Launching new products!!

Hey ladies! I  am so excited to tell you that we have some great products being launched in our next mark. mag!! I wanted to tell you about a few of my favorites so far. My mentor was ever so kind and sent me a few surprise products. She must know me well by now because I loved everything in the box! I felt like I was opening a voxbox from Influenster, and now I get to review them. :) Yay!

So the first product I tried was our new Lash Act Build & Define Mascara. ($12) (Wearing this in the picture) Now let me just say this. Everyone knows how crazy I was about our Lash All You Want Mascara and I still love it, but this new mascara just blows me away! With just a turn of the wand, you can lengthen or shorten the brush! If you shorten it, you'll get nice full, thick lashes. If you lengthen it, you will get amazingly long lashes. I've never had a mascara like this before. I must admit, this is my new fav!! (Smiling from ear to ear) So, with that being said, you have to try this as soon as it comes out.

My next fav is our new Make it Rich Lip Color Crayon. ($11) (Also wearing this in the picture in color Peony) It feels like lipstick, smells like cookies, and it stays on for a long time. It's got a little bit of sparkle. I was quite surprised when I tried it. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I absolutely love it! The three colors I tried were, Peony, Naturally & Hey Honey. Peony was my favorite. It brought a smile to my face, literally, and I just loved the color on myself. It's a very pretty purple pink/magenta. Naturally is a very nice nude color, obviously natural. I liked how it wasn't too light or washed out. And Hey Honey is a very pretty bronzy brown. These are definitely a must have! I love lip gloss, but seriously, who wants to mess with it all the time to keep re-applying it? This Lip Color Crayon feels good on your lips and stays on for hours!

Another little box I opened had a pretty little something inside. It was our Flower Show Ring. ($20) Totally worth the money! It was so stunning! This is the ring I am wearing in the picture. An agate center stone and clear faceted glass stones in a burnished brass setting with a burnished brass band. And it stretches to fit a range of ring sizes just like our Ring Me Up Stretch Ring! Love it! It matches with everything and will fit right in with my fall wardrobe. :)

Next up was our new Green Piece Earrings. ($18) Very boho, very sophisticated. Emerald colored and trimmed in gold chain. Very simple, but very pretty. I can't wait to wear these!

Then I tried our Add Sparkle Headbands. (Set of 2 for $14!) These are fun and flirty and add that extra little sparkle to your outfit without being too over the top. Definitely a must try, especially if you're a headband fanatic. If you're not, give it a try anyway. You might like them! And they're very sturdy, not cheap at all.

Last product was our Lock It Up Wallet. So cute! It's a very fun, contemporary faux leather purple with a goldtone turnlock closure. Very spacious inside with room for change, cash, cards and even a lip gloss or your new Lip Color Crayon! ;)

Along with these other products we have so much more coming out. Cute fashion items, and our eyeshadow will be a completely new formula! It is amazing! You can now use it wet or dry depending on the look you're going for. We have added new colors and now have Matte, Shimmer, Metallic & Satin. These products will be launching August 10th, 2012. Two days ladies! Get FREE shipping with every $50 order!

You can find all of the products mentioned above at www.mymarkstore.com/daslaksen. I am also wearing our Easy Going Maxi Dress in the picture. Originally $35, now $14.99 in our Sale section!! Pair it with a blazer for a new fall look. Check it out!

Until next time! Muah!

My Top Picks For Summer Scents From B&BW

It's Tantalizing Fragrance Tuesday & I just had to brag about my top fav fragrance mists from B&BW. If you don't know already they almost always have a special: Buy 3 Get 2 Free. Love it! You can find me there quite often. I can honestly say I have 17 sprays JUST from B&BW. lol. Addicted? I think yes. And then there's body lotions I have from B&BW and other sprays & perfumes I've collected from other companies. The list is endless, literally. Ha. Anyway, these 3 are my top pics for this summer: Aruba Coconut, Rio Rumberry, Coconut Lime Breeze.

Aruba Coconut- I love love love coconut, so this was a big hit for me! Last summer they had Hawaii Coconut, but I wasn't a huge fan of that one. It was too strong and too much of that fake coconut smell. This summer's Aruba Coconut is way better. Much warmer & softer. In love! I also got the Triple Moisture Body Creme to go with it. Whenever you layer up, your spray or perfume always lasts longer.

• Top Notes: Juicy Thai Mango, Fuji Apple, White Nectarine
• Mid Notes: Passionflower, Vanilla Orchid, Casaba Melon
• Dry Notes: Coconut Cream, Tahitian Vanilla, Indonesian Sandalwood

Rio Rumberry- Very berry & on the sweeter side. It's different than a lot of berry scented sprays. It's not too overpowering. I definitely smell the papaya with a hint of vanilla. It's divine. I could just bathe in this every day. My next trip to B&BW I'm getting the entire collection. It just really brings out the joy of summer. It's one of those fragrances you wear that just makes you happy. It makes me feel like I'm back home on the beach in Florida.

• Top Notes: Thai Papaya, Tangelo, Fresh Coconut Water, Sparkling Summer Lemon
• Mid Notes: Tiare Flower Plumeria, Watery Starfruit
• Dry Notes: Coconut Cream, Tahitian Vanilla, Indonesian Sandalwood

Coconut Lime Breeze- First I just have to say, I love the new look of the spray bottles. It reminds me of the Beauty Rush Sprays from Victoria's Secret. Anyway, I'm pretty sure this has replaced the old Coconut Lime Verbena. If you've ever smelled that, then you'll know what this smells like. It's the exact same thing. Very citrus with that coconut hint. It's just a classic must-have for summer. I also love the fact that it has Aloe in it which is great for your skin!

• Top Notes: Sparkling Tangerine, Lemon Italy Orpur, Neroli, Bergamot Italia Orpur, Zesty Lime Juice
• Mid Notes: Watery Melon notes, Sheer Muget, Pineapple Juice, Jasmine Petals, Lime Blossom
• Dry Notes: Sheer Coconut Water, Sandalwood, Musk, Madagascar Vanilla
• Aloe conditions and nourishes skin

So those are my top picks & what I think about them. Maybe you'll be on your way to B&BW to get yours now. Click here to print out a coupon for a free Signature Collection item with any $10 purchase! I hope you ladies have an amazing day! Happy Shopping! :)

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

We all need to clean our makeup brushes every now and then. Over time there will be a build up of oil and bacteria, and seriously, who wants that on their face? I find that a lot of women don't know how to clean their makeup brushes. Some don't even bother. And they wonder why they're breaking out. I like to deep clean mine once every 2 weeks and do a quick clean once a week. It's good to pick a day where you're not planning on using your brushes for an hour or two.

What you'll need:

*a good facial cleanser
*olive oil
*paper towels or an old towel
*rubbing alcohol if you want a quick clean

Now that you have everything you need, how do you clean them? Run your brushes under warm water. Just the bristles. You don't want to submerge the whole brush under water because it will ruin your brush and in time wear away the glue that holds the bristles together. Massage a small amount of cleanser into the bristles, then rinse. Lay them flat to dry on a towel. Do not let them dry standing up. If you want to clean any of your brushes that you've used in anything creamy such as lipstick or eyeliner, you'll want to use the olive oil. Massage the olive oil into the bristles and wipe clean onto a paper towel or just an old towel. Since eyeliner and lip brushes are pretty straight and flat, you'll want to use a back and forth motion to wipe them clean so you don't ruin the bristles.

If you want to do a quick, sanitizing clean, grab your rubbing alcohol. I like to put it in a mini spray bottle so I can just spray it on my brushes. After I spray one down, I brush it clean until I don't see any color rubbing off onto the paper towel. Remember, for flat straight brushes, use a back and forth motion. For any rounded brushes such as a kabuki brush or blending brush, use a circular motion.

And there you have it! Voila! Clean brushes. It's just another step to keeping your skin clean and free of oil and bacteria! Feel free to post any questions! :)

What do you think?

So I decided that every day (except for Sunday) I will be talking about a specific topic. I'll be doing Makeup Mondays, Tantalizing Fragrance Tuesdays, Wild Hair Wednesdays, Three Step Skincare Thursdays, Fashion Fridays, & Shower Shake Up Saturdays. I'll post reviews, tips & how to's. Let me know what you guys think or if you have any other ideas! I'd love to hear them. :)


Love & Lipgloss!

S.O.S. - Stressed Out Skin!

Ok, so we all know that when we stress out, our skin stresses out too. And sometimes it just stresses out all on it’s own. It shows with redness, blemishes, dryness, etc. So what can we do make our skin beautiful and refreshed again? Well here are a few simple steps you can take to help bounce your skin back to normal & keep it looking healthy!

H20 & Exercise- It’s so important to drink lots of water. I can’t stress that enough! Water will keep your skin hydrated. And not to mention it helps in flushing out toxins from your body. Toxins in your body can cause all sorts of problems and it starts with your skin. So drink the recommended 8 glasses of water a day. So chug, chug, chug! And carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go. Exercise regularly or at least 3 times a week. Even if it’s just briskly walking around the neighborhood. Exercise get’s your heart pumping and blood flowing which, in turn, helps the skin get all the nutrients it needs while filtering out toxins. Make sure you drink plenty of water before & after your workout!

Relax & Meditate- The second most important thing we can do is relax. Keep calm. When we’re stressed out, everything is stressed. One of the simplest ways to relax is by taking a warm bath & focus on a place that makes you calm. For me, it’s the beach. Focus on the waves crashing on shore one at a time, the sound of the seagulls, the breeze, the salty air. Close your eyes and inhale deeply, exhaling slowly. Light up some Lavender oil. Lavender is one the best relaxation scents. Even if you just take 10-15 minutes out of your day in a quiet room, you’ll feel more at ease. And when problems arise, don’t stress out immediately! Breathe, & take a minute to figure things out.

A Good Skincare Regimen- This is also very important. Be sure to wash your skin every morning & night. We have a great line for stressed out Skin. mark. Calm & Composed Super Soothing Moisturizer ($18) contains super foods avocado, oat, shea butter & red algae that combine for a lightweight, oil-free cream that visibly reduces redness as it moisturizes. I use this product daily & I absolutely love it. I’ve dealt with slight redness on my skin for years. My skin is also very dry, & this moisturizer does wonders for it! With this cream, a little goes a long way! You also want to use a good cleanser. Our mark. Calming Effect Comforting Milk Cleanser ($8) is great! It has banana and oat milk protein for the ultimate soothing power. It’s also soap free which is great for stressed out skin. A lot of soapy cleansers can stress & dry your skin out more. And we don’t want that! And lastly using a good mask once a week will definitely help. The mark. Calm Yourself Mask Hydrating Mask ($9) is wonderful. I’m a mask girl all the way, & this is one of my favorites. It’s great if your skin is parched & tired looking. It cools & refreshes as well as reduces redness & puffiness! So make sure to really nurture your skin regularly.

Eating Healthy-  You can’t overdue it with healthy food. Plenty of fruits & veggies, grains & foods rich in omega 3′s. A great way to get omega 3′s is from Salmon. Dress it up with a lemon juice, garlic, a pinch of soy sauce & some sesame seeds. Bake it in the oven and serve with asparagus & brown rice. Super healthy meal! Healthy nuts & berries are great for a snack. If your skin is stressed out, try to avoid alcohol, smoking and (obviously) greasy foods! Alcohol really dehydrates your skin & smoking enhances wrinkles around your lips & eyes. Greasy foods stress out your body & your skin. A healthy inside makes for healthy skin!

 Click here to visit my store!

I Don't Believe We've Met

Hey ladies! For my first entry I figured I would introduce myself a little. My name is Danielle and I’m an Esthetician & Makeup Artist. I'm also an Independant Sales Representative & Mentor Assistant for mark. If you've never heard of mark. before, it's a very trendy, online boutique that sells beauty & fashion products. Click here to check it out. Everything they have is amazing and affordable! Anyway, getting side tracked here! I’m a total makeup junkie at heart. I’m 24 years old & I’ve loved makeup since I was a little girl. I remember going over to my friends house and going through her mom’s makeup stash and giving her makeovers. Growing up I wanted to be so many things, but it just didn’t seem super appealing to actually do those things for the rest of my life. When I turned 19, I realized I wanted to be an Esthetician. And that’s exactly what I did. I wanted  to make women beautiful and make them feel good about themselves! I have loved every minute of it. A few months ago I had a beautiful baby boy & since I decided to be a stay at home mom, I started selling mark. I've been able to make my own schedule which is great. I also decided to start this blog full of tips, how-to’s, and reviews on beauty & fashion products. So read away! If you have any questions, please ask me! I love hearing from you!