Tag Archives: beauty

Feb5

Revlon Balm Stain Swatch In Crush

Posted on by
Standard
Revlon Balm Stain Swatch In Crush

Hey everyone and happy Monday! There were a few winners in my hand me down makeup haul from my sister. Others were…ehh not so much. Including the product being swatched today. Wow, great intro I know – BUT the only reason why this Revlon Balm Stain isn’t an enthusiastic maybe from me is because I. Don’t. Do. Purple! HOWEVER, I am not everyone so, of course, I had to give this product a swatch for the lucky ladies who can rock a purple lip! Take a look:

revlonrevlon2revlon3

I’ve owned a few Revlon matte lipsticks in the chubby shape, and have been pretty indifferent about them. The color is alright, but I always found that the product didn’t have a lot of longevity on the lips and it seemed to smear throughout the day. Not a good look. To elaborate on that further, this product wiped off almost instantly with a wet cloth so eating or drinking anything with this on is a definite no no. BUT, the nice thing about this balm stain is that it smells super minty, which is a fun bonus. 😀

Despite not being wild about how this balm stain works, I am a little disappointed that purple doesn’t look good on me. I think that this shade is SO pretty! The muddled blueberry color is really lovely. I do like berry shades with a red undertone to it, but this one is just so powerfully purple that I looked a hot mess when I was feeling saucy enough to see what it looked like on my lips. #notdoingthatagain!

In my opinion, there are definitely better balm stains available, but this Revlon shade sure is pretty and would make a nice pop of color to a more neutral makeup look.

Has anyone used any of the chubby shaped Revlon lip products before? What are your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb3

Sephora Cream Lip Stain Swatch In Infinite Rose

Posted on by
Standard
Sephora Cream Lip Stain Swatch In Infinite Rose

Hellooo everyone and happy weekend! Although I am not the biggest makeup girl in the world, I do try to keep my tabs on brands that are considered good and bad. Unfortunately for Sephora, I have heard nothing but bad reviews about their products – which is fine because I wasn’t going to buy them anyways! BUT, my sister gave me a hand me down of one of their lip stains so I had to at least give it a swatch. And who knows, maybe I’ll try it eventually! Take a look:

sephora4sephora6sephora7

While swatching this lip stain, I didn’t come across any unpleasantness. It was quite the opposite, actually. Firstly, this product smells AMAZING. It seriously smells like cake batter… and mama loves her some cake. I also really like the color of this lip stain. It has more of a brown undertone to it rather than a pure pinky rose, which makes me way more keen on wearing it. I love dusty, dusky roses for lip colors on me but anything overly pink has GOTSTA GO.

The only thing that I wasn’t really impressed with was the drying time for this product. It took about five minutes to get to a point where a large amount wasn’t coming off on my fingers. And, even then, I could still see pigment on my phalanges from the stain. Ain’t nobody got time to wait that long for lip color to dry – especially someone who prefers products that are instantly matte.

Although the drying time was pretty long, this Sephora lip stain was really difficult to get off. I had to scrub a wet towel over the swatch twice to get the majority of it off and there is still some left over color visible on my hand. Lip products that don’t budge are always a good thing, so thumbs up for that.

I’m sure that I will break out this lip stain at some point during the spring. But, for now, I don’t feel overwhelmingly negative about Sephora’s “Infinite Rose” at all. It’s funny how one can be pleasantly surprised when they think that they are about to try out the worst product ever and it’s way better than expected!

How do you feel about Sephora’s line of makeup? What is your go to lip stain? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

Makeup Free Days

Posted on by
Standard
Makeup Free Days

Howdy! Back in the day, I used to complete my makeup routine almost daily – even if I was staying home for the day. As the years progressed, I realized just how silly this was and began slowly easing into Makeup Free Days. This originally started out as a Sunday occasion, but now, I spend at least half of my week with no makeup on. It’s crazy!

I wouldn’t say that I have this sky high confidence that makes me feel okay with no makeup on. It’s honestly more of a lazy girl thing. I apply my makeup and do my hair when I’m working in the community. But, if I am working from home or just running random errands during the day, I really don’t see the point of painting my face. Once I realized that going out in public with no makeup on wasn’t the end of the world, it became easier and easier to leave the house bare faced.

Of course, makeup free days save me time, but my skin and wallet are also definitely thanking me. I’ve noticed that my skin has looked increasingly healthier as I make my way through the year, because the products that I use after washing my face really gets a chance to sink in and work as opposed to being suffocated by the makeup on top. And, days without makeup equals using less of it, which equals buying less products, which equals more money in my pocket!

It’s a little surprising to me how within a handful of years, I went from caring so much about what complete strangers might think if I left the home in anything but full makeup perfection to running about town fresh faced for three or four days of the week. I guess that’s part of growing up. Getting older sucks. But, feeling okay makeup free is something that I’m definitely okay with!

Has anyone else had a makeup free epiphany similar to mine? How often do you apply makeup during the week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb1

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Swatch In Overachiever

Posted on by
Standard
bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Swatch In Overachiever

Hiiii! This past week, my sister gifted me with some hand me down makeup to try out. Some I liked, others I didn’t, and some were so pretty that I had to keep just to do swatches on even if it didn’t necessarily work for me. I have never been a big lip gloss kind of girl. I remember being in my early teens and opting for lipstick instead of the gloss that all of my peers were smearing on their lips. I am not sure how I feel about trying it now, but I did have to put this bareMinerals lip gloss on my blog for prettiness’s sake. Take a look:

bareminbaremin3baremin4baremin2

^^^ The first heart is with the flash off and the second one is with the flash on.

First of all, this lip gloss smells SO. GOOD. It has this really creamy, pepperminty scent to it and I freaking love it. Second of all, I liked that this gloss wasn’t sticky because I feel like so many tend to be. The swatch on my hand wiped off cleanly with a dry towel and left no residue at all. I was impressed!

And, finally, let’s talk about the color. Initially, I feared that this shade would be too purpley for me if I ever chose to give it a try. In the container, it looks like a really deep plum. Therefore, I would be looking like a living dead girl within the first application. So, I was pretty surprised to see that on my hand the shade seemed to have a base that was more brown than anything. The purple tint really only came from the glitter thrown into the mix. And that glitter only seemed to pop compliments of my bright camera flash. I think that I might be able to work with that.

Of course, I will always gravitate towards using a red or a nude lipstick but trying a gloss on for size might not be the worst thing. I do know that I liked the consistency of this bareMinerals lip gloss, which is good to have in the back of my mind even if the color isn’t my favorite. Sticky gloss should be left in middle school and will never be gracing Lil Red’s lips any time soon!

Are you a lip gloss or lipstick girl? Who is a fan of bareMinerals products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan28

Mini Skin Care Haul

Posted on by
Standard
Mini Skin Care Haul

Heyy everyone and happy Sunday! One thing that I have a strong passion for in the beauty world is skin care. It’s so important to me to put my best face forward (Literally!) every day, and that always starts with a good skin care routine. I like to use a lot of products from The Body Shop and I am obsessed with all things Vitamin C, so I was super happy with the mini haul seen below:

vitaminc

If you remember from yesterday’s finishes post, you will have noticed that I just had an empty of the Vital C serum. It was so nice that I had to buy it twice and I felt SO lucky because I picked up the last one ON CLEARANCE FOR SIX DOLLARS at TJMaxx. I was also pleased to have found a Vitamin C moisturizer from The Body Shop with SPF 30, which will be perfect for the summer time, that I also got for a six dollar steal.

As a pale princess, it’s really easy for my skin to take on a pallid appearance, which is why I try to utilize at least one Vitamin C product in my skin care regimen. Vitamin C keeps my skin bright and radiant even on the days when my skin is in the doldrums. I think that a serum is the best for achieving maximum glow, but a moisturizer for the right price can be just as good! And lucky me, I got both for a whole twelve bucks. Score!

Which products are a must in your skin care routine? Who else is Vitamin C obsessed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan27

January 2018 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
January 2018 Finishes

Hello!! I can’t believe that January is already drawing to a close and another empties post is upon us. The very first one of 2018! I finished up a ton of products this month, some that I really enjoyed and others – ehh, not so much. So take a look at my finishes for the month and let’s discuss:

20188

Would I Use Again?

  • St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask: YES
  • The Body Shop Satsuma shower gel: YES
  • Jones New York White Tea body scrub: NO
  • Jones New York White Tea bath salts: NO
  • CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: MAYBE
  • Olay moisturizer: YES
  • The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey body butter: YES
  • Vital C Vitamin C oil: YES

Why/Why Not:

St. Ives Scrub: Of course you guys know by now that I am all about my St. Ives scrubs and besides from their totally delicious apricot one, the Oatmeal Scrub & Mask is one of my favorites. I love that this scrub is creamy and gentle but it has a good amount of grit in it to get all of the gunk out. It took me about a month and a half to finish this product.

TBS Shower Gel: The Satsuma scent from The Body Shop is probably one of my all time favorites, so it was SO nice to use this shower gel every day. TBS gels lather amazingly well and they are nourishing enough that it doesn’t dry out your skin even during the cold winter months. I began using this body wash in mid November and didn’t finish it until halfway through January, which is a wonderful value!

JNY Scrub: I use a body scrub whenever I shave for a closer and smoother hair removal. Unfortunately, this Jones New York product missed the mark for me. The key to a good body scrub is for it to have a lot of grit to it, but this one just didn’t have it. It was so creamy that it was more like rubbing your hairy legs with soap rather than an exfoliater. I got four full body uses from this container.

JNY Bath Salts: I LOVE bath time more than the average human being, but I never really understood the purpose of bath salts. Every single time that I’ve ever used them, it did nothing to add to the bath time experience – No scents, no extra moisturizing, nada. And it’s not just these bath salts, it’s ALL bath salts. What gives?!!!

CeraVe Cream: I got this sample face cream from my recent Walgreens Haul and got three uses out of it. I quite enjoyed this product, because the texture was nice and thick – which is great, because it has been pretty cold in Ohio. I would consider using this cream during the winter months, but it would be far too thick to use during the spring or summer. It definitely left my skin feeling protected and hydrated, though!

Olay Moisturizer: I got this moisturizer in New York during my Bloggers Conference with Kate from Ankhor You in mid October and I finished it HALFWAY THROUGH JANUARY!! This Olay product was an amazing value and I got it for a whole THIRTY THREE CENTS thanks to my Walgreens rewards card. #ballinonabudget. I liked this moisturizer because it was lightweight, absorbed quickly, and I could easily apply my makeup over top of it. I would use this product again in a heartbeat, for sure.

TBS Body Butter: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED the Almond Milk & Honey scent from The Body Shop. It smelled like a richer, sweeter version of their original Almond fragrance, which is one of my favorites. This body butter was so lush and moisturizing and it was a must have in my winter arsenal to combat dry skin. I got about six full body uses out of this butter and I already wish that I had more of it!

Vital C Oil: This face oil was a TJMaxx find that originally costed close to fifty dollars, and it sure felt like it. It took me about two months to finish this product and I would buy it again without question. I used this oil daily and it left my skin looking so radiant and fresh, especially on no makeup days. Not only did it offer an extra glowing boost, but it was also very hydrating, which was fabulous during the winter cold. Freaking loved it.

Overall, I am really happy with all of my finishes this month, despite a few duds. I fully enjoyed all of the products that I liked, and it definitely makes for a successful month of empties when you would buy a majority of them again without a doubt!

Has anyone ever used any of the products seen above? What products did you finish up this month? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Walgreens Haul

Posted on by
Standard
Walgreens Haul

Hi!! So a couple of days ago I got an email saying that Walgreens was doing a freebie bag similar to the one I got previously with a twenty dollar online purchase. I needed to buy more hair dye, anyways, and Walgreens is the only place that carries my beloved Vidal Sassoon shade, so I figured why not. I purchased four boxes of dye to last me until May and got this awesome freebie bag along with it (On top of free shipping and two dollars off from my rewards card!). Check it out:

walg2walg1

There was an amazing amount of goodies in my bag including:

  • Coupons
  • Vitamin/Probiotic samples
  • Lotion/Moisturizer samples
  • Colgate Optic White tooth paste
  • Two Aquaphor lotion sprays
  • CeraVe moisturizer
  • Clean & Clear cleanser
  • Aveeno cleanser
  • CeraVe lotion
  • Gold Bond lotion
  • Pantene volumizing foam
  • La Roche Posay healing balm

It was such fun going through my bag and picking out the items that I wanted and then sharing the wealth with my family for the products that I was not interested in. I spent a grand total of forty dollars for my dye and got so much more in return along with it. I freaking love these Walgreens grab bags and I hope that they are doing another one the next time that I need to restock my hair dye!

Which stores give the best freebies? Are there any beauty products that you stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Walgreens

Jan18

Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Pt. 2 Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Pt. 2 Edition

Howdy! Today we are going to talk about the other bath bomb that my BFF gifted me for Christmas. It was a lovely purple and pink one with a Jasmine Rose scent. Although I am not big on either fragrance, this bath bomb was super pleasant to use and I LOVED the color that it made the bath water. And the dried rose petals were definitely a luxurious added bonus! Take a look and let’s discuss:

roserose1rose3rose4rose5rose6

Even though the Cran Orange bath bomb from yesterday’s post was fun, I think that I like the Jasmine Rose one better. I didn’t get any hints of Jasmine at all when I put the bath bomb in the water, it just gave off this soft floral scent that was really pretty. Speaking of pretty, the lavender hue that my water turned into looked so gorgeous and I loved seeing the rose petals and pink glitter swirling around. It made me feel so lux and pampered!

I officially have no more bath bombs to use and now I am craving going to Lush something fierce! Taking baths is one of my favorite ways to relax and bath bombs just add to the R&R in the best way possible. I never thought that I would find myself wanting to go to Lush so badly, but here we are now, and some of their bath bombs sound like the perfect way to treat myself. 😀

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

Jan17

Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Edition

This is Bath Bomb Blitz, this is Bath Bomb Blitz, lalala – sung to the tune of Ballroom Blitz, anyone? No? Lol, didn’t think so. Anyways, my BFF got me some homemade bath bombs from a craft show for Christmas, which I was very excited about because I haven’t used one in a while. I’ve used some really good homemade bath bombs before and some really bad ones, so I was a bit ambivalent about what I was getting into, but ended up being pleasantly surprised. Take a look and let’s discuss:

bbbbbb1bbb3bbb4bbb5

First of all, the Cran Orange scent was delicious. As soon as I popped the bath bomb in the water, you got an instant waft of orange-y goodness. And I do love me my citrus scents! And, although the water looks pretty murky in the pictures, it was actually a really pretty medium-peach color and that was fun to soak in. Not to mention the red glitter as an added visual bonus!

This was by far the best homemade bath bomb that I’ve used before. Did it fizz as long as a bath bomb from Lush? No. But it lasted for at least a minute, which is pretty good for a homemade treat. The fragrance used was nice and strong and the soft color of the water made me feel so relaxed. Am I the biggest fan of glitter? No. Cleaning it up afterwards is a pain in the behind. But the red and orange combination looked so pretty that I didn’t even mind it! 😀

Who likes to home make bath and body care products? Does anyone have a favorite recipe that they use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

New Black & Magenta Nails

Posted on by
Standard
New Black & Magenta Nails

Hi hi hi everyone! My last fill was a fun one, because my mom joined in on the festivities!! My mom enjoys a manicure every now and again so my sister got her a gift card to the salon that I go to for Christmas. Getting your nails done is a pampering, albeit a little boring, process so it was definitely nice to be able to wave at my mom when we happened to look at each other during our time at the salon. For this fill, I chose a magenta color as my accent nail and I love it! Take a look:

neww2

I thought that the accent nail color was so pretty that it didn’t even need glitter on it to make it pop. I love how the purple undertones shine through when it catches the light and it has an almost hologram-y finish that I am obsessed with. And, this time around, my nail tech didn’t put the gel top coat on my phalanges like last time so I am completely satisfied with my fill.

I’ve been going at least four and a half weeks between fills now and I’m really happy with that. My bank account is definitely thanking me for not going every three weeks like clockwork anymore! I’m all for treating myself, but ballin on a budget it important to me, so I’m proud that I was able to accommodate my pampering sessions to that lifestyle choice! 😀

What color of nail polish do you have on right now? Are you a gel, shellac, or normal polish type of gal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah