September Empties!

Hey guys!

For September I really challenged myself to use up some of my stuff.  I'm notorious for constantly having half bottles of everything laying around my house.  I have like no joke 10 bottles of different lotions, several shampoos, let's don't even go into the amount of mascaras I have open!  So this past month I really tried to make a dent in some of my things.  Let's get started!

We'll get started with the non-beauty products and get those out of the way first :).  If you can't tell I like my house to smell like all things Bath and Body Works at all times!  I have quite the hoard of BBW Candles and Pocket Bacs.  This month I used up:

• A foaming anti-bacterial hand soap in Coconut Cove - I love all things coconut in the summer!
• A pocket-bac in Winter Spice and Vanilla - Not season appropriate LOL but I was getting myself in the mood for the colder weather that is ahead!
• A pocket-bac in Fresh Picked Strawberry - I freaking LOVE everything strawberry scented, even more than I love coconut!! 
• A BBW candle in Coconut Leaves - Did I mention I like coconut in the summer?
• A BBW candle in Passionfruit - I like this scent but this one has been lurking in my collection for SEVERAL years now, it had to get used up and outta here! 
• A BBW 3-wick candle in Peach Bellini - really liked this one too! 

 

My shower has way more products than any one person should I ever need!  This month I was determined to try to de-clutter my shower a bit!   Here are the things I was able to clear outta there:

• Aveeno - Nourish & Dandruff Control Conditioner - I have a really dry scalp and this product (along w/ the shampoo I haven't used up yet) have seemed to really help that.  I definitely see myself repurchasing this in the future.  
• BBW Aruba Coconut bodywash - Again, I like coconut, what can I say?
• WEN Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner - Meh...  I won't repurchase Wen.  I bought this as a set of 3 so I still have 2 others that I'm working on.  I used Wen exclusively for about 6 weeks.  I think that it conditions well and my hair definitely looked great when I was using this exclusively but it made my scalp itch like crazy!  Wen and my scalp are just not compatible w/ one another.  I now just use it about once a week or so.  
• CVS Apricot Scrub - This is a knock off of the St. Ives scrub.  I know some people say this product is bad for your skin but I like a really scrubby scrub LOL so I really enjoyed this product.  I have about 50 other facial scrubs I've gotten through various sample programs and things tho that I'm going to try to go through first before repurchasing this. 
• BBW Sleep, Lavender Vanilla Bubble Bath - I don't particularly love this scent but I really do feel like I get tired faster when I take a bath with this stuff.  I like to use this on nights when I've had a particularly stressful day to help me unwind.  

I made it through TWO lotions this month!  TWO!  Who am I?  LOL.  I really like lotion but, let's be real, I'm lazy.  This month I pretty much forced myself to apply lotion every time I got out of the shower or bath.  So this month I used up:

• BBW Signature Vanillas - Cherry Body Lotion - I really like this scent, they usually bring it back for the semi-annual sales so I like to stock up on it then!  It's my favorite of the signature vanillas collection.  I like to use these lotions from BBW when I get out of the shower b/c I think they absorb really well. 
• Victoria's Secret PINK Fresh Vanillas Dream On Body Butter - I really liked this product and it was HUGE.  I always used this one at night after I got out of the bath.  I also got this product at VS Semi Annual sale about a year ago I think.
• St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse - This isn't a lotion but I loved loved loved it.  Did I mention that I loved it?  I'm extremely fair and this product looked very natural on me.  If you're looking for a dark tan you won't like this.  It gave me just enough color that it still looked natural but helped even out my skin tone while giving me a nice kiss of color.  I totally recommend it, and if you put it on with their bronzing mitt it doesn't streak at all!  

 I used up very little makeup this month.  I just have so much of it that it's hard to go through.  I really rotate through my makeup instead of just using up one product at a time.  This month I actually threw 2 products out. 

• Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer - I won't repurchase this.  I'm sure it's a great product and I know a lot of people love it but my sensitive skin was not a fan.  I could really only use this 2-3 x a week.  
• Dr.Jart BB Cream - Loved this!  I originally received this as a sample in my Birchbox and then I purchased the full size.  I have a few other drugstore BB creams I'm currently working on but once I use them up I definitely see myself repurchasing this!  If you're looking for a good BB cream I definitely recommend it.  
• NYX Gloss Chocolate Mousse - HATES IT!  This product just went in the garbage.  I love NYX products and this gloss feels great.. but the color is horrendous! I don't know anyone that would look good in this color, hence probably why I got it for free from sirclesamples.com lol.  
• Mirenesse Glossy Kiss, Quick Kiss - HATES IT TOO! Again, this one also went in the trash.  The color is very very orange and orange just ain't my thing!  I'm a Sooner fan, it's against my religion to like/wear orange at all times! :-p (I also got this for free BTW, my aunt got it in her Birchbox and also hated it so gave it to me who equally hated it lol)

 I used up a couple of foil packets this month:

• Garnier Fructic Pure Clean 2in1 - This product was ok, I probably wouldn't purchase it though.  I do have to say though that I love these foil packets of shampoo/conditioner for traveling.  Great to throw in your bag for an overnight trip somewhere! 
• Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care - This was also ok but I'm going to stick to my L'Oreal Mythic Oil (See my post on Mythic Oil here)

 Last but not least I used up some face wipes and cotton pads:

• Body Prescriptions Pomegranate Infused Makeup Cleansing Wipes - I wouldn't repurchase these.  I got them cheap at T.J. Maxx and mainly used them for wiping off my hands and cleaning off swatches while doing my makeup.  They also dried up really quick.
• Up&UP Makeup Remover Cleaning Towelettes - these are a knock off for the Ponds Clean Sweep Wipes, not much to say about these but I did like them and would probably repurchase. 
• Ulta 50 Premium Oval Cotton Pads - I used up two packs of these this month. These are my holy grail cotton pads.  Love that they're a big size and that you can use one pad to take off all your nail polish or all your eye makeup.  I did recently find some just like these at Target (Up & Up brand) that are a dollar cheaper so I'm going to give those a go before repurchasing another pack of these. 

Well that's it folks! Hope you enjoyed seeing all the stuff I used up in September!  I'm off to go throw all this stuff in the trash! ;)

Please leave a comment below and let me know what all you managed to get through recently!

Thanks! 

At Work Survival Kit!

Hey guys!

I thought I'd share something kind of different with you all today.  Every morning when I get to work one of the first things I do before locking my purse up in my drawer is take out a few of my makeup products that I know I'll be grabbing for throughout the day for touch-ups.  Now, for those of you that don't know I'm a little bit makeup obsessed so what I'm about to show you is NOT the only makeup I take to work with me.  These are just the things that I keep out and reach for the most throughout the day.  At any given time I usually have a minimum of 5 lip products in my purse plus several others scattered in my drawer at work.  These are just my MUST HAVE products.  Hope you enjoy :)

Ok, so my survival kit consists of four products:

• NYX Matte Blotting Paper
• NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation - Ivory
• RAW Color - Retractable Brush
• Lip Product (this changes almost everyday but today I'm using one of my favorites - Revlon Lip Butter in the color Berry Smoothie)

We've all seen blotting paper before so I'm not going to post an individual picture of it b/c that'd be kinda boring.  I have kind of mixed feelings about these blotting papers,  they definitely get the job done but I'm not sure that I would repurchase them.  I think when I run out I'll run back to the Clean and Clear ones, but blotting papers will always be a part of my survival kit.  

The NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation is one of my favorite products to keep on hand for touch-ups.  Usually in the mornings after first applying my foundation I set it with the Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder but this one is great for later on in the day when you don't only want to get rid of the shininess but you want to add some coverage as well. 

This powder comes with a sponge applicator as well but I prefer to apply it with a brush.

