My Top 10 Favorite Drugstore Products

*Post contains affiliate links*

Hey guys! I don't think I've done a post like this on the blog before, but I wanted to share with you what my favorite products to buy at the drugstore are. The best of the best, in my opinion, and what I can't live without. I have a mix of hair and skincare, but the majority is makeup. 

1. Aquation Gentle Moisturizing Cleanser - I had done a review of this along with a couple other Aquation products, but this cleanser is my favorite out of the bunch. It's amazing at removing makeup at night, it hydrates the skin without making me feel greasy, and it just makes my skin feel so good. I always go in with toner and moisturizer after using this, but I can tell that my skin is absolutely loving this cleanser. 

2. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation - I had purchased this a while ago after hearing some pretty amazing reviews, but put off trying it for the longest time. I picked up the shade 101 Classic Ivory, which was surprisingly hard for me to find at the time. It's like there wasn't a place in the display for it, but I eventually found it at Walmart. I am beyond impressed with how this foundation applies and how well it keeps my skin shine-free. It sort of reminds me of the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ foundation, but much cheaper. 

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo - If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know how much I adore Batiste. I've tried quite a few of their scents, but the Tropical scent pictured is my ultimate favorite. It smells like coconut and the beach, and it's wonderful. It makes my hair feel so much cleaner when I haven't washed it in 3 days, and never builds up to feeling gross like other dry shampoos can. It's the best and there are usually sales going on, which is when I tend to stock up. 

4. Milani Baked Blush - This is probably no surprise, since everyone talks about Milani Baked Blushes, but these are just fantastic! The shade pictured is called Dolce Pink, and it's my favorite one. I wore it on my wedding day and it gives the prettiest shimmery, healthy pink glow to the skin that I can never get enough of. 

5. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - This is an old favorite that I will always go back to when I use up other powders. I have quite a few powders in my collection, but this is most definitely my all-time favorite. It keeps me shine-free and never looks cakey. I usually pick up the Transparent shade, but they do come in a range of colors. 

6. Colourpop Super Shock Shadows - Now you can only buy these on the Colourpop website, but at only $5 for each eyeshadow, they're such a steal! The shade pictured is called La La and it's a pretty coppery bronze shade that looks gorgeous over the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. If I could buy every shade of these shadows, I totally would. 

7. Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios - My love for the WnW eyeshadows trios is massive. I don't own too many, but the ones I have are so gorgeous and the shadows are super pigmented. I have to say though, limited edition trios are not as good as the original ones, and I'm not sure why. Pictured is Silent Treatment, and it's my favorite that I own. They make for such a pretty, cool-toned look that I like to wear for date nights. 

8. NYX Butter Glosses - Again, these are old favorites that I typically use when I have no idea what I want to wear on my lips. There's a huge shade selection, but the one pictured is Cupcake, a bright pink shade that's perfect for Summer. These smell like vanilla and I have quite a collection of these in my lip stash. 

9. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - You all had to have seen this one coming! This is my all-time favorite concealer ever. Seriously, I always want to kick myself for trying something new, and sometimes more expensive, only to find that this one is still way better. I usually get the Brightener shade, but I have used Fair. I think the Brightener shade works so much better at masking my dark circles, and the Fair shade is good for spot concealing around my face. 

10. Covergirl Mascara - I honestly have yet to open this Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara, but I had to picture something in place of my beloved Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara. I used my one tube up ages ago and haven't repurchased yet, but I miss it terribly. The Super Sizer makes my lashes look fake and I always get complimented when wearing it. It's probably my favorite mascara out of the drugstore that I've ever tried, and I've loved quite a few. 

What are some of your drugstore picks?

March 2016 Empties

Hey guys! March was pretty insane with using up products, and I'm so proud of myself! I know that probably is odd, but using up what I have makes me feel good, as well as getting rid of products that don't work well. So grab a snack or something, because this might get long, but I'll try to not ramble on as much! 

I'll start off with a few makeup products. The Korres Mattifying Primer was really an odd consistency, and I don't find it kept my skin more matte than normal. 

The L'Oreal Magic BB Cream in Fair is just god awful! It starts out white, then is said to adjust to the shade name. I'm not sure how the shade is fair, but I looked like an Oompa Loompa, not even joking. Even mixing it with a lighter foundation or The Body Shop Lightening Drops didn't work. In the trash these go!

I initially liked the Covergirl Plumpify Mascara, which I reviewed here. Over time, I realized just how ridiculously large the brush is, and I would constantly stab myself in the eye no matter how careful I was. The consistency also started to change a bit, so I'm just throwing it out at this point. 

