Empties!

Hey there!

July is gone people!! What happened to it? Where the heck did it go? Didn't I just do an empties blog last week? Sighhhh. Guess not.

This month I used up my final 2 Whole Foods 365  shower gel ($1.99 at Wholefoods). I bought three of them (Herbal Mint & Citrus Grapefruit are pictured) over a year ago when I was on an all natural, really, really good for you kick. I bought everything all natural for about a month. Then I stopped. These bubble baths weren't great. They weren't horrible though.  They didn't lather as much as I would have liked. They smelled fine but they were so minty any other scent was unrecognizable. I won't buy them again.

There are two Avon Bubble Baths (2/$9.99 Avon Representative, Avon.com, Mall Kiosk), Blushing Kiss and Vanilla Cream. I love the Vanilla Cream. Blushing Kiss was just ok. On the whole thought, Avon Bubble Baths are my all time favorite bubble baths. Seriously, if you haven't tried them, find a rep, find a kiosk and get a bottle. They are do luxurious and rich. A cap full will get you lots if bubbles. I use 2 (3 on particularly stressful days!). 

Someone on YouTube mentioned that they liked the Wal-Mart's Sonoma Spa bubble bath. At $2.97 a bottle (64oz), I was hoping that they were right. That would mean LOTS of luxurious bubble baths. Or not. These aren't good. I bought the vanilla sugar. It didn't smell like vanilla or sugar and it took darn near half the bottle to get any bubbles at all. Ok, about a sixth of the bottle. That is NOT an exaggeration. 

There's my Secret deodorant ($2.47 for 2.6 oz) in  powder fresh scent. It's the only brand I use. 


I used a bath bomb. I have NO idea who this us from. Could be dollar store. Could be Lush. Could be anything in between. It was nice. It was green. I don't think it had a scent. It was just fizzy in my bath water. I would repurchase it if I could remember who it was by. 

I used up a razor. It was the BIC Soleil. My pitts aren't particular (sorry -- tmi??). I'm sure I didn't pay full price for these. I never do.

I finally tossed the eos shave cream in pomegranate raspberry. The bottle made it almost impossible to get the cream out. I tried to squeeze it and shake it towards the top -- nothing worked. I'm sure I left half the shave cream in there! I just got tired. I prefer canned shaving cream.  

I used up my Sephora Super Loaded Age Defy Serum ($32 for 1 fl oz.). I'm trying something else right mow. I'm not in love with what I'm trying though. Not sure if I'll buy this one again or not (Damn you Garnier for changing your formula on my holy grail moisturizer!!). I'll make a decision in about a week or so.

I finally finished my Bare Minerals Correcting Concealer ($20 for .07 oz.). It took me over a year to finish this. That's why I don't mind the price tag. Folks, I've tried high end and low end and nothing, NOTHING matches my completion like this. I stopped trying. When you find the one, stop searching. Yes, I've already begin using my replacement one. 

And last but not least, I finished a pack if Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes. Meh. They were just ok. They took initial makeup off. I always use my Purity cleanser to really take my makeup off. I'll buy these if they are on sale again. 

And that my dears, is what is now in my trash. I feel kinda bad! For the last two months I had to spread my empties over 2 or 3 days. This time, just barely one post. I'll do better in August. I'll really try harder.

See the things I'll do for you fine folks?

You. Are.Welcome.

Prime Time Summer - Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

Hey there!

Can I please tell you about this primer?

First of all, have you figured out that if I am passionate (one way or the other) about something, I begin with "Can I please tell you" or something like that. That tells you the voraciousness of my love or dislike for something. In this case, it is my love.

This primer is not cheap. I played with many, many primers at Sephora the day that I purchased this. My hand was as sleek and slippery as the day is long. I couldn’t even baby wipe all the primer off my hand. But this baby right here was a stand out.

The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is what I am talking about.

This primer is lightweight and absorbs quickly. It’s not greasy and even though there is an SPF added, you don’t get that SPF smell, look or feel.

Some folks don’t like that silicone feel of primers. If that’s so, this is probably not the primer for you because it does have a slight silicone feel. I like that feel. Slightly silicone means that the rest of my face products will go on and stay on. And yes, they certainly do with this primer.

There is also a “glow” or “hue” with this primer. I don't mean an ugly tint. I mean an honest to goodness, "her face is glowing" glow. Am I the only person to say that? I don’t know if it’s the SPF15 or unicorn tears or what but there really is a slight glow that you see when it goes on. After you’ve added powder or foundation, that glow is still there. Pretty nice, huh.

And, I know what you’re going to say. At $18 for .33oz ($52 for 1oz, $72 for 2 oz Jumbo), it should leave you with a glow. That should be the case but I’ve tried other high end primers that didn’t do squat for my face and I’ve tried low end primers that I love. So, cost means nothing in the makeup game (well, it means something but not always what you think it should mean).

In this case, this is $18 well spent because “a dab will do ya”. If I’m having a light day, 1 pump in the center of my face is enough. If it’s a full makeup day, I use a pump and a half. I should have started counting the pumps to figure out how many pumps are in there! I don’t know how many pumps but I do know that I’ve been using this container for a month and I still appear to have quite a bit left.

I already said that I love this one so yes, I will repurchase it. I might even pay for the 1 oz size. Yep, I like it that much.

And that is saying A LOT coming from me!!

July Faves

Hey there!

I didn't have a ton of faves this month. That was because I was trying a lot of new products so I didn't get to wear too many things too many days in a row. Even so, I managed to ink out a few favorites. 

I've began using my eos hand lotion because I wanted to try it for you good people. I have kept reaching for it because it's pretty darn good. It smells nice and absorbs into the skin quickly. It only cost $1.99 and it was well worth it. I own Berry Blossom but the website says that they have Cucumber and Fresh Flowers. I think I'll try them as well.

I just did a post on my Claire's bamboo kabuki brush. I really have been using the heck out of it. It's a soft, full brush that allows great coverage when I used my loose or presses powder. The two days I have to do without it for washing hurt my feelings. 

I just ordered a new Body Fantasies Cotton Candy body lotion off of Amazon because it's been discontinued.  Normally when something like this happens I just move on to a new scent. That's not possible with this one.  It smells so sweet. I love it. If i luck up and find this lotion in the store, I'm buying all of them. 

I try to always add one non cosmetic item to each month -- you know, to broaden your horizons. This month it's the Lt. Blender's Peach Bellini Wine Freeze. Mom and I saw this in the Sam's club. I don't remember how much these were because Mom and I split 5 of them between us but man! These are so good! You just add wine and water and shake and freeze. You could even do it without wine. I mixed wine and water and then topped my frozen goodness with a little bit of ginger ale. It was slap your momma good (although U wouldn't do that). I truly enjoyed it. 

What have you been loving this month?

Nail Polish Change - Avon Nailwear Pro + nail in Cotton Candy

Hey There!

This week I stayed on the pink train and wore one of my two new Avon Nailwear Pro + nail polishes. The color was Cotton Candy.

The color was gorgeous. It was a beautiful pink that went beautifully with my completion. I got a lot of complements.

The brush wasn't tapered. I've found that I like that. The top is "squarish". I found that I didn't like that. The "squarish" top wasn't all that easy to hold.

It wore ok. The formula is just mediocre.  It chipped after about two days but because it was a light color you couldn't tell. I was hoping for better though. I like Avon products and really wanted to be able to say good things about it. 

This next week I will be wearing the other color that I purchased. I hope it wears better. If that's the case, then I can simply chalk it up to a bad batch. 

Fingers crossed. 

Conscious Box 1 and 2 Review

Hey there!

SO you want to know about my Conscious box experience. (What is a Conscious box?) Well, the boxes themselves are decent. There have been 3 or 4 big name items in each box that I'm use to -- Annie's, Ecover, Larabar, etc. It's kind of fun trying new products. The bad things are 1) the price 2) the things you've never heard of.

Again, the products that you have heard of are lovely. My daughter ate the Larabar and she liked it. I used the Ecover dishwasher tablets and they worked well. The Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, are well, smaller, natural, cheesy, crackers. I did try a few things that's I would never purchase (Halfpops. Who's bright idea was this? My teeth were not amused!) and then I tried some new things that were totally worth searching out (Route 11 Lightly Salted Potato Chips. Perfect. I don't like much salt and these have the tiniest hint of sale -- just what the doctor ordered). These are items that I enjoyed trying. Even if it didn't work for me it was still fun to try.

There are also interesting things to try in the box -- Crystal Body Deodorant towelette, Natralia heel balm, Somersets English Shaving Oils, Scheckter's Organic Energy (powdered by nature!) and Equal Exchange Chocolate. See, those are things I'd probably never try -- heck, I'd never even see them! This box is great for things like that. The downside is I'll never buy another can of Organic Energy and I like my current deodorant. But, again, it's fun to try.

Now, there were quite a lot of supplements in the boxes (Floradix Iron+herbs, Nordic Naturals Omega Boost in Tropical Mango, Everly Peach Mango Energy packet). I don't test the waters when it comes to supplements. I have enough problems without trying something and finding out that I'm allergic to it when it sends me to the ER (true story -- three times). Besides, some of the supplements are ones I've never even heard of. I'm not interested.

The price. It's $19.99 a month. That doesn't seem too bad, but I only used a portion of the stuff in the box. I only paid a total of $29.99 for all three months (discounts and stuff), so ten bucks each month. If that was the price, I'd probably say ok, let's keep it going. But at twenty bucks I have to say whoa there partner.

And, last but not least - customer service. I had a few problems with my boxes. The first month they had some glitch in the system and my box came 3 weeks late. It took a week for customer service to contact me back and that was only when I threatened to stop my subscription. That's how I got a month free. The second month was fine except I could only use about a fourth of them items in the box. I decided that the Conscious box subscription probably wasn't for me and I emailed on the 31st of the month to cancel. Well, apparently you must cancel AND RECIEVE CONFIRMAITON by the 1st. My confirmation arrived on the 2nd. Clever, very clever. So, I had to have one more box delivery. That's the third one that I am currently trying.

So, this subscription box didn't work for me. Some of the products were very good, many of the products will probably see the trash within a few months. If you are super healthy and eco conscious (as the name implies, then this box is for you. If you are kinda healthy and kinda conscious, you probably won't be real happy with this box. I'm healthy and kinda eco conscious but I don't do supplements without my doctors ok and if I'd have my druthers, I'd rather not have hard toffee bits and sea salt in my  chocolate.

But I digress.

The concept behind this box is fabulous. Perhaps they should have a mini box for $10 or $12 and see what we think. At $19.99, this isn't for me.

But, don't fret. I will still review box number 3 and let you know about the products inside!

Mini Haul - Zoya Nail Polish

Hey there!

At the beginning of the month Zoya nail polish had a sale. You could get 3 nail polishes for just the cost of shipping ($12). I already own 2 Zoya polishes (and the kiddo owns 1) that I have yet to use. I did not pay full price for high end nail polish because so far it only EQUALS my drugstore polish. So far none of them have surpassed them. But, at $4 a bottle, I was willing to try these lovelies out.

I already owned Dhara (Orange) & Piaf (Yellow). I paid about $3.50 at Ulta for them. Dhara is a grainy color so I see it making its debut as a party nail. Piaf is a softer color that might make an appearance before the summer is out.

The new colors that I purchased are LuLu (Peach), Lola (Pink) and Meadow (Toffee). I really like these colors. I really can't decide which to try first.

Again, I haven't tried any of the Zoya polishes but I'm excited to do so. As soon as I do, you'll be the first to know!

Have you tried Zoya nail polishes? Did you pay full price? What is your most expensive nail polish?

Brush Up On It!!

 

Hey there!

About six weeks ago I took the kiddo on a shopping trip and we took a stroll through Claire's. I was expecting the kiddo to spend lots of time in the store searching for stuff, playing with jewelry -- you know. I didn't expect to find items for myself. I gravitated towards the makeup area and pretty much brushed all that off (ha! did you get the joke?) but this bright pink brush caught my attention. I mean look at it. Wouldn't it catch you attention too?

Anyway, the brushes were on sale, BOGO half price and I really wanted that pink brush. I figured if it didn't work out (and it probably wouldn't, right?) I'd use it as decoration or for powder on my décolleté (side bar -- has anyone powdered their décolleté since 1905?). Since I had to have a second item, I grabbed a big kabuki brush, cause well, I didn't have one.

These brushes pleasantly surprised me. Because they were from what is typically featured as a teeny bopper stores, I expected them to be more for show than use. I expect the quality to be so-so and I didn't expect them to be comparable to the more expensive brushes I've purchased.

Boy was I was wrong! The large bamboo kabuki brush is a bit large but it rivals other, more expensive brushes that I've used.  Because of its size, I'm able to do 2 maybe 3 sweeps of my hand to put product (normally pressed powder or loose powder being used instead of foundation) on my face and them quick buffs to blend it in. I really like it. 

The neon Pink Powder brush applies finishing powder so well. I put my crown brush aside (and a gasp is heard in the room). I have been using this brush EVERY DAY! I really like it. It's very soft and spreads a small amount of product on your face so lovely.

Normally these brushes run $8.50 but I got them at BOGO half price so I only paid about $13 for both. That's not bad at all.

Do I have plans to pick up more of these? You bet your BOGO I will!

Conscious Box 3

Hey There!

I am embarrassed and ashamed. This is my third Conscious Box and I forgot to do a follow up review on the first one and I didn't do a preview or review of the second one.

Well, I didn't forget as much as I just didn't do it. When I do review it (spoiler alert) you will totally understand why it took me so long.

This time I promise to come back and review it. As a good faith gesture, for Sunday Funday this week, I'll review the first 2 boxes all rolled into 1! How about that?

Let me back up. For those of you that don't know what Conscious Boxes are, the website boasts that it's a monthly subscription box that helps you discover healthier choices. They do that by sending samples of items each month that are supposed to be healthier, natural and non-GMO. The box retails for $19.99 a month but I got my first box on Groupon for $10.

So, this month, my box came jam packed with goodies. Just at first glance you see cheddar bunnies, a drink mix pack, Izzie drink and lots of other things. Some things don't interest me at all. I'll come back in a week or so and let you know what I thought.

NOTE: Because I mention Groupon.com, I've added my Groupon link here <---. If you are interested in trying Groupon I'd love it if you used my link. If you aren't interested in using my link, I totally understand -- no worries. But, you do need to head over to Groupon.com and see what kind of deals they have!

Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal lip balms

Hey There!

Don't sit there and judge me! It's not my fault that these new Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal lip balms jumped into my shopping cart at Wal-Mart. I don't even think I was looking in that direction when it happened! Besides, it's not like I have that many of them!!

ALL LIES! Sighhhh. I was just minding my own business in Wally World when I saw these. I don't even think I knew that they were coming out! The website says that they have 6 new shimmering shades. I got suckered ended up purchasing only 2 of them. I picked up Twinkling Taupe and Beam of Blush.

Both of these colors appeared in the package to be women of color safe. When I got them home and used them, I realized that they all are probably women of color safe. They don't give off much color at all. They also don't give off much sparkle. That's ok because I don't like a lot of sparkle but Maybelline probably shouldn't advertise these as sparkly if they aren't. Someone else might get mad.

They do moisturize and they do last a while (no, not 8 hours like they say) but they aren't anything special. I mean they aren't anything special as compared to other Baby Lips lip balms. My fave Baby Lips is the one that smells like fruity pebbles. I have 2 of those (one for work and one for home -- see! That's totally acceptable). These Baby Lips do rock the heck out of all other lip balms though -- make no mistake.

So, do I regret buying these? Of course not. Had I known they weren't anything special would I have purchased them? No, probably not. Will that keep me from buying whatever comes out next? Of course not!

Me and Maybelline Baby Lips have a thing going on.

Have you tried these yet? What's your fave?

Ped Egg

Hey There!

Yep, that is what you think it is. I bought a Ped Egg. I had a good reason! Well, no not really. I just wanted to try it out.

I have to be honest -- I don't give my feet much thought until right before sandal time. Oh, I paint my toe nails all the time but soak my feet and slather on lotion? Not likely. I've had a boyfriend yell out, "Whoa, babe! You just scratched me with your claws!" No, I wasn't embarrassed, even though I should have been. I wasn't embarrassed because it was winter -- my feet were supposed to be covered!

Now, summer time rolls around, I have to get my feet on point! I normally go get several pedicures before sandal season so that I'll be ready by the time it comes along. But this year, for some crazy reason, I missed the pre-sandal season. My heels are still kinda jacked up!

So I bought Ped Egg hoping that it would work. The commercial makes it look so easy! Well...it is easy (once you get the package open). You really do just rub it over your heels and rough patches and yes, nasty, gross, foot shavings come out of the container.

I only paid $5.99 at Ross so I wasn't really expecting a lot from this product but I was really pleasantly surprised! It does take off the dead layer of skin so that you can slather on foot cream and get your tootsies ready for sandals.

Now, if only I could find a foot cream that doesn't leave the sheets greasy!

Nail Polish Change - Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Solid As A Rock

Hey There!

I have been on a pretty in pink nail polish kick the past few weeks. I probably should have done this in the spring but I find that lighter colors make my nails look longer and right now my nails are ridiculously short. So, they need all the help they can get!

I wore Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Solid As A Rock this week. It's an older polish that I found at Big Lots a while ago. I'm not sure when this "look" in the Hard As Nails line was discontinued or changed but the polishes are still pretty good. The formula of this one was just as good as the Xtreme Nails that they have now but the brush is the old type that all polishes had before the days of the tapered brush. Good googlie mooglie -- what did we do in those days??

The color is darling. It's a soft pink that has a touch of shimmer. I used 2 thin coats but could have used a third coat for a slightly better result. The problem with two thin coats is the color is slightly streaky and it chips a bit easier. Had I used a third coat, I would have been completely happy with this color.

I really like this one. It's a girly color that makes you feel all frilly inside. It's beautiful on the hands (even if your hands are jacked up) and it complements a wide range of complexions.

This color will always been in my rotation, but probably more in the spring next time.

Moisturizer Search part 2

Hey there!

It's not a secret that I'm on the hunt for a new moisturizer (or maybe it is - I dunno). And, I mentioned that I may have found one that I like. I'm picky when it comes to moisturizers so I was prepared for a long search. I'm not 100% sure that my search is over.

I've been using Sephora's Super Loaded Age Defy Serum for over a month now. It costs $32 for 1.0 fl oz and as the name suggests, you can only purchase it at Sephora. It's light weight, smells nice and leaves my skin feeling soft. Squeeze 2 pumps out of the tube to moisturize, and squeeze 3 pumps to luxurize your skin (I know that's not a real word but it kinda is!). It's hydrating for the day, not quite enough for night (but it doesn't promise to be for night time).

And that's it. I mean that's nice but for $32 I kinda want something to happen. I want my skin to be better not just the same. And, I don't particularly care for the bottle. I can't tell how much is left. I just keep hoping that it's a whole lot.

That being said, yes, I'll probably buy it again. I haven't found anything else that seems to moisturize enough without burning or irritating my skin. Everything has high SPF now. The problem with that is I'm apparently allergic to that much SPF. I can take smaller amounts but that's all.

I am still looking but I think I've found the one. And, because I'm still looking, I'm not really sure that I have found the one.

Sighhhh, stay tuned.

Ipsy Bag - July - Preview

Hey there!

I don't know if anyone else gets excited when they see this pretty pink bag in the mail but I do. The guy from the mailroom came down the hall with that bright pink packet and I almost squealed out loud. I wasn't sure what was in it but I knew I'd love it!

This month we got a bright pink bag inside our bright pink packet (it's a good thing I like pink). I haven't read up on it but it's cute. It smells funny but I'm sure the smell will dissipate after a while.

I got a Be Fine Food Skin Care Daily Moisturizer with SPF. I'm excited about that because I've been trying to find a good moisturizer.

The bag also came with a bare minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow. I'll reserve my judgment and won't give anything away (but I think I'm gonna love it!).

There was a Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm. I love lip balms so I'm all about it!

I got a Whet nail polish in a color that's....well, just wait for the reviews.

And they included a Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil. You think you know, but you don't!

So I can't wait to try these goodies. I opened the bag at work Thursday and wanted to try everything right away! But, I restrained myself.

This weekend I will try EVERYTHING!!

Stay tuned!

Golden Summer

Hey there!

A good friend of mine told me that she wanted to try a gold nail polish on her nails for her summer trip. She likes to go to the beach and I guess the sand inspired her. She asked if I had a gold nail polish.

Do I have a gold nail polish? At last count, I had just over 200 nail polish colors. I know, I know -- that seems extreme. But, it's not. I've probably worn about half of them at least once and I've worn a quarter of them more than that (my toes get a lot of polish action).

Anywho, I rambled through my collection and oddly enough, I only came up with 4 gold nail polishes. With my complexion, I don't normally gravitate toward gold polish so I was kind surprised I had any. To be fair, one of them isn't a true gold and another one is an overlay color, so technically, I only have 2 gold nail polishes. That's not bad, right?

The first color is one of my favorite colors for my toes. It's Sally Hansen Xtreme Nail in Golden-I. No, I don't have that bottle of polish because that's the one my friend decided to use and I didn't take a picture of it first. I didn't tell you I was the smartest cookie in the jar. It's my favorite of the four because Sally Hansen Xtreme Nail Polish is an awesome formula. It's my go to polish each and every time. This color is perfect for my toesies.

The next color is a Maybelline Color Show polish in Gilded Rose. It's actually an overlay color. I've used it on my party nail several times. You can use it over any color and it looks beautiful. 1 coat is pretty for a small hint of gold and 2 coats makes you go ka-bam! I've never used 3 coats.

The third polish is one I've never used. No real reason. I just haven't. It's A Star Is Born by Color Secrets. I think I may have found this at a beauty supply store. It was probably a BOGO or buy-three-for-a-price or something. I don't know the brand and I've never used anything by them so I don't know how well it works. It looks pretty though.

And finally I have 1000 Volts by Revlon. It's a green based gold and looks really pretty as a party nail. It's also nice on the toes. I tried using it on all the nails once and immediately took it off. I wasn't impressed. Revlon polishes also wear well so I like to reach for them as well. This color probably doesn't get as much love as it should.

And so there you have it. If you decide that you need to match your toes with the sand, here are 4 really good choices. I never thought of matching my toes to the sand but I would jump at the chance to match them to cotton candy or ice cream. Maybe though, just maybe I'll follow in my friends footsteps and wear gold next week.

What do you think?