Thursday, June 30, 2011

June Favorites!

So these are our very favorite things from the month of June.  Check them out, then post a comment to let us know what you were craving this month!


Featured in June Favorites:

Sephora by OPI Nail Polish in Havana Dreams

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Style Shine Shock
Zoya 3-in-1 Remove Plus (Polish Remover, Nail Cleaner & Nail Prep)
Sephora Flashy Brown Waterproof Liner
Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer with SPF 25
L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duo in Magnetic
Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover - for Lids, Lashes & Lips
Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses (from Nordstrom Rack)
Bracelets - J Crew Coral slider bracelet (courtesy of Shelley) & five H&M elastic bracelets (courtesy of Shannon)...thank you girls...mwaaaaah!
Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pads

Thanks for watching!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

GUEST POST: Tropical Mind

We are back with another exciting Guest Post.  We are thrilled for you to meet our friend and fellow blogger, Erin.  So without further adieu...




Tropical Mind




Hey y'all!

This is Erin from Tropical Mind!  I am beyond excited to be here today guest posting on Her Late Night Cravings.  Jayme and Mendi are some of the coolest girls I've ever met and even though I have only known them a short while, I feel like I've known them forever.  They give some of the best beauty and fashion advice around!  We definitely share a love of nail polish and "stacks" of bracelets!

I'm very honored that they asked me to post here and I can't wait to share with you what I have in store for today.

Here are my 10 Under $10 Beauty Bargains.  These are products that I think are fantastic and I think you will like them too!  Each item will have links for you to view more information and purchase them as well.

In no particular order (since I think they are all awesome!):







I love this stuff! I have used it for years. I have long straight fine hair and this is excellent at providing heat protection. I spray it on and then use a wide tooth comb to detangle my hair. I blow dry and style and I'm good to go! And it smells nice too!





These are totally a must have if you have oily skin like I do.  I always have a packet of these in my purse at all times.  They take off all the oil and shine and leave your makeup alone.  And they also make your face feel clean again.  There are 50 sheets so they last a good while too.  I have used these for over 15 years!  They are definitely one of my most important cosmetic staples!






I really love John Frieda Shampoos and Conditioners.  I am naturally a brunette, but I have blonde peekaboo highlights.  This shampoo helps to keep my highlights bright and my hair volumized.  I always have a bottle of this in my shower!







This is the absolute best face soap for normal to oily skin.  Not only is it super inexpensive, but it's completely natural and chemical free.  I always purchase mine at a local beauty supply near my house and it's $2 a bar.  This company makes lots of nice soaps!  Normally I would never use a bar soap on my face, but this one is amazing and completely free of detergents and gross drying ingredients.  Check out the ingredients - 100% Vegetable Soap: African Black Soap Base, Coconut Oil and/or Palm Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Plantain Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Vegetable Glycerin, Mineral Pigment or Vegetable Color, Essential Oil Blend.  Just a note if you do decide to try this soap - It will discolor light or white colored washcloths.  If using a washcloth, use a dark colored one.





I could seriously sing the praises of this product all day long!  I will never do a manicure or pedicure without it.  This top coat gives you salon worthy shine.  It's self leveling which means that the chemicals in this product automatically smooth out giving your nails a perfect surface every time.  Seche Vite is worth every penny.  If you like doing your own nails, but are frustrating and don't like waiting for them to dry, then try this stuff.  Trust me you will be blown away! Yes it's that powerful!




I have really dry cuticles and this stuff does the trick.  I like that I can easily take it to go in my purse.  It soaks in fast and doesn't leave a greasy mess like lots of other cuticle products.  And it smells like lemons and that's a happy in my book!







This is hands down my most favorite mascara of all time.  It works so well especially if you already have long lashes.  It does take a little time getting used to using such a giant wand.  I mean it's coming at you for real!  I have found that tapping off the end of the mascara wand on a spare piece of tissue really helps out with application.  This mascara gives me the look of false lashes without the hassle.







This is a beauty secret that I recently learned about.  If you have never heard of Salux Wash Cloths allow me to share.  These wash cloths have been around for decades.  They are much larger than a regular square wash cloth. They are 35 inches long so that you can really scrub your back and hard to reach places.  They gently exfoliate and make your skin so soft.  They can be used everyday, they dry out quickly, are much more sanitary than using loofahs, they are machine washable and lather like crazy with just the tiniest bit of shower gel.  These can be purchased at asian markets and grocery stores as well as on Amazon and ebay.  There are lots of knockoffs so make sure the brand you buy is the original which is called Salux.







This is one of my most favorite lip balms.  It's awesome underneath lipstick and lipgloss.  It works well as on overnight treatment.  It's also perfect for the beach, pool or lake because it has SPF 15.  It's organic and has fantastic ingredients.  They make several different scents, but I really love the lemon.  It reminds me of lemon drop candy!  This stuff is really moisturizing and long lasting and I really also love the shape and the container.








This is my most favorite hair brush of all time.  After using a wide tooth comb, I blow my hair dry using only this brush.  It delivers mega volume and the boar bristles help to distribute the natural oils from your scalp to make your hair shiny and smooth.  Unfortunately I couldn't fine this brush anywhere online, but I bought mine at Target about 2 years ago.  It's also available in a medium size if you find this one too overwhelming.  If you have straight or slightly wavy hair that you straighten then this is the brush for you.

I would love to hear your thoughts if you have used any of these products and love them too.  =)

Thanks again to Jayme and Mendi for asking me to guest post today! It's been a blast!



We hope that you enjoyed Erin's post as much as we did.  Please head on over to Tropical Mind and check out all that her blog has to offer.  And don't forget to click "Follow" to show Erin some love!!


Jayme & Mendi



Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Jay Get's Schooled! MAC Style Sessions


When I watched this video back I'm not sure it conveyed my excitement.  Seriously, when I left this class I was on a high.  I feel like I learned a lot and had tons of FUN.  Who doesn't love playing in makeup and being around other like-minded people??  I will definitely sign up for another "Style Sessions" with MAC.

I just wanted to clarify the brush comment.  I feel like I was talking so fast.  Mendi and I don't have a complete set of brushes from any one brand.  We kind of pick and choose.  For example, I have some MAC brushes, a set from Lancome that I got as a free gift and some no name travel brushes that I really like. Some of Mendi's faves are the ELF brand & Sonia Kashuk from Target.  And we both love the Urban Decay brush that came in our Naked Palette.  The point is that you can find what you need at different places.  You don't have to go the MAC counter and buy 20 different brushes...unless you want to.  :-)

Products that came home with Mama:
False Lashes Mascara in Black
Eye Brow Pencil in Lingering (This has changed my life!  HAHA!)
Beauty Powder Blush in Alpha Girl
217 Blending Brush
Big Bounce Shadow in Rich Thrills
Big Bounce Shadow in Black Diamond
Big Bounce Shadow in Cool Elite

Thank you MAC and thank you to our Short Pump Nordstrom!  Let's have more of these "Style Sessions"...pretty please?!?!

Jayme

Monday, June 27, 2011

"Girl's Night Out!" Recap...SEPHORA EVENT

Wow.  No you guys...like seriously, WOW.  The Sephora event last night was a smashing success!!  Being our first event at Her Late Night Cravings, we went into this with a ton of excitement, but really not knowing what to expect.  We were blown away!!  The event started at 6:00pm & by 6:15 it was like the flood gates had opened & people were pouring in...we were doing our best to say hello to everyone & to see if we could answer any questions.  We had a great turnout & it seems like a fun night was had by all who attended. There were multiple make-up artists on staff for the event & they constantly had girls sitting down in their chairs for a fun new look...whether it was a smoky eye or a bright summertime neon eye look.


Sephora put together two incredible gift baskets chocked full of amazing products from their store for raffle prizes & at the end of the night the two lucky winners were:  Amanda Pritchett & Tammy Cerny!! Congrats ladies!!  We were drooling over all of the goodies that were in your baskets (products such as Dr Dennis Gross Skincare, Urban Decay, Bumble&Bumble, Lancome, Boscia, LORAC, Clinique & much more...).

Sephora was also generous enough to raffle off two $50 gift cards plus a makeup tutorial with one of their amazing artists & the winners of those were:  Wendy Stone & Leslie Brooks!!  We know you ladies will have so much fun redeeming your gift cards & sitting down with a makeup artist for a personal one-on-one tutorial.  Just get in touch with the store to schedule your appointment!  Your $50 gift cards will be there waiting for you!  Lucky girls!!!

Her Late Night Cravings also wanted to give out our own THANK YOU gift to a lucky lady who attended the event, so at the end of the night, we pulled a name from the list of attendees & the winner of a $50 gift card was:  Augusta Moss!!  Augusta is one lucky young lady who now has $50 to spend in her favorite store...congrats girl!  We'll be in touch with you & we will get your gift card in the mail to you as soon as we have your address.

Thank you SO SO SO much to everyone who attended.  We hope that we had a chance to speak to each & every one of you!!  If we missed you by some chance, please know how grateful we are that you came & enjoyed the night with us.

We just wanted to give an extra special shout-out to our liason at Sephora, Meagan, and her amazing team of ladies who worked so hard to put on such a successful event.  Congratulations on putting together a flawless night!!!  We're completely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to participate in our local Sephora store's first after-hours private event. 




If you weren't able to attend, hopefully this will make you feel like you were there with us.  We would have loved for EACH & EVERY one of you to have been there!!  Stay tuned for a Sephora haul video & some bonus footage from the event!

XOXO,

P.S. - If you attended the event & made a purchase, we'd love to hear what you bought...we're totally curious & always looking for good recommendations!  And if you picked up any of our "Faves," please be sure to let us know!!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Mendi's Smashbox Review


Products Reviewed:

Bronzer in Fusion Softlights in Baked Starburst

500 Point Perk from Sephora:
Eyeshadow Trio in Vanilla, Champagne and Brazilian Bronze
Cream Eyeliner in Midnight Brown
Photo Finish Lid Primer
Lash DNA Mascara

Softbox Eye Palette w/brush

Thanks for watching!  Please share your Smashbox thoughts & opinions with me.

Mendi

Friday, June 24, 2011

FEELIN' THE LOVE!

As we approach our three month "Blogiversary" (we launched on March 28th) we have been looking back at where we started and all that has happened over the past few months.  We are so appreciative and grateful to have had ALL of the love and support we've been lucky enough to receive.  We want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has read our blog, watched our videos, left us comments & tweeted us.  You guys make what we do so much fun and we are inspired by all of you every single day.

It's funny because when we first started out (and those of you who are bloggers or YouTubers can probably relate) we weren't sure how we would be received.  We had questions like: "Will anyone read our blog?"  "Will anyone watch our videos or even comment?"  We knew when we started this blog adventure that we were going to be putting ourselves "out there."  It can be a little scary, but we didn't let ourselves dwell on it and we kept on moving.  We were not going to let anything, not even little fears, creep in and take the fun out of what we were creating.  After all, we started this blog for us...as a way to find balance in our lives and have an outlet to be creative and express ourselves.  Well, what we have gotten out of Her Late Night Cravings has been SO much more than we could have ever imagined. We have met some of the most wonderful people that we are proud to call friends.  We can't even begin to understand what the future holds, but we are so excited to be in the present with all of you.

Our friend Stephanie (you might see her on our blog one day making some guest posts - you guys will love her) wanted to show just how much her family supports HLNC.  These are her beautiful children watching our videos...so if we ever think that no one is watching we can always count on Ben, Lily and Charlie.  Hi guys!!!



From the bottom of our hearts, THANKS AGAIN!!  We hope to continue to keep you informed and entertained.  And if you have any recommendations on posts or videos please do not hesitate to email us and let us know.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Joining us Sunday night at SEPHORA???

