Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I started feeling sick after I got my flu shot and I've been pretty busy with work and life, so I hope you forgive me! I'm back today with a little haul from Bath & Body Works. I've become obsessed with their candles and they had their 2 for $22 sale on them, plus I had a bunch of coupons to use up! Here are the candles I got:
- Mahogany Teakwood: "The scents of fine woods- mahogany, cedarwood, and oak- highlighted by delicate lavender and geranium notes conjure up an escape to a cozy library on a chilly fall day." Funny story about this candle. I was shopping with my husband and was having him smell a bunch of candles to see what he liked. I picked this one up as a joke saying that this smells like hot Abercrombie models. He took a sniff and said, "Wow, that actually smells really good." I was in shock, but bought it since he was happy with the smell.
- Pumpkin Cupcake: "Satisfy your sweet tooth with the scent of a freshly baked pumpkin cupcake covered in loads of rich buttercream frosting." This candle smells so freaking good, I can't stand it! It really makes me wish I had some actual pumpkin cupcakes in my kitchen to snack on. This is a pretty popular candle and one of the girls working there was really awesome since she found it for me :)
- Leaves: "Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries." Ingrid, or MissGlamorazzi on Youtube, talks about how much she loves this candle. One whiff of this and I was in love. I absolutely love the smell of fruit, and this is perfect.
- Winter: "A season full of fun in the snow is captured in notes of pine needles, clementine, and winter woods." I honestly don't know what attracted this to me because I'm usually not a fan of pine, but this has a sweetness to it that makes me love it. Must be the clementine coming through.
- Pumpkin Apple: "Experience the blend of your two favorite fall scents- apple and pumpkin- enhanced by notes of cinnamon and clove." This smells like heaven! Apple crisp is one of my favorite desserts and to me, this smells just like it. I don't smell too much pumpkin in this though, mostly just apple and cinnamon.
- Cider Lane: "As sweet as the trip to the local apple orchard each year, a delicious fall blend of mulled cider, warm caramel and sweet cinnamon." I don't think I need to really say why I love how this smells...
- Blueberry Pumpkin Patch: "Blueberries fresh from the farm are the perfect match for ripe pumpkins in this delicious autumn blend." This smells like amazingly awesome blueberry pancakes!
- Roasted Pumpkin Butter: "Savor the delicious fragrance of a fall treat from the local pumpkin patch- whipped pumpkin, toasted cinnamon and creamy vanilla butter." If I had some actual blueberry pumpkin pancakes, I'd want this added on top of them...
That's my candle haul! If you can't tell, I love food and the smell of food. I'm so in love with Bath & Body Works' candles, especially their fall ones. They're just so amazing, and when you get them at 2 for $22 and have a coupon on top of that, you really can't beat the price for such wonderful candles! Hopefully I've inspired some of you to go out and sniff a few of them :)
Which B&BW candles do you like?
*Disclosure* I was sent the product complimentary from iFabbo for review purposes. I used my coins they give us to get this product
Perlier Volcanic Thermal Spa Thermo Renewing Scrub is a body scrub that to me is very interesting. It's not the typical scrub I usually go for, but it's got some pretty cool features:
- Complex of key ingredients contains water from the hot spring concession located in the municipality of Abane Terme (Padua)
- Helps optimize skin's elasticity for a more youthful appearance
- Helps combat visible signs of aging such as the appearance of dull-looking skin
- Formulated with key ingredients that are rich in mineral salts
- Contains minerals of different particle size for dual rejuvenating and smoothing beauty action
- Fine powders smooth skin and rough areas
I really like this packaging. It's made of plastic but feels incredibly sturdy. The lid screws on and off easily but isn't at all flimsy. As for the claims made above, I can't say for sure how effective this is at anti-aging but it feels very nice on the skin when you spread it around.
As you can probably tell in the above picture, this is basically a gel based scrub, which to me is interesting. I typically go for scrubs that have a creamy base to them and I like the little scrubbies to be bigger. The particles in this scrub are very small and even though I do have sensitive skin, this doesn't irritate at all, which is nice. I was very surprised though when I used this that it doesn't warm up. When I hear volcanic and thermal in the name, I tend to think of something warming, but this is quite the opposite. It's incredibly cooling, but I actually like that. It's been so hot here lately that I don't mind how cooling this is. When I use this, I don't notice a difference right away in my skin's texture, but I do the next morning. It's soft, but not really as smooth as I like. I don't have too many skin issues with my body, so that could be the reason why I don't notice much. I also have to say that this smells so good! It's a bit hard to describe, but it's very fresh and luxurious smelling. I'm not used to smells like this, but it is very nice.
I have a code for my readers for $5 off your Perlier purchase on HSN.com. The code is iFabbo5 and you can go here to purchase!
Hello everyone! My name is Katy, and I am a palette-a-holic. I just had to buy the new Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette when it came out. My dad had gotten me the first Vice Palette and I fell in love with it. When I saw that this was out, I was so excited for it! I saw the colors and it was definitely love at first site. I've gotten a chance to try it out and take pictures of swatches, and of course I have to show you guys! :)
I'm absolutely loving the colors in this palette! There are tons of jewel toned shades and then you have your neutrals at the bottom of the palette. When swatching these colors, they were all very pigmented and creamy, and even the matte shades felt buttery and smooth. This palette also comes with a double-ended Good Karma Shadow and Crease Brush. All 20 of these shades plus a brush cost me $59 from Sephora. I'll definitely be getting lots of use from this palette for Fall!
I have to say, getting pictures of these shadows was a pain in the butt. I don't know if it's my camera or the lighting in my house, but some of the shades look brighter or darker in the picture than in real life. All the pictures above were taken in the morning without flash near a window that usually has great lighting.
The next few pictures will be swatches and a description of the colors are taken from the Sephora site. These colors above are from the first top row of the palette.
- Smokeout: Dark taupey-black satin
- Lovesick: Black matte with iridescent micro-glitter (to me, this looks like a brown color in the picture)
- Shellshock: Bright metallic silver (this color is insanely pigmented. The picture doesn't do it justice)
- Coax: Medium metallic pink with golden iridescent micro-sparkle
- X-Rated: Baby pink satin
These next colors are from the second row.
- Prank: Deep navy matte with turquoise floating pearl
- Madness: Bright metallic blue shimmer with blue micro-glitter
- Strike: Antique gold shimmer with silver micro-glitter (the perfect gold color, in my opinion)
- Stash: Deep olive green shimmer with iridescent micro-sparkle (this color has a bit of fallout if you're not careful)
- Poison: Charcoal satin with iridescent micro-sparkle
These colors are in the third row.
- Radar: Metallic brown shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter
- Damaged: Bright metallic emerald shimmer (I'm obsessed with this color and it's beautifully pigmented)
- Voodoo: Metallic purple shimmer with iridescent purple micro-glitter
- Betrayal: Bright purple satin with blue shift (Another gorgeous color that I'm obsessed with)
- Derailed: Medium metallic taupey-brown shimmer
These are the last row of colors.
- Dope: Warm champagne satin (gorgeous highlight shade)
- Toxic: Metallic copper pink shimmer with tonal micro-glitter
- Habit: Light nude matte (Believe it or not, this color is a perfect natural crease color for me since it's about two shades darker than my skintone)
- Ambush: Metallic brown satin
- Rewind: Medium brown matte (that perfect matte brown crease color everyone wants)
Here is my first look from this palette. I'm thinking of doing what I did with the last palette and post different looks every once in a while that I like.
I first primed my eyes with the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I then took Strike and patted that over the inner half of my lids. I then took stash and patted that on the outer half of my lids. This color has some fallout like I mentioned above, so definitely be careful when using it. I took the color Habit and put that through my crease to blend out any harsh lines, and than used Dope as my brow bone highlight. I finished my look with Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara in Black. I've had this mascara for ages and it came in one of those Sephora Lashstash boxes.
What do you guys think of this palette?
Hey everyone! I went through a ton of products this past month so I'm not going to ramble and get into what I've used up!
There's a decent mix of products, so I'm really happy to have used up so much.
Starting off with skincare, I finally used up a Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion. This bottle lasted me well over a year, for sure. My husband and I got our own place back in July of 2012 and I was already about halfway through the bottle. I used this at night after I toned my face and I just love how this helps my skin. I have incredibly large pores that get clogged easily, and this stuff works miracles in helping them stay clear. I'm currently using the gel version of this and like it a bit better for my oily skin.
The next product I used up is the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Oil-Free Moisturizer for normal to oily skin. I liked this, but didn't love it. To me, it's a basic moisturizer that felt hydrating on the skin, but didn't make me feel like a greaseball. I didn't notice it doing anything special for my skin, but it didn't have any negative effects either. I probably won't repurchase this in the future.
My last skincare product I used up is the Freeman Facial Brightening Paper Mask in Rose. I used this the Friday before my wedding, and I have to say, this is the most awkward mask I have ever tried! Since it's a sheet mask, you take it out and place it on your face, but there are holes for your eyes and nose. The eye holes were way too small and not placed far enough apart and it burns like a mother if you get the liquid too close to your eyeballs. I didn't even notice any brightening in my skin. This was in the September Ipsy bag, and while it's awesome we got these face masks, they're so not worth it in my opinion.
I used up a Suave Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo. I really liked this shampoo. It smells amazing and makes my hair feel so soft and clean. It's really inexpensive if you buy it at Walmart. I probably paid only $3 or $4 for this bottle. I'm currently trying to finish up the conditioner that goes with this. I always go through shampoos way before conditioner. I probably will repurchase this sometime in the future.
Next up is the Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo. This dry shampoo is complete crap! Seriously, this did absolutely nothing for my hair. It just made it feel greasier and dirtier and I just hated it. The smell is atrocious as well. Like an old lady's perfume. Nasty, don't waste your money! I only used this up because I hate to waste product. It was painful having to use this and I'm glad it's gone.
Next up we have some vitamins. I used up a Nature Made Multi Complete. I honestly don't know how effective taking vitamins is, but I didn't notice a difference in anything when taking these. I still take them pretty much everyday because I'm used to it.
I also used up a Natural Factors B12 chewable vitamin. My mom actually got these for me to help with energy. I honestly didn't notice any difference in my energy levels at all. I'm not sure if you have to take these every single day to be effective, but I only took one when I really felt tired and needed more energy.
Well I finally used up a Dove Ultimate Go Fresh Deodorant in Cucumber & Green Tea scent. I say finally because it seems like it takes forever for me to use up a deodorant. I promise, I use it everyday! To me, deodorant is nothing special and I just buy what's on sale. I do like how this smells though, so that was a plus.
I used up a Neutrogena New Hands Restorative Hand Treatment. I didn't like this stuff at all. It doesn't feel moisturizing and it burns really bad whenever I put it on. Even though this stuff lasts forever, I won't repurchase.
I used up a Colgate Total Pro-Shield Plus Sensitivity Toothpaste. I'm not too picky with toothpaste, but I do usually have to buy the kind for sensitive teeth because it feels better to me.
I'm obsessed with the Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers and the one I used up is in the scent Snow Frosted Apple. This one smells so amazing and whenever I had a co-worker use it, they loved it too. I think this is a Christmas scent, so I hope they bring it back this year.
The next product is a Soho Beauty Sponge. I'm throwing this away because it's terrible and now that I have the Beauty Blender, nothing can compare to it. This one is such bad quality, it falls apart when you wet it. Good riddance to this!
I used up a little sample of the Lancome Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base. I really liked this stuff a long time ago because it made my lashes look alot longer. Now, I don't really care for mascara primers but I do have another one of these to use up plus an E.L.F. one, so once those are used up, I probably won't repurchase any.
The final product here is the bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara. I absolutely hated this, so technically this isn't an empty because I'm throwing it away. I only used it about 4 times and it clumped on my lashes every single time really bad and it's a super wet formula. I don't know why this is getting such rave reviews honestly.
If you made it to the end, then you're awesome! I know this is a long post, but I told you guys I went through a ton of stuff! Hope you guys don't mind :)
What did you use up in September?
Hey everyone! It's the end of yet another month, which means it's favorites time! This month wasn't too exciting for me in the product department, so most of the products featured today are repeat favorites. Here goes!
Philosophy Purity Made Simple has been my nighttime cleanser for a little while now. I absolutely love using this with my Clarisonic as it makes my skin feel super clean, but not overly clean, if that makes sense. When I wear a full face of makeup, I always remove it first with a makeup remover wipe and this just takes off anything else the wipe may have left behind. I remember using this when I was a teenager because my mom used it, and I hated it. I love it now, probably because my skin is different than when I was a teenager.
My second favorite has been the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in the Brightener shade. I used this on my wedding day and loved how it made my under-eyes look so bright and awake. I definitely needed it then because I hadn't gotten good sleep the past few nights. I'll definitely repurchase this when I run out.
I've also been loving the Philosophy Eyes Wide Open Instant Refreshing and De-puffing Eye Gel. Again, this stuff has worked miracles with me not sleeping. It actually does take away any puffiness I have and makes my eyes look better. This is great in conjunction with the Maybelline Brightener. I had purchased this at Sephora ages ago, but I don't think they sell this by itself anymore, at least not on the Sephora website. I can only find it in a set, which is a bummer because I don't want the set, just this eye gel.
The Lorac Pro Palette should come as no surprise for a favorite this month. I used this palette on my wedding day and I couldn't believe how many compliments I received. People were even asking me if I had my makeup done for the day (kinda cool!). I did it all myself and I made a post about the makeup I wore here if you wanted to check it out. I love this palette and totally fell in love with it again after my wedding. It's just so versatile with the matte and shimmer shades so you can create numerous looks with this. Definitely worth the money.
My last favorite is the Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in Blackest Black. Again, I used this on my wedding day for my third coat of mascara. This is the stuff that ultimately gave me the look I wanted with my lashes. I feel this mascara actually rivals my beloved bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara. If you've read my blog for a while, you know how much I love that mascara, so for this one to rival it, that's pretty amazing!
Those are my favorites for September! I know I've mentioned a few of these products before, but just fell in love with them again after my wedding. It feels good to bring out products that I hadn't used in a while, then remember how much I really do love it :)
What were some of your favorites?
Hi everyone! Jasmine over at The Happy Sloths tagged me to do the I Love Fall tag, and I'm super excited! Fall is probably now my favorite season. I love the changing colors of the leaves, the weather is still nice, but it's not too cold and it's just beautiful. So here are the questions:
1. Favorite Fall lip product?
I'm not really one to change up my lip products from season to season, but I do use more darker berry toned lip glosses during the Fall. I don't have a particular favorite, but bareMinerals has some awesome lip glosses!
2. Favorite Fall nail polish?
I bought this OPI nail polish sometime last year called Vampsterdam. It's this really dark, almost black color that has hints of dark purple and burgundy in it. It's such a beautiful color, and I just love it
3. Favorite Fall Starbucks drink?
I'm typically a frappucino girl year round, but occasionally I'll get a pumpkin spice latte if I'm in the mood for it
4. Favorite Fall candle?
Any pumpkin scented candle from Bath & Body Works. Seriously, amazing stuff right there!
5. Favorite Fall clothing item or accessory?
Well, I'm not really a fashionista, but I do have some boots I get out for work for Fall and Winter
6. Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?
I've never done a haunted corn maze or hay ride, so I guess haunted house by default. Although, I haven't been to one of those in years and I don't really plan on it either for some reason
7. Favorite Halloween movie?
Does the Nightmare Before Christmas count? To me, it's a Halloween and Christmas movie in one :)
8. Favorite candy to eat on Halloween?
I don't do the whole trick-or-treating thing anymore, but I love anything with chocolate. Honestly, stick a whole bunch of different chocolate things in front of me and I'll eat it
9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
It depends if my job is letting us do anything that day and if I'm scheduled. I'll probably just do my usual hippy outfit with jeans and a tie-dye shirt
10. What is your favorite thing about Fall?
Honestly, I just love the changing weather from ridiculously hot to comfortable, I love the food and I love how it feels like new beginnings
People I tag:
Blushing Antics
Mail4Rosey
Natalie Loves Beauty
Small Budget Beauty
The Beauty Milk
Hey guys! Today I'm going to be sharing with you what I purchased while away on our honeymoon! There were outlets about 15 miles away from the hotel we were staying at, and of course I had to take advantage of that. Also, anywhere I go, I have to find a Walmart or some kind of drugstore. I know, I'm weird. Anyways, let me show you what I got!
So when I was looking up what stores were on the outlets, I saw there was a Cosmetic Company Outlet, so I had to go in there. I was never in a store like that before but have heard of them, so I was definitely curious to see what they had. I went in and I told the lady working there that I had never been in a store like this before. She was very nice and basically said that the brands they have are sold at 20% to 50% less than the original price. They had a decent amount of brands sold there. MAC, Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox, Origins, Bobbi Brown and Bumble & Bumble are just some of the brands they carried. I looked around for a bit and ended up with two MAC products.
The first MAC item I picked up is a Powder Blush in the color Peony Petal. Now before I bought these items, I should mention that I only own two other MAC items, so I know pretty much nothing about the brand. I did have to do some research on the items I purchased and from what I've looked up, this blush is from the Tres Cheek Collection from Spring 2012. I'm assuming that means this was limited edition, unless they re-promote the color somewhere down the road. Anyways, I love this color so much! It's like a baby pink, but just a hint darker. The picture above makes it look a bit darker than it is. When this was out, it cost $20. I paid $14.75 before tax. I don't think that was too bad of a deal.
The second MAC product I picked up is an Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in the color Warm Thunder. From what I looked up about this, it comes from the In Extra Dimension Collection, also from Spring 2012. Again, I'm assuming this was limited edition and it cost $20. I paid $17.50 for it. Still a bit high compared to the original price, but I'm not complaining too much. This color was described on the Temptalia website as a dirty silver grey. I agree with that, but my eyes also see some blue in it. It's very faint, and could just be my eyes, but I definitely see blue. I think it's really cool that you can find products like this at these cosmetic stores. It may be from an old collection, but for someone who knows nothing about this brand, It's pretty darn awesome!
We then went to Kmart on a different day, just kind of looking around really. I haven't been in a Kmart since I was little, so I was definitely curious to see what it's like now. I knew they had a cosmetics section, so of course I made a beeline there. I saw the Wet N' Wild area and was stoked to find the single Eyeshadows they have! My Walgreen's doesn't carry them, and the Rite-Aid near me only has like 5 colors. This Kmart had, I think, all of the colors, which if I remember correctly was around 15. I've been looking for these two shades because Emily from Beauty Broadcast raves about them, especially the color Nutty. I got Brulee as well because they were actually having a buy 1, get one 50% off sale, so that brought one of the shades down to just $1. Total steal! If you have a Kmart near you, I highly recommend you check it out for makeup.
I kinda went a little shampoo/conditioner crazy at Walmart. The reason why is when I got my hair done for my wedding, the girl said I had really fine, dry and damaged hair. I agree with her honestly, but I had gotten a haircut just a few days prior, so it does feel way better than before. Anyways, she was giving me all these tips and tricks to try (which I already do, but listened to her anyway) so I figured I'd get different shampoo and conditioner. I picked up the Tresemme Platinum Strength Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner. The bottle says it repairs up to 2 years of damage, so we'll see what happens. Both of these bottles cost $4.48 each.
I also picked up a Pantene Anti-Breakage Shampoo. A co-worker of mine loves this shampoo so I figured I'd give it a try eventually. This bottle was only $3.78. Once I got home and checked my closet with all my hair and body products, I realized I have enough shampoo and conditioner to last me for probably over a year. It may be a while before I start using any of these as I want to use up the products I've had longer.
I went to Walgreen's last and felt the need to pick up some nail polish for Fall. These Sinful Colors Shine Nail Polish with Gel Tech were on sale 2 for $4, or they're originally $2.99 each. The burgundy color is called Mirror Mirror and looks alot lighter in the picture than in person. The second color pictured is called Shine Divine and is a really pretty dark teal color. This also looks alot lighter in the picture than in person. According to the Sinful Colors website, the Gel Tech technology formula provides opulent, rich color and a brilliant shine finish and they also say it's 5 times more glossy than a patent leather shoe. I was going to paint my nails with something else soon, but may try one of these instead.
I had a $2.50 off coupon for a Revlon Lip Butter, so I picked up the color Candy Apple. I only have two other lip butters, and I definitely think they're nice, so I'm slowly building up my collection.
When I was wandering around Walgreen's, something told me to go over to the clearance section and dig around in the bins. I'm so glad I did because I ended up finding some L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in the colors Strawberry Blonde, With A Twist, and Dive Right In. I've been hearing Sam Schuerman on Youtube talk about Strawberry Blonde in quite a few of her videos. I know for sure that color is limited edition, so I'm also assuming the other two colors I picked up are limited edition as well. These were marked down to $4.99 each from originally $8.49.
Well that's my haul! If you're tired of hearing about my wedding my now, promise this is the end of all the wedding themed posts. I may bring it up occasionally, but hey, who wouldn't when they just got married?! Anyways, I hope you liked what I got, so let me know in the comments if you did!
