Sephora + Ulta Haul

October 28, 20151 Comment

Hello and g’day to you all!

I am back with a cheeky little haul that I just had to share with y’all (rhyming!).

Things from Sephora

So here’s the thing with eye-creams: Do ANY of these really work? As I looked through alllll the options at Sephora, I realized how much I didn’t want to spend the $60 on a super reputable eye cream with tons of great ingredients. Then again, I didn’t want the $10 option that is chalked full of straight-up glycerin.

I chatted with a Sephora girl for a bit and decided to try this one for $26 by the Sephora store brand. This particular one is for eyes AND lips and the girl assured with it had plumping properties for both. Lately (for whatever reason ~~Kylie Jenner~~), I have been craving fuller lips. mine are just so puny and boring. So we will see – I will report back on how this stuff fares.

Secondly, my beloved Marc Jacobs gel-liner has turned out to be a complete dud :(. It worked awesome for awhile but then it dried out and became completely useless to me. When I went into Sephora, I brought along this liner which was all banged up and scratched and not pretty as a lesson to anyone who is afraid to return things to Sephora. THEY WILL TAKE IT BACK. I have done this many times when I’ve been unhappy with a certain product and I have never had an issue. Heck, you pay $35 for a measly eyeliner – it should bloody work! <- why am I turning into a brit all of the sudden?

Anyways, the kind lady informed me this liner had been recalled due to it drying out on everyone! Fiddle dee dee! I opted to go for the Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof in black and so far it has been great.

Things from Ulta

My dry shampoo stash from a prior haul had already run out so I was overdue for a couple bottles of Batiste. This time I opted for the “Strength & Shine” and “Exotic” formulas. I have already started using the exotic one and it smells like coconuts!! Man, am I an idiot for buying the pink one all this time! This one is probably my favorite of the bunch, based on smell alone!

I also picked up this one for strength and shine because DUH – I want strong, shiny hurrr.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly – I nabbed this body wash from Soap and Glory, which Ulta now stocks! I WISH they had the perfume but for now, I’ll have to wet my whistle with their insanely delectable scrubs and lotions.

I already own the “Clean on Me” body wash, which comes in the original S&G scent but when I sniffed this one in the store…OH LAW. I literally passed out from all that is good and holy. It smells absolutely AHHMAAZZZING you guys. Put this on your Christmas list. Your Hanukah list. Hell, pretend it’s your birthday and tell everyone to buy this for you. It smells THAT good. And after a couple a’showers under my belt with the stuff, I can confirm – it is a perfect body wash.

If this scent comes in any other product form – PLEASE do let me know. WHY doesn’t the U.S get the entire line!? It is a travesty.

But that is all my friends. What should I try next?

Bare Minerals “I Do” Set Review

August 1, 20141 Comment

Backatcha today with another makeup review!

Man, I have missed makeup. I’ve missed talking about it, putting it on, buying it and everything in between. This summer + not working + going to Bali = ALOT of no-makeup days for this girl.

I am ready for m’war paint. SO ready.

This set was graciously given to me by my sis Rachel J right before our wedding ceremony. She certainly knows the way to my heart!

This is the case and it is SO adorbs – feast your eyes on the tiffany-blue lining!

I have to admit I have already used two of the products inside, which is why the one on the left looks dirty…sorry! Here we have:

Flawless Definition Waterproof Mascara (Full sized)
Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 in the Inspiration (Full sized)
Ready Touch-Up Veil
Ready Blush in The One
Mini Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready
Lasting Line Long-Wearing Eye Liner (Full sized)

I haven’t tried this puppy yet, but I am really excited to! I have been wanting to try a waterproof prestige one and this will fit the bill perfectly.

This duo in The Inspiration has two beautiful colors, which are beautiful on their own or worn together. Muse is a very light frosted pink, which is a bit chalky but works fine over a primer. Passion is a gorgeous deep plum with a hint of gold micro-glitter. This color packs a bit more of a punch and is beautiful in the outer corners and smoked out a little.

I am SO excited to have the touch-up veil in my purse. I already know I love the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil so I am sure this pressed version will work like a charm!

Oh lawd, I LOVE me some Bare Minerals blush! I am already a fan of the mineralized ones, but this color in The One looks very lovely. I would say this color is a rose pink with a luminous finish.

The color of the mini lipstick in Get Ready is like a “your lips but better” shade for me. I think it will look lovely as an easy, everyday shade.

The Lasting Liner in Blackest Black is awesome! It was the only liner I brought with me to Bali and it stays put (even in the heat!), really pigmented and most importantly, doesn’t irritate my eyes!

And that concludes the kit! Let me know if anyone wants to see a look using all of these products, I would be happy to do so 🙂

Sick as a Dog

May 29, 2014June 2, 20149 Comments

Hello friends of mine!

Last weekend, I went home to Kennevick (that’s how I say it, with a V) to knock a couple items off the ol’ wedding to do list, which btw is scarily approaching. It’s like 5 weeks away y’all. SO I went home to dig out a bunch of crap leftover from my sister’s wedding, like extra tea-lights, lanterns and literally 498527 vases. And I put a random pair of Ninja Turtles little boy underwear on McDougal! (sorry so blurry)

When I got in, Megan and I went to Ulta to use coupons for what we thought was 20% off ANY one item in the store. I finally was able to nab the last tube of Bye Bye Undereye in Light and Megan found a $39 Laura Gellar set that had ALL full-size products. Yipee! Standing in the check stand and reading the fine-print I discovered the 20% off only applied to NON-prestige brands. Aka all the drugstore sh*t. AH POOP. I still got the concealer because I had a gift card and it seems this stuff is harder to find than set of real boobies on Real Housewives.

Then I helped my Mom and Barbara (my wedding planner and family friend) rifle through the garage while I had 25 sneezing fits and then resorted to a dusk mask. It got so bad that Nan sent me upstairs to wash all the vases and water pitchers she has been collecting from Goodwill for 95 cents.

We picked up a delicious Round Table pizza for dinner and breadsticks. I tell ya, those breadsticks are crackems. I could devour a box on my own NO PROB. Also, let it be stated that Round Table pizza is the best pizza.

The next day we ran more errands and I struck out at Macy’s and Famous Footwear for my wedding shoes. The alterations lady told me I need about a 1.5 inch heel and because I think kitten heels are super fug, I’m opting for a wedge which apparently is hard to find. An obligatory trip to the hell that is Wal-Mart took place and then I realized I may have judged too soon…

Then we got fro yo and they had toasted coconut and everyone was happy.

And we played rummy that night with Ben, Rachel, Meg and Nan. I overheated in my sweatshirt and did this classy party trick.

On Monday, disaster struck. My Dad is doing all the music for our wedding and needed to get a sneak-peek at the outlet situation at the venue. So we hopped in the car and made the 40 minute journey over. On the way, I went through probs like 20 Kleenex and I mean, they were SOAKED (TMI?). When we got there, I could barely even open my eyes long enough to see where I was going without a string of 3-10 catastrophic sneezes exploding from my already raw nose. Luckily, my Dad found out what he needed to and we went for lunch and candy in downtown Walla Walla. Look at this awesome bandaid I found in the car:

Tuesday I visited my sister Megan’s classroom at Keewaydin Discovery Center and played with the adorable kiddos in her room. She is such an amazing teacher and it is really fun to watch her. Lord knows that girl has some surious patience. Then I hit the road back to Portland and listened to a sappy Nicholas Sparks book on tape which Imustsay, made the drive fly by.

Bry and I had a light dinner and then went to bed for our nighttime reading hour. By 10:30 I knew something was wrong with my tum. Nausea had fully set in. Falling asleep was NOT going to be happening. So I went into the other bedroom and waited for the inevitable. Then I puked. And puked. And puked some more! By the morning, I had logged about 3 hours of sleep and weighed probably 5 pounds less. MISERY you guys.

Yesterday was spent horizontal, with a big ol’ G2 and hours of Scandal. My body was wrecked. I tried to get Bryan to cuddle and hold me for 3 hours but no luck. I know my hair smelled like the vom and despite spraying myself heavily with JoMo, I was a lost cause.

Today is looking brighter and I have some exciting posts coming up to prepare for. Tally ho!

Mini Ulta Haul

May 26, 20144 Comments

Hello sweet friends!

The other day, I ventured out of my mole hole, far and away. Well, like 3 miles. With two Ulta gift cards (one from my pal Jaclyn!) I was going through some maja withdrawals. My addiction to Ulta was fed easily whilst we lived in the Seattle area. My job was mere blocks from one and all the sales people knew me (the girl who goes through a can of dry shampoo every week).

But living here is a different story. The closest Ulta to me is across a bridge and inside of a mall. Lloyd Center to be exact. I remember this mall as a kid because it is situated around a skating rink. Going there now, I felt a pang of sadness as I walked across dated tile and worn fixtures. The mall was indeed, very ODD. A Nordstrom on one end, flanked by darkened nail salons and random, decrepit businesses like “Consumer Opinion Services”.

No matter, I thought as I spied the orange glow from Ulta from a distance. I walked in and instantly noticed this store was unlike any other I have been to. If the lowly staff of three wasn’t enough to throw off my previous expectations, surely the barren, inventory-hungry shelves were. The It Cosmetics section was completely wiped out, save for the odd bright red gloss. The store was out of almost every item I had come in for! And I had driven all this way (cue confused, bewildered face).

But being the resourceful shopper that I am, I ended up with a few items I actually NEEDED and will hopefully serve me well. Here they are!

1. Celebration Foundation Illumination

I have been eying this product for some time now. I went in to get the CC cream but they were sold out (surprise surprise) of almost every shade. I also wanted to get the Bye Bye Undereye in Light but again, SOLD OUT. So I decided to grab this powder foundation to use under my eyes to set my concealer as well as a higher-coverage touch up powder. I love my Mac powder, but this is definitely more coverage.

2. Pureology 21 Benefits

My stylist back in Redmond used this product on me and raved about it. It’s a little spendy at $24 but hopefully it is worth it!

3. OPI Nail Polish in Mod About You

As you can see from my nails in these pics, I am long overdue for a polish change. I ALWAYS pick up this color at Ulta and then end up putting it back. It is a cult favorite and for darn good reason. Might it become my new signature nail color!?

4. It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In (free gift)

I was ecstatic when the lady threw in this LARGE sample of It’s a 10 into my bag. That NEVER happens to me. I’m usually the girl who is 1 penny short of qualifying for the GWP. You can bet I felt like a high-roller, strolling outta there with my free sample like a BOSS.

All for now! Do you have any of these products??

Happenings

May 10, 2014May 8, 20141 Comment

(arithmetic edition)

At the end of my work days, I have noticed terrible things trending on my face. Like, ALL my eyemakeup is under my eyes. Mascara AND eyeshadow. Also usually my eyebrows are all brushed down. You know the perma-frown? So usually I beat my head on the steering wheel, repeating “stupid, stupid, stupid.” Is it the warming weather? The lunchtime ~~yogs~~ sweatfests? Whatever the case, girlfriend needs some help. In the form of a mild waterproof mascara and eyeshadow primer. And my coworkers are nice and don’t say a peep to me about my HORRIFIC panda eyes. They’re so polite!

I look for babies on the daily at petfinder.com. And up comes hundreds that all need me. It is pure torture – I want them ALL. And Bry says we can’t get one until the CFA is over so that means only another month or so! Is it weird that I already want it to be our flower girl? Another prerequisite for said pooch is that it has to be okay with actual human babies, just in case I happen to give birth to one. Which SUCKS because most of the chi pups “do well with kids over 13”. POOP. I just want a 4 lb chihuahua with excellent temperament, who will lay sweetly in the crib with my future baby. And I’ll snap pictures of them wearing pearls together. Is that too much to ask?

I have 2 gift cards to Ulta and I am dyyyying. I cannot decide what to get. Here are the possibilities:

Bye Bye Undereye in Light
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray (this would be a boring re-purchase)
Too Faced Lip Injection
Hello Flawless! powder (it’s so perfect)
A bunch of drugstore stuff

Guys, I am selling Cliff. It’s truly the end of an era. I have driven him since HIGH SCHOOL. Don’t laugh. Anyway, my Dad said he wanted him and then decided against it when my little sister bought a new car and abandoned her champagne Camry (no name). So now Cliff is going to be sold and it makes me a little sad. Again, don’t laugh. Also, since I have been sans Cliff these days, I have been driving Bry’s Jeep. I have all the bells and whistles now. A working CD player, defrost and ALL the doors lock and unlock. It is a privileged life I lead. Yesterday I blasted the Garden State Soundtrack like it was 2004 and felt SO cool.

Bargains at Ulta and Macy’s

April 23, 201410 Comments

Something about the word bargain gets me excited. As do the words, “additional 90% off”.

The other weekend before I hopped on the plane at GEG (with a dream and my cardigan), we made a pit-stop at one of Spokane’s finest establishments – Macy’s Clearance Center. Not many know about this place, accessed only by rickety elevator at the store’s downtown Spokane location. The air up on the 8th floor is thick and hot. The floors creak under dated carpet and clothing racks from the late 80’s. But if you can see past all that, you can truly find some treasures…marked down to $5.99.

The day we wandered in was (lucky for us) the first day of a massive sale. 90% off original prices. NO JOKE. And since I had to catch a flight back to Seattle, we had only 30 minutes. We were a circus. Veritable lions, tigers and bears among the racks, on the prowl. There were GOOD Macy’s headlining brands like Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Splendid and tons of others, marked down to just dollars.

I ended up with only two dresses, which I happily paid $18 for both. The first is a Tommy Hilfiger shift, which I promptly wore on the first sunny day after I got it.

With Lou!

It’s a little short on me (surprise surprise) but I don’t currr. The print is too fresh.

The other dress is by Rachel Roy and I thought was something I could wear to work. Also black and white is totes on trend.

rachel-rachel-roy-black-dress-sleeveless-highneck-colorblocked-aline-product-1-13765685-733309387_large_flex

This isn’t the exact one, but it’s darn close

On to the Ulta stuff!

Sorry if anyone is sick of me bragging about the bargains I find at Ulta. I can’t help it. SO —

Recently Ulta had Revlon, Maybelline, Physicians Formula and a few other brands on sale for 40% off. Which is huge. Usually they do a BOGO on these brands so 40% on anything is a real treat. Additionally in my last Ulta online order, I was given a $5 off any $15 purchase coupon. On top of that, I have been clipping coupons from weekly Redplum ads.

As a result, I was able to get these three products for stupid cheap.

Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl $13.95

Kandee Johnson used this in an old tutorial and it looked so lovely on her. I wasn’t about to pay full price for it, so when it went on sale – I grabbed it.

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Pink Pineapple

I mean. The bottle is enough to make me want the entire line. I decided to get this light pastel pink because the color has become such a staple for me. I would even go so far as to say it’s my signature color. Unfortunately the color is pretty sheer and I needed three coats to get it opaque.

Maybelline Color Elixir in Breathtaking Apricot

I am fully on board the orange/coral lip trend for this spring. And if you haven’t tried one of these color elixirs from Maybelline, you are srsly missing out. They are beyond amazing and almost feel like gel on the lips. Smooth, rich and really pigmented – the apricot color adds the perfect pop of color to my face. I love wearing it with a dewy, bronzed look.

The original total for all three of these products would be roughly $30 (inc. tax).

On sale, the total came to about $18 (inc tax).

With my $5 off coupon AND $1 Maybelline coupon – I was outta there for about $12 (less than the original price of the powder alone). The girl at Ulta was even like, “Wow, you got a really good deal.”

WORD to yer mother.

Ulta/Drugstore Haul

April 9, 2014April 9, 20149 Comments

Nothing like a healthy dose of good ol’ fashioned consumerism to brighten up your hump day.

Amiright?!

This haul is comprised of multiple trips to the drugstore, one trip to Nordstrom and a recent order I placed on Ulta.com.

SO. I have made a great discovery in buying stuff at Ulta. First, you gotta sign up for the emails. Then, they will barrage your inbox with heaps of deals and coupons. Most of the time, I just use the $3.50 off a $10 purchase coupon in the store and call it good. BUT. I have recently gotten wise to the special offers that come through, kinda like this one I got the other day:

That’s a good deal, right?

Well, what I do is this: I save up a bunch of things I need to get at Ulta. Boring things. Like dryshampoo, razors, face lotion, mascara, bobby pins or cotton rounds. Or, if I have an upcoming birthday gift or mothers day gift to get, I will pick something from Ulta. The Lorac Pro palette for my sister or a little bottle of Chanel perfume for my mom. Perf.

