A foamy delight

Origins Checks and Balances

Foamy face wash

If you crave a foamy lather as one of your requirements for a facial cleanser, then look no further.  This Origins product cleans thoroughly without that stripped-of-oils drying feeling.  I absolutely love it and I got it for free when I placed my latest web order!  Full-size as well!  The first time I used the cleanser I used about 3/4 of a dime sized amount.  Way too much!  You only need less than a half dime size.  So at $18.50 for 5 fl. oz, this squeeze tube is going to last forever.

I love that the second ingredient behind water is lavender flower.  I absolutely love lavender.  The scent is not over powering however.  It also has spearmint, chamomile, geranium, bergamot and lavender oil.

And of course it's formulated without parabans, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, PABA, petrolatum, paraffin, DEA, synthetic color, synthetic fragrance or animal products.

Total winner.

Fun with Coupons

So I went shopping...  Not specifically for beauty related products since I am still trying to finish up 100 of them during my challenge but these deals were too good to pass up.  So I'm really into coupons, but I'm not super organized yet.  You can say I have a lot going on around here...  But I occasionally get my act together to save big. 

So at Rite Aid, Wet & Wild was BOGO.  I noticed that there was a $5 off $10 purchase in the September All You Magazine.  I had previously cut it out.  I have never tried Wet & Wild in the past.  Every once in a while I check http://www.riteaid.com/ and look for coupons.  You can also watch these video values, which are 30 seconds to 2 minutes long that qualify you for point and when you rack up 20 points, you get a coupon for $4 off $20 purchase.  I also had found one for $2 off $6 Wet & Wild purchase.

I went through the Rite Aid weekly circular, cut out the things I wanted based on the coupons that I had.  Put everything in an envelope and away I went!  This is what I grabbed:

I was going to grab some Wet & Wild foundation but I just have this stack of foundations that I need to use up so I wanted to be a little practical.  The Wet & Wild stuff includes the following:

2 eyeliners, $2.99

eye marker, $3.99

eyelash plumper mascara, $3.99 (but free with the BOGO)

2 nail polishes, 99 cents

So the total price for these items with the BOGO offer was $7.97.  I had the $5 off $10 purchase and $2 off $6 purchase, bringing the Wet & Wild price down to 97 cents!

Then I had a $2 coupon off of the Revlon lipstick which was on sale, bringing it down to $3.99 and I had a coupon for $1 off the Nivea and Rite Aid was offering a $1 up reward and a rebate so I got that for free! 

Out of pocket for these items, I spent roughly $4.96 and of course tax.  I bought other items as well, diapers for 2 $2 up rewards and Pantene Shampoo.  Pantene Nature Fusion was on sale for $3.50.  They were offering a $1 up reward for the purchase.  So I bought 2 and had a coupon bringing the total for the shampoo and conditioner to 2 for $3.50 or $1.75 a piece.

So as I am walking around Rite-Aid I spot a deal and it is a $10 up reward for a $20 Nexxus purchase.  So I have never tried Nexxus products before or it has been a long while.  I remember that when a sample came a while back, it came with a $3 coupon.  I go home to get it.  It was still attached to the sample!  Later on I return to Rite-Aid.  As I am walking in I see this...

The shampoo and conditioner on the left are BOGO $15.99.  Okay so now I need to find something for roughly $5.  I head to the back of the store to the other Nexxus products.  No luck on that but I'm curious about the leave-in treatment on the right since winter is swiftly approaching and I get wicked static.  The total for these 3 items comes up to $27.98.  (well actually it came up to $30.98 b/c the BOGO shampoo and conditioner rang up $18.99.  I pointed it out to the cashier that it was marked on the shelf at $15.99, they took the $3 off).  I had $7 in up Rewards from my previous Rite-Aid shopping excursion and a $3 coupon.  That brought my total down to $17.98.  Then when the receipt printed, I got my $10 up Reward good for another purchase!  3 Nexxus prodcuts for $7.98 is a pretty good deal people!

Now on to CVS.  I am loving L'Oreal Studio Professional Magic Perfecting Base.  It controls the shine all day for me in over 90 degree heat and crazy humidity that we had at the end of the summer.  I even use it as an eyelid primer.  I've never tried Urban Decay's but the L'Oreal works great for me.  It is juut amazisg stuff as far as I am concerned but it comes in this tiny glass jar.  So I needed more of course. 

I had $10 Extra Care Bucks sitting in my wallet from another purchase.  Also when you walk into a CVS look for the red coupon machine right in front.  Scan your card and more coupons will pop out!  The coupon machine spit out a bunch of crap but one was a $4 off Lumene purchase.  I really like the line, but it can be a bit pricey so I only purchase on-sale.  I found some make-up remover wipes for BOGO 1/2 off.  I'm obsessed with make-up remover wipes right now!  So I grab 2 packages, one for $2.99, the other for 1/2 off so $1.49, total $4.48.  I have the $4 coupon so the total for these items are 48 cents.  Not bad.  I walk over to the L'Oreal section and grab the base.  Up to the register with my $14 in coupons and my total is $3.47 plus tax of course for the 3 items.

It really doesn't take a lot of time to get organized, look though the Sunday circulars and pick out your products and coupons.  The thing is, when you get a deal and receive Extra Care Bucks and up Rewards, you need to remember to use them!  A couple years ago, I never paid attention to the coupons that printed out at the end of my receipts.  Now I specifically shop for them so I can use them on other purchases.

Yesterday I saved $74.95.  I spent around $30 for everything including 2 packages of diapers.  Now one could argue, "Hmm, but you wouldn't have purchased some these items without coupons so in fact, you could have saved that money."  Sure one could argue that.  But when you are getting 5 products for under a $1 and quality Nexxus products for roughly $2.66 a piece when they are normally $12 or $18 a piece, how can you pass that up?

So my advice is to cut out your coupons, get your Rite Aid Wellness and CVS Extra Care Bucks cards and rack up the savings on beauty products.  It take a little leg work but the benefits can be huge!

ANEW Youth-Awakening

This is AVON's ANEW Youth-Awakening Eyeshadow & Primer Kit in Smokey Violet.

So I didn't like this. Pretty colors but the consistanty of the eyeshadow is very chalky and not pigmented enough.  I really caked it on to see the color.  After application, the color is more a plum than the violet that it appears to be.  I also wish that the primer was a little thicker to allow for the shadow to stick more efficiently.  You have to allow it time to absorb/dry.  Now that I think about it, since I tried them together, maybe I need to use the eyeshadow alone or with a different primer.  Maybe it is the primer that ruins the eyeshadow.  It's a nice concept however, but it just does not work for me.

Love Origins!

I just love how they take the time to carefully package everything.  It's just not tossed in a box and shipped off.

So I've had these products for a bit and I'm not ready to review them yet.  Origins was running a special about a month ago.  Free shipping, a free full-size Cheeks and Balances Frothy Face Wash and free sample with any purchase.  I couldn't help myself because I knew that the Frothy Face Wash is $18.50 on it's own!  My order came to $10.

After searching the website, I came across Sensory Therapy on-the-spot relief.  Intrigued I read the description:

Origins original stress-buster. When the world closes in on you and your head feels a size too small, apply just two dabs and you'll feel a tingling sensation as pressure, tension and tightness begin to melt away.


This is definitely something I need in my life right now!  I did just put dabs on my temples and earlobes and it has a peppermint smell and a super cooling sensation.  Perfect for a nasty headache.  I'm not feeling particularly stressed right now, nor do I have a headache so I will wait to give a proper review!

SNOTD

I absolutely love this color but hate the formula.  It's way too runny.  I think I have 3 or 4 coats on and of course I forgot a base coat so my nails will be stained for sure.  This is Revlon 799 Plum Night.  Great color though and I will continue to use it though it is quite frustrating waiting for 4 coats of polish to dry.  You literally have to wait half a day even with my AVON liquid freeze.  Unless you are super careful but I tend to rough up my nails very quickly.  I can never sit still.  After painting my nails I'll go out into the garden and start weedding or something absolutely silly like that!

What a fun cleanser!

So back to my Yves Rocher Haul...  I ordered Pure Calmille 2-in-1 Cleanser + Tonor. 

It was of course on-sale when I bought it.  The product retails for $11.  It comes in a staggering 10.1 fl.oz. bottle.  It's a huge bottle for a cleanser.  When I first used it, I really didn't like it.  The formula is thin, it didn't lather...  It cleaned my face however because I would follow up with a tonor even though there is one built in. I know, total silliness. 

So while in the shower one day, waiting for my hair conditioner to soak in, I read the directions!  I know.  More silliness.  The directions indicated that I was to use a "cotton wool pad" to apply the product to the skin and that it didn't need rinsing.  What?  For some reason that made no sense to me until last night.  Sure enough, when you follow the directions, it is the perfect cleanser.  I ended up using 3 cotton balls.  My make-up just melted off.  It was amazing.  It even did a great job at removing my eyemake-up.  Not so much my mascara but what a great cleanser.  Non-drying, your face feels fresh, clean and super soft.  I did rinse just a little though...  Some habits are hard to break! 

I absolutely love this stuff.

My solution to tangle free hair

Ever since I was little, I have been plaqued with tangles.  I used to load up on conditioner just to run a comb or a brush through my hair and of course greasy hair ensued.  In college I discovered a product by Pantene that helped.  I forget the name of it.  I think it was a smoother spray to use while blow drying but I used it while my hair was wet.  It still made my hair super greasy the next day and even later in the evening.  Not flattering.  These were the days before dry shampoo mind you.  I'm not super old, but if dry shampoo was available in the mid to late 90's, I didn't know about it and it was unobtainable on a college budget.

My hair is hardly coarse, but it is thick, I have a ton of it.  So I guess you could say it has a fine texture but it is thick in the respect that I have a lot of hair.  Well my daughter now has very similar hair.  It was super fine for her first couple of years and now it still has the fine texture but she has a lot of it.  And thus, the tangles have begun and the tears when I try to get a brush through it. 

Well we have been using Phytum Hair Care Nutrition Replenshing Shampoo and Conditioner for a bit now and we love it.  I ordered it on-sale of course from Yves Rocher.  I bought it for I swear $3.  The original price was $9.  I see now that it is BOGO.  I also shopped through ebates and got 9% back from my order and had a 30% coupon code and free shipping so it was totally worth ordering from the site at that time. 

My daughter had wicked swimmer's hair at the time and getting a brush through her locks was nearly impossible.  After 1 wash, this shampoo and conditioner smoothed out her hair considerably and after 3 washes, her hair was back to normal.  Before using this shampoo, I was considering a drastic hair cut.   I'm glad I found this shampoo. 

I alternate between this shampoo and John Frieda Sheer Blonde Color Renew.  The Phytum Nutrition does have a scent to it.  I have no idea how to describe it.  It's not obnoxious but the first time my husband used it, he mentioned it and wondered where the shampoo came from.  Not exactly a negative, but he never notices things like that.  It contains Jojoba seed oil and carrageenan.  According to wikipedia, carrageenan is a type of seaweed.  After a little research, I found out more from here:

Hand Lotions and Shampoos



It has been known for centuries that fishermen who handle Irish moss tend to have soft skin. This folklore led scientists to discover that carrageenan interacts with human carotene to give soft skin and silky hair. In hand lotions and shampoos, carrageenan not only thickens the product but also promotes healthy skin and hair. In addition, carrageenan is a natural product and can be incorporated into formulations which rely on natural ingredients for their promotion.
 
It's always a good idea to find out what you are lathering on to your body!

Neutrogena Healthy Skin glow sheers

I should have purchased this at the beginning of the summer!  With an SPF of 30, it would have been perfect for those summer sun rays.  This is the perfect foundation for the beach or on vacation.  You want a little cover with no fuss.  It is super sheer and moisturizing.  This product gives you the no make-up look which I like.

I should also stress the importance of using SPF year round.  Though it's cold, the sun rays can and still do damage.   And the more I think about it, this is the perfect foundation for the winter. It truly gives a nice glow. If you get even more pastey white in the winter like me, this will give you the subtle glow within color.

I tried out the Ivory to Fair.

See the nice healthy glow it gives to the skin?  Upon closer inspection, you can see tiny sparkles. Nothing like Twilight or even Revlon Photo Ready, it's very subtle.

A little concealer, blusher, and e.l.f. HD powder and you have complexion perfection! 

And I hope you all have the e.l.f. High Definition Powder.  If not you need to get it.  I noticed that my Target had a ton of e.l.f., right next to Neutrogena, all for $3.  I didn't see the HD powder though.  e.l.f. constantly has sales so if you can get one with free shipping, do it! 

My first Milani purchase

Of course I had a coupon and Milani was on-sale at CVS BOGO 50% so I snatched up a couple things.  Infinite Liquid Eyeliner up to 24 hour wear in 02 Endless.  I also grabbed Runway Eyes in 02 Black Out.

Black out seems to be less shimmery on than in its case.  Which works for me.  It's great for a liner or a smokey eye.

The liquid eyeliner has incredible staying power.  It's waterproof and it doesn't budge. I cannot for the life of me wash it off my wrist after swatching!  The formula is a tad bit thick.  I'm trying to work with it and it's been a bit messy.  But I will try harder because I love the purple color!  It looks great on if you don't make a total mess.  You definitely need a make-up remover for this product.  Soap and water or even cleanser can't touch it! 

I had the Crystal Eyez Sparkling Eyeshadow in my hand but then put it back.  If I come across another Milani coupon or hit up a CVS sale, I will be back for those.  Love to sparkle!

I really went into CVS for the luminous blusher which I've been trying to get my hands on for ages now!  I never seem to be able to find it.  Sure I can order it on-line but I really like those free shipping codes!

e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadows Part Duece

Here are the other five! 

Top:  Golden

2nd:  Trendy

3rd:  Elegant

4th:  Earthy

Bottom:  Innocent (matte)

Elegant has been my favorite for a while now.  When I just don't have time to create a look I just grab elegant and a black kohl liner and that's it.  It's a fun, classic look and it takes literally 2 minutes.  I also do the same with Royal when I'm running late or not feeling very creative.

e.l.f Mineral Eyeshadows Part 1

A while back e.l.f. was offering 10 free mineral eyeshadows with a certain dollar amount purchase.  Never one to pass up a sale or  freebie, I ordered away!

Top:  Sassy

2nd:  Socialite

3rd:  Partier (for those of you that love matte!)

4th:  Royal

Bottom:  Temptress (another matte!)

I happen to love the shimmers.  But every once in a while I do reach for matte shadows. 

These are great eyeshadows, and even better FREE!!!  Can't wait for them to have a similar promotion.  But at a regular price of $3, you really cannot go wrong.  They are not cheap by any means and the colors are really nice.

I'll swatch out the rest soon!

SNOTD!

Yay!  2 weeks in a row.  I'm on a roll!  And my nails have never looked better.

This week's color is from the lovely NYX.  The color:  NP 30 Jungle.  This color is amazing.  It's blue, it's green, in the sunlight you can see flecks of gold.

Looking back on the pictures, I probably could of put another coat on.  I have 2 layers on in the pictures.  I usually always wear this color on my toes.  I prefer light shades on my nails and darker colors on my toes.  But now that I've been paying more attention to my nails and they are in such great shape, bright colors are fun!

My Orglamix swatches...finally...

Took long enough but here they are!  Of course my camera, well my camera skills really don't pick up on the true beauty of these mineral eyeshadows.  Cheryl does a fantastic job capturing the true colors at her etsy shop.

The flash washed these out too much so I tried to darken it a little.  Maybe a little too much...

Top:  Sweet Pea

2nd:  Wisteria

3rd:  Moostone

Bottom:  Skyline

Top:  Moss

2nd:  Vert

3rd:  Clover

Bottom:  Green Tea

Top:  Obsidian

2nd:  Sandalwood

Bottom:  Teak

Orglamix offers foundations, finishing powders, primers, brushes, you name it, Cheryl has or is working on creating it.  She's one busy lady but Orglamix is a great company.  She ships fast and always answers any questions that you may have about your order.

Etsy truely has some wonderful and creative shop owners and vendors.  If you haven't already, you need to check it out.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/orglamix

Mary Kay

Back in the day, well just about 5 years ago, all I used was MK.  I did think about selling it for a minute for the discount, but decided against it.  There were just so many prodcuts I loved.  Satin Hands, which I still buy, use and love.  They had this awesome shaving cream which they no longer make.  Their nail polishes were pretty good, which they no longer make.  I frequently use my cooling eye gel which is always kept in the fridge for those puffy-eyed mornings.  I recently just used up the last of my cream to powder foundation which had great coverage.  I also have a couple MK lipsticks in my collection. 

My friend is now a rep and I buy things from her every once in a while.  In fact, it's been a while!  While looking through the ecatalog I came across the look "Simply Sun-Kissed."  The entire look is $66.  I didn't need a brown liner, black mascara or bronzer stick which I was tempted to get anyway so I ordered two eyeshadows in Sweet Plum and Sweet Cream and lipstick Inspiration. 

The Sweet Cream totally blends into my skin!  It is like a butter cream color and the sweet plum is above that.  I just love the pale pink of Inspiration.  It is a lovely shade on my lips.  I have been wearing it non-stop since I received it.  I also noticed that it has a pleasant smell.  MK lipsticks did have a slight "lipstick smell" but I noticed that they must have changed the formula because the scent is very light now.

The lipsticks cost $13 and the eyeshadows cost $6.50.  Say what you will about MK, they do create some high quality products.  I almost want to sign up to sell to get a discount!  Umm, almost...

MK also recently came out with this sleek compact. 

Unfilled, it costs $35.  It looks like it holds 6 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, 2 lip liners, 2 lipsticks or lipglosses and either a cream to powder foundation or their pressed mineral foundation.  Perfect to stash in your purse or to simplify your make-up routine on holiday.

She Space Grab Bag

Recently the She Space has been having a liquidation sale on all the About Face Colors and I purchased a grab bag for I believe $15.  I can never decide what colors to order so a random grab bag works for me! 

10 colors were included in the selection (can you say $1.50 a piece?!) and I can honestly say they are all just so beautiful!  The She Space is now Heatheresque and she has come out with a new line and all new colors.  You really need to check out her website.  Heather is very passionate about life and her talent of creating gorgeous eye colors.

Here are some swatches of the grab bag!  They were swatched on elf primer...

At the top is Vintage advantage.  It is an awsome fool's gold like color.  Love it!

Middle is selling souls, a shimmery moss green.  One of my favorite go to colors.

Bottom is Eye of the Storm.  A dark army-like green. 

So the top two are totally my old high school colors!

Top is Spread the Spirit, a shimmery sunflower yellow.

Middle is Symphony of Chaos, the perfect purple.

Bottom is Go to Shop.  Everyone needs a creamy white in their collection!

Top is Loose Lips a super shimmery NARS Orgasm.

2nd from the top is Risk Practicality a dark copper.

3rd is Wilted Roses, a gorgeous rose color.

Bottom is Crooked Vendetta.  A quite shimmery lilac.

I couldn't have asked for a better selection of colors!  Heather will have to offer grab bags for her current collections.  I will never be able to decide what to order!

Revlon Nail Polish Haul

This is a sickening amount of nail polish to buy at once but when you have coupons and they are on sale, you have to go for it!  So I did.  

I've been searching high and low for Revlon's Limited Edition Just Add Sparkle Collection.  CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Walmart in my town did not have them on the shelves.  I was so disappointed.  Then a week and a half ago I dropped by Wegman's to pick up a few items and decided to walk down the cosmetics aisle.  (Usually I'm with the hubs and he steers me clear of that aisle...)

Sure enough, there is a huge display and tons of the Just Add Sparkle Collection on-sale for... wait for it...  $2.99!!!  I freaked out and grabbed Lunar, Galaxy, Rock, Star, Silver, Belle.  I skipped the red, I just don't wear red that often.  I keep walking and then I see that all Revlon nail polishes were on-sale for $2.99.  I've been looking at No Shrinking Violet for ages it seems so I looked for that and along with that color I grabbed Grey Suede, Steel Her Heart, Plum Attraction and Silver Screen.  All just gorgeous colors.  Then I see a coupon for a free bag with purchase of 2 Revlon nail polishes.

I just don't know what to paint my nails first!!!

Free bag!

Just Add Sparkle Limited Edition Collection featuring (from left to right)

Galaxy, Lunar, Star, Rock, Belle and Silver

(left to right)

Silver Screen, Plum Attraction, No Shrinkng Violet, Gray Suede, Steel Her Heart

SNOTD!

Here's my new blog series...  drumroll please...  Sunday's Nails of the Day!  Sundays are the only days where I have time to paint my nails so hopefully I can keep this up!  So for the first Sunday of the series I chose NYC New York Color in a Minute 246B Park Avenue.  Great metallic lilac.

I would love to wear this with a matte topcoat which I cannot find any where in local stores.  I'm going to check Target next in the Boots section.  I know Boots No. 7 carries one.  I checked Sally's and on-line Sally's.

If you know where to go to get a matte topcoat let me know!

October Real Simple

Another awesome issue!  I may write to them this month.  That's two months in a row! 

Great articles:
The Fashion Guide features some nice wardrobe pieces and outfits
The Beauty Guide has an article about skin aging and how to prevent that aging.  Apparently only a small percentage of aging has a genetic component.  The rest is your environment.  Can you say stress?

Coupons: 
$5 off $25 Merona Target purchase
$2 off Maybelline New Color Sensational Pearls.  Maybelline is 40% off at Rite Aid this week!
20% off Bed Bath and Beyond single item purchase
$1 off any V8 soup
$1 off Mrs. T's Pierogies
$2 off Target coupon for Healthy Choice frozen meals.  Double it up with a manufacturer's coupon!

There are also a ton of on-line coupon codes to ninewest.com, 20% off beauty and skincare products at CVS.com, 15% offHarryandDavid.com, 25% off Hallmark.com and many more...

Recipes:
They have a 4 week dinner plan and the shopping list which is always a plus.  Most of the recipes are ones that I would cook this month!  Yay!
A ton of delicious sandwich ideas
risotto
microwave lasagna??? 
Oh and my favorite, 10 ideas for Halloween candy.  York Miniature Peppermint Patties brownies, candy corn and pretzel bark, Twix cheesecake pie...  mmm...

College Students!!!

The Body Shop is offering a free Love Your Body Membership.  10% off all purchases throughout the year.  Click here and enter your valid .edu email address.

And The Body Shop will send a coupon to that address so be sure to add it to your contacts!

Right now they are having their Semi-Annual Skin Care Event.  It's a good time to stock up on quality products.

The Vitamin E Face Mist has been calling my name for months now...

Just checking around...

to see if I could get a sneak peak of the holiday palette from Sephora this year and I came across this:

A color diary of 5 palettes in one.  It also comes with a portable case so you can take a look to go!  All color coordinated with blush and lip gloss.  And the lipglosses are in tubes!  Not in the embedded in the palette so they don't get all dried out and gross mixed with the eyeshadows.  Love it!  All for $34?  What?  I'm super intrigued.  This is when I get really irritated that I do not have a Sephora any where near me!  AHH!!!  I've never tried Sephora eye shadows so I am not sure of the quality but for $34, this is a great way to test it out and not be completely bummed if they don't work out.  Plus Sephora offers free returns... 

Is this a need or a want?  It's very difficult to travel with my mineral eyeshadows...

Color Diary ($155 Value)



What it is:


A portable compact with lip gloss, blush, and an ensemble of five snap-in eyshadow palettes.



What it does:


Color Diary is the newest collection of five event-themed color palettes designed to create an eminently wearable range of looks. From new fashion-forward shades to classic must-have colors, just choose a palette, snap it into the compact, and go!



Interchangeable Color Palettes:


- Hot Date At Eight: Seductive, smoky grays and black


- Relax And Unplug: Shimmery nudes and soft browns


- Meditation Retreat: Soothing greens and browns


- Day At The Museum: Primary colors like red, yellow and blue


- Must Get New Shoes: Flirty pinks and purples



This set contains:


- Six eyeshadow palettes


- Blush


- Tube lip gloss
What else you need to know:


These high-payoff formulas in interchangeable palettes are exclusive to SEPHORA COLLECTION. The lip gloss comes with a doe foot applicator that requires no other tools for application.

Bioré® Makeup Removing Towelettes

Another make-up remover cleansing cloth review!  I liked this one much better than philosophy.  I liked the light scent, the softness of the towel, the moisture content of the towel and the fact that it didn't sting!  Yay!  I really love that it is made with green tea.  Antioxidants are great for the skin!  I thought I was wearing just a tiny amount of foundation and one coat of mascara and the towelette was dark brown by the time I was through scrubbing.  So I can assure you, it cleanses very thoroughly.

Here's some details from the website: 

Infused with Green Tea extract, known for its antioxidant and detoxifying properties.


Featuring Vitamin E and botanicals that include Green Coconut Water and Indian Ginseng.

Towelette made from 100% renewable resources like cotton.

Ophthalmologist tested.

No artificial dyes.
 
30 towels will run you about $7.99 at CVS.  Walmart has a twin pack refill 60 count for 8.47.  Unfortunately it is currently out of stock.  14 cents a towelette!  That's a great deal!  I'm going to drop by the local Walmart and see if they have the twin pack on the shelves.

Due Date

Today I am 40 weeks pregnant!  No baby sightings yet.  I've been scheduled for an induction next Thursday.  I can't wait to hold this baby that has been kicking me for weeks without end!

Purity Made Simple one-step facial cleansing cloth

I'm a big fan of cleansing clothes.  I like to use them throughout the day, especially in the summer time.  They are also great to stash in your gym bag.  And I've used them to take my day make-up off at the end of a long workday so I could re-apply night make-up for dinner and drink with office mates.  No need to stop off at home, I would have missed happy hour!  After 8-10 hours in full make-up, sometimes you need a fresh start.

I was so happy to be able to get a sample of the philosophy brand.  The cloth is nice and soft and very durable.  I was testing out some foundation samples and was able to use it a few times.  When I did use it in the late afternoon, it threatened to burn a little but it never did burn, just slightly warmed my face.   Which is normal for me when trying out most facial cleansing products for the first time.  After looking at the ingredient list, I saw piper nigrum (pepper) seed oil.  This could have been the culprit.  And of course, there was a warning that a there would be a slight tingle upon the initial application!  I never read directions!

However, this cleansing cloth would be great in the morning for a quick wake-up.  My face feels soft and actually moisturized.  I don't feel the need to lather on some lotion after using this product which I have found with other brands.  You don't have to rinse, which is also super convenient. 

So for 45 cleansing clothes, it will run you $20.  That works out to 44 cents every time you wash your face.  When doing a price comparison, Yves Rocher has 25 cleansing cloths for $9 which works out to 36 cents.  Olay, depending on which variety you choose and which drugstore sale you hit up, a 30 pack costs about 23 cents a piece.  Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes are about 32 cents a piece.  Basis which I haven't tried yet 28 cents. 

All-in-all I don't think it's an outrageous price for a quality brand.  Every once in a while philosophy products end up in my local TJ Maxx.  I haven't seen the cleansing clothes yet, but I will definitely keep an eye out now!

Origins GinZing Refreshing eye cream

Love this stuff!  Most of the time, Origins can do no wrong in my eyes.  Wish their prices weren't so steep.  However they are quality products and super concentrated so they last a long time.

The GinZing eye cream is a perfect pearlized cafe au lait color which does not deposit any color to the skin but it does indeed brighten and depuff within a couple of minutes after application.  The color is undoubtedly from one of it's core ingredients, caffeine from the coffee bean.  I have been waking up with puffy eyes lately, probably due to not drinking enough water and of course lack of sleep, and this eye cream lives up to its claims.

So $29.50 is expensive for most, including myself but I know it will last and last and it works!

Here's some more info from the Origins website:

"GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff


√ 86% brighter appearance


√ 80% reduction in puffiness


Late night? Long flight? Look tired all the time? Prepare to become one of the perky people! Nature’s clinically-proven morning-after eye cream instantly reduces dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness virtually disappear. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes.
Gently dab around eye area with fingertip in the A.M. or as needed."

Garnier UltraLift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisturizer

I tried a sample of this from the Sepember issue of Real Simple and because I could only try it once, I am left intrigued.  I do have a coupon for $1 off and I will probably go ahead and purchase.  It is a pro-retinol formula which has proven to be effective against wrinkles.  And who doesn't need a little help in that area.  Either you have them now and want to prevent them from getting worse or you are going to get them and should start being a little pro-active to prolong their onset.



It has a nice scent and and non-greasy feel even though it has an SPF of 15.  With my oily skin I have to watch moisturizers with any SPF because they tend to be thicker and  tend to get shiny within a couple of hours.  I didn't feel any obnoxious "firming" or "tightening" of my skin so I'm not sure of it's firming capabilites but I was left with smooth and soft skin all day. 

This is the first time I have tried Garnier and like I said before I'm intrigued.  There are a few more products I would like to try from their line as well, namely the Anti-Puff Eye Roller.

What do you think about Garnier?

The Wishlist

1.  Number 1 on the list is of course the Naked Palette from Urban Decay.  Why I didn't order this a long time ago, I have no idea.  Actaully I do, a little thing called 100 Pan project.  Bad timing I guess.  I broke down last night and went on-line to both Ulta and Sephora and they are out of stock. 

2.  Chanel Paradoxal:  This is another item that I have put in my shopping cart on many occasions, including last night.  I held off though.  $23 is a little much.  I remember buying Vamp in college and I had the darnest time applying it.  Maybe I was lacking skills back then or it was the formula but I would make the biggest mess.

3.  Powderflage by Benefit.  I cannot wait to try this!


4.  The white Guess Watch  GUESS G12543L

5.  NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

That's all I can think of right now.  I know my list was longer last night when I was looking at prices on-line.  Maybe Project 100 Pan is helping me out.  I'm learning to separate the needs and the wants.  Well maybe...

Manicure Soin Reparateur

I picked up this bottle of this nail repair from a Yves Rocher sale.  I blogged about my haul previously.  I used this for 2 weeks.  My nails kept breaking even though I was keeping them super short.  I put on two coats of this lovely stuff and kept touching it up during the 2 weeks.  My nails grew super long and they were super strong when I finally scrubbed it off and was ready to file them down.  It is a bit gritty.  The website calls it "botanical fibers."  Felt like little bumps to me but it truly kept my nails strong and allowed them to grow out pretty healthy. 

I was going to paint over them to see if the grit would show through over two coats of polish but just didn't have the time during finals.  I had destroyed my cuticles as well from nervous biting so I didn't want to color my nails and draw further attention to the damage that I caused! 

So if you have an event coming up in a week or two, grab this and slather it on before your big event, you won't be disappointed.  You might, however be a little annoyed at the texture.  Next time I use it, I will put 2 coats of color over it and see if it can be covered.  Stay tuned!

One of the biggest shopping days of the year!!!

Are you going out today to hit all the sales?  My inbox is filled with sales and free shipping codes so I'm quite sure you don't even have to leave the house!

I'm going to head out to Kmart, which I never shop at to take advantage of the 30% off clearance toys.  Time to stock up on Christmas gifts for the kids and nieces and nephews.  Hopefully I can get all that shopping done today so Black Friday will be all about the adults.  Toys are heavy and cumbersome running from store to store!

Still looking for the perfect shade...

of foundation!  This week it's Covergirl Ultimate Finish Liquid powder Make-up 410 Classic Ivory. 

Back in the day, say middle school, I used the liquid in Classic Ivory.  Great stuff by the way.  These days I love cream to powder finishes.  Buildable coverage but not cakey and a matte finish.  Like it.  Color, not quite but super close, but not close enough where I am comfortable.  I can feel it on my skin, which is okay but I prefer the Teint Idole that made my skin feel super soft but didn't feel like there was make-up on my cheeks.  But it will suffice. 

I also picked up Truconceal concealer in 1.  Basically the lightest shade they have.  Great coverage.  I'm impressed.  I have been using e.l.f. concealer.  Man that stuff gets used up fast!  So with coupons and BOGO 50% off I got both of these for $10.  I'm justifying these purchases because I had coupons and I needed a foundation since I returned the Estee Lauder bust.  I'll continue to use these until the end.

EcoTools Look Gorgeous, Love Green Campaign

Wow that was fast.  It took a week and sure enough 2 coupons came in the mail!  They expire December 31st.  Can't wait to go shopping!