Tag Archives: recommendations

Sephora Freebies

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Sephora Freebies

Hi! While getting some of my holiday shopping done on Sephora’s website, I received a major freebie haul! It. Was. Awesome. I cashed in my 500 point Beauty Insider gift for a Clinique goodie bag and I also received a free travel bag filled with good stuff for spending over fifty dollars. Plus, I got free shipping! I spent just one dollar over the fifty minimum and I got a ton of amazing travel sized products to show for it. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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The Haul:

  • Lancome: La Vie Est Belle perfume sample
  • Laneige: Water Sleeping Mask (Loved it!)
  • Lancome: Mascara
  • Rahua: Omega 9 Hair Mask
  • Urban Decay: All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
  • Fresh: Soy Face Cleanser
  • Briogeo: Heat Protecting Cream
  • Caudalie: Moisturizing Sorbet
  • Tarte: Lip Paint in Birthday Suit (LOVE! I was running low on my birthday gift color from last year!)
  • Clinique: Moisture Surge Face Spray
  • Clinique: Chubby Stick in Woppin’ Watermelon (See the swatch tomorrow!)
  • Clinique: Moisture Surge moisturizer sample
  • Clinique: Mascara
  • Clinique: Foundation + Concealer samples

^^^ So good, right?!

Sephora is such a wonderful company to shop with online, because the promotions that they offer are second to none. I have never not received a free product when shopping online, because they usually offer the promo when you spend over twenty-five dollars. And, let’s be honest, that’s not hard to do!

I used to shy away from Sephora, because when you shop in store there is never any type of promotion running to give you some bang for your buck. But, when I shop online, I always feel pleased with what I’m getting in free product for the amount that I’m spending. I will definitely still pop into the store to see what’s new and examine all the colors and products up close. But, I will go home and order whatever I liked online every time, and I recommend that all of you Sephora lovers do the same. Can you get that amazing haul seen above in store for absolutely free?? I think not!

Which stores offer the best online promotions? How do you shop smart when it comes to Sephora? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

October 2018 Finishes

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October 2018 Finishes

Helloooo! With October drawing to a close quicker than anticipated, it’s time to discuss which beauty products I finished up this month. What was nice about this month’s empties is that half of them were totally free, which saved me at least twenty dollars. The Clean & Clear cleanser came from a Walgreen’s goodie bag, the Bath & Body Works body wash was free, and the body wash from The Body Shop was a gift. Sweet!

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Would I Use Again?

  • Lubriderm lotion: YES
  • The Body Shop Satsuma body butter: YES
  • The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey shower cream: NO
  • Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel: YES
  • Clean & Clear Acne Triple Clear cleanser: MAYBE
  • ArganiCare moisturizer: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Lubriderm Lotion: Good ol’ Lubriderm is my go to brand to use upon getting a new tattoo and, as I get new ones fairly frequently, I always keep a bottle of lotion handy. I’ve had this bottle for about six months, which is pretty good considering I use it multiple times a day for a handful of weeks when a new tattoo is healing. I will definitely continue using this lotion and, at six dollars a bottle, a dollar per month cost per use is something that I can totally get behind!

TBS Body Butter: This jumbo sized body butter is compliments of TJMaxx for ten bucks, which sure beats the in store price of thirty! Satsuma is easily one of my favorite scents from TBS and I would have hundreds of these body butters in my arsenal if I could. I got at least ten full body uses out of the jumbo sized butter and hope that I can find more at TJ’s to help with dry winter skin in the approaching months.

TBS Shower Cream: Although I love, love, love the Almond Milk & Honey scent from TBS, this shower cream was a major whomp whomp. It didn’t lather at all, making it really hard to feel clean while taking a shower. Because it didn’t lather, I tried to compensate by using more of it per use, which resulted in me finishing the bottle in three weeks. I would recommend a gel over a shower cream any day, because the gel from TBS lasts me at least five weeks, which is a money saver.

B&BW Shower Gel: On the opposite end of the body wash spectrum is the Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel from Bath & Body Works. I had this travel sized bottle for over three weeks, which should tell you everything you need to know about the one from TBS. It lathered well, smelled amazing, and I would definitely use it again.

Clean & Clear Cleanser: It took me about three weeks to finish this mini cleanser and, if given the opportunity, I would use it again. But, with a normal skin type, acne is something that I don’t really worry about so I would prefer something that is designed for normal skin. However, this cleanser made my skin feel squeaky clean and that is always a plus!

ArganiCare Moisturizer: I LOVED this moisturizer and it was absolutely the MVP of this month’s finishes. I got my ArganiCare moisturizer from TJMaxx for six dollars and it lasted me for over a month and a half. A little bit of this product sure went a long way and, although a small amount was used, my skin was always left feeling supple and hydrated. I would love to use this moisturizer again and would definitely recommend it.

Overall, it was a really successful month for finishes and I would recommend almost all of the products discussed above. And when fifty percent of them were free, it makes this month’s empties even sweeter!

Have you used any of the products above? What were your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Carl Sandburg Home

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Carl Sandburg Home

Hi! During my family vacation, we visited the incomparable Carl Sandburg Home. Although we didn’t go inside the house itself, exploring the gorgeous property and playing with goats (Yes, goats!) was more than good enough for us! During our time at the Carl Sandburg estate, we learned a lot about the great American poet and, even though I wasn’t familiar with his work before, this might have been my favorite part of our trip. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

 

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So, how did I get up close and personal enough with a field full of goats to be able to take a selfie with one of them, you might ask? Well, these goats are direct descendants from the ones that Carl’s wife, Lilian, raised until her passing. All of the goats are handled by humans as soon as they’re born, so they’re incredibly friendly and love having visitors. Each goat has his or her own name, which you can see on their collars, and they are all so tame that you can approach and handle them without any fuss. It. Was. AMAZING!

And, of course, the property was spectacular, too. The foliage was beautiful, the walking trail was pleasant to stroll through, and all of the homes on the estate for Sandburg’s family looked so quaint and charming. We spent a good few hours at the Carl Sandburg Home and I honestly would have been happy spending an entire day there! The scenery and especially the goats stole the show and I would love to go back. 12/10 Would recommend visiting if you are in the area.

What is your favorite animal? Who is your favorite poet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Adventures In Microblading

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Lil Red’s Adventures In Microblading

Hello! During a recent trip to Pittsburgh, I got to spend time with my super cool cousin, Laura, exploring the city, eating hella food, and having her microblade me! Laura is one of the pioneers in bringing microblading to Pittsburgh and owns her own studio, La Marie Brow Club, where she works her magic. Admittedly nervous, although I had absolutely no reason to be after the fact, I am now a walking testament to Laura’s work and am a firm believer in the power of microblading!

My nervousness definitely stemmed from the fact that I am a low key girl when it comes to my brows. I fill them in with an eighty-nine cent pencil annnnd that’s about it. Whenever I pluck them, I always end up overdoing it so, now, I just let them do their own thang. Have I wanted better brows? Sure. But, I’ve never been keen on constant waxing and maintenance and, at first, microblading sounded lightweight terrifying! But, now that I officially have amazing brows, I can’t believe that I didn’t do this sooner. Take a look at my before and after shots and, then, we’ll discuss everything further:

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As soon as we got to the salon, Laura immediately got to work preparing the space and explaining the first steps in the microblading process to me. First, we took some before pictures, which you can see above. And, then, Laura began to map out my brows according to my preferred side, which happens to be ol’ rightie. She used an eyebrow pencil to take measurements and used her makeup artist’s eye to create an outline that enhanced my right brow and made my left brow closely mimic its partner.

After a game plan was made special for my MUG, Laura applied a topical numbing agent to my brow area and we let it sit for twenty minutes before the microblading began. For those of you who aren’t hip, microblading is the manual process of implanting pigment into the upper region of our skin’s dermis in a way to mimic the appearance of natural hair. The blade that is used is dipped in pigment and each hair stroke is manually placed into the skin.

Once my brows were comfortably numb, Laura began the microblading festivities. The best way that I can describe the feeling of being microbladed is like getting papercuts on your eyebrows. Papercuts are a pain in the butt. But they are not unbearable and, although I could definitely feel some strokes more than others, the overall level of pain was extremely tolerable.

During a brief break after Laura’s first pass with my brows, a second numbing agent was applied to help ease any discomfort after wiping them down. Then, a second go was made for Laura to add the final touches and hair strokes to complete my beautiful new brows!

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^^^ Peep those results!

Spending time with Laura in her salon has been the highlight of my last few months and I cannot wait to come back to Pittsburgh in two months for her to touch my brows up. La Marie Brow Club provided a sterile and safe environment for me to get eyebrows perfectly customized for my face. Laura made me feel so comfortable and secure with all of the choices that we made together and she walked me through every step of the way with ease.

Watching my cousin display her amazing talents and doing a damn good job of it was so inspiring to me. Laura’s artistry involves immense skill and she was able to complete a task that looks dauntingly difficult with a smile on her face and well thought out answers to all of my questions. Saying I recommend Laura highly is an understatement, because she instilled a newfound confidence in me with her craft, and nothing can ever top that.

Take an inside look at Laura’s salon, located behind Lantern Rose tattoo shop!

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More about Laura:

Laura opened her business, La Marie Brow Club, in April of 2017 and received her certification in January of 2016. Not only does she offer microblading, but she also does upper lash line enhancement, freckles, beauty marks, and tooth gems (Which are so cute!). Laura has spent over ten years in the field as a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician, but enjoys doing eyebrows the most. When she is not booked at the salon, she loves spending time with her boyfriend, Victor, and beloved pets: Randy the cat and Lucille and Igor the Boston Terriers (And they are all so cute, too!).

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Interested in getting microbladed? You can reach Laura with the following:

Social Media Platforms

Thank you so much again to my beautiful and talented cousin for finessing my brows! Laura has the Lil Red Guarantee for fantastic results and service so, if you were at all on the fence about being microbladed like I was, trust in that and schedule an appointment today!

Do you have microbladed brows? How were your results? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Meditation Recommendations

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Meditation Recommendations

Hi everyone! Something that I really enjoy doing is going to a meditation class offered by my local library. The woman who runs it, Joann Xi, is the founder of the Center for Health, Happiness, and Chan. This organization promotes a mindful and contemplative lifestyle and teaches the art of meditation to those in the greater Akron area. During class this week, Joann gave us a paper listing some helpful books, apps, podcasts, and websites that she recommends and I thought that I would share it with all of you. And, if you are interested in seeing Joann in action, check out my blog post which features her YouTube videos. She’s amazing!

From Eastern Traditions:

Books:

  1. The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka by William Hart
  2. Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
  3. True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
  4. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa
  5. Bringing Home the Dharma by Jack Kornfield
  6. The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron

Podcasts:

  1. Insight Hour Podcast with Joseph Goldstein
  2. Ram Dass Hear and Now
  3. Heart Wisdom Podcast with Jack Kornfield

Websites:

  1. https://www.secularbuddhism.org/
  2. https://www.lionsroar.com/

From Western Traditions:

Books:

  1. Invitation to Love by Thomas Keating
  2. Intimacy with God by Thomas Keating
  3. Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton
  4. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
  5. Fully Present by Susan L Smalley and Diana Winston
  6. Mindful Work by David Gelles

Audio Books:

  1. Going on Being by Mark Epstein
  2. Going to Pieces without Falling Apart by Mark Epstein

Podcasts:

  1. 10% Happier with Dan Harris

Apps:

  1. Headspace (Westernized version of eastern meditation practices)

YouTube:

  1. Zen Den
  2. Cosmic Kids

Websites:

  1. https://www.cac.org/
  2. https://www.couragerenewal.org

Integration of East/West:

Books:

  1. Living Zen Loving God by Ruben L.F. Habito
  2. The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale
  3. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts

I hope that some of these wonderful options to help introduce you to meditation or further your practices prove to be beneficial to those who need it. Once a skeptic, I truly believe in the power of meditation and the amazing work that Joann is doing, so please enjoy!

Who else participates in meditation? What are some ways that help you to relax? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

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Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

Hello! For a while now, my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub has been sitting in my bathroom waiting to be used. Since my birthday in June, more specifically, because it was part of my Beauty Insider birthday treat from Sephora. Don’t ask me why I never used it, because I don’t know. But, I am glad that I held off, because it definitely came in handy last week!

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While I was sick with the flu, my skin suffered because I was so dehydrated. My lips took a real beating, and by the time I was feeling better, they were raw from the cracking and peeling. I was picking at them until they bled (Shame on me!), and there still seemed to be dead skin that I wasn’t getting. So, I enlisted the help of the Bite balm and scrub.

First, I used the sugar scrub to buff my lips and try to remove any excess skin that was hanging on. The scrub tasted great – like sugar and honey. It worked well, too! I let it sit on my lips and rubbed them back and forth for a handful of minutes and they felt awesome after wiping the product off. They were so smooth and a good amount of yucky stuff came off, too. But, not all of the huge pieces of skin that hurt too bad to remove came off.

Instead of trying to take matters into my own hands, I applied the balm. The Agave Balm was nice and thick and I put a generous amount on my lips. Both the balm and scrub had a really tasty honey aroma, and the balm sat really well – no budges or anything. After an hour or so, I checked the progress on my lips and was able to remove the rest of the excess pain free. It also helped take away the stinging pain that comes with severely chapped lips.

My lips felt really good after using the sugar scrub and balm duo. It felt amazing to get them back to feeling normal after being so sick and they were even better than how they were before falling ill. I liked this product, and I would love to make a DIY sugar scrub so that I can indulge in this treat more often. I don’t think that I would purchase the Bite Beauty combination, though, just because a cheaper alternative is definitely out there somewhere!

Who has a good sugar scrub recipe? How do you take care of your lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sephora Brand Lipstick Review In The Red

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Sephora Brand Lipstick Review In The Red

Hey! After unboxing my goodies from one of Sephora’s Play! boxes, a lot of you took interest in the Sephora brand lipstick that I received in The Red. If you can remember from the swatching post, I definitely didn’t care for this color because of its heavy blue undertones. But, I love you all so much that I thought I would give it a try so that I could accurately review it. Here we go:

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My first impression of this lipstick was that the application for it was quite difficult. It didn’t want to work on the corners of my lips at all. It applied well to my top and bottom lip, but when I got to the corners, color wasn’t even getting on them even though I was rubbing it on. So that kind of sucked. The texture of this lippie is also really creamy, so that made the application a little tricky for me, because I’m so used to matte. It glided on well, but it got everywhere outside of my lips, so touch ups were much needed.

Once the lipstick was on, I put it to the ultimate task of eating lunch and seeing what happened. I had cheese and crackers with mustard to dip it in and I made no efforts to eat carefully. I was really hungry so I was ravenous and I figured that the lippie would be all over my face after that feeding frenzy. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn’t budge at all, and it was very easy to wipe off afterwards.

After having this Sephora brand lipstick on, I still don’t think that I would use it in a color that I like, because I am not a cream lippie girl. And, the difficulty with applying it was definitely a turn off for me. I wouldn’t recommend this product, though, because there are a lot of other brands that are cheaper and do a cream lipstick much better.

Final Verdict: Don’t bother.

Are you a fan of Sephora brand products? What is your favorite cream lipstick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Posh Polishes Pt. 2: Londontown Haul

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Posh Polishes Pt. 2: Londontown Haul

Hi everyone! I hope that all of you are having a great week and are looking forward to an exciting weekend ahead of you. Londontown is back with a vengeance for their Fall 2019 collection featuring hues that are so rich and vibrant that I promise you’ve never seen anything like it before. And, did I mention that all of their products are vegan and cruelty free so that you can buy their products guilt free? Yeah, I said it! Londontown’s Fall 2019 collection will make you feel so posh and downright sexy, so I better get to showing the shades off before the anticipation drives you mad! Check it out:

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Seen from top to bottom:

Vendetta: This deep scarlet shade is so fetching for fall and sticks true to its namesake, because nothing makes me think of a Vendetta more than a striking shade of dark red. Londontown keeps this color cool with blue undertones but, don’t let that fool you, because Vendetta is red hot.

Kissed By Rose Gold: The slogan for Londontown’s Fall 2019 collection is “Back with a vengeance”, and it sure does it sweetly with Kissed By Rose Gold. This gorgeous metallic shade gives you just the right amount of sparkle and edginess, emulating this past year’s “it” color to perfection.

Jane Austen: A true heroine wouldn’t be complete without a signature shade, and that’s where Jane Austen comes in. This light hued lavender gives you romance, but the smokiness to it adds drama and mystery. Long story short, I’m sure Jane Austen would approve!

Iconic: Go ahead and make a statement with Iconic, an electric blue that’s sure to shock! This shade allows you to bring some brightness to a grey fall day in a way that’s chic and fashion forward. Revel in the stares and compliments, because this shade is totally Iconic.

Can’t settle on one shade? Fear not! All of these colors compliment each other well, so feel free to give yourself an accent nail or two!

