THE ‘HOLY GRAIL’ CONCEALER BRUSH YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE!

So, many of you know by now that I am a subscriber to the Morphe Monthly Brush Club. When it launched on Cyber Monday 2015, I had the AMEX in hand, ready to go! And I gotta tell ya, it was one of the best decisions of my life.

Well when the January 2016 packaged arrived, I unboxed (unbagged, whatevs) it for you guys (click here to see what was inside!) and one of the first brushes I pulled out was the Morphe M173 Mini Buffer brush.

This brush retails for $4.99, and is technically an eyeshadow brush. But let’s be real here; are there really any rules when it comes to makeup? Nope. And naturally the same applies to your tools – you can use them any way you please!

So my first thought was “this looks like a baby Morphe M439 Deluxe Buffer brush ($14)” which is my HG foundation brush. “I wonder how well this would blend out concealer!”

Well…..well…..its amaze-balls!

I usually can’t use a densely packed, rounded brush anywhere on my eyes because they’re hooded, so I stick to tapered blending brushes, fluffy blending brushes, things like that. But this brush – this little $5 gift from heaven right here – blends concealer like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life!!

If you’ve been here for awhile, then you know that I’ve been ride or die for my e.l.f. Flawless Concealer Brush, which is amazing, don’t get me wrong! And it hasn’t been replaced by any means! I still love it for blending out concealer under my eyes. But this M173 gives the most flawless finish to your concealer….like, it looks like skin, but all your dirty little (red, bumpy) secrets are covered! I especially love it for covering the redness along the sides of my nose, and blemishes. It allows you to sort of stipple over them first, pressing product into your skin, before gently blending it out so it looks seamless.

And it’s $5. FIVE DOLLARS. I’ll be ordering a few more of these to have on hand!

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Has anyone else tried this brush? Do you want to? Leave me a comment below!

And please take a moment to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and give a like to the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

LOTS OF LOVE!

MORPHE BRUSH FAVORITES!

So I know recently I posted two separate articles about my favorite brushes  (click here to read about my favorite face brushes, or here for my favorite eye brushes) but today I thought I would bring you a ‘one brand favorite’ brush post.

I’ve fallen head-over-heels in love with Morphe brushes. They’re inexpensive, amazing quality, and I just can’t get enough! So much so, that I’ve joined the Morphe Monthly Brush Club, to have them delivered to me every month!

Today I thought I would share with you some of my faves, and who knows; you might find some that you love too!

Let’s get started!

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MORPHE M439 DELUXE BUFFER BRUSH – $13.99

This brush is a dream come true for applying liquid or cream foundation! It’s a synthetic brush so it won’t soak up all your product, and because it’s so densely packed, it leaves you with a gorgeous, airbrushed finish! I bought one on HauteLook awhile back, and got another one in my first Morphe Monthly Brush Club package, so you can only imagine how excited I was to have a backup! Before that I was pretty ride or die for my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush ($9) to apply my foundation, and I still love it, but I find myself reaching for this one way more frequently!

MORPHE M501 PRO POINTED BLENDER – $7.99

 

 This is the absolute best brush I have ever used to apply a powder highlight. It’s fluffy enough that I’m able to deposit the perfect amount of product on my cheek bones and temples, but the tapered point makes it great for putting a little bit on the cupids bow and down the bridge of my nose, and even the brow bone and the inner tear duct! It just goes anywhere!

MORPHE M438 POINTED CONTOUR BRUSH

This brush is SO popular that it’s currently out of stock and no price is shown (sorry!!) but I believe it retails for about $10 and  Morphe restocks regularly so it will be back soon! I love this not necessarily for contouring, but more for setting my under eye area with powder, as well as smaller areas of my face like the sides of my nose, and between my brows where I tend to get oily – I’ve been on the drier side lately so I haven’t been powdering my whole face, and this brush is the perfect size for targeting specific areas.

