Tag Archives: restock

Jul2

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Hello!! When it comes to bath and body care in my household, Bath & Body Works reigns supreme. We are huge fans of their foaming hand soap, shower gel, lotion, wallflowers, and hand sanitizers but I would never consider paying full price for them. Rather, I wait until the summer and winter Semi Annual Sales and do a massive restock of all of the goods that keep us smelling good. A few weeks ago, I received a text that said B&BW was offering an early preview of the Semi Annual Sale to their reward members and I hopped on it! For seventy dollars, I scored a total of eighteen items and you just can’t beat that! Check it out and let’s discuss the hand soaps from this haul:

Normally, I go nuts on hand soap during the Semi Annual Sale because we use ours constantly throughout the day. However, I just had a restock of my beloved soaps so I limited myself to four different scents – a couple of the classics and some Christmas in June vibes. I am smelling two of these for the first time as I write this so let’s see what I think lol:

Hot Cocoa & Cream: Wow, this is an incredibly straightforward and new to me scent. If you have ever had a steaming mug of hot cocoa, frothy whipped cream, and sweet marshmallows on a winter day, then that is exactly what Hot Cocoa & Cream smells like. In fact, the featured notes closely mimic what I just said with “decadent milk chocolate, fresh steamed milk, and mini marshmallows”. This would be an amazing scent to do holiday gift baskets with. Love it!

Winter Candy Apple: Other than Vanilla Bean Noel and Twisted Peppermint, Winter Candy Apple is one of my favorite holiday scents from B&BW. Of course, I love anything with the word apple in it when it comes to fragrances! Winter Candy Apple offers notes of “red apples, winter rose petals, and candied oranges”. It smells like a freshly made winter potpourri or tea and is a perfect blend between the apple and orange. It has a bit of spice to it but is primarily oh so sweet.

Fresh Amalfi Lemon: This is the other new to me scent in the batch and it is an interesting one. I was assuming Fresh Amalfi Lemon would be straight up lemon but it surprised me with the notes featured of “lemon leaves, chilled spearmint, and cedarwood citrus”. This is lemony and minty all in one and I actually don’t know how to feel about it lol. It’s not the best nor the worst, but I wouldn’t purchase this one again.

Cucumber Melon: A timeless classic, indeed! It’s hard not to think about Cucumber Melon when you think about Bath & Body Works. It is such a nostalgic scent from junior high and I can vividly remember the notes of “crisp cucumber, watery honeydew, and juicy cantaloupe” wafting around the gym locker room lol. This scent is so melony, so fresh, and just top tier B&BW. I always have to get a little something something from the Cucumber Melon line every Semi Annual Sale!

Stay tuned for more from my haul all week as well as a brand new OOTD! ❤

What is your favorite B&BW scent? Which scent do you wish B&BW would bring back (It’s Pearberry all the way for me!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun17

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

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Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Hello!! While I love a good skin care restock, one of my favorite things is when I am running low on my beloved foaming hand soap because that means a trip to Bath & Body Works is in order. Their foaming hand soap has been a staple in my apartment since moving out of chez parents and I legit couldn’t imagine using anything else. It is simply the best! This past week, I made a stop at B&BW for a reup on my must have and ended up with all new to me scents. Take a look and let’s discuss:

White Tea & Sage: As I browsed the soap department, I found that the pickings were incredibly slim and was smelling different scents for the heck of it. White Tea & Sage is something that I wouldn’t have given a second glance to, but I gave it a shot and was surprised by how much I liked it. The featured notes include “fresh tea, lemon, and herbs”. I can definitely pick up on the lemon but it mainly just smells minty, which is perfectly fine by me. I am a minty fragrance gal and White Tea & Sage is crisp and invigorating. Look at me broadening my horizons!

Pineapple Prosecco: If you are a fan of pineapple, then this scent is for you! If not, then this scent is not for you! While Pineapple Prosecco offers notes of “sparkling pineapple, bubbly Prosecco, and white nectarine”, it just smells like straight up pineapple lol. This scent is juicy and the slightest bit tart and perfect for summertime.

Sweet Strawberry Scoop: Strawberry fragrances tend to be hit or miss for me as they can often verge on being too sweet. I loved the Strawberry line from The Body Shop and the Sweet Strawberry Scoop from B&BW is very nice. The fragrance notes in this scent are “sugared pink strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream”. The vanilla ice cream makes this scent really rich and it smells like pure strawberries and cream. Once again, this is a great summertime scent!

Fresh Watermelon: Do you remember what the Watermelon Lip Smackers smelled like? If so, then that is exactly what B&BW’s Fresh Watermelon smells like and I am SO there for it. Although the notes of this scent offer “fresh cut watermelon, pink sea salt, and sweet sunrise”, it is artificial watermelon smelling through and through. If you are looking for a pure, light watermelon fragrance then this is not the scent for you. If you are looking for a heavy dose of Lip Smackers nostalgia, however, go for it!!

Garden Tea Cookie: I was so conflicted about if Garden Tea Cookie smelled good to me or not and the final consensus was that it did lol. This is a very unique scent and is something that I usually wouldn’t go for, but this shopping trip was all about shaking things up. Garden Tea Cookie features notes of “powdered sugar, fresh citrus zest, and whipped vanilla”. It really does smell like a freshly baked tea cookie! I typically am not one for dessert fragrances but that zingy citrus and airy powdered sugar sold me!

This was an interesting trip to B&BW because I had to smell a ton of different soaps to end up with my final selection. I learned that, under the right circumstances, I might be a dessert and earthy fragrance fan after all!

What are some of your must have products at home? Where do you shop for bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Howdy! I get a plethora of TJMaxx gift cards for Christmas every year and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. TJs is where I find true and perfect peace and after a lot of holiday shopping for my big family, it is so nice to have a good haul for myself – free of charge. It is my tradition to do a skin care restock with my gift cards because those products are something I will absolutely need and use. A few weeks ago, my mom and I enjoyed a shopping trip together so I could do just that as well as pick up a few fun odds and ends. And, surprisingly, I didn’t go over budget and STILL have gift cards left. That never happens! Check it out:

When I am shopping skin care, I have my method down to the T with standards that I have perfected over time. 1) First and foremost, each item I select must be cruelty free or it will not be coming home with me. 2) I will happily buy old favorites but am always looking for new products to review and enjoy. And 3) I like to get at least a three month supply of product to sustain me for a while. As much as I would love to go to TJs every time I need a restock, it would be very damaging to my wallet lol.

For this skin care haul, I needed everything but the kitchen sink. We’re talking cleansers, serums, moisturizers, eye cream, and micellar water. I was ecstatic to have found a couple of my go to Evoluderm micellar waters in a huge pump bottle, which I have never seen before. I bought the lot and a few small bottles for good measure. I was also able to restock my eye cream with a tried and true favorite of Vital Beauty’s Cooling Eye Gel AND find a brightening eye cream of the same brand too – something else that I haven’t seen before. The final familiar brand I revisited was with a face scrub by ValJean Labs. This is a new to me product but I am currently using a cleanser from this brand and am loving it. I am definitely in for a treat if this scrub is half as good as the cleanser!

As far as moisturizers and serums go, the selection was pretty bare in terms of what I could buy according to my standards. A majority of the offerings were not cruelty free, which was a bummer. What remained was brands that I have never used before so I am very interested in trying them out and seeing what’s the what. I’m particularly looking forward to the bottles of Precision Beauty serum for no reason other than that the packaging is really pretty lol. It was a cold AF day during this shopping trip and the colors reminded me of sunshine which is probably why I gravitated towards them. And, in case you were wondering, NO. I am NOT okay over the fact that “wrinkle reducing” is now a key component in the moisturizers I choose. But, hey, here’s to *hopefully* slowing down that process. 😀

I have a stockpile full of goodies waiting for me so keep it locked for brand new product reviews coming soon!

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

Jan11

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Hello!! Every summer and winter, I look forward to the Semi Annual Sale at Bath & Body Works. I simply refuse to pay full price for anything from there, so it is my time of the year to stock up on my favorite products for a song. Rather than visit the store over my holiday break, I shopped online and was adding items to my cart like a mad woman. And why not? I got twenty-one products for seventy dollars!! I think Johnny and I will be A-okay in the bath and body care department for a long while with this haul:

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When shopping the Semi Annual Sale at B&BW, I like to get a little bit of everything. This includes shower gels, lotion, hand soap, and hand sanitizers. Even if it seems like a lot, these are products that I know will be used and I’d rather buy them on the cheap now than on the expensive later lol. Typically, a shower gel at B&BW runs for close to sixteen dollars (Ridiculous!) and my cost per item ended up being three dollars and thirty-three cents. When you run the numbers like that, it makes sense to load up the shopping cart like your life depends on it!

Every Semi Annual Sale, I make a point to get several different shower gels for Johnny from the men’s line. He happily uses my fruity fragrances but is never opposed to switching things up with a scent that almost certainly as “bourbon” or “whiskey” in the title! The rest of the haul is, honestly, whatever struck my fancy. It can be tricky to shop for something like bath and body care online because, obviously, you can’t smell it lol. So, I went with tried and true favorites as well as a few new to me fragrances too. Whether they are a hit or miss, we’ll find out together in my upcoming reviews so keep it posted. 😀

There is nothing better to me than a full bath and body care stockpile. I can’t wait to replenish my skin care at TJMaxx next with my Christmas gift cards!!

Which stores run the best sales? Did you shop the B&BW Semi Annual Sale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May27

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello! This past Tuesday, my mom and I enjoyed a fabulous shopping trip at TJMaxx. TJs is our happy place and, although I like to go by myself, it is SO much better with my mom. These shopping outings have been a tradition since I was little (What can I say, I’ve always loved popping tags lol) and I don’t plan on breaking it ever! My main priority at TJs was restocking my skin care hoard because it was getting quite bare. Nothing pleases me more than a skin care haul because I love testing out new products and I got exactly what I wanted. Check it out:

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When I am shopping skin care, I like to get a three month supply for my moisturizer, serum, and eye cream. While that may seem a bit impractical, it is one of my money saving techniques. Trust and believe I could go to TJs monthly to restock my skin care, but I would most definitely end up buying more than that! My requirements for which products I pick are pretty simple, they must be non animal tested and they have to have at least one ingredient that I am partial to like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, retinol, or collagen. Last time I had a big skin care haul, it was difficult to reach those parameters because the shelves were pretty depleted. This time around, it was smooth sailing and it was awesome!

For my selection, I was able to find some new to me brands like IZMO, AllAboutSkin, Skin Assistant, and Purifect. I am particularly interested in trying the Purifect serum because the packaging is ridiculous and it spoke to me. I already tested out the IZMO lip mask and it is so very nice! I also scored some new to me products from familiar brands like Provence Beauty, Clean Beauty, and Vital Beauty. I guess I am drawn to brands with Beauty in the name lol. In total, this haul costed less than sixty dollars and you just can’t beat that. I don’t even want to know what the grand total would be if I paid full price and, as a full fledged maxxinista, I never have to. 😀

Tune in tomorrow for more skin care as we discuss my May empties and be on the look out for reviews for some of these products coming soon!

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

Jan9

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Howdy!! For Christmas and my birthday, I know for a fact that I am going to receive lots of gift cards to TJMaxx. Everyone seems to know by now that it is my happy place and a gift card to TJs is truly the perfect gift for me. With my Christmas gift card hauls, I always like to do a major restock of my skin care supplies. While it would be fun to blow the lot on new clothes and shoes (And I have before!), I like to get things that I actually need and skin care is of the highest priority. I take my skin care routine very seriously and I got enough product to last for at least five months FO FREE. You just can’t beat that! Check it out:

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^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny Certified!

I visited TJMaxx on January second and the store was understandably pretty bare to prep for their spring shipment. Unfortunately, this meant the skin care department was nowhere near as well stocked as usual. I had to really look to find the serums, moisturizers, toners, eye creams, and cleansers that would not only work for me but were cruelty free too. This was a lot easier said than done and I spent a majority of my shopping trip scouring the shelves. While I did walk away with everything I needed, the biggest disappointment was not being able to find any of my tried and true Evoluderm Micellar Water. Normally, TJs has an entire shelf full so that was a bummer but, luckily, I have more gift cards for when they get a restock! 😀

For this haul, I walked away with two toners, one cleanser, four moisturizers, four serums, and one eye cream. I was very happy with this because of how bare the skin care section was and I was able to find some familiar brands and brand new ones to try. What I am particularly curious about is the Provence Beauty serums in the bright yellow and baby pink bottles. And, yes, I did get them specifically for what they looked like lol. What can I say, I’m a sucker for pretty packaging! I was also most excited to find another Simple eye cream because of what a fantastic value they are. I have been using a similar product by Simple for the past FIVE months and I am still not even close to being done. Highly recommend!

I am very pleased with my gift card haul from TJMaxx and planned it out to perfection. I only paid nine additional dollars for what my gift cards didn’t cover and I thought that was a great success. Nothing makes me happier than a fully restocked skin care hoard and I can’t wait to test out the new to me products!

What are your thoughts on any of these products if you have used them before? What is important for you when it comes to skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!! During my last shopping trip to TJMaxx, I went with the intention of finishing up my in store Christmas shopping and I am pleased to say that I did. The last thing that I want is to be in a crowded store, browsing through a picked over selection as the holiday season gets closer! Of course, I couldn’t say no to a few treats for myself either and I’m amazed I made it this long into my early shopping without purchasing a gift for myself too lol! While I was at TJs, I decided to restock the skin care items I needed to get me through the rest of the year. Now, I really don’t need to be in a store until 2024. 😀 Check it out:

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^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!

Thanks to previous Skin Care Hauls from TJs, my beauty care hoard was still fairly well stocked. However, it wasn’t good enough to bring me into the new year and that was the goal. The first order of business was more of my beloved micellar water by Evoluderm. I am halfway through my last bottle in the stock pile and that simply won’t do! There have been several products that I have gotten from TJs that I have loved and never seen in stock again. Thankfully, that is never the case with my micellar water and there was still plenty to spare on the shelves after picking up three bottles!

As a rule, I like to have three of each item in my beauty routine readily available. I was all set for eye cream but definitely needed to achieve my perfect balance for moisturizer and serum. For a new moisturizer, I found a Palmer’s cocoa butter night cream that I think will be fantastic. I am a fan of anything cocoa butter and I’m sure this cream will be lovely once it starts getting really cold out. I also went with a collagen serum by Provence Beauty. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the skin care options during this shopping trip as a majority of the products weren’t cruelty free. I probably would have selected a different serum if more choices were available, but maybe this one will surprise me.

The last item on my restock list was a new face wash and I am excited to try the Hydrate Foaming Cleanser by ValJean Labs. I have never heard of this brand before, but foaming cleansers are my absolute favorite. A foaming formula always makes my skin feel squeaky clean without drying it out and I was glad to find one for the winter months. The brand name also reminds me of my niece’s name, Valerie Jane, so it was like a sign that I had to get it! 😀

With my beauty hoard fully intact again and my in store holiday shopping complete, I am thrilled to be done. Now, all that’s left to do is online shop till I drop for the remainder of my gifts and it will be smooth sailing all the way till Christmas Day! 🙂

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? What are your winter skin care staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!! On Labor Day, I had the potential to go into work but as luck would have it, I had the day off. Johnny and I made the most of our free day by visiting his parents, going grocery shopping at Aldi, and shopping at TJMaxx. I was fresh out of moisturizer and needed to do a restock of my beauty hoard. And, of course, I never say no to early holiday shopping and treats like a gorgeous new sweater you will see tomorrow! The skin care department was severely lacking during this trip, but I managed to walk away with the following:

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Normally, it doesn’t take me long to pick out skin care when I’m at TJs. I know which brands I like and are cruelty free so it’s just a matter of locating them and filling up my cart. This time around, I couldn’t find any of my go to brands! I was really hoping to find another jar of the Rescue Me moisturizer by goodhabit, but it was nowhere to be found. To add salt to the wound, the majority of the selection was from brands that weren’t cruelty free. I spent SO long going through all of the moisturizers and serums and coming up empty handed. Not that I mind the thrill of the hunt for skin care, but even I was getting annoyed!

For moisturizers, I ended up with three jars that I probably wouldn’t have bought if the pickings weren’t so slim. I’m sure they will be fine and maybe I’ll end up liking them, but I am always partial to a gel based moisturizer! These were the literal only cruelty free ones I could find and were relatively cheap at six bucks a pop so what can you do? I also found a serum that I am kind of interested in trying out with all of that shimmer. I love a touch of glitter and I’m hoping it will bring a pop of brightness during the grey months of fall and winter.

One final thing that caught my eye was some floss picks, which I also happened to be running low on. Rather than making a separate trip to Giant Eagle for them, I thought I’d give these plant based picks a go. You never know what you’ll find at TJMaxx! I have taken my oral health very seriously since my raging success at my last periodontist appointment. Floss picks have become a must have staple for me and it makes me feel good to be taking much better care of my teeth. I’m just hoping these plant based picks will be as durable as the ones that I usually use!

Am I thrilled with this TJMaxx Skin Care Haul? Not particularly and it was a very lackluster showing on TJ’s part. On the bright side, these are all new to me products and it’s always fun to test out new brands. We’ll see what happens!

What are your must have beauty products? What is your favorite cruelty free brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah