Born Pretty Store

Recently I was fortunate enough to work with the site BornPrettyStore* who sent me a couple of makeup items. I have shopped on Born Pretty in the past, but only for nail art supplies. I didn't realize the site carried makeup, clothes and all kinds of home goods! One of the items I received was a Matte Velvet Waterproof Lipgloss in the shade #14. I am not a huge fan of lipglosses, but this wears a lot more like a liquid lipstick and although it's matte, this particular shade has gold reflects which give it a pretty sheen without being glossy. This does wear a little sticky, so if that is something that you don't like, keep that in mind. The color is so pretty and natural and it wears for a very long time. A tip is to let it wear down naturally, do not apply tons of layers throughout the day as it will become cakey. If you let it wear off with time it will look natural and not goopy at all!

It's got a doe-foot applicator which makes it easy and comfortable to apply

It applies super intense, but it does dry down to a more natural finish. A little goes a very long way!

 The finished product. I love how natural this color is, I could see this being an everyday lip product for me! Sorry for my extreme duck lips!

The best part is this lipgloss (and almost everything on the site!) is super affordable. This lipgloss was only $1.99 and BornPretty offers free shipping worldwide. Just keep in mind it may take some time to get to you. How can you argue with free shipping though? 

BornPretty created a special 10% off for my readers with the code KSPH10. If you decide to buy some products let me know which ones because I already have a wishlist a mile long! 

Again you can find the lipgloss and other fun makeup items here. 

Have you ever shopped on BornPretty?

*disclaimer: while BornPretty did send me the lip gloss free of charge, I am receiving no other compensation and my thoughts and opinions on all products are my own. If you have further questions, always feel free to email me at thethirtysomethinglife@gmail.com

Nicel Retinol Night Serum

Let me begin by saying I know nothing about serums. I know that people love them and many of my friends (bloggers and otherwise) use them daily but personally, I don't know a whole lot about them. Every serum I've seen has been exorbitantly expensive. Not that I don't believe in investing in skincare, I mean you only get one face, but I have a hard time shelling out hundreds of dollars for a (generally tiny) bottle of gel. Enter in the Nicel Retinol Night Serum. As I was perusing the beauty aisle of my local grocery store, I noticed this serum and it was a steal at only $4. What caught my eye was not only the nice size of the bottle but how much more expensive the packaging looked in comparison to the actual price.

The first thing I noticed was this serum appeared to be more of a light cream than a gel. I actually like the thicker consistency, especially this time of year. The serum doesn't have a smell which is also nice. The claims are this serum will firm and renew with anti-wrinkle emulsion technology. What I noticed is my skin feels smoother and appears plumper compared to not using a serum. I'm not sure whether or not I truly believe all the hype surrounding serums, but this does make my skin feel better so that's always a bonus.

Do you use a serum? What serums would you recommend?

Friday Favorites : The Biking Edition

In honor of our big Salt to Saint ride being this weekend I thought I'd do a biking edition of my favorites. If you're an athlete of any kind, or even like to workout, you know there are certain things you can't live without. These are mine!

These ProBar chews are from a local company right here in Utah (go shop local!) and they are delicious. They literally taste like fruit snacks, but these organic chews have electrolytes, B Vitamins and Complex Carbs for sustained energy. If you are an endurance athlete I would highly recommend these! You can get them here.

I LOVE these granola bars. I'm sure I've talked about them in a previous what I ate post, but these Peanut Choco Crunch bars from Nature's Path taste super good and they are about the healthiest pre-packaged granola bar on the market. We get ours in bulk off Amazon.

Whenever I used to see biker's in their spandex shorts it would always make me laugh, but now I totally get it. Believe me, if you start biking, you WILL need a pair of padded shorts, that is just a fact. I'm currently coveting these cute Hello Kitty ones. I still wear yoga pants over mine, but these might make me take the plunge into full-on spandex glory. I found them online here.

I'm all about the safety when it comes to any sport, so clearly a helmet is in my must haves. I have a blue and black one, but I also have one really similar to this. I found this one here.

Last but still important are padded gloves. Your hands will hurt after going over 20 miles of bumpy road, and having pads on your biking gloves will make all the difference. Of course, I always go for the pink ones! You can find these here.


I would love to hear what you guys have to have when you work out! Let me know in the comments!

Perfect Fall Palette

I tend to change my makeup with the seasons (even though, quite frankly, I'll wear an orange lip year round!) and right now I am into super dark sultry colors for fall. This palette is so perfect for this time of year because it's a mix of mattes and shimmers in a range of cold-weather colors. It's also super sleek and features the largest palette mirror EVER so it's convenient for travel.

If I swatched this entire palette I'd be swatching for days, so I chose to showcase some of my favorites. Although, to be honest, I'd actually wear every single color in this palette, which is rare in a palette of 32 shadows! You get 10 mattes up top and 22 shimmers below those.

I swatched 4 of the matte shades; they are some of the most pigmented mattes in this price range (this palette was $9.20 which is a STEAL for so many colors) and they wear well. I always use a primer underneath but these lasted all day and all of them make gorgeous transition shades.

Of course shimmers are my all time favorite and Makeup Revolution do the best, most affordable eyeshadows ever. I especially love the gold foil and that shimmery burgundy for Fall, not to mention the gorgeous blue. You can make so many different looks from this palette it will last you the rest of the year into party season.

As always, let me know what palettes you've been loving lately!

*Palette is Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup in U R The Best Thing

8 Photos of Happiness

I was tagged by the lovely Nadia to do a post on 8 photos that make me happy. If you haven't checked out Nadia's blog Miel and Mint I suggest you go have a read as it is one of my favorites! She does everything from beauty reviews to craft posts and she is one of the sweetest bloggers I've met.

Here are my 8 photos of happiness :

#1 is definitely family! Marrying my best friend and having such a supportive amazing family is what makes my life so incredible and I am forever thankful. My wedding day where I had everyone I loved around me was definitely one of the best days of my life.

#2 is biking. If you've been around my blog this one is kind of a given but I'm lucky I'm on such an amazing team of cyclists and I am thankful I've found something that brings me so much happiness.

#3 is amusement parks. We live close to one and we used to go all summer long and seeing pictures like this make me remember how much fun we had at them.

#4 is old car shows, specifically involving Bel Air's. Someday I would love to own a restored Bel Air but every year my husband and I try to make it to one car show as it's something we both love.

#5 is our cruise to Mexico on our 1 year wedding anniversary. Since we've been cruising we can't wait to go on another one, we had the best time and have decided cruising is the only way to go. I love how much I look like a part of the culture in this picture and my husband totally sticks out like a sore thumb. I don't think it's any shock I bought that cover-up in Mexico.

#6 is musicals, specifically Thriller. Every year the University puts on this musical set to Michael Jackson music and I love it so much I've been a few times. My husband surprised me a couple years ago for our anniversary (in October, naturally) and took me to see it again. I can't get enough of Halloween musicals... or Halloween in general as I'm sure you'll all know by now.

 #7 is sunsets. I love everything about a summer sunset and dusk is my favorite time to get out and about. Everything just looks so much more beautiful and this picture definitely makes me happy!

#8 is Vegas. My husband and I try to go to Vegas at least once a year and we have so many happy memories exploring that city. This is one of my favorite pictures we have of the city, it looks like pure magic!

Those are my 8 photos of happiness. I want all my blog friends to do this tag and leave me the link in the comments, I would love to see what makes all of you happy!

Riding For A Cause

On Friday's post I mentioned we were doing a ride with Parkway Pedal and Coldwell Banker in which all the proceeds go to the Autism Council of Utah. We ended up riding a total of 27 miles. It was a gorgeous day to ride and our team from Coldwell was super awesome! I'm always happy when doing something I love ends up being for a good cause.

I hope you guys had an amazing weekend!!!

Weekly Roundup : Friday Faves #13

It's Friday again and this week has flown by! It's been cold and dreary where I'm at (not complaining, I actually love this weather!) so this week has some cold weather inspirations thrown in!

This eyeshadow has been pretty much all I've been wearing on my eyes lately. It's a Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in the shade Mixed Tape and it's the prettiest cool toned taupe shade.

This Matte Lippie stick by Colourpop in the shade Tootsi is the most gorgeous neutral color ever. I much prefer the formula of these to the Ultra Matte Lips they just came out with, as it's a much more comfortable matte to wear in my opinion.

I hauled this a short while ago, but I am loving this Fit Me! Shine-Free foundation in the shade Coconut for contouring. It's a gorgeous warm tan color and perfectly blends out.

If you follow me on Instagram then you'll know I've been binge watching this show lately. I always start watching this show in the Fall, it's prepping me for one of my favorite holidays, Halloween! I love a good monster comedy as much as a scary movie. 

I generally use my crock pot all year round because who doesn't love coming home to dinner done? Still, this time of year it goes into overdrive and this book I got a couple years back has some of the best slow cooker recipes ever, ranging from delicious desserts to fantastic dinners, as well as drinks and appetizers. I've made at least half the book and can't wait to make all of it!

I hope everybody had a great week and an even better weekend! XO - Kim

P.S. For those of you in my area, there is a bike ride going on this weekend sponsored by Coldwell to benefit Autism. Details can be found at parkwaypedal.com. Even if you can't ride there is an option to donate and it all goes to a great cause! I would love to see you guys there!

Colourpop Cheek Products

I've been a fan of Colourpop lippie stix and eyeshadows for a while now but never ventured into their cheek products. I finally took the plunge and I am so happy I did! I bought two of their highlighters (I know, I can't stop, I have a problem!) although one I would most definitely call a blush.

The highlight on the left is called Lunch Money. as you can see it's not super in your face but it does give a nice glow to the skin, which I am loving right now. The "highlight" or blush on the right (it's actually listed as both, but I wouldn't personally wear it as a highlight) is called Sticky Sweet. It appears a lot shinier in the photos then it does in real life, but it's just a really nice berry color that I love for Fall.

Have you guys ever tried any Colourpop cheek products?

Current Obsession : Beauty Blenders

It's true. Until a couple of weeks ago I'd never used a beauty blender. When they first came out, I thought to myself "been there, done that" as I had used the triangle makeup sponges for years when I was younger. How different could they possibly be? Surprisingly, they are incredibly different. My good friend actually gave me one because she uses hers all the time. First off, I noticed the amount of product I needed was significantly less. The sponge doesn't really absorb the makeup, the makeup just kind of sits on top waiting to be applied. Also, the sponge gives smooth even coverage without the "strokes" a makeup brush would give so it looks a lot more natural. The one thing I do have to say is I find with a sponge it applies very sheer so if you want fuller coverage you'd probably have to apply your foundation at least two times. I don't mind the lighter coverage so I personally haven't experimented with this.

My friend gave me the pink Ulta Super Blender Sponge and since I loved that one so much, I purchased the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I admit, this is my first venture into anything Real Techniques and I wasn't disappointed. I loved the shape of the sponge as the flat end can quickly apply foundation over the bulk of the face while the rounded tip can get into smaller areas around your eyes and nose. I also bought the Ulta Makeup Brush and Sponge Cleaner as my face breaks out if I don't keep my brushes clean. I've used it a couple times and it seems to work well.

Let me know if you've ever tried beauty blenders and if you love them as much as I do!

Laura Gellar Baked Beauty 101

I've heard so much good hype surrounding Laura Gellar's baked products I was really curious to try them. Since they are pricier, I am always hesitant to spend more money on something I don't know I'll absolutely love. I am a HUGE fan of baked products, so when I saw this Laura Gellar Baked Beauty travel size set I thought I'd give it a try since it was a lot more affordable.

The set comes with an eye shadow duo in Mulberry/Oyster, a blush in Pink Grapefruit, a balance and brighten color correcting foundation in Medium, a baked bronze and brighten in Medium, a mini blush brush and a dual ended shadow and liner brush. I wish the set came in different color ranges, but all that's available for the set is Medium, which works while I still have my summer tan, but will probably be too dark for winter. It all comes in this cute lip print makeup bag.

Overall I think the set is really pretty. The Mulberry eye shadow has glitter chunks which I'm not super fond of but it's still pretty. Oyster makes the prettiest highlight shade and it blends really well. I really like the blush, but a very tiny bit goes a long way so beware if you tend to be heavy handed. The color correcter is a nice match for my skin right now but is very light coverage. The bronzer is really pretty and super smooth and blendable. I feel like the blush is definitely worth full price but as far as the other products, I'm glad I got the travel size. Truth be told, I have so much makeup these trial size products will probably last me for a long time, and it was a great way to try new products. I bought the set for $39 at Ulta.

Do you guys ever buy travel size products to try something new?

Fall Favorites : The Blush Edition

I'm changing things up again this week. I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately but with the changing seasons I'm feeling like doing things a little different. This week instead of doing a weekly favorites I want to express my love for my favorite Fall blushes. Since Fall is my favorite time of year and blushes are (one of) my favorite products I love busting out these festive colored beauties.

I'm going to say this now, and most likely I will say this again at some point on this very same blog, about a very different blush, but you know when you put a blush on your face and you feel like it's the one? That's this blush for me. I feel like this blush is my color. The best part? It's only a buck! This is the L.A. Colors blush in the color Berry Plum. It looks super shimmery in the pan but blended out it's not as shiny and the perfect plum color. The staying power, when paired with a primer, is literally all day (I wear makeup most days for 11 to 12 hours!). For that price you really can't ask for a more perfect blush!

This second blush is an e.l.f. baked blush that is a beautiful golden toasty color with a hint of red. It's in the color Rich Rose (the name is slightly deceiving) and it gives a gorgeous, natural flush to the cheeks.

This blush is a lot like the first one I talked about, only slightly pinker in color. It's an e.l.f. blush in the color Berry Merry. If that name doesn't get you excited for the holidays I don't know what will. It's definitely one of my favorites in the colder seasons.

This is another L.A. Colors blush (thus only $1) in the shade Toast. It's a really pretty peachy nude blush that's perfect for days when I don't want to pile on a bunch of makeup. You can layer it to make it more vibrant, but I like the slight wash of color.

This last blush has clearly seen better days, but it's one of my favorites. It's in the shade Mellow Wine by Wet n' Wild and it's a perfect year round, every day, every skin tone kind of color. I like that it's a slightly deeper pink which to me just screams Fall.

I am loving all the deeper jewel tones right now, how about you? What blushes do you reach for as the weather cools down?