Beauty Wishlist: Fall 2016

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Hey everyone! I know I've been slacking again on the blogging recently. So much is going on in life and quite honestly, I'm just stressed out so the last thing I've wanted to do lately is sit down and write. Today though, I wanted to share with you all a few things that I've been seriously lusting over in the beauty world. As you might know, I've put myself on a spending ban and haven't purchased anything beauty related since April. There are so many new releases, and products that have been out for a little while that I just want to get my hands on. 

 

Lorac Mega Pro Palette 3 - Lorac never ceases to amaze me with their shadow formula, and it has definitely become my favorite formula to work with. Just look at how beautiful these shades are! This palette officially releases on October 2nd at Ulta Beauty for $59, and I think this is the one product I will allow myself to splurge on. I have the other two Mega Pro palettes, and the first two smaller ones, so naturally this is a must.


 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Palette Color Wheel - Now I really don't need anymore blushes in my life, but this palette gives me some major feels. I hear angels singing looking at this beauty. I'm a pretty big fan of the Tarte Amazonian clay blushes since they last on my oily skin, so this is incredibly tempting to get. This is a Sephora exclusive that sells for just $44.

 

Clarisonic Mia 2 Sea Breeze First Aid Beauty Set - I adore the Clarisonic. I've had my current one since my 21st birthday (almost 7 years now), and I can tell that it's starting to crap out on me. It works fine still, but it doesn't hold a charge very long. I don't use it very often, maybe twice a week at most, but I find that I have to charge it up constantly because it dies fast. I've been looking into getting a new one and this set comes with a few First Aid Beauty products, which is a brand I'm fond of, along with a Luxe Facial Brush Head and a Sensitive Brush Head. This set costs $169 and I'm pretty sure it's a Sephora exclusive. 

 

itCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream - it Cosmetics has recently launched at Sephora, and they have a few skincare items that are Sephora exclusives, this eye cream being one of them. What caught my eye with this is the claims that it smooths, brightens and depuffs. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm expecting a baby girl who is due on Christmas Eve. After she's born, I know I'll have many sleepless nights (and days) taking care of her needs and mama will look like a Walking Dead zombie. Anything that can help to brighten and depuff tired mommy eyes, I'm all for. This costs $48. 

  

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette - This bad boy has been out for a while and has so much hype surrounding it. Every video I watch on this and every blog post I read has nothing but amazing things to say. The colors are gorgeous, and swatches I've seen have been incredible. I'm now convinced that this needs to be in my collection, but it's sold out online everywhere at the moment. This costs $42 which is a great price for a palette.  

We would be here for hours if I kept adding products to this list, so I'll leave it at five. There are so many awesome products I'm dying to get my hands on, but with my priorities being on baby girl lately, I haven't treated myself to anything. If there is anything else you all think I should check out, let me know in a comment! I'd love to hear what you are lusting over!

Also, let me know what kind of posting schedule you would like to see from me. I don't have the time to post every single day, or even 5 days a week. I was thinking maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday but would love some input!

The Best Health, Beauty & Wellness Deals

*Disclosure* This post is sponsored by Groupon. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always!

Hey guys! You're all probably beauty lovers like I am, and you probably also love to find deals on anything health and beauty related. With Health, Beauty & Wellness Groupons, you're bound to find an amazing deal on something you want.  

Being pregnant is an amazing thing, but it can be hard to take care of yourself if you work all the time, if you already have kids, or just have an overall busy life in general. Even if you're not pregnant like I am, you may just have alot on your plate, and it's important to take time for yourself. 

With Health, Beauty & Wellness Groupons, I can find spas that offer facials, or even massages that help out my aching back. I can go get my hair done, or get a mani/pedi if I want to feel pretty. Some days, I'm just so exhausted that I don't want to wash my hair or wash my face, so being pampered for a day can make such a world of difference!

When looking up what you want to do to help you feel good about yourself, you can input your location at the top to find the best deals in your area, wherever you are! 

I think Groupon really comes in handy, and my wedding anniversary is coming up very soon, so I'm tempted to have my husband treat me before baby arrives!

Be sure to check out Groupon on Facebook and Twitter! 

What do you think of the health, beauty and wellness deals that Groupon has to offer?

Saving Money With Groupon

*Disclosure* This post is sponsored by Groupon. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey guys! If you're like me and like to save money wherever you can, Groupon coupons has the deals for you. As a soon-to-be new mom, I've been trying to save money in every aspect of my life, and using coupons has been a great way of saving. 

With Groupon coupons, all you have to do it type in your location at the top right side, and it'll pop up with all the different coupons you can use in your area. They also have general coupons too, though!

Some of my favorite stores to save money at are: 

Barnes & Noble - I love to wander around those aisles just browsing usually, but there's nothing like a brand new book to add to your collection!

Macy's - I used to work there for 5 years, and I sure miss the discount I would get! Using Groupon coupons makes me feel a little better about spending money there.

Walmart - I made a baby registry (one of) at Walmart, and I've been shopping there for years. It's nice when I can find a good coupon or deal on something on top of their already great prices

Ulta Beauty - I can't not put something beauty related here. I definitely love shopping at Ulta, so it's nice that Groupon coupons tells you about all the deals going on and what you can save on as well. It comes in handy when you're cutting back on the beauty shopping like I am!

Having a baby soon has made me realize how much money I used to spend, and Groupon coupons has made shopping so much easier for me. I never shop without coupons anymore, and I always buy on sale. I'm even getting my husband into shopping all the deals! 

Be sure to check out the Groupon Facebook page, and their Twitter!

What do you think of Groupon? 

My First Time Tag

Hi everyone! I was tagged by Mary over at Neon Chipmunk to do the My First Time Tag! I had seen this on YouTube a while ago, and thought it was pretty cool, so when she tagged me, I was even more excited. Keep on reading to see all the questions and my answers!

1. Do you still talk to your first love?
I married mine, so I have no choice lol 

2. What was your first job? 
I was a sales associate at The Body Shop from October 2009 to April 2010

3. What was your first car?
So, I actually don't even have my license yet, but my very first car to learn how to drive was an Infiniti I30. I saved up so much money to get a car, and then it was sadly totaled, but I wasn't the one who totaled it

4. Who was the first person to text you today?
My hubby when he got to work :)

5. Who's the first person you thought of this morning?
Probably my husband and why the hell is he waking me up so early

6. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Winters. She was probably my favorite teacher I ever had. I remembered I saw her a couple years ago at my old job a few times, then one day she stopped in and told me she had breast cancer. I cried my eyes out and haven't seen or heard from her since, so I have no idea if she's ok or not :(

7. Where did you go on your first airplane ride?
Orlando, Florida

8. Who was your first best friend, and you still talk to him/her? 
If my memory is serving me right, it was Corinne. We used to live like 3 houses away, so we'd always be playing together. Once middle school arrived, I became the weirdo outcast, and she got popular and had tons of friends, so we lost touch. We're friends on Facebook, though

9. Where was your first sleepover?
I have no clue honestly

10. Who was the first person you talked to today?
David, because I was mad at him for waking me up so early lol

11. Who's wedding were you in for the first time?
I've never been in a wedding before

12. What was the first thing you did this morning?
Check my phone to see what time it was

13. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Hanson. I was in 3rd grade, ok? The boyband thing was huge for me then

14. First broken bone?
I've never broken any bone! :D

15. First piercing?
Earlobes, but they closed up years ago

16. First foreign country?
I've never been outside the States, unfortunately

17. First movie you remember seeing in the theaters?
Probably James & the Giant Peach

18. When was your first detention?
I never got detention

19. Who was your first roommate? 
David. We moved in after being together for 2 years and engaged for 1

20. What was the first lesson you ever took? 
I think swim lessons, but they didn't last

21. Who was the first beauty related person you watched on YouTube?
Oh man, it's been so long since I've been watching beauty videos, but I think it was either Michelle Phan or Makeup by TiffanyD

I'm not going to tag anyone, because I'm not cool enough lol, but to anyone reading this, feel free to post your own answers!

Review: Valentia Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer

*Disclosure* Product mentioned was provided for review thanks to BrandBacker. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey everyone! I had the chance to try out Valentia's new moisturizer, the Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer. I've done many reviews of their products in the past, and the line is truly amazing! I was so excited to try this out, since my skin needs the help. 

Here is some info on the product, as well as key ingredients:

Valentia Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer - A lightweight fast absorbing cream that illuminates skin while providing all-day hydration.

This Brightening Moisturizer Will:
- Lighten dark spots
- Restore skin radiance
- Even skin tone
- Diminish fine lines
- Provide all-day hydration

KEY INGREDIENTS:

- Botanical Hyaluronic Acid: Floods skin with moisture, supports skin elasticity, and plumps skin from within.

- Kojic Acid: Controls melanin production and prevents dark spots.

- Ginseng: Boosts skin firming collagen, fights wrinkles, and gives the skin a brighter and more energized look.

- Safflower Oil: Repairs skin's natural moisture barrier and provide superior skin protection.

- Shea Butter: Infuses skin with a myriad of vitamins and nutrients for superior skin hydration and nourishment.  

They always say that pregnancy makes you have a certain "glow." Well, I think that glow missed me, because I don't have it, despite people saying I do. This moisturizer sounded like it might help me in that area! I love the bottle it comes in, it's a nice and sturdy bottle, that I'm pretty sure is glass, and it's got a pump. You get a whopping 4 ounces of product, which I think will last a very long time, especially since I only use it once a day. The lotion is truly lightweight when applied to the skin, but sinks in well and provides nice hydration for my oily skin. I have noticed a brightened affect to my skin, so it could be a combination of using this in the mornings, as well as making more of an effort in taking care of my skin more. 

You can find this for $25 here on Amazon! Also be sure to check out their website, Facebook, and Instagram

What are some of your favorite moisturizers?

August 2016 Empties

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Hey guys! It's time to share another month's empty products, and August wasn't that good. The past few months haven't really been that good with finishing up products, but I managed to use up a few things this time!

I had gotten the Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash in an old Walmart box. I always have liked Dove deodorant, but wasn't a huge fan of their body washes. This one was no exception, sadly. I did like how thick and creamy it was, but it made my skin feel more dry. 

The Curel Itch Defense, on the other hand, was great! I had gotten this in an Influenster voxbox, and I really liked how soft this made my skin feel. I have been having much itchier skin lately, and this worked like a charm. 

I've always been a fan of anything Aveeno, so their Daily Moisturizing Lotion Sheer Hydration was nothing super new to me. I've been trying to go through a bunch of deluxe samples lately, so it feels good to have these three finished!

I finally finished up the last of the Citron Cedarwood candle from Bath & Body Works. My husband was a fan of this scent, but it was a bit much for me. I did like using it when I was cleaning to help make our house smell fresher. 

This little baby size of the Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder took me forever to go through! I used this to set my face and for baking underneath my eyes, and it just seemed like the never ending powder. If I purchased this in the full size, it would probably take me years and years of daily use to go through. I highly recommend this though! It makes my skin look and feel so soft and smooth. 

The MyChelle Love Your Lips lip balm in the scent Black Currant Pomegranate is another product that took ages to use up. It's just such a massive tube, so I started using it on my cuticles and rough spots I had just to use it up faster! It was nice though, especially under very drying lip products. 

The very last product used up is the Colgate Sparkling White Toothpaste. I used this at night, but my husband was the one using it the most. I thought this toothpaste was kinda weird. It was more of a gel formula, and it foamed up a ton so it made my mouth feel super dry. My husband likes the Colgate brand, so we bought a different kind of toothpaste for him. 

Number of products used up: 7
Total for the year: 103

I finally used up 100 products! I'm a bit disappointed in myself honestly. I've mentioned before that my goal was to use up 250 products this year, but I don't see myself doing that unless I go ham with how much I use of everything, and that's just a waste to me. I definitely see September being better, as I already have 3 products used up and it's only the 5th! This pregnancy has seriously made me feel so exhausted all the time, even though I'm almost to the third trimester, so I've been slacking on doing my makeup and taking care of my skin most days. I need to get my butt into gear before baby Olivia makes her grand entrance, because I know I'll be slacking again once she's here!

What are some products you used up in August?

August 2016 Favorites

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Hi guys! August was much better on the favorites front, as the last few months have been kinda blah due to pregnancy and life, and not caring much about makeup, skincare, or anything beauty related. I have a few favorites to share with you today, so lets get to it!

I've been making it a point to use a hair mask or deep conditioner about every other hair washing. I'm way overdue for a haircut, so I'm trying to keep it looking as soft and manageable as possible until I can get it cut. I've been really into the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner. Why are there so many E's in deep? I have no idea, but this stuff makes my hair feel fantastic! It works by just squeezing the tube and product comes right out. No need to take caps off or have the bottle fall onto the floor (that happens quite a bit now, and having a pregnant belly in my way makes it difficult to pick things up). It smells nice too, and is fairly inexpensive. 

