Favorite Things || March + A Giveaway

Can you believe that the month of March is nearly over? It feels like just a short while ago I posted my February favorites and it's already time for another post! Did you enjoy last month's post? Did you try anything from that post? I'd love to hear you thoughts :)

1. Like I told a friend of mine, I am guilty of opening new lip products (balms, tints, etc) without finishing the ones I've already started. As a result, I now have 6 or 7 lip products open that I'm rotating and/or combining in an effort to finish them off! This month, I've used my CoverGirl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm in #235 Tru Luv. Can I just point out how ca-ute the packaging is?!? No, but seriously, I really enjoyed this lipslick :) I usually get nude to lightly tinted lip balms and this particular color was a winner for me. It's sheer but has a slight pink-ish hint which I personally love. It's also glossy but not oily looking. I've worn this lipslick almost everyday this month (and have reapplied!) and something I've come to love is the smell! #IsThatWeird? It smells fruity! I'm actually wearing this as I write this post :) 

2. This month, I've also focused on taking better care of my skin. I've washed my face everyday, several times a day and after each wash, I now apply my Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner. Initially, I was worried that a new product, though it was all-natural, would irritate my already sensitive, acne-prone face. I was pleasantly surprised that that wasn't the case! I feel like this toner hydrates my skin while leaving it feeling fresh and truly brightened!

3. During a recent trip to Costco, we picked up a variety box of Special K Cracker Chips. The box came with three different flavors - Sea Salt, Sour Cream & Onion and Southwest Ranch- but my personal favorite was Sour Cream & Onion. I like a snack ever so often, but since the New Year, I am trying to limit my snacks and make all around smarter choices. These chips are under 100 calories (not that I'm counting!) and taste great! 

4. I've been a fan of TOMS shoes for a long time! I liked the popular canvas slip-ons, but recently, I looked at the other styles and I am loving their Correa Sandals. I haven't ordered a pair yet, but I love the effortless style of these sandals. They're dressy and casual at the same time! My favorite fun prints would be the Navy Geometric or the Multi Geometric. They remind me of spring and boy, oh boy, am I ready for spring!

5. Last month I talked about the VSCOcam app but this month, a new fave is the Afterlight app. It's $0.99 but to me, its totally worth it! I started using my Afterlight app more frequently because for some strange reason, my VSCOcam wasn't working. Every cloud has a silver lining, huh! There are a ton of filters that are just gorgeous! Another cool thing about this app is the shape overlay tool. You can overlay your pictures with regular shapes (circles, triangles, hexagons) but also with letters! My favorite is obviously "K" :)

I hope you enjoyed this month's installment of A Few Of My Favorite Things! For this month's giveaway, one lady will win either a Cover Girl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm in #235 Tru Luv OR Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner! She gets to choose! All you have to do to enter is tell me what skin products you love? What keeps your face looking lovely and clear? (Giveaway open until 3/28. Must live in the USA)

(Disclaimer: The items in this post were not selected or mentioned for review)

A Few Of My Favorite Things || February + A Giveaway

I thought that it'd be a fun idea to start a monthly roundup of things I'm loving lately, as an add on to my A Few Of MY Favorite Things series. Some of the things I share will be beauty products while others will be books, a favorite article/blog/blog post, or some piece of clothing I'm swooning over at present. Basically, I want to share what I'm loving in monthly increments.

1. MY CAMERA! This purchase has been years in the making and it was so worth the wait! What do I love about my camera? Everything!!! It's a Canon T3i and it's been in my hand every minute since I got it in the mail… Well, not EVERY minute, but you know what I mean… like almost every minute :)

2. I don't know if you've tried these Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms, but they are wonderful! I love it in Peach Kiss! This particular color is not too pigmented so that it looks chalky or orangey (because of the shade) but not too sheer where it looks like you have nothing on. In my opinion, it's the perfect lip balm nude shade with just the right amount of gloss.

3. I received this Vera Bradley All-In-One Wristlet from Liza in a mail swap we hosted a few months ago. I love it so much and I can prove it: I take it with me everywhere! I love everything Vera Bradley but this wristlet is a favorite because it's so super functional for me! I can fit my ID in the window on the front, my debit card, library card, metro card in the slots on the side, loose change in the zipper pocket and small miscellaneous doodads in the inner and back pockets. On most days, I don't leave home without it! Oh, and mine is in the pattern Cupcakes Green.

4. I love sharing photos on Instagram (@kianna_rose) but sometimes I like editing them a bit before posting them. I use a few different apps, but one of my new favorites is the VSCOcam app. They have amazing filters and you can easily edit their intensity too! The VSCO filters give my photos an ethereal look to them. I've been using this app to edit most of this month's IG photos.

Now onto something fun: I found some products this month that I really love and I want to give one of you ladies a chance to try the Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss! Yes, all you have to do is comment below and tell me what are some of your favorite products. (Giveaway open until 2/27. Must live in the USA)

Also, stay tuned for next months edition (which I promise will have many more favorites)… and you guessed it, another giveaway!

(Disclaimer: The items in this post were not selected or mentioned for review)

A Few of My Favorite Things ~ Apps

We all have favorites, right? We have a favorite pair of shoes. We have a favorite shirt. We even have a favorite pen! Life is made up of many favorite things that make us happy. What are some of yours?

Here is a list of my five favorite iPod/ iPhone apps:

You Version Bible:

I really love this Bible app. I can easily access my Bible plans, devotions and look up any passage in multiple translations. With a tap of my finger, I can add notes, bookmarks, and highlights of specific passages. Another bonus feature is this app's social network aspect. I can read notes from other You Version Bible users and follow those whose notes encourage me. 

Instagram:

People ask me quite often, "What is Instagram?" It's basically a social networking app that allows you to share photos, like photos and comment on photos. All you have to do is snap a picture, choose a filter to transform it's look and feel, then post it! Simple. 

Find me on Instagram : @kianna_rose

My favorite Instagramers :@ali_see_ya : @his_swordmaiden : @freshbyolivia : @imhaleyjane : @stellapangilinan  

Kindle:

I'm sure that by looking around my blog, it's evident that I like to read. The only problem with books is that I might not always have handy and at times, they are cumbersome to carry. The Kindle app is great for reading on the go. I have tons of page-turning substitute books, in case one day I forget the book I am currently reading. There are even free books to get your Kindle library started.

Etsy:

As an Etsy shop owner, I have to be on top of my shop. With the Esty app, I can check messages and reply to customers. I can also edit my shop info. If you don't have an Etsy shop, you can still benefit from this app's many features. You can "heart" shops and favorite items, kind of like Pinterest:)

Pandora Radio:

It's sometimes hard to find Christian music. You can type "Christian music" in a search engine and tons of other stuff can pop up. On Pandora I can type in a favorite artist and only similar songs/ artists show on my personalized "station." Thanks Ali for the recommendation!

I also like K-Love Radio. It's a Christian radio station that not only airs the best commercial-free line-up of contemporary Christian music, but also helps you keep focused on what really matters.

And if you were curious about my iPod wallpaper... it's a snapshot of the wallpaper in a Vera Bradley store.

What are your favorite apps? 

A Few of My Favorite Things ~ Books

We all have a favorite book. You know, the one you can read over and over again without growing tired of the plot. The one where the spine is cracking and the pages are wrinkled and yellowed after much use. I have a few of those books. (I am trying to preserve them and keep them as wrinkle-free as possible)

One of my  favorite book series so far is the Shiloh Legacy:

These books take place in the historical era of World War I. One of my favorite genres right now is historical fiction, so these were a pleasurable read. I really loved the first and third books:)

The Rose Trilogy is another series of books that I cherish and hope to preserve. I love the covers of these novels and the words within them are all extremely interesting and captivating. I have read a few Amish novels and can say that none of them measure up to Beverly Lewis' work! I hope to add more of her writings to my rapidly growing library.

These books here miscellaneous, meaning that they are not part of a series. None the less, I have greatly enjoyed reading them. Each plot is special in it's own way. The second book here is written in present day and the first and third books are historical fiction. 

Books are timeless. Yes, tablets and iPads have taken the place thousands of books, but I could never get used to "fake flipping" the pages on a tablet. I love the smell of a new (or  old) book. The way it feels in my hand, the way it slips into my purse, the way my bookmark rests in its pages... a tablet can never replace that feeling of my favorite books.

If you'd like to read my reviews on a few of my favorite books click here or select one that interests you.

*Shiloh Legacy

*The Mercy

*House of Secrets

*By The Light of The Silvery Moon

What are a few of your favorite books? I"d love to hear about them.