December 2015 Yays! & Boos!

Post #75 for 2015! I think this is a good place to end it. I was trying to get my December Top 5 up to but dah well. Tomorrow is another day!

Here we go!

Yays!

Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush

I've had this brush in my stash for a good while but I never used it as foundation brush because it was so big. I don't even think I've used it with my Bare Minerals foundation. I randomly grabbed it on morning to use with my Covergirl Queen foundation and I was totally surprised. It buffed the foundation it to skin nicely and the application was flawless.

EcoTools Domed Bronzer Brush

This used to be one of my go to powder brushes that I hadn't used in forever. I had it in a stack of brushes to give away. When I pulled out the Tarte brush, I said why not to using this brush. Then I remember why it was a favorite. It's excellent for powder and blending everything together.

BH Missy Lynn lipsticks in Miss Lynn & L'Amour

I ordered all 4 of the Missy Lynn lipsticks. When I swatched them on the back of my hand, I was like ooooohhh they are super smooth! They apply nicely on the lips. They're not drying and have nice staying power. Of course I was drawn to the two darker shades.

BH Cosmectics Studio Pro HD Brow Pencil

I picked this up I think after Thanksgiving when it was on sale for $3.50. Sold! I got the shade Ebony. I've never tried Anastasia's Brow Wiz but I saw some reviews comparing the two. I refuse to pay $21 for a brow pencil. A brow pencil is one product that I do use up in a decent amount of time. Also I use it pretty much everyday. Even on the days when I don't wear any makeup. I'll still fill in my brows. So something inexpensive is the way I chose to go. I like the packaging and I like the shade. You can really define and shape your brows with this pencil. I would definitely repurchase it.

Bath & Body Work Be Joyful

Lawd knows I did not need more Bath & Body Works! I was in the store with my friend when the had all the signature items on sale for $5. My friend actually go this for me but I did purchase some items too gah! This smells so good! The key notes are Sparkling Clementine, Gold Mango, Frosted Jasmine, Winter Melon and Shimmering Sugar. It's not too fruity but it's not heavy like a winter scent. I think it's a good a year round scent. I text my friend and said that I may need to get more of the lotion during the semi annual  sale lol! Sadly it's not part of the current sale going on now. It is part of the buy 3, get 3 free promo going on and you can throw a coupon on top of that if you have one.

Boos!

Tarte The Brow Architect 

This was included in the first Essence Beauty Box that I received and I was excited to try it. When I got around to using it, I was like oh my damn and not in a good way. The shade I have in deep and ain't nothing deep about it. It's very cool toned and almost grey vs being a dark brown. There's no brown in it. I think I ended up grabbing my Iman brow pencil to try and make my brow look halfway decent. Maybe I got a bad one *shrugs*. In the trash it goes.

Benzac Acne Solutions Acne Eliminating Cleanser

I was going to use this up. I really was. I probably have about a fourth cleanser left in the tube but I just can't. I just don't like this. I don't like the consistency and I feel like it hasn't done anything for my skin. The only plus to this cleanser is that is has a lower percentage of Benzoyl Peroxide, so it didn't dry out my skin. Also in my haste to get rid of it, I tossed it before I could take a pic. I ordered this from drugstore.com and it's also sold at Ulta.

Benzac Acne Solutions Intensive Spot Treatment

I don't feel bad tossing this out since I got it as a gift with purchase with the cleanser. Again I don't like the consistency. Ain't nothing "intensive" about this treatment (and yes I said ain't nothing). The couple times I went to use it this month. it BURNED! I was like oh hell no! I'm sticking with Clean & Clear's acne spot treatment. That's my holy grail product. I also have a Bare Minerals Blemish Therapy (that I forgot to include in my skin post! D'oh!) that I've really enjoyed in the past that I can add to the rotation to use up. Tossed this with a quickness as well before snapping a pic.

LaserShip

This is the WORST shipping company! QVC has started using them for some of their east coast orders. I've read that Amazon also uses them as well. I've had an issue with every order that QVC has used them to ship an order to me. If you check their social media or look at reviews on the company, they are absolutely terrible. I have no idea why a vendor would use them as a shipper. One of my recent orders never arrived. It was this constant back and forth with them but they basically lied to me saying that the item was delivered. Whatever! QVC has refunded which is "fine" and they gave me a $20 credit on my account but I don't have the item. I could reorder it but the same mess could happen again. It makes me leery to order from QVC if they continue to use them. Now mind you this has been with orders I have shipped to my office. I haven't had any issues with home deliveries since they come via the post office or UPS. I usually have stuff shipped to my office because someone is there during normal business hours. I don't feel like going through the hassle of notices being left on my door when having stuff shipped to my house. But shoot I might have to if this mess with LaserShip keeps up. Just gimme my stuff!

Fin!

Next year I may combine this with my favorites post. We shall see. Stay Tuned!

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

Skin Care Collection - Masks, Peels and Scrubs

Lions, tigers and bears oh my lol!! There's a lot going on here. I think these are more so my weakness than cleansers. As you can see, I couldn't get everything in one pic.

• Murad Clarifying Mask
• This is another Massage Envy purchase. I do like this mask. Again it's expensive like the rest of Murad's product. I feel that I get the same results from less expensive masks *shrugs*. I use it once to twice a week depending on what's going on with my skin.
• Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque
• I've used this off and on for years and it's a favorite. You cannot beat the price and it gets the job done.
• Queen Helene Olive Oil Masque
• This a newer item to my stash and I think I mentioned in a post. I have not used it on its own. I used after the Murad Clarifying Mast or Mint Julep Masque. Since they are masks  that draw everything out of your skin, the olive oil masque helps put moisture back into your skin. It's like a spa treatment and my skin feels so doggone soft and smooth. When I first got this, I would try to do the "mask duo" once a week.
• Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract Peel Off Masque
• This masque is kinda cool since it's a peel off one, You can see the icky stuff that comes out of your pores/off your skin. I try to use this twice a week. Keyword here is try.
• St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub
• I use this scrub about twice a week. It mainly depends on if I have some critters on my face. I do feel like it helps calm whatever breakouts I have along with taking care of any blackheads.
• Serious Skincare Glycolic Gommage
• This is brand spanking new to my stash. Literally. I ordered it from HSN and got it on Christmas Eve. I've only used it once. It's comparable to Glam Glow's Youth Mud Mask but cheaper and you get more product. I picked this up on a BOGO which was an even better deal.
• Serious Skincare Phyto Pumpkin Facial Scrub
• This is another HSN purchase. I've used it a few times and I do like it. It's not as abrasive as your typical facial scrub. It has a gel like base and it smells GOOD too!
• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
• This stuff right here! If I can't be bothered to do a a mask or scrub then I definitely make sure that I use this bad boy. It's an all in one product. Check her website for more details on this product. I definitely use it at night. It the morning it varies.
• Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel (not pictured)
• This is an old favorite that I only use once a week. But lately I have been slacking on using it, I need to get with it since I have it in super size (4 oz). With this product you get physical and chemical exfoliation (if I remember correctly from the presentations on QVC). The results are smoother and brighter skin.
• Ambi Fade Cream
• I have this in the version for oily skin and it does the job on gradually fading dark spots.  I was kind of scared to use it but after reading reviews on the product, I was ok with it. Just make sure you use it on the spot/acne mark only. This isn't a product to slather all over your face. I use it as needed.
• Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10
• This is my holy grail spot treatment product for pimples. It gets the job done and it doesn't irritate my skin.
• CVS/pharmacy Pore Perfecting Toner
• Wasn't sure where to put this, so I slapped it here lol! This is my toner of the moment. I like it and would repurchase it. My skin feels very smooth after using it.

