Monday, August 23, 2021

Beauty Haul

 Hello, everybody!  How was your weekend?  I'm exhausted!  I just finished two weeks of training for my new job, and I had my first days of work by myself Friday and yesterday.  I'm working at the local hospital in the Nutrition Services department, and my schedule is three 12 hour shifts each week.  I've never had to work 12's before, and it really is exhausting.  I do enjoy having four days a week off though.

Anyway!  Here are all the new products I'm trying out these days.

Ardell Clear Brush-On Eyelash Adhesive

My old eyelash glue completely dried out, so I finally picked up this lash glue to replace it.  I've never tried this lash glue, so hopefully it works well. 


Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream & Be Luminous Exfoliator
These were sent to me from Influenster free for review.  I heard that Alicia Keys came out with a skincare line, but I haven't tried any of her products until now.  The moisturizer is nice, but I don't think it's any better than other face creams I've tried in the past.  I do like the elegant purple glass jar though.  The exfoliator surprised me a bit.  For some reason I wasn't expecting it to be in powder form.  It made my skin feel really smooth after using it though!  I would probably repurchase the exfoliator.
 
 



YSL Beauty The Slim Velvet Radical Matte Lipstick in Beige Instinct

This product was sent to me from BzzAgent for review.  The formula feels nice on my lips and it looks beautiful.  The packaging is nice, but I don't like that it's square.  It made applying the lipstick a bit difficult.  If they had made this in a normal bullet shape then it would be perfect.

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer in Sunkissed

This was also sent to me from Influenster free for review.  I don't typically use cream products, but I've been wanting to step away from all powder products now that I'm getting a little older.  I think cream products will sit on my skin better than powder products have been lately.  This shade is a little too yellow/orange for my liking, but it has a nice natural finish and it blended out really well.

 
Murad Daily Clarifying Peel
 
This was sent to me from BzzAgent for review.  I've been using it for a little while now, and I haven't noticed enough difference in my skin to consider repurchasing this.
 

 Aveda Nutri-plenish Leave In Conditioner

This was also sent to me from BzzAgent.  This is ok.  The scent isn't the best, and I haven't noticed any difference in my hair after using this.

Mugler Alien Goddess Eau De Parfum

This was sent to me from Influenster for review.  The design of the bottle is a little weird to me, but the scent is amazing.  It has a warm vanilla scent that I think is perfect for all seasons.


Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes
 
I ran out.  I bought more.  I really don't have anything more to say about these.  lol


No. 7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream
 
This is another product to review from BzzAgent.  I haven't gotten around to trying it out yet, so hopefully it's good!


Dior Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

I received this complimentary from Influenster for review.  The bottle is cute, and it smells so nice!  It's just too bad that I'm not allowed to wear perfume at work because I would definitely wear this all the time.


That's everything for now!  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful week!



Monday, August 2, 2021

Bath & Body Works Halloween 2021 Haul

 Hello, everyone!  How was your weekend?

Halloween is one of my all time favorite holidays, so I've been on the lookout for Halloween decor since June.  B&BW recently released their Halloween collection and I raced to their website to order some candles.  They had some really cool candle holders, but the ones I wanted sold out so fast!  I was able to get all of the candles that I wanted though along with the cute little black cat that hangs off the edge of the candles.  The 3 wick candles were buy 2 get 2 free.  Here's what I got!

Wicked Apple 3 Wick Candle

Honestly, this is my least favorite scent out of the four.  I was hoping it would be more like a green apple scent, but it smells like a rotten apple instead.  I really like the ghost design though, so it kinda makes up for it.


Pumpkin Carving 3 Wick Candle

This one is a spiced pumpkin scent that I really like.  Again, I LOVE the design on this candle.


Ghoul Friend 3 Wick Candle

I like the strawberry and peony scent of this candle initially, but I wonder if this is the kind of scent that will give me a headache after burning it for a while.  It's not that I don't like it, it's just pretty strong.


Vampire Blood 3 Wick Candle

This is my favorite scent out of the four.  It's very fruity, but has just a hint of floral.  I love the little bats on the label too.

All of the lids have a spiderweb design on them that I'm absolutely loving.


Black Cat Candle Accessory (his eyes glow in the dark!)


That's everything I've picked up from B&BW (so far).  Lol I may go in and pick up some Autumn scents soon and possibly a few more Halloween items.  Did you get anything from the Halloween launch?

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful week!



Monday, July 5, 2021

New Beauty Haul

 Hello, everyone!  How was your weekend?  We just got back from a weekend visiting my grandparents in Washington.  They're both in their 90's, and they haven't seen our son since he was 3 months old and he's 2 now.  My husband's last grandparent (his grandmother on his father's side) died earlier this year, and we wish we would have seen her at least once more before she passed.  We're glad that she was able to meet our son when he was 4 months old, but it would have been nice to visit with her again.  She lived in Texas and we live in Oregon, so we didn't have the chance to see her often.  It's only a 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive to my grandparents' house, so we want to visit with them more before it's too late.  We had such a nice time visiting with them as well as some of my aunts and uncles who also live in the area.

Anyway!  Let's get into what you're actually here for!  Here are the new products that I'm trying out.  Heads up...it's a long one!

Lancome Advanced Genifique Yeux - $68.00

I received this from BzzAgent to test out.  This has a thin, non-greasy formula that sinks into the skin fairly quickly.  It is spendy, but you only need a little bit of product so this will last a while.


Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel sample
This is okay for a tinted brow gel.  I prefer a clear brow gel though.
 

House of Lashes Visionary Lash Story - $14.00
This was sent to me from BzzAgent.  It can hold 10 pairs of lashes along with the HOL lash applicator and a full size lash glue.  It's like a cardboard material, so I don't think I'd use it for traveling.  It is nice for storing lashes to keep at home though.
 
 
Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Vanilla Quartz - $38.00
As I've said in another post, I'm so sad that Becca is going out of business.  I'm purchasing all the products that I've been wanting to try before it's too late.  This shade is nice for fair skin tones like mine.


Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlight in Pearl - $38.00
This is the last powder highlighter from Becca that I wanted for my collection.  I'm glad I was able to pick them all up before Becca went out of business.
 
 
One/Size Secure the Blur Primer
I haven't been able to try out anything from this brand yet, but I saw that this was a 100 point perk from Sephora and I want to try it.  I just finished off a face primer from MAC, so this came in at the perfect time!
 
 
Lancome Idole Mascara
This is also from BzzAgent.  I don't typically like plastic applicators (especially curved ones), but this one didn't clump my lashes together or stab me in the eye.  It does a great job at providing length, but I wish it added more volume.
 

Nautica Body Mist

This product was sent to me from Influenster.  This is actually a men's cologne, so my husband has been wearing it.  He doesn't usually wear cologne except on special occasions, but he's been wearing this one most days.  This is a great summer time scent.

 
 
L'Oreal Unbelieva Brow Long Wear Topcoat in Univeral Transparent
This is also from BzzAgent.  I like that it has a small brush since I have somewhat thin brows.  However, I don't think it holds up any better than my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel.
 
 
OPI Pro Spa Nail & Cuticle Oil
My cuticles have been looking rough lately, so I finally decided to order this cuticle oil to help them look better.  I don't know why I've put off buying a cuticle oil for so long, but this oil is thin and sinks into the skin quickly.
 
 
Bamboo Cotton Reusable Makeup Pads
I've been purchasing reusable products lately to help reduce my one-time-use product waste.  I picked these up to use in place of cotton balls.
 
 
Ole Henriksen Dewtopia 20% Acid Night Treatment
I received this from Influenster for review.  I just got this in the mail over the weekend and I haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I'll have to get back to you all on how I like it.
 
 
Bumble & Bumble BB Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer
This is this year's birthday gift from Ulta.  I haven't used much from this brand, so I'm excited to try it out.


Moroccan Oil Happy Birthday Set
This was the free birthday option that I chose from Sephora this year.  To my recollection, I haven't used anything from this brand, but I've heard great things about them.


Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream
Again, this was sent to me from BzzAgent. If you saw last week's empties post, you'll know that I've already used up a sample size of this moisturizer.  As I said in that post, I do like this face cream.  Obviously I'll use this up, but I prefer the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream.
 

For my birthday this year when my husband asked if there was anything I really wanted, I couldn't think of anything.  I don't *need* anything.  I have more makeup/beauty items than I'll ever be able to use up.  I have more gadgets and tech things than I honestly need.  The only thing I could think of was some rest (having a toddler is rough! lol), so my husband decided to get a bunch of items for a relaxing at home "spa day" as well as some books (if you saw my book haul this month, you've already seen them).  We were going to spend the night at the beach and enjoy a day or two there, but after 2 weeks of beautiful weather it changed to cold and rainy for the weekend of my birthday.  (Isn't that how it ALWAYS works?!)  So we pushed it back to another weekend after it warms up again.
 
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask  
In the meantime, one of the products for my "spa day" is this clay mask.  Holy moly!  I've heard amazing reviews about this mask, and they're all true!  My skin looked so soft and smooth after using this.  If you've been on the fence about trying this, just do it!  Not to mention, this comes in a powder that you mix with either water or apple cider vinegar, and you don't need much to cover your face so this will last forever!
 

Rose Quartz Roller & Gua Sha
This is another product my husband picked out for me.  I've been intrigued by jade rollers for a little while now, but haven't wanted to take the plunge and purchase one.  I'm really glad he got this for me.  I use it after I apply my serums.  It feels so cool and refreshing on my face.  The rolling is actually quite relaxing too.
 
 
Spa Headbands (9 pack)
These are another part of my birthday gift.  They're incredibly soft and super cute!  They're perfect for holding my hair back while I'm masking.  I'm looking forward to a girl's night in with some friends so we can all wear one.
 
 
Homedics Bubble Mate Foot Spa
This is also something my husband got me for my birthday and I was really excited for it!  I've been using a plain plastic basin to soak my feet in, and while it works fine, the water gets cold fast.  This helps keep the water warm for a while longer.  It doesn't keep it HOT, but it isn't super cold after 10 minutes.  It also has little jets that make bubbles and while that's totally not necessary, they do feel nice.  There are also bumps on the bottom for massaging your feet.  It includes a removable pumice stone as well.  The only downside to this is that since it has the jets for creating bubbles, you aren't supposed to use any epsom salts, bombs, oils, etc. in it because it will clog up the holes.  I really enjoy using epsom salts while I soak my feet, so that's a bit of a bummer.
 
 
Color Street Nail Wraps in Berlin It To Win It, Holidaze, and Bloody Gorgeous
These were part of my birthday gift from my sister in law.  I've been wanting the bottom two shades for a while now, so I was super excited to be gifted these!
 
 
 
Color Street Nail Wraps in Sakura Festival and Spring Picnic
These two I purchased myself.  Sakura Festival is my favorite design and I hate that it has been discontinued.  Luckily my friend sells CS and was able to track this set down for me.
 
 

 And that's everything new for now!  Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a fantastic week!