Category: Candles

 
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2 Sales, 2 Hauls

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Monday, June 4th was the first day of Bath & Body Works’ Semi-Annual Sale. You know I was there!

I am not particularly a fan of the location adjacent to my office – the dead/dying West Oaks Mall – but I managed to not get shanked while making my way through the parking lot and schlepping through Palais Royale to get there. (Have you ever noticed that Palais Royale ALWAYS smells like hot dog water and raw meat? Not just this one, but all of them. Why is that?)

First day of the sale, there’s plenty of stock and and it’s somewhat neat still. That doesn’t last long. Prices are the highest they’ll be, but that selection…

The first decision I made, was to add “Wild Rose & Apple” to my shower. I picked up 2 shower gels, a body lotion and a fine fragrance mist at 50% off. If I see it go to 75%, I’ll definitely buy more – this shit smells GOOD. My MiL even complimented it.

I considered adding “Rose Quartz” to my shower, but I decided to hold off – I had put some lotion on my hands when I first got to the store, but it started to annoy me. I did go ahead and add 4 Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps at $3 each, two $2 Astrology candles (one for me and one for my sis), a couple of 50% off bath poofs and 3 Wallflower Refills.

 

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A very nice haul, especially since I had a $10 off $40 coupon in my email…but I already had an online order en route. Deep Cleansing Hand Soap was on sale for $3 last week and I couldn’t resist.

I ordered 9 of them. I had to, in order to use the free shipping on $25 coupon. Two of the soaps I picked up Monday were dupes of what I’d already ordered – “Pink Grapefruit Pop” and “Strawberry Lemonade”, but the rest were new.

I’m fairly certain that these will not be my last hauls from the sale. Sorry, not sorry.

OH! And TODAY, Bath & Body Works’ Instagram account regrammed my haul picture. I can die happy.

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My Kids Won Mother’s Day

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I’m sure your kids are awesome and all…but my kids won Mother’s Day.

They (and the husband) straight up snatched my Bath & Body Works coupons from the mail pile and went to town.  The big gift was the exclusive Mother’s Day Tote, which came with “Blushing Pink Rose Petals” 3-Wick Candle (already lit and in my boudoir); “At the Beach” Ultra Shea Body Cream; “Vanilla Flower” Hand Soap with Olive Oil; “Warm Vanilla Sugar” Bath Fizzy; “Heart of Gold (Berry Sweet)” Hand Cream; “Heart of Gold (Berry Sweet)” PocketBac and a Glittering PocketBac Holder.

Not only did I get the exclusive Mother’s Day Tote, but they also took advantage of the B3G3 sale and  got me Shower Gel, Lotion and Spray in “Rose Champagne” (from the new French Collection) and “Magic in the Air”. They did good – I don’t have either of those new scents, but they are exactly what I would have picked myself. There was also a travel size “Pink Cashmere” Lotion. Weird.

I smell even better than normal now AND I got some really nice hand-drawn cards. I won children-making.

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I’ve Been a Good Girl…

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I’ve been so good the past few months. Sure, I’ve bought a few things here and there, but I’ve drastically curtailed my beauty shopping. I’m trying to use what I’ve already amassed, sure – but really, trying to budget around two house payments. Regardless, I cannot pass up the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale.

I really stuck to the essentials. A $10 candle. A couple of bath poofs. 3 $3 Wallflower refills. 8 bottles of $3 Hand Soap. And NO bath gel/lotion/body spray. Zip. Nada. NONE. I’m still trying to finish off the dozen or so scents I have, but I was really tempted by Sweet Cranberry Rose. If it was 75% off, I might have cracked.

Also had a $10 off $40 coupon from the mail. SO it was a pretty economical haul.

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Beauty in Bloom

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The last few Limited Edition boxes from Birchbox haven’t been that exciting…but I was enticed by the “Beauty in Bloom” box. I can’t pass up flowery products.

Inside this flower-filled box: Darphin Intral Toner; Davines Oi/Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion; Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist; Laura Geller Beauty Baked True Color Blush in “Maui” (so red – I can’t wait to try it); Lollia Relax Shea Butter Handcreme (Lavender and Vanilla, but I can’t smell anything through this blasted cold); Mally Eye-Amplifying Shadow Liner in “Stone” (taupe-ish); NEST Fragrances Grapefruit Classic Candle (even my husband said this smells “yummy”); NEST Fragrances Indigo Eau de Parfum (I’d been curious about NEST for a while – this one is very exotic smelling, almost like nag champa…but without the weedy undertones); Smith & Cult The Shining Lip Lacquer in “Hi-Speed Sonnet” (so glittery); stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara; and an Umbra Prisma Tray (I’m not big on gold, but I really like the geometric styling of this jewelry tray). A GREAT deal!

Although the box was $64, I found a 20% code and used $10 in points, so the total was just $41.20.

Oh…in my free sample pack: Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in “Silver” (my third one) and Cargo Swimmables Shadow Stick in “Dory” (like Finding Nemo!)

If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.

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Just a Pit Stop…

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If I make my husband drop me by Bath & Body Works on the way to wedding party…does that mean I have a problem? $8.50 three wick candles is a BIG DEAL.

Back when I lived in Dallas – before kids – I used to make my own candles. When we moved, I kept all of my oils and supplies, fully expecting to someday get back to candlemaking when I had more time…then another baby, another house, another excuse. Finally, my oils had rotted through the bottles and we had to trash them. (I bet that was the best smelling load of trash my garbageman ever had.) So until I get the urge to revisit that hobby…I buy candles and wax melts. Not a lot, but enough to have on hand.

That being said, $8.50 is a smoking deal. Regular price is $22.50 – $30.00. I picked up “Beautiful Day”, “Jingle All the Way”, “Japanese Cherry Blossom”, “Twisted Peppermint” and 2 “Pomelo Paradise”. A $15 off $40 coupon made them $6 each. I also had a stackable coupon for a free item, so I got a “White Citrus” Shower Gel.

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Even after a stop at Starbucks, we made it right on time for Beth and David’s wedding party. David is my husband’s cousin and I am thrilled to welcome Beth into our (sometimes insane, but always loving) family. She and I bonded a few years ago over our shared love of nail polish – especially Zoya. It was love at first sight!

When we met, I was still rolling around the idea of Beauty Hoard in my head and she really encouraged me to get it started. If there wasn’t a Beth, there probably wouldn’t be a Beauty Hoard, so I owe her a depth of gratitude!

I can’t wait for our next nail party!

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Ulta Adventure

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Oh the disappointment when one opens up an online order and one of the items is damaged! I ordered 2 NYX AVANT POP palettes (BOGO50%off) – and the “Art Throb” palette was shattered. Luckily, the “Surreal My Heart Palette” was in fine shape. I also ordered a clearance Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in “Woodstock” (hot pink!) for $10 and 2 Palladio lip stains“rose” and “mocha”.

Because my order was over $40, I got the NYX Beauty Break Set, with Love in Paris Palette in “Merci Beaucoup”, Doll Eye Mascara in “Extreme Jet Black”, Butter Gloss in “Maple Blondie” and Slide On, Glide On, Stay On & Definitely a Turn On Waterproof Extreme Shine Eye Liner. (I like this set better than what I actually paid for.) For samples, I chose skincare and got CoTZ Face Sunscreen and Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil.

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This morning, I went on an adventure to replace the shattered palette and use my $10 off ANYTHING coupon to get another Urban Decay Naked Skin BB Cream. The Copperwood Ulta didn’t have the paletter OR the BB Cream. I did pick up another Zoya Remove+.

The Willowbrook Ulta did have the NYX palette – phew.

Lily also begged for Sally Hansen “Sweet Nectar”. It was 79 cents on the clearance aisle, so why not. It’s sickeningly orange, but you never know when it will come in handy.

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It’s not Saturday without a quick trip to Bath & Body Works. I’d been jonesing to experience the Semi Annual Sale in person, since I’ve been ordering online.

It was a fairly conservative trip – 2 50% off 3-wick candles, plus a metal candle holder. Just 5 50% off Hand Soaps – I just needed enough to use my $10 off $40 coupon.

I need a nap – I am plumb tuckered out.

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Son Torture Saturday

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My husband was as shocked as I was that Lily wanted to go home with him after lunch and my son Logan wanted to go shopping with me…I am pretty sure it was because I mentioned that I might hit HEB on the way home to get guacamole – he loves all the free samples at HEB. Boy was he in for a surprise.

First we hit Ulta. I wanted to check out Zoya clearance polishes I’d been seeing online. (If ONLY my Ultas carried Deborah Lippman!) They had ALL of the special display polishes on clearance for $4.47 – since I have 3 polishes coming from the 3/$15 deal, I was conservative and only got Zoya “Dovima”, the matte black. I had my finger crossed that it would ring up at $.97, but it didn’t. I was pleasantly surprised that the Ulta “Mango Tango” Bath Smoothie I picked up for my husband DID ring up at $.97 – I was expecting $5.99. I didn’t even get to use my $3.50 off coupon. My poor son had to stand there for 20-30 minutes while I tried a few different foundations. I was bummed that they were out of the “Light” Urban Decay BB Cream. I tried the “Medium” on my wrist and I liked the texture…the hunt is on.

The second stop was Bath & Body Works for one more spin at the Semi Annual Sale. Again, I was looking for more of the Aromatherapy Stress Relief Bath Foam. They didn’t have any, but they did have the Stress Relief Hand Cream. I also stocked up on 5/$10 Scentportables for our cars, $4 candles, 2 $3 “Pacific Cool Breeze” Hand Soaps and 2 more “Dark Amber” Body Washes for my husband. I also got to whip out my $10 off $40 email – receipt said I saved $68.25.

Stop three – although we had already gone to Target as a family, I had to go to a SECOND Target to find one of my beloved Up & Up Dip-its. By now, my son was starting to be annoyed, so I bribed him with clearance Lindt Dark Chocolates.

The chocolate enabled us to power through to stop four – Big Lots. Big Lots always has the best prices on Pop Tarts. They had Raspberry Pop Tarts, which I confirmed this morning are the VERY best flavor of Pop Tarts ever made – even better than Pumpkin Pie or Red Velvet. I couldn’t resist digging through the nail polish bin – they had so much! I settled for just a single $1 bottle – Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat in “Sage Smash”. He also talked me into buying Cherry filled, chocolate covered Twinkies. I’m such a pushover.

By this point, we were exhausted…so we just went home. My poor son had to go through all this – holding fingernail polish for me, watching me swatch foundation and search for bubble bath – and he didn’t even get his free HEB food. I’m a mean mommy…

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November Birchbox – BuzzFeed Life

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My Birchbox got here yesterday, but it was my night to cook dinner and frozen pizzas don’t magically cook themselves!

Instead of the regular box, I chose the special BuzzFeed Life curated box. Inside my box: amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (I know, I know – I have a dozen of these and I never use it); Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Mask (it has charcoal serum – I’ll be using this soon); Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (Uhhhh…); Greenleaf Signature Candle in “Silver Spruce” (OMG, I could smell it THROUGH the box and outer shipping box – it’s like an entire 9 foot Xmas Tree); and Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24hr Mascara. There is also a cute sticker that says “cute” – cute!

If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.

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Mediterranean Fall

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When you get those GOOD coupons in your email…50% off selected fall items, 3 wick candles 2/$22 and an additional 25% off your purchase…you gotta go!

I picked up two candles – “Smoked Berries & Incense” and “Topaz Waters”. I let my husband smell them – he wrinkled his nose and banned them from the bedroom. Awwwww!

I showed restraint and picked up three 50% off hand soaps – “Topaz Waters”, “Moroccan Fig & Honey” (my husband HATED this one), and “Malaysian Pomegranate”.

On a related note, I switched out the summer scent –  “Aloha Orchid” – from my powder room and replaced it with a winter scent – “Sparkling Pink Champagne”. My son got really upset – because it didn’t smell as good. Soap is a very divisive issue in our house.

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Sunday Shopping

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Lily and I usually go shopping on Saturday, but since my husband and son went to see Guardians of the Galaxy this morning, I figured why not do some shopping that doesn’t involve school supplies.

I struck out at Ulta. They were out of Zoya Remove+. I was also thinking about getting Michael Kors “Glam Jasmine” now that it’s back…but then I smelled it and I didn’t like it as much as I thought I did. That’s ok – I placed an amazing order online on Friday, so I have that to look forward to.

I fared much better at Bath & Body Works. I had a 20% off coupon, plus a free travel size. I got 2 three wick candles at 2/$22 – “Wasabi Apple” & “Turquoise Waters”. I got 11 hand soaps – 6/$24, plus “Sweet Clementine” on special for $3. I’m not going to go through all the scents I got, but I am really excited about “Brown Sugar & Carrot” – that’s just WEIRD. My total was $49.36, so I went ahead and used the $50 debit card I got from Acuvue for a contacts rebate. I know I threw away 64 cents…sigh.

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HEB is becoming my favorite place to find beauty deals. They had $2 off Revlon coupons again AND $2 off Milani. Lily is a bad influence on me. I was trying to decide between 2 Revlon Quick Dry Top Coats“Hearts of Gold FX” and “Celestial FX” – she asked why I couldn’t I just get both? So I did. I also picked up “Balinese Bay” from Revlon’s Limited Edition Haute Rocks Collection of pebbled polish. I’ve been wanting to try one.

I’ve been eyeing Milani “Sugar High” for a while, so I grabbed it…the multicolored glitter will look great over “Glass Pink”. I also decided to try out one of the Milani Baked Marble Shadows I’ve been hearing about. If they’re anything like Laura Geller Baked Shadows, I’ll love it. I picked “Green Fortune”, which I’m not exactly sure how I’ll wear – it’s green, pink and copper!

My house smells great, my hands smell great, the kids start school tomorrow and I have new polish and makeup to play with. Life is good!