Category Archives: Beauty

Mar23

fresh Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Review

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fresh Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Review

Howdy everyone! Today, we are going to be reviewing the Sugar Recovery Lip Mask by fresh. This was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and I was excited to try it because my lips always feel like they are in a permanent state of chapped. I love me a lip mask and I think that I talked this one up so much in my head that I ended up disappointed in the results. Let’s discuss:

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One of the last lip masks that I used was by LANEIGE and I absolutely loved it. The berry scent was delightful and I was amazed by how soft and plump my lips were the next morning. The fresh mask was unscented, which is fine, and it applied so nicely. Its texture was rich and creamy and a little of it went a long way. After putting it on, I felt confident that I would see and feel excellent results the next morning.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Upon awakening and examining my lips in the mirror, I saw no difference whatsoever. In fact, they felt dryer than they had before using it! Prior to trying this lip mask out, I have been using a plain old chapstick that Johnny’s mom gave me before I go to bed. It is literally the best chapstick that I have ever used so I was expecting similar results from a high end brand of product. This just goes to show you that plain old drugstore skin care can work as well, if not better, than a more expensive brand.

While I plan on finishing this trial sized jar of lip mask, it is one that I won’t be getting again. It is also a product that you all can skip on. So bummed that I spent my Sephora Beauty Insider points on it!

What is your go to brand for skin care? What is your favorite chapstick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar21

Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Vitamin B Night Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Vitamin B Night Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing the Vitamin B Night Mask by Farmacy, which I got as a freebie during my last Sephora Haul. Shopping online with Sephora provides lots of options for free product and I always try to make the most out of my purchase with trial size face masks and moisturizers.

This new face mask was free with a twenty-five dollar purchase and it was a no brainer because I love me a night time mask. While I enjoy pre-shower clay or exfoliating face masks, night time ones are a no muss no fuss option and it makes me feel pampered even while I’m catching Z’s. Let’s get to it:

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When first opening the Farmacy Vitamin B mask jar, I was obsessed with the pale blue color and I also liked that it was scent free. I don’t mind skin care with a bit of scent to it but no one wants an especially potent product, especially before bed! I used about three dollops with a Q-tip to cover my face and neck and it felt so nice on my skin. The gel like texture was cooling and it was much needed because I had spent the evening at the park with my niece. We were running around the entire time and as soon as I got home, I got ready for bed lol.

In the thirty or so minutes before nodding off, a majority of this mask absorbed and I knew that the remainder would continue to work its magic throughout the night. When I woke up, my skin felt really smooth and it also looked way less tired than I felt because my legs were like jelly!

While I liked this mask, it probably isn’t one that I would go out of my way to use again. My all time favorite night masks are The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleep Masks and I can’t help but compare every mask I use at bedtime to them. As a freebie, the Farmacy mask was great but it doesn’t hold a candle to my tried and true faves.

What is your favorite face mask? What is your bedtime beauty routine like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar18

Hand Cream Battle

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Hand Cream Battle

Hello everyone!! Most people carry a small tube of hand cream on their person to apply as needed when on the go. Myself, on the other hand, can’t stand using lotion during the day because of its texture and only use it before bedtime. In my beauty stock pile, I noticed that I had quite the selection of hand creams and began the process of using them up in late February.

Today, we are going to put them to the test for the best purse, pocket, or car worthy hand cream to help beat dry skin when on the move. Let’s get to it:

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eos: I freaking loved this hand cream and consider the Shea Better by eos to be the full package when it comes to combating dry hands. First of all, the scent was absolutely delightful. It smelled fruity without being too sweet and was so nice and light. The eos hand cream absorbed quickly and didn’t feel greasy in the slightest. I also noticed the biggest difference in how my hands looked and felt after using it.

When my hands get dry, it’s not so much the texture of them as much as the redness that bothers me. The eos hand cream made my hands incredibly soft to the touch and it also eliminated the redness after just one use. It took me about six uses to complete the tube.

Renew: The Renew Intensive Skin Therapy hand cream was pretty good. It wasn’t as effective as the eos cream but worked better than the Bath & Body Works one, putting it smack dab in the middle. This hand cream had little to no scent, which is fine by me. I would rather a product be scentless than have a fragrance that I can’t stand! It was the lightest in texture out of the three hand creams and absorbed quickly. I liked how soft it made my hands but it did little to no help for the redness. I finished this small tube after four uses.

B&BW: I received the Bath & Body Works Vanilla Butter Cream hand cream as a freebie and I loved the way it smelled when I picked it out. It was rich, creamy, and, of course, I love all things vanilla. However, it was a totally different story after using the cream because it was really pungent once on the skin. When it comes to lotion, I don’t really mind what it smells like because I only wear it at nighttime. I couldn’t picture using this one during the day, though, because it was so overpowering.

In terms on how well it worked, I was unimpressed by this hand cream – especially considering it’s close to eight dollars for one travel size tube. The B&BW hand cream felt the greasiest and didn’t absorb nearly as well as the other two. My skin did feel somewhat smoother after using it but nowhere near how the eos and Renew left my hands feeling. It took me about five uses to finish this hand cream and I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again unless I got it as a freebie.

Out of these three hand creams, the eos Shea Better is the perfect one to have on the go. If I did use lotion throughout the day, I would happily purchase it for myself and am admiring its excellent results at this very moment!

Which beauty products do you keep on your person for on the go use? Do you prefer scented or unscented lotion? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar17

Pixi Beauty Peel & Polish Review

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Pixi Beauty Peel & Polish Review

Howdy everyone! This past week, my mom treated me to a couple of new products including a face mask and the Peel & Polish by Pixi Beauty. I absolutely loved the instanatural mask as per yesterday’s post and I was eager to try the Peel & Polish because I have never used any skin care products by Pixi before. Despite its not so pleasant scent, I would use it again! Let’s discuss:

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My first impression of the Peel & Polish was how it smelled because it was… interesting lol. It seriously smelled like vegetable broth and it was quite pungent. I have never used any product that had this aroma before and I can’t say that I was relishing the fact that I had to rub it on my face! Thankfully, the directions said that it only had to be left on for two minutes because I couldn’t imagine having it on for any longer than that.

I applied the Peel & Polish just before getting into the shower and I was interested in seeing the results because two minutes isn’t a very long time for it to sit. I was surprised by how well it worked after scrubbing it off because my skin looked noticeably brighter and it felt nice and smooth. This product was also so gentle, which made me even more impressed with it.

I could tell that it had made a difference when using it on Sunday morning because Saturday night is mine and Johnny’s game night. Saturday night is our standing date night in and we stay up late listening to music, playing board and video games, and talking until we’re practically falling asleep in the living room. Needless to say, my skin always looks dull and tired the following day!

I don’t know if I would go out of my way to order just the Peel & Polish from Pixi Beauty but if it were on promotion, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. According to the reviews on Pixi’s website, it is a product that its users can’t live without so maybe I’ll feel differently after finishing up the trial size bottle!

What is a beauty product you can’t live without? What is your favorite skin care brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar16

Face Mask Festivities: instanatural Exfoliating Glycolic Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: instanatural Exfoliating Glycolic Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! It has been a while since I tested out a new face mask so I was very excited when my mom gifted me one by instanatural. This past week, I tried out lots of new skin care compliments of my last Sephora haul and I wasn’t loving the way my skin looked after the fact. I think it was too many new products at one time and my face looked dull and clogged by the time the week was out.

Thankfully, the Exfoliating Glycolic Mask by instanatural did the trick and this is a mask that I would happily use again. Let’s get to it:

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Upon opening the new mask, my first impression was how happy I was that a little spoon was included to ladle out the product. I think this is such a nice touch and I love when companies do that! When I opened the jar, I could see why it came with a spoon because the mask was fairly thin and runny in texture. As a side note, it also smelled exactly like the gingerbread cake that my mom makes which was a nice bonus lol.

I used about three spoonfuls to cover my face and neck and let it sit for a little under fifteen minutes before washing off. I really enjoy using masks with exfoliating properties because it feels like getting a double treatment. I was eager to see the results when I got out of the shower and I was very impressed.

This instanatural mask not only scrubbed all of the yuck from the past week away but it left my skin looking so much brighter and radiant. It was such a huge difference from the way my skin looked prior to using it and it also felt soft and smooth to the touch. I am writing this post about an hour after using it and my skin still feels tingly, cool, and invigorated. It was like a mini spa treatment right in my apartment!

I’m excited to use the instanatural Exfoliating Glycolic Mask again and it is one that I would definitely recommend. This mask was gentle despite the intense exfoliation it provided and I am loving the results! 😀

What is your favorite face mask? How do you pamper yourself at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Mar15

New Orange Sorbet & Taffy Pink Nails

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New Orange Sorbet & Taffy Pink Nails

Hello! After a long month in between my last fill, I was so ready to go to Elysian Nails and get my claws looking right. Although I got pink nails last time too, I found myself craving spring colors and ended up with this combination that I am loving:

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When I was driving to the salon, it was completely grey outside and I felt a bit disheartened over the fact that we were due for some snow the following day. I needed something bright and fun on my nails as a pick me up and found myself thinking of colors of the sunset, hence the hues that I chose. My darling nail tech told me that my polish colors reminded her of Polly Pocket and that made me feel even happier with my selections. I freaking LOVED Polly Pocket in my youth and I still do now. I regret every day that I gave my old Polly dolls away!

Since January, my work schedule has been jam packed with a lot of driving. Like a lot, a lot. It felt so good to clock out for the day, head to Elysian, and sink in the salon chair to get pampered. As soon as I entered the salon and saw all of the techs who I just adore, I instantly perked up and, as always, walked out feeling like a billion bucks. Now, if only the colors on my nails reflected the weather outside! 😀

What color are your nails painted? What was your favorite childhood toy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar13

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hello! I don’t shop with Sephora often but, whenever I do, I make sure that my purchases are made online. Sephora’s online promotions pale in comparison to an in store shopping experience and I always receive lots of free goodies with a fifty dollar purchase so that I qualify for free shipping. And, we all know that that isn’t hard to do!

It had been a while since I restocked my Better Than Sex mascara and I was almost out of the tube that I have been using. I spent fifty-four dollars on my order and got all of these freebies to show for it:

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The Haul:

  • 2 Better Than Sex mascaras by Too Faced
  • PeterThomasRoth Water Drench moisturizer (Free with my Beauty Insider points)
  • Fresh Sugar Lip Mask (Free with my Beauty Insider points)
  • Farmacy Vitamin B Night Mask (Free with twenty-five dollar purchase)
  • Clarins serum and moisturizer sample (Free with any purchase)
  • Herbivore Pink Cloud moisturizer sample (Free with any purchase)

Other than Bath & Body Works, I would definitely say that Sephora has the best promotions to give you the most bang for your buck. And, it should because the products are expensive! The Better Than Sex mascara is the only “high end” makeup that I use and it is a whopping twenty-seven dollars per tube. Being able to test out all different kinds of brands and products FO FREE really helps to soften the blow for high priced purchases.

During my online shopping with Sephora, I usually find something that I can use my Beauty Insider points with and typically use my rewards for skin care. While they have free makeup and hair care available, I don’t do my hair and makeup every day, more like once a week, so a trail size mask or moisturizer makes more sense for me. I went with the Fresh Sugar Lip Mask, which I can’t wait to try because my lips are always in a permanent state of chapped. I also cashed in for the PeterThomasRoth Water Drench moisturizer for something different during my skin care routine.

Sephora also offers a plethora of Beauty Deals online and you can get a free trial size product with a twenty-five dollar purchase. Like free shipping for fifty dollars, this is not difficult to get and just one Better Than Sex mascara got me over the twenty-five dollar mark. I chose the Vitamin B night mask from Farmacy for this freebie because it has been a while since I had a new Face Mask Festivities on my page. Keep it posted for a review on this mask soon!

Finally, with every online purchase you can pick out two free sample products which is a nice touch. I always go the skin care route for these samples too and ended up with two moisturizers and a serum sample. With all of these freebies combined, it makes every online order with Sephora well worth it and I feel like I got a deal for how much I spent.

Of course, it’s always fun to poke around in store at Sephora and see everything in real life. I recommend going home and ordering the products you have your eye on online, though, so you can score a great deal too!

Which store offers the best promotions? What are your thoughts on any of the products in my haul if you have used them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar8

Beauty Preparations For Your Wedding Day

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Beauty Preparations For Your Wedding Day

Until you’ve been there yourself, you may not know all of the things there are to think about when it comes to wedding planning. As well as taking care of the basics like finding a venue and choosing the food, there is, of course, yourself to think about.

On your wedding day, all eyes are on the bride. It can be a daunting prospect, so it’s no surprise that many brides aspire to be their most beautiful, confident selves. To help you glow a little more, here are some wedding beauty preparations to help you feel your best in time for the big day:

Take care of your teeth:

The happiness of the day is guaranteed to put a smile on your face but if you’re not overly happy with your smile, you might want to take steps to improve it. The lead up to your wedding is the perfect time to pay closer attention to your teeth and make any changes you’d like ahead of your nuptials.

Teeth whitening is a top treatment for people getting married, as is teeth straightening. A treatment like Invisalign can help you get your teeth straightened without braces, with results possible in under six months in some cases. Visit your dentist to see which treatments are available to transform your smile ahead of your wedding.

Step up your skincare routine:

Your approaching wedding can suddenly wake you up to the need to take better care of your skin. Improving your complexion for your wedding can make makeup easier to apply and leave you feeling more confident too. Treat yourself to some new products and create a wedding beauty regimen that will help give your skin a boost. You’ll develop new habits that will leave you with luminous skin for the day itself and long after your wedding too. Of course, there is no true way to prevent blemishes on your big day. The stress of it all is not helpful, either. However, if you work with a skilled wedding photographer like Naba Zabih Photography (or a similar photographer in your local area) they will be well versed in editing so a problem area won’t show up in your wedding photos.

Indeed, when it comes to wedding skin care, radiance is the name of the game. You will want your skin to shine brightly so it matches those countless engagement rings and wedding bands you tried. Whether you’re going for traditional round diamonds or unique Oval Engagement Rings, you’ll want your skin to look its best for those close up photos. Products with Vitamin C will provide a luminous glow and you can add in some skin care with hyaluronic acid as well to keep your skin soft as can be. Be sure to test out products with lots of time to spare so you don’t have an adverse reaction close to your big day!

Consider hairstyles:

Wedding hair can be a big source of stress. It’s something you’ll want to plan in advance to help you feel happy with how it’s going to look on the day. Finding someone you can trust to do your wedding hair is important and you’ll feel much more comfortable during such an important part of your wedding day prep. Book trials and ask for hair care advice to make sure your wedding hair is exactly how you want it to be.

One great way to find inspiration for wedding hair is to look at websites for affordable wedding dresses. The models will be rocking a variety of different hairstyles and it can make it easier to narrow down which options are your favorite. Try finding wedding dresses similar to what you have and see how the model’s hair was styled for it to get the full picture.

Try different makeup styles to help you feel the most ‘you’:

Choosing wedding makeup can be another difficult decision. While you’ll want to look flawless, it’s a completely different thing to be unrecognizable. Look at wedding makeup inspiration for styles you might like. You can try to recreate them yourself or book wedding makeup trials to see how they look on you. Pick a style you feel comfortable with that helps you feel special and beautiful when you walk down the aisle.

When considering your makeup, it’s important to remember the overall aesthetic of your wedding. Should you go for a rustic vibe after exploring barn wedding venues in hertfordshire (or your local area), a full on glam approach might look out of place. A “not really wearing makeup but I have makeup on” look won’t be cohesive if you are having an ultra lux wedding with all of the stops. Talk to your makeup artist and be sure to share pictures of your dress, venue, and what your partner will be wearing so that they can create a look to match the wedding as a whole.

In the lead up to your wedding, take time to take better care of your skin and hair and start making decisions about your wedding look. By the time the day is here, you’ll feel beautiful, confident, and in control, ready to enjoy the best day of your life.

Featured Image By: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Mar8

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

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Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Hello! During my first in store shopping trip to Bath & Body Works in forever, I got an amazing deal on the foaming hand soaps that Johnny and I love so very much. They were $3.50 each AND I got twenty-five percent off of my purchase to thanks to my coupon. It doesn’t get much better than that and now I am well stocked for months to come in the hand soap department of my stock pile. Check it out:

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Would I Buy Again?

  • Pink Pineapple Sunrise: YES
  • Cozy Vanilla Almond: YES
  • Turquoise Waters: MAYBE
  • Mango Papaya Paradise: YES
  • Blueberry Bellini: MAYBE
  • Peach Bellini: YES!! (My favorite!)

Shopping in store at Bath & Body Works was such a treat because it had been so long since I could actually smell the products that I was going to buy as opposed to just crossing my fingers with online orders. However, after a while of smelling literally everything the store has to offer, everything starts to smell the same! Most of these soaps were ones that I took a whiff of before adding them to my basket but some of their names sounded good enough that I didn’t bother.

Johnny is very partial to tropical scents, which B&BW had a lot of in their new spring line. The Pink Pineapple Sunrise and Mango Papaya Paradise are both delightful and definite safe bets if you are ordering online. The Turquoise Waters was just okay, though, and I wish I would have went with another fruity soap rather than beachy. If you are a fan of the sandy beach scents, you will love it!

The Cozy Vanilla Almond was also a really nice one that I picked out more for me because I love anything vanilla. It has a light scent but still smells so lush and, dare I say, COZY. This one and the Peach Bellini would make great gifts because it’s hard to picture someone not liking it. The Peach Bellini is my all time favorite scent so maybe I’m a little biased but I always have to purchase one during my soap shopping. 😀

The Blueberry Bellini soap was one that I didn’t test out in store because it had the word Bellini in it lol so I figured how bad could it be. It didn’t blow me away but I also didn’t hate it. It just smelled blue if that makes any sense! This is one that I probably wouldn’t buy again but am fine with using it or being gifted with it.

Overall, I am really pleased with my haul because I consider it a GREAT SUCCESS when all of the soap scents are tolerable. The awesome deal for them also made this purchase even better!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? What kind of scents do you like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar7

Bath & Body Works March Freebie

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Bath & Body Works March Freebie

Hello! It has been a long while since I’ve shopped in person at Bath & Body Works because of the pandemic. Their foaming hand soaps are a staple in my apartment so Johnny and I have just been ordering them online for the past two years. It has been fine but it’s also very hard to judge how the soaps are going to smell online!

This past week, I had a freebie coupon as well as one for twenty-five percent off of my purchase and I decided to go to the actual store to cash them in. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the soaps which I got for a steal at $3.50 each but, today, let’s take a look at this freebie. It smells SO GOOD:

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I have tons of body wash and lotion in my beauty stock pile and, honestly, don’t need more of either one. But there is nothing better than free and I went with a travel sized lotion in Whipped Berry Meringue. Using lotion on my hands and stretch mark areas have become an ingrained part of my bed time routine and I definitely had less lotion than shower gel in my hoard.

The best part of shopping in store with B&BW is, obviously, being able to take a whiff of each product. However, by the time I was done soap shopping I was all smelled out and didn’t even bother smelling my freebie lotion until I got home. The name had me sold already because I highly doubted that Whipped Berry Meringue was going to smell bad lol.

After smelling my new lotion, I knew that I was so right because it is delightful. It is nice and light without being overpowering with notes of mixed berries, lemon, and cream. It actually smells a lot like the berry Lip Smackers that I loved oh so much in my youth. This is a perfect scent for spring and if you have been doing your B&BW shopping online, it is a safe bet to purchase.

Whether shopping in store or online, nothing pleases me more than adding to the ol’ stock pile and it’s even better when the products are free or discounted. If you don’t receive coupons in the mail from B&BW, do yourself a favor and sign up today for the best steals and deals!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? What is in your beauty hoard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah