A Blog for Whatever Makes You Sparkle!

Egg Retrieval Results So Far!

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What a long 3 days it has been! Just wanted to give another quick update for those of you that are following along.

The egg retrieval went great! We were the only people scheduled on Sunday (especially due to this coronavirus stuff). I was in by 8am and out by 10:30am!

The GREAT news is that they collected 26 eggs! Which is a pretty high number from what I have seen. What they tell you is that each stage of the process, you lose about two thirds of your eggs.

I was in a lot of pain on Sunday and Monday where my ovaries are. Now my pain is mainly bloating. I had no idea this is something I had to worry about but it’s so bad! I’m so bloated, it looks like i’m 6 months pregnant! I’ve been taking it easy and drinking a lot of electrolytes. Any tips will be warmly welcomed!

Anyway, our doctor called and told us that out of the 26 eggs, 15 of those were mature and 12 of those were successfully fertilized!

I was so relieved to hear this news! Now we just wait 5 days to see how many grow big enough and then we can send them off for genetic testing to check for any chromosomal abnormalities and other things like gender!

In the end, we just want 1 healthy embryo but will take all we can get!

Until next time,

Jess

Egg Retrieval Day Scheduled!

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Hey guys! I wanted to just hop on here with a quick IVF update.

What a long couple months this has been so far. I know I haven’t stayed up to date on my site here.

Long story short, Eric and I did 3 IUI’s towards the end of 2019 and they all failed.

We got approved to move forward with IVF and that’s what we have been up to the past month!

What a whirlwind of emotion it has been. We had to start out on birth control, and then got the approval to start the infamous injections. Let me tell you, those have not been fun lol

Anyway, today I finally got approved to schedule our Egg Retrieval!! Our doctor has scheduled it for this Sunday, March 22nd! It’s going to be a big day for us, I just pray everything goes smoothly.

After they have my eggs, they will be fertilized in the lab and genetic testing will be done on the embryos to confirm normalcy!

Some big news we received today was that due to Coronavirus concerns, they won’t be able to transfer any embryos to me until they get the all clear from the government. So instead of an April transfer, it’s looking more like Summer or Fall.

As you can imagine, that really was disappointing to hear just from an infertility standpoint. We feel like we are soooooo close and then being told “no you have to wait until later this year” was heart-wrenching. I know it’s a decision that’s going to be what’s best for future baby, it’s just a lot to process.

Anywayyyyyyyyy, we would appreciate any and all prayers for Sunday! I’m ready to get these eggs out, they have no more room to grow! (or so it feels) LOL

Love,

Jess

Here we go againnn

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I so wish I was typing this with good news but I just gotta tell it like it is.

When I started this blog and decided to share our infertility journey, I knew that it wasn’t going to be all rainbows and butterflies but it’s the end goal that keeps me going.

Our first IUI was not successful. This time it hit differently for me as I had my hopes so high.

I took today to be sad and feel sorry for myself but tomorrow I’ll be back to my normal bubbly personality.

Sometimes you just have to take some time to feel the real stuff, you know?

We are going to try another IUI this month. Until then, I’ll keep praying and just find comfort in knowing that this is all His plan.

Thank you to everybody that has reached out to Eric and I. It’s nice to know that we are not alone in this world!

Love,

Jess

Trigger Shot Day / IUI IS SCHEDULED!

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I cannot believe I even get to write this!!

I keep asking myself if I should document our whole process regardless of the outcome and I have decided that I’m going to blog about it all. Years down the road I think it will be so cool to read all my thoughts and feelings when they were happening.

Anyway……fertility doc put me on the Letrozole pills this time around and so Eric and I went in for our first ultrasound to check the follicle (egg) growth today.

We passed with flying colors!!!! I believe I was supposed to be on a scale of between 18-24 mm and I had 2 follicles that were 23!

Last cycle on clomid I could only get my follicles to grow to be about 16.

It was so surreal to do the ultrasound and see how big the follicles were. As soon as the nurse left the room, I burst into tears. I think Eric was in a state of shock lol we were both so happy.

So today we got the go-ahead to take the trigger shot and schedule our IUI for this Friday!

We are excited and nervous. It’s been such a crazy ride so far. We are just so thankful we get to take the next step and know it’s all in God’s plan.

Until next time, we would appreciate any and all prayers!

Infertility/Life Update!

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Hiiiiiii guys!

It always seems so long since my last blog post. When I say that life gets in the way sometimes, I truly mean it.