Next up is a travel size of the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in the Coconut Lime scent. Taking care of the skin on my body has become more important as well due to my growing belly, and just having drier skin in general. I already have old stretch marks from weight gain and loss over the years, but I have no new ones (yet), and I attribute that to using this scrub and moisturizing regularly now. I absolutely love how this smells, and I pretend I'm on the beach with a pina colada in my hand every time I use this, even though I'd need a virgin one instead!

The Dr. Brandt Oxygen Facial Flash Recovery Mask has got to be my new favorite mask. I did a full review on it here, and have just been amazed with how awesome my skin looks after using this. It's ridiculously expensive, but when I have the money to splurge, I'm so buying this again. I love how it foams up on the skin, and it gives me such an amazing glow that pregnancy hasn't necessarily given me. 

I did a post back in February on three Serious Lip Balms. Since I'm a lip balm hoarder and only use pretty much one at a time, These kinda fell to the wayside. I pulled out the Snickerdoodle scent after using up a balm that I had been trying to use up for many months, and remembered how much I love these! They're so hydrating, they have amazing scents but no taste, and the women behind the brand are incredible people. Definitely be sure to check out my review of these balms!

I know I've mentioned the Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in the shade Pin Up Pink before in a favorites, but I can't get enough of this gloss! I'm finally about half way through this deluxe sized tube and will be sad when it's gone. I just love how soft and not sticky these feel on the lips, and they make my lips look so full and luscious. If I didn't have a million different lip glosses to use up, I'd go out and buy this in a heartbeat.  

What were some of your favorites in August?

September Goals

Hey guys! It sure has been a while! Life got a bit crazy here, and these pregnancy hormones are no joke. Since we're in yet another new month, I wanted to go over the goals I had for August, and the ones I want to set for this month. 

Lets see first what I wanted to accomplish in August:

- Straighten up the bedroom: YES! It's looking so much better now, but it still has a ways to go. With just the 2 of us living here the last 4 years, it's amazing how much junk accumulates. 

- Read 1 book: Sort of... I started one book and am about a quarter of the way through. I really need to just read, even if it's for just 10 minutes before bed, or during a face mask.

- Show my husband I appreciate him more: Absolutely! I've been showing him alot more how much I love and appreciate all he does for me and baby girl. My hormones have seriously been no joke and I can be a b*tch and take it out on him, which he doesn't deserve. The man works his butt off 50-60 hours a week, in the medical field mind you, just so we can make ends meet, so the least I can do is give him a big hug and kiss, and let him know how much I care. 

- Pick out a baby name: YES! So we have picked out baby girl's first and middle name, but I'm only going to be sharing her first name here, as we're keeping her middle name a secret from everyone in our lives until she is born. Her name will be Olivia :)

- Use up at least 10 beauty products: Eh, nope! I only used up a total of 7 products this month, which that empties post should be up next week sometime!

- Donate clothing/household items to Purple Heart: YES! We actually had them come out on the 26th and haul away 5 trash bags of things from clothing I couldn't sell, to DVD's and household items. It feels so good getting rid of stuff we no longer need or use!

So I think I did pretty well with my August goals! Here is what I want to do this month:

- Finish the 1 book I started. I know, that's stretching it for me, but I genuinely want to make an effort with this. 

- Go out on a date with my husband. He and I rarely go out and do things anymore. Mainly because of finances, but there also isn't much to do around my area unless you want to go to a bar or head down into Philly, both of which we're not fans of (plus being pregnant, I might get some stares at a bar!). So, since our wedding anniversary is this month, we decided to celebrate and at least go out for either breakfast or dinner. It'll probably be a breakfast date, since we both could eat breakfast foods, all day everyday!

- Donate more to Purple Heart. I am so hoping I can go through more stuff to get rid of, even if it's just a couple bags worth. I always feel amazing being able to give what I don't use anymore to a good cause. 

- Use up 10 beauty products. I failed August with this goal, but I'm so close to finishing a bunch of products, so I'm pretty confident I can do it this month! I had an original goal of using up a combined total of 250 products, but I'm nowhere near it and want to get as close as possible to it before baby Olivia arrives. 

That's all I'll be focusing on this month! I do still plan on working on getting the bedroom sorted out more, but it's getting harder as my belly more so I need to take my time on that one. What are some of your goals for this month?