Showing posts with label nail polish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nail polish. Show all posts

Friday, December 13, 2013

Ulta Under $30 Holiday Gift Guide


The countdown officially begins and we now have less than two weeks before Christmas (is it just me or does December 1st seem like it was just yesterday?) but, if you're anything like myself, you're still in the midst of holiday hubbub and shopping. We all know that sometimes curve balls can be thrown our way so what happens when you've picked out the ultimate gift for someone and it sells out? Or maybe you just have that one person in your life that is almost impossible to shop for, yet you want to give them more than a gift card? While gift cards are wonderful and they are the safest route, I'm sure we all enjoy personally picking out gifts and watching our loved ones faces light up.

To ease the mountain of stress that is holiday shopping, I've created two gift guides (Ulta & Sephora) for the beauty lover in your giftee (and yourself!). My goal was to not only provide a list that was wallet friendly but to also find products that provided a lot of options and that's why 90% of this list are sets, that way not only does this usually mean greater savings but this way, your giftee is bound to find something that they love.

As always, before giving any gifts, especially food items, make sure that the person receiving your present isn't allergic to certain ingredients. We all want to surprise our loved ones but not at the cost of a hospital visit, when in doubt, always ask!

Keep in mind that A LOT of the items on this list are on sale right now but I've listed the non sale prices.


Ulta $5.00 off $10.00 coupon
(Valid now until December 24th)

Happy gift hunting!



Real Techniques Brush Sets
$17.99 - $19.99

Smashbox Wondervision Travel Brush Set
$19.00

Japonesque Complexion Trio
$25.00

Stila Tools Of The Trade
$28.00


The Body Shop Perfumes
$12.00 - $22.00

Philosophy Mini Purse Sprays
$15.00 ea.

Clinique Mini's
$15.00 - $30.00

Calvin Klein Mini's
$17.00 - $20.00

Coach Rollerballs
$22.00 - $25.00

Estee Lauder Mini's
$24.00 - $30.00

Dolce & Gabbana Rollerballs
$25.00 - $27.00




NYX Love In Rio Eyeshadow Trio
$5.99

NYX Love In Paris Eyeshadow Palette
$9.99

NYX Enchanted Kiss Butter Gloss Set
$9.99

Ahava Bright & Merry
$10.00

BareMinerals 4 Pc Gift For Lips & Eyes
$10.00





Ulta 13 Piece Makeup Bag
$12.99

Stila Portrait Of A Perfect Cheek
$16.00

Stila Portrait Of A Perfect Lip
$16.00

Urban Decay Travel Trio
$19.00

Smashbox Try It Kit
$19.00

Tarte Thoughtful Treasures Best Sellers Kit
$19.00

NYX Haute Jersey Leopard Couture Palette
$19.99

Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings
$20.00

Ulta Fabulous Favorites Collection
$20.00

BareMinerals Smokey & Sultry
$20.00

Smashbox Wondervision Lip Gloss Set
$24.00

Lorac Rockin Red Hot Mini Lip Gloss Collection
$24.00

Ulta Just In Case Blockbuster
$24.99

NYX Butt Naked Eye Color Kit
$24.99

Urban Decay Naked Basics
$27.00

Benefit The Sizzlin Six
$27.00

NYX Makeup Artist Kit
$29.99

Ulta Get Ready For The Party Color Collection

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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Birchbox March

Hey lovelies! It's Birchbox time again and I'm proud to say that they have seemed to really step it up with the sample sizes this month (let's hope it stays that way!) While I didn't get the box that I was coveting, I did receive some nice samples. I received box 11 which included:
The largest item in my box this month was the Serge Normant dry shampoo. If you've been reading my blog for awhile then you know that I have extremely dry hair naturally so, a dry shampoo is one product that I've never needed but, I hate to let a product go to waste. Since most dry shampoos (including this one) are marketed as volumizing sprays, I figured that would be my way to get use out of this product. Unfortunately, my first attempt resulting in me actually having to wash my hair! Spraying this directly onto my hair turned it completely white, chalky and sticky but I still wanted to find some way to be able to use this and I did. I spray a tiny bit onto my comb and work it through my roots that way, I prefer this method because it gives me more control and allows me to concentrate the spray where my hair needs it most. One to two sprays is sufficient for my hair. Even though I found a way to make this work, the only thing that I really like about this spray is the scent; it's light and perfumey with just a hint of musk, much better than the usual hair spray smell to me. There was a lot of trial and error involved in using this because the formula isn't very good, it's powdery, heavy and using too much will quickly end up making your hair look and feel horrible (I learned the hard way). Would I purchase this? Definitely not, I just don't have a need for a dry shampoo and this spray is far from the greatest but, I'm glad that I'm able to make use out of this sample until it runs out. Full price: $25 // 4.5oz


Honestly, I didn't have high hopes for a shave cream because I usually just buy the $4 cans of Skintimate and call it a day, I mean how great could a shave cream really be? Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let this product go to waste. The cream has a pretty interesting scent, in the tube it reminds me of grape candy rather than anything blueberry but, once on my skin that's when the scent became very unpleasant. I know smells can change drastically depending on ones body chemistry and well...my chemistry turned this "blueberry" into BUTTER! That's right, it smelled like butter once on my skin. Now, I like butter as much as the next person but, I'd rather not smell like it; thankfully once washed away the smell didn't linger. As far as performance, I did like how sheer the cream was, it allowed me to see exactly what I was doing instead of blindly shaving beneath mounds of foam. Another pro was that it left my skin feeling extremely soft and smooth; definitely one of the closest shaves my legs have ever seen. While I still don't think that this or any other shaving cream is worth the price, it is a really nice product and if it were to go on sale I would definitely purchase it; until then I'm content with using drugstore shaving products. Full price: $20 // 150ml

Next up is the Caldrea body lotion, I received three packets with a pretty good amount in each packet. My skin has never been super dry or crying out for moisture but I do need to moisturize well and honestly, this lotion did absolutely nothing for my skin. Although the scents were pleasant (not great but pleasant), the formula of the lotion is extremely light, watery and not the least bit hydrating; five minutes after applying, my skin felt as if I had honestly used nothing. I don't expect body butter type hydration from a simple body lotion but I do expect for the lotion to not just completely disappear! This would be better suited as a simple hand lotion rather than full body and for the price, there are MUCH better alternatives. Full price: $22 // 8oz

I can't believe that I have never tried nail polish strips until now! I've heard nothing but great things about Incoco and so this was the item that I was looking forward to receiving. I was hesitant about using them since I have NEVER been good at using peel and stick type items. I'm so glad that I received these because I am in love! The directions were clear and these were super simple to use, I had all ten fingers done in less than 10 minutes. Incoco claims that these will last up to 14 days, I have my doubts that they will last that long but, I will update this post when they do start to wear away. Would I purchase these? Absolutely! I'm already planning on cashing in my points to pick up a few packs as we speak. Full price: $9-$11 (depending on the design) // 16 strips per pack

Is it bad that my second favorite item in the box is the emery board? That's bad right? Well bad or not, I've really taken a liking to this ultra simple item. I've never used a nail file that cost over $1 and honestly, that's most likely why I no longer have them because they constantly broke in half. I'm not saying the Madewell version won't eventually because it's still a typical emery board but it does feel quite sturdy and the little plastic sleeve keeps it from bending in your purse. As far as performance, it shaped my nails quickly, effectively and worked perfectly with my new nail strips! Now, would I purchase a $5 emery board?  Most likely no but, it is a really nice nail file and I must admit that I adore the floral print.

Overall, I thought that I was really, REALLY going to dislike this box but the nail strips, emery board and shave cream redeemed it for me; the nail strips alone paid for the box and so everything else were nice little extras. I enjoyed 3 out of the 5 items in the box and that is great in my book. Happy Birchbox-ing lovelies!

Much love & Looking forward to April!

Update! This is now day 8 and my nail strips are still going strong! Only minor chipping involved



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Saturday, January 5, 2013

Butter LONDON "Blowing Raspberries"

Lately I've got it into my head that there is nothing better to do in the morning but take a nice long warm shower, put on a big fluffy robe and polish my nails while sipping coffee. The rest of the house is sleeping in and I just get to relax.

Perfection.

Getting better with clean-up!
Well..that's the way it goes in my head anyways. My mornings usually involve me running around like a bat out of hell, snatching on clothing and throwing charcoal and books into my backpack before I run out of the door to my classes. One can dream I suppose. On this day I finally got around to being able to change my polish. I picked up this polish awhile ago after coveting it ever since I saw someone on youtube wearing it. I hate to sound like a broken record when I say something is my favorite but this is absolutely one of my favorite polishes now. It is the perfect mix of pink and red and can look completely different depending on the lighting, I've seen it look almost cherry red and then a plumy maroon in the same day. I also fell in love with the name, it's so cute and somehow fits perfectly.

For those that are not familiar with the Butter London brand, they pride themselves on being a "3 free" lacquer company. This means that all of their polishes are formulated without DBP, Formaldehyde or Toluene. Which is great because it's better and healthier for both you and the environment.

This polish goes on very smoothly and is completely opaque with one coat, I didn't even bother with applying a second. This polish works best if you prep your nails first. When I used this without prepping my nails, the polish did not apply as smoothly and I noticed A LOT more tip wear and chipping. I wore this polish for almost an entire week before having to change it, one of the longest wearing of my entire collection. One gripe that I do have with this polish is that it can turn dull very quickly. If you don't apply a top coat, this polish will lose most of it's shine in a matter of hours. I know that isn't a deal breaker or anything because we're all pretty much going to use a top coat but, it's just something that I noticed. Also, if you're not used to handling polishes with a shorter handle, this might take a little bit of getting used to. The brush itself is pretty much the same length as other polishes, only the handle is much shorter.

Overall, I'm REALLY REALLY loving this polish but, I don't think it's outstanding or necessarily unique enough to carry the hefty $14 price tag. I do think that the polish is great and I love that the brand is 3 free but, Butter London as a whole is not a brand that I will buy if it's not on sale.

You can check out Butter London here and here

Full price is $14//0.4 oz of product

Much love xo
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