The Hustlin’ Homemaker

Reading Wrap Up | August

I am so excited to share my August reads with you today! All three of the books I read were so good and some great contenders for the best books of 2022 (coming up soon!!!)

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

This book was so good and def my favorite of this month! It was about a girl named Rowan, who takes a live-in nannying job for a family with a luxurious “smart” home. The family seems picture perfect, but her job ends with a child dead and her awaiting trial. This book was very suspenseful and has a lot of twists! Definitely check this one out!

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I LOVE Gillian Flynn books, and was so excited to read this one. This book was about a little girl named Libby who was left behind when her mother and sisters were tragically murdered by her brother. As an adult now, she meets with a club that is trying to free her brother from prison. Gathering evidence, she wonders if it was her brother and finds out the real truth. This book was very good, but it was a little bit violent and at times, disturbing. There is also a movie adaptation of this, which I watched after I read this and really liked.

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli

This book hooked me from the get-go and I could not put it down. It is about a girl named Anna, who seemingly has the perfect life with her husband and children, and is excited to be made a senior professor at her job. She is working closely with a student named Alex, to publish an article which will make them rich. I don’t want to give anything away, but there are lots of betrayal and twists in this story. It is suspenseful and a really good psychological thriller.

That’s it for the books for this month!

What have you been reading?

xx Amy

Friday Fave | Winky Lux Confetti Balm

I love lip products that go on clear and color change. I have tried a bunch of them, but my favorite is this one by Winky Lux! This is the Confetti Balm in Lavender.

She’s a beauty!

I first saw this balm at Ulta with my daughter Allie, I took her to lunch and shopping after her 5th grade graduation this year. I told her she could pick out anything she wanted, and she picked this Winky Lux balm! She’s been using it a lot and she loves it, so she got me one for my birthday! I am so glad she did, because now I am hooked on it too!

It’s the packaging for me. The packaging for all of the Winky Lux products is so pretty and fancy. It comes in a little silver bullet, and is a sheer purple-y pink with different color sparkles inside. It’s just fun to look at!

Once you apply it to your lips, it changes with your pH to your “perfect color” which for me and Allie is just a really rosy pink color. The glitter doesn’t feel chunky or scratchy on your lips, and it is so moisturizing. It is just a tinted balm that is so easy to have for a little pick me up. It’s gorgeous!

Have you tried this lip balm?

Thanks for reading! xx

Gucci Mini Jackie | Bag Review and What Fits

When I was in high school, I had this perfect little Guess brand denim shoulder bag that I was obsessed with. It was totally 2000’s, fit perfectly under my arm, and held my little pink and white Nokia phone and roll on lipgloss.

Ever since then, I have loved denim bags. I have collected a few over the years, two of them being on the verge of vintage, a Fendi Baguette and a Louis Vuitton Mini Pleaty. Both of these were purchased in the early 2000’s, so almost vintage! I can’t wait to pass them down to my girls someday.

A few months ago, I added a new bag to my little denim collection, a Gucci Mini Jackie! Honestly, I’ve never been interested in the iconic Jackie bags, until I saw this mini version in DENIM.

When they say this bag is a mini, they ain’t lying. It is seriously the cutest thing ever. I love teeny and impractical bags. I don’t care if it fits my phone! My phone is usually in my hand anyway.

You can’t fit it on your shoulder, so it is a top handle bag, but it does come with a crossbody strap. I don’t think it looks cute crossbody, so I just carry it like this. Here it is next to my phone to show you just how teeny it is! My phone DOES fit in this bag if you turn it sideways.

It has the same closure as the regular size Jackie bags, which is so cute and I love the gold hardware.

It also has a little pocket inside that I usually put cash in, but you can fit cards.

Ok, so let me show you what fits!

Dior Lip Glow Oil in Pink – my favorite lip oil!
Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm in Glittergasm – a sheer pink glittery balm
Ariana Grande Cloud Rollerball – love this scent!

Black Amazon sunnies – my fave!
A card case and some cash – I know some people don’t like carrying cash but I like to always have some!
Car keys and a little keychain my daughter made for me
Listerine strips – a MUST! These fit in every bag and I don’t like having to chew gum or mints
Boscia blotting papers – for my greasy face
A Mickey scrunchie from our recent Disney trip!

Everything fits nicely!

Overall, I love this little bag. If you are into tiny bags, you’ll love it too. It also comes in a few different colors and prints, and there are leather versions.

I hope you liked this post! I am crazy about handbags and could talk about them all day! Are you nosy like me and like to see what people have in their bags? 🙂

Thanks for reading xx

Naked 3 Mini Eye Palette | Review and Swatches

I have had this palette for awhile now, and I thought it would be a great time for me to review it for you. This is the perfect little neutral palette, and it has everything you need to create a fresh and pretty look! This is the Urban Decay Naked 3 Mini Palette.

This palette retails for $29 and is available at both Sephora and Ulta.

This is a mini palette, and comes with six different shades.

Glassy – light cream sheen
Public – peachy champagne gold shimmer
Laced Up – dusty rose matte
Stolen – mauve taupe shimmer
Right Time – grey purple matte
Spiced – deep charcoal grey

These shades are relatively cool, which I love and I prefer for my skintone. Here are the swatches.

I love the mix of shades in this palette. It has three shimmery shades with three matte shades. The shimmery shades don’t have chunky glitter on them, so I don’t get any fall out. The matte shades are pigmented and smooth.

I can use this palette for day or night, and every shade is usable! I use the shade spiced to smoke up any look and is also very good as liner. The shimmery shades are so pretty just all over the lid and in the inner corner highlight.

I absolutely love this palette and have been reaching for it everyday! It is so small, so it is perfect for travel. If you are looking for a new eyeshadow palette, check out this one!

Have you tried this palette?

Thanks for reading xx

Crumbl Pink Sugar Cookie | Copycat Recipe

I’ve had Crumbl cookies a few times, and my favorite one that I have had was their pink iced sugar cookie. It was, without a doubt, the best sugar cookie I have ever eaten. The cookie is so soft and delicious, and the icing is next level. This cookie is served chilled, which makes it even better. These cookies are so rich and decadent, and I love the buttery vanilla flavor.

I had to figure out how to make them on my own, so I looked up a few recipes online and tweaked them a bit to our liking. Here’s what we came up with!

Ingredients: