Hey everyone! So far, Spring here in good ole eastern Pennsylvania has been odd. I mean, one day it's sunny and in the 70s and the next day it drops 20 degrees. Anyways, I have a few tips that I like to use once the weather starts getting warmer, because if you're like me, your body goes into hibernation mode in the winter! Now it's time to get soft, smooth skin that's ready to be shown in cute dresses and sleeveless tops! (Once the weather starts cooperating, of course!)
The first thing I do with my skin once the weather starts getting nice is exfoliate! And I mean I exfoliate everything from my chest down! I use my facial exfoliator regularly, but the skin on my body tends to get neglected in the winter. Now I don't exfoliate my whole body in one shower. I did that before and it made my hands raw! I usually exfoliate my chest, arms and torso one night, then the next night I'll do my legs and butt (yep, I said butt! Everyone wants a soft rear end, right?).
Anyways, I love using a body scrub that's either sugar or salt based because it gets the job done, but it's still gentle enough and doesn't cause irritation. Since the scrubs I like are sugar or salt based, that means I also like them to be very moisturizing which is why I prefer to use one that's also oil based. One of the scrubs I enjoy using is The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Scrub. The smell of this is so amazing! I sometimes have issues with products that smell like lemon because they can smell like chemicals, but this smells like straight up lemonade to me. I absolutely love it! This product is made with lemon peel and organic sugar which helps with exfoliation, and lemon seed oil and soya oil, which has the moisturizing effects. Because this is oil based, it will leave a film on your skin, but I personally don't mind that as it helps with moisturizing my skin.
Once I'm all exfoliated and moisturized, the following day I'll shave my legs and anything else that need shaving. I just use a razor that you can use a few times then toss in the trash, and shave cream that's on sale. There's nothing fancy I use at all for shaving, so use what you like. Also, I don't do all the exfoliation and shaving in one day because 1- it uses up so much water and 2- the warm water for my shower doesn't last very long and I hate cold showers, so I can't be in there for an hour.
After all the exfoliation and shaving, I use a very hydrating body butter and this one from The Body Shop is interesting. It's a Body Butter Duo in a vanilla scent.
What's really cool about this product is that the left side is for if your skin is normal, and the right side is for dry skin areas. On my body, my legs are usually pretty dry, and after this exfoliation and shaving routine, I want to lock in all the moisture I can, so I use the dry skin side for my legs, and the normal side for the rest of my body. I haven't used this particular jar yet, but I've used one in the past and I love it. I will say though, this doesn't have a very strong vanilla scent. To me, I smell more shea butter than vanilla but that could be because shea butter is the second ingredient in this product.
So that's my little routine I do every year once spring hits and it starts getting warmer outside! You don't have to use these exact products to get the same effect, any scrub and moisturizer will do. I just personally love how I do my routine, and I felt like sharing!
What's your routine when spring arrives?
Hey everyone! This is part 2 of my huge haul, and I really think I did some major damage! I honestly think I'm going to put myself on another spending ban very soon because I really gotta start saving my money! Anyways, this is gonna be a long post, so get some popcorn and lets get onto the goodies!
First up is The Body Shop. They were having a deal online where everything was 40% off, plus I'm a Love Your Body member so I got an extra 10% off, then I had my 4 point gift, which was an extra $15 off my purchase! I got all these lovely things for very good prices with all my deals! The first thing I picked up is the Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream. I wanted to get this because it was a new product that came out and of course I love trying new products! I'm honestly not sure if I like it. I'm obsessed with their Hemp Hand Cream because of how moisturizing it is and how long it lasts, even through numerous hand washings. This hand cream is much lighter and the smell of it isn't that great. It sinks into the skin very fast, but doesn't feel that moisturizing. I'll have to try it out a bit more to give a proper review on it.
The next thing I got is the Shimmer Cubes Palette 23, which is an eyeshadow quad. I absolutely adore these little palettes! I have another one that I bought when I worked at The Body Shop about 4 years ago, and I still haven't made a dent in it. I seriously think these quads will last for the rest of my life!
I also got another one of their Cocoa Butter Body Butters. They were having a sale where certain body butters were only $10 instead of the usual $20, and this scent is one of my favorites! I have lots of body moisturizers to use up, so I didn't go crazy buying a ton of these body butters.
Then I got two of their new Flavoured Lip Glosses. The one on the left is Coconut, and on the right it Cocoa. I'm sure you all know how much I love coconut and cocoa scented/flavored things, so the purchase of these are totally justified. Plus, they were only $6 with the 40% off, so they weren't a bad deal either!
The last product I got is their Loose Face Powder in the color 01. I'm not entirely sure why I purchased this, but the reviews on the site are amazing. Every review gives this product 5/5 stars saying it's lightweight and gives a matte appearance to the skin, which is what I'll definitely need this Summer! I'm excited to try it out given the good reviews it has!
Now right after I made my last Sephora purchase, I got an email with a 15% off coupon for VIB's. That always happens to me! I always buy something, then right after I get a coupon or some other deal comes out! So of course my head thought that I had to buy more things, and the first thing I got is the Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub. I can't wait to try this! Soap & Glory products are really amazing and I've never tried this particular body scrub before, so I figured I'd try it with the 15% off. I have to say, the smell of it is a bit overpowering, but as long as it doesn't linger very long, I'll be good.
The next thing I got is the Sephora brand Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner. I spot clean my brushes after I use them everytime. I don't know if that's bad for them, but I'm so weird about bacteria and whatnot, so I have to make sure my brushes are clean when I use them. This is my favorite daily brush cleaner. I'm currently using the one from E.L.F. and I don't mind the actual cleaner, but the bottle doesn't spray right, so I had to pour it into one of these containers because it sprays out the liquid better. You'll probably see the E.L.F. bottle in an empties post soon, even though I just used up the Sephora one.
The next product I got is a nail polish. Now I know I've been buying nail polish lately, but I've been getting way more into doing my nails, so I'm experimenting a little. This is from the Sephora X brand in The Pearlescents collection. The color I got is called Privileged and it's the prettiest dark burgundy color! I haven't tried this yet, but the reviews coming in of this nail polish are pretty positive so far!
Then I got a lip balm from the brand TokyoMilk and it's a Femme Fatale Collection Lip Elixer. I got the scent Coco Noir No. 60 which is described as, "Dark Rum, Maraschino Cherry, Sweet Milk and Cocao Bean." This seriously sounds like something I could eat for dessert or make as a drink! There are five other scents as well, but this one stood out the most.
Then I just got the Makeup For Ever High Definition Primer as a 100 point gift. I'm a little disappointed with how small this is for 100 points honestly, but hey, if it works, I'll be happy.
Onto Walgreen's! Now these things weren't bought all at once, I got them on three different shopping trips. The first thing I picked up is the Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes. I'm getting more into removing my makeup with a wipe first instead of just going in with my cleanser and Clarisonic. I haven't tried this particular brand's wipes yet, but Almay is a good brand, so I'm sure I'll like them.
Then I picked up the Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara in Blackest Black. I've heard Emily from Beauty Broadcast go on and on about how much she likes it, and Almay was on sale, so I figured I'd try it. If Emily likes it, then I'm sure I will too!
Now I said that Almay was on sale. It was buy 1, get one half off, plus if you spent $15, you got like 4,000 points, so I picked up this to get to the $15. I remember my mom mentioning that she likes these Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads, and she's got such sensitive eyes. I have pretty sensitive eyes too, but not like hers, so if she likes these, then I know they're good!
Then I picked up the much talked about Nivea Lip Butters in Caramel Cream Kiss and Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss. They were on sale for only $1.99 each and I haven't tried these yet, so because they were on sale, I decided it was time to jump on the bandwagon.
I also picked up two Wet N' Wild Megalast Nail Polishes because Wet N' Wild was buy 1, get one half off. These are only $2 to begin with, so I was pretty happy to see a sale on the brand. the Two colors I got are Candy-licious (left) and On a Trip (right). I've heard alot of good things about this nail polish, so I'm excited to try them out!
Then I got two more Wet N' Wild products when I went at a later date because the brand was still buy 1, get one half off. I finally decided to try one of their blushes in Pearlescent Pink, and I also got one of their eyeshadow trios in Silent Treatment. I have one of the eight color palettes, but this is my first trio!
Next up is Sally Beauty! I had only been to a Sally beauty once before, but it was one that wasn't close to my home. I wanted to go to the one near me and see if it was any better because when I went to the one farther from me, I wasn't impressed. I have to say I'm impressed now! The first item I picked up is Hair Chemist Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque. I bought this because for some reason my hair is so incredibly dry lately and I need something to make it soft and healthy again. I really hope this does the trick.
I was really excited to see that all their nail polishes were buy 2, get one free! You could mix and match between brands but I stuck with China Glaze. I only have one nail polish from this brand so I wanted to try out more. I picked up one of their Fast Forward Top Coats, and the colors I got are Love's a Beach and Seduce Me. I wanted the infamous Flip Flop Fantasy, but that slot was totally empty and I didn't bother asking if there were more hiding somewhere. I love the bright neon pink color of Love's a Beach. I may use that very soon!
My final purchase was from Sigma! This is my first ever experience with Sigma, and I'm already super impressed! I picked up and E35 Tapered Blending Brush, which you can see I've already used (and love!). Then I got the P88 Precision Flat Angled Brush, which I was so excited to try! I've been looking for a good brush to blend the concealer under my eyes, and this brush is AMAZING!! I've already used it a handful of times and I love how it works. I plan on doing a separate review post of this, that's how much I love it! The last brush I bought is an E55 Eye Shading Brush. Every beauty guru I watch has one of these and likes them, so I wanted to give it a try. When you spent $35, you got a free gift. I wasn't sure what to expect for the gift, but I received and E05 Eyeliner brush. I haven't used this yet, as I've been using the angled eyeliner brush from Sephora, but I'm sure once I use it, I'll like it! This is probably my most exciting purchase since it's my first ever Sigma purchase. I want to get some of their palettes in the future and definitely more brushes!
Phew! If you guys made it this far, I seriously love you! I'm sorry this was such a long post, but I was so excited with everything so I had to share! I know I said above that I'm going to be putting myself on another spending ban very soon, and I definitely will be! Seriously, I bought all this stuff within the past month and I know that's bad considering I have a part 1 to this haul! I'll keep everyone updated on when I start the ban...
Has anyone done some beauty hauling lately?
*Disclosure* I received the Colgate Optic White regimen complimentary from Influenster. All opinions are 100% honest and my own!
Hi guys! Today I'm going to be reviewing the Colgate Optic White regimen that was kindly sent to me from Influenster. I received these products in the Sugar & Spice VoxBox about a month and a half ago. Here's my review on these products!
First off, as you can see, the toothbrush is still in the packaging because I have to use a super soft bristled toothbrush and this one is soft. I know you probably are thinking there's not much of a difference, but for my teeth, there is. I have the most sensitive teeth on the planet so I don't want to chance it and hurt my teeth or gums. I'm giving this toothbrush to my fiance.
I probably should've pictured this differently but I'll start with the toothpaste. I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of this stuff. Using it is fine, it foams up really well and it feels like it gets in between my teeth nicely to clean them out. However, the taste of this stuff is pretty nasty is my opinion. Even though it's sparkling mint flavor, it tastes more like chemicals. I truly don't have a problem with how this cleans my teeth at all, but I seriously can't get past the taste. The tube contains 4 ounces of product and it retails for $2.99.
Now for the mouthwash. I can't even begin to explain how much I dislike this product! Again, I have no problem with how this performs. I can feel it getting in between my teeth like the toothpaste does, but the taste is even worse than the toothpaste. It says it's sparkling fresh mint, but it tastes very acidic and it burns my mouth a bit. An 8 ounce bottle of this retails for $2.99.
I can't really tell if this regimen actually helps with whitening because I haven't used it consistently enough due to how much I dislike the flavor. I also have a prescription toothpaste that I have to use at night, so if this regimen works better when used morning and night, then I can't be a very good judge. Honestly, spend your money on a different toothpaste and mouthwash. I typically don't mind Colgate products, but these were a dud in my opinion.
I'm still very appreciative that Influenster sent me these products in the Sugar & Spice VoxBox, but these particular products just weren't my cup of tea! I love the Dickinson's witch hazel wipes though, and I'm currently uploading a video of my review on them as I write this!
Have any of you tried this regimen?
Hey everyone! This is my second week linking up with Sunday Social, so lets get on to this week's questions!
1. What is your shopping weakness?
Anything beauty related! Seriously, once my 3 month no-buy was over, I went crazy with the product buying. I always see things I want, but not necessarily need (well, at least in my mind I need them!)
2. What is your food weakness?
I'm a self proclaimed chocaholic :)
3. What is your go to movie to watch when nothing is on?
Hmmm, I like alot of movies but my all-time favorite is The Nightmare Before Christmas
4. What is your go to breakfast food?
Eggs! I have eggs and toast for breakfast pretty much every morning. I go between bacon and scrapple whenever I make breakfast
5. Do you drink coffee? If so, how do you take it?
Yes, I have one cup every morning. Sometimes if I have a day off work I won't have one but of course then I get a headache. I take my coffee with half&half and sugar :)
*Disclaimer: I was sent Batiste Dry Shampoo complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are 100% honest and my own!
Hey everyone! This post is an exciting one because I was given a great opportunity to try out Batiste Dry Shampoo! I was contacted shortly after posting my review of the Suave Dry Shampoo, and I really couldn't believe that I was given this amazing chance to try out one of the most popular dry shampoos!
After a couple emails back and forth, I was asked which scent I wanted to try and I went right for the Tropical scent which smells like coconuts! If you know me in real life, you know how obsessed I am with coconuts. I got the 6.73 fluid ounce bottle which retails for $7.99, but there's also a smaller 1.6 fluid ounce for $3.99 which is perfect for travel. There's also a giant 13.46 fluid ounce bottle which I had to look up the price for, and it costs $12.99.
I purposely didn't wash my hair the night before because I wanted to see how this worked for me. Once I started getting ready for my day, I followed the directions as recommended on the bottle and brushed my hair. All I could really think was, "Wow! This stuff actually worked!" Honestly, I couldn't believe it. My hair wasn't greasy anymore, and it made my hair FEEL less dirty as well. That's something the Suave Dry Shampoo didn't do! It was really amazing. It also volumized my hair but I always wear my hair in a ponytail because I have cowlicks out the wazoo on my head. If I wore my hair down, it would look lumpy in certain places and flat in the others.
Batiste is the #1 most successful British dry shampoo brand in the UK and I can now see why! I didn't think a dry shampoo could ever take the greasy feel out of my hair, but I'm completely sold on this product. Definitely check out their website because it gives you tons of information on the brand, how to use it and where to buy it. Even though this dry shampoo is more expensive than the Suave, it's completely worth it me.
I really am so thankful and appreciative for getting the chance to try out Batiste and review it for you guys. This might sound like an over-the-top review and whatnot, but I truly feel that this dry shampoo has been a life changing product for me. I will repurchase this again and again!
Have any of you tried Batiste?
Hey guys! I'm gonna admit right now, I've been so bad with buying beauty products! Ever since my spending ban ended April 1st, I gotta say I've gone a little insane. Hence the reason I have to split this haul into two parts. Partially because there's so much stuff, and I'm still waiting on some orders to arrive at my house!
First up is Sephora! After I placed the order online which I did a haul post here, I went to the mall the next weekend with my fiance and his friend. I sent them off to do their boy stuff while I went and did my girl stuff. After they went their own way, I hightailed it to the Sephora inside JC Penny and had some fun! It put a bit of a dent in my wallet, but it was so worth it!
The first thing I picked up was the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette. I had my eyes on this baby since it came out! Once I saw it in person, I knew I had to have it in my collection (not that I really need anymore eyeshadow palettes!). The shadows are really soft and blend easily and I absolutely love the packaging! I also really love how the packaging is alot smaller compared to the other Too Faced palettes. This one is probably about half the size of an old one.
I've already played with this a bit, and I tend not to stick with the color combinations they have for day, classic and night. You can definitely mix and match the colors to how you want! I'll most likely be doing a full review on this palette eventually where I'll have swatches and everything. So far I'm really liking this palette!
Now I really can't believe I bought the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. I swore up and down that I didn't want or need it. However, once I walked into the store and laid my eyes on it, I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing. I don't know how Urban Decay sucks me in the way they do, but I fall for pretty much every palette that comes out from them! I can do a full review of this for you guys if you want, but I know there are already a million different reviews on it.
The last thing I bought from Sephora is the Sephora Collection Pro Bent Liner Brush #23. I wanted to get myself a liner brush like this because I'm trying to get into using gel eyeliner more, and I didn't really have a good brush to apply it with. I've already used this a couple times and I actually really love it! Now I'm not a pro in the gel eyeliner area, but this helped me create a straight line (or as straight as I could manage) and it didn't look too shabby. I'm not gonna try doing winged eyeliner quite yet, but once I master using gel liner normally, then I'll venture my way into cat eyes!
I went to Ulta because I had one of those coupons for $3.50 off of a $10 purchase. I picked up the Freeman Facial Clay Mask Avocado & Oatmeal, and I wanted to get this because I want to try out a bunch of different treatments before I get married so I can get my skin in the best shape possible. This seems like a really nice mask because oatmeal is known to be very soothing yet they clay really helps to draw out oil and impurities in the skin, so I definitely can't wait to try this!
Then I picked up another one of the Maybelline Color Whispers in the color Berry Ready. I absolutely love the other one I bought so I had to get another one.
I also went to Walmart because I had more coupons to use up, and I gotta admit, the prices for cosmetics there are insanely amazing! Seriously, the Covergirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balms I picked up are a good $3 less than at Ulta or any drugstore. Anyways, I had a coupon for $3 off when you purchase two Covergirl products and I had yet to try these Jumbo Gloss Balms. The color on the top is called 220 Haute Pink Twist and the one on the bottom is 215 Watermelon Twist. One thing that's really annoying is that the packaging doesn't have the color name on it, just the number, so I had to keep the wrapper to the Watermelon Twist so I can remember the name of it. I absolutely love these little guys! I haven't tried Haute Pink Twist yet, but the Watermelon Twist is such a beautiful color. It's very moisturizing and you can make it look sheer on your lips or you can build up the color how you want.
I had another coupon for Sally Hansen Hard As Nails nail polish for buy one, get one free so I picked up the colors Mighty Mango (left) and Love Rocks (right). I honestly have never tried Sally Hansen nail polishes from what I can remember, but the buy one, get one free coupon sucked me in. I'm hoping they're nice.
Finally, I went to Hot Topic. I bought this adorable nail polish the same day I bought the stuff from Sephora. There's no brand to this nail polish, but Pinkie Pie's little face screamed buy me! So I did, and I think this is just so darn cute! I love how the lid is sparkly and the color of the nail polish looks nice as well. This was on sale for $3.50 so even if the formula of the polish sucks, I won't really care. Pinkie Pie is just so cute!
So that's part 1 of my pretty big haul! I'm still waiting for some things to get delivered to my house, so once I have everything, part 2 will be up! I might have to put myself on another spending ban...
Have you done any beauty shopping lately?
*Disclosure* I received this product complimentary from iFabbo for review purposes. All opinions are 100% honest and my own!
Hey everyone! I'm back today with another product review that iFabbo sent me, and it's the Own Firming Silk Concentrate.
First off, forgive me for not posting a picture of the box it came in, I think I threw it away by mistake! Now, this description is quoted from the Own website, and it says, "The naturally derived and patented CLA formula in Own Anti-Aging Firming Silk Concentrate works with your body to treat all three layers of skin through a power-packed serum that's proven to absorb easily without leaving residue. Own Firming Silk Concentrate works with your own body's chemistry to reactivate healthy processes and rebuild the skin's structure for brighter, taut, and genuinely younger-looking skin." Man, doesn't that sound all scientific and whatnot? Now I know in my post about the eye cream from this brand I mentioned that I don't have wrinkles, so I can't really be a good judge on whether or not this helps with wrinkles. I can only say how my skin felt after using it and if I noticed anything positive from it.
I also wanted to mention that the website says this product has a retinol-free formula, does not cause irritation, redness or flakiness, it's dermatologist tested, fragrance free, paraben free and sulfate free. All of those are a big yay, especially the fragrance free part! I've been really sensitive with scents lately with my allergies and all, so I'm happy this doesn't have an offending smell.
Now for the review! The first thing i noticed with this product is how runny it is. To me, it's not a typical serum where it feels more like a gel. It's almost like an oil/water mixture, but it is so light on the skin! Seriously, it feels incredibly light and silky but it does provide moisture, which is what I need right now. My skin is still freaking out on me with the weather change, so this has been a big help. I've been using this at night after I cleanse and tone, before moisturizing. It's got a dropper where you dispense the product on your hand and you only need 4 drops for your whole face and neck. I know I've mentioned this before, but I always do to my neck what I do on my face. It's also not greasy-feeling at all, which is a big plus for me. Once I wake up in the morning, I notice that my skin feels really soft and actually looks really healthy and glow-y. I've also noticed, and it may be just me, but it seems to make my pores look smaller! I'm not sure how it does that but I definitely notice a difference when I've used this the night before. I've only been using this for a couple weeks now, but I can't wait to see what the long term effects are on my skin! I haven't had any issues with breakouts either, so it's safe to say this is having a positive effect on my skin so far!
That's my review! Like I said, I really can't wait to see what my skin looks like after another month or so of using this! I also wish I could've gotten a picture of what the actual product looks like. It's just so runny and didn't show up at all on camera. It just looked like water on my hand.
I hope everyone likes this review! Comment below if you've tried this product before, or what you think about it!