The brush I keep on hand is the Raw Color - Retractable Brush.  I got this brush as well as a couple other Raw Color brushes from sirclesamples.com.  This isn't my favorite brush in the world but its a great brush to throw in your purse and take with you. 

Lastly, I always have some type of lip color on hand.  The one I have with me changes pretty frequently but one of my absolute favorites is the Revlon Lip Butter in the color Berry Smoothie.  It's just a great color for everyday wear.  This is my second one of these.. I tried to not repurchase it for a while b/c I have a bazillion lipsticks but I just couldn't live without it. 

Well I hope you enjoyed my at work survival kit!  If you also have some products you take with you to work or school on a daily basis I'd love to hear about it in the comments!  Stay tuned because I have a few more blogs planned for the future such as an ELF haul, empties review and I think I'm also going to do a September favorites blog! 

Have a great Wednesday!

Ipsy - September 2013 Glam Bag!

Hey guys!  I'm so so so sorry I haven't posted in FOREVER.  I thought I'd come back though with my September 2013 Glam Bag from Ipsy.  This is my 5th Glam Bag.  I let go of Birchbox in May and picked up Glam Bag and so far I have no regretted my decision at all.  And once again the September Glam Bag did not let me down. 

My September glam bag came with a super cute blue bag, a single NYX eyeshadow in the color Sparkle White, Elizabeth Mott mascara - It's So Big, Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian, and last but not least a John Freida Full Repair shampoo and conditioner.  Oh and it also came with a small card sample of Michelle Phan's new cosmetic line, Em Cosmetics.  The sample I got is in "Out to Lunch". 

My favorite product in the bag was the single NYX eyeshadow!  I'm kind of an eyeshadow junkie and I absolutely LOVE NYX cosmetics!  Below is a closer look at the product and a swatch...

I'm not sure how I feel about the the Starlooks eyeliner.  I thought that it went on smooth but there are several other black eyeliners that I think I prefer such as the Urban Decay 24/7 liners and the NYX glide on eyeliners (I think that's the name).  It also seemed like it would smudge and not stay put.  

My cat Sox, however, thinks that the Starlooks liner would make an excellent cat toy!

I also surprisingly to me really enjoyed the sample from Em Cosmetics!  The colors are really gorgeous!  However, I've heard that these palettes are really expensive (I believe they're over $30).  I don't think that I would drop the cash on these palettes but I wouldn't turn one down as a gift :-).  

Anyways, that's all for today!  I hope you enjoyed my post today and I promise I'll try to post more often!  Thanks for visiting!  Please leave a comment! :) 

April Birchbox!!

Hey guys!  I got my April Birchbox on Saturday!  It wasn't my favorite box but I'm still pretty happy with it! 

In my box I have: 

• Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer
• Zoya True Spring Collection - Lotus
• Wonderstruck Taylor Swift
• Amika Obliphica Nourishing Hair Mask
• Dropps Laundry Detergent 

I so far have only tried the Zoya and the Wonderstruck.  I love love love the Zoya!!

 The color Lotus is kind of a greyish purple with subtle fuchsia sparkles.  I LOVE it! 

I also know that a lot of people were kind of upset about getting Laundry Detergent as a "Lifestyle Extra" but I honestly thought it was pretty cool.  Free laundry detergent?  Heck yah I'll take it.  In my opinion it's definitely better than getting some tea bags as a lifestyle extra like someone people did. 

Interested in joining Birchbox?  It's a monthly subscription service delivered right to your door for only $10 a month.  You can sign up for it here at this link:  https://www.birchbox.com?raf=1hfxg

Freebie Alert! Target Spring Beauty Bag

Thought I'd pass this along in case you haven't seen it.  Target Style on Facebook is currently offering a free spring beauty bag for anyone who "likes" their Facebook page. 

