Category Archives: Beauty

Dec17

Face Mask Festivities: Burt’s Bees Brightening Sheet Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Burt’s Bees Brightening Sheet Mask Edition

Howdy! We are nearing the end of the Face Mask Festivities posts from my Target Haul and I hope that they have proved useful to you as you purchase your last minute stocking stuffers for the holidays. I know that I have enjoyed the extra pampering! 😀

Today, we are going to be discussing the most expensive mask that I purchased – a brightening sheet mask by Burt’s Bees. I didn’t even know that this brand had face masks too and at five or so dollars, it felt like a splurge. I thought that this mask would work well considering its price but it ended up being one of my least favorite ones from my haul. Let’s discuss:

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^^^ Lol

While most of the masks that I bought were specifically for dry skin due to the cold, I never say no to some extra brightening and added the Burt’s Bees mask to my cart. I was really excited to try this mask because I had such high hopes for it and this probably left me even more disappointed with the results – or lack thereof.

I will start by saying that this mask stayed put on my face very well, which I was impressed by. It fit nice and snug and once it was on, there was minimal sliding off for the ten plus minutes of wearing it. Unfortunately, that’s about all that the Burt’s Bees Brightening mask had going for it. -_-

After removing the mask, I couldn’t wait to see how my skin looked and I noticed no visible differences. When it comes to judging the effectiveness of a mask, I hope to see my skin looking better than when I complete my normal skin care routine. While the mask did feel good, the results were pretty much nonexistent and is one that I wouldn’t buy again.

Five dollars is incredibly cheap for a face mask but the ones from Target that I was most impressed with were over a dollar less. You are not missing out by not buying this mask so five dollars saved is five dollars earned… You’re welcome! ❤ Haha, tune in tomorrow for the last face mask from my haul!

What are your thoughts on this mask if you have used it? What is your favorite drugstore brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec15

Face Mask Festivities: Yes To Tomatoes Anti-Pollution Bubbling Sheet Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Yes To Tomatoes Anti-Pollution Bubbling Sheet Mask Edition

Howdy and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing an absolute delight of a sheet mask from my Target haul. The Yes To Tomatoes Anti-Pollution Bubbling Sheet Mask had it all and my only regret is that I didn’t buy five more of them! If you are a lover of charcoal skin care products, like myself, then have I got a face mask for you:

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If you have read my Face Mask Festivities posts before, then you will know that I am not incredibly partial to most sheet masks. I find it SO annoying how they never stay put on your face once you put them on! From the jump, I was impressed by this bubbling sheet mask because once I applied it, it didn’t budge on my face for the entire fifteen minutes I had it on. GREAT SUCCESS!

As soon as this mask was on, it began bubbling and fizzing as if I just opened a bottle of champagne. Within five minutes, the mask was full of bubbly bliss and I loved hearing the noises that it made. I have never used a bubbling sheet mask before and it was such a unique experience that I definitely want to have again.

While my face mask sat, I could literally feel it working to get all of the grime out of my skin. Recently, I began using an oil serum that I was gifted with. Now, normally, I shy away from oil based products but I figured that the extra hydration boost during the winter couldn’t hurt. Although my skin feels ultra nourished from it, the serum has clogged my pores and I was hoping that this mask would help.

And, help it did! The Yes To Tomatoes Bubbling Sheet Mask gave my skin the ultimate deep clean that was so invigorating and left my skin feeling tingly with an icy blast. My skin looked much more radiant and healthy and it was as if my pores were never even clogged in the first place. I couldn’t believe it!

This mask costed about four dollars and I have never been so pleased with a drugstore product before. For four bucks, I felt like I got a spa treatment and I cannot recommend it enough. Next time I am at Target, I will be buying several more of this mask because I am already chomping at the bit to use it again!

Have you ever used the Yes To products before? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec13

Face Mask Festivities: Avatara Drink Up Sheet Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Avatara Drink Up Sheet Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! I have been diligently working through the face masks that I got during a recent Target haul and, today, we will be discussing the Drink Up sheet mask by Avatara. This sheet mask was about four dollars and it was pretty good – not the best but definitely not the worst. Take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:

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^^^ Lol, you guys know I love my sheet mask pictures! So silly smh. 😀

I decided to test this mask out after a long day at work for some much needed relaxation. I was exhausted and freaking freezing all day so I was very much looking forward to getting home, putting on my PJs, and slipping into the Avatara sheet mask. Like all sheet masks, this one was kind of a pain to put on. However, it stayed put much better than any that I have tried recently, which was nice.

As soon as I put a sheet mask on, Johnny and I are in hysterics because it just looks so funny. Then, we always end up quoting Silence Of The Lambs and laughing even more lol. For the twenty plus minutes that this sheet mask was on, we probably cracked up over ten times! It might not have been the most relaxing time while my mask sat but it certainly was one of the most humorous. 🙂

After my twenty minutes was up and the mask was off, I was pleased enough with the results. My skin felt invigorated and smooth but it was no Que Bella gel mask, that’s for sure. I can’t say that my face felt super hydrated, which was the whole point of the mask so, in that regard, it was a bit disappointing.

The Avatara Drink Up sheet mask is one that you should skip on during your next Target run. For its price, it wasn’t bad, but there are definitely better inexpensive face masks on the market to get more bang for your buck. Whomp whomppp!

How do you unwind after a day at work? What type of face mask do you prefer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec9

Face Mask Festivities: Que Bella Recharge & Restore Gel Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Que Bella Recharge & Restore Gel Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing a gel mask by Que Bella that I definitely plan on purchasing again. I so enjoyed using this mask for a multitude of reasons and consider it a steal for four dollars. Let’s get to it:

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This Que Bella Recharge & Restore gel mask had it all. First and foremost, it was pretty! I love, love, loved the glitter and the deep purple color and even if the mask didn’t work very well, it still would have earned brownie points for that reason alone. For fifteen minutes, I felt like the weirdest looking fairy princess ever with all that sparkle! 😀

Not only was this mask obviously really visually pleasing to me but it worked great too lol. I used it when I woke up in the morning and could tell that it had caffeine in it because I felt wide awake after washing it off! My skin looked and felt rejuvenated and also tingly in the best way possible. The charcoal powder also eliminated the blackheads near my piercings which is always nice.

I wasn’t expecting much out of this mask for its price and was so pleasantly surprised by it. I would happily use it again and plan on buying other Que Bella masks on my next Target run. I highly recommend it and the masks would also make great stocking stuffers! *Hint hint* 🙂

How do you like to relax? What is your favorite drugstore product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec8

Face Mask Festivities: BioRepublic Lip Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: BioRepublic Lip Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing a lip mask by BioRepublic that I purchased during a recent Target run. I was very much looking forward to trying this mask because my lips have been SO dry since winter began. Unfortunately, though, it missed the mark big time. Let’s get to it:

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While I liked the idea of this lip mask, its execution left a lot to be desired. Like most sheet style masks, this one was a huge struggle to keep on as it was slipping and sliding off constantly. If this were a five minute mask it wouldn’t have been a huge deal, however, it was so saturated with the serum that I left it on for close to a half hour. In that time, I had to adjust the mask at least ten times. This definitely made for an annoying experience rather than relaxing.

Despite the mask refusing to stay put, I still had high hopes that my lips would feel some type of relief once I took it off. When I removed the mask, my lips felt slightly better but it wasn’t the improvement I was hoping for. In fact, when I woke up the following morning, my lips felt dryer than usual which I didn’t think was possible! WHOMP WHOMP.

At three or so dollars, this mask was cheap enough that I wasn’t disappointed by the outcome. However, that is three or so bucks that you will be saving because I do not recommend it!

What do you use for dry lips? What is your favorite type of face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec6

Face Mask Haul

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Face Mask Haul

Hello! One of my favorite ways to relax in my free time is by trying out new face masks. Whether they’re good or bad, it doesn’t matter all that much to me because I’m spending some me time pampering myself. It has been a while since I had a big face mask haul so when I was at Target, I just had to pick up a variety to enjoy on those snowy nights in. Check it out:

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I don’t venture to my favorite stores very often anymore, which is so sad to me. In fact, the last time I went actual shopping at TJMaxx was months ago! So, I was surprised by the huge variety of face masks that Target had to offer. Originally, I thought that I would just purchase one or two but I ended up with six and if I didn’t contain myself, it probably would have been more like ten lol!

Since it’s winter, I picked out a couple of masks specifically to hydrate and combat dry skin, which will be most useful. And, of course, I never say no to a brightening or charcoal mask, either! While all of these masks will be fun to use, especially the glitter gel mask, I am most excited to try out the lip mask. My lips have been SO dry as of late and nothing that I do seems to help. Fingers crossed that the BioRepublic lip mask will perfect my pout so I’m not feeling like Napoleon Dynamite all winter long. 😀

Be on the lookout for lots of new Face Mask Festivities posts these next few weeks, starting off with the much anticipated lip mask!

Which products do you like for dry lips? What is your favorite face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

November 2021 Finishes

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November 2021 Finishes

Hey everyone!! It’s about that time to discuss my product empties for the month because we are almost done with November! I swear, the days seem to fly by in double time during the holiday season and before we know it, we will be in 2022. This month, I finished a ton of products which included a few that I have been working on for forever and that is always exciting for me… It’s the little things lol! Let’s take a look:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: After what seemed like FOREVER of using the Portofino Pink Prosecco lotion, I am finally done with it! For about three months, I have been using this lotion on my hands before bed every night so it was a welcome change to switch to a new lotion that I have been loving. Of course, I always enjoy my B&BW products but I will be the first to admit that the boozy scent of this one definitely got old lol. If given the opportunity, I would use it again because I never say no to B&BW but I think a new scent will be in order during my next semi annual sale haul.

B&BW Shower Gel: Gingham from Bath & Body Works is one of my favorite scents and I finished this shower gel in two months. It was also a freebie, which is nice since it’s a full size product! This scent reminds me of a picnic on a warm spring day, which is a great thing to manifest during my morning showers in the cold winter months.

Now that I’m done with this shower gel, I have moved onto one of the bars of soap that I got when I was on vacation. While I always prefer shower gels, I love me a bar soap every once in a while so the ultra moisturizing soaps by Our Own Candle Company will do the trick for dry winter skin just fine.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum: This serum by Tree Of Life was the “dud” of the multi pack that I purchased and if it wasn’t such a darn good deal, I wouldn’t use this product again. I was looking forward to trying the Hyaluronic Acid serum out because it’s a wonderful ingredient to incorporate into your skin care routine. However, after completing a bottle with morning and night use, I noticed no difference in how my skin looked or felt. #notimpressed

Summer Fridays Mask: I got the Jet Lag face mask by Summer Fridays as a freebie during my last Sephora haul and it left a lot to be desired. I got about eight uses out of the tube and I did like the way my skin felt but I would never pay forty-five dollars for a full size of it. As a freebie, this was a nice mask to try out. However, my skin feels equally as good, if not better, when completing my normal skin care routine with mostly drugstore products.

November brought me so many finishes and I am glad for it! There is nothing better to me than completing a product that I have been using for a while and I can’t wait to see which empties I’ll have in December for our last finishes post of 2021. 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What did you think of the products above if you have used any of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov21

Tree Of Life Serum Multi Pack Review

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Tree Of Life Serum Multi Pack Review

Hey! A couple of months ago, I ordered a set of three Tree Of Life serums on Amazon thinking that I was getting three of their Vitamin C serums. The price equaled out to be a deal of buy two get one free and I thought that it was a steal so I ordered two sets. When my package shipped, I was surprised to see that I had actually ordered a multi pack of serums which included a bottle of Vitamin C, Retinol, and Hyaluronic Acid serum.

Today, we are going to review each serum and I’ll let you know which ones where a hit as well as what you can skip on. Let’s get to it:

From Favorite To Least:

  • Vitamin C
  • Retinol
  • Hyaluronic Acid

Vitamin C Serum:

In terms of how my skin looked and felt after using each Tree Of Life serum, the Vitamin C definitely takes the cake. Not only did my skin feel extra hydrated by this serum but it looked much brighter too. The Vitamin C serum is an amazing pick me up to use in the morning when you’re looking and feeling tired because the extra boost of radiance will fool everyone into thinking that you got a restful night’s sleep!

Retinol Serum:

I have not used many Retinol products before and from using this serum, I now know that it is a delicate dance to keep your skin hydrated. My skin felt incredibly dry after the first few uses of the Retinol serum and had lots of unsightly red patches too. For damage control, I have been using a hefty amount of moisturizer which I don’t love to do but it sure helps. While my skin might not feel the best as far as hydration goes with this product, it does feel tighter and I love that. 😀

Hyaluronic Acid Serum:

The Hyaluronic Acid serum was my least favorite of the set. What I liked about both the Vitamin C and Retinol serums is that there were noticeable differences to my skin after using them and I just didn’t see that from the Hyaluronic Acid one. My skin felt average at best with each use and this just doesn’t cut it in comparison to the other two. The Hyaluronic Acid is one that you can skip on for individual purchases but it is still a good deal in the multi pack.

While the multi pack set of Tree Of Life serums had a “not so much” product included, I will be purchasing it again because you can’t beat the price! You might not be pleased with each serum but I still recommend this set.

Where do you get the best deals on skin care? What kind of serum do you use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov20

A La Maison Hand & Body Lotion Review

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A La Maison Hand & Body Lotion Review

Hello! Today, we are going to do a review of a hand and body lotion that my mom so sweetly surprised me with that I am fricken obsessed with. While I do love my Bath & Body Works lotion, I have never used one better than A La Maison’s so I just had to share it with all of you. To help combat dry winter skin, I can’t recommend this product enough:

I have been using this lotion for the past several nights before bed and I have never had such wonderful results before. During the winter months, my hands tend to get really red no matter how much lotion I use. Although my hands aren’t super dry, red belongs on my hair and not on my hands and it can be a bit unsightly. Within three uses of A La Maison, my hands have returned to their normal shade of pale and I was simply amazed.

I love the way that this lotion feels when applying it because it is like a cold cream and I can literally feel my hands getting hydrated as soon as I rub it in. This product absorbs so quickly and I truly don’t think that my hands have ever felt or looked better. I can’t say that I am particularly fond of the Wildflower scent because it is really powdery but that is a small price to pay for beautifully soft hands all winter long. 🙂

If you suffer from dry hands during the winter, then look no further than A La Maison. I cannot sing its praises enough and am already looking forward to buying more! 😀

What is your favorite cream or lotion? How do you combat dry skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

New Berries & Cream Nails

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New Berries & Cream Nails

Hello! My most recent fill at Elysian Nails was a fabulous one because my go to girl is finally back! My nail tech and friend, Gabby, is literally the best nail tech I have ever been to and she is the best company too. It was so nice to catch up and have girl talk and my nails look gorgeous. This is not to say that everyone at Elysian isn’t incredibly talented but once you find a nail tech or hair stylist that you like, it’s hard to have just anyone do your pampering! Check out these Berries & Cream beauties:

I have never been one for themed nails like red or green during the Christmas season or oranges and browns for Thanksgiving. However, I wanted colors that said fall without being obvious. Prior to hitting the salon, I knew that I definitely wanted a wheat color incorporated and thought that a deep berry would go beautifully with that. I hate to toot my own horn but *toot, toot, toot* because I was so right and I am in love with this color combination. I think that it is so sophisticated while still being a little edgy and it feels fall without being over the top.

After a long day at work, there is seriously nothing better than sitting in the salon chair and relaxing. Although my last few fills at Elysian were good when Gabby was out, they pale in comparison to this one. The shape of my acrylics is absolutely perfect and laughing and gabbing the entire time made the experience even better. Nothing makes me happier than an appointment at Elysian but time spent with my favorite nail tech trumps that completely and that’s really saying something! ❤

What color of nail polish do you have on? What are your favorite fall colors? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah