April Target Haul

It seems like I have been posting a lot of hauls lately, which I probably have been but hey, I can't help myself. I ended up at Target and I needed to get a few things. Of course, there were some extra things I maybe didn't need :)

The most important item on my list was cough medicine. I've been battling a terrible cough for over a week and it got so bad that the first two meds I tried couldn't help me. I wasn't sleeping and at times I coughed so hard I almost threw up! Sadly, this did nothing for me either and I finally went to the doctor and found out I have bronchitis. Whomp whomp.

I decided that to help me with designing and to help with an assignment for school I needed to buy some tracing paper. This will be helpful especially with learning Typography because I want to become a lot better at drawing letters.

On the same note I decided to grab a pad of drawing paper. This is interesting because there are three different weights of paper in this pad, which I find funny for a pad in the children's craft section but oh well!

I've been hoping to get my hands on some pens for drawing and these are perfect. They are super skinny and very light which is a nice change. They are sold at about $12 which isn't bad for pens like these.

I also wanted to pick up a pack of black pens, I can never have too many black pens :) 

Now the good stuff :) I went nail polish happy on this trip but I'm in love with these colors and I will be wearing these all Spring and Summer for sure!

Obviously there is no denying my love for Essie nail polishes but these two Revlon colors were to die for! I've heard some good things about wear and chipping for Revlon polishes so I look forward to giving them a try.

I tried out all three colors and I have to say they have pretty awesome color payoff. The blue needs two coats so it isn't streaky and the pink needs at least two coats. The color comes off sheer but a tiny bit streaky. If you take your time with it, it will turn out nice. Sand Tropez is AMAZING. It looks like it'd be really sheer but it is so opaque which makes me love this color even more.

I hated the other Almay Make-up remover that I tried, it is the blue solution, but I'm in love with the purple solution by Almay. Well I wanted to try one more and I picked this up and I just should not have done it. This says oil free but you see separated liquids you need to shake together. Well stupid me. It is so greasy that sometimes washing my face doesn't even take care of it all. I'm going to stick with what I know and love.

I also picked up a new top coat by Essie. I've never tried this brand's top coat but this one is a base, top coat and strengthener. I like it but it is nothing like my Sally Hanson top coat!

I am a self proclaimed candle whore so I thought instead of spending a ton of money at BBW, why not try Target? I am positive that all three column candles were under $10 each for sure. I loved the colors and the scents are fantastic. From left to right: Lavender, Waterfall, and Tahitian Vanilla.

I also bought a candle holder for them so I don't make a mess it is a black stone circle plate and it was about $4!

I hope you guys enjoyed! This post was way too delayed but it is finally here!

Goals for the Week 4.22.13

Hey guys,

This last week I had off from work and honestly I've been so wrapped up in stuff I totally forgot to blog! I have an April Target Haul coming your way hopefully tomorrow so be on the look out.

However, tonight I just wanted to write a list of things I want to accomplish this week. I'm just feeling a little more motivated so here we go!

- Apply to at least one job everyday this week

- Go to Yoga Wednesday & Thursday :)

- Go through old mail and papers and file them

- Complete my project for a course I'm taking on Skillshare! Go here and check it out ->http://www.skillshare.com/Contract-Writing-101-for-Freelancers/933618854/2072544495/classroom

- Talk to him ;)

- Finish up lesson 1 in my Typography class

- Finish helping my brother on his paper

That is all I can think of but it seems like a pretty good list. What goals do you have? Long-term? Short-term?

Bath and Body Works Haul 4.11.13

It has been ages since I've been in Bath and Body Works and the other I just happened to have the opportunity to go in! I went to the mall just to get dinner but ended up getting a haircut and going to BBW as well!

I really just wanted candles because I didn't go through all my Winter candles and I just wanted to save them and get some Spring/Summer scents. Well, obviously I ended up with way more than just candles. The only thing is I wished I waited because I think I got an email today saying buy one get one for the 3 wick candles, I'm not sure.

Anyways, on to the good stuff!

So lets do the candles first! I got two small candles at $10 each. I picked up Tiki Beach and Beach Cabana. What I found going through all the candles is I really hate flowery smells, and I even smelled Market Peach and wasn't impressed. Sadly I think it is because I enjoy the fabricated/fake smell we think things smell like instead of their actual smells. But for me, the floral and spring smells were just too much.The coconut ones which I hoped I'd love smelled not like the fake coconut I've grown to love.

Tiki Beach and Beach Cabana are so nice and not too strong that they give you a headache. Tiki Beach - a scent as warm as sunrays - a luxurious blend of toasted coconut, vanilla musk, orchids, and resort glamour. Beach Cabana - The air under a beach cabana is filled with fragrant, sweet jasmine, orange blossom, and a hint of fluffy white towels.

On the right in the aqua is the True Blue Spa Apricot and White Tea face scrub. I'm very cautious when it comes to skin care because it seems like if I pick the wrong product my face will act violently against it. I've had some dry patches, particularly between my eyebrows and on my nose and I knew it was time to grab a scrub when deep moisturizing wasn't working. I certainly think this had made a difference, even if I've only used it twice.

It smells incredible and the granules in the scrub are pretty average and honestly as long as you are gentle they won't really be too harsh.

Then along with the need for a face scrub, I definitely needed a body scrub. The winter was not kind to my skin so I needed something to take the dead skin away. This is part of a limited edition collection of tropical scents. There are three scents from this escape collection. Aruba Coconut, Rio Rumberry and Mali Mango all of which sound pretty tasty. I got the Aruba Coconut which is "an exotic blend of juicy Thai mango, Fuji Apple and white nectarine. The scent isn't too too strong but honestly I am in love and I might have to go back and get some more. I wasn't crazy about the Mali Mango but that's because I'm not huge on citrus. The scrub is $14.

I love me some pedicures. I don't get them too much because they can add up in price but I thought I could take care of my feetsies with some really nice foot cream. I've always have really dry skin there, especially because of being a dancer but this is a god send. Honestly, the only reason I picked this up was because it was buy two get one free. So I just randomly picked this up and I am so glad I did.

This is the Super Rich Foot Cream in shea butter. On its' own it is $15 dollars but worth every single penny. There are 4 fluid ounces in this one but here's a hint - you can buy the spa size for $5 more and get double the product at 8 fluid ounces. I wish I had known that!

Finally, is the True Blue Spa Super Rich Body Cream in Vanilla Almond - those are two of my favorite scents and this is just perfect for my skin to recover and get warm weather ready.

The True Blue Spa line is an awesome part of Bath and Body Works and it has been around for a long time. They have a beach spray for hair that I might want to grab. I feel another trip to BBW coming on!

Have you guys gotten anything from BBW? Any good body care products? Let me know in the comments!

MAC Make-up Collection

MAC has been a staple in the beauty community for I don't know how long. It was one of the first "high end" brands I was introduced to, and I think the same can be said for a lot of people. It used to dominate YouTube as the topic of beauty gurus' videos, and I used to watch ALL of them.

It seems like it is a brand that many younger teenagers seem to flock to and I decided to go back and visit my small stash of MAC products and share them with you! It's like looking back into the beauty product yearbook.

Lets look at eyeshadows first, because that is surprisingly what I have the most of. I always forget about these but I love the combination of neutrals and browns that I picked up. Those need to get a lot more use!

First Column - Era (Satin -Soft Golden Beige with Shimmer), Naked Lunch (Minimal Pink with Shimmer), Arena (Satin - Soft gold peach with pearl)

Second Column - Soft Brown (Matte- Soft Golden Peachy Brown), Texture (Velvet - Peachy Brown with Shimmer), Antiqued (Veluxe Pearl - Coppery Brown)

Third Column - Purple Haze (Matte - Intense Purple), Hepcat* (Frost - Raspberry Pink with Fuchsia Purple Sheen) , Silver Ring (Veluxe Pearl - Grey with Silver Sheen

Last Column - Carbon (Matte - Intense Black) , Graphology* (Matte - Blackish Blue with Purple Undertones)

*Hepcat and Graphology are both discontinued colors for MAC.

Swatches of Graphology, Carbon, Silver Ring, Hepcat and Purple Haze

Swatches of Antiqued, Texture, and Soft Brown
Swatches of Arena, Naked Lunch, and Era.

I have two blushes in my collection and they are as different as night and day.

Sunbasque is a sheertone shimmer that is more peachy gold sheen. It doesn't have chunky glitter which I like but this is an amazing warm weather color. This will look good on probably all skin tones and with a tan it will be a great subtle flush.

Fever is a total Winter color and one that needs to be used with the lightest of hands. It is a matte and is described as an intense reddish burgundy. It is gorgeous but can be hard to wear if you're too light. It is so pigmented but even more so than Sunbasque, which is pretty pigmented for it's color.

I have one face powder, which is actually a beauty powder. It is called Blush of Youth and I'm almost positive it was a limited edition product. I bought it at a CCO a loooong time ago. This is a weird product because if you swatch it on your finger or put your brush in you can see the product but once it is on your face you can't see much of anything. However, it is nice for taking shine away. For as long as I've been using it though, I can get through that rose design! It isn't a must have product but I think if I could try other beauty powders I might be more impressed.

Finally, my final product is a Cremesheen lipstick called On Hold. Now in the pictures it looks like a red lipstick but it really is a bright hot pink. The website describes it as a mid-tone yellow raspberry which I think is pretty right on.  I think the swatch does a little more justice. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan because it is drying and the smell kind of sucks. However, that seems like the consensus amongst many girls, and it seems like MAC lipsticks are a dying favorite.

Powder blushes go for $21 in the package and eyeshadows are $15 in package. If you only buy the pan refills - the blushes are $17 and the eyeshadows are $12. I ended up depotting Sunbasque and a few of the eyeshadows. While it is a pain in the butt, it can be done. I have the older palettes but MAC as totally revamped and made them really customizable with inserts. There is even one that you can see through the lid and one that is double sided! Lipsticks usually go for $15 which is pretty reasonable.

Hope you guys enjoyed! I have a target haul coming up soon.

Let me know what your favorite MAC products are/were.

April 2013 Birchbox

It is always an exciting day when you get your Birchbox in the mail and today was no exception. I was pleasantly surprised at this month's theme (mostly because I wasn't on the website at all to find out) was fitness! Tiny tweaks, big results is this month's theme and  while the products aren't so much fitness related I understand why they picked what they did. So let's jump in!

First product I saw was this CC Cream by Supergoop, which I was never really sure if it was a hair brand or a sunscreen brand. It is actually a sun care brand so this makes sense. I've not tried a CC cream yet so I am definitely intrigued by this. It has a decent color to it considering it is a "light to medium" tint. It isn't going to give a lot of coverage but if you don't need it, then it shouldn't be a problem.

This is right out of the tube and below is after I've sheered it out a bit. There is sunscreen so that is a plus and it blends in very nicely to the skin. It is said to be adjusting to skin tones and a full size is $32.

Next up is the Beauty Protector - Protect and Detangle spray. I love sprays like this and it smells really good! There are seven "hair-healing" functions: Instant Detangler, Thermal Protector, UV Protector, Seals Cuticle, Smooths Hair, Locks in Color, Weightless, Conditioning, Non-Greasy, Adds Shine.

That is a lot of benefits! It is safe for all hair types and a full size is $21.95. If it is as good as it claims I would totally buy a full size!

The lifestyle extra was food which I love and it was chocolate so it was even better! These are macaroons by Hail Merry. They are raw, vegan, gluten-free, and made with only natural products. These are made with extra virgin coconut oil and apparently when at room temperature it makes them really melt in your mouth. I wasn't crazy about the texture but I think it is because there was shredded coconut in there because the only way I could describe it was flaky.

The ingredients really impressed me though just because of how few are in there! Organic maple syrup, organic shredded coconut, Fair Trade dark cocoa, organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic Madagascar bourbon vanilla, and sea salt. How crazy is that? There were two macaroons in the bag but don't be fooled they do not look like the macaroons we drool at on Tumblr from Lauduree! Full size is $5.

I'm very excited about this next product which is the LAFACE Laboratories Beaux Yeux Beautiful Eyes Concentrate Intensive. Long name aside it is an eye cream. But this is one fancy eye cream! The description says, "A hefty dose of hyaluronic acid amps up moisture levels, while an advanced peptide complex halts wrinkle formation". When I tried some on my hand I almost passed out, this is hands down the most moisturizing eye cream I've ever seen. I think this could do wonders for my dark circles and how they are sunken a little.

The bummer? A full size $160! I love it but I don't know if I love it that much :/

 

Last product! A sample of  the Divine Oil by Caudalie, which I'm excited about because it is on the pricier side. It is a dry oil and it smells so nice. "Made with a blend of grape, argan, hibiscus, and sesame oils", holy cow! The great thing about this is it is one of those versatile products that you can use in your hair, on your face, for the skin, and the nails. A full size ranges from $9 to $49 depending on size.

 

 

Also in the box was a card for a one year subscription to Women's Health Magazine which is a great publication that I love. Women's Health teamed up with Birchbox this month so this only makes sense. What I found more impressive? Say you are already subscribed to the magazine; you can send them this card and your order confirmation for the box and get a refund of the $10 it would normally cost for the year subscription!

I think Birchbox realized how pissed people were getting with the coupons that you had to spend money in order to use and it sucked because the coupons were being used towards to worth of the box. Major props to Birchbox on this one!

Did you guys get your Birchboxes yet? Did you get anything different? Let me know!

I'm the worst...and other updates

I've said it so many times I'm sure you're all sick of it. Unfortunately, life just gets in the way. So I'll just get to what is going on with me recently.

Recovery is pretty much over from my surgery! I don't have any pain except when I yawn, which is still weird but whatever. I see the doctor on Tuesday and then I am free!

Easter has come and gone and it wasn't very exciting to be honest. I went to my Aunt's house with the rest of my family and we ate food and talked. Pretty normal for a family dinner. Below is my "Easter" outfit, I figured I could at least pull out a pastel for the holiday. I love that button up from JCrew and the flats are from Old Navy

Here is my make-up for the day too. God, I cannot stand my nose - it is so obnoxious! Any who  I loved the eyeshadow I did, and believe it or not - those are NOT fake eyelashes! I don't know why but they look amazing in this picture.

I also did a little bit of shopping the week earlier - I wanted pants and not just denim so I scored some Khaki pants from Old Navy at $25 each! They didn't have a blue color so I might look at Gap for those. These are comfy but not as tight in the leg as I wanted - unfortunately I think I would have had to go with the Gap's Khakis which are more expensive. I don't know, I haven't worn two of the pairs yet so I might to a return.

I was a dummy and got a half size too big but I don't mind because they aren't too hard to walk in but I got flats from Old Navy too! I really didn't have any flats so I'm glad I could pick these up and they were around $10 each I think.

I'm still working at my web design certificate! I have two more lessons left in my Photoshop class and then I'm going to have my advisor open my next two classes: HTML/CSS and Typography. I'm really looking forward to the HTML/CSS course because I already now it but I taught myself - so it'll be nice to learn it in a class setting.

I am lusting after other design programs though. I wish I had never spent all that money on college before and had it to spend now! I don't hate that I went to college - I guess it was a good thing to do but my trip was so tumultuous and unnecessary. Now that I know what I want, I wish I had the money to do it. Noble Desktop and The Shillington School are on my wishlist...

I just wanted to mention this product below - it is the pillow mist in Lavender Chamomile and oh my goodness this is the most heavenly smell ever. I'm sort of sad I used it all up but I had this bottle for like 2 or 3 years! I might have to go back to Bath and Body Works and pick up a new one :)