I Love Ulta

I have an addiction. It's makeup. I love trying new brands and finding great products. I shop at Ulta, probably more than I should, but after my separation and now divorce, looking good just makes me feel better. So I figure on a scale from harmless to rock bottom time for rehab, this makeup addiction is on the benign end of the spectrum. One of the things I love most about Ulta is their rewards program. I earn points for every purchase and those points are worth cash off of future purchases. The points never expire, so that's nice too. It's free to join and right now you can get a coupon for $10 off your next purchase just for signing up!

Cargo Blush...looks can be deceiving

For quite some time now I've been wanting to try out Cargo's blush. It's regularly $26 for each metal tub so when Ulta had it on sale for $13 during their 21 Days of Beauty Sale I snapped up 2. (I probably would have bought another but they sold out of the other color I wanted to try very quickly)

The containers look pretty huge when compared to other similar products. I had read reviews stating there was a lot of product for the money. However when my 2 arrived one was detached from the packaging. Now it's not a big deal when it comes to using the blush. The blush itself wasn't broken but as you can see from the picture there is a plastic spacer that takes up over half of the metal container. The actual amount of blush is very average. 

This isn't to say that I'm not pleased with the product. It turns out I really do like the blush. The water resistant Los Cabos (the orangey one) is actually very flattering. I've been mixing it with the regular powder blush in Catalina and I'm loving the color combo. I'm just surprised that a company that generally has minimalistic packaging is making their containers appear to contain more than they do. Yes, there is a weight clearly stamped on the back. I'm not saying they're committing fraud or anything that serious, but if I hadn't received the particular package that I did, I would have expected it to last much longer and probably been kind of annoyed when I realized it was almost empty less than half way to the bottom of the tub. 

Ipsy Glam Bag September

This month my Ipsy glam bag has some great shades for Fall. The lotion is really great, it's my favorite item so far. I love getting these surprise bags every month. They use the profile I filled out to pick great samples to try. Sometimes there are delux sample size products and sometimes they're full size. I've gotten makeup brushes, nail polish, all kinds of cool beauty items. Usually the products are rather expensive brands so it's a nice way to try them before committing to spending a lot on something you may not love. It costs $10 per month and each set comes with a makeup bag. I really like that about Ipsy. Click here to check it out!  

Ulta, beauty steals

This month Ulta has different products on sale every day. This isn't your average sale, these are significant discounts on some really great products. I'm a beauty product junkie. I love makeup and I firmly believe that you don't get the same quality with drugstore brands as you do with the higher end brands. Today they have one of my favorite mascaras on sale. Normally $21 each, Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4 in 1 Mascara is 50% off making it $10.50! There is also a sale on Pur Minerals Mineral Mist, regularly priced at $19, for $10 today. I've never tried this so I can't recommend it one way or the other though.

Pur Minerals

I really like Pur Minerals 4 in 1 Pressed Mineral Foundation. So when I saw a great deal on a fairly large set containing the powder that I use every day, I jumped at the deal. It was straight from the Pur Minerals site, so I wasn't worried about any issues with a shady 3rd party seller. I placed my order on April 5th.
On April 16th I received an email stating that my order had finally shipped. I thought this was a pretty long time to wait to ship my order, but the deal was really good, so I figured that maybe more people than they expected took advantage of it, which would account for the delay. So I waited. And I waited.
When it still hadn't arrived by today, I decided to call the company.
First I was told that they showed my package being delivered on April 14th. I asked how that was possible given that my email showed it wasn't even shipped until the 16th. There was a very long pause, after which she explained that there was just a delay in the system and that my order had actually shipped on April 8th. There was another fairly long pause, followed by her telling me that her system showed my order was sent to Minnesota. That's a problem...since I live in Michigan. There was no explanation for why my order was sent to the wrong state, my shipping address was correct in her computer.
When all was finally said and done, I was told that my order would re-ship tomorrow. Hopefully this time it makes it to the correct state. Only time will tell.

BaByliss Nano Titanium Hair Dryer

You know, I always wondered why anyone would spend more than $25-$30 on a hair dryer. I mean they all blow hot air, right? Why pay more for a fancy name brand, how much could more could a hair dryer really do?

Well, the BaByliss Nano Titanium Dryer answered those questions for me, loud and clear. Ok, actually it was pretty quietly, but message received. In just one use, without changing any other part of my beauty routine, the difference in my hair was obvious. Not only did it dry my hair in less than 1/2 the time my cheap hair dryer did, but it also left my hair soft and shiny. My hair was much less frizzy, so it also took much less time to straighten with my flat iron. It's a 2000 watt dryer, as opposed to the normal 1875 most commercial hair dryers are working with. I assume that is the reason behind the quicker drying time. I can't honestly say I know the science behind the other effects, but honestly I don't really care. All I know is that my hair looks great and it's shaving lots of time off of my morning routine. I couldn't be happier with it.
Now, I ordered the BaByliss dryer from Ulta, but I waited until I received a 20% off coupon since it's relatively expensive. It's regular price at the moment is $84.95.

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty

Right now Ulta is having sales every day on different products. These are not just a few dollars off kind of sales either. They are slashing prices on some pretty high end products, a few different products each day. Tomorrow, for example, the Exuviance Performance Peel will be 1/2 off, taking the price from $75 to just $37.50. I've been waiting for this sale! I received a sample of these pads in a bag from Ulta a little while back and absolutely fell in love. After just 1 use my skin looked better. So I'll definitely be ordering tomorrow!
The other sales I'm particularly excited about: on 3/20 the Clarisonic Mia will be reduced from $99 to $79. On 3/22 Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup is reduced to just $17! On 3/23 the price of SeroVital-hgh is reduced by 30% to $69.03.

Anastasia Beverly Hills

I love makeup. I'm seriously having a love affair with it these days. I picked up the original Anastasia Beverly Hills contour pallet when it came out and loved it, though if I had it to do over, I'd probably build my own pallet with just the 2 colors I use most. Oh well, next time for sure. Then, I heard about the cream counter pallet, only sold at Macys and at the Anastasia site. It was out of stock every time I looked for it, I was getting ready to just pay and extra few $$ on eBay, and then I found it on the Anastasia site! To make that find even better, if you sign up for their email list you can take 10% off your first order. So I added the Brow Wiz I was hoping to try to my cart and ordered both pieces up. I figured my package would arrive later this week since I went with the free shipping rather than the 2 day shipping. To my surprise, the package was in my mailbox today!

So the service was great, the products I have mixed feelings about. The Brow Wiz was amazing. If you're not using this or another of her brow products, you're seriously missing out. It completely changes the way your face looks, in a good way. The cream contour pallet, well I'm not so sure about. I ordered it in the light shade (it comes in light, medium & dark) just like the powder pallet, which I love. The colors that come in the cream pallet are different though. The banana is still there, which is good because it's my favorite, but the darker colors look a little funny to me. Now, it's possible that I just need to play with it a little more to find what works best, so I'm not counting the darker shades out just yet.

Next time I order, I think I'd like to try the Dipbrow Pomade. I've heard good things and if it works as well as the Brow Wiz, then it should be pretty great!

EDIT: So after using the Cream Contour for a little while, I have to say that I am totally in love! Even though it wasn't sold as a product that would improve my overall skin tone, I swear it has! I can't imagine why I would ever give this awesome makeup up. It has some serious staying power, water doesn't seem to effect it at all. I don't use all the colors in the pallet, so I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to buy the individual color refills like I can for the powder kit.

Philosophy Hope In a Jar Free Sample

I don't know about you, but it's not everyday that I come across free samples from higher end brands like Philosophy. So I was pretty excited to see this offer appear! Click here to fill out the form for a free sample of Philosophy Hope in a Jar.

Birchbox vs Ipsy

So since my last post on Birchbox, I have cancelled that subscription in favor of Ipsy, a similar brand. In all of my Birchbox boxes, I can't say that I really found any products that I was in love with. They failed to introduce me to anything that I just can't live without. I had heard some good things about Ipsy and for the same $10 a month, decided to give them a try. I'm really glad I did. To start, instead of the items being delivered in just a box that I recycle when I'm done, my items arrive in a makeup bag each month! I love that. I may have a small obsession with makeup bags though. Also, while it has nothing to do with the quality of the items, I also think its cute that my Ipsy "Glam Bag" is delivered in a pink padded envelope every month.
January will be my 4th month receiving the glam bag from Ipsy. My bag ships midmonth and I can't wait to see what they surprise me with this time! I've gotten to try new brands that I'd never heard of like Nourish Organics, and new products from brands I already love like Tarte. One of my favorite new brands that Ipsy introduced me to is Elizabeth Mott. Her You're so FINE waterproof liquid eyeliner in glitterati is amazing. I don't usually like glitter in my makeup. Lets face it, too much glitter after 30 just looks a little sad and desperate. The glitter in this liner is subtle though, you just see a little shine when the light catches it here and there. Also, it doesn't wear off or flake off like a lot of liquid liners. Last, but certainly not least, most products you receive in your glam bag you can purchase at a discount. Ipsy doesn't sell any products directly, however they usually have a promo code for you to receive a discount on the brand website. All in all I have to say, I really like Ipsy much more than Birchbox.

June Birchbox

Well my Birchbox for June arrived yesterday and once again I have mixed feelings about it's contents. First off there are 2 products that I'm excited to try out. The first is called Egyptian Magic, All Purpose Skin Cream. I've heard of this stuff and it's supposed to be fairly amazing! Next up is the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain. The color is called Sugar and it looks like it will compliment my coloring. Then there is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit. This came in it's own box which included the face wash and a muslin cloth. It's a "British award-winner" and it's supposed to purify the skin. I've never heard of this brand but I'm always ready to try out new facial cleansers. After that, we have the Antica Farmacista Bergamot & Ocean Aria Body Wash. It's made with sweet almond oil and is called a "nourishing cleanser". It looks like the complimentary stuff that you'd find in the bathroom of an upscale hotel. Last, and most confusing to me is Miss Jessie's Original MultiCultural Curls. This says that it's specially formulated for "multiethnic hair" and "mixed heritage & multi textured curls". I don't think that applies to me and I definitely don't have curls. This is the second time I've received a product for curly hair. I went back and checked my profile to make sure I hadn't accidentally told them that my hair was curly, and I did not.
So the curly hair product aside, I think this was a pretty decent box. For $10 a month I still feel like the anticipation and excitement of opening the box to see what's inside is worth it. I'm still not 100% satisfied, but I'm also not ready to give up on Birchbox just yet!

Free Restorsea Skincare Samples

It appears that you can order a free sample of each of Restorsea's products. After filling out the form it says to hold the ctrl key to select more than one product. I can't guarantee that all 7 will come, but it does appear to be what they're offering. I've never heard of this company before, but I'm always down to try out new skincare products!

Paula's Choice

I had already been using and was fairly obsessed Paul's Choice skincare products when I was invited to try out the CLEAR Acne Kit through BzzAgent.com.
I'm 34 and I still breakout. There I said it. OK I typed it, but still. They're not awful and they don't ruin my day but they're still annoying. Over the years I have tried just about every acne remedy out there. I've used DIY tricks, drugstore products, department store products, all natural products, prescription medications, vitamins, infomercial acne subscriptions, and just about every 3 step system on the market. Through all the trial and error I've never found anything that has consistently worked well. Then I came across Paula's Choice.
The first thing that I loved about the website is that they offer sample sizes of just about every product they sell. The samples aren't free however they're pretty close to it. I love that I can try the products without investing in a full size before I know if I love it. I don't even want to think about the number of practically full skincare products that I've tossed in the garbage over the years. So far I have yet to find a product that I don't love though. The Shine Stopper legitimately works. The Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator is the best moisturizer that I've ever used. I'm totally in love with it! The CLEAR Acne Kit is pretty fantastic too. This is the first 3 step system where I've been able to use all 3 steps with no irritation. It is also the first set I've used that has been consistently improving the appearance of my skin. Totally loving that too!

#GotItFree

Free Dove Advanced Hair Products + $1.50 Off Coupon

Right now Walmart is offering free samples of Dove Advanced Hair Products and a coupon to save $1.50 on a future purchase. If you follow this link and watch the short video, you'll be taken to a form to fill out for your freebie. Walmart freebies, are legit. They have always arrived for me fairly soon after being ordered.

Coppertone Clearly Sheer

Wow, that's one sexy leather face...said no one ever. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get older and end up with that leathery skin I see on some women. I'm really trying to get into the habit of wearing sunscreen daily, not just when I'm going to the beach or in the pool. I spray my daughter with it when she goes out to play and try to chase my son down with the bottle, but I was often neglecting myself. Then I started using mineral makeup, and in the instructions, it calls for moisturizer. The lotion that came with my makeup set has and SPF. However, I don't like it. The lotion just doesn't seem to absorb well enough so I was looking for something new to protect my skin. Then I got an e-mail from BzzAgent offering me a place in their campaign for Coppertone Clearly Sheer. I was intrigued and happily accepted. They send me some sunscreen to try, and I'm really impressed. There are 2 different formulas, one for regular everyday wear and one for beach days. For starters, the scent is really pleasant. It's not that typical sun screen scent. It's nicer than that, kind of fruity. The one for everyday wear is SPF 30 and it goes on really nicely. It absorbs super quick and leaves my skin feeling soft since it has added moisturizers. Its good for both face and body, and it doesn't clog pores, if it did my face would have broken out for sure! I have no problems applying makeup over top of the sunscreen either since its got a matte finish. I know some sunscreens leave your face too greasy for your makeup to really stay put, but that hasn't happened to me with the Coppertone Clearly Sheer For Sunny Days. It's not quite beach weather here in Michigan yet, but as soon as it is I'll try out the Coppertone Clearly Sheer for Beach and Pool and let you know how it works. It's water resistant for up to 80 minutes so that's nice. It's got a higher SPF too, this one is SPF 50.

May Birchbox

So this month's Birchbox just arrived and I'm pretty excited about the contents! First off we have the Marcelle BB cream. Now I know this is a good, rather high end brand however I'm so happy with my Sheer Cover makeup that I'm not sure I'll end up even trying this sample. Next up is this trio from Nexxus. It includes Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer, Shampoo and Conditioner. I'm excited to try this out even though I'm happy with the Wen I use now. My hair is highlighted and since it costs a fair amount to maintain, I'm always happy to try out products that promise to protect my investment! The third item in the box is from Pixi, it's Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink. I see this brand at Target all the time! I'm pretty excited to give it a shot. I'm not certain about the light pink shade, but who knows? Maybe it'll look nice on. Next is Supergoop!. (The exclamation point is actually part of the name, not an indication of my excitement, though I am pretty geeked.)It seems like I've been seeing this brand a lot lately. It's gotten some good reviews so I'm happy I get to try it out. Last but not least, I also received a sample packet of Smarty Pants, All-in-One Fiber Gummies for Weight Management. I already take Biotin daily and I just started taking a Green Coffee Bean supplement but I'll definitely try these gummy vitamins out too! If you're unfamiliar with Birchbox, I pay $10 each month and the good people at Birchbox send me a surprise box of samples every month. It's fun and exciting opening the boxes and I get to try out some pricier products that I probably would not otherwise get a chance to try. Also, for every dollar I spend with Birchbox I get points. These points can later be redeemed for discounts on the Birchbox site. It's a pretty cool deal!

Bic Soleil Glow

One of the newest products that I've been lucky enough to try out for free through BzzAgent.com is the Bic Soleil Glow razor. I recently received a free pack of 3 razors and a lot of coupons for $3 off more packages. I was a little skeptical of this razor at first. First of all, there's a plastic guard around the whole thing called a "comfort shield". Looked like a gimmick to me. Second, the head pivots. I don't usually like razors that do that. I like the blades to stay fixed in one position. Even so, I gave it a try. I'm pretty happy that I did. It turns out that the shield is more than a gimmick and I think because of it, the pivoting doesn't bother me. Now admittedly, it took me a minute to get used to this razor. On my first try I reopened a nick that I had gotten a few days earlier. That was just because I was trying to get in close and I hadn't quite mastered the guarded razor yet though. Now that I've got the hang of it I'm really liking these razors. Paired with my new favorite EOS shave cream, my legs are so super soft and smooth. Perfect for summer! Now if the weather here would just catch up, I'd me all set! I'm sure they're available elsewhere too, but I know for sure that they're available at Kroger for around $6.99. Lastly, on their Facebook page Bic is giving away prizes every day to fans.

The Workout That Changed my Life

OK, so I know that title sounds a little dramatic, but honestly it's true. I have never been into working out. I was always a fairly thin person, though after having my daughter at 30 taking the weight off was much harder than it was when I had my son at 20. I had finally lost most of the baby weight (my daughter was 3 though!) but I still wanted to tone up some. I came across this article in US Weekly (a subscription I get free BTW because of offers like the one I posted here a while back!)Tracy Anderson is the pro who trains celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Richie. They both have pretty amazing bodies so I figured she had the street cred to be reliable. The workout seemed easy enough, and she said in the article that the moves are basically working all the muscles in your arm from shoulders to fingers. The entire workout takes 12 minutes a day 4-6 times each week and you will need a set of 3lb weights. Tracy says that when you start working out your upper body, its easy to see results in your arms quickly so that motivates you to work on other areas of your body too. Since I've never stuck to a workout routine, I wasn't so sure she was right, but for 12 minutes a day I decided to give it a try. Boy oh boy was she right! Not only did I start to see results pretty quickly, but it did make me want to do more. I started doing squats and lunges after my arms work. I added some leg lifts I had learned in a cardio kickboxing class I used to take. Now that its getting warmer out I'm going for walks and I can actually jog for more than 10 seconds without being out of breath! I've lost another 10lbs which really got me close to my pre-baby weight! So here are pictures of the US Weekly pages, they were a game changer for me and I hope they'll help anyone else looking to tone up or drop a few of those pregnancy pounds!

Awesome Shave Cream!

I'm not usually a user of shave creams and gels. I generally just use my body wash to shave with too. I always thought it did a fine job. I mean all you really need is something to lubricate the blade so that it glides over your skin smoothly, right? Boy was I wrong. Recently, when I took my vacation I picked up a travel size bottle of this EOS Shave Cream. Mostly just because it looked cool and I wanted to conserve my body wash. I didn't want to be using it all for shaving and run out half way through the trip. All I can say is WOW what a difference! This shave cream made my legs feel so soft and smooth after using it! The travel tube was kind of hard to use, it was just too sturdy to make squeezing the product out easy. I tossed it in the trash while I was packing up to leave the ship after showering the morning we departed. However, when I got home I made sure to pick up a full size bottle! This one has a pump, so no issues there. I got the bottle at Target for around $3.50. I think that's a small price to pay for soft, smooth legs all summer long!

Sheer Cover Review

I never thought much of mineral makeup. It never really made sense to me how it could work better than foundation and regular powder. Of course, I had never tried it but I never intended to either. Then one week my mom was in town and she said that she had a hard time sleeping at her hotel. While flipping through the channels in the middle of the night she ended watching an infomercial for Sheer Cover Studios Makeup. She was so hyped up about it when she came over the next morning. It was really pretty funny. I was still skeptical, but went ahead and placed an order. One lesson I've learned over the years is that parents are usually right. OK, so maybe not about everything, but this time I figured taking her advice couldn't hurt. I ordered the full set and patiently waited for it to arrive. When it got here I gave it a try. The first day I wasn't too impressed, but I kept at it. It takes some getting used to, and once I got the hang of it? WOW! This makeup is awesome! I am totally obsessed with it! When I was on my cruise, for some reason my face was breaking out like crazy. I'm not sure if it was the stress of traveling with both my kids and my parents or just something about the water on the cruise, but the breakouts were bad. Thankfully I had my Sheer Cover. In all my vacation photos my skin looks flawless! I was so thrilled! I had them ship out my next set as soon as I got home. I cant imagine ever using a different kind of makeup in the future. It would take something seriously miraculous to top what Sheer Cover does for my face! Oh, and it seems to be good for my skin too because there have been a few nights since I got home that I've been so tired I've fallen into bed without washing my face and I'm still not breaking out! That's huge for me. I breakout at the drop of a hat and if I miss even one night I'm usually fighting the aftermath for weeks. The mascara makes your eyelashes look crazy long! The Bronzing minerals are the first natural looking bronzing product I've ever used. I've been using them as eye shadow too! I really love this makeup!