((For those of you who can't make it to Richmond, VA for the Sephora event this weekend, please know that we will be missing you VERY much, but you may want to skip the deets of the rest of this post. We love you all & we hope that you may be able to join us next time!!))

And for all of the fabulous gals joining us at Sephora on Sunday night, we just wanted to pass along some specifics.  (We'll also be sending each of you an e-mail covering these details either later today or tomorrow!)

The EVENT will be from 6:00-7:30pm.  Please feel free to show up a few minutes early if you'd like. Regency Square Mall will be closing at 6:00pm, so please TAKE NOTE that you will need to park at Entrance #3, which is on Level 1 between Forever 21 & Victoria's Secret.  This is the underground parking level on the back side of the mall, shown on the map below between #6 (MACY's Women's - Lower Level) & #7 (XXI Forever).  Even if you arrive at the mall before 6:00pm, parking at this entrance will ensure you an easy exit when you leave the event, as the other mall entrance doors WILL BE locked.

image courtesy of The Taubman Company LLC

If you decide to come a little before 6:00pm & you're in Sephora at their closing time, just be sure to mention to one of the Sephora employees that you are there for the Her Late Night Cravings event.  We will also be there a little early, so please come up & say hi!  We're so excited about meeting all of you!!!

Thank you so much for supporting our first event with Sephora!  It's going to be a great girl's night out!! See you there!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Return of the MAC


Items Reviewed
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Hibiscus - Surf Baby Collection
MAC Lipglass in Good Lovin - Surf Baby Collection
MAC Big Bounce Shadow in Spread The Wealth - Flighty Collection
MAC Big Bounce Shadow in Reward Yourself - Flighty Collection

Because I was so excited about my bright lips, I totally forgot to mention when I was reviewing the Big Bounce shadows that I do use a primer.  I've not tried this shadow without a primer but when I read up on this product it was suggested that one should be used.  I use the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in the original formula and have not had problems with creasing.  And I mentioned that these shadows had staying power - I put them on before work around 8 am and they were still on at the end of the day.  So, my experience with this product has been positive and I'm happy with my purchase.

I'm still saying Big Bounce over and over...it's stuck in my head!

What MAC products have you tried lately? And have you tried the Big Bounce shadows? Please let me know your opinions.

Jayme

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

What's For Dinner?

Pork.  That's what.  And potatoes.

Can you tell that I have a "meat & potatoes" kind of hubz?  This was a home run at our house recently, so I thought I'd share a recipe with you guys once again...

1 Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin (any brand or flavor will do -- doesn't get any easier than that)















Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Place the pork loin in a shallow roasting pan (hint: line the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up).  Cover the pork loin with aluminum foil & bake for 40 minutes, then uncover & bake another 5 to 10 minutes (the internal temperature should be 160 degrees).  Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.


Smashed Red Potatoes

9 Red Potatoes (cut into wedges)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
Fresh Basil
Fresh Oregano

Place your potato wedges into a large pot & cover with water.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain & place potatoes into a bowl.  Coarsely mash & add the olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, basil & oregano.

I added some corn to the mix & "BAM"...dinner's ready.  And it pleased our tummies...


Sound good??  Let me know if you decide to try it or if you have a good recipe idea for me!

Mendi

Monday, June 20, 2011

Just Another Manic Monday

Why start a Monday out all serious when you can get a good laugh courtesy of Her Late Night Cravings??

We have a lot of fun filming the videos that you see us post here on the regular, but it's the behind-the-scenes moments that provide us with just the right "therapy" that we need.  The ability to laugh at ourselves & each other is what keeps us sane in the midst of trying to provide all of you guys with good, quality blog material.  We're taking you back to the beginning of HLNC, and as we come up on our 3 month anniversary, we thought we'd share this little nugget of comedy with you.

Hope you find this as entertaining as we do!  Who needs a Will Ferrell & John C Reilly movie when you have Jayme & Mendi?!?  

Let us know if this is something you'd like to see more of...there's plenty more where this came from...


Sunday, June 19, 2011

Maybe I'm Just Like My Father...

...too BOLD (just a little Prince reference)!!

We just wanted to take a minute today to say Happy Father's Day to all of the dad's out there especially our own, Jimmy and Mac.  Thank you for all that you do and for always being the "rock" in our families.  We love you!!



Friday, June 17, 2011

GUEST POST: La-La Linh



Happy Friday everyone!!  A few weeks ago we were fortunate enough to do our very first guest post on another blog (check it out here).  Well , we wanted to share the love today...

One look at our guest poster today, Linh from La-La Linh & you know this girl is STUNNING...so when she wanted to share some of her favorite beauty tips with us, she had 110% of our attention.  We hope that you will be just as captivated by Linh's "tips" as we are...



Hi guys!  This is Linh from La-La Linh and I am SO excited and flattered to be guest posting for Jayme and Mendi today.  LOVE these gals to the ends of the earth and can’t say enough great things about them!  Today I’d like to share some of MY OWN personal beauty tricks I learned from my modeling days and I gotta say – I LIVE by these rules!  Enjoy!

TIP #1: I’M JELLIN’


I use Vaseline to remove eye makeup, to moisturize my chapped lips, and as a “shield” along the scalp line to prevent hair dye marks.  Super cheap and multi-functional.  LOVE IT!


TIP #2: POWDER ME UP


During a fashion show, the makeup artist wanted full pouty lips so she applied lip color, then powdered it, and reapplied lip color.  This set the color in and added the poutiness effect.  It also works for mascara, especially to prevent smearing (which often happens to me).


TIP #3: A REAL EYE POPPER


Want bigger eyes?  Apply white eyeliner to the bottom inner eyelid.  This makes them appear larger and really makes them POP.  I LIVE BY THIS RULE!


TIP #4: OIL ME UP




Two words: COCONUT OIL!  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.  I cook with it, hydrate my hair with it, and slather it on my skin whenever I can.  I worked for a nutritionist several years ago and learned the amazing benefits of organic coconut oil.  It is VERY stable which means it can withstand high temperatures (unlike olive oil).  Yes, it has a lot of fatty acids BUT the good kind you need!  I also learned how great it is for your skin and hair.  Once a month, I deep condition my hair with it to keep it strong, healthy, and shiny.  How else do you think I got my hair to grow so long?  (PS - this is a beauty secret from India!)  GREAT stuff!


TIP #5: HOLY GUACAMOLE!


It’s no secret that avocados have great health benefits, tons of good fatty acids, and is packed with antioxidants to support healthy skin and anti-aging.  I eat one almost every day.  It’s one of my top beauty secrets.


TIP #6: TAKE YOUR PEPCID


Do you turn red when you drink?   Asians are notorious for this.  Fortunately, I don’t have this issue, but some of my friends do and I have suggested they carry Pepcid with them.  Pop one 20-30 minutes before drinking and you’re good to go!


TIP #7:  STOP THE SWELLING


This one is going to sound VERY strange, but I swear it works.  For puffy eyes, I HIGHLY recommend you apply some Preparation H on your under eyes to reduce swelling.  Yes, I already know what you are thinking and I know it’s “technically” not meant for this, but it DOES work!  I even saw it used on one of the Housewives of Orange County episodes the other night.

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts and if you have tried these tricks yourself.  As always, thanks again for having me Jayme & Mendi!!!


We hope that our fabulous HLNC'ers will pay a visit to Linh's blog to see her TOTS ADORBS hubby (seriously, these two are one HOT couple!), check out her precious 4-legged babies Tyson & Ally and breathe in everything that is so OOOOO-LA-LA...

Jayme & Mendi

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Confessions of Nail Polish-a-holics


We love watching these types of videos on other blogs and YouTube channels and we hope you do too.  We have admitted before that we might have a problem.  But we doubt that we are the only ones with this addiction...  Come on, we're all friends here, tell us about your obsession with polishes...

We hope you enjoyed taking a peek at our ever-growing nail polish collection.  Who knows how big it will be by the time we show you this again.  Maybe they will have their own closet...you just never know with us!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Ain't Nuthin' But A Beauty Thang

A few weeks ago, while out running errands with my hubz, I was on Twitter when I saw someone mention that the Women's Health June 2011 issue had an article in it titled '2011 Beauty Awards' & I was all like, "oh, oh, pull in there!"  (*There* being our local Walgreen's.)  The hubz obviously didn't know what the emergency was, but I knew that I had to get my hands on a copy of this issue of Women's Health & it just so happens that I picked up the last one there.  (See...TOTAL emergency!)

Here's the cover of the aforementioned magazine issue:


Inside I found a little treasure trove of beauty products, broken down into the following categories: Hair, Makeup, Body & Face.  For each category, Women's Health further broke it down into the best Readers' Picks, the best Experts' Picks & even the best Editors' Picks.  Here's the intro line for the article:
"A dizzying array of beauty products line drugstore shelves, department-store beauty counters...and probably your own bathroom vanity.  To separate the letdowns from the life changers, we tested hundreds of products and polled a panel of experts (and you!).  Here, the must-have winners." -- Women's Health
We won't give you the entire list (that would make for a VERY long post -- check your local newsstand to see if any copies of the June issue are still available OR check out their website here), but here are some of the products that Jayme & I have tried & would purchase again...

HAIR


Best Curl-Enhancing Shaping Product - Readers' Pick:
Aveda Be Curly Style-Prep, $24, aveda.com


Best Curl-Enhancing Shaping Product - Experts' Pick:
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Curl-Perfecting Spray, $6, at drugstores


Best Frizz-Fighting Product - Readers' Pick:
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum, $7, at drugstores


MAKEUP

Best Lipstick - Readers' Pick:
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, $15, clinique.com


Best Lipgloss - Readers' Pick:
M.A.C. Tinted Lipglass in Nymphette, $15, maccosmetics.com


Best Mascara - Readers' Pick:
CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara, $9, covergirl.com


Best Bronzer - Readers' Pick:
BareEscentuals BareMinerals Warmth, $18, at Ulta


Best Blush - Readers' & Experts' Pick:
Nars Blush in Orgasm, $27, narscosmetics.com


 Eye Shadow
Best Eyeshadow - Readers' & Experts' Pick:
M.A.C. EyeShadow, $15, maccosmetics.com


Best Nail Polish - Readers' Pick:
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color (shown in Presto Pink), $5, at drugstores


Best Nail Polish - Experts' Pick:
Essie Nail Color (shown in Smokin' Hot), $8, essie.com


BODY

Best Deoderant - Editors' Pick:
Degree Women Expert Protection with MotionSense, $4, at drugstores


Best Body Wash - Experts' Pick:
Dove Gentle Exfoliating Nourishing Body Wash, $4 (12oz), available at mass retailers



Best Body Wash - Readers' Pick:
Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash, $4, available at mass retailers


Best Nourishing Body Wash - Editors' Pick:
St Ives Triple Butters Creamy Vanilla Hydrating Body Wash, $3, at drugstores

Best Body Lotion - Readers' Pick:
Bath&Body Works Signature Collection Body Butter (shown in Country Chic), $15, bathandbodyworks.com


Best Self-Tanner - Readers' Pick:
Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer, $9, at drugstores


Best Sunblock - Readers' Pick:
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, $11, at drugstores


FACE


Best Cleanser - Readers' Pick:
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, $7, neutrogena.com



Best Moisturizer - Experts' Pick:
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30, $14, at drugstores


So there's the lowdown!  As soon as I mentioned this article to Jayme, I found out that she is already a subscriber to Women's Health magazine, so that made the "EMERGENCY stop" to get my hands on a copy of this issue that much funnier...because all I had to do was turn to my partner-in-crime!

Let us know if any of Women's Health's picks hit a favorite of yours...or if there's something on this list that you're now craving!

Mendi
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