Who doesn't like a free bag??  Go claim yours before it's too late!  https://www.facebook.com/TargetStyle

E.L.F. Haul

Hi everyone my name is Jenna and I am an E.L.F.aholic.  Seriously I am obsessed!!  I want EVERYTHING!!  So, I forget if I mentioned this or not but I'm catholic and this year for lent one of the things I gave up was buying unnecessary cosmetics.  Well I decided that I did infact need a concealer brush.  I thought that I'd just get one from E.L.F. b/c the one I wanted from there was only $3!  Can't beat that!  Well.......   I went onto eyeslipsface.com to look at their brushes when I discovered they had a promotion that I could get the whole 11-Piece Studio Brush Set that retails for $30 for just $3!!!!!   WHAT!?!  I couldn't pass that up!  However, there was a catch and you had to spend $25 first before you could get the deal.  So long story short my one concealer brush that I needed turned into this...

I was BAD!  REALLY BAD!  
Sigh... Hopefully God forgives me.  Anyways here's what all I got:

• 11-Piece Studio Brush Set (Normally $30 - I got it for $3)
• Studio 32 Piece Eyeshadow Palette (Normally $10 - I got it for $5)
• Essential Travel Mirror ($1)
• Essential Shine Eraser Blotting Papers 50 pk ($1)
• Essential Dramatic Lash Kit - Black ($1)
• Duo Eyeshadow Cream ($1 each)
• Eggplant (green and purple)
• Mocha Swirl (light pink and dark brown)
• Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 ($3 each)
• Mellow Melon
• Blissful Berry
• Romantic Rouge
• Blush and Bronzer Set - Blush, Bronzer and Mini Kabuki Brush ($3)
• Eyelash kit - Eyelashes, tweezers, glue, and eyelash curler ($3)
• Dramatic Lash kit - Eyelashes and glue ($1)

 Blush & Bronzer Set

 Swatches of the Blush & Bronzer Set

 Duo Eye Shadow Cream

From the left:  Eggplant & Mocha Swirl

 Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15

From the left:  Mellow Melon, Blissful Berry, Romantic Rouge

Swatches of Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15

From the Left:  Mellow Melon, Blissful Berry, Romantic Rouge

 

 Studio 32 Piece Eyeshadow Palette - Cool 

I was so so so happy with this order until I saw the condition of my 11-Piece Studio Brush Set bag...

I mean is it just me or does that bag looked used??  It resembles other bags that I have that have been handled repeatedly by people that have makeup on their hands...  I don't know.  The inside is in perfect condition, the brushes are fabulous but the bag.. ugh.. I emailed costumer service at eyeslipsface.com to let them know my disappointment in it.  I'm not TOO upset b/c I only spent $3 for it but I just find it weird that a brand new bag came in that condition. 

If you haven't checked out eyeslipsface.com you need to!  I know they also sell their products at Target and KMart but I enjoy getting them on their actual website b/c if you sign up for their newsletters they have SOOOO many great deals like the brush set.  Also don't be afraid of the quality with their low prices.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with just how fab their products really are! 

Have a great week everyone!

March Birchbox (Teen Vogue Special Edition)

This month Birchbox gave its members the choice to choose between their regular monthly Birchbox or to receive a special edition Teen Vogue box.  When I first heard about it I wasn't interested since I'm 26 and obviously no longer a teen.  THEN I got an email and it mentioned Essie and I was sold lol.  I'm a sucker for nail polish!  I am so glad I didn't pass up this box b/c seriously IT IS AMAZING!

This box is seriously so fantastic!!  It came with not one but TWO full sized products!! 

In my box I got:
Tarte natural lip stain in the color Amused. (hot pink) Full-size
Essie Luxeffects Nail Polish in Set in Stones (silver chunky glitter)  Full -size
Kate Spade New York Twirl
Twistband Hair Tie (yellow)
Kerastase Elixir Ultime

I'm pretty much tickled to death about everything in this box!  I'll honestly use every single thing which makes me soooo happy b/c I was sooo disappointed in my box last month! 

Here are some close-ups of the Tarte and Essie:

Interested in receiving your very own birchbox?  It's only $10 a month and you can sign up using this link:

http://www.birchbox.com?raf=1hfxg