I love beauty products! So many fun new things to try, new looks to create or recreate, and beauty finds that can make you feel amazing! There are two things I don’t like though – spending a lot of $$ on products that don’t work – and spending $$ on products that make me breakout!
Now, let me explain why I no longer use MAC. Do I use any MAC products? Not really. I used a couple of their foundations, but I’ve sort of moved on! I tried MAC and found two that I liked enough to purchase.
Their Face and Body Foundation is a nice weight and has ok coverage. I liked that it wasn’t caky and left a sort of dewy look. That being said, I didn’t like applying it with a sponge because it was so light that a lot was wasted and soaked into the sponge (even though I wet the sponge fully and squeezed the water out before applying my makeup). Using a brush helped a little bit, but in the end, I didn’t like spending that amount of $ on a product that was a challenge to apply. It also required a couple of layers if I wanted more coverage, which ended up feeling heavier than I wanted.
The Studio Fix Foundation was the next one I tried, but it was a lot heavier than I wanted for a day time look. It was great for taking family photos because it gave me full coverage. It applied better with a sponge, and the photo finish was great! That being said, it didn’t get used much, and I spent all that $ on foundation that I would never use for my day to day makeup. It is way too heavy for me to wear for running errands, getting work done, etc. It was also heavier and caused me to break out after using it a couple of times in a row. I was not a fan of that!
Giving up on MAC was a bummer until I found my new favorite foundation – Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid. I use the Redefine Regimen by Rodan and Fields, and it’s been a total game changer for my skin. My skin is better now than it was 10 years ago, and it is definitely because of this skin regimen. Totally life changing for those looking for a way to get smoother, younger looking skin, without needles. That being said, I was super skeptical about their foundation. I should have known it would be good considering they specialize in skin products! 😉
I decided to order the Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid for a couple of reasons. 1 – it has SPF 30 in the foundation, so my skin is protected from the elements of the day by my makeup! 2 – it’s lightweight and oil free, with AMAZING coverage! It is buildable if you want extra coverage, though I haven’t had to build layers at all because the coverage is so good, natural looking, and has a beautiful finish. 3 – You have 60 days to try it risk free! Scroll down to see my foundation and makeup from Father’s Day – the photo is completely unedited. It is a selfie, so it’s not perfect, but I’m in love with the coverage and want it to be an honest shot!
I am personally between 2 colors – Sand and Golden. Sand is perfect for my normal skin tone when I’m not tan. Golden is perfect for Summer when I’ve gotten a lot of sun. I love that I can mix a little of each throughout the Summer, as I am more or less tan. I makes it more custom and actually matches my skin as the seasons change. Huge win! I also use a foundation brush which works beautifully. I’ve linked my favorite one below, or you can click HERE to check it out. It brushed the foundation on easily, doesn’t soak it up (so you aren’t wasting anything), and cleans beautifully!
If you’re interested in giving this foundation a try – or just seeing the different shades available – click HERE. If you want to learn more about how to get 10% off and free shipping – DM me via my Instagram or email me at themommylexi@gmail.com. I can answer any questions you may have about the foundation, what shade may work best for you, or other products you might be interested in trying (my other obsession is Lash Boost)! Keep scrolling for a couple other photos. I did not edit any of the photos in this post so you can see the actual coverage. At the bottom of the post I’ve linked the foundation, brush and a couple other favorites to make it easy. Enjoy and I hope you give this a try! Looking forward to connecting with you about this foundation and any other products that you have questions about! xo
A complete meal that the whole family will love? Yes please! My kids and husband devoured this dish – and it was so easy to make! It has chicken, brown rice, lots of veggies, and comes together into a wonderful dish that has the consistency of risotto. It’s creamy without the cream – so it’s healthy too! Did I mention it makes great leftovers? You can see Gabe taking it down in the photo above and another at the bottom of this post. Both kids asked for seconds – I may need to make a double batch next time! 😉 In any case, scroll down and give this one a try! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did! xo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small chopped yellow onion
- 4 medium carrots – diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups uncooked long grain brown rice (be sure to rinse and drain)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried Italian herbs/seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 10 ounces steamed broccoli
- Salt/Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Hit the sauté button on your Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, onion and carrots to your pot. Stir until the veggies start to soften, 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic, garlic powder, brown rice, mustard, and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for about more 1 minute. Turn off Instant Pot so nothing burns.
- Stir in the chicken broth and make sure it is combined well. Use your big spoon to scrape any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot or it may not pressurize.
- Scrape the bits off the sides and make sure that all of the rice and veggies are covered by the broth.
- Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture and do not stir the pot. They should remain on top.
- Close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to sealing. Cook on high for 20 minutes.
- After the timer goes off, turn the pot off and allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10-15 min (or you can let it fully release on it’s own if you have time).
- If only waiting 10-15 min, you can quick pressure release the remaining pressure but make sure to use a towel or something to protect your hand/arm from the hot steam when you turn the valve to venting.
- Open the Instant Pot and use 2 forks to shred your chicken. You do not need to take the chicken out to do this step. It will be falling apart easily and should shred with no effort using two forks.
- Once the chicken is shredded, add your frozen peas. You do not need to cook them before adding them. The heat from the rice and chicken will cook them after you stir them in.
- Take your broccoli and lightly steam it before adding it to the pot. I use a microwave steamer, but you can use your preferred method. Add the steamed broccoli to your rice mixture and stir.
- Serve with grated Parmesan and add salt/pepper to taste.
- Enjoy!