Between the little crap that I need OR one larger gift item – I have easily hit the $40 mark and have now spent enough to get the awesome free gift online. But it doesn’t stop there. I have also qualified for free shipping, used my handy-dandy $3.50 off coupon (only for non-prestige brands) AND will receive three free samples with my online purchase. HIGHWAY ROBBERY guys.

I used this maneuver on my recent order and well, here’s the loot!

Bathina Body Oil Mist $34

Funnily enough, I discovered this product because of Lo Bosworth. Remember Lo? She was the normal-person touchstone on The Hills and is now going to culinary school and occasionally putting out the random vid on YouTube.

She recommended this oil and I was all, “well if LO likes it…”. I tested it out a few times on various shopping excursions and COULD NOT STOP smelling my skin. The scent is so beautiful and feminine and therefore I needed it.

Mac Lipstick in Sunny Seoul $16

I posted this lipstick before, but thought I’d mention it again because it really is SO beautiful and springy. I love the cremesheen + pearl formula and this one especially, is so creamy and buildable.

Essence Silky Touch Blush in Life’s A Cherry $3

I have already praised these blushes from Essence. They are velvety soft and the pigmentation is great.

Essence Crystal Eyeliner in Gold Rush $3

YOU GUYS. I think glitter is making a COMEBACK. Urban Decay recently released a new line of glitters so it must be true. I picked this one up after trying the sample at Fred Meyer and realizing it was just glorious. I can’t wait to pop a little bit on my lower lash line and be like, totes on trend.

NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair $5

Speaking of on trend, I feel like ANYTHING with the word “butter” in the name is an instant hit right now. Lip butter. Body butter. Butter polish. I also happen to like actual butter, but that is neither here nor there.

These glosses are SO hyped across the WWW and on YouTube so I just had to jump on the bandwagon. So far, I luuurve but I will keep ya’ll posted.

NYX Butter Lipstick in Gumdrop $6

I had to get a coordinating lipstick and obvi I chose the Barbiest pink there was. Which I am also noticing is another trend for this spring. Barbie lips and glittery eyes?! Thank God! The dark vampy lip trend from winter is becoming so blasé for me.

NYX Lip Primer $7

I mostly bought this lip primer because I have a couple of lipsticks that feather really bad on me. I also wanted to try it under red lipstick, which is the worst offender of feathering, or bleeding. I will let you know how I like it!

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk $4.50

This is a definite staple in my makeup collection and the second one I have purchased. It works great as an eye base or as a waterline brightener. The pigmentation is amazing and it stays put wonderfully.

It Cosmetics Freebie

I received this little set for spending $40 online. I specifically waited for an It Cosmetics gift to come up because I have been dying to try the Bye Bye Undereye Concealer and the CC cream. I also received a Hydrating Gloss Stain in Naturally Flushed.

The concealer sample is in medium, which might be a little too dark for my undereye area (I am PALE y’all) but I’m still going to give ‘er a shot.

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara $7.50

I have been using up all of my mascara samples and finally needed a fresh one. This is one of my favorites from the drugstore. It has a rubberized wand, is extremely separating and hold a curl REAL nice.

Wet’n’Wild Mega Last Lipstick in Pinkerbelle $2

I almost have the entire line of these lipsticks and for darn good reason. They are SO pigmented, they last forever on the lips, the color selection is perfection AND – they cost $1.99. How can you not?

This shade is just SO completely gorgeous, like a mix of neon pink, bright salmon and just a slight hint of orange. It’s brill.

Biotin 2.49

I take my biotin everyday so naturally, I go through it pretty quick. This is my third bottle and it WORKS.

Jordana Lipstick in Perfect Pink $1.49

I picked up this lipstick whilst shopping at the world’s oldest KMart in Hamilton, Montana (more on that later). The color sucked me in and it was only $1.49 so, match made in heaven. Unfortunately the formula is pretty dry. I have topped it with a lipgloss for better success but it is not a standout.

Jordana Blush in Coral Sandy Beach and Pink Beauty $2.49

The blushes are definitely the stars of the Jordana line. I picked up the only two shades they had left and so far, I’m really impressed with the color payoff and staying power. The colors are amazing and the packaging is really compact, which is nice.

WHEW!

That was kindofalot. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about my hurr…yes, I ordered extensions. Yes, it’s the BIG TIME.