And, don’t forget your base and top coat:

Londontown’s Nail Hardener & Base Coat gives you such amazing benefits that is almost seems too good to be true. Not only does it improve the appearance of dry, brittle nails but, it also prevents staining and creates a durable surface to bond your polish for extended wear, which gives you the most bang for your buck. This product is a base coat and treatment all in one and is an absolute must when giving yourself a mani.

And, of course, it’s a necessity to finish off your spa night by applying a Protective Top Coat to your nails. Londontown’s top coat will give your manicure the power to be chip resistant, super shiny, and well protected against damaging external elements, which also gives you the most bang for your buck! Need I say more about how this product is also an absolute must?

Stand in your power and enter each room throughout the day with a vengeance, thanks to Londontown’s stunning fall collection. And, if you can’t think of a catchphrase better than “Back with a vengeance”, then it’s totally okay to let your nails do the talking!

What is your favorite color from this post? Who plans on shopping Londontown soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

July 2018 Finishes

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July 2018 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! Can you believe that another month of 2018 is nearing an end? Before we know it, we’ll be ringing in the holiday season and celebrating the start of 2019. Time continues to fly, and you all know what that means! A monthly finishes post, of course! Take a look at my empties and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Le Petit Marseiliais Vanilla Milk shower cream: YES
  • Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: YES
  • The Body Shop Strawberry scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Oils Of Life serum: YES
  • 40 Carrots moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

LPM Shower Cream: Although this brand name might be a bitch to spell out, this shower cream is so not a bitch to use! As all of you know, I looove all vanilla everything and this cream had the most richest, delicious vanilla scent I’ve ever used. The cream was hydrating as all get out, and my skin was left feeling silky smooth after every shower. It took me about two months to finish this product.

Garnier Micellar Water: Am I the biggest fan of micellar water? No. But, is it a cheap alternative to buying a toner and makeup remover? Yes. Garnier easily has the best cleansing water that I’ve used thus far and it lasted me a decently long time considering I use it daily – over a month and a half. It’s a good value and it’s an all in one product and I can definitely get down with that.

TBS Scrub: A scrub is an essential part of my routine when I’m shaving and I literally couldn’t imagine taming the Woolly Mammoth legs without it. We all know this by now. I got about six full body uses out of the mini sized scrub, which is not bad at all!

TBS Serum: I really, really like this product, and I was super happy because after using my other bottle, my mom gave me hers to finish up. The Oils Of Life serum hydrates the living hell out of your skin and it sits amazingly well under makeup. This serum ranges on the more pricey side of products from The Body Shop, but a little lasts a long way and it took me over two months to finish half of a bottle of it.

40 Carrots Moisturizer: My beauty queen sister gave me this moisturizer out of her reject pile of products and I enjoyed it well enough. I liked how hydrating it was and that you didn’t need to use a ton of it to make your skin feel well taken care of for the day. This moisturizer was thicker in texture but it sat under makeup with no problem. It took me over a month to finish half of a jar of the moisturizer so, from a value side, I would definitely use this again.

July brought along some new and old favorites for me to enjoy and I am satisfied with each product that I finished up. I would recommend all of the above empties and would gladly use them again, myself.

Have you used any of the products seen above? 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

Face Mask Festivities: Nubian Heritage Mud Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Nubian Heritage Mud Mask Edition

Hello everyone and a happy Tuesday to all of you! In today’s surprise edition of Face Mask Festivities, we are going to discuss a mud mask by Nubian Heritage. I say surprise, because I wasn’t expecting to have another FMF post for a while but, then, my mom bought this mask ON THE CHEAP at Target! How can you say no to an originally fifteen dollar mask for five bucks?! Lol, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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In all honesty, this mask was not my favorite and I feel disappointed by that, because I LOVED the texture of it. It felt so cool to the touch and the consistency was like BUTTAH! It was so smooth and creamy and it felt amazing when I applied it. And, then, it remained that way on my face for the entire ten minutes that I had it on. It didn’t dry, it didn’t harden, and it felt like it didn’t do NOTHIN. When I washed it off, it felt exactly how it felt when I first put it on my hands, so it left me feeling like it didn’t even work. It was really weird.

I will say, that the blackheads on my nose look a bit better, and the scent of the mask was nice and earthy. BUT, its lack of a change of consistency when the mask was supposedly doing its thing left a lot to be desired. And, now I see why this was marked down to five dollars! #smh

Has anyone else used this Nubian Heritage mask before? How did you feel about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah