Haul #2

Hi everyone and welcome back!

So, um, I realized after I posted Sunday's haul, that I totally forgot about the things I bought online.  **head desk**  I figure that I'll count it as a separate haul.

I found an amazing deal on QVC for a kit called the Mally Barely There Beauty A Fresh Face kit. It is currently $47.96 including S&H, but is on 2 Easy payments of $22.48 plus S&H and tax.  You get your choice of color in her Poreless Perfection Foundation (my favorite foundation), Evercolor shadow stick extra in Taupe (can be used as a universal color brow product, contour and eye shadow), volumizing mascara in black, barely bloomed lip crayon (can also be used as a cream blush), foundation brush and makeup bag.  It brings the individual price of each item to about $8.00! That is drugstore pricing!  I'll be reviewing the kit after I get to try it.

I have been using a Coach wristlet for work recently,  Yet, I'm not really sure it is made to take everyday use and I don't want to ruin it.  So, I went on Ebay and purchased two wristlets that were in past Mally kits.  Same wristlet, just different colors.  They also had one that looks to be silver/grey.  I might get that one next time to have the set, lol.

I also ordered on Ebay the Mally Ultimate Performance Foundation.  It was a great deal and from a seller with a high satisfaction rating,  I'm thinking of doing a comparison blog on my different Mally foundations after I test the new ones more.  The Ultimate Performance Foundation gets high reviews on Ulta, 4.1 stars.  

Last, but not least, I ordered the bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in the limited edition shade in Chase Your Dreams.  Now, this isn't currently sold separately.  It is part of the Lovescape eye, cheek and lip trio on QVC, currently selling for $44.82.  It has the lipstick, a READY eye shadow quad, and a READY color boost.  While the eye shadow quad is pretty, I don't need another eye shadow quad in colors that I'm pretty sure are already in my collection.  The color boost didn't draw me in at all.  I was lucky to find the lipstick on Ebay.  I did check and the eye shadow quad wasn't available.  

Haul #1

Hi everyone and welcome back!

Today's post is going to be on the haul I did this weekend.  I did some major damage, not even going to lie.  I paid for everything myself.  On with the haul!  Where to start...

I guess I'll start with the two randoms that I got.  I went to Wegmans (my area's version of Trader Joe's) and got some unrefined coconut oil. I keep hearing about how great it is and how many things I'll be able to do with it beauty-wise.  We'll see...  I also got a Mary Kay lipstick in Rosette.  I love the color and the formula.  This won't be my last lipstick from them.  I'm thinking of doing a review of Mary Kay products in the future.

I went to Ulta to take back the L'oreal Infallible foundation that I purchased.  It was the wrong shade. I didn't purchase the correct shade because I ended up getting another foundation from Mally Beauty. I did get another one of those Tony Moly sheet masks that I hate to love in the I'm Real Makgeolli skin purifying sheet mask,  

Next was my local Weis supermarket,  I got a shower puff, an ELF eye shadow brush (to use when I do my nails, and four Sinful Colors polishes: 953 Unicorn, 1148 Supernova, 1106 Cinderella, and 112 Tokyo Pearl.

Then, I went to Walgreens.  I love Walgreens.  Another You Tuber that I watch,  ItsKeerstin, has been talking about the Walgreens' Revo brand of lip balms that are comparable to EOS but so much better.  So, I decided to try some.  I got two from the Christmas collection: sugar cookie and mint chocolate brownie.  Then, I saw the Valentine's Day collection.  I wasn't going to get any of those until I saw it: strawberry striped cheesecake.  Um, you see the pic,  I got 3. I might end up giving one away.  I needed to get me one and then a back up.  I know me and that one is my favorite,  I got more Sinful Colors polishes:  103 Black on Black, 102 Purple Diamonds, 1540 Rebel Rose, 1306 Starry night and 1592 Gold N Roses.

My next stop was at Pet Smart, to pick up a gift that my friend, Raven, sent to my Nicky.  She got him the pull and play toy, extra packof pull and play treats, the treats that came with the toy, and, not pictured because I clearly wasn't thinking and threw the bag away, a 22 pound bag of Nicky's preferred cat food,  Nicky and I are so thankful and happy that Raven thinks of him! :)

Then there was a break for snow and shoveling.  I made a huge pot of vegetable beef soup as well.  Yum!

Today, I went to Rite Aid.  Right now, they have $2.00 off coupons for Garnier skin care products on a free standing cardboard display.  The coupons are good until the end of March.  This week, they are on sale with the Plenti card and get another $2,00 off.  So, the Garnier micelular water starts off being $8.99, then has the $2.00store sale, bringing it to $6.99.  Use a coupon and it brings it down to $4.99! Which is why I got two.  Ok, I cheated and got one on Friday, used it and loved it so much that I got a back up.  I also bought Minions Valentines for work, A R2D2 pez dispenser (R2D2 and Princess Lea are my favorite Star Wars characters), and a Reeses Egg (Reeses are my favorite candy).    

Next, I went to Bath and Body Works. I managed to restrain myself there and only got 5 PocketBacs and a case.  

Then there was Walmart.  Once again, I was able to restrain myself and only got two things.  My friend, Flory Sparks, has a You Tube channel and has said that she uses baby oil as an after shower moisturizer.  My poor legs have been super dry this winter and I decided to get some to try,  I also got a container for my cottons and some barrettes.

My largest haul by far was at Sally's Beauty Supply.  I decided to get a kit so I can wax my eye brows, upper lip and legs myself.  I purchaed all GiGi products: the wax warmer, instructional DVD, 2 cans of all purpose honey wax, pre-wax powder, wax off, wax applicators, muslin strips and a OPI Hello Kitty limited edition collection polish in Super Cute in Pink,  After I practice, beauty nights at my house are going to be awesome!  :)   

My Furry Friend Tag

So, one of my favorite You Tubers, LittleMissCrista, posted her video of My Furry Friend TAG.  I loved her video so much that I'm doing it as today's blog post.  If you haven't watched her videos, you really need to watch!

What is your pet's name?  His name is officially Nicholas Spencer.  Nicholas after Nick Carter from the Back Street Boys and Spencer from Spencer Smith, who used to be the drummer for Panic! at the Disco.  I'm a geek and I admit it.  He almost was Lance, after Lance Bass. I also considered Trick, short for Patrick Stump.

What kind of pet is it and what breed?  He is a large cat, weighing fifteen pounds.  He is a grey and white tabby.

How long have you had your pet friend?/How old is your pet friend?/How did you get your pet?  I got him on January 9, 2009.  I posted this picture on his first day with me.  So, I've had him for seven years and he'll be eight this year.  He was at least one or two months old when I got him. Thanks, Gavin!  Gavin is the one who brought him to me and convinced me to adopt him.

What are some quirky things about your pet's personality?  Where do I start? Lol!  Like his mom, he has anxiety.  He also is very fussy on who he likes and gives his attention.  Most nights when I get home from work, he's in the kitchen, banging his head against the door, trying to get out to me.  He loves to cuddle by my feet and legs in bed,  I wear socks a lot because he likes to bite my toes.

What does your relationship to your pet mean to you?  Um, everything?  I'm an introvert that can get overwhelmed easily.  I also suffer from anxiety and depression.  He reminds me that I'm loved and not alone.  He gives me unconditional love and support.  I had heart issues during the Summer and I was on bed rest for a month while I took medications to strengthen my heart.  He cuddled with me in that bed almost all day and I got more kisses and snuggles than I could even tell you.  He helped me not to be so scared and to keep a more positive attitude.

What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?  I love our cuddle sessions and petting him. My friend, Raven, recently sent a laser pointer to him.  We love playing with it!  He understands that I'm controlling it, but not that it is just a light.  I talk to him all of the time, sometimes dancing around with him.   He knows things that no one else knows.

What are nicknames that you call your pet?  Nicky, Nickelodeon, boyfriend, Nicodemus, and bat cat are the most common names that I call him.

If you have a You Tube or Blog, I tag you! :)  Thank you for reading and helping me celebrate my Nicky!

My Favorite and Most Used Two Sedona Lace Brushes

Hi Everyone and welcome back!

Today we're going to talk about my favorite and most used two Sedona Lace Brushes.  While I have lots of brushes, the brand I have the most of is Sedona Lace.  I love the quality, softness, durability and performance that their brushes give me.  Eventually, I will review all of the Sedona Lace brushes that I own.  

Yes, I do love the Wayne Goss brushes, but I've only recently started to purchase them and I see myself focusing on his eye brushes.  I also love my IT Cosmetics brushes as well, but my Sedona Lace brushes hold a very special place in my brush-loving heart.  Give me time and there will be reviews for the Wayne Goss brushes that I have and also the IT Cosmetics ones.  The last time I washed them, I counted all of my brushes and I have about eighty right now...  Yes, I know I have a problem, lol.

My favorite eye brush from Sedona Lace is the 773 Synthetic Small Angle Brush.  It sells separately for $16.95 or as part of the Se7ven Midnight Lace Synthetic Brush set for $69.95.  I originally purchased it as part of the kit, but then, after I fell in love with the brush, I purchased a separate one. 

I love this brush for one shadow looks and also for blending.  It just seems to help me to bring the shadow up just far enough on my hooded eye lids so that it can be seen, but not too far.  Whenever I use this brush, I always get complements.

My absolute favorite Sedona Lace brush is the 480 Synthetic Round Top brush that sells separately for $18.95 or as part of the Midnight Synthetic Brush set for $59.95.  They also offer different color choices in their Celestial Tides (blue), Mellow Mint (green) and Aurora (orange) Synthetic Brush sets for $59.95.  

The 480 is my favorite brush in my collection.  I use this with both my powder, liquid and cream foundations.  It blends and buffs all of my foundations perfectly and everything looks seamless and gorgeous.  The brush is both soft and dense, which works well for me.  I have other brushes that are similar, but this one is the one that I always come back to, no matter what I try.  I have two of them, so that I can use both liquid/cream and powder foundations without having to clean the brush between the formulas.  

All photo credit goes to Sedona Lace and the brushes can be purchased at  www.sedonalace.com.  Sedona Lace often does sales and so has free shipping within the USA on orders over $50.00 using the code 50FREE.  I was not given brushes for review, get anything for referrals, purchases, or given a code for the free shipping.  The code is on their website, near the top of the page.  They don't have any idea who I am or that I'm even reviewing products.  :)

My Sunday Mally Makeup Look

Hi everyone and welcome back!

I usually don't wear make up at all on the weekends, unless I'm going somewhere.  I'm perfectly happy to be around the house in my lip balm and comfy clothes.  Unfortunately, I needed to run to the mall to return a pair of pants.  So, I decided to do a test of some of the new Mally Beauty makeup that I recently purchased.

I love QVC and for years, Mally Beauty was only available there.  In the past year, she has taken her makeup line, which is currently being repackaged, to Ulta.  Still, the best values are at QVC through her awesome kits.  Recently, I purchased her 5 piece Brightening and Beyond kit, which comes with: your choice of color of her Face Defender BB Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15, light wand eye brightener, 24/7 Illuminating blush in lighter or deeper (depending on your BB color choice), foundation brush and double ended brush.  It is selling for $58.00 including shipping and handling. The value alone is amazing.  If purchased separately on QVC, it would cost $108.00 including shipping and handling.  Even if you know that not everything will work for you, you can give the things that won't work as gifts or sell them on ebay.

I was truly surprised with the coverage I got from that BB foundation.  Lots of brands have claims that their BB and CC creams can be built up, but the only other one that I've tried that lives up to the claims like Mally's is the IT Cosmetics full coverage physical SPF 50 CC Cream.  I also used the blush from the kit.  I topped everything off with a very light layer of the Mally's Poreless Perfection Glowing foundation.  I wore a coat of Mally's Instant Impact mascara and I had on her Brownstone eye shadow on my eyelids. I made it an all Mally day by using her lip magnifier in Nude Rose.

I can't even begin to tell you how impressed I am with the BB foundation.  It was really not fair to test it today, because I have a cold and have been blowing my nose all day.  Yet, even through all of that, it held up very well.  It did wear off around the bottom sides of my nose, but not as bad as I thought it would.  That BB foundation holds 1.8 ounces.  Normal foundations are 1 ounce.  I'm looking forward to testing this more, but it passed today with flying colors.  The BB foundation and brush sell together on QVC for $48.00 including shipping and handling, so you can see that for $10.00 more, the kit is worth it,  

The blush held up and still looked good at about 9pm.   I had put everything on at 3pm.

The lip magnifier is very hydrating.  The shine does wear off, leaving the color.  I'd say that it wears for about 4 hours before starting to fade a bit, but that is fine.  I'll be doing a separate review on this and the colors that I own in another blog.

The mascara worked as expected for me.  I'm still learning, but I do like it.  It makes my short and stubby eyelashes visible, which is all I can ask for when using one coat.  I just didn't feel up to playing with it too much.  I'll also be doing a separate review on the mascara, once I've gotten used to it and what it can do.

I was a bad blogger and forgot to take my end of the day picture.  I didn't even think of it until I was getting ready to write this. um, oops?  

I guess I need to start taking my pics without my glasses on to avoid the glare.  Thank you for sticking with me in these early days!  Any selfie tips would be appreciated, too!  

4 Quick Reviews

Hi and welcome back!

Last night, I was sick of the snow that I had to drive home in on Tuesday.  I felt grouchy and I decided to pamper myself. My skin, even though it is combo-oily, hates winter.  It can get tight, red, and dry.

I recently picked up a Tony Moly Sheet mask at Ulta for $3.75.  It was the Tony Moly I'm real Makgeoli skin purifying sheet mask.  Makgeoli is a Korean rice wine.  It also claims to be be filled with aloe extract and and an enriched water-based essence that yields maximum hydration with moisturizing effects for your skin, as per ulta.com.  It probably has it written on the packaging, but I can't read or speak Korean, which is what the majority of the package has on it.

This was my first time trying a sheet mask and as far as texture and the sheet eing on my face, it was weird.  I didn't like that part.  The masks in tubes and tubs are much better for me.  I do have to admit, that my face and everywhere that I rubbed the extra serum feels extremely soft, moisturized and hydrated.  So, for me, it was worth the money and I will buy it again, mainly for the Winter months when the air hurts my face...

One of my friends, Flory Sparks (her You Tube channel is great), has gotten me curious about nail polish and stamping.  I've gotten several nail polishes to try and, while I was masking, I decided to polish my nails. Now, my nails are very short, so polishing them is currently a challenge.  I decided to use two different polishes: Sinful Colors #323 Feeling Great and OPI Hello Kitty Limited Edition collection in starry-eyed for dear Daniel.  I did 2 coats of each color and then used the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry top coat.  While my technique needs work, I think they came out fine. The colors are gorgeous.  I'll have to let you know later how the wear time was, but my first impression is very good!  The Sinful Colors polishes run $1.99 at Walgreens, where I bought it.  I purchased both the OPI polish for $9.50 and the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry top coat for $5.99 at Ulta.

Ways to save money while responsibly building your makeup collection and other tips

Hi and welcome back!

Today, I'm going to go over some tips, tricks and ideas on how to responsibly build your makeup collection while saving money.  Nothing is new or earth shattering, but it can be nice to have everything in one place.

Let's start with Ebates.  Ebates is a website that, once you register there, will give a certain percentage back to you off of purchases to participating websites, as long as you remember to go to Ebates first. There is also a new cash back button feature that you can press when you get to the website and it will activate the cash back bonus available for that website.  I was on the Ulta.com website, which is a participating partner with Ebates.  All I did was clock on my Ebates cash back button and it opened up a ticket for my savings and then the Ulta website came back, saying I was now going to earn 3% on this order from Ulta.  Now, I know it sounds too good to be true.  There isn't a membership fee or anything else.  At the end of every three months, they will send you a check or put it on your Paypal account.  It really is that easy.  I'm including my Ebates referral link, in case you want to register, but you don't have to use it.  You can always just go to www.ebates,com. If you do use my link, I get a bonus for referring you.

Now that you have Ebates, let's shop!  One of the best things that you can do is to check out both QVC.com and HSN.com.  They often run special kits and easy payments, which break down the total price and shipping into 3 or 4 monthly payments.

For example, Mally Beauty currently has a set called Mally 5 piece BB brightening and beyond collection.  It includes: your choice of color of her Face Defender BB Cream Foundation in SPF 15 (fair, light, medium, tan or rich), 24/7 illuminating blush in lighter or deeper (it is chosen for you depending on the color choice of foundation), a light wand eye brightener, a double ended brush and a foundation brush.  The total cost for this kit, including shipping, is currently $61.00.  If you purchased everything separately, it would be $105.00.  The Face Defender BB Cream Foundation with the brush is $48.00 on QVC.com and Mallybeauty,com.  On Ulta.com, the Face Defender BB Cream Foundation by itself is $40,00.

Most times, both QVC and HSN will give the brand's brush with the product.  IT Cosmetics offers the product both with and without the brush, but the price difference is usually so small, that it is worth it to pay the extra to get the brush as well.  I love the IT Cosmetics brushes and have gotten most of them with products on QVC,  Here's another example:  IT Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Illumination alone is $38.00, with shipping.  If you get it with the brush, it is $46.50.  The brush alone is $39.50. These prices reflect the $3.00 shipping price per item on QVC.com.

HSN also has great deals and easy pay,  Today, I found a great deal for one of my friends there.  Right now, the new Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette with Glamour guide is $49.00, but you can also get it on FlexPay for three payments of $16.33 a month plus tax, with FREE shipping.

Another thing to consider, is that QVC and HSN have some of the hottest makeup brands out today, many are giving exclusive kits and deals.  Some of the popular brands they feature are: Too Faced, IT Cosmetics, BECCA, Smashbox, Trish McEvoy, Serious Skincare, Lancome, bareMinerals, Tarte, WEN, Clarisonic, First Aid Beauty, Julep, and many others.

Another stop on the list are staples for most people,  I'm talking about Sephora and Ulta.  Both companies have programs for their customers that spend certain amounts in a year.  They both also have very different reward systems. Membership is free in both reward programs.

Sephora starts all of their shoppers at the Beauty Insider status.  At this status, you qualify for a birthday gift, free beauty classes, product rewards and seasonal promotions.  If you spend $350.00 in a calendar year, you become a Very Important Beauty Insider.  This gives you all of the beauty insider benefits, first dibs on new products, seasonal VIB-only gifts, advanced access to sales and private VIB-only shopping events.  If someone spends over $1,000.00 a year, they become VIB Rouge, VIB Rouge is their top level and provides: all benefits of both BI and VIB, free two day flash shipping on all orders within the US, unlimited access to the beauty studio, exclusive Rouge events and special gifts.

Sephora has a points-based system that gives you 1 point for every dollar spent on merchandise.  Gift cards, egift certificates, and tax/shipping are not eligible for points.  Once you've earned those points, you can redeem them for 100 points deluxe samples, 250 points limited edition obsessions and 500 points curated product sets. Points don't expire, so they can be built up.

Ulta has what they call their Ultamate Rewards program.  Members get 1 point for every dollar they spend and have the following benefits: earn points for each purchase and salon service in-store or on Ulta,com, redeem points as soon as you have 100 towards any item in-store or on Ulta.com, receive member-exclusive magazine up to fifteen times a year, receive member-exclusive offers worth up to $75.00 a year, earn points faster with special bonus-points offers, member-exclusive events, free birthday gift and earn double points for all purchases made during your birthday month. Once you spend $450.00 in a year, you become a platinum member. Platinum members get 1.25 points for every dollar they spend, receive all of the member benefits, and get an extra birthday gift.  Points do expire a year and one quarter after they are earned, but can be easily tracked on Ulta.com/rewards, on your receipt and in your email statement.

I will be honest and tell you that, since Ulta redid their points program, I shop more at Ulta than Sephora.  While I appreciate being able to get up to three samples, including perfumes, in a visit, exchanging points for deluxe-size samples just isn't as appealing to me as being able to exchange my points for money off of my purchase.  What I end up doing is going to Ulta for everything that I can that they carry,  The rest of the products that I want, I go to Sephora for or make an order at Sephora.com.

Now, on to the other tips that I have for you!

I keep current with sales and reviews mainly through two blogs: Nouveau Cheap and Musings of a Muse.  I also belong to the What's up in makeup facebook group and app.  I watch many different You Tube channels, but my favorites are: emilynoel83, Flory Sparks, Robin's Cup of Tea, Jen Luv's Reviews, LittleMissChrista, LipglossLeslie, Melissa Parada, Kalei Lagunero, Stephanie Walt, and TotalMakeupJunkie101.  I have more in my subscription list, but these are the ones that I have email notifications for, because I want to know that they've updated asap.

One last resource that I've found extremely helpful is findation.com.  All you need to do is put in the brand, name, and color name of up to three of your foundations and the website will give you a huge list of all of the shade names that you'd be closest to in many different brands and formulas.

Please keep in mind that this is just some suggestions based on what works for me.  I hope that, if you decide to try any of these, that they work for you as well!  **hugs** Until next time, my friends!