Couponing, but not extreme couponing

Hello Everyone,

Have any one of you watched the show Extreme Couponing on TLC? That show is crazy! I wish I can be like them.... getting all these crazy deals. In my previous blogs, I talked about how my mom would clip out coupons from the Sunday newspaper when I was young and I find myself doing the same. I have always been taught to save as much money as I can by looking for the best deals. So, I am a big fan of coupons and anytime I do find a coupon that looks like something I may be able to use, I would collect them. I am not as organized as the people on the show, but I do save them in my bag and pull them out when I am either grocery shopping or beauty shopping. There is no shame in that!

Just to give you an example, I saw a coupon to save 50 cents on Dole's Mandarin Oranges in a can....... they are in store for $1.89 and to save 50 cents is a big deal. I would keep it in my bag until I go to the supermarket because you can always use this on salad, in jellos, etc... My boyfriend is always wondering what's in that heavy bag of yours... well, coupon is one of them.

I gotta start this blog soon or else I won't even get done..... anyways, so the same concept is applied to the beauty products that I get at Ulta or at Walgreens.
I went to Ulta a month ago and I was able to save almost as much as I paid.

If you total up how much I saved on this receipt, I have saved: $12.50 and I paid $17.77. Without the savings, I would be paying $30.27.

YAY!! It feels good to see how much I saved by using coupons and points that have been accumulated to help with the purchase.

Here are the products that I got from Ulta... I guess this can also be a haul blog.

Summer is almost here and I like to put this in my hair when I want those beachy waves. I love that sort of look.... it's a very relaxed lay back kind of style with a bit of volume. The smell of the product is very fruity and the texture of this putty is thick so those wavy curls last longer.

Nivea is known for having great skin moisturizers and summer is coming, I thought may be I can give this a try. It's to help build up the tan on my legs so it's not too pale.

I have shown one of these in my skin care routine and I love the little scrublet that it comes with. The one I am using is for sensitive skin. I do like that one, but I think this one will be better because its a deep facial cleanser. I have not used it yet because I want to finish up the one that I have. I always like to stock up on facials cleansers.... can never have too many.

Since I also have a coupon for this, I thought it would be nice to try the L'Oreal Hip eye shadows. I do own some HIP eyeshadows but they have shimmer in them, this one is matte so it's going to give me a different effect. The only think I don't like about HIP is that it does have a lot of fall outs, but the color is very pigmented. I suggest if you do use this, pat it on your eyelids instead of brushing it on.

Lastly, I picked up the Rimmel eye liners by accident. I wanted the Rimmel eyebrow liners not the eye liners. I didn't notice it until I got home and I looked at it closely wondering how come there is no brush on the cap... usually for the eyebrows there is a little brush. I did go back to exchange it and they were the same price so nothing changed on the receipt.
I do like their eyebrow liners. Not only are they cheap, it works well for me. These were buy one get one free so they were $1.60 what can go wrong? Each liner last me about 3 months and that is a pretty long time. For those who just want really light touches on their eyebrow may not like this because it is a pencil and may go on a bit harsh for some people.

That was a lot of products and I still can't believe I paid $17.77 for all of this.... Coupons are great!

Happy Savings!

<3 <3 <3

It's Birchbox Time!

Hello Everyone,

Happy Memorial Day to all! It's second to the last day of the month.... whew! I still have time to review May's Birchbox before they start sending out June's. I feel like the time just passes me by. Sometimes I wish I have the power to stop time... now, that will be nice!

It's the hot pink box!

So, This month's theme is for mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. Awwww...... how sweet.
I am a sucka for sweet themes like this. This box is filled with products that are elegant and that will always be in style.

The items this month is nice and sweet, however, for me personally, I don't find myself buying any of these products or do they stand out to me.

Here is the list of products in the $10 box...... My first take was... $190???? I have to try that product out for sure!

Before I go there, let's check out the other items.....
First, it is the Jouer luminizing moisture tint.

There are two small sample packets inserted in this card. I heard a lot of great things about this brand, but I have not tried it yet. This will be a good opportunity to do so. I was thinking about saving these two packets for times when I only want just a minimal coverage... like going to the beach or running errands.

This tinted moisturizer is good for all skin types and gives you an even coverage. If you have a lot of redness or you want to cover any under eye circles, this may not be what you are looking for. You would want something that is full coverage or you can use a concealer just for certain areas in addition to the tinted moisturizer.

$38 for a full size bottle

The next thing in the box is a small card from tinyprints.com. It's a company that lets you customize your very own greeting cards. For those who likes stationary items, this is for you! When I was younger, I like to collect stickers, cute little erasers, and pens. Cards weren't really my thing back then, but as I have gotten older, I am liking them much more. These days, people are using eCards, but I still think printed cards like this makes it more personable. I just like the meaning behind it.

Inside the box, there is another pink wrapping that has more goodies.

There was a lot of white substance on the products.... I believe it is from the soap bar.

Hmmm..... on the card it spells Bulgari, but on the card it spells Bvlgari... I guess you can spell it both ways? This is definitely a Mom's fragrance. It reminds me of Old Hollywood. It's a scent that Grace Kelly would wear on a nice evening out. Has a strong floral scent with some earthy notes.

$80 for a full size bottle

Archipelago- Pomegrante Soap.
It is loaded with anti-oxidant white tea and pomegranate to smooth your hands and body. The design of the box is very pretty and simple. I love the old-traditional look of the box and the smell of the soap is very refreshing. Too bad I am a shower gel kind of gal, but I do like the way it lathers up.

Jouer- mini tinted lip enhancer. This will go well with the Jouer tinted moisturizer. This lip conditioner has vitamin E, shea butter, and plumping peptides. The color that is in my box is 'Bellini.' It is a pretty coral color in the tube, but when I applied it onto my lips, it looks clear. The good thing is it doesn't sting your lips and it's not too sticky. I do like the feel of this on my lips...... very moisturizing. I do have a lot of lip glosses and I can say that this is ranked pretty high up there with my top 5 favorite lip glosses, except the color doesn't show up even though it says tinted.

Finally, the $190 product transphuse night serum by Erno Laszlo. The tube that came in the box is so tiny.... I feel like I can only get 4 uses out of this. This helps fight/prevent wrinkles and firm up the skin. It is to be used at night on a clean face. The first time I applied this on, it feels soothing and moisturizing. Because I was only able to use it 4-5 times, I don't really notice a difference. For $190, I don't think it's that noticeable enough to spend that much on a reparative firming treatment unless I have the money, which I don't. It is certainly nice to try :)
That is the beauty of this whole $10 box... is to try all sorts of different products that I wouldn't even consider.

For this product, you don't need very much. A drop like this will go a long way.

That's it for now.

Have a great night!

<3 <3 <3

Allure's Beauty Box: Summer Hottest Items

Hello Everyone,

As I was reading through the June issue for Allure magazine, I ran into this page that is giving out $350 worth of products for $39.99. The first thing that came to mind was you guys/gals need to check this SHIT out. If you are like me who likes to try new products, this is a great way to get 23 FULL SIZE items for $39.99 AND they will be contributing $5 from each purchase to The Skin Cancer Foundation. WOW!!!
Hurry up and pick these up because it is only while supplies last.

You can only purchase up to 5 boxes.... this is a great gift for your girlfriends, mom, or even friends who just want to try it. There is something for everyone in this box and all the items are pretty expensive drug store items.

I will show you what each of the items are down below:

From the Left to the Right- Aveeno Positively Nourishing Energizing Body Wash, Aveeno Smart Essentials Pore Purifying Facial Wash, Benefit the Porefessional Pro Balm Pore Minimizer, and Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser.

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish in Debbie, Clean and Clear Advantage Popped Pimple Relief Drying Paste, Clean and Clear Morning Burst Boost Body Wash, Clean and Clear Morning Burst Surge Energizing Power Cleanser

Colorescience Pro Pressed Eyeshadows Palette, Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Styling Gel, John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer, and John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray, Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil, Joico K-Pak Moisture Intense Hydrate Treatment, and Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream, Orly Coquette Cutie, Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray, and RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream.

RoC Brillance Anti-aging Face Primer, Spornette Little Wonder Brush (great for adding volume to your hair), and lastly, Sukie Eye Lift Cellular Renewal Cream.

These picture may turn out a bit dark, but if you go onto their website you can see it much better. Here is the website: Allurevirtualstore.com/summer

I just want to also talk about another product that I have been using in the shower that I love.
I have been using this for a month straight now and it's been giving my skin a boost of radiance.
It's the Clean and Clear Morning Burst. I love using this after I use my clarisonic because it makes my face so refreshingly clean. Another thing I like about this is the little beads inside.... it pops once you start rubbing them onto your face. FUN!
There are other scents, but the Vitamin C and Ginseng is my favorite.

I know the Clean and Clear body wash Boost is included in the Allure Beauty Box which I can't wait to try.

I hope this helps and check out the website.
Oh, one more thing.... you do have to pay for taxes, shipping and handling which sucks I know.... but again, there will be a $5 donation to the Cancer Foundation so it's also for a good cause.

Enjoy!

<3 <3 <3

Sephora 500 Points reward- TOO FACED Eyeshadows

Hi Everyone,

I have been obsessing with Too Faced Eyeshadows in the last 4 months. I find myself grabbing these more often than all my other eyeshadows.

The one I am currently using ALL the time is the Natural Eyes palette.

It has all the colors needed to create an everyday look and then some. I love everything about it.. from the box to the colors and to the texture. I don't find these falling out too much and it's soooo easy to grab with my brushes.

I have used this box every day for a month straight and I haven't made too much of dent! This is very comparable to the NAKED Palette. I love this so much that after I am done using it, I will buy another one. Actually, I have a back up box.... when I like something so much I am always afraid it's going to get discontinue so I have to get two. My favorite colors from this palette are Silk Teddy (sounds kind of frisky), Nude Beach (Yikes), Push Up, Heaven, and Sexpresso. I actually love all the colors.

Highly pigmented and the colors in here are just to die for.

Also, included in these little cute boxes are instructions cards on how to apply the colors to your lid if you are a beginner. AMAZING!!
There is one for Fashion, Classic, and Day.

I believe there are 3-4 different boxes for this line... I have 2 out of the 4 boxes but it will be nice to collect them all. =)

Here is the other palette called Naked Eye. Again, great packaging.

Fabulous natural looking colors. I haven't used this palette yet, but the colors are something I can see myself wearing everyday also. My favorites from this palette are In the Buff, Birthday Suit, Pillow Talk, Satin Sheets, Like a Virgin, and Lap Dance. Don't you just love the names of these eyeshadows?

So, to the main item. The 500 points reward that Sephora is handing out this month...... drum rolllllll...... is the Too Faced Exclusive eye shadow collection. YAY!!!
When I saw this, I went cray cray and I had to get it.
I have so many points saved up and so this is FREE for me.

It has the 4 box themes that I was talking about.... I still need to collect the Smokey Eye and Romantic Eye. I like the fact that it also includes a small tube of the eye primer.

This box includes 2 colors each of their bestselling kits. AWESOME!!!
I also like the gold rims around the eye shadow palettes. Very well done Too Faced!

Here are the swatches (On my hand, top row- sorry the swatches here are a bit messy): Push up, Satin Sheet, and Ever After. I just want to show how pigmented these colors are.... even the light colors are very pigmented.

I am happy to save up points for this reward. I am always looking for rewards that will give me the most for my money. BINGO!!!

Have a nice night!

<3 <3 <3