MORPHE M200 DELUXE CREASE BRUSH – $4.99

I love this brush for blending my shadows together and buffing out any harsh lines. It’s not super fluffy, but not super dense either; it’s that nice middle of the road feel, and it blends like a dream!

MORPHE M330 BLENDING CREASE BRUSH – $5.99

This brush is great for applying your crease shades because it’s tapered enough to really get in there and work from outer to inner corner. The tapered point makes it great for smoking out the lower lash line with a little shadow too, because you can really get up under your bottom lashes without ending up with panda bear eyes! This and the M200 are my go-to shadow brushes!

MORPHE M432 FLAT LINER DEFINER BRUSH – $3.99

 

 For a long time I had trouble finding a good flat definer brush – they were all just so stiff and scratchy and really hurt my overly sensitive eyes. But this it amazingly soft while being tightly packed, and great for pressing shadows into the lash line for that sexy, smoky look. I also love this for carving out my brows with concealer, because the flat edge just makes them so sharp!

MORPHE M160 1/8 ANGLE LINER BRUSH – $2.99

For a long time I struggled with gel liner, hated it even, until I got this brush. It’s amazing what a difference the right tool makes! It’s synthetic and super slim with a fine pointed tip, making it a breeze to get the perfect winged liner! I highly recommend this to anyone struggling with their liner – don’t give up, just get your hands on this! You won’t be sorry!

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I’m sure as the months pass and I keep receiving my monthly brushes, I’ll find new faves along the way! But at the present moment, these are brushes that I would without a doubt recommend to anyone! Seriously, if you’re in the market for great quality brushes but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, check these out! You can purchase all of them at morphebrushes.com!

And if you’ve already discovered Morphe, leave me a comment with some of YOUR faves! I love to hear from you guys, and I love getting your recommendations!

And if you haven’t already, please go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

LOTS OF LOVE!!

REVIEW – REVLON COLORSTAY WHIPPED CREME FOUNDATION

My skin is super picky when it comes to foundation. So when I find one I love, and I mean L-O-V-E, I feel like I just have to shout if from the rooftops!

This one in particular is one that I’ve been using for quite some time, on a fairly regular basis, so by now I feel pretty confident in bringing you a review on it. I know, it’s not the latest and greatest product – but by that token, I don’t feel like it gets all the love it truly deserves.

So today we’re gonna show a little (or a lot of) love to the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation!

Out of the entire ColorStay line, I think this is hands down my favorite product. Here’s what Revlon has to say about this product :

Finally, truly decadent makeup offers ultimate performance. The mousse-like texture feels like silk on your skin and the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All-day, flexible wear without flaking, caking, or feeling heavy.

• Bouncy, whipped formula flexes with skin for all-day comfort
• Withstands heat and humidity
• Wears for up to 24 hours
• Available in 12 shades

Sounds good to me! So let’s get into the review!

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PACKAGING

  This is a pretty sturdy, clear glass jar with a black plastic lid. Because it’s pot style, theres no pump or anything (boo for germaphobes like me) so you actually have to scoop product out with your finger or even a little spatula. It feels heavy in the hand, and like it could withstand travel.

FORMULA

  This is, as the name states, a whipped creme foundation. Not whipped like mousse-y, like I initially imagined. It feels like a heavy cream. I remember when I first opened it and thought “oh God there’s no WAY I’m gonna like this, it’s just too thick!” but hold on – first, you only need a little bit. A little goes a long way. I would call it medium to buildable coverage, but it’s not heavy at all. It’s actually quite lightweight on the skin, which shocked me. One thing in particular that I love about this foundation is that it’s very neutral in tone (I wear the shade 150 Buff) so I don’t notice ANY oxidization on me, which is rare! Win!

APPLICATION & WEAR

Wearing Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup in Buff and a touch of contour

 So like I said, this doesn’t have a pump, which I don’t love, but I can deal with. I usually just dip my finger in (clean, of course!) and get maybe half a fingernail sized amount and put it on the back of my hand, and then dot it on my face. From there I blend it out with my Morphe M439 brush, but this is actually one of those foundations that you can use a brush, sponge, or even your fingers and pretty much achieve the same result!

I get what I could probably best describe as a satin finish with this product – not dewey, but not totally matte. As for wear time, this claims to have 24 hour wear – now, I don’t know about you, but I have no designs to EVER wear my makeup for 24 hours! I will say that I get a good 10+ hours of wear, with or without primer (even on my oily skin) and here’s the weird/cool thing about this product – THE LONGER I WEAR IT, THE BETTER IT LOOKS!  No I’m not kidding! I don’t know what they put in this stuff, because usually the longer your foundation is on, it kind of starts to break apart and just look….blah….- this gets more and more natural looking while staying put all day long! And, as a bonus, it doesn’t break me out – and if you’ve been around for awhile here on my blog, you guys know how sensitive my skin is!

I think it’s safe to say that is this my Holy Grail, ride or die foundation!

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 Now don’t get me wrong, I know it’s a little pricier for a drugstore foundation, retailing for right around $13 depending on where you pick it up – but if you’re looking for a high-end quality foundation without emptying your wallet to the tune of $30 or more, this is a great option. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, drugstore makeup has really stepped up its game in the past few years. I’m really, really, really impressed by this foundation in particular.

Get yours here!

Have you guys tried this foundation? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below!

And don’t forget to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook! Your support means so much to me!

LOTS OF LOVE!

 

MORPHE MONTHLY BRUSH CLUB – DECEMBER 2015

 So I may or may not have mentioned in the past that I was curious to try out some of those monthly beauty subscription boxes.

The problem is that I have more sample cards with a half use of eyeshadow or blush than I know what to do with. I personally would prefer deluxe samples or full sized products – something I can use more than, like, three times.

So as I found myself debating back and forth about which ones I might like to try – Ipsy, Boxycharm, Glossy Boxy, etc – I know, #firstworldproblems, right? – I was perusing Morphe’s Instagram one day (@morphebrushes if you’re interested) and saw mention of a monthly subscription box in which they would send you $30+ worth of their amazing, high quality makeup brushes for $20 a month!

So I immediately got on the email list, and then when I heard that they were launching it on Cyber Monday, I spent the day stalking yet again. Like waking up at 3am to check and see if there was any new news. Yeah, I was that girl.

I finally got my email, signed up, gave them my credit card, and received my very first package today! So here’s what I got!

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Morphe M140 Chisel Deluxe Dome Brush

MORPHE M140 CHISEL DELUXE DOME BRUSH ($12.99)

I don’t think I own a brush quite this big! This thing is huge! It’s recommended for use with bronzer, powder foundation, etc – I can’t wait to try it out!

Morphe M601 Soft Fan Brush

MORPHE M601 SOFT FAN BRUSH ($4.99)

Most people use fan brushes for applying powder highlighters, but another great use for this is to help fluff away any eyeshadow fallout or even unwanted glitter that may have transferred from other products! I have a few fan brushes, so I don’t know how much attention this one will really get, but it never hurts to have them around!

 

 

Morphe M160 1/16 Angle Taklon Liner Brush

MORPHE M160 1/16 ANGLE TAKLON LINER BRUSH ($1.99)

I actually have one of these in the 1/8 size, and I love it – it’s great for applying gel and cream liner, because it’s so small, dense, firm and precise. This one is even smaller than the one I already own so I’m excited to see if I can get an even sharper winged liner, even easier!

 

Morphe M439 Deluxe Buffer Brush

MORPHE M439 DELUXE BUFFER BRUSH ($13.99)

This brush is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G for apply your liquid or cream foundation! It was actually a Jaclyn Hill favorite brush, and I bought my first one on HauteLook, and I fell in love! I’m so glad I have a backup! This brush alone, when it’s not on sale at the price listed about, is $27.99! This just made the whole month for me!! Woohoo!!

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Have you guys jumped on this deal yet? Not only do you get great brushes, but you get discounts on their products, a first look at their new launches, and pro tips! Yes, it’s at the higher end of the subscription box price point, but I didn’t hesitate with this one because I already knew what I was getting – full size, amazing quality brushes – so while it’s sort of a surprise every month, it isn’t in the sense that you’re wondering whether or not you’ll hate your next shipment. There’s really no way to hate Morphe!

IF YOU GUYS WANT IN ON THIS DEAL YOU’VE GOT TO ACT FAST! THEY HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE! GO TO morphebrushes.com FOR MORE INFO AND TO SIGN UP! 

Have you guys tried any Morphe brushes? Have you signed up for this service? What are YOUR favorite monthly beauty boxes? Leave me a comment below!!

And don’t forget to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

And while you’re at it, go like the Morphe pages too! Their products are amazing, I truly can’t say enough good things!

Twitter – @MorpheBrushes

Instagram – @morphebrushes

Facebook – Morphe Brushes & Cosmetics

LOTS OF LOVE!

NOVEMBER 2015 FAVORITES

Can we just take a minute to acknowledge how FAST this year has flown by?! I feel like I just did my October Favorites yesterday!

So you guys know I’ve been trying to keep up with doing a monthly favorites post for you, whether is just beauty items or a good mix of general favorites. Well this month I’ve decided to jump back to general favorites. I won’t ramble, I’ll just get started!!

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DUNKIN’ DONUTS S’MORES HOT CHOCOLATE

 

 It’s no secret how much I love my coffee – it’s like starter fluid for mornings. But I’ve been trying to cut back on the coffee, since I’ve noticed that right around the middle of the afternoon when I’m on my 4th or 5th cup, I’ve been getting very jittery and (yuck) nauseous. Honestly I’m not sure what made me gravitate towards the S’Mores hot chocolate, but it is AMAZEBALLS! You can actually taste the flavors separately, like you’re biting into a s’more (s’mores? s’more? what’s the singular? I don’t know). It’s crazy good! I’ve probably gotten one a day for the entire past month!

COACH SIGNATURE STRIPE MULTIFUNCTION TOTE

There’s actually a whole story to this – ever since I returned that Adrienne Vitadinni bag that mentioned in my October Favorites (read about it here) and returned it because it was just so uncomfortable, I’d been on the hunt for a big, multipurpose bag that I could carry both my essentials and my sons, but my laptop, notebook, etc. I found one for sale on a local Facebook tag sale page, but the seller wouldn’t budge on the price (a whopping $5 difference that her asking price!), so a friend of mine saw the post and offered me this bag, that she no longer needed. I offered to pay her AT LEAST what I was willing to pay the original poster, and she insisted that she wanted no money for the bag! So this was actually a gift from a very kind, generous friend, and I couldn’t thank her enough! It’s got all the pockets and storage I was looking for and it fits everything I need to carry and then some! So thank you again Ashley R.!

If you guys are looking to find designer pieces on a budget, check out an app called Poshmark, and eBay is also a great place to find great items at a huge discount!

NIVEA KISS OF CARE & COLOR in SHEER CRIMSON

 

 It’s starting to get much colder here in Connecticut now, and naturally with the cold, dry air come dry, chapped lips. This tinted lip balm is super moisturizing, and while the shade name indicates that it would be red, it’s actually that sheer wash of red that looks like natural, healthy, beautifully pigmented lips. The tint is wrapped around a moisturizing core, and while it doesn’t have the greatest lasting power, I find it to be super hydrating, so my lips stay nice and soft even after it’s worn away. I have these in Sheer Coral and Sheer Berry too, but I have like 4 of the Crimson shade in various places, like my vanity, truck, purse, and coat pocket! I’m never without one! Look for them in your local drugstore!

