Mini Drugstore Haul feat. Walgreen's and Ulta

Hi guys! So I know I'm not really supposed to be doing any beauty shopping for a while but there were some sales going on, and if you know me, you know I love a good sale! Anyway, I did a little shopping at Walgreen's and placed an order online from Ulta. Lets see what goodies I got!

Fist up is Walgreen's. This week Walgreen's has certain Wet n' Wild product for only $2 with your Walgreen's card. I went in really only looking for the Fall 2014 Limited Edition 5 pan shadows. They typically retail for $3.99 which is already a steal, but when I got up to the register, they were only $2 each! I picked up the palettes called Melrose at Night and Smoke and Melrose. They had two other ones, one called High Waisted Jeans which I didn't care for as I don't really like blues on me, and the other one was called Angels in Aubergine, which just looked too harsh for my skintone. Of course I went with the neutral ones, surprise surprise. 

Lastly from Walgreen's, I picked up two of the Vaseline Lip Therapy balms. The first one is Rosy Lips which I had been tying to find but had no success til now and I also picked up the Cocoa Butter one. I was originally only going to buy one but if you bought 2, you got an extra 2,000 points with your Walgreen's card. I'm excited to try these, especially in the Winter when my lips are drier than dry. 

Now we have Ulta, which I'm really excited about. I had heard over and over about these Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains and wondered what the fuss was about. I don't own many Revlon lip products but was definitely curious about these. I had gotten an email from Ulta saying they had free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Free shipping for Ulta is typically $50 so I always wait for the $25 promo. Revlon also had a buy 1, get 1 50% off deal, which is why I bought four of these, plus I also had the code for $3.50 off of a $10 purchase and I used a bunch of points I had saved up, so with tax everything came to just under $20, and I still got the free shipping! Now keep in mind these typically cost between $7 and $10 depending on where you get them. Drugstores in my area carry them for $9.99, my Ulta carries them for $8.99. I basically got two of these for free! Can't complain about that! Anyways, I picked up the colors LA Exclusive, Rio Rush, Barcelona Nights, and Shanghai Sizzle. I've already tried three of the four and I must say, I'm very impressed! I plan on doing a review of these so I won't go into much detail here, but these are definitely really nice lip products.

That's everything I picked up! What have you purchased recently?

My Writing Process

Hey everyone! Aaliyah over at Shadow Liner Girl nominated me to join the My Writing Process Tour and of course I had to join in! I think it's fun getting to know more about someone and how they write. Also, this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but I had a really bad day and when I got home from work, I just wanted to sit down and do nothing basically, so sorry it's up a day late! Anyway, onto the questions:

1. What am I working on?

There's nothing too specific I'm working on right now, but I'd like to work on doing more reviews. I tend to buy products and show them in hauls, but end up not reviewing them. I love reviews alot, especially if they're really in depth and cover everything, so I definitely want to do more reviews and try to make them better. 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

This is a good question. I feel like alot of beauty blogs/vlogs are the same with what they do. I don't think I'm super different than any other beauty blogger, I just try to write about what I love and hopefully it comes off like I'm actually talking to someone and not make it sound like a commercial. 

3. Why do I write what I do?

Well, I love skincare and makeup obviously! Haha but really, I just love writing and talking about anything beauty related and I wanted to get it out somehow, so that's why I started this blog. 

4. How does my writing process work?

Oh man, this is going to sound strange, but I honestly wing it most days. I don't have a notebook and I don't write down a post first then type it up. I pretty much go by the seat of my pants and what comes into my brain is what I type out. I think I probably should start writing down ideas because one could pop into my head and I say I'll make a mental note of it, then it's gone. 

Now I'm supposed to nominate other bloggers to carry this tour on for September 1st, but the people I emailed never responded back! I'm hoping they got the email I sent, but I'm not going to say who I did nominate just in case they didn't want to join in. 

Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)

Review: Valentia Even Glow Serum

*Disclosure* I was sent this product courtesy of BrandBacker and Valentia for review purposes. As always, my review will be 100% honest and my own!

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing this awesome Valentia Even Glow Vitamin C Antioxidant Serum for you guys. I was so excited when this was sent to me as I had wanted to try out a vitamin c serum for a while thinking it would help out with evening my skin tone. 

This serum is made with:

- 20% vitamin C which helps with brightness and texture of the skin (I need that!) and it helps with the production of collagen (aka. fewer wrinkles)

- Organic rosehip and sea buckthorn oil. When you combine these oils with vitamin c, they help combat free radicals and promote deep hydration which helps reduce wrinkles and evens skin tone

- Resistem (plant stem cells) which protects against stress related aging while promoting skin detoxification by removing damaged proteins and other cellular waste

- Hyaluronic acid which allows skin to retain moisture while also increasing elasticity and firmness

- Green tea extract is a potent antioxidant that has anti-inflammitory and anti-irritant benefits

After using this serum for about 2 weeks, I can definitely say I've seen an improvement in my skin. This is such a lightweight serum and sinks right into my skin. For me, I only use between 5 and 7 drops for my whole face, neck, and chest area. I always take what I use on my face down as that ages too! I feel like my skin is brighter, and I honestly think it's helping in making my pores look smaller. I'm always on a quest to find something that helps with my pores. I do think this may have broken me out a little bit, but it hasn't been bad. Sometimes products that help to make skin glow can do that to your skin if you're prone to breakouts. I don't have wrinkles so I can't say if it helps with that or not. Also, I have to mention that this smells so amazing! If anyone has heard of a drink called Orangina, it smells just like that. My husband is obsessed with that drink because of its orange-y yummy goodness.

You can only get this product on Amazon and it only costs $35, which for a serum that contains 1.18 fluid ounces, is not bad at all. If you want more information go onto Valentia's website to learn more about what products they have.

What do you think of this product? Does it seem like something you would try?

Updated Blog Sale!

Hey there everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I updated my blog sale tab with different products and prices. Let me know if you're interested in anything! All info is on the sale page :)

Also, I will update the page as things sell or when I come across things I don't use or have never/ won't ever use.

Thank you!

August 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! So I received my Ipsy bag on Friday but only got a chance today to write up what I got. When I was able to check my glam room and see what I would be getting, I was pretty excited! Once I actually got my bag in the mail, I was a little let down. The theme this month is called Beauty Schooled.

First off, I don't like the look of the bag. I don't like the color orange and when I got it, it was so smushed that I was afraid something may have broken inside. Onto the products.

 I first received the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner. I love receiving things that will help with my pores. Having oily, acne prone skin, products like this are amazing. I do have another sample of this but I have yet to try it. 

Next I received a Coastal Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo. I was first happy to see I would be getting this in my bag. Once I received it, I couldn't believe how small it was. I don't know how I'll be able to use this normally. I do have a comparison picture coming up shortly. 

Next up we have the Absolute Lip Balm in the Green Apple scent. A grape scent was also sent out and I probably would've preferred that, but this doesn't smell too offensive. I was never a fan of green apple stuff, even with candy. The color of it is pretty though so I'll give it a try. 

Then we have a Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil in a black color. Again, such a tiny sample that for me, it will be difficult to use. Reminds me of free samples they give you from Sephora when you place an order online. 

Lastly we have the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. This is the only product I'm super excited to use. I love Urban Decay as a brand so getting to try their new mascara is nice.

Not sure if this is a good comparison picture, but I didn't really have anything else. I have been told by numerous people that I have really small hands. My wedding rings are a size 5 if that helps too, and they sometimes slide around. Granted, my husband's hands are huge compared to mine, but he's a big dude. I'm just amazed that these tiny ass samples were sent out. Like I said above, these remind me of the free samples they send out with online orders. Pretty disappointed. 

Overall, I am not too happy with Ipsy this month. Some months are so amazing and then we have months like this where they all seem like free samples that I paid $10 for. 

Anyway, I do like Ipsy but I'm hoping next month is way better than this. I've received some awesome bags in the past, so if you want to subscribe, sign up here!

If you're already signed up, what did you think of your bag?

Sephora VIB Renewal Haul!

Hi guys! So in my last haul post I mentioned that my Sephora order helped me renew my VIB status through 2015. When your status gets renewed, you typically get a 10% off code to use in-store or online. I somehow was able to do both so when my husband and I went out for his birthday dinner, we stopped into Sephora. Also, I found out when I was there that depending on what status you are, you got extra points! Being a VIB I got 3X points, so I was a very happy girl! A couple days later I made an online order and was still able to use the 10% off code, plus 3X the points! Most of what I bought I'd wanted to try for ages, and one item I got because it looked nice, so lets see what I got!

The first product I bought is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in the color Fair Honey. Now I had heard about this because of EssieButton on YouTube. She raved about it in a review she did so ever since then I really wanted to try it. I'm usually a big fan of the powder/mineral foundations so I'm definitely excited to try this. The only thing I'm worried about is the color. I did get the lightest shade and I did test it out on my jawline in the store, but I'm hoping it's not going to be too yellow for me. The box says it's for fair skin with peach undertones. The next color up was definitely too yellow, but I'll give this a go and hopefully it works!

The next product is the one I thought looked nice and it's the Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil. I wanted to try out a beauty oil but with my oily skin I was always worried it would just make it more greasy. They had a whole display of different oils and what skin types they were good for. This Boscia one said it's good for oily skin, so I went with it. This was a pricey bugger at $46, but with the 10% off and the extra points, I thought I'd give it a try. 

The last product I bought in store is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in the color Trooper. I've heard pretty much everyone and their mother rave about this liquid liner, and while I still consider myself a newbie with liquid/gel liner, this looked easy enough to control and (hopefully) not mess up. I'm really excited to try this!

When I was checking out the girl showed me all the point perks available, and when she brought out this Hourglass set, I almost died. I've never tried anything from Hourglass before, even though I think I have some samples of their primer, but I'm getting the itch to try some. This was a whopping 500 points, but I got close to 300 points on this purchase alone, so it didn't really matter. This set comes with a foundation sample card, their Veil Mineral Primer, which is what I think I have samples of, a Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara sample, a Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in the color Grace, and their Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in the color Icon. I'm really happy to get a chance to try out some of their products now that I have this little set!

Now we have my online order. When I bought the Tarte foundation above, I did see the Airbuki Bamboo Powder Foundation Brush in store as well, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it or not. I do have a kabuki brush that I bought from The Body Shop years ago that I love with powder foundations, and thought maybe it would be okay. I ended up purchasing this because compared to my kabuki brush, this one has such shorts bristles and they're so tightly packed, so I have a feeling it will be easier buffing the foundation into my skin. I definitely want to try this brush with my bareMinerals foundation as well and see how it works. 

After I used my points on the Hourglass set, I really got an even bigger itch to try out more products. I consider this my first "luxury" product, as weird as it sounds. I ended up with the Ambient Lighting Blush in the color Ethereal Glow, and my oh my, how I love this! I haven't swatched it or anything yet because I wanted it to look all nice for these pictures, but I'm dying to try it now. I'm super duper pale, even in the Summer, so I thought this color would be good for me. The one I got though seems to have alot more of the really light shade, so I definitely am curious to see how this looks on the cheeks. 

What do you think of any of these products? Is there anything you've hauled recently that you're excited about?

Review: Makeup by One Direction "Take Me Home" Collection

*Disclosure* This product was sent to my courtesy of Brand Backer and Markwins for review purposes. All opinions are always 100% honest and my own!

Here it is all you One Direction fans! I was one of the lucky people who got to try out a set from One Direction's new makeup collection called "The Looks Collection. I received the set called Take Me Home, but there are two more called Midnight Memories and Up All Night. 

The collection will be sold worldwide starting with the US. International dates are still to be determined. Here are the US release dates:

- Macys: August 11th
- Stage Stores: August 25th
- Dillards: August 25th
- Beauty Brands: August 25th
- Lord & Taylor: August 25th

This kit comes with:
- Liquilights Glow Gloss in the color Kiss You. This gloss is an orange glitter rush lip gloss that glows to neon yellow under UV light. I have yet to try this out in the dark to prove that. Honestly, I don't mind the gloss. It feels nice going onto the lips and it's not sticky. However, I do feel the chunks of glitter on my lips and that can be a bit off putting.

- 4+1 Eye Shadow Palette in nude shades called:
    Back For You- velvet creme shade that's great as a highlight shade
    Change My Mind- peachy shimmer which I used on the lids
    C'mon C'mon- soft taupe used in the crease
    Little Things- smoky brown darkened the outer corners
    Take Me Home- golden glitter creme used as a top coat for everything. This actually isn't that great to be honest. Doesn't how up on the lid too well, you can tell I have glitter on my eyes though
- Last First Kiss which is a nude-pink sheer lipstick. This is a color I kinda like. When I first opened it though, then entire bullet fell out of the tube and onto my bed, so now I have pink lipstick stains on my sheets. 

- Little Black Dress volumizing mascara. This is just a typical mascara with a plain wand. It's basically a continuous spiral that doesn't do much for my lashes

- Live While We're Young multi-dimentional gold glitter nail polish. Have not tried this yet. Not really a fan of glitter polishes/top coats

- I Wish which is a warm chocolate brown eye and body crayon. This is alright. The color is nice, but doesn't last at all. 

- Also comes with a 5 piece decorator stencil set. I won't use these. 

Onto the look I came up with:

The eyeshadows were not bad at first. They felt nice going on, they were easy to blend and looked pretty decent. However, throughout the day I noticed it fading away even though I had used an eyeshadow primer. I really liked the brown liner too. It's creamy and doesn't tug at the lids. That was pretty much the first thing to disappear on my eyes though. The mascara is alright. It definitely gives a natural look which I do like, but it's nothing too special. Now the lipstick I liked. It's definitely sheer like the name says but the color is pretty. The gloss I can do without. The orange color is strange to me, but over the lipstick it doesn't look terrible. 

Swatches of eyeshadow palette

Swatches of lipstick, lip gloss, and eyeliner

Overall, I don't want to say this is cheap makeup, but as a person who has used high end and drugstore makeup, this isn't stellar. If you're maybe 12 to about 16 years old, just getting into makeup, this kit or one of the other two may be a decent option. If I were a teenager again going through my boyband phase, I'm sure this is something I'd want. 

For more information on this makeup line, go to One Direction's Facebook page!

What do you think of this collection?

Tag: The Secrets of Blogging

Hey everyone! I wasn't tagged specifically to do this, but I did see it on Kate Spitz' blog and thought it would be a good way to get to know more about me and my blog! 

1. When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging 2 years ago (today, actually!) and I wanted to start a blog because I had been watching beauty gurus on YouTube for years before I even thought about it. One day, something just clicked in my head that this is something I wanted to do because I love everything beauty. Plus my husband, then fiance, said I should go for it. I'm pretty camera shy, and I love writing, so blogging was the way to go for me. 

2. How many people in "real life" know about your blog?

Alot of people believe it or not. My parents read my blog, I post everything I do on my Facebook page and people at work know I have a blog. I don't see it as a big deal to keep this secret because it's a part of my life and I want to share it with people.

3. What are your favorite posts to read?

I have this strange obsession with empties/products I've used up posts and videos. I don't know what it is, but seeing what people have used up is just really cool to me. I also love haul posts and reviews of products.

4. List a blog you have discovered recently.

Hate to say it, but I've been reading the same blogs for quite a while now, so I can't remember what I started following last!

5. What posts are you most proud of?

I'm proud of all my posts! Haha, not trying to toot my horn or anything. I just feel like I work hard on what I post and this is what I want to do for a living eventually, so I try to put my best efforts into everything I post.

6. What advice would you give to future bloggers?

I don't really feel like I'm a good person to give blogging advice since I know I have a ways to grow with everything, but honestly, don't let everything be about numbers! If you focus so much on how many followers or page views or sponsored posts you're getting everyday, you'll go mad. Seriously, when I started of course I wanted to do well because it's what I love, and I almost obsessively checked how I was doing. It's not worth the time doing all that, so just do you and not worry about numbers. If you're putting in the effort and you're happy with where you're going, good things will come in due time. 

I hope everyone enjoyed, and I tag everyone to do this! It was fun and I'm glad I came across it :)

HAUL! The Body Shop, Ulta, Wegmans, Sephora

Hey guys! Unfortunately for my wallet, I went on yet another beauty shopping spree. I tell ya, I can't resist a good sale and coupons! I went to The Body Shop, Ulta, Sephora and oddly enough, my local grocery store, Wegmans. Lets see what I got!

I'll start off with The Body Shop. They were having an awesome buy 3, get 3 free deal so obviously I couldn't pass that up. Once I got what I wanted, I was told I had my $15 gift to use if I wanted, so I said heck yeah! The girl there also said that anything else I got would be buy 1, get 1 free since I had already done the original deal. I made out like a bandit to say the least and with tax only spent a little over $50. 

Anyways, first we have two mini body butters. The one on the top is the Shea scent and the bottom is Cocoa Butter. If you know me or have read my blog for a while, you know how much I love their body butters. I don't use them much in the Summer since my skin isn't as dry, but the mini versions were just too cute to pass up. 

Next up we have one of my most beloved products ever, and that's the Hemp Hand Protector. Aside from the packaging being annoying, the actual product inside is amazing! I personally love the smell of this, but alot of people find it too strong. I love this hand cream in the Winter when my hands get so dry, they crack and really hurt. This hand cream pretty much solves that problem overnight. Love this stuff!

I decided to stock up on another beloved product, the Aloe Calming Toner. Y'all know I've talked about this a million times and it's in almost every empties post I write up. Holy Grail toner and I'll always buy this stuff in bulk.

I haven't used these next products in a while, but I've always loved their Aloe Protective Serum. This is great as a moisturizer for me in the Summer, or in the Winter I like to mix it in with a moisturizer for extra hydration. I couldn't remember if I had any at home, so I picked up two bottles. Of course when I got home, I did notice I have some backups. Oops!

Then we have the Aloe Eye Defense. I love this eye cream so much, mainly because it's incredibly gentle, yet it's still hydrating enough to make the skin around my eyes look and feel good. I also noticed I had a backup of this too. I need to start looking through my stash before I buy things!

Lastly for The Body Shop, we have two of their lip butters. I purchased the Shea scent and Coconut scent. I love these lip butters alot because they're incredibly hydrating and creamy, but they leave a white cast on my lips, so I only use them at night before bed, or throughout the day if I'm not going anywhere. 

Next up is Ulta! I was really wanting to go to Ulta because I had a 20% off coupon to use on anything, but the kicker was that coupon also worked on high end brands! Granted, it only took off 10% but hey, I wasn't complaining! I also had some points to use so I made out well here.

The first product I got is the Real Techniques Powder Brush. I love these brushes so much and while there wasn't a sale on them, I figured with the 20% coming off of this product, it wasn't a bad deal. I have yet to try this, but I'm sure I'll love it because I haven't been disappointed in any of their brushes I've tried.

Next up is the it Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish Micro Powder. I have never tried anything from it Cosmetics before and this stood out to me as a great finishing powder. I have really oily skin with pores galore, so I have high hopes for this.

The it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Eyeshadow Palette is the original reason I wanted to go to Ulta in the first place. I'd seen review after review of this and everyone loved it. Even though I have both Lorac Pro palettes that have a good amount of matte shades in them, I wanted an all matte palette that had more than 5 or 6 colors in it. I plan on doing a review of this eventually but I have to say, the colors are stunning!

When I was checking out, the girl at the counter gave me this It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product as a free sample. I was so happy I practically yelled thank you at her! I've never tried this before but I've always heard good things about it. Can't wait to try it now!

Next is Wegmans. I'm not sure how many stores there are in the country but I have a feeling it's more of an upper eastern store. I'm in Pennsylvania, but I know there are stores in New York and they're constantly growing. A new store opened up next to the mall I work in, so it's incredibly convenient for me if I have to stop for groceries after work. 

Anyways, I usually check out what cosmetics/skincare/beauty stuff they have and I've been wanting to try the Garnier Clean Shine Control Cleansing Gel. This is a charcoal cleanser, and I really love charcoal on my skin. It really cleans it well and lessens the look of my pores. This stuff smells nice to me as well so I'm excited to try it!

Now we have the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum. I have no idea if this is getting discontinued or my store is just not going to carry this anymore, but it was on clearance for only about $5. I'm pretty sure I heard about this product on YouTube and was curious about it, so when I saw this on clearance I kinda freaked. If I end up liking this and find out it's getting discontinued, I'll cry.

Lastly is another clearance item, and it's the Olay Fresh Effects Everything Off! Makeup Removal Cloths. I kid you not, these were only like $3 for this entire pack of 25. I also don't know if this is getting discontinued, or if it's getting repackaged, but I figured for $3 it wasn't too bad to try them out. 

Lastly, we have Sephora. Now these products are from two separate purchases. One was online and the other was from Sephora inside JC Penny. These purchases also renewed my VIB status through 2015, so expect another haul soonishly!

First up is the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Overnight Mask. I heard about this from YouTube and thought it seemed like an interesting product. You can use this on clean skin or after moisturizer, but you leave it on overnight and wash it off in the morning. It's supposed to brighten and nourish your skin, so I'm definitely curious to see what it does for me.

Next up is something I had been eyeing for a long time and it's the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Native. When the original one came out, I had wanted that but thought the bronzer was too dark. When they came out with different shades and I saw this, I had to try it. I purchased mine online, but when I was looking at it in store, the blush had barely any pigment to it! I'm thinking it's from all the lights because mine is way more pigmented and beautiful. I'll tell ya, it's the perfect pink shade and the bronzer doesn't look too dark or orange. I'm flipping excited that I have this now!

I was looking at the sale section online because, you know, I like a good deal. I came across this Sephora PRO Cream Shadow #28 brush for only $20. I haven't been using my cream shadows because I don't really like getting my fingers dirty, plus it gets under my nails and makes a mess. I saw this and thought maybe it would work for me. I have tried this and am happy to report that I love it! It picks up just enough product and blends it on my lids perfectly. I will start using more of my cream shadows now that I have this. 

Well, I caved and bought the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. This is an expensive little bugger but it's gotten a ton of hype. I do tend to have super dry lips, so this could be worth the hefty price tag if it helps me. 

When I was looking at all the Bite Beauty products in store, I was surprised to see the Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library as I think it's limited edition. I had heard FleurdeForce talk about this and she loved every single color. My store only had one left in stock, so after I had a little fun with the testers, I decided to buy it even though it was close to $50. The glosses aren't a huge size, but I feel it gives me a good enough amount of product to decide whether or not I like them. Bite Beauty in general gets good reviews, so I do have pretty high hopes for these.

The very last product we have is the Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Professional Strength AM/PM regimen. This was online and was given out for free with a certain code. Even though they're sample foil packets, there are 7 days worth but if you're anything like me, I'll try to make it last longer. Ole Henriksen products are kinda expensive, so I'm definitely gonna try and get good use out of them.

That's everything! Sorry the post is so darn long, but I did get alot of stuff! Like I said above, Those Sephora purchases extended my VIB status and I got a 10% off coupon to use, so expect another haul soon! ;)

What have you hauled lately?

July 2014 Empties

Hey everyone! This past month wasn't that great with empties, but it was enough to warrant a post of what I did use up. There are mostly skincare products but definitely next month I will have more makeup. I'm close to using up alot of different makeup, so that makes me happy. Anyways, lets get into what I used up in July!

I'm gonna start off with vitamins. I think vitamins are an important part of beauty because it helps your body feel good which should just help you feel good in general. I used up a Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails supplement. I honestly don't notice much of a difference in my skin, but my hair tends to grow a little faster and my nails are strong and healthy when I take supplements. I also used another Nature's Bounty Multi Vitamin for women. I don't know really what benefits I feel from these, but I kinda always took a multi when I was younger so I keep getting them. 

Now for the skincare. I used up The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. I love this cleanser in the Summer months as my morning cleanser to help prep my skin for the day and get all the grease and dirt off that collected from the night before. I usually have a few backups of these on hand plus I have alot of other cleansers to use up as well. Definitely a repurchase once my stash diminishes a bit.

Typically, I have yet another The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. I can go on and on about how much I love this toner but I won't. I use it all the time, mostly at night.

I used up a moisturizer by Benefit called the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion. This is oil free and has SPF 15 PA++, what ever that means. I honestly didn't like this much. I used it during the day because of the SPF, but it was just a meh moisturizer. It did feel a little hydrating but made me oily after about an hour or so. This is probably a good moisturizer if you have normal to combo skin. I won't be repurchasing this only because I'm super oily.

I finally used up my Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I love, love, love this mask! It's been talked about for ages, but it really is great for oily skin that feels congested. I love the smell of this and I might repurchase, but I have alot of masks to use up first.

Last of the empties! I used up the Maybelline Clean Express! Makeup Remover. This is the waterproof eye makeup remover and I was so in love with this stuff! I had originally bought this because I had a $1 off coupon for it when it was first released and I bought it at Walmart so I'm pretty sure I only paid about $3. Like I said, I loved this alot. It didn't burn my eyes and removed my makeup incredibly well. I will most definitely repurchase when I use up my other makeup removers.

I used up another Philosophy shower gel in the scent Ginger Berry Frost. This shower gel actually had little flecks of shimmer throughout that I wasn't really a fan of and I didn't care much for the scent. For me, it was a little too sweet smelling, which is definitely odd for me because I love sweet things. I think this came in a holiday kit from Sephora a while ago. 

I'm starting to get into the habit of using up some of my samples I have since they're overflowing. I decided to use the Givenchy Mister Light in the shade 4 Mister Macaroon. This was a bit dark for me, but when I used a Beauty Blender or the Real Techniques sponge, I was able to make it work. This was an interesting product. The texture of this felt great, it was creamy but light and blended well. However, there are shimmer particles in this that made me look a bit like a disco ball but when I used a good amount of pressed powder, it took it away a little. Seeing how much this is in pen form, I will not purchase this.

I used up another Similasan eye drops for allergy eyes. Love this stuff and it doesn't burn my eyes like alot of other drops do. I will always repurchase this. 

My last empty is Benefit's They're Real! Mascara. Alot of you will probably hate me for this, but I don't get the hype surrounding this mascara. It made my lashes look spidery and bad. Towards the end of its life, I would get balls of mascara on the tips of my lashes and I'd always have to use a comb to get them out. Not going to purchase. Ever.

That's everything! Like I said, next month should be better in the makeup department. What did you all use up in July?

July 2014 Favorites!

It's that time of the month again where I show you guys what I've been loving. I feel like I purchased a decent amount of products this past month, but there was one standout that's brand new to my collection, along with a few others! 

First up we have the Freeman Facial Clay Mask in Mint & Lemon. Now I gotta admit, I've only used it once but I was super impressed after that one use, I had to mention it! It has the same mint green color as the Mint Julep Masque that everyone talks about, but this one isn't as thick. The only thing that sort of turns me off is that it burns a little after you put it on. That feeling goes away after about 5 minutes so it's bearable to me. After I rinsed off this mask, I absolutely love how soft this made my face feel. This is geared towards people with breakouts and large pores and I have to say, I really feel like my pores were shrunk a bit. I have quite a few of these Freeman masks and the ones I've tried have not disappointed me. They're super inexpensive as well, so you can't go wrong!

Next up we have a lip gloss by Smashbox and the color is called Pout. Honestly, I got this years ago in a holiday kit from Sephora, so I have no idea if it's still available or not. Anyways, I used this lip gloss about half the time this month and I just love the baby pink color. It doesn't show up that pink on the lips though, it's just a wash of color. It's also not sticky at all, which is a big plus.

The other half of the month, I've Been using the Maybelline The Elixir lip gloss in the color Celestial Coral. I'm pretty sure I've talked about these glosses before, but they're amazing! They feel great on the lips, they're not sticky and the color payoff is very nice. Next to the NYX Butter Glosses, these are definitely a favorite from the drugstore!

Now we have a shower gel from Philosophy called Happy Birthday, Beautiful! I'm about 99% sure that this was a birthday gift from Sephora some years back and I'm just now using it. It's vanilla birthday cake scented, and is delicious! You all know I'm a major fan of these Philosophy shower gels, and this one is definitely no exception. If I had the money, I'd buy all the scents in massive sizes so I have enough for the rest of my life :)

Last, but not least, we have the glorious Lorac Pro 2 palette. I did a review on this here and it's as amazing as it looks. The colors are gorgeous and they feel amazing when you swatch them. I know I said in my review, but if you buy any eyeshadow palette this year, have it be this one. It's fantastic!

What have you guys been loving this past month?