Category: Hair
Triple Freebie Haul
Not 10 minutes after I placed that last Sephora order, I placed this Ulta order…I had kept adding things to my shopping cart over the past month and when the freebies were just right…I made my move.
The biggest part of my haul was Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner (regularly $20 each, on sale 2/$24). I’d samples this duo a few months ago at my sister’s house – it made my hair feel amazing! The price has held me back – even on sale, this is the most expensive shampoo/conditioner I’ve purchased yet. I’m going to give it a trial before switching for good…
I had sworn off Nair when I was 15 – I tried it once and it made me look like I had leg measles and didn’t melt the hair off. I was swayed by a new product – Nair Charcoal Brighten & Smooth Leg Mask ($11.99). I tested a large patch on my shin and it actually worked this time. I left it on for the 10 minutes recommended and it actually worked on me – I was shocked. It still smells like burning diapers, but it didn’t give me a rash. I am trying my entire leg in a few days – fingers crossed.
I also tried a new deodorant – Meow Meow Tweet Grapefruit Baking Soda Free Deodorant Stick ($14). I know, I know – I’ve scoffed at fancy hippy deodorants for years…but I’d noticed periodic rashes from regular antiperspirants over the last few years, and since my surgery, I’d stopped using them almost altogether. I live in Texas though – I probably should use something. I’ve been using the Meow Meow Tweet and I feel like is working at repelling odor – but it doesn’t stop my pits from getting moist. I may have to start alternating with an antiperspirant to see if that helps.
I’ve been eyeing the Sally Hansen x Jelly Belly collaboration for a while and finally decided to pick up the Sally Hansen Insta Dri x Jelly Belly Nail Color Duo Pack with “Berry Blue” and “Tutti Fruiti” ($7.99).
Ulta was offering a free 3 piece gift with $19.50 purchase – a huge Beach Bag, a Matte Bronzer, and Lip Plumping Transforming Top Coat. I am paranoid about going without eyebrows, so I got a back-up Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10). I also snagged the Mercury in Retrograde 5 Piece Rose Quartz Look Book ($16). I got the set solely based on a lyric from the song “Wasted Youth” by Jenny Lewis – the line about “Mercury in Retrograde” has been in my head for weeks. (The whole album “On the Line” is amazing – you should check it out.) The kit includes Confidence Boost Facial Mist, Be-You-Tiful Cream Eyeshadow (light pink shadow with shimmer), Self Love Lip Crayon (creamy, rosy pink), Crystal Blush (rosy-toned pearl blush), and Rose Quartz Face Gems (54 count). The blush is my favorite part, but I was pleasantly surprised by the cream eyeshadow.
And the freebies…I got a Glow All Day 5 Piece Sampler with my $65 purchase: Murad Resurgence Replenishing Multi-Acid Peel; Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Bright & Plump Moisturizer; Derma e Vitamin C Concentrated Serum; Boscia Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask; and Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Serum. I got a Step Up 7 Piece Sampler with my $75 purchase: Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; Botanics Hydration Burst Sheet Mask; Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Creme; Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion; Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair; I Dew Care Cake My Day Hydrating Sprinkle Wash-Off Mask; and First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser. My skin is going to feel FANTASTIC!
Looks like this haul made me Platinum for 2020 – just $733 to Diamond status. I also am up to $53 in points…hmmmm, what do I want to buy???
Sephora Play! May 2019 – Beauty BFFs
I am INTRIGUED by the name of May’s fragrance sample – Viktor & Rolf Salty Flower. I know, I know – I need to grow up. I usually like citrus scents, but I haven’t decided how I feel about this one. It’s got a hint of orange, but it’s buried underneath a powdery, old lady smell. I’ll have to wear it a few times to really decide.
Also included in this month’s “Beauty BFFs” box: Benefit Cosmetics BADgal BANG! Mascara (a decent mascara); Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Stepping Out” (reminds me of NYX Soft Matte Metallic in “Cannes”); Sol de Janeiro Copa Cabana Cream (smells so good that I want to drink it); It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream (bahhhh); and Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair Leave-in Heat Protectant Spray.
A good box, with a wide variety of useful products.
Sephora Play is one of the better subscription boxes with consistently high-end products. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
May 2019 Allure Beauty Box – Smooth Sailing
Ooooh, a box full of summer pampering products!
I was thrilled to see Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream in this month’s box – I love this stuff…the rest of the box…um….
Also in this month’s box: St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Gel, with an application mitt (not a chance I’ll be using this); ModelCo Eyelites Metallic Eyeshadow in “St Barts”; Laritzy Cosmetics Lip Gloss in “Vibe”; Lue by Jean Seo Erase Cleansing, Exfoliating and Brightening Powder (seriously, is this for laundry?); and Nunzio Saviano Anti-Frizz Sheets.
I kind of feel like the box is bullshit this month…Allure, you are on notice!
Oh, the clutch is orange this month. Um, what am I gonna do with all these fucking clutches?
The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.
Target Beauty Box – May 2019
“Festival Beauty Headliners” – have I mentioned lately how much I hate the “Festival Beauty” label? Where are all these festivals that people are going to outside of Coachella? I mean, I was a regular attendee of Lollapalooza back in the 90s, but we didn’t wear crazy makeup and culturally appropriated Native American headdresses…we just drew on each other with sharpies, got really muddy and sunburned. That’s the REAL “Festival Beauty.”
ANYWAY, this “Festival Beauty” box isn’t bad, actually. I am pretty sure that my daughter will end up with a bunch of it – like the Dove Cool Essentials Dry Spray Antiperspirant and the Sincerely Jules Assorted Jewelry Hair Rings. She braids her hair a lot and these would actually look really cute on her. I’ll also give her the Hawaiian Tropic Antioxidant Sunscreen Mist.
Also included: Bliss Jelly Glow Peel (I am getting to love all the Bliss samples Target is sending), Masque Bar Holographic Mask Sachet (I already used this peel-off mask – I am not sure it made me glow, but it smelled nice); SGX NYC The Do-It-All 3-in-1 Dry Texture Spray; and Sinful Colors “Fool for Azul” (ohh sky blue).
I also added Pacifica Rose Water Sleek & Shiny Shampoo and Conditioner ($9.99) to my order. Target was running an offer for a $5 gift card with a $20 beauty purchase, plus I had another $5 gift card from a previous deal. I have no idea how they provide the gift cards on online orders though – I never got it. I put in a ticket to follow up and they just refunded the $7 for the box – not what I asked for, but whatever. Thanks, Target! Regarding the Pacifica Shampoo & Conditioner, it’s okay I guess. I was expecting a stronger smell for the price. The Love Beauty and Planet Rose products have a stronger, longer lasting scent.
The “Festival Beauty Headliners” box is a good value for $7. As usual, free shipping, 5% off with my Red Card and it came with a $3 off $15 coupon. I haven’t used it yet, but I did use one of the coupons from last month! I stocked up on St. Ives Cleansers – a few weeks ago, they were running a deal for a $5 gift card with the purchase of 4, which is the same gift card I used on this order.
Fanny Pack Haul
I never thought I’d see the day that my children would be fighting over a fanny pack!
I really try NOT to buy things just for the “gift with purchase”, but there was a little bit of that in this purchase. A $20 NYX purchase gets you a Coachella hot pink NYX Fanny Pack with NYX Pore Filler and NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray. I was gonna use it myself, so I could be like my bestie Sally…but Lily is BEGGING to use it for Frightmare next weekend. My son says he wants it too, but I think he is just being annoying – I’ll probably let Lily “borrow” it. Good thing I am IN LOVE with all four lippies that I picked up – no guilt. The NYX Soft Matte Metallic Lip Creams were on sale for $5, down from $7. They are my absolute favorite NYX formula – I picked up “Rome” and “Budapest”. I’ve been alternating them the past few days. I also tried out two of the new lippies. NYX Glitter Goals Liquid Lipstick in “Cherry Quartz” was a bit pricey at $9, but worth it. It starts out matte, but turns to glitter with friction and wear. It lasts well. NYX Line & Load All-in-One Lippie in “Ride or Die” was $8 and a genius product. It’s a super thin doe-foot applicator that alllows you to line your lips with precision and it DOES NOT BLEED. I need this in red – ALL red lipstick bleed on me.
So…last week, I found out that my son was scrubbing his face with a toothbrush (not the one he uses in his mouth – ew). I freaked out and ordered him an Ulta Advanced Cleansing Rotating Facial Cleansing Brush ($12.50, on sale from $25) and replacement heads ($4, on sales from $8). I mean, if I was rich, I would’ve bought him a Clarisonic like mine – but he can rough it with the Ulta version. Lily was bugging me for some bobbie pins the other day, so I added some of those, too. All Ulta Skin was on sale, so I added a few Single Use Face Masks to my cart ($1.50 each, down from $3) – a Calming Rose Sheet Mask and a Soothing Calamine Mud Mask. I used the Calamine Mask yesterday and it was wonderful. It applied like a regular mud mask, but it didn’t dry down like a normal mud mask – it stayed flexible and felt almost hydrating.
Did I forget to mention a few bottles of Zoya Remove+? My Holy Grail…
No order is complete without a freebie bag. The coolest thing in the bag is the Real Techniques Travel Sponge Case – I’ve just been throwing my Beauty Blender into my makeup bag like a savage! Also in the freebie bag: Sun Bum Revitalizing Dry Shampoo; Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk; OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Dry Shampoo; Vichy Liftactiv Supreme Anti-wrinkle and Firming Correcting Cream; Wunder2 Wunderkiss Essential Lip Scrub; Tweezerman Browmousse (weird); Maybelline MasterPrecise All Day Liquid Liner; L’Oreal Pure-Clay Cleanser Detox-Brighten (m y favorite one); and wet n wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder in “Royal Calyx” (interesting – a blue highlighter).
On top of all the freebies and gifts with purchase, there was that 20% off coupon. I’ve just one or two more orders to get to Platinum status – $64. I’ve also managed to accrue another $33 in points. Diamond Status isn’t out of the question this year…
April 2019 Allure Beauty Box – A Masterful Selection
This month’s Allure Beauty Box is curated by Beauty YouTuber Carli Bybel. I’ll be honest – she is not really in my orbit. I’ve never watched her videos, nor could I pick her out of a lineup. Her selections are fairly generic – she one of those “Copper Eye, Nude Lips” gurus.
I cannot say that I am disappointed though – there’s a lot of value in this month’s box. I’ve been curious about Natasha Denona since I started seeing her $129 palettes at Sephora. No shit – $129 for a 15 pan palette. I received Natasha Denona Mono Shadow in “124k Bronzage” – and I admit, it applies beautifully and is very pigmented.
Also in this month’s box: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in “Pure Hollywood” (a little light for my taste, but it looks pretty good combined with a slightly darker lip liner – I used Kat Von D “Lolita II”); Luxie 231 Small Tapered Blending Brush Rose Gold (I really like Luxie brushes); Laura Geller Inkcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil in “Brown” (looks good combined with the “Bronzage” eye shadow); and Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Creme.
The one product I will NOT be using: Vita Liberata Phenomenal Organic Tan Infused Cloths. Nope.
This month’s box also included a scratch off card with a sneak peek of the brands included in next month’s box: AmorePacific, Laritzy, Lue by Jean Sea, No6, St. Tropez, Laneige and ModelCo.
Oh, and this month’s clutch is CLEAR. They sure do keep me guessing.
The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.
Target Beauty Boxes – April 2019
Two boxes for April – an “Au Naturel Beauty” box, with natural products and an “April Showers” box with rainy day products.
Inside the “Au Naturel Beauty Box”: SheaMoisture African Black Soap Clarifying Facial Wash & Scrub (I like this stuff, even though it smells odd); The Good Stuff Repair Balm (a no-rinse conditioner for hair); Schmidt’s Cedarwood-Juniper Bar Soap (hmmm); Love Beauty & Planet Muru Muru Mask Sachet (oh yeah, I love this scent); Love Beauty & Planet Coconut Water & Mimosa Flower Hand Cream (another scent I love); and Burt’s Bees Enamel Care Mountain Mint Toothpaste. I will try ALL of these, except maybe the conditioner.
The “April Showers” box is far less impressive: TIGI Bed Head After Party Smoothing Cream (a tiny ass little foil pack); Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under-Eye Brightening Hydrogel Patches; Dove Dry Shampoo Volume & Fullness (the lid was cracked); Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste in “Vibrant Peppermint”; Degree for Women Black + White Dry Spray Antiperspirant; and Bliss That’s Incredi-peel (another damn foil pack).
The “Au Naturel Beauty” box is a good value for $7, but the “April Showers” box is kind of a rip-off for that much. As usual, free shipping, 5% off with my Red Card and both came with a $3 off $15 coupon. The weird thing is that one box had a bar code to scan the coupon into the app, but the other box had an old fashioned coupon. So weird. I did not manage to use my coupon last month either, but I have high hopes for this month’s coupons.
Sephora Play! March 2019 – Beauty in Bloom
What a weird ass box from Sephora this month. Why do I need 2 Dry Shampoos? They sent me Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 and Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. Do they think my hair is dirty?
Also in this month’s “Beauty in Bloom” box: NARS Bronzing Powder in “Laguna”; Sephora Collection LashCraft Big Volume Mascara, Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40; and Versace Bright Crystal (one of my little sister’s scents).
The assortment of products seems kind of random, but whatever.
Sephora Play is usually a really good subscription box with high-end products. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
One-Step
I’ve found it. I’ve finally found the single hair tool for a perfect blow-out. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with blow-outs for well over 20 years. Around the time I graduated college, I ended up with a hair cut that necessitated a blow-out with round brush (it may or may not have rhymed with ‘the Bachel’). It happened probably 3 times before I was like ‘FUCK this’. I’ve tried everything from ionic dryers to diffusers, but everything takes too damn long – and makes my hair frizzy. About 10 years ago, I picked up a Conair Wet-to-Dry Styler, which works okay, but again – it take forever. Several years ago, I stepped up to a Revlon Paddle Style Dryer Brush, but there was still something lacking…
…until I tried the Revlon Pro Collection Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer ($59.99). I can literally give myself a salon quality blow-out in about 5 minutes. 5 fucking minutes. I feel like I’ve suffered through decades of bad hair before this tool was invented. Run, don’t walk, to buy this tool. One exception, I give you permission to wait until you get a 20% off coupon like I did.
Oh and pro-tip – definitely use a blow-out spray or primer before you use it. I am using Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer Spray and it protects my hair while making it dry faster.
I also threw in a Revlon Nail Buffer ($3.49) because the 99 cent Diamond Brand ones I bought last time are SHIT. You get what you pay for!
My purchase qualified for a “Skinfatuation” gift with purchase, which included Exuviance Super Retinol Complex; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer; Murad Resurgence Retinol Youth Renewal Serum (fancy); Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum; StriVectin Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer; and Yes to Grapefruit Brightening Vitamin C Glow Boosting Paper Mask. That’s a lot of fucking retinol!
$138 to Platinum. It’s looking like I might have a chance to hit Diamond with Ulta this year, instead of Rouge with Sephora this year…
Target Beauty Box – March 2019
I almost didn’t purchase this month’s box, because of the Love Beauty & Planet Smooth and Serene Argan Oil & Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner – lavender sometimes gives me a headache, but then I remembered that I received them in a Birchbox last year and they were fine.
Also in this month’s “March Into Spring” box: Bliss Rose Gold Rescue Gentle Foaming Cleanser (rose gold everything!); TRESemme Botanique Nourish & Replenish Mask (for hair); Shea Moisture Matcha Green Tea & Probiotics Soothing Toner & Hydrating Mist (I never know what do do with these); and Shea Moisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave-In Treatment (it smells super good). These products are a bit out of my comfort zone, but I am here for it.
This $7 box is heavy, but with a smaller number of products. As usual, free shipping, 5% off with my Red Card and it came with a $3 off $15 coupon. I did not manage to use my coupon last month, but I have high hopes for this month’s coupon.