I'm also throwing out The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation in the shade 01. I've had this container since I worked at The Body Shop, which was almost 7 years ago by now. It's old, I don't like the shade for my fair skin, and it doesn't blend well. 

It's also time to say goodbye to the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I'm going to be honest here, and I may get some flack for it, but I freaking hated this sponge with a passion! It is so not like a Beauty Blender no matter how much people try to say otherwise. It breaks apart easily and makes foundation and concealer look awful on my skin. Bye Felicia! 

Now for a few random empties. I used up my last big bottle of the Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash. I really liked this as it didn't burn my mouth, but I'm over it now. I'm on the hunt for a nice mouthwash that is alcohol free, so if you know of a good one, please let me know!

There's not much to say about Batiste Dry Shampoo, except I love it and would marry it if I could. This is the best dry shampoo I've ever used and have backups of backups in my stash. 

The Korres Yoghurt After-Sun Cooling Gel is said to be used after being in the sun too long and having some irritation. Since I'm a cave-dweller, I used this as a hand cream instead, and was happy with the results I got. 

You all know my love for The Body Shop Lip Butters, as well as their Body Butters. I used up the Sweet Lemon Lip Butter finally, and a mini size of the Cocoa Butter Body Butter. Their lip butters are fantastic to use before bed, and I think everyone loves their body butters. 

Now for some candles! I decided to start including these in my empties posts/videos, and last month I used up three. The first one is by a brand called Aroma-MIX and it's in the scent Holiday Cookies. This candle was a gift from an old co-worker, so I'm not sure where you can get them. I will definitely be keeping the container though, as I like to use them for makeup brush storage. 

Then I have two from Bath & Body Works. The first one is Peach Cilantro Twist, which smelled like a fancy drink, and the second one is Cinnamon Caramel Swirl, which made me want to bake and eat lots of junk food. Both are lovely, but B&BW candles are just so darn expensive, so once I use up my stash, I won't continue buying them, unless there's an awesome sale going. 

Now for some skincare! I was obsessed with Paula's Choice products many years ago before the line blew up and they started sponsoring bloggers and YouTubers. Their Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner for normal, oily and combination skin is just incredible. All of the products I've tried from her line never disappoint and there are products for every type of skin. 

I received the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser in a previous Ipsy bag, and it was a very generous deluxe sample. I got about 2-3 weeks of nightly use from this, and I ended up really liking it. Even though it was moisturizing, I felt like it cleansed my skin nicely, and it worked well with my Clarisonic. 

I used the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque after using deep cleaning masks, and it was just alright. It's a gel consistency that sinks into the skin pretty fast, and you can use it as an overnight mask. It didn't wow me, and since Dermalogica products are so expensive, I will never buy the full size. 

I finally finished up the Amara Organics Retinol Serum, which I did a review on here. Now that it's used up, I feel it's just a meh product, and nothing you should rush out and buy. There are more effective retinol products on the market for around the same price.  

I completely adored the Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer. I also reviewed this here, and I think this is one of the best moisturizers I've ever used. It's a gel/cream formula, but it was hydrating enough for when it was freeing cold outside. I was thinking I would need to switch to something heavier eventually, but this was fantastic. It smells like an orange field too, so it was great for in the morning. 

Lastly, I have some baby and foil packet samples. The Sephora Instant Moisturizer isn't that great honestly, and there was only enough in here for two mornings of use. 

I was so pleasantly surprised by the Phyto-C Velvet Gel. I've had this in my stash for ages, and I don't even know where I got it from. It just made my skin feel so soft and plump, and I got over a weeks worth of use from using it morning and night, underneath moisturizer. 

I hate saying this, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exoliating Treatment. It made my skin look and feel brand new after only the one use, and it's tempting me to buy the full size, which is an ungodly price. The only thing I didn't like was the smell. It smells like grass and looks like it too. 

I've already used up a packet of the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and loved it. This stuff removes every last trace of makeup on your face and rinses off incredibly well. 

Number of products used up: 23
Total for the year: 52

I'm already doing great this year with empties! Like I've said before, 2016 is the year of using up and decluttering for me, and not just for my beauty collection. I'm wanting to declutter everything in my house and just get rid of the stuff my husband and I no longer use or need. Using up 52 beauty products in just 3 months really puts things into perspective with how much stuff I actually own. What are some products you've used up recently?

Ulta HAUL! Revlon, Makeup Revolution, Lancome & More!

Hey guys! So, I made a promise to myself that I would go on a no-buy at the start of 2016. I wanted to go three months without buying a single beauty product. Aside from buying shampoo that my husband and I ran out of, and my Ipsy bags that I get every month, I hadn't bought myself anything beauty related since December 26th, 2015. I was incredibly proud of myself for going a whopping 72 days without buying anything! On day 73 however (March 8th), I was tempted by an email I had gotten from Ulta a couple days prior saying that Platinum members received 3X the points, as well as free shipping on every order. Since I'm a cheapskate lately, I decided to place a few separate orders to be able to utilize the $3.50 off of $10 coupon code, and get the most bang for my buck. I spent much less than I thought I would, because a few things were out of stock that I originally wanted. Now that I've rambled enough, here are the products I purchased!

Makeup Revolution is one of those UK brands that I always hear pretty decent things about. My local Ulta doesn't carry the brand, but they have them online. I wanted to try out one of their eyeshadow palettes because they're only $10 ($6.50 with the coupon!), and all of the ones I saw online were really pretty, so it was a tough decision. I decided to go with the Run Boy Run palette as it seemed the most wearable to me. It definitely has more of a Fall vibe to it, but I love the color selection, and I also appreciate that the very bottom row is all matte shades. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Catrice brand is from Germany. I always heard Tati of Glam Life Guru on YouTube talk about how much she loved this brand, and when they were finally available at Ulta, I wanted to try something. The line is very inexpensive, and I picked up the Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner and the Liquid Metal Eyeshadow in What Do You Sea? I was a littler nervous to buy the eyeshadow because alot of people who bought them online, received them broken. Luckily, mine was spared, and I cannot wait to try it out! I didn't really need another face primer, but anything that says it will help smooth pores, I'm all about that life. 

I've heard many different things about the newer L'Oreal Colour Riche Eyeshadow singles. Some people have loved them, others not so much. They're super inexpensive, and they were buy 2, get 1 free (I was also able to use the $3.50 off coupon!), so I figured it wasn't a huge hit to my wallet if I didn't like them. I picked up the shades 208 Violet Beaute, 203 Cafe Au Lait, and 204 Quartz Fume. Cafe Au Lait looks like the perfect matte transition shade, and I think Violet Beaute is a stunning deep purple with little flecks of shimmer. 

The last few bits are lippies! Revlon was also buy 2, get one free and I had been really wanting to try their Ultra HD Matte Lipcolors. There are people who say that these don't completely dry down matte, but honestly, I'm cool with that because I don't want my lips to dry out real bad the way other matte liquid lip products cause. I decided on the shades Addiction, Obsession, and Devotion. I can't wait to try out Obsession for the Spring/Summer! Devotion seems like a great everyday color and Addiction seems like a beautiful berry shade for Fall. 

The last lip product I got is from Lancome and it's their Color Design Matte Lip Crayon in the shade 320 Partner in Crime. I didn't plan on purchasing a high-end product, but any Lancome purchase was 5X the points. So on top of the 3X the points for Platinum members, this product alone gave me nearly 175 points. I couldn't say no to that, so in my shopping cart it went. I adore the beautiful fuchsia color this is, and I think it'll be great for Summer. 

Overall, I'm very happy with what I purchased! I ended up gaining a ton of points from everything, and I'm hoarding those for something special I want to buy later on. I know I keep saying it, but I'm very proud of myself that I didn't spend nearly as much as I thought I was going to. I'm going to continue trying to not buy as many products as I have in the past, as I'm trying to really just declutter my life and use up what I have, and that includes skincare, bodycare, makeup, etc. 

On that note, are you doing any kind of spending ban? Have you broken it at all? Also, let me know if you'd like reviews on anything here! I'm trying to get together products that I've had for a while that still need testing out and reviewing. 

Makeup & Beauty HAUL! Ulta, Sephora & Makeup Geek

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be showing you some makeup goodies I had purchased over the last few weeks or so. Alot of sales were going on, and there were a few things that I just wanted to try. I know I say this in every haul post I do, but I think it's going to be a little while until I do another haul. If you saw my last post, you know my husband and I are expecting our first baby! Since finding out we're expecting, I was in the mindset of changing some of my habits like eating differently, and I want to change around my skincare. Being pregnant and having oily, acne-prone skin is proving difficult to take care of properly. Anyways, forgive this long intro, and lets see what I picked up!

I'll start off with the products I picked up from Ulta. The day I went, Ulta was having a 40% off sale on certain brands and I also wanted to get some advice on skincare I can use during pregnancy. Salicylic Acid, moisturizers/serums/toners with Tea Tree Oil, Glycolic Acid, and possibly Benzoyl Peroxide are ruled out. In turn, that rules out almost all of my skincare because Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree Oil are the only ingredients that help with any acne I get. Instead of buying a totally new regimen, I decided to try out the Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash. My mom has used this in the past, but I had never tried it. The ingredients look safe, so I'm excited to see how this does with my skin. 