When brainstorming ideas for things to write about, I often try to talk about different beauty products that resonate with me. While I do have many products I would love to (and WILL) talk about, there’s been something that’s been heavy on my mind that I just want to get off my chest.

Maybe if I finally talk about it, it won’t feel like such a big secret i’m ashamed about.

As many of you may or may not know, Brynn is what I like to call our “clomid baby”. Eric and I tried for 23 months to get pregnant with our little Brynnster.

After about 20 months of trying, I realized that it may be time to go see a doctor. First, we made sure Eric came back all clear, and then I made my appointment with the gynecologist.

After speaking with the doctor and getting blood test results back, come to find out I have PCOS and insulin resistance and apparently this was the cause of us not conceiving.

PCOS basically causes an imbalance with my hormone levels. The doctor didn’t seem worried though, he prescribed me Metformin for my insuslin resistance and a fertility drug called Clomid. The Clomid promotes ovulation so you take it usually day 3-7 of your cycle and then during ovulation your follicles are big enough to release a good egg!

We did 2 cycles of Clomid and VOILA we were magically pregnant with Brynn.

Fast forward 3 years later and we are back at square one.

Eric and I have been trying for 13 months now to give Brynn a sibling. I know right, instead of saying “have a baby” I put so much pressure on myself for not giving Brynn a friend to play and be with. I see the way she is around other kids and I hate to say that I blame myself for taking away that joy from her.

This time around I have thyroid issues and still the PCOS and insulin resistance. We have done numerous blood tests both Eric and I. We are seeing a fertility specialist so things are looking up I guess! We have already done 2 rounds of Clomid with no success yet.

We have decided with our doctor, that we are going to try to do an IUI first and then if that doesn’t work out we will try IVF.

PHEW! Can’t believe I have written all of this here. Feels strange to put my heart and soul on the line for the public to see but at least its honest and real!

Next time someone asks “when are you going to have another baby?”, i’ll just direct them to my blog for some light casual reading! HA! lol

Eric and I are so thankful for all our friends and family that have been so supportive through all of this.

For now, we will keep praying and praying for a miracle like our precious Brynnster!

Thanks for reading!

Honest Beauty | 3-in-1 Detox Mud Mask

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Hiiiiiiii Friends!!! I’m baaaaaaaaaack!

Happy Mother’s Day to all my mama friends and family out there. I truly hope you enjoy your day and spend it with your loved ones, big and small!

I started off my day with a product new to me!

This is actually my first time trying anything from Honest Beauty. This brand was founded by Jessica Alba and is known for more ethical and natural ingredients. This particular mask has manyyyyy good reviews so I figured this would be a good place to start!

The left pic is my before pic, and the right is my after! This mask was so easy to apply, the texture of the mud was very smooth and it smelled SO GOOD. It had a faint lemon scent so it wasn’t too overpowering.

It DRASTICALLY reduced my redness and left my skin feeling so smooth. This is rare in detox mud masks because they normally leave skin feeling very dry. NOT THIS ONE. My skin feels so clean and soft.

I highly recommend this mask for use 2-3 times a week.

You can get it here for $15 on Amazon. You can also buy it at Target for $18!

Let me know in the comments what you’re interested in seeing next! I HAVE to give you guys my review on Honest Company Diapers for my little one.

See you guys on the next one!

Love, Jess

Holiday/Christmas/New Years Party Makeup!

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Hi there friends!

With Christmas/New Years around the corner (and the parties that come with the holidays!) I find that many of my friends want to do a little something extra with their makeup. I went to a holiday gala this past weekend and was extremely happy with how my makeup turned out! So I decided to share with you the products I used! Lets get to it 🙂


Primer: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. Apply this all over a clean face. 

Foundation: I actually used 2 different ones to create this look. Start with Too Faced Born This Way (choose a shade one lighter than your skin tone, it’s easier to bronze your face to warm it up). On top of that foundation I used the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick.

I like to use the Lancome on my nose and my under eyes because I feel that it blends more smoothly. 

Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape

Powder and Bronzer: Kat Von D Shade + Light Palette

Blush: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Collection in the color Mood Exposure

Highlighter: Becca Cosmetics x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop

Eyeshadow: Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette

I used the colors Fresh all over my lid as a base. Next, I used Slate in my crease.  Then, Noir on the outer corners.

After you have those colors down, then you use Cyborg on a flat packing brush on your lid only mainly staying towards the inner corner not going too far out. You really want the silver to transition to the black color. After that I used Pearl on my inner corners and on my brow bone. For my under eye I used slate and then Noir on the outer corner. 

Eyeliner: Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner

I used the Liquid liner on the top and then the pencil side for my water line

To REALLY make my look pop I used the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in the color Glamrock. I lined the inner corner of my eye and underneath. This was my favorite part of the whole look. It really SPARKLED! 

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in the color Medium Brown. 

Lashes: Lilly Lashes for Sephora Collection Lash Set in the 3D Mink Miami

Mascara: Benefit Roller Lash

Lips: Kylie Cosmetics Head Over Heels Lip Kit

Setting Spray: Morphe Continuous Setting Spray

That’s all I got for you guys! I got a lot of compliments on this look so I figured I would share with my blog family. 

Thanks for stopping by 🙂 See you on the next one!

<3 Jess

and finalllllllly my Sephora Haul!

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Hi friends!

My oh my oh myyyyyyy it has been a hot minute (over a month) since my last blog post. November literally flew by, I CAN’T EVEN! 

I’ve finally found the time to give you guys my honest opinion about the products from my last Sephora haul. I guess this is kinda nice because I’ve had about 4 weeks to really use the products and gather my legit feedback! So let’s get to it 🙂 

I’m going to start off with a bang here. This is the Tatcha Bestsellers Kit.

I have been dyyyyyyyyyyyying to purchase something from this brand and I’m so glad I finally did. Their products can be a bit pricey but they sure are worth it. This kit was around $75 but you get 4 sample size products which is perfect if you want to try out a few different things. 

I’ll start with the white bottle on the left. It’s called the Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil. You’re probably thinking WTH does that mean (#truth). It’s a makeup remover basically LOL. You just pump 1-2 pumps onto your hand and then massage it all over your face and eyes and then rinse it off with water! I was so surprised with this product because it actually took off all my eye makeup and mascara also. I will be buying this in a full size bottle when this one runs out. 

The rice polish classic is by far the coolest product in this kit. It’s a face exfoliator! You open the little nozzle on the top and then pour out a dime sized amount onto our hands. It comes out like salt lol. But when you massage it onto a wet face it starts to foam up and gently exfoliates your skin. My face always feels so smooth after I use this product. Highly recommend. 

The Tatcha Water Cream is awesome if you want a moisturizer that doesn’t make your face oily. It literally glides onto your face and just soaks up into the skin so your face looks so refreshed and smooth without the shine of an oil. I love love love love this stuff. 

The luminous dewy skin mist is what the makeup community raves about (the purple bottle on the right). This is a makeup setting spray and it does EXACTLY what the name suggests. You spray it all over when you are done applying your makeup and it gives you a beautiful glow without looking oily or wet. 

I have been needing a good pair of lashes for a while (#momlife I never wear lashes anymore LOL). If you haven’t owned a pair of Lilly lashes then now is the time. This collection is a 2 pack which is so great. You can wear each of them about 10 times before you need to toss them. I love that this pack comes with a natural pair (HA ME? NATURAL?) and a more dramatic pair. I’m going to wear the more dramatic pair to a Christmas party tomorrow night! I’m so excited!

So the same way you prime your face, you should prime your eye lids with concealer orrrrrrrr THIS STUFF! The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion has been my ride or die forever (no but really). You just swipe it on your lids before you apply shadow and your shadow will stay on for a lifetime (ok jk but really it will stay on for about 10 hours). I use this every day. 

This is the only eyelash glue you need. The Duo Eyelash Adhesive. The one I bought was the White/Clear but it also comes in black! It comes out pretty liquidy but when you apply it to your lashes and blow on it to dry it a bit before application, it stays on for so long. I never have problems with my lashes coming off when I use this stuff. 

Ok here’s my first product on the blog that I really wasn’t impressed with. I’m gonna keep it honest here so I’m still going to take the time to post products that I reallllly didn’t fall in love with. This is Milk Kush Mascara. It just didn’t do it for me. I wanted to explore other products and this was a new product on the market when I purchased it. For me, I had a lot of black specks on my cheeks below my eyes throughout the day when I wore this stuff. I would pass on this and get the Benefit Roller Lash instead. 

Yes yes YES! This is the Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner. When I bought this is came in a trio with Brown, Maroon, and Black. What is so great about this eyeliner is that one end is liquid and the other is a pencil. I use this eyeliner every day. I am obsessed. I’m never buying another eyeliner again (ok prob not but really this stuff is sooooooo good). 

This is my favorite product I bought from my Sephora haul. This is the perfect every day/special event/holiday/party eyeshadow palette. It is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette. These colors have so much color payoff it’s insane. They are so shiny and smoky. This pallet has a perfect blend of matte and shimmer and OMG please just go buy it. If not for yourself, then it’s the perfect gift for someone else. This palette is going to be hard to beat. 

This is the Clarins Extra-Firming Mask. It’s youth in a jar LOL. The directions that come with this mask are so funny. It’s like a full size pamphlet that I obviously didn’t read (ain’t nobody got time for that). BUT that aside, this mask does wonders for wrinkles. I know I know I’m only 27 but I assure you I have wrinkles. The mask goes on translucent and smells fabulous. You wash it off after 7-10 minutes and my face actually looked visibly more smooth and refreshed. I am sure with every day use this will help tremendously. It is a tad pricey but sooooooo worth it. I bought this from a recommendation from my Nicole and I am so happy I did. 

If you are looking for a nude lip color and you’re not sure what to buy, then just go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy this. This was the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip. My absolute favorite from this kit was the Huda Beauty liquid lip on the right. The color is called Trendsetter. I wore the color in my Christmas pictures this year. It’s a perfect nude/brownish shade. Perfect for this time of year.

Alright that’s it for tonight guys! Sorry it took so long for this post. I am going to do another post during my Christmas break! See you guys on the next one 

<3 Jess

Flying Pho #omg!

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Hey there sparklers!

I know this is totally not the post you were expecting but let’s be real for a second, this blog is about whatever makes you sparkle!!!!!!! And what I’m about to talk about next is O M G.

Especially with the weather recently, it is so easy to crave a warm comfort food/soup.

I love a good Vietnamese Pho (pronounced Fuh).

It’s a delicious soup that is known for its flavorful broth and noodles. In Houston, there are hundreds of places you can go to get this delicious soup, and let me tell you, I can count on two hands the number of places I have been to try it.

Flying Pho is hands down the best place I have gone to get Pho so far.

They do a Northern Style Pho which means that they use a very wide noodle and minimal veggies.

I have gone here twice now in the past two weeks for lunch and I can’t get enough. Their Pho is so simple. Their whole menu is simple and straight to the point to be honest. You have 2 choices in soup, the pork broth or the filet mignon pho. They even make their own Chili Paste if you like your soup spicy (#ido lets be real!!!!!!)

Another amazing part of this Pho is that the Grilled Chicken is super thick! With a traditional Houston style Pho, you get a very thinly sliced boiled chicken. This stuff is grilled and they cut it thick sliced and flavor it to the GODS! It is to DIE FOR!

Flying Pho also has a super cool hipster feel to it.

They have coffee/tea and the absolute best buns.

They call them BUTTER BUNS. Allow me to repeat, BUTTER BUNS.

Think of it like a roll, stuffed with melted better, that has a super delicate coffee shell.

I would drive an hour to get a dozen of these butter buns. They need to trademark them and figure out how to sell them online/in grocery stores. SO GOOD.

Do yourself a favor and make the drive to Flying Pho. I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.

Their address is 3434 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77018. They are located at 610 and Ella. It’s a small shop in the middle of a strip center.

See you guys on the next one (I promise it will be makeup related next time)!

Jess <3

Ulta and Sephora Makeup Haul

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Hi Friends,

Happy Sunday! This has to be my favorite day of the week because we get to just chill all day and watch Football! 2 years ago I would have never thought I would say that. You can thank Fantasy Football ha! I may be a litttttttle competitive.

Anywayyyyyyyyys enough about that! Lets dive into this Ulta and Sephora makeup haul.

I will be talking about some items not pictured also! Some items I purchased from the brands direct site, not Ulta or Sephora.

Lets start with my Ulta purchases!

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

This concealer is my absolute HOLY GRAIL. I have tried sooooooo many concealers and this stuff is the best. If you’re on the hunt for a new concealer just do yourself a favor and buy this one. The first 3 steps in every face makeup routine should be 1. Primer (We will get to this later in the post) 2. Foundation 3. Concealer.

Always choose a concealer that is a shade lighter than your foundation. Apply foundation all over the face and then apply concealer to your under eyes, nose, chin and middle of your forehead.

When you choose a shade lighter it will brighten your face and bring attention to the center of your face!

My shade is fair neutral.

I seriously cannot rave enough about this stuff.

Morphe Continuous Setting Mist

I have been a Mac Fix + die hard for the longest time until I discovered this stuff.

You should always set your makeup when you are finished applying. When you use a setting spray it allows your makeup to stay on way longer. I will even use the spray after I have finished my foundation/concealer/powder before I apply my eye makeup.

What I love about this spray is that its like an aerosol can so it sprays out evenly. It really feels like an even mist as opposed to the Mac Fix +.

Morphe Highlight and Contour Beauty Sponge

I have used MANY beauty blenders/sponges of all different brands (ask my husband LOL). This sponge has to be my favorite one so far. What I love about this sponge is that it doesn’t eat all of your product. A lot of times, the sponge will just soak up all of the foundation/concealer instead of really paying off on your skin. This sponge blends out your product beautifully without soaking up too much product.

Another great feature about this sponge is the straight edge at the bottom. I use it when I bake my contour and for my under eye powder. All around a great product!

Now for my Sephora haul!

Smashbox Be Legendary Liquid Lip

Let my start by saying subtly, I HATE GLOSSES. The color payoff leaves less to be desired and glosses can be very sticky. To be honest, I thought this was a liquid lipstick when I purchased. I tried this Smashbox liquid metal GLOSS and I’m in love. The color payoff is crazy good. The swatch above was with one swipe top and bottom. The gloss is not sticky at all, it’s just the perfect wet gloss. This color is called Metallic Mauve. It’s the perfect color for fall!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

If you have never used a white eye liner, then you should start now!!!!!

I use this stuff in my water line (bottom eye liner for you non-makeup ppl lol). It brings attention to your eye color and makes your eyes seem bigger and more awake.

I use this white eye liner for my day time looks and also when I use lots of bright colors for eye shadow!

Highly recommend!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush – Color: Mood Exposure

This is the perfect fall blush!!!!!!! I have never used Hourglass products until today. This blush is the perfect Mauve color. Personally, I love using Mauve’s around this time of year and brighter pinks/corals for Spring/Summer. This blush formula is so creamy. It doesn’t come off powdery at all. I will be using this until I hit pan for sure!

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

I have been on the search for a good primer for every day use. I’ve used Benefit, Tarte and Mac primer among others I can’t remember. This primer literally does what its name suggests. It comes out of the bottle completely white but when you blend it into your skin it blends out to a beautiful veil like color. This made my skin so soft and bright. This was another high recommend if you’re looking for a primer.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer – Color: Medium Brown

This was repurchase for me. I have been using eye shadow on a small angled brush to create a more natural look recently. But I have been missing that prominent (or as my friend Nicole says “that Kim K look”). This is the best eye brown pencil you can buy. One end has a spooly and the other end has the perfect angled brow color. It’s just big enough to where you aren’t coloring in your brows for 30 minutes. It’s quick, easy, and looks blended and perfect when complete.

BUY THIS. JUST BUY IT.

I have to add 2 other items that weren’t a part of my Ulta and Sephora hauls.

The first is a nail polish from a new brand.

KL Polish – Tuxedo Mask

This brand was created by beauty guru and YouTuber, Kathleen Lights. I bought this polish just to try it and oh my GAWD I’m in love. First of all, this is the perfect black. The applicator brush is such a cool shape to where one swipe will literally cover your entire nail. I wore this polish this past week to test wear and tear and it didn’t chip AT ALL. NOT EVEN ONE NAIL.

I’m sold. I’ll be purchasing more colors. She has a new Fall in the City bundle out now that has a pretty Medusa green color that I have my eye on.

Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Let my start by saying I CAN’T EVEN GUYS. This stuff is liquid gold. I have used this every single day since I’ve had it. I can’t even describe how awesome this is. You can use this with any look you are trying to achieve. It’s basically awesome skincare with a color that you use as a foundation. If you want a beautiful natural even skin tone (who doesn’t?), then go to https://laurencardamone.myrandf.com and buy it immediately. You can apply it with a brush or your fingers (honestly I prefer to use my hands). I really can’t say enough good things about this product. Just do yourself a favor and buy it right now.

That’s all I have for you today guys!

Thanks for sticking with me. Please subscribe if you’re interested in being notified when I post new stuff!

I’m having such a great time with this blog so far. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

What do you guys want to see next? Drop a comment below!

Until next time,

Jess

 

 

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