Category Archives: Beauty

Feb26

February Finishes

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February Finishes

Hiii everyone and TGIF! I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m in the home stretch of finally finishing a beauty product, I get really antsy! I love to try new products so the anticipation of what I will be using next seriously kills me. In the month of February I finished three beauty products – a cleanser, moisturizer, and a shower gel. Frankly, I’m happy to be rid of all of them so let’s say “BYE Felicia” to my February empties as I send them to their new home in the recycling bin:

All of these products lasted me for a good long while which I was quite impressed with. Here’s how all of them fared:

I linked all of my reviews for each product listed above and now it’s time for the real question… Would I use any of these again? Here’s my verdict:

  • Neutrogena: Yes
  • I Love…: Maybe
  • Simple: No

So what products am I using now? I began using a moisturizer from Trader Joe’s that I got as a Christmas gift today and was pleased with my first use. For my shower gel, I’m using SoftSoap’s Sweet Honeysuckle and Orange Peel which smells delicious. And for my face wash, I started a new makeup removing cream cleanser from Garnier today, as well. I wasn’t very impressed with it this morning, so we’ll see how I feel after a few uses. I’ll be reviewing these products soon so be on the lookout! 🙂

So there you have it, my February Finishes! What beauty products did you use up this month? Have you started any new products recently? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review

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Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review

Hii everyone and happy Hump Day! Way back in November, I ran out of whatever moisturizer that I was using and needed a new one ASAP. I wasn’t really interested in going to the store to buy a new one so I raided my bathroom cabinets for any extra moisturizers my mom or I might have stored. I ended up finding a half used bottle of Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture and figured that I would finish the bottle. I kid you not, I’m still using the half used bottle almost five months later so I felt the need to write a review on the product that I feel like I’m never going to finish! Let’s discuss:

neutrogena

I have always been a fan of Neutrogena products. I can remember being a little girl and seeing all of my grandma’s Neutrogena cleansers and creams in her cabinets. It’s a brand that has been around in my family for forever so when I found the Oil-Free moisturizer in my bathroom, I had no problem giving it a go. Just from looking at the packaging, I liked that it had a SPF of 15 because I rarely use creams with SPF in it. I also liked that it was obviously Oil-Free because I despise products that have a greasy or oily texture.

As always, the first thing that I did after examining the bottle was the smell test. I was a bit worried about what it would smell like because most SPF products smell like you’re lathering yourself up for a day at the beach. The moisturizer definitely had that unmistakable sun block scent but it was very light so I didn’t really mind it. Had it been extremely potent, I don’t think that I could handle it. I’m really sensitive to smells that I don’t care for so having a product sitting on my face with a fragrance that I hated would be torture!

Once the moisturizer passed the smell test, I pumped it into my hands to give it a try. The consistency was very light which is a must for me because I like fast absorbing products that don’t feel heavy or overpowering. I rubbed my hands together and then applied the cream to my face and it felt really nice! Within the time that I put on the moisturizer and got my skin treatment pumped into my hands, the cream was already absorbed so that was a major, major plus.

The best thing about Neutrogena’s moisturizer, though? The fact that a random half a bottle has kept my skin hydrated for nearly five months. I genuinely don’t understand how that happened but I am SO not complaining about it! It’s not like I use a huge amount of the product every day (I use six pumps) but still, I can’t believe that I still had some left to apply this morning. I’ll take it!

All in all, I’m going to rate Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture with: four stars. For excellent value and an overall solid product. My one complaint about this moisturizer would be that it’s almost too light – especially in the winter months. A light as a feather moisturizer is a must for me but on the days when it was particularly frigid, my skin felt like it needed something extra. I wouldn’t recommend this product for people with really dry skin because I just don’t think that it would cut it.

So there you have it, my Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review! What moisturizer are you currently using? How long does it usually take you to finish a cream or a cleanser? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

Hello, It’s Me!

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Hello, It’s Me!

Hey there everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I’ve noticed that I haven’t put up a whole lot of pictures of me on the ol’ blog lately. To remedy that, I had my dad break out his prized camera and snap some pictures of me during this past week. We shot some pictures outside and as you can see, Ohio got quite a bit of snow! (So much so that I was snowed in at home for an afternoon!) We also took some pics on our cool, color blocked hallway for your viewing pleasure. Take a look:

^^^ Thanks, dad! ❤

What I Wore:

  • Featured Image Jacket: This was one of my Christmas gifts, compliments of Target. You can read all about it in my post, New Coat Heaven.
  • Killin’ It Hoodie: My hoodie dress is one of my all time favorite Forever 21 finds which you can read about in my Monday Update: Forever 21 Haul Edition.
  • Black Skinnies: I got these from Express about a year or so ago. They used to have the coolest snakeskin pattern printed on them but unfortunately it faded away after over a year of washing. -_-
  • Zipper Front Heels: These babies are one of my steals that I got from Kohl’s a while back ago which you can read about in, If The Shoe Fits – Apt. 9 Edition.
  • Teal Fingerless Gloves: My glovies are one of my favorite accessories that I own. My mom got these for me from TJMaxx when I was in high school. It was on a day that I didn’t feel like going to school so we went shopping instead! I love them just as much now as I did when I first got them.

It was so nice to be able to spend the afternoon being photographed by my dear old dad. He definitely shot some winners and it was a great way to spend time together! How has everyone’s weekend been? What kind of weather are you having in your neck of the woods right now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb20

What’s In My Bag?

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What’s In My Bag?

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I’ve been meaning to do a What’s In My Bag? post for the longest time – they seem like so much fun to do! I was switching what purse I was using anyways so I figured that I might as well snap some pics of the innards of my bag as I do so. (Remind me never to say the word innards again.) I decided to break out my beautiful Betsey Johnson telephone purse to tote around so take a look at what lies inside:

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The Purse: When I saw this darling Betsey Johnson stunner at Macy’s, I knew that I had to have it. I love all things Betsey and this little baby is no exception. My parents got it for me as a gift for my 21st birthday and I’m so obsessed…And yes, the telephone handle really does work! You can plug it into your iPhone and chat away! So cute.

The Contents:

  • Mustard Yellow Wallet: This was a find from Target and I always manage to get compliments on it. I’ve had my wallet for about three years now and it still looks great – I wish it were a little fuller though! 😉
  • Sequin Coin Purse: I got my little coin purse as a present for being a Victoria’s Secret Angel Card member. My mom, sister, and I spent our way to their credit card with the best rewards and this purse was one of them. I think it’s too cute! I was going to put it in my stockpile of freebies to gift to someone but I liked it so much that I kept it for myself.
  • Marlboro Smooths: Yes, I smoke. Whoops!
  • Car Keys: The keys to unlock my beloved Little Red Love Machine AKA my 2012 Mazda2 hatchback. My favorite keychain on there is of Despicable Me’s Agnes and her unicorn which my sister got for me at Universal Studios! We match because she got one for herself, too. 🙂
  • Envelope Makeup Bag: My sister gets a monthly beauty bag from Ipsy and her February goodies came in this precious purse. Obviously, she gave it to me and I adore it. Plus, it matches my Betsey bag perfectly! All of the next items listed are stored in my Ipsy bag.
  • Four Lighters: Yes, I’m a lighter hoarder. Whoops!
  • Five Chapsticks: I also appear to be a chapstick hoarder, as well…
  • Tide To Go Pen: This thing is a life saver! It has saved me from the grief of coffee, pop, and food stains when I’m on the go.
  • Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer: I got my Apple Harvest sanitizer as one of my B&BW freebies. It’s nice to have when there isn’t a way to wash your hands close by. I wish I would have gotten it in a different scent, though, because the smell is way too strong.
  • Plastic Heart (on top of the lighters): I sort of kind of snagged this from a restaurant that my boyfriend and I ate at recently. The candle holders on the table were filled with them and I couldn’t stop myself from stealthily dropping one into my purse!

*** Fun Fact: My purse wouldn’t stay standing up in the picture above so I put one of my Minnetonka moccasins in it to weigh it down! #clever

Ahhh! This was so much fun! It made me feel like one of the celebrities who empties out their purses contents for People magazine. You guys found out What’s In My Bag and now I want to hear about what’s in yours! What is one of your must have products when you’re on the go? What is something unusual that you carry in your purse? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

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I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! In my neck of the woods, there’s a discount store called Marc’s that’s seriously the best. They have the most fantastic closeout products ever and their prices certainly won’t break your bank. When my mom does her weekly grocery shopping there, she’ll sometimes surprise me with a beauty treat from the closeout section. A couple of months ago she brought me home an exfoliating shower gel from the brand I Love… I finally got around to using it and finished the gel yesterday so take a look at the pretty in pink packaging and then let’s discuss:

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Those who have read my product reviews before will know that for me to like a gel, cleanser, or what have you – it has to smell good! Usually I’m not the biggest fan of strawberry fragrances because it’s too sweet but I actually quite liked the scent of the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel. What was nice about the aroma of the gel was that it wasn’t a straight up strawberry scent. The “milkshake” essence of the gel dulled down what would be a potent strawberry fragrance with the luxurious scent of rich, freshly churned cream. The result of this combination was true to the product’s namesake…It really did smell like a frothy strawberry milkshake!

When it comes to cleansers and shower gels, another must for me is that it lathers well. This is where I Love’s… exfoliating body wash fell short. The texture of the product was one that I thought would bubble nicely – it was rich and creamy. It also had what appeared to be strawberry seeds thrown in for good measure. Despite having a texture that I usually would love, the lather that this gel created was minimal, at best. I really don’t like that. I love seeing big, soapy bubbles when I’m showering. It enhances my morning hygiene experience and most importantly, it makes me feel clean!

I’m going to chalk the lack of lather up to the fact that this gel tried to do a two for one by combining an exfoliant with a gel. Frankly, I think this product would have been a better exfoliater than a body wash. On the rare occasions that I do use an exfoliater on my body, I prefer for it to be cream rather than gel based. Products that are strictly gel based dehydrate my body to the extreme. The Body Shop has a strawberry seed exfoliater that’s a gel and I honestly think that if I Love’s… body wash was just an exfoliater, I would prefer it over TBS. (For a product to trump The Body Shop usually never happens for me!)

Although this product wasn’t the best body wash, per se, it still has a lot of potential and I really do like the I Love… brand. I’m going to rate the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel with three stars. My mom paid a whole two dollars for this body wash (granted, it was a closeout) and I think that it was a solid product, especially for what she paid! I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy the shower gel again but I wouldn’t say “no” to using it if the opportunity came about!

So there you have it, my I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review! My mom scored some of the brand’s lotion at the Marc’s closeout recently so I look forward to giving that a shot soon! Is there a discount store in your area that you like to shop at? What is your favorite body wash fragrance? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb13

Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

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Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I recently started using Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser and I’m really pleased with it so far! When I wash my face in the morning, I usually use some type of cream cleanser and then I use an exfoliater so it’s been nice using Olay’s product which is my two skin care staples in one. Take a look at the sunny bright packaging of my latest cleanser and let’s discuss:

olay.jpg

I’ve always liked using Olay’s skin care products and their exfoliating cleanser is no exception. As you guys know by now, it’s essential that the products I use smell good and my new cleanser passed the smell test with flying colors. As it says on the packaging, it has the essence of honeysuckle and white tea which makes for a sweet and bright scent. I love when my cleansers have a really invigorating aroma to them because it makes for a great pick me up during my morning showers. There’s a slight hint of floral to the scent but it’s not overpowering at all which leaves you with a fragrance that’s perfectly fresh and clean.

It is important to me that my cleansers create a lush and powerful lather when I’m scrubbing away and this product does exactly that. I was using one of Simple’s cleansers before this one and my biggest complaint about it was that it created no lather. Needless to say, I’m in bubble heaven now. What’s amazing about this product is that despite the exfoliater beads in it, it still feels so soft on the skin. A lot of exfoliating products leaves my skin feeling tight and dry but Olay’s “Bead Me Up” cleanser leaves my skin feeling supple and hydrated.

The best thing about this exfoliating cleanser is its personal vendetta against my blackheads! I have five nose piercings and I tend to get a lot of blackheads surrounding my studs. I’m not exactly self conscious of them because they’re really not noticeable but I know that they’re there and it drives me crazy! After just one use of “Bead Me Up”, 90% of my blackheads were gone. I rarely find cream cleansers that are strong enough to eliminate my blackheads so I am very happy with Olay’s exfoliating cleanser.

My one complaint about my cleanser is that it’s not gritty enough. What I love about exfoliaters is how rough it feels on my skin. I like the feeling of really scrubbing away and removing all of the dead skin and gunk clogging my face. If this exfoliating cleanser were just a smidgen grittier, it would be perfect.

Despite my desire for the exfoliating aspect of this cleanser to pack a bit more punch, I’m going to rate Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser with: four stars. I’ve really enjoyed incorporating this product into my hygiene routine and I’m excited to see the effect that it’s going to have on my skin!

So there you have it, my review of Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser! What is one of your must have skin care products? What cleanser are you using right now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb12

My Red Hair Vibrancy Secret

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My Red Hair Vibrancy Secret

Hi everyone and TGIF! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked how I keep my fake red hair so vibrant. I get the question at least twice or more per week and I answer with a reply that usually leaves the questioner shocked. My Red Hair Vibrancy Secret is as follows: I don’t wash it.

Well I wouldn’t say that I completely don’t wash it – I only clean my hair once a month for a total of twelve washes per year. My monthly cleanse isn’t even a “washing” per se. The only reason why my hair is getting wet is to wash the dye out from my monthly at home coloring. I say that it isn’t a washing because I consider “washing your hair” to mean that you use shampoo to do it, which I also don’t do. I just use a colored hair friendly conditioner, let it sit for a good three to five minutes, and then rinse.

“But doesn’t it get greasy?” Is the question that usually follows my spiel about not washing my hair and I’m always happy to answer with a big fat NO. Frankly, I don’t know how my hair hasn’t gotten disgustingly oily from my lack of hygiene for it but I’ve never experienced oil or grease even when I was washing my hair regularly. It kind of amazes me because I use product almost every day -a Fiji styling oil. It is kind of shocking that even with a handful of oil going into my hair daily, my locks still remain a normal and healthy texture.

I’ve heard many times that your hair isn’t meant to be washed and it will naturally clean itself which I suppose rings true for me. On top of not having an issue with oil or grease, I also have no trouble with odor, as well. I swear, I’m some type of hair anomaly because I’ve never had anyone tell me that my hair smells and I’m a smoker, for god’s sake! I’ve rested my head on my boyfriend’s shoulder thousands of times since we’ve been dating and he’s never once said anything about it smelling. I know he would, too, considering he likes to complain about my morning breath every day. -__-

So is my hair some type of miracle? Maybe. But more likely than not, my body has just become used to my no washing preferences and adapted to it. I’ve been steadily not washing my hair for close to a year now and have never encountered any type of issue with it. Thanks to my lack of hair hygiene, my beloved locks remain vibrant, bright, and red hot until I need to give my roots a touch up. Hey, whatever works!

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^^^ The face of a gal who refuses to wash her hair! 😉

My Red Hair Vibrancy Secret is out! A little disgusting? Somewhat. Effective? Hell yeah! What is your secret to maintaining freshly dyed hair? Who else doesn’t wash their hair frequently? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

My Makeup Free Weekends

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My Makeup Free Weekends

Hey everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you all are having a great start to your week. So for the past few months I’ve been making an effort to give myself some makeup free days. I settled on doing makeup throughout the week and living makeup free over the weekends. At first, my days of being au natural were torture and all I wanted to do was plop myself in front of the bathroom mirror and do my daily makeup routine. That was then, this is now though because now I live for my days of having a fresh face! Let’s discuss:

As the weeks progressed of having my makeup free weekends, all of the benefits began to pile up. One of them being that it’s a total money saver! Thanks to my days of not applying a single drop of makeup, I haven’t had to buy any new makeup products in months. On an average month, I would say that I’m not wearing makeup for at least a third of it. That’s ten days of no eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, and all of my other makeup must haves. Not using my favorite products regularly has stretched out my usage of them tenfold and has really stretched my dollars, as well!

I’m the first to say that I’m a total freak about my skin. Good skin care products as well as face washes and exfoliators are an absolute necessity for me. I’ll do anything to keep my skin as fresh as can be and I pride myself on my porcelain complexion. Over the TV, internet, and magazines skin care can be made out to be so complicated. There’s nothing hard about wearing no makeup though! I’ve noticed that my skin has become so much softer overall due to my au natural days. It makes sense when you think about it, though. For ten days of the month I have no makeup to scrub off of my face, no products clogging my pores, and a fresh face allows my moisturizers and treatments to really soak in and do their jobs. Score!

The money saving is nice and it’s cool to have my skin improve but the best thing I’ve gained from my makeup free days is confidence. When I was applying my makeup regularly before, you couldn’t pay me to step out in public with no makeup on. I always had to be done up even if I was just staying in for the day. I thought that I had to have makeup on to be pretty and I wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Now, I spend my weekends out and about running errands, working, and hanging out with friends without an ounce of makeup on and I’ve never felt better. I sometimes have days where I’ll catch my makeup free face in the mirror at a store and wish that I did my beauty routine that morning – but don’t we all? However, I must confess, that it’s Sunday (I like to prewrite my posts) and I am wearing makeup! My boyfriend and I have a few Super Bowl parties to attend and I wanted to get dolled up for them! But fear not, I made up for my negligence of my makeup free rule on the weekends by flaunting a fresh face on Friday. 🙂

My Makeup Free Weekends have done nothing but good for me and I can’t recommend my regimen enough. Does anyone have a similar makeup free routine to mine? What are the benefits that you’ve found from going makeup free? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb7

Jergens BB Hand Cream Review

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Jergens BB Hand Cream Review

Hi everyone and happy Super Bowl Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend so far. Over the holidays, I was lucky and won a giveaway by my friend, Victoria, over at livingdisrobed. I won some Jergens body care goodies which included the most fantastic hand cream ever. The Jergens BB Hand Cream is the best thing that has ever happened to my hands and their tendency to get insanely dried out. I have nothing but good things to say about this cream, so let’s discuss:

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If I could describe myself in one word when it comes to body care products, I would use “picky” with a capital P. If the product is greasy – no can do. If it has a scent that I don’t like – see ya never. And if it’s ineffective – girl, BYE. Lucky for me, the Jergens gods heard my prayer for the perfect cream and they responded by making their BB Hand Cream.

My hands are incredibly sensitive so it doesn’t take a lot to get them dehydrated. On top of this sensitivity, I’m a bit of a germophobe so I’m a hand washer as well. When my hands get dry, they get extremely red, they crack, and they legitimately hurt. You would think that with all of these problems, I would have found the perfect hand cream by now. Unfortunately, I’ve never been so blessed. #fml

It seems like every product that I’ve tried has missed the mark and I don’t like to pay for products unless I’m 110% sure that they’re going to do the job. My last attempt at a hand cream was when I used The Body Shop’s almond cream which worked well but was much too greasy for my liking. I thought that my days of red and raw hands was never going to end and then I ended up winning Victoria’s giveaway.

When my package arrived in the mail, I opened it with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas. I inspected my goodies and then eagerly squeezed some of the hand cream onto the palm of my hand. I took a whiff of the cream and was pleased that it was a nice and light fragrance that wasn’t overpowering in the slightest.

After the cream passed the smell test, I began to rub it into my skin. The only way that I can describe it was that it was like my hands were taking a long and much needed drink of water. The hand cream went in so smoothly and within seconds I couldn’t even tell that I had applied a healthy helping of the cream. There was no grease, no residue, and no strong fragrance left behind.

After just one use of Jergens BB Hand Cream, the redness of my skin was reduced, the scaliness was smoothed down, and my hands felt perfectly hydrated. I’ve never experienced a cream that truly helped revitalize my skin without leaving behind any kind of residue. Honestly, I thought that it was impossible. My Jergens BB Hand Cream has helped my winter hands become a thing of the past and that is something that I am so thankful for.

I would be ridiculous to rate my Jergens BB Hand Cream with anything less than: five stars. This is easily the best cream that I’ve ever used and I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you so much again, Victoria, because it was all thanks to you! ❤

So there you have it, my Jergens BB Hand Cream Review! What is your go to hand cream? What body lotion do you swear by? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah