Meet Duke!

Dear readers,

I truly apologize for my recent absence from BeautyWithKiki. I will have to blame my distraction on my new baby, Mr. Duke.

There is a story behind this cute face and how we got him. About two months ago, our one year old teacup maltese was taken from us. One night, we let our two dogs out to go potty and a coyote jumped over a six foot fence (clearing it by two feet), grabbed Khloe, and jumped back over the fence with Khloe in its mouth. Khlo's cry is a sound that still haunts me and I will never forget it. R.I.P Koko <3

My parents acknowledged the difficulty I was having over the loss of my new puppy. They decided to surprise me with a present that I will bring with me to college next year.

I was surprised to receive this two pound bundle of joy about two weeks ago and it has been an exhausting but fun two weeks so far! He is a micro teacup yorkie. He is five months old and pretty much fully grown! He is the tiniest little thing. He is always either cuddling or playing with his toys. We are so in love with him! And needless to say that our dogs don't go outside anymore.

If you would like to see more pictures and videos of Duke, log on to Instagram. His username is toughguy_duke. Follow us on Instagram.... see you there :) Many more blogs to come!

Talk to you soon!
xo, Kiana & Duke

Reduced Guilt Munchies (Round 2!)

Since this was so popular the first time, I thought that I would come back with even more healthier alternatives to our guilty pleasures for you guys! Make sure to go back to June's blogposts for more munchies! =)

Everyone who knows me knows that I am an ice cream addict! But the first step is admitting it right? For a healthier alternative to slow churned, extra sugar ice cream, try So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream. So Delicious is a dairy-free brand! They have a plethora of flavors and also offer almond milk treats! This particular flavor is organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, kosher, and vegan! It's a tasty treat without the worry of tomorrow's workout!

Also, check out their Mini Coconut Sandwiches! They are sweetened with agave nectar instead of sugar for a healthy yet rich flavor! Plus, they only have 100 calories per sandwich! What's not to love? Find these at Mother's Market and other health food stores!

Okay... this is currently my obsession! Forget the adorable packaging, this popcorn is lightly salted with sea salt so that it doesn't taste like cardboard and is zero trans fat, cholesterol free, and 100% whole grain! It is non-gmo, vegan, gluten free, and kosher! This popcorn is super tasty and for an extra kick, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on it for a salty and spicy flavor! Or, sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top for a salty and buttery taste. Nutritional yeast is packed with vitamins, folic acid, zinc, and protein! You can find this at Whole Foods!

Okay, don't be afraid of the unorthodox appearance of this next snack! I promise it's yummy! Smart Treat's Raspberry Brittle is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. It is made of nuts and it full of protein! This is an amazing pick me up when you need a little boost and a tasty breakfast paired with a fruit smoothie for those mornings that you are really in a hurry! Now, this stuff can be very hard to find. I purchase mine at Mother's Market. 

 Last, but not least, Earth Cafe's Cheesecakes! This company has so many different flavors and I love them all. These are 0-guilt cheesecakes! They are gluten-free, vegan, and raw! You heard me, raw! If you have never heard of the raw diet or the raw food challenge, look it up, it is pretty difficult, but contrary to how it sounds, delicious! Pick this up at Whole Foods! You might even shed a pound or two from eating this delectable treat! 

That's all for today, I hope you enjoyed this blogpost and try out a few of these yummy snacks! Leave questions or comments in the comment section below and don't forget to follow this site! 

Happy Snacking!

xo, Kiana

Beauty Products Not Worth Your $$

Ugh.. Products I regret buying! Here is a heads up on products that I would NOT repurchase....

NYX Wicked Dreams Palette

First and for most, the NYX Wicked Dreams Palette. I had high hopes for this palette. It comes with 24 absolutely gorgeous colors! The problem is that NYX eye shadows are very hit and miss. These colors had barely any pigmentation and looked extremely muddy on the eyelids. I was just completely disappointed with the quality of the shadows. I tried this with a brush and fingers and nothing complimented the muddy colors. I absolutely love NYX, but this particular palette just didn't cut it.

Make Up For Ever's Aqua Eyes White Liner

Given the steep price of this eye liner, I expected something that had amazing pigmentation, gliding on, and lived up to the Make Up For Ever expectation. I love the Make Up For Ever Aqua Line, but for some reason the white liner is just awful. It is the furthest thing from creamy and hurts when I apply it to my waterline. Also, I find that while I am trying to build up the pigment on my waterline it gets clumpy? (For lack of a better word) It takes a while to really get a nice look with this pencil and there are many others that are easy AND affordable. 

Anastasia's Clear Brow Gel

Okay, don't get me wrong... this is a great brow gel. It is a little runny, but nothing I can't handle. Another plus is that it doesn't make your eyebrows hard as rock. The only problem is that there are so many other affordable alternatives that there is really no reason to splurge on this particular gel. I love my Anastasia brow powder and I will stay loyal to that; however, Maybelline's clear mascara works just as well as this. 

So those are the only three products that I have for you today, but through trial and error, I will continue to warn you of the products that are not worth the bucks! I hope that you guys liked this blog post and if you have any suggestions on how to make these products work please comment below!

Til Next Time!

xo, Kiana

Mini Beauty Haul

Hi Lovelies! Today, I thought I'd do a mini collective haul for you guys and let you know how I am liking everything so far! Some of these buys are pretty basic necessities and others are more fun, but keep reading to find out where my wallet's been this week! =)

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel - Seems basic right? Well, this is my absolute favorite shaving gel. It has a natural scent and vitamins and emollients to keep your skin smooth. This gel transforms into a creamy consistency that will not irritate your legs. It allows for a close shave and it keeps your legs moisturized instead of drying them out!

Loreal's Color Vibrancy Dual Protect Spray - This is essentially a heat protectant for color treated hair. I love the shampoo from this line and decided to give this a go since I am desperate to keep my ends from breaking. It says that it has UV filters and protects up to 450 degrees. The part that won me over was its scrumptious scent! I will keep you all posted on how I like this!

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste - I've heard great things about this toothpaste. It uses the same ingredients as whitening strips, but if I don't have to do an extra step to keep my teeth white then that sounds like a good deal to me! So far I have really been loving it! Stay posted for a blog post on my whitening products!

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish/Lip Treatment in Petal - My Lush Mint Julep lip scrub dried up on me so I decided to invest in one again. This one by Fresh was not cheap, but I love it because it has essential oils such as jojoba that both keep it from drying out and also moisturize your lips! If you haven't used a lip scrub before, you have to try it! This lip treatment is also extremely moisturizing! I got it in the shade Petal which is a nice pink with a surprising amount of pigmentation! Let me know if you would like to see a DIY for this combo!

Victoria's Secret Body Mist in Coconut Passion - Oh my gosh... YUM! So I've already been looking forward to Fall and Winter and when that time rolls around you bet I'll be smelling like this! This is sweet but musky; cute but sexy. It is a delicious blend of vanilla and coconut. P.S. Bath and Body Works has a scent portable called vanilla coconut that I put in my car whenever the weather starts getting colder and it matches this body mist to a T. Is it weird that I'm looking forward to matching the scent of my car?

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer w/ SPF 30 - I was out of moisturizer and I decided to pick one from Aveeno because it is a brand that I trust. I always try to pick a moisturizer with at least a little SPF during the day time - even if it's raining! I'm looking forward to trying this out! I'll keep you guys posted!

So that's all for this week! Stay posted for upcoming reviews on these products!
Much Love,
xo, Kiana