MORPHE M439 DELUXE BUFFER FOUNDATION BRUSH

 

 Since this brush came in the mail, I haven’t been able to use anything else! It applies foundation FLAWLESSLY!! Don’t get me wrong, I still love my trusty Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, and it makes for a fabulous alternative, but currently I’m obsessed with my M439. If you guys haven’t checked out Morphe Brushes, you need to – they’re affordable, amazing quality, and they have brushes for EVERYTHING you could think of – and I believe they’re coming out with a monthly subscription box, so if you’re interested, get over to morphebox.com and get your name on the email list!

MILANI AMORE MATTE LIP CREME *LIMITED EDITION* in BELOVED

 

 I won’t talk your ear off about this product – I’ve actually done a full review on these which you can read here. But I was playing around the other night trying to pull together my Thanksgiving look, and I swiped on this lip creme. Guys, if you were looking for a great ‘Kylie Jenner’ lippie that you don’t need to spend $40 on 5 different products to achieve, this is your baby! It’s the perfect slightly pinky, neutral brown shade, completely matte, hard to get off, and while I’m not a huge fan of the applicator (a flat doe foot style that is almost identical to the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer applicator) I love the product! You could probably wipe some off onto a palette or even the back of your hand and use a lip brush, or just use the applicator very carefully. I don’t believe they’re in stores anymore *sad face* but you can still grab them on milanicosmetics.com for about $9 – get ’em while they last!

FREEMAN CHARCOAL & BLACK SUGAR FACIAL POLISHING MASK

 

 If you have dry, flaky winter skin like me (yes, little ‘ol oily me!) and you find that your foundation just isn’t laying right, or you’re even experiencing a bought of acne breakouts, you want to run to your nearest ULTA and pick this up! The charcoal is great for drawing out impurities, and the black sugar sloughs away dead skin that your makeup clings to, and that also clogs your pores, contributing to breakouts. I like to smooth this on clean skin, leave it on for about 5 minutes, and then wash it off in the shower, since the black sugar is so grainy and get pretty messy! You’re left with super smooth, clean feeling skin that you just wanna touch all day -but don’t, cuz that’s bad for your face!

NYX DARK CIRCLE CONCEALER

 

 So my son is cutting his top molars – which mean little to no sleep for me – which means dark circles from hell….well this concealer covers them like nothing I’ve ever used before. It’s a pretty heavy concealer but it’s got a peachy tint to it to help color correct as it conceals, eliminating that extra step and additional product. Use it only where you see that darkness though, this is not a blemish concealer. And be sure to set it with a powder, or it will crease! I love this stuff! Find it at ULTA!

RIMMEL LASH ACCELERATOR MASCARA

 

 I feel like this is one of those products that I just don’t see get the credit it deserves. Does it actually make my lashes grow? I don’t know – I can’t commit to using one mascara for 6 weeks straight to see (though maybe I should-if you guys want me to do it and review it, leave me a comment!). But what I can tell you is that my lashes immediately look longer, they’re beautifully defined, and it stays put all day long without flaking or smudging. I especially like the wand design for the bottom lashes because it coats them without getting mascara everywhere. If you’re looking for something that will give you loads of volume, this isn’t for you – but if you want gorgeous, natural looking long lashes, this is a great mascara! And you can find it in almost every drugstore!

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What have you guys been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below!

And don’t forget to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!! I’ll be hosting a giveaway soon and you won’t want to miss out!

LOTS OF LOVE!

HAUTELOOK HAUL! MORPHE BRUSHES AND PALETTES

Every so often I take a quick browse through my HauteLook app – not the fashion, my dears, I think it’s quite apparent that I go straight for the beauty items!

Well, a couple weeks ago I happened to notice that Morphe was on HauteLook, and having been a lover of all beauty products and tools, not to mention lusting after many of their items for quite some time, I decided what better opportunity than now to take advantage of some of my faves being on sale! These items are not commonly found on HauteLook, but they can be found in stock regularly at morphebrushes.com. They’re amazing quality, and even at full price (and they’re VERY reasonable in their prices!) they are the perfect, professional quality palettes and brushes and so much more for ANY budget!

So here’s what I got!

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MORPHE 9B THE BLUSHED BLUSH PALETTE

 

 This palette come with 9 matte blushes in various shades of pink, peach and rose tones, with one random very bright red at the very bottom of the palette. The pigmentation of these blushes is no joke – you need a very small amount on your brush, and literally one dip of the brush will pick up so much product, you’ll want to be sure to give it a good tap to get off any excess. I’ve seen this palette used all over YouTube, and after seeing just how affordable it was, and currently it IS out of stock on their website, but I’ve noticed that for some time now it’s been listed at a sale price of $19.99. For 9 blushes, that’s quite the deal.

MORPHE 9BZ THAT GLOW BRONZER PALETTE

 

 This is another 9 pan palette, with both matte and shimmery bronzers in warm and cool tones made to suit virtually any skin color. Light, medium, and darker shades will keep you looking gorgeous and glowy all year round. Or if you’re a professional makeup artist, it drastically eliminates the amount of shades you need to pack up and carry job to job, because it’s so versatile. This is currently in stock on the Morphe website and it too is listed on sale for $19.99. If you consider that the average decent drugstore bronzer can average about $10, this is a heck of a bargain! For this and the blush palette I paid $15 each.

MORPHE M439 DELUXE BUFFER BRUSH

 

 This is a rounded, synthetic kabuki brush that is IDEAL for apply foundation. It was a long time favorite of YouTuber and professional MUA Jaclyn Hill, and after watching so many of her videos and how much she raved about it, when I saw that it was on sale (I think I paid around $10) I knew I had to have it. I’ve been using a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply my foundation and I love it, but the M439 feel just a little bit softer and denser than the RT. I’m super excited to try it out!

MORPHE M160-1/8 ANGLE LINER BRUSH

 

 I have a few no-name angled liner brushes, and they’re alright, but I noticed that they’ve been starting to fray and shed. So I thought I would give this one a try. It’s regularly $5.99, but currently listed on their site for $2.99, only .99 cents more than what I paid on HL. They have a few different sizes it appears, this being the 3rd smallest. I had backed off the gel liner for awhile because of my raggedy old brushes, but I can’t wait to give this a try!

MORPHE M200 DELUXE CREASE BRUSH

 

 I love me a good fluffy brush. I’ll be the first to admit that for the longest time I avoided eyeshadows like the PLAGUE because I struggled so badly with blending. But fluffy brushes like this are A-MAZ-ING for blending away any harsh lines in your shadows, making you look like a smokey, sultry, sexy queen! The regular retail price is $9.99, but it’s listed on sale for $4.99 right now.

MORPHE M330 BLENDING CREASE BRUSH

 

 Another fluffy blending brush, it’s pretty much meant to do the exact same thing as a M200. But I’m rough on my blending brushes, so I like to have a few of them on hand at any given time. I also like to highlight with them, and this one looks like a smaller M501 which is commonly used for things like highlighting. The M330 retails for $11.98 but is currently on sale for $5.99. Quite a steal!

MORPHE M221 METAL EYELASH DEFINER

 

 “Clumpy mascara is not cute” they say on their website. And they’re damn right! Some people really like that chunky, clumpy look, and if you can carry off a look like that then more power to you! Personally I like my natural, long, separated doll like looking lashes. Bottom line, I actually didn’t own one of these, and I needed one. It regularly retails for $7.99 but is currently on sale for $3.99. I believe that this is one tool everyone should have in their collection, whether you’re a professional or not.

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If you guys haven’t tried Morphe products and tools yet you should DEFINITELY check them out! They’re great quality, affordable, professional, and if you’re a cosmetology student or licensed cosmetologist or MUA they offer a Pro discount of up to 20% on all of their products! That’s amazing! You can get more details as well as order products at morphebrushes.com!

Let me know below in the comments what YOU’VE tried from them, or what you want to try! I love to hear from you!

And don’t forget to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook! I’ll be doing a giveaway soon and you won’t want to miss out on it!

LOTS OF LOVE!

 

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