I had been so curious about the it Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream for ages. During pregnancy, I have read that you can only use a physical sunscreen like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, and not chemical sunscreens. I found a regular sunscreen I can use at Walmart, and I was very pleased to see this it Cosmetics CC Cream having both physical sunscreens. I have already used this, and I absolutely love it! I bought the shade Fair, and it's almost perfect, but it leans a little yellow on my skin. I can work with it though and it blends in incredibly well. 

I'm in love with Too Faced products and was standing at their section for close to 15 minutes, while my poor husband waited patiently. Their Melted Lipsticks are fantastic so I decided to get the shade Melted Jelly Donut, which is a bright fuchsia color. I have yet to try it, but I think I'm going to love it with my fair skin. 

L'Oreal and Physician's Formula were two of the brands that were 40% off. I picked up the L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray due to all the great reviews I hear and read. I love setting sprays, especially during this time of year, and I typically like what I try. For Physician's Formula, I picked up the Matte Collection Quad Eye Shadow in Quartz Quartet. I don't hear alot about these shadows, but what I do hear is typically good. I have yet to try this, but I have pretty high hopes. 

I also had a coupon at Ulta for 20% off one item (excluding high-end brands), so the nice girl ringing me up split up my purchase and rung the L'Oreal spray and Physician's Formula quad separate. Also during that time, there was 5X points for Platinum Members and there was also something else going on, so I have a ton of points to use sometime!

Oh Sephora, how I love thee! I don't know what it is, but everytime I see or hear the words "Limited Edition", I tend to freak out inside a little. Kat Von D had come out with a LE version of her Tattoo Liner in Trooper. The packaging is all fancy, and a portion of the proceeds from every sale of this LE liner go to charity, which I found really sweet. This is one of my favorite liners as it makes it super easy to do wings. 

Another LE product I decided to buy is the Becca and Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop. Good Lord, is this stunning in person! Honestly, I didn't want this at first. I'm not typically a highlighter kind of girl because of my oily skin, but looking at swatches and seeing how much people have been raving about it, I had to have it. I don't know what my problem is, it just had to be mine! I haven't even tried it yet because I haven't really worn much makeup lately and it's so pretty, I don't want to touch it. I'm weird, I know. 

I also wanted to try out the Bite Beauty Neutral Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo. One end is called Fig, the other Date. I'm not the biggest fan of Date, but Fig is beautiful. I can probably mix the two and come up with something pretty! I'm a huge fan of the Bite products I've tried so I'm sure I will love this one too. 

I got a few deluxe sized samples as well, the first one being the Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm. It's got an SPF of 45 and Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, so I can use it! The Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream has Titanium Dioxide in it, but it also has two chemical sunscreens, which is a bummer. I also have no idea what color they sent me, because it's so dark, I may not be able to use it at all!

Last, but not least, we have Makeup Geek! It had been almost a year since my last MG purchase, and recently there was a coupon code for 10% off Make Up Geek products. 10% doesn't seem like alot, but hey, it's something! I chose to purchase 3 of their Foiled Eyeshadows, and the shades I got were Caitlin Rose, Starry Eyed and Grandstand. These look so gorgeous, but I have yet to play with them. From what I hear, I won't be disappointed. I also picked up 3 of her regular eyeshadows in the shades Bitten, Barcelona Beach and Baby Face. I have 13 of here regular eyeshadows, so I'm already a huge fan. I really want to do a post on either my Makeup Geek shadow collection, or my favorites out of the ones I have. Once I test out these new ones, I'll do some kind of review. 

Well, that's my haul! If there is anything here you want a review on, let me know! It might be a while since I still don't feel too good alot of the time, but I promise I will get to it!

Is there anything you've purchased recently that you've been loving?

Also, remember I'm still doing my Summer blog sale!

June 2015 Favorites

Hello everyone! June was a long month for me, but July definitely seemed to creep up at the same time. Weird, I know. I wasn't in the mood to wear a ton of makeup last month, but I do have some favorites to share with you!

My first favorite is the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2. I've done a full review of this here, and since using it more, I really love this palette alot! I find it to be a great drugstore palette, and while it's a little on the high-end retailing for $19.99, you can find sales quite frequently, and also Walmart sells it for about $16. I just think this palette is really nice quality and I love these cooler, purple shades.

My next favorite is the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. I had ran out of my nighttime cleanser and was looking through my stash for something that was gentle, yet helped to get rid of any makeup residue left behind from a makeup wipe/cleansing oil. This cleanser is most definitely my answer to that! It's so incredibly gentle that I can use it on my eyes to help remove mascara, and it doesn't burn one bit. I love how this gel turns into a slightly foamy/milky consistency and it does get rid of every last trace of makeup, dirt and grease. Absolutely love this stuff!

Next up we have the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask, which I reviewed here. In my review I raved about how this has changed my skin, and I still mean that. When I don't use this for a while, my skin starts feeling more rough and textured. This mask totally cleans out my pores, evens out my skin, and gives me such a nice glow. It is a bit pricey, but it's worth every penny!

My last favorite is the e.l.f Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in the scent Orange Cream. I just checked their website, and they do still carry this lip balm but it's under a different name, and it looks like they no longer have this scent. That's such a shame because I've been obsessed with slathering this stuff all over my lips at night before bed. I do find this to be hydrating, but it doesn't last very long on my lips. I also tend to go through this pretty quick as there isn't a whole lot in the tube. I just started using it about a week and a half ago, and I already see myself using it up in the next couple weeks, if that. It's only $1, so it's not that big of a deal. 

That's everything! Might not be too exciting, but like I said, I haven't been in the mood to wear much makeup, plus I haven't been feeling well. Hopefully July is better! 

*Remember I still have my Summer Blog Sale going on!*

What were some products you were loving in June?

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Review: L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2

Hi guys! Today I'm going to finally be giving my review on the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2. I was so excited to see a palette type product enter the drugstore, and my taste leaned more towards this second one.

Here is a description of the palette taken from the L'Oreal site:

Inspired by makeup designers 'Must Have' palettes, the La Palette Nude offers everything you need to master the art of nude eyeshadow. Makeup Designer Nude looks curated exclusively for each palette with step by step instructions and live tutorials. 10 highly pigmented shades range from light to dark to flatter every skin tone in 3 shadow finishes: shimmery satin, buttery matte & lustrous sheen.

Eye-designer brush & mirror for effortless application 

This palette retails for $19.99, but I have seen them at Walmart for around $15. I had purchased mine at Ulta when there was no sale, but I had a 20% off coupon, so that brought it down to about $15.

The palette is made from plastic and has a sturdy snap closure. The mirror at the top is kinda small for my liking, but it's still usable. I absolutely love how the back of the palette has different shadow combos you can use, since it can be helpful for people just starting out in makeup. The shades are labeled 1-10, but I wish they had names. 

Swatches of shades 1-5. I love this half of the palette because you can create simple, everyday looks. Shades 1, 2 and 5 are shimmery, while 3 and 4 are matte.

Swatches of shades 6-10. These shades can be used for more smoky, nighttime looks. The only shimmery shade in this section is shade 7, the rest are matte. 

What I really appreciate with this palette is the amount of matte shades there are! Out of the 10 shades, there are 6 mattes, which I find pretty awesome. A few of the shades were chalky while I was swatching them, but for me, they applied to the eyes nicely. With a primer, they last a good 5 to 6 hours before I notice any creasing or fading. With a base over primer, they last all day long, no joke! I find them to blend alright, they can get muddy if you're not careful, but I end up with a pretty look still. I somehow misplaced the brush that came with it, but I won't miss it if it's totally lost. I find the $20 price point to be a bit high but if you wait for a sale and use coupons, you can get it fairly cheap. One review I read, this girl got hers for under $8! Compared to the first one, this one seems way more cool toned, and I'm a big fan of purples which is why I chose it. I'm happy with the way it performs for me and I do think it's a nice palette. Do you need this? If you have a ton of palettes like I do, probably not, but I like it, find it to be a decent drugstore palette, and have reached for it alot.

Have you tried this palette, or the first one? What do you think of it?

Spring 2015 Walmart Beauty Box

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be sharing the Walmart beauty box for Spring 2015. I have a rant on this one, as I did with the Winter box I received, but I'll save that until the end. Here is everything I got.

I made the products look all nice in the box for this picture. I probably shouldn't have because I'm pretty disappointed. 

-Lady Gaga Fame Perfume: Don't like perfume, this is getting passed on to a co-worker

-Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes: I'll definitely use these at some point to remove swatches or makeup, but there are only 7 wipes. Probably more good for travel, but I don't have plans to go anywhere anytime soon

-Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Omega Repair & Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner: I've never heard of these before and again, these can be good for travel. They're so small and are basically like free samples they send out

-Dove GoFresh Body Wash in the scent mandarin & tiare flower: This smells nice, but again, this is like a free sample

These are some foil packet samples and coupons for L'Oreal, Schwarzkopf, Nivea and Maybelline. I'm curious to try the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion, but I am nervous it will make my shower all slippery. 

I was thoroughly unimpressed with this box. Granted, it's only $5 and you get one per season, but I've had so many issues, that I just cancelled. Now for my rant. I was charged twice for this box and had to call customer service, which is a pain normally because either they never answer, or they're just rude and don't know what they're doing. I was told I'd receive a phone call or email back about being double charged, and I waited and waited for weeks until one day I noticed my credit card was refunded. I waited for probably close to 3 weeks to notice the refund and was pretty pissed that no one could send me a quick email letting me know I'd get a refund. Also, when answering the phone, I don't want to hear, "customer service, how can I help you?" in a nasty tone from a total douche bag guy who probably has no interest in a beauty box or helping people with legitimate problems. There was no professionalism at all with him and I was really upset. I work in retail where customer service has to be our top priority. While there may be some customers who I don't think deserve good customer service, I still have to help them, with a smile, and be professional. The dude I talked to was just rude and not very helpful. I am definitely glad I got my money back from being double charged, and once I received this box in the mail, I made sure to cancel right away. I probably shouldn't be so upset over 5 bucks, but that's my hard earned 5 bucks. I say skip this crappy box, spend $5 more and subscribe to Ipsy. Way better products, full size products at times, and awesome customer service. I have never had an issue that wasn't resolved immediately with them. *End rant*

Are you subscribed to the Walmart Beauty Box? If so, have you had similar issues to mine?

Ulta & Sephora VIB A Love Note Haul!

Hey everyone! As you all may know, Sephora is having their A Love Note sale! VIB Rouge's and VIB's can get 15% off their purchase through the 21st of April, and Beauty Insiders can get 10% off from April 17th through the 20th. I also purchased a few things from Ulta when they sent out 20% coupons to Platinum members, so I figured I'd share what I got there as well! 

I'll start off with the few things I got at Ulta. I just had to pick up some Batiste Dry Shampoo in the Tropical scent, because that's my all-time favorite. I had never seen it at my Ulta store before, so I was pretty excited to be able to pick up another one. 

I also wanted to try out the new-ish NYX Intense Butter Glosses, and I decided on the color Funnel Delight. It's this beautiful bright fuchsia color, and I think it'll be perfect for Spring and Summer. 

When L'Oreal came out with their La Palette Nude palettes, my eyes went straight towards the second one. The Nude 1 palette is more warm, which is still really pretty, but I gravitated more towards this one, and I can't wait to play with it.

Now for the products from Sephora! I don't have an actual Sephora store close to me, so I had to go to my Sephora that's inside JCPenny. Soap & Glory are no longer going to be sold in Sephora, so all the products they had were discounted. I'm pretty sure I had never tried the Hand Food Hand Cream before, and with the discount it was under $4. The scent seems a bit strong to me, so I hope I like it!

Bite Beauty is a brand that I'm really intrigued by, but I do find their products to be expensive. I have purchased a few things of theirs, and have liked what I tried. They came out with Butter Cream Lipsticks and I picked up the shade Rosewood, which was also the last one they had! It's such a beautiful mauve-y berry color and I'm excited to try it. I do wish they had a better color selection though, because most didn't seem very wearable for my fair skin. 

The last thing I picked up in-store is the Sephora Favorites Summer Obsessions kit. I had originally saw this posted on a blog and knew I had to have it. It comes with a Beauty Blender Pro (black one), a deluxe size of Benefit's Watt's Up, a full size Nars Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight, a deluxe sample of Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless, A deluxe size Tarte Light's, Camera, Splashes waterproof mascara, A deluxe size Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, and a 1 fluid ounce bottle of Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. For $39, minus the 15% discount, you honestly can't beat the price. The Nars lipgloss by itself retails for $26 and a Beauty Blender is $20. If there is only one thing you get, it's this kit, which is a Sephora inside JCPenny exclusive.

This is everything I bought online, and yes, I know I have problems. Anyway, I had always wanted to try out the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 palettes, and this one in particular called 220 The Lover, showed up on the site after I had made my wishlist and it also is saying it's limited edition. The color scheme is just so beautiful together and I think they would look beautiful for Spring. 

A palette that was on my wishlist was the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette. I'm so happy I got this because the colors are stunning, and I'm also happy I skipped out on her contour palette and waited for this. I plan on doing a review of this, hopefully soon!

I also have been wanting to try Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks for a long time. I'm not really one for matte lipsticks, let alone a liquid version, so I think that's why I waited so long. I ended up getting the colors Berlin (left) and Bachelorette (right) and I don't know what took me so long! I've already tried them and I must say, these are super pigmented and I find them drying, but you do have to put them on dry lips with no lip balm or anything or else it will be super sticky and come off on everything. I want to do a review on these as well because I really am super impressed when I thought I wouldn't be. 

You all know I love me some Urban Decay and I decided to pick up one of their Moondust Eyeshadows in the color Ether, which is a beautiful light purple with pink sparkle. I have another one of these and I think they're really pretty. I'm happy to have another one in my collection. 

I was also really curious about the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. I got the lightest color called Fair Neutral, and I feel on the fence about this. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells odd, like paint thinner or something. I did want to use this under my eyes, but now I'm kinda afraid to for that reason.

The last product I picked up is the Kari Gran Naked Lip Whip in the scent Peppermint. This is on the new products page and if you know me personally, you know how much I love my lip balms.This was $15, which is kinda pricey for a lip balm, but it smells like York Peppermint Patties and it's got nice packaging, so I think it's worth it. It seems like a nice, thick balm too so that will definitely help my dry lips out. 

That's everything I got! If you want reviews of anything, please let me know! I'd be more than happy to give my opinion once I test things out. 

Is there anything you're picking up/have picked up during this sale?

Spring Drugstore Makeup HAUL!

Hello everyone! I went to Walmart earlier today and decided I wanted to treat myself to some new makeup for Spring. Today is the first nice day we've had in a while. Last Thursday we had a nasty snowstorm that gave us close to 10 inches of snow, and today it's just over 50 degrees, the sun is shining, and Rita's Water Ice was open (yes, I did get some!). My husband is also off work so we got to spend some quality time together. Anyways, enough of the rambling. Lets see what I picked up!

I'll try to go in order as much as possible, so the first product that's pictured on the top left is the Hard Candy Glow All The Way Ombre Baked Blush in the color Punch. It's a beautiful pink shade that I thought would look better with my fair skin. They had another one that was a bit more peach toned, but my husband said they looked exactly the same. They did look similar, but this one was definitely more pink. It only cost me $7

Next up we have the NYC Smooth Skin BB Creme in the Instant Matte version in the color 01 Light. They had only one other color in a medium shade, so I do hope this goes well with my skintone. I heard about this from a review on YouTube and it was only $3.57 so even if I don't like it much, it's not a huge loss. 

I also decided to try out the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in the shade 101 Classic Ivory. I have heard rave reviews since this came out and I really want to get into foundations more. I have really oily skin when it gets to be Spring and Summer, so I do have high hopes for this. At my Walmart, this costs $11.88, which is pricey, but alot less expensive than drugstores. 

My Walmart finally has a good selection of E.L.F. cosmetics, so I picked up two of their Smudge Pots. I got the shades Cruisin' Chic (left) and Ain't That Sweet (right). Cruisin' Chic is a light bronze shade and Ain't That Sweet is a pink-y champagne color. I've heard good things about these products and they were only $3 each. 

I saw the brand LAB2 at a different Walmart a while ago, but didn't pick anything up. I saw the line at my Walmart and decided to try their Blending Brush. This is supposed to have some technology that provides superior pigment pick-up and release, and gives professional results. This brush was only $6, so we will see about those claims.

I've been a little bored with the powders I normally use, so I decided to try out the Maybelline Fit Me Matte+Poreless Powder in the shade 100 Translucent. The lightest colored shade seemed a bit too dark, so I normally have to buy the translucent versions. Since warmer weather is upon us, I figured I would put this to the test and see if it works for my skin. It cost me $5.94

I've heard everyone talk about the Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder, and I picked mine up in the shade Translucent. They only had one other shade available, but it looked way too dark. I've never tried this product before, so I'm excited to see what the hype is about. This is only $5.97, which is an insane deal for the amount you get. 

There was a huge display of the new Maybelline Color Sensational Rebel Blooms lipsticks, and I picked up the color 715 Hibiscus Pop. Alot of the shades seemed like they wouldn't go well with my skintone, and this was the most neutral pink shade. alot of them seemed too orange or red based which makes me looks dead. I'm excited to get into lipsticks some more, and I love anything Maybelline. This was only $5.50

The last two lip products are from NYC. The first product on the left is the Expert Last Lip Lacquer in the shade 201 Lincoln Square Love Affair. It's a beautiful creamy pink shade that will look really pretty for Spring. The second product is the Big Bold Plumping Lip Gloss in the shade 479 Voluminous Pink. It's a similar shade to the first one, but it has a bit more of a mauve tone. Both of these lip products cost $3.57 each. 

I have yet to swatch or try anything here, but if you want reviews of something, definitely let me know! Is there anything you've purchased recently to get ready for Spring?

Winter 2014 Walmart Beauty Box

Hi guys! Today I'll be showing you what I got in the Winter edition of the Walmart Beauty Box. I have to say right off the bat, this was such a pain in the butt to receive and there was alot of confusion when people signed up. Lets see what I got in this box, then I'll explain the issues I had personally. 

Everything came packaged in this white box that says Walmart Beauty. Inside of the lid it says, "Help define your beauty" and the Walmart website where you can find beauty products. It's a cute little box but the products were mediocre at best. 

The first product I got is the Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes. I enjoy Burt's Bees products, their lip balms are awesome. I have not tried their face wipes, and this is the only product that I'm sort of interested in trying out. I always look for good makeup remover wipes. 

Then there are the foil packets. I can't stand getting foil packet samples in something I'm paying money for. Anyways, the first packet is the John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo and Conditioner. I have tried John Frieda hair care before and from what I remember, I did like it. The second one of from L'Oreal and it's their Color Vibrancy Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment. I've never tried L'Oreal hair care before, so I will try this and see how I like it. At most, I'll probably only get about two uses from each sample. 

I also got a Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash. This is a 1.8 fluid ounce bottle, so I think I could get about 5 or so uses out of this. I may even give it to my husband because he's been complaining about dry skin from his normal bar soaps. Since I love him and all, I'll be a good wife and share ;)

Next up we have the Covergirl Colorlicious Lip Gloss in the shade 640 Juicy Fruit. This is the only full size product and it retails for $7.99 depending on where you get it. This alone makes up for the price you pay for the box, and it is a pretty color, so I'll get some use out of it. 

The last product is the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion. This tiny sample is annoying because I've gotten these for free as like a gift with purchase. I'll still probably use this as I'm drier than dry because of this cold weather, but it's frustrating it's so tiny!

I also did get a card with some of the Flower Beauty scents on it, but it's not worth showing honestly. They smell awful too.

Overall, this really is a meh box. It is a quarterly box you get every season and you only pay $5, which is said to be a shipping charge. Now for the rant. I had signed up back in October when I heard there was a Fall box. My card was charged right away, so I figured I'd be receiving that one. However, after about a month and still no box, I was getting worried. I couldn't log into my account to see what was going on, so I sent many emails and only got one response saying the Fall box was sold out and I'd get the Winter box. I started to think that I'd be charged again once the Winter box was sent out, but thankfully I wasn't. I did get mad though because alot of other people were having the same issue I was. I hate to say this, but I made a big fuss over everything on Twitter because I was upset. Yes, I know it's only $5, but still, it's my $5 that I thought was getting taken and I wouldn't be getting anything. All in all, I was able to get back into my account, and the box was sent to me. I decided to stay signed up for now and get the Spring box, but if something like that happens again, I'm cancelling in a heartbeat. If you want more information, here is a link on how the Walmart Beauty Box works. You don't have to sign up for it from the link, it's just information where you can look it over and see if it's right for you.

What do you think of the Walmart Beauty Box?

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?

Ulta Haul!

Hey guys! I know, another haul. I was trying out a spending ban, but failed miserably! Ulta was having a 40% off sale on some different brands, and there was a palette that I wanted since before it came out. Plus if you spent $60, you got an extra 300 points, which is pretty awesome. Anyways, lets see what goodies I got!

Thanks to Kate Spitz' review, I was dying to get the Lorac Pro 2 Palette even more so than I had thought. I'm obsessed with the original palette, so naturally I had to get this sometime, and while Ulta was having a sale with extra points, I figured it was time. I have yet to play with the colors, but I plan on doing a separate review and possibly some looks. 

Now I mentioned a few of the brands sold at Ulta were 40% off so I had to take advantage of that sale. Neutrogena was one of them and I did buy their Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. Sorry it's not pictured, I forgot! It's pretty much my favorite eye makeup remover next to the Lancome Bi-Facil. That stuff is mucho expensive, so this is a great alternative!

I really wanted to try the L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara pretty much since it came out as well. I think the idea behind it is so cute and I've heard mixed reviews so I'm excited to try it and see what I think. I didn't really NEED this since I have a ton of mascaras to use, but I may bust this open sooner than some of my others I have. I had a code for 20% off of one item and this was the item that got the extra discount.

I was curious about the NYX Butter Lipsticks even though I'm not a huge lipstick girl. I ended up with the colors Cotton Candy and Fizzies. Alot of the colors were sold out so it was slim pickings, but I'm still excited to try these. I hear good reviews overall, so I have high hopes. 

I definitely had to pick up another one of the NYX Butter Glosses and I ended up with Peaches and Cream. Again, alot of these were sold out and the one I really wanted was so I chose this instead. I haven't tried this particular one yet, but I'm already a huge fan of these glosses. 

The last product I purchased is the NYX High Definition Photo Concealer Wand and I got the color Fair. I've heard good thing about this concealer and I'm always looking for a good one. With the discount it only came to $3, so even if I don't like it, it's not a huge loss. 

What are some things you hauled recently?