Category: Fragrance

 
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Saturday Shopping Fun

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Another Saturday, another shopping marathon with Lily.

First stop was Ulta. I needed another Zoya “Remove +”, because I finally created my dream nail polish remover system. Last week, I bought another up&up “nail polish remover dip-it”. I emptied it and refilled it with Zoya “Remove +” – this is the absolute best way to remove nail polish. It’s soft and gentle and doesn’t smell like Chernobyl.

I also picked up Ulta “Ultimate Brunette” Shampoo and Conditioner. I exclusively use John Frieda “Brilliant Brunette”, but I wanted to give Ulta’s version a chance – it was $4.99 and BOGO. With my $3.50 off coupon, this purchase  put me at Platinum status – $400.89 to be exact. Woo hoo!

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After McDonald’s, my Eye Doctor and Rack Room Shoes, we hit Bath & Body Works for my 3rd round at the Semi Annual Sale. Mini Candles were 5/$10, so I picked up “Beach Cabana”, “Pink Petal Tea Cake”, “Fresh Picked Strawberries” and 2 “Red Lava Guava”. I want to exfoliate, so I grabbed a 75% off “Apricot & Honey” Body Scrub. 3 more 50% off Hand Soaps (NOT AntiBac) – “Sea Side Bloom”, “Endless Summer” and “Honolulu Sun”. Last, I let Lily pick another travel body spray – 75% off – she chose “Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom”. This week’s coupon was 20% off $25, so I got all this for about $20. I’m running out of room for soap.

I did manage to go to Big Lots after that (Zone Bars!) and NOT buy any nail polish. We did look…nothing tempted us.

Pretty full shopping day and spent under $100…

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June Birchbox – Away We Go

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I received my Birchbox yesterday, but I had a birthday party to go to, so…good morning post!

“Away We Go” is June’s Birchbox theme – products perfect for a summer getaway. Inside my box: Coastal Scents “Revealed 2 Eye Shadow Palette Set” (4 shades from the 20 shade set – a little birdie told me that this palette is duplicate for Urban Decay “Naked 3”), COOLA “Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face”, Joie “Folle de Joie” Eau de Parfum (a very mature scent, but better than that stinky Realtree from my Ipsy bag), Perlier Body Cream “Shea Almond” and suki “Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser (I am an exfoliating fiend, so this will definitely get used).

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. I want that Modern Mermaid box!

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June Ipsy Bag – Pretty in Paradise

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Ipsy came first this month…

June’s theme is “Pretty in Paradise”. This month’s bag is OUTSTANDING. It’s a a pretty Hawaiian pineapple design, made out of windbreaker material and designed by Rebecca Minkoff. (I’d never heard of her before this.)

Inside this month’s bag: Be A Bombshell “Lash Out Mascara”Marc Anthony “Dream Waves Beach Spray” (At first I thought it was the guy who used to be married to J-Lo, but then Google helped me figure out that it is a Salon chain in Canada. DOH.), NYX Butter Gloss in “Crème Brulee”OFRA Universal Eyebrow Pencil and Realtree for Her, which is the single most horrifying fragrance that I have ever tried. I accidentally got some on my hand and I couldn’t get the smell off after washing my hands with AntiBacterial Soap three times. It smells exactly how you would imagine a woman dressed in head-to-toe pink camouflage would smell – like a deer in heat. BURN IT WITH FIRE.

The most exciting thing in my bubble mailer, was my Ipsy points reward – NYX “Bronze Smoky Look Kit”. It’s just a little compact with 9 eye shadows and 2 lip glosses, but I love bronzes and browns right now. Retail price is $12, so not bad for free!

If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.

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Sephora Stop

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Since I have known him…and really, since his early 20s, my husband has been a one fragrance man – “Tsar” by Van Cleef & Arpels. It’s a unique scent that you’ve probably never even heard of…but it’s unmistakably him.

Of course, the fragrance was discontinued several years ago and it’s getting harder and harder to find…and what we do find is OLD. How does he replace a unique scent that he’s been wearing for 20+ years?

So for my husband’s birthday back in December, I got him a gift set from Sephora with samples of 10-12 different fragrances, with a certificate for a full size of his favorite one. After trying several of them, we decided on “Uomo” by Ermengildo Zegna. (I know, I’ve never heard of it either.) I visited Sephora back in February (when I went to pick up the Big Girl Makeup) and they no longer carried it. WTF Sephora? I was going to call Sephora Customer Service and bitch about it, but I haven’t quite fully turned into my mother…yet.

In any case, we decided this morning that the runner up was “Bvlgari Man Extreme”. Whereas “Uomo” was somewhat similar to “Tsar”, “Extreme” is very different. It’s woodsy, but citrusy. So after a hectic hour at Build-A-Bear with Lily and Lexie, I stopped by and picked it up…the beginning of a new era?

While I was there, I also picked up a rollerball of Balenciaga “Rosabotanica”. Those who know me well, know I gravitate towards rose scents, much to the dismay of my husband. He thinks it makes me smell like his grandmother. As much as I’ve been put off by the Kristen Stewart “Rosabotanica” campaign, I had to have some. Next time you see me, please sniff me and give my your thoughts…

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March Birchbox – Spring Forward

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The best part about getting out of town for a few days (besides how good it feels to return home), is returning to find a mailbox full of boxes.

My 2nd Birchbox was waiting for me when I got home. It’s not quite as exciting as the first time, since I figured out that you can go online and see what products are coming your way. Who needs surprises anyway?

A minuscule tube of Air Repair Rescue Balm – A salve for dry, chapped skin – after camping for a few days, my skin is super dry – I really needed this!

A sample spray vial of DKNY Be Delicious Hydrating Eau de Toilette Spray – An apple-y scented body spray that is supposed to “hydrate and brighten” skin. I don’t know if I want to smell like an apple…

A full-size stila lip glaze in Candy Apple. I couldn’t wait – I’m wearing it right now! I love the little applicator brush. It’s more red than I usually wear, but I like the look. It’s thicker than gloss, but thinner than a lipstick.

A largish tube of Supergoop! City Suncreen Serum – anti-aging and UV protection in one! I am intrigued…

My box also included a sample tube of Jergens BB Body. I’m crazy about BB Creams right now, so the first thing I did after taking a picture of my box, was slather this stuff all over my decolletage. You’re welcome for the visual…

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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Free Ulta Goodies

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Ulta is so weird. They shipped all my “Gifts with Purchase” in a separate shipment than what I actually paid for. Why would they pay the extra shipping on stuff they’re giving my for free? Whatever…

I got a free StriVectin Age-Fighting Kit – let’s face it, I’m brushing up against the underside of 40. I’m about to have to start buying this stuff for real. There’s eye cream, wrinkle cream and neck tightening cream. Oh my…I wonder what else it will tighten.

I also got samples of Urban Decay Ultra Definition Face and Primer. Everyone is shoving their primers down my throat!

I also got ANOTHER set of fragrance samples. Marc Jacobs “Dot” is alright, but Elizabeth Arden “Untold” smells straight-up Church Lady. Ack. There’s also a Versace sample that I can’t figure out what the name is and another Escada. Speaking of Escada – Lily and I wore the “Especially Escada Delicate Notes” sample today. I wonder if she turned heads as she strutted into the kindergarten classroom? She had to be the best smelling 6 year old there!

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Ulta Shipment!

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It’s only been a few days since I got mail…my mailbox has been so lonely!

I decided to treat myself and get one of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes. I was eyeballing them at Ulta last week and took the plunge. Upon Amy’s suggestion, I went with the Naked 2 Palette. She has Naked 3 and said it was okay, but her daughter has Naked 2 and she likes it better. I am so SINGLE WHITE FEMALE.

I also took Beth’s recommendation and ordered L’Oreal Magic BB Cream. Fingers crossed – I’m trying it tomorrow!

I also had an email offer for a free StriVectin Skincare Kit, but that is coming in a different shipment…odd.

The fun thing about Ulta is that you get Samples with every purchase. I chose the Fragrance Sampler and got Especially Escada, Guess Girl and Calvin Klein Encounter. Encounter is for Men, so the husband gets it. I sniffed it for him and managed to spill it all over my fingers. 3 hours later and a dozen handwashings later and I still smell it. To me, all Calvin Klein scents smell exactly the same. It’s GROSS…and I can’t get it OFF ME.

 

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VD can mean a lot of things…

My husband did so good for Valentine’s Day this year…almost as good as the year of the Chocolate-covered Bacon…

1. Godiva Chocolate is my only requirement on Valentine’s Day. Fuck flowers, jewelry and fine dining, just hand over the chocolate.

2. “Loveswept” eau de toilette by Philosophy. This marks the first time EVER that he’s actually bought me perfume that I didn’t specifically tell him to go get because I needed more (Rapture and Beautiful). Technically, I did drop him a major, major hint by making him smell the sample that came in my Ulta catalog a few weeks ago, but I had totally forgotten about it. He had to go to 4 different stores to find it. Wow.

3. 2 China Glaze Crinkled Chrome polishes – “Don’t be Foiled” and “Crush, Crush, Baby”. Given my recent obsession, I can see why he added those to the gift.

All I got him was $30 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs and some other shit in a bucket. I hope he keeps me.