Week 15: Weekly Skincare/Makeup Box

Week 15 is upon us!  April is in full swing (birthday is in 17 days!!!).

This week I wanted to focus on products that have been kicking around for a while, products I want to use up, favorite products, products that I know work well and that I can depend on.  I've shared (extensively) about what my skincare items will be here.  I'm not going to mess around with my skin this week!

So this is what I came up with!

Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix.  The old faithful.  This is in shade 52 Vanilla.  I have more than a few uses but I want to use this up before summer is in full swing.  I've had it for a couple of years (exp 12 months!).

BB Cream: Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB, SPF 25.  This feels quite empty but product keeps appearing.  Since I am nearing the end, I will concentrate on using this one up in the next couple of weeks.

SPF: Still trying to figure that out.

Primer: I like to use L'OREAL Revitalift to smooth out fine lines on the outside of my eyes.  I also have the L'OREAL Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer to give my skin a little glow (as needed).  My skin has still been quite dry lately.  And then I included my complexion perfection duo, Urban Decay b6 spray and Guerlain L'or.  One more...  Clarins Instant Smooth for my t-zone.

Eyes:  For eye cream I have Olay Regenerist regenerating eye lifting serum.  Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Corrector in 230 and 2 shades of Physician Formula Conceal Rx, natural light and fair light.  And what the heck, L'OREAL MagicLumi Highlighter in 860 fair.  I have Tarte Smooth Operator to set all these concealers.

I've been skipping LashEM, I really need to remember that.  AVON lash conditioner and primer and L'OREAL Lash Out Butterfly mascara.  It's almost time to replace Lash Out.  Great Lash clear mascara for my brows which I am trying to focus more...

Primer is Benefit Stay Don't Stray.  I will be using my mark eyeshadows this week which are housed in MAC palettes.  The look so neat and pretty in these palettes.

 

 

 

Cheeks: mark blushes this week!  Also in a MAC palette.  :) and AVON ideal luminous blush in E04 Earthen Rose for a bronzer/contour. Which looks orange in the above photo, but I can assure you, it's not!

 

Face Powder: Tarte provocateur pressed mineral powder in Light 04.  This was a sample from ages ago.  It might be a little dark (not as dark pictured) but we will see how it works out this week for me.

 

So that's everything and it's a lot but I like to have options.  :)

Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Youth-Boosting Spotless Foundation

Now that is a mouthful!

I'm really into the serum foundations as I have found that they provide great coverage, blur imperfections, do not settle into pores and fine lines and they are great for us with oily complexions!

Physicians Formula is a brand I know well and can trust that most products in their range will be good.  The only product I remember that didn't work for me was their tinted moisturizer that I picked up at Big Lots on the cheap.  It was super full coverage and just the wrong tone for my skin unfortunately.

Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Youth-Boosting Spotless Foundation is a newer drugstore offering currently on the market.  I have found the new Physicians Formula display at Ulta and one of the three CVS stores in my immediate area, albeit the far one...  There is also a concealer to accompany this new serum foundation but I didn't dare pick it up since I already have a drawer full.  It was tempting however as CVS was having a 40% off Physicians Formula sale when I bought this back in January and there were $3 peelies on the packaging.

This week CVS is offering $10 in ECB when you buy 2 PF products.  However, Rite Aid has PF 40% off this week so you might be able to work a nice deal there!

So let's get into the nitty gritty of this newest PF serum foundation incarnation, shall we?

Since it is a serum, it is a thinner formula and has a light feeling on the skin. A dropper and a brush are included to further ease the application.  I love smoothing this on my skin so much that I tend to over-apply it.  After shaking the product thoroughly, I use the dropper to dot it on my forehead, cheeks, chin and a little down my nose and blend in with my finger tips.  The brush accompanying this foundation is a little too small and stiff for my liking.  It would take forever to blend and I don't have that kind of time!

As with the other serum foundations that I have tried, it has a matte but not flat finish after it dries down which it does quickly but you have enough time to work it into the skin.  If you get that perfect color match, it is virtually undetectable on the skin.  That being said, you need to exfoliate and moisturize before using this foundation, as it will stick and accentuate dry patches.  Combination to oily skin will love this, dry skin, not so much unfortunately.

Since I have combination to oily skin, downright oily in the NC summer humidity, I will get shiny and will need to blot and powder a couple of hours after wearing this type of foundation as with all my foundations.  I do not feel the need to set it with powder currently, as it already has a powdery (not super matte) finish to it. 

My only complaint, the color selection.  There are only 3 colors; Light, Medium, and Medium Beige.  Currently, light is too dark for me and probably will be until well into the summer.  This could be a favorite contender if they developed more shades like L'OREAL Magic Nude Liquid Powder which was a favorite for me last summer.

Left:L'OREAL Magic Nude Liquid Powder 316 Nude Beige/Right:PF Youthful Wear Spotless Light

As you can see, L'OREAL offers a better match for my NC 20 (best estimate as I do not own a MAC foundation) skin right now.  Youthful Wear is just a touch thicker in consistency but both are quite runny though pigmented.  Both offer the same medium coverage.  In fact, I wear both.  I use L'OREAL in the center of my face and PF to slightly contour/add dimension to my skin at the top of my forehead and temples and the hollows of my cheeks (to create hollows rather).  It seems to work well but again, the color is not the best match for me. 

I can't wait to try this in the summer when it will hopefully be a good match!  I will of course update you on its ability to last during the summer heat and humidity...

Dear Physicians Formula color developers,

Please come out with a greater shade range for your products. 

Sincerely,

Drugstore makeup lovers everywhere.

Have you tried Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Youth-Boosting Spotless Foundation yet?  What are your thoughts?

Week 9 Results!

What I started with:

 

What I ended the week with:

 

Foundation:  Still just loving Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 in 825 Buff Beige.  I think it is just the perfect color for me.  Just the tiniest bit pink, I mean tiny. 

 

BB/CC/DD Cream:  I really liked the Kiehl's BB Cream.  It has an SPF 50 and smells like it does but overall the coverage and color is nice.  I think it will be just a touch too moisturizing for me in the summer though. Maybe they will come out with a CC cream next.  I just love Kiehl's. 

 

Lumene Time Freeze CC is a really nice product.  I can wear it on it's own, it has a semi-matte finish.  The only fault, I need the SPF a little higher than 20 if I am going to wear this in the sun.  The Derma Doctor DD cream was way too dark for me.

 

Moisturizer: I started out with a bare face and spritz a little Urban Decay b6 Vitamin Infused Complexion spray.  Then I followed up with Origins Plantscription.  This is very moisturizing which was needed this past week.  Just the tiniest amount is needed for my skin.  I mostly just used the Lumene CC Cream as my moisturizer.

 

Primer:  Again my Lumene CC Cream was an all-in-one but I also used Clarins Instant Smooth in my t-zone. 



 

Mask: Julep Mask Noir.  I can't get past how messy this stuff is.  It is thick, very black and just doesn't want to rinse off your hands after applying it.  I have seen people use a brush when applying masks but the product is super thick, I don't know how I would be able to wash off the brush.  I do like that it mostly peels off in one sheet.

 

Hair:  I feel like I have this thinning of my hair going on in my crown.  I'm pretty sure my hair has always been like that because a very long time ago someone mentioned it but every once in a while it bothers me so I will pick up some Nioxin products when I see them at Marshall's.  I use the scalp renew infrequently at best.  I have never seen any noticeable results.  Most likely because I don't really have a thinning problem, just think I do.  But I figure I'm taking care of my scalp and my hair is really healthy.  I just got a hair cut and that helps too!  4 inches gone! 

 

I've really gotten into using a heat protectant this past year.  I usually just let my hair air dry but when I do blow it dry or curl it, I will spray some on.  I think when I first tried them years ago they would feel filmy.  The "modern" heat protectants feel so light they are virtually undetectable.  This one by TONI&GUY is like that.  Good Stuff. I have a full size of Tresemme in the red bottle that I have been working on forever and tons of prep sprays from Bumble&Bumble which I always pick up when they have free shipping. 

 

I have been using this L'OREAL OleoTherapy Hair Expertise since December.  I picked it up from Ulta.  I thought it was on sale and I had a coupon.  Turns out the shelf was mismarked or the sign sale hadn't been taken off.  I have forgotten how much it was but way more than I would have paid.  Ulta is always like that for me though.  My bill is always way higher than my mental calculations of what it should be!  That being said, whatever I paid, well worth it.  This product is lovely and my hair looks really nice.  Sure it's the hair cut, but before the hair cut, I had all kinds of dry, split ends, it was a stringy mess.  This hair oil helped to conceal all of that.  Lovely product and I've barely made a dent using it every day for almost 4 months.

 

Exfoliant: Glo-Therapeutics Refresh Facial Polish has a nice fresh citrus mint scent that is perfect to wake up to in the morning.  I really like it.  It has a small but dense grit so it's gentle but effective.  This is officially in my top 3.

 

Makeup: The AVON and mark. palettes were really nice.  I picked them up from an Outlet catalog months ago and this is my first time using them.  I wore them on their own and layered over Maybelline Color Tattoos in 25 Bad to the Bronze and 55 Inked in Pink.

 

 

The mark. drama case opens up in 2 directions revealing liners and eyeshadows.  All the shadows are decently pigmented and I came up with some really nice eye looks this week.  I didn't use the blue or orange in the mark. but I used all the shadows in the AVON Q922 muse quad.

 

In addition to the Balm trio I used Physicians Formula Happy Booster in Translucent as a highlight.  I can't use this all over because it is quite sparkly.  I forgot how dark Bahama Mama was but it blends out really well when used with a light hand and worked out perfectly.

 

So that was my Week 9 products! 

 

One of these weeks I will give you all a tour of my bathroom so you can see where I store everything currently!





Week 8 Results!

Week 8's result box is packed...

Here is what I started with:

Foundation: I had a tough week in the foundation department.  One thing that I learned, I can no longer apply with my fingers.  My skin only likes a beauty blender or equivalent and this week it was the Real Techniques one and it works excellent.  It's just more forgiving, blurring, helps disquise flakiness...  Especially with CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous. What a perfect foundation for me.  I have 825 Buff Beige.  There is a slight pinkiness to it but overall it is the best match for my skin tone other than Dr Jartt and Garnier BB Cream.  Stay Fabulous just gives me that perfect finish and passes the car mirror check!  All week long I checked and my face was orange.  Mortifying!  And there was nothing I could do about it since I had already left the house. 
 

The ones that didn't work out, L'OREAL True Match LUMI and regular. W1-2 and W3 are just too pink. They look artificial on me.  I know that they work well for a lot of others though.  I just wish I could find the right shade.  And since I have CoverGirl Stay Fabulous that I know looks perfect, it's time to let this foundation baggage go.  I'm going to send LUMI to my sister.  Her complexion is more fair and more pink.

I also used my faithful Skin 79 BB cream and Lumene CC Cream in Light either alone or as bases.  I finished up the eclos HydraPriner this week.  I really like this product.  It controls oil and fills in pores without settling in them. 

Moisturizer: I'm still have congestion issues. I broke out the big guns...  My Olay Professional Pro-X Clear. Which I think is losing potency because my go to system did nothing for my skin this week. Usually 2-3 days is all I need.  Ahh and I just looked at the expiration on the tube 04/2013.  OOPS!!! Bye Bye Olay, you have been good to me.

I also had oily, dry and normal skin this week... yay...  So when trying to find that perfect moisturizer for everything I was dealing with, I grabbed Nuance AM/PM anti-Aging Super Lotion. It is very moisturizing for me so I learned to use this at night.  It smells nice, slight citrus/botanical.  I love that Nuance is a CVS exclusive product and it qualifies for the spend $30 get $5 ECB!

Primer: I started off with Revlon and ended with Rimmel Stay Matte which was thicker than I expected but worked really well.  The true test will be during a hot and humid day.  

Treatment:  Seventh Generation Clearing with Tea Tree oil.  Not sure if this is doing anything but things are not getting worse either.  Rapid Lash...  I used this a few times. Lashes are looking great!

Cleanser:  I finished up the eclos and used Biore and a new Neutrogena Facial Bar that I opened up at the end of the week.

Mask: I finished my 40 carrots, sadly.  I will be looking for another at Marshall's. But not this month, I will explain later!  I have one more use of my Julep Mask Noir. 

Eye Cream:  I tried and finished Benefit eye potent.  Nice eye cream. No major improvements in a week's time but my concealer looked better this week than last week. I was about to throw them all away.  What a difference an eye cream makes!  

Concealers:  Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque, Maybelline Fit Me in Light and Fair, Physicians Formula Conceal RX.  And yes, some mornings this week, I used a combination of them all!  lol

Makeup:  This week I used my MAC Gold-Go-Lightly which I have used a ton and it still barely has a dip. My favorite mascara is still L'Oreal Lash Out Butterfly.  It makes your lashes look amazing.  Julep Kajal Eye Glider is one of my go to eyeliners.  This does run on me slightly, I just have to make sure I set it if I want to wear it long term.  But I like the tone of the brown is perfect for me.  Not to red, not to green...  Kind of addicted to the Baby Lips Dr. Rescue.  I'm not sure if it does anything for my lips as far as moisturizing, but I like the subtle color and it is quick and easy to apply.  I also used Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout and to tone it down a bit, I topped it off with AVON Glazewear Shine Lip Gloss in Iced Pink.  This is my second Iced Pink.  It's one of my favorites.

Urban Decay Naked 3 and Naked Basics was used this week on my eyes.  You know my love for Urban Decay and it continues...

Also pictured is my mark Blush Palette in a MAC palette.  I also have all my mark single eyeshadows in a MAC palette as well.  I like how they are all in one place. 

Oh and a Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze.  My favorite Tattoo!

Lots of empties this week so look out for that next!

Week 7 Beauty Box Results!

 Week 7 Results!  This is what I used last week.  I didn't try all the samples that I had originally put in the box so off they went into week 8.  I don't know about you, but these weeks are really flying by!

Original line up:

 Results:

Foundation/CC cream:  I used Bourjois Healthy Mix, AVON's new Ideal Flawless CC Cream and
Lumene CC cream this past week.  I used the CC cream under Bourjois.  Not sure why, Bourjois has pretty good coverage on its own.  The CC cream provides enough moisture for me lately and since I haven't had any oiliness issues, I'm going to stick to the CC cream.  Lumene has a bit more coverage than AVON's CC cream. But they all worked really nice and was happy with the results.


Primer:  CC creams!

Eye Cream:  Still scraping out product out of Estee Lauder Serum bottle and I tried the Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel this week.  Sinks in nicely and has a fun cooling effect.  I usually keep an eye gel (when I have one) in the fridge for some serious morning cooling action.  This one is going in!

Serum/Moisturizer:  The L'OREAL Age Perfect Glow Renewal has a very strong perfumey scent.  I don't mind it but noticed that I could still smell on my face it the next morning.  I used Seventh Generation Boosts Clearing with tea tree this week to battle out my congestion issues.  I saw some improvement so I will continue to use on my t-zone.  I bought this at Walgreens on a super sale last summer (store sale and high dollar coupon).  I haven't seen the line since.  I also used Korres Greek Yoghurt Adavanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial to help combat some dryness a couple nights this week.  Works nicely.  

Treatment: Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution:  No noticeable results after week 1!

Cleanser:  I used a combination of eclos and Biore charcoal cleanser and even mixed the two a couple of times.  The Biore has a tiny bit of grit in the formulation.  Subtle exfoliator.  I hadn't noticed it before.  

Mask: 40 Carrots Carrot + Papaya Facial Mask.  I used this twice and I think I have one more use. This is a great product.  I will be on the look out for it at Marshall's.  Fingers crossed!

Makeup:  the Balm and the Beautiful is a wonderful palette but I needed some matte neutrals for blending and grabbed the ever so trusty Naked Basics. Physicians Formula Powder Palette in Creamy Natural is a nice powder that leaves the skin very silky.  Nice formula.  The Buxom took a turn this week and it is already drying out.  boo hiss!  This was really nice straight from the tube.  I wonder if a full size lasts longer?  NYC Sunny is always a nice bronzer to warm up the face.  Very inexpensive too! I finally found my larger eye pencil sharpener and was able to use my UD 24/7 glide-on shadow pencils. I have JuJu in the box.  Love this color.  I've been trying out the green end of the Physicians Formula Concealer twins around my nose that can get quite red.  Works pretty good under concealer.  On its own it blends out a grayish color on my skin so I need to cover it up.

Kind of a boring week...  It was a busy week so I was autopilot trying to get out the door in a timely fashion!  It's always a battle. 

And I kind of have a new full blown obsession that has been consuming my spare time as well.  I should have something coming in the mail today...  Hopefully I will be able to share soon!

Next up is what I have been using this week!  Week 8!

Weekly Beauty Box 5+6 Results!

The pink Glossy Boxes are getting a bit small for my weekly wrap ups.  I might have to find something a little more suitable! 

Foundation/BB Cream:  Dr. Jart Black Label Detox is still going strong! I thought I would have finished this but of course a few other bits landed in the box.  I'm testing out Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup.  Other than the fact that it's almost impossible to get out of the bottle, it's a pretty good color for me and lasts pretty well.  Liking it so far.  I received this foundation through Bzz Agent!  I also used the Super BB from Skin 79.  I love this for brightening under the eyes, upper cheeks, the triangle so to speak. It glides over the pores and smooths everything out.

Primer: Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer.  Forgot to use this.  Maybe once did I this week, but I was using BB creams and they are technically primers.  :).  The Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm was surprisingly super dark.  I will save this for the summer months.  I had to wash it off.  

Eye Cream:  The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion bottle is currently inverted and still going strong.  I didn't rip open the Benefit just yet!  But I also used Tarte Pure Maracuja oil for my eyes at night as well.   
 

Serum/Moisturizer:  I finished up the Jose Maran Argan Oil which I told you that I loved.  I tried Origins plant scripting and even mixed this with the Bzz Agent Neutrogena with pretty good results. My face got a bit shiny but I can tolerate it right now as the weather and my face have been cooperating with each other.  I also used Eclos moisture therapy regenerative cream.  Good stuff and smells nice and botanical.

Cleanser:  I finished the Billy Jealousy sample and my Julep cleansing oil.  I've been switching off with biore deep pore charcoal cleanser and Eclos skin prep cleanser.

Exfoliant: Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel was not touched but I did use Garnier clean Balancing Daily Exfoliator which has been in the shower for the last 3-4 weeks.

Mask:  GlamGlow sample!  It was amazing and just what my skin needed.  Cleared it right up.  Not sure why a sample packet worked 100 times better than a full size jar...  Hmm...  It was a couple of years ago from Hautelook.  Maybe I got a bad batch? It literally did nothing and made my skin so oily the next day.  Well so it did do something then I guess...   I understand the hype now.  If I can get the same formulation again.

Makeup:  Confession time.  I've had the Lorac Pro since December and finally used it for 2 weeks straight.  I do this with new things sometimes, well pretty much always.  Like bags for example, I don't want to scuff the leather. I like things looking new and pristine.  Review:  I do like the Lorac pro, but not over any Urban Decay palette.  I like the variety of colors.  You can do a lot of looks with this palette. No fuss packaging, full size mirror.  However, after every use, glitter and shimmer all over my cheeks.  




At first I thought that I just didn't notice the fall out upon application.  So the next morning I cleaned up a bit just in case.  However, I still had the same problem later on that afternoon.  Glitter pieces all over my face.  Not a good look for me.  Fun fact:  One day I was in CVS and the lady at the register literally had glitter all over her face to the point where it looked like it was on purpose.  Similar to how I look after wearing the Lorac palette.  So the next time I use this palette, I should probably try another eyeshadow primer.  

Now that I am looking at the palette, I have a nice dip in the color champagne.  It looks a little glittery.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of a little shimmer/glitter... Just be careful with the Champagne.  :)  For bronzer I primarily used AVON Ideal Luminous blush in Earthen rose.  This is a really nice product.  Reminds me of NYC Sunny.  I fact I use them interchangeably.  

Treatment:  I had to break out the Sibu sea buckthorn seed oil to help clear some facial freak out.  It's unusual for my skin to be reactive.  I blame it on lack of sleep, a bit of insomnia affliction.  Lots to do, little time, we all know the drill.  I'm going to re-work my diet in the next couple of weeks.  I've been quite unusually indulgent in the food department as of late.  Time to reel it in, beach time is only a few weeks away!  Currently I'm trying out the "Cabbage Soup Diet."  I will do a post on it.  So far I've lost 5 pounds.  But I fluctuate 5 pounds all of the time.  It's for 7 days and I'm on Day 4.

Vaseline lip therapy rosy lips:  The petroleum jelly doesn't really sink in as much as I would like and feels a bit waxy on the lips.  It does moisturize over night though.  I had been using this every night.  I started to notice some congestion under my bottom lip/lip line.  Very unusual and I'm pretty sure this product is the cause.  This is the only thing new that I have been slathering on my lips.  I have been bad about not wearing any of my new 20+ lip sticks and glosses that acquired at the end of 2013...  So I'm going to put the rosy lips away for a little while or not use it so often.  I'm still trying to use up what's left of the Philosophy lipgloss.  It's nearing the end and I just don't reach for it anymore.  Maybe I will throw this in my bag.  

Garnier Ultra-lift eye roller:  I woke up with some puffy eyes and hoped that this would work fast on the mornings I needed to get out of the house early.  It has a nice cooling effect with the metal ball roller applicator.  I think it helped.  Now if I could watch my salt intake and diligently drink more water, I would have less puffy problems.  This week on Cabbage Soup no puffy eyes!  :)

Concealers:  I used my light and fair Maybelline Fit Me Concealers.  They seem to be separating in the tubes but they are still creamy, blendable and do the trick.

 

I will be sure to keep you updated on the Cabbage Soup diet.  I almost bailed on Day 2 towards the end of the day.   I was feeling a bit weak.  I also cut out coffee and have been drinking tea exclusively.  No headaches!  And of course I should be drinking more water.  I don't know what it is with me and water lately.  I used to drink a minimum of 2 liters a day!

Week 7 results are coming up next!

A "little" CVS trip...

Dropping by the far CVS with 3 kids in tow, could have been disastrous, but I was feeling very brave with $15 in ECBs, a $4 off $20 purchase and a $5 off $15 cosmetic purchase coupon at the magic coupon machine...  What could go wrong, right?

My intentions were to grab some Physician's Formula at 40% off and some L'OREAL Youth Code to take advantage of $10 ECB with $30 skincare purchase using $8 in coupons and submitting a $10 rebate.  And that's how it mostly went.

The magic coupon machine was jammed up so I lost a scan, slightly annoying as you can usually scan twice.  No biggie.  I was worried that the $5 off $15 cosmetic purchase coupon wasn't going to print but it did!  Yay!  But since I didn't get a second scan, I missed out on (possibly) the $3 off $10 Milani purchase.  I used to be able to scan my card several times a week and get coupons, now it's just one or 2 times.  :(

So here is what I got (minus filler candy items):

In order to qualify for both the $10 ECB and the $10 rebate, I had to purchase $30 worth of L'OREAL skincare products.  I had a $3 off Youth Code and a $5 off $20 L'OREAL product purchase.  The L'OREAL Youth Code Skin Perfector serum was $24.99 and the L'OREAL Revitalift cleansing wipes were $7.99.

Physician's Formula Youthful Wear Cosmeceutical Youth Boosting Spotless Foundation in SPF 20 was $16.99.  Yowsers!  Glad I got it for 40% off and there was a $3 peelie coupon on the product.  Yeah $6 and change is more my speed...  I got it in shade light and put it on as soon as I got home.  One observation, they need a shade in fair.  Light, the lightest shade in the range, in terms of MAC, is about NC 25-30 so it is slightly darker than my skintone right now.  It has a beautiful semi-matte finish though.  It feels less silicone-y than the L'OREAL Magic Powder foundation if you are familiar with that product.  I will have a review soon!

I also grabbed with Revlon Skinlights in 100 Bare Light to take advantage of the $5 off $15 CVS coupon and $4 ECB with $12 Revlon purchase.  I never tried the original Revlon Skinlights and apparently people went a bit cray cray when they were discontinued 5 years ago.  I saw these in the permanent display at Ulta so looks like they are staying for the time being!  This product was $13.99.

When I scanned my card at the magic coupon machine my ECBs were on there and also a 20% off coupon that I had sent to my card sometime last week.  I thought it had already expired!

So my coupons were:

$4 off $20 CVS coupon
20% off total purchase CVS coupon
$5/$20 L'OREAL product MC
$3 L'OREAL Youth Code MC
25 cent Palmolive CVS coupon
$3 Physicians Formula peelie coupon
$15 ECB

Now the $15 in ECB rang up as separate CVS coupons (in today's trip, 3)...  Which may cause a slight problem in your transaction.  You need to have enough products per coupons being used.  I grabbed some candy thinking that I had enough but I needed to grab another filler item.  I had 9 items and the register will only take 9 coupons.  When the $3 Youth Code coupon beeped, coupon #10, I was going to go back for 2 Cadbury eggs, but then I saw a line of not 1, not 2, but 6 people behind me and 2 of my kids decided to fight over the gum we just bought so... it was time to get out of there fast.  :) 

Which is okay because I didn't know I still had the 20% off CVS coupon and that saved me an unexpected $6.53.

See receipt below!

Hefty amount out of pocket but I got back $4 in ECB for the Revlon purchase and $10 ECB for the L'OREAL purchase.  I will be submitting for the $10 L'OREAL rebate and I will be getting another $5 ECB for the $50 Beauty Club purchase.  So all in all, it was a money maker.

I could have broken up the transaction and dumped the $10 L'OREAL ECB on the Revlon and Physician's Formula, which I highly recommend so you are spending less out of pocket, but when people start lining up behind me, I don't like to hold things up and annoy the person at the register.

So let me get that rebate stuff together before I forget...  Here's the link to the rebate info!

So, I found myself in CVS again... Clearance Part II

I don't know how it happened.  I got into my car and BAM!  There I was at the far CVS, the far and fully stocked CVS.  Score!  I was able to get everything on my list!  Yay!  So much better then my wasted trip on Sunday.  I basically grabbed everything that I had coupons for. 

I broke it into 2 transactions which made the lady at the register really happy!  Actually she was a gem.  We had some issues with coupons.  Some weren't scanning.  I think it was because she was waving the coupons really fast under the scanner.  I wanted to tell her to hold them still...  :)

Transaction #1:

Colgate Optic White Mouthwash (huge bottles!) on sale for $5.99, had 2/$2 MCs, $5 ECB. 
Out of pocket expense (OOP): $3.82
ECBs earned: $6

Rolled these ECB into next transaction.

Transaction #2:

2 packages of Scott's paper towels, on sale $4.99 had 2/$1 CVS coupons
Nicole by OPI Modern Family Back in My Gloria Days, clearance $1.99
Sally Hansen Gem Crush Lady Luck $1.99
Revlon Lip Gloss Crystal Water $2.12, $2 MC
Revlon Lip Gloss Sunset Peach $2.12, $2 MC
Got2b Powder'ful volumizing styling powder $3.74 x2, $3 MC
Pantene Beautiful Lengths conditioner $3.49, $1 MC
Pantene Stylers Gel, $3.39, $2 MC
VO5 Hot Oil Shower Works $3.49x2, $1MC x2
Soft Soap Raspberry $1.88, $1 CVS coupon
Shower puff $1.88, $1 CVS coupon
Aveeno lotion x2, BOGO 50%, $2 MCx2
Physician's Formula Palette Powder in Creamy natural $3.74

 

This transaction got a little tricky.  Some clearance items did not scan up at the clearance price, some barcodes were unrecognized and then like I said previously, coupons weren't scanning.  So it got a little frustrating, especially when you have all your coupons in nice neat piles (I had 20 pieces of coupons and ECBs) to hand them over one by one and then your cashier grabs them and starts scanning them as she sees fit. 

I like to hand them over not just because I am OCD, but to prevent mistakes.  Countless times I have found that a coupon didn't scan, or scanned incorrectly or the person at the register will say I didn't get that product or numerous other reasons.  It is just so much easier to address each coupon individually and make sure it goes through correctly the first time before the sale is complete.  It's a nightmare to go back and fix it after you have paid.  Everybody gets in a tiffy, the cashier, manager, people on line behind you who are waiting and shaking their head because you are taking the time to save...

But today, I didn't want to be that couponer, so I just sat back and let her figure out the mess.  I heard a lot of, "the computer is smart, it knows when you can use a coupon or not."  And at one point she said I couldn't use the Revlon coupon because then I would only be paying 12 cents for a lip gloss.  What?  That's why I am buying it with a coupon, so I am only spending 12 cents on it. :)

FYI when handing over your coupons, do it in this order...

1. CVS coupons
2. MC coupons
3. ECB's

For the transaction I had the following:
6 CVS coupons, $8 total:
$1 off shower puff
$1 off soft soap
$2 off $8 hair, shampoo, styler, treatment purchase
$2 off $10 hand/body lotion purchase
2x$1 off Scott's Product

9 MCs totaling $16

ECBs
$6 from Transaction #1
$21 from Black Friday

It took about 20 minutes for it all to get straightened out.  She said I did "pretty good."  I agree with that statement. 

My subtotal was $10.34 which I am happy with since in years past, I've paid that for tube of Aveeno lotion and with no coupon in a pinch. 

But I'm going to try to stay away from CVS for a while.  Pinky swear. 

Here is OPI Modern Family Back in My Gloria Days...  The sky literally turned black and it started pouring just as I took this photo but its a pretty pink, orange, purple multichrome shift.  You can see the orange/bronze more in the bottle than on the nail.  Pretty color!

Here is Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Lady Luck.  This is a matte finish.  I have on 3 coats and a top coat.  This polish would do better with a darker basecoat first and maybe 2 coats of Lady Luck.  I actually bought this one to make a Christmas bulb!  More on that later!  I'm a sucker for holographic glitter!

CVS Clearance Goodies!

It's that time of year again!  Get your coupons ready and head on over to CVS to snag some deals!

My CVS didn't have the clearance stickers on the products yet so I had to do a little scanning and I had Nouveau Cheap's post up on my phone.  G has everything listed and readers have sent her pictures of the products on the shelves!  So head on over there for the latest sale information.

Here is what I scored:

Guess how much I paid?

Well, walking into the store I had ECB's from Black Friday, $4 off $20 store purchase, and various Revlon and L'Oreal coupons.  I scanned my card and a $10 Beauty Club ECB printed.  Was not expecting that.  Thanks CVS Beauty Club! 

L'Oreal nail color in 550 After Hours.  It looks slightly blurple in the bottle but it is a super dark blue.  I also grabbed the 1 stop base.  My CVS has them priced at $3.25 each and I had $1 off coupons for both.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Darling and Precious were priced at 2.49 each.  I had a $2 off Revlon lip product MC.

Precious and Darling

 

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder in Naturally Neutral rang up at $1.99!  This is a gorgeous setting powder.  It comes in a few colors, I already have Translucent Extra Coverage.  It does have a "grandma" smell to it.  In fact my mom was shocked that I had a tub.  My grandmother apparently used it.  You can buy unscented versions which I have seen at Kmart and retro cardboard packaging!

But if you can get over the fact that it has talc and parabens in it, it really is a nice setting powder.

Physician's Formula Concealer Twins is on clearance for $2.32.  It's always good to have a green based concealer for those blemishes ladies! 

Also Milani lip products are $2.99 this week.  Such a steal.  I have 3 CVS stores near me. This one, the far one, is the only one that carries Milani lip products.  I grabbed Best Red, Sangria, and Dulce Carmelo.  I really wanted Nude Crème and Plumrose but each had 2 in the slots and all 4 had been opened despite the safety seal. 

 

I also bought a space shuttle toy for my very happy 3 year old who shopped with me.  With all the coupons and ECBs I paid 96 cents.  100% savings!  lol

 

"And that is how you shop with coupons.  Wow, " the cashier said. 

Yes ma'am.

Have you been to CVS for the clearance yet?  Even though they may not be marked yet, scan your items to see!  And check out Nouveau Cheap for the latest master list of items.

The other drugstores will be having their clearance as well so let me know what you find!

Happy Clearance Shopping!

What's in my makeup bag- work travel edition

Here's a look into the makeup bag I packed for a recent overnight travel work trip.  I occasionally travel for work, maybe once a month.  When I do travel for work, I work 36 hours straight.   I do sleep (more like a brief rest) but for the 6 hours I am not "sleeping," there is no time for touch ups.  I need to pack reliable and fool-proof products.

I got this makeup bag late last year from the Hautelook Beauty Bag that they offered on Black Friday.  For $20, the samples that were included were meh, but this is a good size makeup bag, with a liner and I use it all the time.  It's big enough to store everything you need. 

 

I will start off my everyday deodorant, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist.  This is the best deodorant I have every encountered.  I do not sweat really unless I am at the gym so I do not need an anti-perspirant on the regular but this deodorant works really well with my chemistry and I don't have to worry about a thing (smelling) using this product.  It's a bit pricey at $15 for 1.7 oz but I bought this back in July I believe and it's just about running out.  I don't live anywhere close to Nordstrom, but they offer free shipping on-line so that's a bonus.

Lips:

I just grabbed a Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain just so I could throw something on that looked natural and would last.  It doesn't last all day but my lips tend to start off pale in the morning and brighten up during the day or it's just my makeup wearing off.  Probably the latter!  :)  This is in Honey.

 

 



Hair:

I packed EverCreme Intense Nourishing Shampoo that I actually didn't even use.  But I love the EverCreme line by L'OREAL and this is a nice sized sample.  The line is very gentle and moisturizing. 

The hotel I was staying at provided Crabtree and Evelyn Avocado, Olive Oil and Basil line and I must say that I had a very good hair day.  I will be picking up a set in the future for sure.  $18 a bottle is a bit steep, but the results were really good.  I also like the LaSource line of shampoo and conditioner which I also discovered at another hotel at which I stayed.  Good stuff!

I also brought a dry shampoo just in case I didn't have time to wash my hair.  It is quite oily so in order to look presentable, I need to wash my hair almost every day.  I had a sample of Oscar Blandi volumizing dry shampoo from a Birchbox a while ago.  It works really well and that sticky, filminess of dry shampoo sprays is very minimal with this one.  And it smells nice!

Skincare:

Frequently, I will squeeze out a foil sample packet into a plastic jar with a lid.  A small sample packet can last you 1-2 weeks.  Seriously try it!  I forgot what is in this jar, it might be something from Kiehl's.  :)

Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Eye Roller just has really convenient packaging for travel.  I roll this on all the time and it's pretty effective at hydrating your undereye area in a light weight form.  As far as wrinkles is concerned, I'm not really sure.  I am starting to get a few fine lines here and there as part of the natural aging process of collagen breakdown.  Does this eliminate them?  No, but it's very soothing and the extra light moisture doesn't seem to hurt.

I also packed RAWskincare Ambiant Eye Treatment for my night time routine.  Again, I feel like I need some extra moisture under my eyes but I haven't seen a huge improvement after using this product.

epielle cucumber cleansing tissues can be found at Big Lots and yes they are only $1 for 30 wipes.  They aren't the thickest wipes nor the most wet that I have ever tried but for $1, you cannot go wrong with these.  They remove makeup for the most part. I still need a separate eye makeup remover and I do not use these exclusively for cleansing so they work well for my purposes.  Also did I mention that they are only a dollar?

Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit foaming scrub has a nice scent and is pretty effective at thoroughly cleaning the skin without over-stripping and drying.  I have combo/oily skin, more oily t-zone, mostly normal cheeks.  I enjoyed using this and the packaging is conveniently tiny.

I had the empty box of mdskincare Dr. Dennis Gross 4-in-1 Facial Treatment wipes in my last empties post but I found 3 more in my makeup bag.  Yes!  But this is the absolute last one.  No! I might have to breakdown and buy these. Cleansing, balancing, treating and toning in one step.  Do I just do the one step, no, but I use these as a balancer, treatement and tonor.  So it's a 3-n-1 for me!

Primers:

This Too Faced Primed and Poreless is in the perfect travel size.  This sample has lasted me a really long time as well.  I just use this in my t-zone.  Believe it or not, less is more for me in terms of skincare.  It may seem like I fly through products but I do use them sparingly so for this like a pea size amount is plenty for my t-zone.

Urban Decay Primer Potion works really well for my eye lids to prevent creasing.  I use either Urban Decay or Too Faced Shadow Insurance.  Both work really well on my oily lids.  I think that this my last sample in the "vintage" packaging thankfully.  Blending-wise, I think Too Faced provides a better surface though. 

I also packed this sample of Atzen Balance Protective Day Cream just in case my skin was a little dry.  I did use it that morning and I can say it did not make my skin overly oily during the day I was working.  The directions say 1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon for the entire face and neck and is a perfect base for makeup. I definitely used less than that to cover my entire face and neck.  I focus more on my cheeks and neck and avoid my t-zone.  I might look into a full size of this.  I don't see any SPF information on the sample bottle.

I will include L'Occitane Moisturizing Lip Balm in the primer category because I used this to moisturize my lips before any lip products that I apply and at night.  Good stuff.  I like that it is Natural and Organic certified and is made with shea butter.

Makeup:

After priming I go in with Rachel K CC Cream and press it into my skin concentrating in my t-zone and working out towards my cheeks.  I really didn't need to use a separate primer but since I wasn't going to have time for touchups in 12 hours, I just wanted some extra priming on board.   I love Rachel K CC Cream.  It's moisturizing enough just to use alone in warm weather but since it has been very cold and dry down here in NC, I have been using a separate moisturizer most days.   It conceals the redness in my cheeks very well and gives me a smooth and even surface for my foundation.  When days I am running out the door, this is usually all I need and a little blush or bronzer.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla.  This is just a touch too dark right now.  But this foundation works well with Rachel K, has a semi-matte finish and is a medium to full coverage for me.  I just need a tiny bit.  I can also mix it with a moisturizer to make a tinted moisturizer with it which I have done in the past.

Mineralogie U2 Ultimate Cream Concealer is just that.  Great coverage, minimal under eye creasing.  I concentrate it just in the bluish smudge just under my eye (not the entire under eye area) and press it gently in, altogether avoiding any under eye creases that I have.  I also grabbed my L'OREAL true match crayon concealer in fair/light, n1-2-3 to layer over it just in case I needed something extra.  I also use this to conceal around my nose.  The Mineralogie is just a little too moisturizing in that area as I tend to get oily around my nose.

theBalm Sexy Mama finishing powder and Hot Mama! blush are perfect travel packaging.  They are small and compact and come in paper sleeves to prevent them from flying open in your makeup bag.  Sexy Mama is just a touch too dark but I made it work.  Hot Mama! is one of those peachy Nars Orgasm dupes.  I didn't feel the need to pack a bronzer with this one.

Love L'Oreal Infallibles...  I just need these two for a full, no fuss eye.  Bronzed Taupe all over the lid and blended up into the crease, Iced Latte in the inner corner.  I used 2 liners as well.  AVON Glimmersticks in Brown Glow blended out on the upper and lower lash line gives a bronzey glow and Physicians Formula brown liner from the trio for brown eyes is a cool, toned dark chocolate brown for tight lining the upper and lower lash line.  The combination of the two liners really make my blue eyes pop.  Love the way that they look together.  I probably should get backups.  They also do no budge, smudge or run.  I tend to get watery eyes throughout the day, these do not move.

I packed two mascaras.  Smachbox Full Exposure and blinc.  I use Smashbox first to lengthen and build volume and blinc just locks everything in place and holds my curl all day.  blinc is kind of annoying to remove as it forms these little tubes over your eyelashes but I can deal with it if it means my curl will last.

 Oil Control:

Rachel K CC Cream works like a charm but shine is inevitable so blotting papers are a must for me.  I really like this sample pack of Shiseido that I have been using.  They work amazingly well.  I only have to blot once or twice a day with these.  Other sheets 3-4 times.  It may seem that all blotting papers do the same thing which they do, soak up that oil but there is something about this particular brand and their lasting power that works with my skin.    Shiseido was the first brand of blotting powders that I tried back in college.  They may have been the first actually.

So that's what I brought on my most recent overnight work trip.  Thanks for peeking into my makeup bag!!!  :)