I didn't include makeup wipes since they vary. I like several different ones. Most of the time I pick up whatever is on sale or I have a coupon for at the time. I was brief and mainly stated how often I use to product. Google is your friend :D Philosophy and Serious Skincare on are QVC and HSN. Paula's Choice is also now on QVC. You can watch detailed presentations on the products. The other items are available at various retailers and there are a lot of reviews online. 

And there you have it! My obsession with skin has grown over the last couple of years. But again, I am trying to narrow down the products I use.

I may try to get one more post in before the ball drops. We shall see...

Skin Care Collection - Moisturizers and Serums

Here we have moisturizers and serums. I included eye products as well. Sorry the pic is blurry. Grrr!

• Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
• This is what I'm currently using as my daytime moisturizer and I do like it. It absorbs into the skin nicely and doesn't make my skin oily.
• Ambi Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
• I've used this a few times. I can't remember if I like it or not. I plan to use it after the Neutrogena moisturizer.
• Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 20
• I picked this up after a facial at Massage Envy. I think it's available in SPF 30 now. I do like this but it's hella expensive. So right now I don't plan on repurchasing it.
• L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum Concentrate
• THIS right here is my HOLY GRAIL serum! I love this stuff and can't tell you how many bottles of this I have gone through. The downer is that I think it's being disconnected. It's still available online via Target and drugstore.com. When it disappears from their sites then I'll start to freak out lol. I use this morning and night.
• Serious Skincare Creamerum Evolve Cream/Serum Blended Facial Beauty Treatment
• I'm still enjoying this. It could probably take the place of the L'Oreal serum. Right now I'm using as my final step in my night time routine.
• Nature's Bounty Vitamin E Cream
• I ordered this online from Walgreens to potentially use as a a body cream. The jar is 2oz. It's facial cream whoops. Guess I should have read the description before I ordered. I use this on days when I'm bumming around the house during the day. I have also used it as a night cream. It's ok. I'm not wowed by it and not sure if I'll continue to use it.
• Olay Regenerist Luminous Eye
• I got this in a Target Beauty Box. I haven't tried it out yet.
• Serious Skincare Creamerum Evolve Cream/Serum Blended Eye Beauty Treatment
• This eye product is AMAZE BALLS! It's so good. It hydrates the under eye area nicely and doesn't interfere with my under eye concealer. I love that it's a cream/serum duo. I use it morning and night.
• L'Oreal Youth Code Eye
• This was my go to before I got the Serious Skincare product. I'll go back to it once I use Serious Skincare up. When I first got this I used it more and night. Then I strated using it just at night.
• Garnier Skin Renewal Anti-Puff Eye Roller
• This was a random TJ Maxx or Marshalls purchase. I mainly used this in the morning and enjoyed the cooling sensation of the rollerball.

Next up scrubs, peels and masks!

Skin Care Collection - Cleansers

I decided to break up into my skin care stash into 3 posts.

No judgments please.

I actually forgot I had one of these cleansers until I went through everything. Oye. It's good to pull out what you have and take an inventory.

Here we go!

• Ambi Even & Clear Foaming Cleanser
• I've mentioned this before. I got this in a set again and it's ok. Right now I'm using it as my morning cleanser. I'll use it up but I don't plan on purchasing it on its own or the set that it came in again. *knock on wood*
• Ambi Black Soap with Shea Butter
• I've used this on and off. I can't really say whether or not it has helped my skin. Black soap is supposed to be good for drawing impurities out of the skin. I've mainly used it on no makeup days in the evening. I think I may go and put it in my shower so that I can use it on a more consistent basis. I'll try to report back on it.
• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser
• This is the one I forgot that I had. I've only used it a few times. I can't remember if I like it or not. I got it as a potential dupe to the Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser ($32). I plan to use this after I used up the Ambi cleanser.
• Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
• I've used this before in a sample size. I got another sample from Massage Envy after a facial. I do like this cleanser. I typically use it in the morning. I don't plan on purchasing a full size since it's $36!
• Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser
• I'm using this now as my evening cleanser with my Clarisonic but I have used it in the morning. I like it but I'm not wowed by it. It does irritate my eyes some when I try to use it to remove my eye makeup. Once I use it up, I don't plan on repurchasing it.
• Noxzema Classic Clean
• This is an old school favorite that I had not used in years! I picked it up after reading a post about it and I've really enjoyed having it back in my stash. I would definitely repurchase it. I may get in the the pump next time. I mainly use this in the morning but I have used in it the evening on no makeup days. My skin feels so soft and smooth after using it
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple
• Of all the cleanser listed, THIS is my absolute favorite. I used to use this a few years and for whatever reason I stopped. I started using it again back in June and have thoroughly enjoyed using this cleanser. I've used this morning, night and with my Clarisonic. In a pinch during a work trip, I shaved with this and it worked perfectly. It also does not irritate my eye area when I use it to remove my eye makeup which is a HUGE plus. I plan on keeping this in my rotation. It's just so good. Right now I do have it under my sink since I'm trying to use up the Paula's Choice cleanser. But once I'm done with Paula's Choice, its right back to Purity!

Of all the cleansers listed, the two that I plan on keeping in my rotation are Noxzema and Purity. I'm trying to pair down my stash and use what works for skin and stick with it.

Next up moisturizers and serums!

Christmas Tunes Friday - Week 4!

I should have mentioned this song first but it's fitting for Christmas Day lol! It's not officially Christmas for me until I hear Silent Night by The Temptations.

A song that invokes serious reflection during the holiday season (at least for me) is John Lennon's Happy Xmas. I like the original by I absolutely love Celine Dion's rendition of the song.

Of course I had to throw in a bonus! It's Christmas! I saw this video posted all over Facebook weeks ago but just didn't watch. It's The Pentatonix's version of Mary, Did You Know? I do like Pentatonix. I finally gave it a listen and just WOW!!!!!! The song is also on Spotify and one day I swear I listened to it like six times. It's so good!

And there you have it. I seriously could have listed five songs for each post. Maybe I'll do this again next year.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful and fantabulous Christmas!!

Favorite Christmas Movie

On Instagram a couple of years go, there was a post-a-day challenge in December. One of the posts was about your favorite Christmas movie. Of course I couldn't pick just one. So here's my top 3!

1. Home Alone
2. Elf
3. A Christmas Story

One year, all 3 were on different channels for 24 hours. It was a good day! I know I'll watch A Christmas Story about 5 times since it'll be on TBS starting tonight at 8pm! And it looks like it's going to be on TNT as well. Elf is coming on this evening on ABC Family. I couldn't find a listing for Home Alone..

What's your favorite Christmas movie?

Whatever it is, curl up and enjoy!

So Gift Cards? Yea or Nay?

So I came across this article on Twitter titled "Why Gift Cards Are a Crime Against Christmas". I quick scanned it, got the overall gist and it irritated me for the most part. The topic of gift cards came up on one of the local radio stations this week. I also talked about this topic with my boss the other day.  My boss said she agreed with the article but then said she was picking up some gift cards. To me a gift card is still a gift and some thought does go into it. If someone has a favorite brand or store, then why not get them a gift card? Especially if you don't know what they want or need? You could by some random gift or something you think they would want but that's a crap shoot. Yes, you can get a gift receipt and they can exchange it for something else. But who really wants to do that? Is that being thoughtful? I asked my brother what he wanted and he said that he didn't really want anything. Then HE SAID a gift card to Kohl's since it's one of his favorite stores. From my own perspective, I did not need JACK other than a new car but I know no one is going to gift that to me lol. I have gotten two gift cards from Sephora and I'm pleased as punch. I'm just sick of folk and their opinions on what people do, spend their money, so on and so forth. How about we just be happy and grateful when someone gifts you something?  Too much like right I suppose. With all the craziness going on in the world, I think there are more important things to worry about that the topic of gift cards. They are some people who will not get anything for Christmas who might be quite happy with a gift card. But lemme hush.

*end rants*

Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!

I probably should have posted this last week. Dah well!

If you're looking for a last minute gift idea or looking for a sweet treat to make for the holidays, then try cake mix cookies! I'm not a baker by any means. A few years ago my office started doing a cookie exchange. The first year I think I did some Toll House cookies that came with red and green morsels. The next year I stumbled across the White Chocolate Chip recipe using Devils Food Cake and the heavens opened up lol! It was SUPER EASY to make! I bought some dessert baggies from The Dollar Tree and viola! Since then I have found more cake mix cookie recipes! I have done Carrot Cake (I used white chocolate chips and chopped pecans), Red Velvet (using the White Chocolate Chip recipe and using Red Velvet cake mix) and this year I did Easy Lemon Cookies. I've done the White Chocolate Chip recipe with and without rolling them in sugar and they are fine both ways. I have some other cake mix cookies recipes saved on my Sweet Thaannnngg! Pinterest board to try.

 I have given some of these cookies as gifts and they have been a big hit. Also it's pretty inexpensive since cake mixes are generally on sale during the holidays along with other baking items like pecans and chocolate chips. This year I actually got a nice tin from The Dollar Tree for the cookies I made for a friend and her family. The possibilities are endless with various cake mixes and add-ins!! If you try one of these recipes out or have one of your own that you love, let me know.

Enjoy!

#ManicureMonday Holiday Festive

This is about as festive as I'm gonna get. It just doesn't "feel" like Christmas to me. *shrugs*

Today I'm wearing Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Black Out, Zoya Renee, Zoya Envy and Sephora by OPI Good Tidings We Bling. This was inspired by Ckey Beauty. She showed her recent nail polish change on Snapchat. I said I likey then started digging through my stash and this is what I came up with.

See you next Monday!

Christmas Tunes Friday - Week 3!

Another album I like listening to during the holidays is The Preacher's Wife soundtrack. One of my favorite songs is Who Would Imagine a King.

This song I usually hear on the radio since it's go go music and native to the DC area. There is a go go version of Santa Clause Is Coming to Town and I love it. Someone posted this video on Facebook and it tickled me.  This is one song I HAVE to hear around Christmas or it just isn't Christmas.

One more week to go! Oye vey! *covers eyes* I swear there should be another week.

#ManicureMonday Butter London So Major! and OPI Big Apple Red

Happy Monday!

Something a little more festive this week. Today I've wearing the green shade from the Allure & Butter London set I picked up from Ulta It's called So Major! (love the name) and it's a pretty green. Not too dark and not too bright. It's described as a loden-green shimmer . I was going to pair it with Sephora by OPI's Good Tidings We Bling but did not open the bottle before I started painting my nails and couldn't get it out with wet nails. Gah! So I opted for OPI's Big Apple Red. It's described as a bright shinny red. It's the business!

TTFN - ta ta for now!

Christmas Tunes Friday - Week 2!

One of my favorite Christmas albums is the Christmas Album by the Jackson 5 and I love their version of The Little Drummer Boy.

I forgot about this song until I heard it on the radio. I never knew who it was by until last week. I'm not kidding. If you were ever in band, orchestra or the choir then I'm sure you did this song at some point for a Christmas concert. Ahhh memories lol! I was in orchestra. Another song I like by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is Christmas Eve/Sarajevo. They were here in town last week. I would love to see them perform. Maybe next year.

See next Friday for more Christmas tunes!

Can You Wrap?

Sadly my gift wrapping skills are kind of whack. My mom is fancy with her gift wrapping skills. Apparently it wasn't passed on to me HA! I am a gift bag and tissue paper girl through and through. Around this time of the year, I try to find a good deal on a set. I was poking around on QVC and came across a few sets from Kringle Express. These are super cute and they are decently priced. I hopped over to HSN and couldn't find anything similar. Last year I found a set of 5 bags with tissue paper at Five Below. Also The Dollar Tree is a great place for your gift wrapping needs. And of course after Christmas is a great time to stock up. I usually hit up Target.

Happy Wrapping!

A Different Take on the Holiday Season

I've been following the blog Becoming Minimalist for about a year or so now.  I've really been enjoying it and it has given me some things to think about and I reconsider my buying habits and the "things" that I own.

A couple of weeks ago there was a guest post, "5 Tips for a More Intentional Holiday Season". I really enjoyed the post and wanted to share it since were are in the midst of the holiday season. We can get caught up in the "things" of the holiday season but it so much more than that. Just something to think about *wink*.

Enjoy!

Christmas Tunes Friday - Week 1!

A little holiday fun...

Back in 2012, I did a post about Christmas music. I LOOOOOVEEE Christmas music! So I had to throw some in the Blogmas mix! I'll pick two songs every Friday between now and Christmas. One will be related to the birth of Christ (since it's what I believe in) and the other will more reflective of the season!

This is gonna be fun! *bounces around*

One of my absolute favorite Christmas songs is O Holy Night. My hands down favorite version is by Celine Dion. Chiilllllllsss AND tears! Phew!

A holiday tune that gets my bopping around in the car or at my desk is Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. How can you not like this song? *bops around*

One of the radio stations in the area WASH-FM, plays Christmas all day until Christmas. Sometimes I listen online at work or in the car. I also have a Christmas playlist on Spotify. I need to add some songs lol! Check it out!

Ok enough gushing! Let the music play!

View the Virtual Playbill ® for The Wiz Live! December 03, 2015, Playbill

View the Virtual Playbill ® for The Wiz Live! December 03 - December 03, 2015, Playbill

This is random lol! If you plan on watching tonight then enjoy!

Product Play December 2015

December is upon us! Can you believe it?? I feel like this year flew by. Literally. That's alright. 2015 wasn't a bad year but it wasn't really a great year either. The last few months have been kind of rough.

Anywho...

Here's what I'm play around with this month!

Palette Play

I'm leaving this kind of open ended. I still haven't touched my Bare Minerals Ready shadows. I've picked up some palettes that I have not really used and I need to try and do some looks with them to determine if I'm going to keep them. Two are from Urban Decay (Vice 4 and Gwen Stefani), so I highly doubt that they'll go back. But then again you never know. Then I also picked up the Jem and The Holograms palette purely for nostalgic reasons. I'm an 80s baby and I LIIIIVVVED for Jem! I still watch the cartoons. Thank you Netflix! I also picked up the compact mirror.

Hey Gwen!

This is seriously too cute!

Polish Play

Leaving this kind of open ended too. I have two more shades to try on from the Allure & Butter London set from last month. I randomly picked up two Covergril nail polishes from CVS. This was my rage nail polish purchase. I know I'll use the Sephora by OPI polish in Good Tidings We Bling that I use every year in December.

Fuchsia Flame and Emerald Blaze

Out of my Face

Here's what I used up in November:

• Key West Health and Beauty Organic Unrefined African Shea Butter
• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid 1 oz
• Amla Legend 1001 Oils Cream Night Wrap
• St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub

I'm adding a couple of hair products to the mix:

• Fantasia P.M. Night Time Oil Treatment
• Amla Legend Damage Antidote Oil Moisturizer

Kind of a lack luster month. It beeeeeezzzz that way sometimes.

And FIN!

Thank you for taking the time to read my rambles and for commenting on my posts. As I've mentioned before, I do this for fun. I'm not trying to get stuff sent to me. I'm not trying to make any money from this. This is part my beauty diary and random musings. I like talking about makeup, beauty, and other randomness. So if you've enjoyed anything that you've read, then that's enough for me.

We'll do this all over again come January. There may be a twist perhaps *insert shifty eyes*

Stay tuned...

Welcome to Blogmas!

*throws red and green glitta*

Welp I'm going to give this a whirl for December. I'm not going to promise a post everyday. I do this for fun. So I don't want to put any pressure or constraints on myself. Then it wouldn't be fun anymore and it would be more like work. Make sense?

Not every post will be Christmas/holiday related. I plan to throw in some updates to my book stuff, purging stuff (or possible lack thereof), maybe a future long term no buy *cringes*, a possible skin care collection, etc. So hopefully it'll be fun.

I still cannot believe it's December. *smh*

Heeeerrrrreeee weeeee goooooooo!!!!!

November 2015 Top 5

I feel like this is the work travel edition of my top 5. These were some of the items that I took with me to Florida and continued using once I got back.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

In my November Product Play post, I mentioned that I was thinking about taking the Naked 2 palette with me to Florida. I did take it along with the Naked Smoky palette. I reached for the Naked 2 palette more so. Of all the Naked palettes, this one doesn't get a lot of love but it's really easy to use. This was good for quick and simple looks. The two shades I wore a lot on their own are Tease and Busted. They are very pretty one shadows looks. Urban Decay is another brand that I've been impressed with this year.

NYX Hi Definition Photo Concealer Wand

I picked this up during some sale at Ulta in Nutmeg. I swatched it against Bare Mineral Stroke of Light and the shades matched. So I was happy there. The consistency of this is thicker since it's a concealer and Stroke of Light is an eye brightener with a thinner consistency. I've used this for a while and I really do like it. It has nice coverage and blends out nicely. I would definitely repurchase this concealer and you can't beat the price. Its funny one morning after doing my face makeup (primer, foundation, concealer and powder), I realized each item I used was a drugstore product. I never thought there would be a day when I would be able to do my face makeup with drugstore products. So shout out to the drugstore for increasing their shade ranges. They can still so better but they're getting there.

Colour Pop Ellarie Lip Liner

For the girl who has used brown lip pencils 100% of the time, has found a new favorite in the Ellarie lip pencil from Colour Pop! Ellarie is described as blackened violet. I've seen people say it's a dupe for MAC's Nightmoth. It pairs nicely with so many different shades! I've worn it with reds, berries, mauve, purple and pinks. I should try it when different shades of brown. It's just bomb. It gives so much definition to whatever color you pair it with. It's even nice on its own. I'll be due for a replacement soon. Shoot I may order two. It's that good. Colour Pop lip liners in general are SO GOOD and only $5! I can't even. I just can't.

Black Radiance Soft Focus Finishing Powder in Milk Chocolate Finish 

I thought I had talked about this powder a lot more. I mentioned it back in February but I promise you I have gushed about this powder to others lol! It's just good stuff and it pairs beautifully with the Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless foundation. It has about 8 claims listed on the back and I swear all of them hold true. It evens out the foundation, gives you a hint more coverage, mattifies your skin, it sets everything and it makes my skin look FLAWLESS! FLLLLLAAWWWLESSSS! I do have it in the two lighter shades and they are nice to play around with to under my eyes. You can see that I've made a nice dent in the powder. Pan is near! That's it. I'll stop here. I'll keep on gushing about this doggone powder lol! Another great drugstore find for me this year.

Dooney & Bourke Multi Color Nylon North/South Triple Zip Crossbody

I took this bag with me to Florida. I usually try to take a smaller bag with me on work trips. I never took this bag with me because I couldn't fit my wallet in it. Which really was stupid because I carry a larger wallet. I do have a smaller wallet that I carry from time to time for work travel but haven't used it in a while. This bag has three compartments and I love it. I used the smallest compartment as my "wallet". It held my ID, debit card and cash. The middle compartment held my room key, hand sanitizer, hand cream and things like that. The main big compartment held my cell phone, tissues and lip product of the day. While travelling it held my boarding pass, shuttle pass and even my Kindle fit. It's a small bag but it holds the essentials that you need while travelling. Also it was never too heavy, no matter how much I packed in it. The crossbody strap on the bag is nice. Usually they are short on me and the bag hits me at an awkward position. I also used the bag when I ran quick errands and did not necessarily need my everyday bag when I got back from Florida. I'm definitely keeping this bag nearby, so I can grab it when I need it. I got it from QVC. It's no longer available but I'm sure you can find this similar style elsewhere

And there you have it. Short and sweet.

On to December. I can't believe it! Seriously where did 2015 go??!

November 2015 Yays! & Boos!

Here are my yays and boos for November!

Yays!

tarte Holidaze of Giving 15pc. Gifting Collection

Once the November QVC Insider was ready, I could not wait to see what the November TSV was going to be from tarte. I flipped through and didn't see anything. I said wait a minute. Flipped through it again and saw this set. The set is currently at sale price and the available easy pays on the set have varied since it launched. I got it on 4 easy pays. They did something different this year since it's their 15th anniversary. The set it a good value but at first glance I wasn't interested. Then I saw a YouTube video on it and the swatches of the lip products made me take a second look at the set. Even if I only kept the lip products, the set it still a good deal since the Lip Surgence lip pencils are $24 each and the glosses are $19 each. There are 3 Lip Surgence pencils and 2 glosses in this set. So I said what they hey and ordered. I'm so glad I did. tarte has really impressed me this year with the sets they've brought to QVC. The shadows in this set are beautiful along with the two blushes. The eyeliner are nice and smooth. I'm already a fan of the Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. The lip products are nice too. I've tried the eye cream and it's nice. I may gift it. This is your full face. I cannot wait to travel with this set. Between this set, the Ulta set and the Sephora set, I'm glad I got this one. If you're a Tarte fan or want to get a good mix of products to try from the brand then pick up this set. It's not pictured about, so check out QVC's site for pics and the presentation video.

Jack Black Intense Lip Balm in Shea Butter & Vitamin E

I think I got this sample size in a promo set from Sephora with some other items. When I first used I did not like it at all. Something was like try it again and if you still don't like it then trash it. I've been using in the morning to prep my lips and I have really been enjoying. It's not too moisturizing or overly greasy to interfere with the various lip products I've use it with. It makes my lips nice and smooth. Right now I can't say if I would go and purchase a full size since it does what the Neutrogena lip balm does for me and it'a cheaper product. I do like that it has a higher SPF of 25. The Neutrogena lip balm has an SPF of 15. I see on Sephora's site that there a mint one and I do like mint lip balm annnndddd there's a set of 4 available *covers eyes* Abort, abort!!!! LOL!

Love by Sofia Vergara 4-piece Fragrance Gift Set

This set was a Today's Special and it was of Sofia Vergara's new scent. Of course I jumped up on it since I enjoyed her first fragrance so much. I really like the new scent. But what surprised me was how much I liked the Shimmering Body Lotion and Creamy Shower Gel. Usually items like these in a fragrance set are throw away items. The lotions on me are never moisturizing enough and the shower product is usually runny and doesn't lather up well. This is not the case with these two products in this set. If you're looking for a fragrance gift, I highly recommend this set. It's currently on 4 flex payments and has free shipping. With HSN you currently have until the end of January to return or exchange purchases which is nice.

Boos!

Wen Fragrances

Chaz recently launched two new fragrances to his line. Now I RAVED over the 613 fragrance in my June surprise products post.  But I already knew what 613 smelled like from the cleansing conditioner and I always loved the scent. I ordered the Eau de Parfums of Fall Tuscan Pear and Sweet Toasted Almond when they launched on QVC. Eau de Parfums are supposed to be long lasting. These are not. Well on me they don't last long. The Fall Tuscan Pear scent reminded me of Bath and Body Works A Beautiful Day even though it more of a apple scent. The body mist last longer on me than the Fall Tuscan Pear EDP. I did like the Sweet Toasted Almond scent a bit better from first sniff. But the more I smelled it, one of the notes just did not agree with me. So both went back. Needless to say, I won't be trying anymore additional scents from Chaz. He is developing a signature scent. I am curious about that one but I will try to stick to my guns and not order it. I have no need for anymore fragrances.

Essence Beauty Box

I was beyond excited when I saw that Essence was coming out with their own beauty box. I pre-ordered in September and I got my first box in October. It was ok. There was a full size Tarte brow product that I wanted to try. I wasn't necessarily over the moon for the other products. Then The Posh Blog did a Periscope on the second box (she did one of the first box as well). I hadn't gotten my box yet when I watched. Before she even showed the items, she said she was not happy. I was like oh Lawd. As I watched I could see why. The products were lackluster. At least for me. Hair products were included with the two boxes I received which is cool. However they are more do geared towards someone with natural hair, which I do not have. Now I have used products geared more so towards natural hair with any issues. In the second box a mini size (and I do mean mini) of a Black Opal lipstick was included. I was like seriously we couldn't get a full size? Then a sample size of a Smashbox mascara was included that I could get from Sephora or Ulta. So needless to say I was not impressed and did not even want to bother with a third box. I emailed them and cancelled my subscription. Maybe the boxes will get better but right now, I'm not here for it. The Target Beauty boxes I have purchased have been more exciting and better deals than the two Essence Beauty boxes I received.

Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel Brush Cleaner

I came across this at Ulta and wanted to give it a go. It's just ok. The Dawn Simply Clean dish soap I picked up from The Dollar Tree is better and double the amount of product. If your brushes aren't super dirty then it gets the job done. I wouldn't use it on brushes with a lot of products on them like foundation or concealer. I'll probably just use it on my eye brushes and maybe blush brushes going forward.

Burt's Bee Moisturizing Lip Balm in Mint Cocoa

This was another random Ulta purchase. I was actually looking for the Pumpkin Spice one but didn't see, so I got this one instead. I'm not impressed. It's doesn't seem all that moisturizing to me and there's nothing mint about it. It kinda smells weird too. Dah well.

On to December!

#ManicureMonday Butter London The Sweet Spot & Revlon Nude Graffiti

Back again with another Manicure Monday post wooho!

I wanted to go lighter with my nail polish. Today I'm wearing another nail polish from the Allure & Butter London collection in The Sweet Spot. It is described as a dusty pink creme. I'm wearing two coats. On top I am wearing one of the Transforming Effects Top Coat polishes from Revlon in Nude Graffiti, which is a pink nude glitter polish. I was able to build the polish on my nails without it becoming too thick. I've recently purchased 4 of these Revlon polishes and I have really been enjoying them. I may pick up two more. I think these two pair nicely together.

For those who do celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope that you have a fantabulous Thanksgiving! For those of you who will be traveling, be safe. If you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope that you have a nice relaxing day doing whatever your heart desires. If you partake in Black Friday, may the force be with you lol. Please be safe and mindful of your surrounding. I will be at home. I may indulge in some online shopping if the mood strikes me ha!

TTFN - ta ta for now!

#ManicureMonday Butter London Front Row

Happy Monday!

I'm back from my work trip and totally wiped out! Jeez! Plus for some reason I thought I had an extra week thrown into this month. Thanksgiving is next week! *gasp* Any who...

Today I am wearing Butter London's Front Row from the collection they did with Allure. It's described as a wine creme. I wearing two coats and it was easy to apply. It's very pretty and very appropriate for the season.

Short and sweet. Just wanted to get a little something up since I've be MIA for a while. I'm still toying around with the idea of doing Blogmas in December. I think I have about 15 ideas. Now to come up with 16 more. Oye vey.

Here are a couple of pics from my room in Florida. One pic was when I arrived. The other pic was my last night there and I caught the beginning of the sun setting.

TTFN - ta ta for now!

Product Play November 2015

Daylight savings time! Booooooo! It's going be dark at 4 o'clock *sigh*. Anywho...

Here's what I'm playing around with for November.

Palette Play

I have a work trip this month *sigh*. Usually I'm done in the summer but circumstances have changed that for this year boooo! If I was in the position to quit my job right now, I would. For my work trip I am going to take the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette that I gushed over in my October Top 5 post. I'm also taking 4 Mally shadow sticks in Trailblazing Brown, Gunmetal, Plum and Saddle Shimmer. I may also take the Naked 2 palette for giggles.

When I get back, I HAVE to make any effort to play around with my Bare Minerals Ready shadows and decide whether or not they are staying in my stash. I still love their loose shadows but for some reason, it seems that I have fallen out of love with their Ready shadows. If I do decide to get rid of them, I have NO idea on what to do with them *sigh*. I don't mind giving stuff to people but I don't want to give them to someone who is not going to use them. I might as well keep. We shall wee.

Polish Play

I had NO business picking up this Allure & Butter London Arm Candy set from Ulta. It was just sitting there in a display at the register saying hey, hey girl, look at meeeeeee! Buuuyyyy meeeee! So I got it. The shades in this set are So Major! (loden-green shimmer), The Sweet Spot (dusty-pink creme), Violet's Revenge (blue-purple creme) and Front Row (wine creme). I may add some other Butter London polishes as well.

Out of My Face

Here are the items I used up in October:

• Bath & Body Works Lemon Vanilla Body Wash
• Wen Remoist in Tea Tree
• Bonus: Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Golden Deep - woohoo! This was an unexpected surprise to use this up. I was going to hold off repurchasing another jar but I've already picked up another one with a 20% coupon from Ulta II received. 
• Bonus: Wen Fig Cleansing Conditioner 16oz
• Bonus: Wen Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner 16oz
• Bonus: Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Cleansing Clothes (10 count)
• Bonus: Duri Miracote Super Fast Dry Through Top Coat
• Bonus: Bath & Body Works Sugar Plum Dream Ultra Shea Body Cream

Looking at this list, I've used up a lot of stuff in October. Woot!

Here's what I'm adding to my use up list:

• Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque
• Murad Clarifying Mask
• Wen Winter Cranberry Mint Cleansing Conditioner
• Bare Minerals Blemish Therapy foundation

Let see how this month plays out!

October 2015 Yays! & Boos!

And we have another post today! Woohoo!

Here are the products that took me by surprise this month, along with some fail products.

Yays!

Wen Nourishing Mousse in Fig

Me? Use a mousse? No way! I think back in the day I used a random mousse from the drugstore to scrunch my hair. Bad idea lol! I heard that the Wen mousse was coming out in Tea and Fig in September. You know Wen's Tea Tree and Fig are two of my favorites. During the presentation Chaz Dean was saying how different it is from traditional mousse and it's treatment based. I was curious and said why not. The Fig mousse was on advance order. So I ordered and waited. When I got my shipping notice, I was like ok let's see what's what. I've used the mousse when I air dried my hair and with the blow dryer. I can't explain it but if gave my hair some extra oomph! It made my hair really smooth and soft!

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid

I have another beauty pusha lol! I follow Felicia of ThisThatBeauty on Instagram and Twitter. I recently started following her on Snapchat and she is er'thang! She is my big sister in my head. She's 40 and does not look it at ALL and she's just super cool. Skincare is one of her big things. She has a series on her blog that's pretty in depth on how to get rid of dark spots. She snaps her skincare routine and in one of her snaps she RAVED about this product. Y'all know it don't take much for me to try something. When I ordered there was a promo on the trail size for $9 and free shipping. So I ordered it and the Resist cleanser. I've been using it morning and night and I can tell a difference in my skin. It's a lot smoother and brighter. Since it has Salicylic Acid, it has helped with my breakouts. I have already ordered a full size. I've been eyeing various items from Paula's Choice due to reviews I've heard and read. I've been somewhat leery since she does review products and has her own line. My first introduction to Paula was through her book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me". I checked it out from the library YEARS ago. I didn't read the whole thing since it was hella thick. I wasn't impressed because I felt that she pretty much slammed a lot of products. I wrote a review on Amazon and it's probably my least liked review which tickles me for some reason. There may be some comments on it by now lol! I haven't bothered looking. You know how people on the Internet can be. Anywho I'm glad I reserved judgment and picked up this product. I've picked up samples of some other products. There may be some more Paula's Choice items in my future. If you're interested in ordering and saving $10 off your order, let me know.

Serious Skincare Double-Size Creamerum Evolve PLUS Evolve Eye

This was Today's Special on HSN. Lord knows that I did not need any more skin care but I ordered it anyway. The creamerum is a cream and serum in one. I instantly was surprised by the Evolve Eye. I've tried a lot of eye creams and I think this is one of the best ones I've tried. It absorbs into the skin so nicely but it's not heavy or greasy. It doesn't interfere with my eye makeup on under eye concealer and I feel that I've need less concealer under my eyes as well. The Creamerum Evolve I've tried before. I was undecided on it when I first tried it. So I sent it back. This deal was so good with the Evolve Eye included, I said ok let's give it one more try. It's light and also absorbs into the skin nicely. I've used it on its own, with the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum and other moisturizers and it has worked well with other products. At night I have be using it more so like a night cream. I do feel like my skin is smoother, brighter, nicely hydrated and has helped with dark spots from breakouts. It doesn't interfere with my face makeup when I use it during the day. I think everything goes on a lot easier with it. I'm glad I signed up for auto ship.

Harmon Face Values Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

This was a random purchase from Bed, Bath & Beyond. These are comparable to the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes. I think these were $3.99 which is a great price. I think the Neutrogena ones were $4.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond which is the cheapest I've seen it in any store. I really enjoyed using the Harmon ones. What shocked me the most was that each towelette I used was nicely saturated. You know how sometimes you run into a wipe or two that is somewhat dry? I have not had that problem with these. I am definitely going to repurchase another pack or two.

Boos!

Murad Clarifying Toner

I've been getting facials at Massage Envy and they use Murad products. Of course they encourage you to use the products to help maintain your skin. The lady I've been seeing is nice and not overly pushy but it's kind of getting on my nerves. I've tried 3 products and they are pricey. The most recent product I've tried is the Clarifying Toner. I ordered it from Ulta. I don't have sensitive skin and don't mind the tingly sensation from a toner. This joker burns! When I first used it I was like oh oh oohhhhhh! The sensation lasted for a good while too. It did make my skin feel soft after using it but this joker is  $24 and I feel that I've gotten better results from the Neutrogena Oil Eliminating Astringent that I have repurchased multiple times or with Dickinson's Witch Hazel. So back to Ulta this went and that's why it's not pictured above.

Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser

I'm undecided on this product. I don't hate it but I'm not overly wowed by it. It does get my face clean and it doesn't feel stripped. It's a foaming cleanser and I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of foaming cleanser. I didn't realize it was a foaming cleanser until after I ordered it. I've use it twice a day and it gets the job done. I'm going to continue using it. Maybe my feelings will change. I want to try her Skin Balancing cleanser but I'm trying to be good and use what I have on hand now. Let's see if it holds.

NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eye Shadow Primer

My eyeshadow primer woes continue. I was poking around on Ulta's website when there was a NYX promo going on. I looked at the reviews and said why not. I like the consistency and how tacky it got when it set. So I thought maybe this would do the trick and get my shadows to stay in place. Yea well not so much! I tried it on its own and various shadows sticks along with a powder shadow. Oh well it was inexpensive. I'm at the point now where I want to get rid of every eyeshadow I own. I even tried previous holy grail primers and the same thing! Something has got to give.

Laura Mercier Sleek & Chic Palette

I ordered this palette from Nordstrom when they were price matching it at 10% off. I really enjoy the two previous palettes. So I excited to get this one. This one only have 3 repeat shadows. So that's not too bad. I played around with it and I just wasn't moved by it. Plus I feel like the shimmery shades aren't all that pigmented. I kept going back in a few shades multiple times to build up color on my eye lid. I don't have this problem with her other two palettes. So back it went.

And there you have it! Let's see what shenanigans take place next month.

October 2015 Top 5 + a book bonus

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has had a fantabulous October.

A quick update to my Makeup Geek pigment rant. I got an email on the 12th saying that my order has shipped. I was like say what now??? I looked and it was the order that had the Kaleidoscope pigment. So I emailed them and said, hey I haven't ordered anything and what is this about? I get a response saying that they were sending my replacement empty jar. Nesssaaaaa girrrrllll I was fit to me tied! I responded back saying I did not want the empty jar and that it's pointless since I have lost half of the product. I get a response to that email the 13th apologizing for the miscommunication and that a full replacement of Kaleidoscope was coming to me. I was still skeptical after all the hoopla. So I waited to see what would actually show up. I got the order on the 16th but did not get a chance to open the box until the 19th. It was a replacement of the pigment. The sifter was separate from the actual pigment which I don't mind since I think it was the culprit in the first doggone place. I may transfer the product to the empty jar I ordered from eBay. So I'm glad that they made this right and replaced the product. The handling of the situation overall leaves a lot to be desired. I still don't plan on ordering any additional pigments from the company. I'm undecided if I will purchase anything else from the company in the future.

Ok enough of that! Here's my top 5 for October and a book bonus!

LaFemme Blush in Bordeaux

This has been my go to blush since last month. It's just an easy shade to wear and goes with just about any look. It reminds me of Mac's Raizin. They could be cousins.

BH Cosmetics Forever Nude Aqua Gloss

I've been eyeing these glosses for a while and I finally ordered two when they were on sale for $3. If I didn't like them then I wouldn't be crushed since they are inexpensive. I picked up Cinnamon Stick and Chai Latte. These glosses are fantastic! They remind me of MAC Lipglasses but better! I've never been a big fan of MAC Lipglasses but I do have some that I like. These have a vanilla scent similar to MAC but they are not a sticky as MAC. They apply nice and feel good on the lips. They  are very brown girl friendly nude shades.  I'm definitely going to pick up some more shades. My friend said you can practically get stuff for free on Black Friday since the deals are so good. *patiently waits*

Fresh Cream Body Polishing Scrub

Once I used up philosophy's Living Grace Olive Oil Scrub, I cracked this open. This has been my Saturday morning treat in the shower when I wash my hair. The Fresh Cream scent in the body polish is amaze balls! This applies nicely on the skin and rinses easily. That's my one gripe with some body scrubs, some are hard to rinse off. I was all set to get another tube of this but recently found out that the Olive Oil Scrub in now available in Fresh Cream! I'm working through the last of Fresh Cream Shower Gel. This indirectly on my use up list.  As soon as I use it up, I'm ordering the Olive Oil Scrub. Woohoo!

Formula X Nail Polish in Beyond

This is another one of the Formula X polishes that I got at a ridiculously good price at Sephora Inside JcPenney. This has been my go to, midweek polish change. I grabbed it one day because I didn't know what I wanted to change my polish to and instantly I was like ooooooh. I wore it I think 3 times this month and I really don't want to put it away. It applies easily and smoothly on the nail. It's dark teal color. If you can find this shade, I highly recommend that you pick it.

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

I already knew I was going to add this to my stash but I was going to wait until November during a promo/sale. I ended up exchanging an item for it and I think all I had to pay was $30. So not bad. I knew I would like palette since I like the Black and Smoked palettes. I reached for this palette more than the two BH Cosmetics palettes that I pulled out to play with for the month. I've seen complaints about it being too dark. Yes, you can go dark but you can do some simple everyday eye looks as well. To me it's an easy palette to use. I was going to take some Bobbi Brown shadows with me on my work trip next month. I think I may take this palette instead and some Mally shadow sticks. This is another item that I highly recommend.

Book Bonus - Ramsey/Tesano Series by AlTonya Washington

Ok I'm cheating here but I had 6 items this month and I wanted to talk about all 6 in this post lol! I had mentioned in one of my book lovin posts, that one of my book goals was to get caught up series that I fell behind on. One series is the Ramsey/Tesano series by AlTonya Washington. I had read most of the books in the Ramsey part of the series but hadn't read the Tesano books of the series. The Ramseys are in the later part of the series as well. I decided to reread the series and then tackle the newer books. This series is so intricate, blink and you could miss something. As I was rereading, I did remember most of it but I did forget some parts. So it was nice to have a refresher. This series has a bit of everything! I'm talking mystery, suspense, intrigue, murder, love, and so on and so forth. I can't wrap my head around how AlTonya crafted this series! There's one more book due out that will end the series and then there's supposed to be a book on the Tesano Elders. I'm currently on a Lover's Control. If you looking for a series to get into or new author to check out, then check on the Ramsey/Tesano series and AlTonya Washington!

Not too bad this month. On to November! November??! Jeez!

September 2015 Yays! & Boos!

Happy Monday!

No Manicure Monday post today. I decided to go ahead and get this up instead of combining it with October. I also changed the title of the post. We shall see if it sticks. More boos (mehs) than yays (surprises) for this month. Here we go!

Yays!

Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions Complete Protein & Vitamin Shake Mix

Phew that's a mouthful! I stumbled upon this at Walgreens. I finally got hip to checking out the end caps at the back of the store. This is were the clearance items are located at the main store that I go to. I saw this and was like hmmmm. It was on sale for $4.74! I didn't know what the original price was but I did check the expiration date. There were three  so I got two and said why not. When I got up to the register and saw my total, it was less than what it should have been, I was kind of confused. I looked at my receipt and it was buy one, get one FREE with my Walgreens card! Score! So I wasn't going to be too bummed if I ended up not liking it. I picked up some unsweetened vanilla almond milk to go with it. It tastes so good! It tastes like a vanilla milkshake. It didn't make me feel bloated or gassy like some protein shakes. I poked around online and the price I got this for a was a steal! I've seen it for as lows as $10.19 and as high as $19. So if you're looking for a protein shake then check this one out and definitely check Walgreens. The last time I looked. the buy one, get one free promo was still going on. I went back to see if the last one was still there and it was, so I grabbed it. I have two at work and one at home. Now I want to try chocolate.

Papermate Ink Joy Pens

Pens? Yes pens! I'm a pen/notebook/planner nerd and always looking at them if I end up in the office/school supply section of a store lol. This is another item I stumbled upon at Walgreens. It was on an end cap with other clearance items but there wasn't a price. So I grabbed them totally for giggles to check the price at the register. They were $4.74!!!!! For 25 pens! The cashier asked me if I wanted them and I was like YES! The lady behind me in line said that's a good deal! LOL! When I came home I searched the Walgreens hash tag on Instragram and found out that a lot of  back to school items were on clearance. I mean some GOOD clearance prices. I'm going to look for a pencil pouch to keep a set of all the colors in my work tote.

Ambi Fade Cream

I had tried this product last year in a promo set that Ambi put together for the Ubiquitous Hair & Health Show. I had the normal skin version. I hardly used it and honestly was kinda scared of it. Silly I know. I ended up giving it to my friend. Ambi had the same promo set this year but you could customize it. It had the oily skin version of the Fade Cream and their moisturizer that's better for oily/combo skin. So I picked it up again this year and I'm glad I did. I had some bad breakouts that left some serious dark marks around my mouth. Foundation and concealer only helped so much in covering them up. So I gave the Fade Cream a whirl. Based on reviews I read, people saw results in about a week. I can attest to the same results. It did help lighten the dark marks significantly in a week but it did not change my overall skin tone. If that makes sense. So I'm glad I gave this another try and added it to my ever growing skin care arsenal. My obsession with skin care is on another level More on that later.

Boos!

Ambi CC+ Cream

This is another product I picked up at the Ubiquitous Health & Hair Show. It was on sale for $6. I wanted to love it. Actually I do like it but the shade is no bueno for me. There are only two shade options in Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. Two medium shades? Really? I feel like that should separate them and have four distinct shades. Medium/Deep is too warm for me. It's more medium that deep and I ain't no where near medium. I used it on its own and under foundation and it's just not my shade.

Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice Coffee

I am a pumpkin head when Fall rolls around. This smells amazing as it's brewing and I do like it but the coffee itself is more of a light roast and does not have enough kick for me. I like a medium roast coffee. So I mainly drank this on the weekends when I didn't really need the caffeine punch. I don't plan of repurchasing it.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Posh Spice

I was SO exited to get my hands on the Posh Spice when it launched. I've tried to make it work but it looks a hot mess on me. It's described as greige taupe. I guess it's too grey for me. If it had a bit more brown in it then maybe I could pull it off. Well hell that's a lie since I tried to make it work with a brown lip liner! Or maybe if  I babied it some more which is not happening. I haven't seen it on someone with a deeper skin tone which I find interesting. I had also picked Blow Pony (pastel neon lavender shade) but hadn't worn it yet. I threw it on quickly with Colour Pop's Leather lip liner and it's fine. I'm good with various shades of purple on my lips. Oh well. You can't love everything from a brand. I still have my eye on some of the deeper shades and he just release two more that I'll probably pick up. I'm going to pick up MAC's Stone (Muted greyish taupe brown) matte lipstick. It looks more like my speed in the greige family.

Makeup Geek Duochrome Pigment  in Kaleidoscope

My annoyance with this is not with the pigment itself but more so my buying experience with product. When I got the pigment it was hard to open. I didn't pay it any mind at the time. Then Marlena posted on Snapchat that people were having issues with the jars cracking. I looked at my jar again and I saw were it would become an issue. So I tried opening it again and sure enough it cracked. So I contacted customer service based on Marlena's instructions and let's just say I'm not happy with my experience. From her Snaphat post, she made it seem like they would send a replacement product. Makes sense right?. That's been my experience with other brands/retailers. You get a replacement OR you get a refund. I went ahead and got my own replacement jar. They had said it would be maybe 1-2 weeks for a replacement and I didn't want to wait that long. I asked if I don't want a replacement what were my options. Customer service came back and said they can send me an empty jar. *blink blink*. Then on some posts/forums I saw that they were only crediting people a $1! Again *blink blink*. I didn't even get that option. I told the rep that I had been corresponding with to forget about and I took to Twitter to vent my frustrations and told them I will never buy another pigment from them again. I don't care if they have "fixed" the jar issue at this point I don't trust you. I have ordered other pigments/loose shadows from other brands and NEVER had this issue. Also I think their handling of the situation was no adequate. I had some other items saved on my wish list through their site. I have deleted those and currently have 4 of their regular pan shadows in my cart that I might purchase and then I'm done with the company. I still like Marlena and enjoy her YouTube videos but I can spend my makeup dollars elsewhere and get quality products. I know everyone love and hypes her brand. Good for them if they enjoy and have had a good experience. I've read and seen other reviews where people have not had a good experience but all you mainly see is the hype reviews. Tina from thefancyfaced made a good point in a recent video. She said that since Makeup Geek is still a growing company, we are kind of their guinea pigs for the brands products. The more I thought about it I was like she has a point and I don't know how I feel about that. There should be some testing and quality control on THEIR end! I hear Marlena says all the time that SHE is testing stuff but I have not heard her mention anyone else on her team testing products. They send a crapton of stuff to beauty vloggers and bloggers. Have them test the shit before selling it to the masses. Sorry for cursing but I'm pissed. Then I knocked some of the product in the sink while I'm waiting on the jar I ordered. There still some product left but it didn't help my attitude about this whole situation. So basically I wasted $12 on this product.

Apartment Living

Totally random I know but I HATE living in an apartment! Ok hate is a strong word and I've lived in other apartments without many issues. I don't like living where I'm at now. The last two sets of folks who have lived above us have been a real PAIN. These newer folks are so damn rude! They are constantly stomping back and forth ALL DAY AND NIGHT!  They also slam stuff and I can hear them talking from time to time which is a first. I've near heard someone's conversation before. At first they said they were trying to get used to things. Yea ok I call BS on that! The rental office has been spoken to but they don't do crap around here but the bare minimum. I emailed the company that owns/oversees the property. I did get a response that my email was being forwarded to the district manager. I didn't think I would hear from him but I did. It was an interesting call but I knew nothing would come of it. At this point it's basically he said, she said.  It is what is it at this point since the lease was turned in I think end of August. So basically we're stuck here until September. Come Spring the plan is to start looking for somewhere else to move to. Along with continuing the process of organizing and purging stuff so when and if we do move the process won't be as terrible. But moving and packing is terrible no matter how you spin it lol! So we shall see. It's a great location but no one wants to be on edge in their own house!

And fin! This was a blah month huh? A lot of ranting going on. Jeez! Hopefully October will be a bit better,

September 2015 Top 5

I don't know why but I just couldn't get myself together to get this up at the end of the month. Oh well. Here's my top 5 for September.

Ashea Shea Butter Pomade

This is a long time favorite. My hairdresser introduced this product to me years ago and she sold it in her shop. For some reason I stopped using it. From time to time I would look online for it but did not feel like paying the high shipping costs that I came across. When I was at the Ubiquitous Health & Hair show, I saw Ashea listed as one of the vendors in the program. At first I was like nooooo. I said to my friend let's find this booth and sure enough it was them! I was toooooo excited. They had some good deals going on. I got 3 jars of their Shea Butter Pomade. Yes it is that serious and I was not playing. I picked up some of their other products as well. This stuff is awesome. It smells GOOD, it moisturizes and add shine to your hair without weighing it down and it makes my hair super soft!!! I use it with my flat iron and on days when I throw my hair back. One problem I've always had with pulling my hair back is that by the time I take it down at the end of the day, it can be really dry. Using this I have not had that issue, My hair is just as moisturized when I put it up in the morning to when I take it down in the evening. I'm so glad that I have this product back in my hair rotation. The rep at the Ashea booth said you can even use it on your body. I can't wait to try it out as a body moisturizer.

Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist in Fig

There was a Wen Today's Special Value on QVC in September and it was my "dream set". I have tried the Replenishing Treatment Mists (RTM) before but never in Fig. Fig is considered the most moisturizing of the various scents/formulations in the line. When it comes to the styling products in the line, Fig works best on my hair. The Fig RTM makes my hair soft and moisturized. At night I spray this in my hair along with the oil I'm going to talk about next and tie my hair up. In the morning when I comb my hair down it feels amazeballs. So glad I have this in the super size. I have put a nice dent in already.

Wen Fig Sweet Orange Treatment Oil

I am also no a stranger to the Wen Treatment Oils but this is also my first time trying it in Fig Sweet Orange oil. The oil was also included in the set that I got in September. Now I LOOOOOOVVVEEE me some Wen Tea Tree Eucalyptus Treatment Oil, It's a holy grail product. Fig is giving Tea Tree a run for its money. Like with the Replenishing Treatment Mist, I find it very moisturizing for my hair. I've used it as an oil treatment before washing my hair, on my hair wet and dry. I'm glad to have this in my rotation and of course I signed up for auto delivery on this set. So I have two more shipments coming woohoo!!

Brush Egg

I saw this in a video and I was curious. I know Sigma has their brush glove or whatever it's called and it's like $30. Uhhh no thank you! I paid $3.99 and got free shipping from Amazon. This little joker makes washing makeup brushes so easy and it speeds up the process! It's really good for face brushes which are a pain to wash. It gets everything out along with whatever you use to clean your brushes with. If you hate washing your makeup brushes then give this a try. I may pick up a few more for Christmas gifts for some of my makeup loving friends.

Ulta Matte Lip Creams

I had no business picking these up lol. When I went to exchange the Anastasia Shadow Couture palette for the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum, I ended up looking at some Ulta brand products. There was a buy 2, get 2 free promo going on and I had their $3.50 off $10 coupon. These are nice. They remind me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. They stay on your lips and don't come off easily while eating and drinking. Also they don't dry out your lips. Of the 4 shades I picked up, Stirring (berry shade) is my favorite. It's the second one pictured above I wore it several times during the month. The other 3 shades I picked up are Passionate, Allusive and Striking.

And there you have it. Mostly hair products this month which is interesting to me. I tried to keep it short and sweet since this is so late. I did start a surprise products post for September. I think I may just combine it with October or I may get it up this week. We shall see on that.

I think my blogging mojo is coming back. I think I may do another Blogapalooza like I did back in October 2013. I'm thinking about doing Blogmas for December! I need to think on it some more.

Stay tuned...