Friday Haul: Revlon, Ponds, NYX and more!

Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great week so far. Today, I'm going to tell you about my shopping trips to CVS, Ulta and Target! I love these posts that save you (and me) tons of money, so lets get started!

At CVS right now, if you buy $10 in Revlon cosmetics, you get $4 back in extra bucks! If you printed off more of the $2 off coupons before they were gone, you can score a great deal on ShadowLinks! I am getting quite the collection of these, so let me know if you want swatches of the ones I have!


$7.99 Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara
$3.19 x 2  Revlon ShadowLinks in "Gunmetal" & "Onyx"
-$6.00 (3 $2 off  Revlon eye coupons from here - no longer available) 
-$2.00 ($2 off any $10 Revlon cosmetics coupon from my receipt a few weeks ago) 
-$4.00 (Extra Bucks for spending $10 in Revlon products)  
-$1.43 (10% back for Beauty Club membership - 10% is always taken BEFORE coupons)  
-$0.93 for all 3 products!

Also at CVS. Milani Cosmetics are buy 1 get 1 50% off. Milani is very rarely on sale, and I've never seen a coupon for their cosmetics, until one printed for me at the red machine a few weeks ago! I've been waiting for a good opportunity to use this coupon, and this sale was it. So, here is what I got...

$6.49 x 2 Milani Brow and Eye Highlighters
-$3.24 (buy 1 get 1 50% off sale)
-$3.00 (Coupon from red machine)
-$0.97 (10% back for Beauty Club membership - 10% is always taken BEFORE coupons)
$5.76 -- I can't tell you how excited I am to try these!

Now, lets head over to Ulta, where if you were lucky (or, if you are just obsessed with shopping there like me), you got an email to go in and get a free Big Sexy Hair hairspray with any purchase! So, I went down there and noticed that they have Revlon on sale, buy 2 get the 3rd free. This sale makes for free ShadowLinks when using that awesome $2 off coupon that was available last week! So, here is what I got...

$5.99 NYX Dark Circle Concealer
$2.99 x 3 Revlon ShadowLinks in "Melon", "Lemon" & "Cobalt"
$7.00 Big Sexy Hair Get Layered hairspray
-$7.00 (Free hairspray from email)
-$1.19 (20% off 1 item coupon from here)
-$2.99 (buy 2 get the 3rd free Revlon sale)
-$6.00 (3 $2 off  Revlon eye coupons from here - no longer available)
 $4.79 for 5 products!

At Target this week they have a gift card deal where if you buy 3 specific skincare items you get a $5 gift card. Ponds facial wipes, and Simple facial wipes are included in this deal. I'm constantly going through these, so when I got wind of this I was all over it. Here is how the deal worked for me..

$3.79 Ponds Facial Wipes
$3.79 x 2 Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
-$4.00 (2 $2.00 off coupons for Simple from here)
-$1.00 (Coupon for Ponds from here)
-$1.00 (Target coupon for Ponds from here)
-$5.00 (Gift Card for next purchase)
$0.37 for all 3 wipes! That's like getting each one for only $0.12!

That's all this week! Had I not used any coupons or gotten anything on sale at all I would have paid $63.87 for all these items! But, by shopping sales and using coupons, I paid $11.85! What were you able to score this week?

My Holy Grail Drugstore Products

 

Makeup

Primer: Monistat Soothing Care Powder Gel

Foundation:  L'Oreal Visible Lift Serum Absolute

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Powder: Coty Airspun Powder in "Translucent" 

Lip Balm: EOS Lip Balm

Lip Gloss: NYX Butter Gloss

Lipsick: Maybelline Color Whisper in "Lust For Blush"

Lip Liner: NYX Retractable Lipliner

Blush: Physicians Formula Sexy Booster in "Rose"

Cream Blush: Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in "Flushed"

Bronzer: Revlon Photoready Bronzer

Highlight: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Powder in "Translucent"

Finishing Spray: NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray

Eyeshadow Primer: Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer in "For my Primas"

Eyeshadow: Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio in "Walking on Eggshells" 

Eye Liner: L'Oreal Silkissime Eyeliner in "Black"

Mascara: Maybelline Volum'Express The Rocket Mascara in "Very Black"

Eyebrow Product: Maybelline Define-a-Brow in dark blonde

Skincare

Facial Moisturizer: St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer

Eye Cream: Lumene Vitamin C+ Anit-Puffiness roll-on eye serum

Scrub: Freeman Facial Polishing Mask Charcoal and Brown Sugar

Mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Cleanser: 365 Everyday Facial Cleanser

Body Moisturizer: Alba Botanica Cocoa Butter Lotion

I will add/change this list as things change or I find new products that fit my liking.

Yummy smelling cosmetics!

I thought I would have some fun today and talk about how companies have been making everything from foundation to mascara scented. I recently hauled the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (more on that tomorrow!) and it smelled SO good. It made me wonder what else I had that smelled yummy, too. I went through my makeup collection and gave almost everything the sniff test, and here are some of my favorite smelling things...

 

1. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. This smells SO good. Just like chocolate! Kind of weird for an eyeshadow, but hey, it's calorie free!
2. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil. This bronzer smells just like the Chocolate Bar Palette. This bronzer has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and I'm not sure if it's because of the great matte warmth it gives my skin, or the fact that it smells so good!
3. Eccence Sun Club Bronzer. Another yummy smelling bronzer. This one smells like piña colada or some other tropical drink. It reminds me of Hawaii. So yummy!
4. NYX Butter Gloss. This smells like you are eating candy. It's like a sugar cookie for your lips.
5. Buxum gloss. Another baked good smell. This one is more like a chocolate chip cookie. 
6. Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Gloss. This has a very light and delicate vanilla scent. So lovely and sweet!
7. Burts Bee's Lip Shimmer. I have a few different shades of these and they all smell the same. Like a mild peppermint scent. 
8. elf All Over Color Stick. At only $1 a pop, these shimmery sticks are a great addition to your collection, and they smell just like oranges!
9. Tarte Cheek Stain. I think if I had to describe my favorite summery scent, this cheek stain would be it. It's a light citrus scent that sticks around for hours!
10. Sexy Booster Blush, Eyeshadow, Mascara and Bronzer. These products from Physicians Formula all have a yummy vanilla scent that is supposed to include Horny Goat weed for an aphrodisiac. I'm not sure if it will really make you sexier, but it does smell good!

 There you have it! What cosmetics do you own that you love to inhale?

Fiday Haul: elf, Burts Bees, Tarte and more!

Happy Friday! I have some great finds for you today! I hope you're following me on Facebook, so that you can see the deals as they come, since a lot of this weeks haul comes from some online shopping with some great coupon codes that I always share with you on Facebook! Most codes are not available anymore, so make sure you "like" me so that next time you wont miss out! This week at the drug store(s) was a slight miss. Other than one good deal, I didn't see anything I wanted to jump on, so the majority of my haul this week is from online shopping.

I got 2 new Tarte items this week! I love Tarte, and their products never disappoint. I posted a code (no longer valid) on my Facebook page, where you could get 50% off of all of their cheek stains and LipSurgence's! So, I scored these for 1/2 off! The retail for these was $24 for the LipSurgence in "fearless" and $30 for the cheek stain in "tipsy", but with the coupon code, I paid $27!

I also did a little Ulta shopping this week! I always scan the clearance section of my Ulta store. Sometimes I find junk and sometimes there is a great steal waiting for me to pick up! This week I found a clearanced Burt's Bees Christmas kit that was originally $14.99, and was marked down to $7.49. So a 50% savings already! Then, I am lacking in the lip liner area of my makeup collection, so to get my total to over $10, I got the NYX lip liner in "nude" for $4.49. And, since  my total was over $10, I was able to use my coupon that was sent to me in the mail (you can also print one here, or use your Mobil device) for $3.50 off $10 purchase. So, with coupon savings, and clearance savings I went from $19.48 to $8.49!.

Here is another internet coupon code that I posted on my Facebook wall. I scored some elf goodies! These were all 50% off. Here is a list of the items I got:

elf Moisturizing Foundation Stick in "ivory"
elf Mineral Eyeshadow in "Seductive"
elf Mineral Eyeshadow in "Innocent"
elf Mineral Eyeshadow in "Temptress"
elf Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow in "Whats your name?"
elf Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow in "Beauty Queen"
elf Blush Pallet in "Light"

I'm SUPER excited for the blush pallet! More on that next week! Full retail for these items would have cost me $27. But with the code, I was able to score all of this for $20.45 with shipping!

And AGAIN with the Facebook. You should really follow me :) I posted a few weeks ago that Target was selling another Beauty Box! This deal was for 5 items (both full size and deluxe samples) for only $5 SHIPPED! So, basically only $1 per item. The mascara in this box alone retails for more than the whole box! Items are:

1) TONI&GUY Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray (2.5 fl oz): Want beachy hair without hitting the surf? Spray from root to tip for salty, sultry texture and subtle, windswept waves. Retail: $4.99

2) L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara (.22 fl oz): Stretch and lengthen lashes for a fluttery, winged-out look with this unique mascara formula and revolutionary asymmetrical Butterfly Brush. Retail: $7.99 to $8.99 depending on the store.

3) Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo (1.7 oz): Give hair a rejuvenating boost with this paraben and colorant-free formula made with natural tapioca to instantly absorb excess oil with less residue. Retail: $1.99

4) COVER GIRL Smoochies Sizzle Gloss (.44 fl oz): Pucker up. Sheer color meets sizzling shimmer in a moisturizing formula that’s always stunning, never sticky. Retail: $6.49

5) Jergens BB Body Cream Light (2 fl oz): Finally, a multi-tasking beauty cream in a quick-drying formula that goes on sheer and delivers visible results in just 5 days. Retail : $3.46

So, value of this box is about $25.  A $20 savings! Oh, and it also came with a Target coupon good for $3 off your $15 beauty purchase.

And, my last two items come from CVS, where they have a deal this week on Aquaphor or Eucerin - buy any 2 and get $5 Bucks back. These little travel/trial sized Eucerin Original Healing Lotions are priced at $1.19 and they produce the $5 bucks on your receipt! Here is the math in case you're curious how it works (yes, it is a money-maker!)...
Eucerin Original Healing Lotion 1 oz.
$1.19 x 2 =
$2.38
-$5.00 (Bucks that printed on my receipt for a future purchase)
-$0.23 (10% back for Beauty Club membership - 10% is always taken BEFORE coupons)
-$2.85 A great money making deal!

So, that's all! How did you do this week? My weekly total was a bit higher than I normally spend at $58.09, but had I not gotten any deals I would have paid $127.86! So, I saved well over 50% on my purchases and even got a few high end items!

Ipsy: March 2014

Have you heard of Ipsy? It's a beauty subscription that costs $10/month and they send you 4-5 products inside of a cute little makeup bag. I've been subscribed to them for around 10 months, and I always get my money worth, with some of my bags valuing at over $50! Plus, it gives me a chance to try things that I normally wouldn't try. I love it! Here is what I got in this month's bag:

First of all, how cute is the bag this month? It was designed by an artist named klari, and I love the colors! It's a fun bag this month for sure.

 First thing I got, was this gorgeous deluxe lipstick from BareMinerals in the shade "Get Ready". The full size of this Lipstick retails for $18.

Next is a full sized pallet from NYX. It's their Love in Rio line, and this pallet is called "Cabana Boy", and this has a retail value of $6.

And, on to another full size product. This is the NEW Chella eyeliner pen in "Indigo Blue" and it retails for $24! I've gotten Chella products in my Ipsy bag before, and they are great!

Lastly, I got this Flawless Beauty Primer from Pixi. Retail of this is $9. The above swatches are: on top, the product straight from the tube, and on bottom, sheared out. This is a very brightening and non-silicon feeling primer!

There you have it! Had I purchased each individual product alone, I would have spent $57 retail! Plus, I got a cute little bag! I love Ipsy!

Review: NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray

Hello everyone! This post is super delayed today, but I'm excited to share with you some insight on a product I've fallen in love with this winter. I said this before in my last Monday review, about how my skin this winter has taken a beating. I've had combination/oily skin my whole life, then all of a sudden I find myself in the middle of a horrible mid-west winter, and I look like a crocodile that has had far too much sun. My skin was so scaled, dry and tight feeling. It looked horrible and I wasn't sure how to fix it.

After a few months and some new products, things started to look better. My skin care routine had taken a complete overhaul, and I even changed up my makeup. One of the things that I feel saved me in touch-ups was the NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray. I had to stop using powders all together this winter, and that was always how I had set my foundation. So, I started looking into setting sprays. I tried a few and they were alright, but when I spotted the NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray at ulta, with "Dewy" being the key word, I knew I needed to try it.

The NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray is wonderful if you want to set your foundation without powder. It's also a great setting spray for over your powder as well. It makes your skin look like skin again. I'm super excited to try this in the warmer months when I can use mineral foundation with this misted on top of it. But, for now, I love how it makes my skin look great, and helps the staying power of my foundation a great deal.

To use this product, I look up, close my eyes, then spray the NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray into the air and let it fall onto my face. I usually do this 2-3 times depending on where it lands :)

Are there any skin saving tricks you have had to muster up this winter? I'd love to hear about them!

Tip Tuesday: Using Bright Blushes

One of the more widely used items in my makeup case, are my blushes. I love how they make me look like I'm not dead, and that they can perk up even the most bland of skin days. As we head into spring, I feel like the most colorful and spring-like thing you can add to your makeup routine is a bright eye popping blush! I have several blushes in my collection that would make most people cringe, but here are 3 reasons why I love them so much.

1. Bright washes of color on the apples of your cheeks makes you look more youthful. I was reminded of this on Sunday when I was curling my 6 year old daughters hair. Her cheeks had this hint of color on them that made her simply glow. As we age our skin looses pigmentation. So, adding that pigmentation on your cheeks makes you look younger.

2. It can save you money! This post was inspired by a bright blush I purchased just yesterday (I'll tell you more about that in my haul post on Friday). Bright colors can make for some very clown-like looks if you aren't careful. But, with a light hand and a good quality blush brush, you can use a very minimal amount of that blush, so it will last a long time. And, if you read my haul Friday post, you'll see just how affordable it truly can be!

3. Bright colors show up and look great on everyone. From the lightest of lights to the darkest of dark's. Bright, bold colors are universally flattering no matter what color your skin might be. I'm very pale, and you would think that using a bright, highly pigmented blush would make me look like I've got neon cheeks. However, I apply it very carefully and with a light touch to both the product and my skin. So, I'm left with a light wash of brightness that wakes my face up and makes me look alive again. You can always add more blush if you feel like the pigmentation isn't enough for you, so build it up until you get the color you want. But, always start with a very small amount.

So, there you have it! Below I've given you some examples of the blushes that are in my collection that are super vibrant and pigmented.

1. Maybelline Master Glaze Blush in "Pink Fever"
2. NYX Rouge Cream Blush in "Glow"
3. bareMinerals Blush in "Fruit Cocktail"
4. elf Studio Blush in "Pink Passion"
5. essence Silk Touch Blush in "Life's a Cherry"

Friday Haul: NYX, tarte, Benefit and more!

As a makeup hoarder, I tend to buy makeup or some sort of beauty item every single week. Sometimes lots, sometimes just 1 thing. But, just about every week, I get myself a little something to add to my collection. I'm a true hoarder. And, what's crazy, is that I normally use everything I buy. And, whats great, is that if you absolutely hate something, most places will take things back!  So, if you've been dying to try something, but aren't quite sure if you'll like it, save your receipt. You normally have nothing to lose :)


So, here is my haul for this week. I'll do a breakdown of what I got, and even how much I paid for it, so you can try to get the same deals before the week is over!

1. Essence Sun Club Matt Bronzing Powder for blondes. They also have this for brunettes/darker skin. This is a nice light bronzer that looks very natural on my skin, and I'm liking it so far. I got it at Ulta, and it was $4.99, so very bargain priced for such a large compact. 

2. Benefit They're real! mascara. I have the full size of this, and it's pretty good. Not worth the hype in my opinion, but it's good. I got an email from Ulta so I could get this mini size for free if I showed them the email. So, I paid nothing for this travel friendly sized mascara. Although, it did get me into their store so I had to look around, and ended up getting a few things while I was there.

3. Tarte Be MATTEnificent pallet. This sucker is limited edition, and like all things in the makeup world that are limited edition, if you see it, you need to get it or it will be gone the next time you go to the store. Mark my words, I cannot tell you how many times I've seen something at the store that is limited edition, and thought in my head "I like it, but I'll sleep on it and come back in a few days and get it then if I still want it" - only to find that a few days later it's gone. Then, in your desperation you ask the nice sales person when they'll get more in and they precede to tell you that what they had is all that they will get since it's limited edition. People, like I said above, if you hate it you can take it back. This pallet was a bit of splurge for me at $37. But I love, love, love it! I am so in love with tarte cosmetics, and this pallet is just awesome. The shadows are so silky, and the blush as I said in my tarte review on Monday, is my favorite, and this shade is so subtle and pretty. 

4. NYX nude on nude pallet. This was a TOTAL score for me! I love neutral shadows. They are just funner for me to work with, and I don't feel like I'm trying to hone in on my 80's past. Don't get me wrong, I'll still rock the blue eyeshadow here and there. But, normally it's the neutrals that get me excited. Plus, the lipgloss pans are pretty, too. I got this at Ulta this week. I read through the fabulous inter-web that Ulta was having a NYX overhaul and they were clearancing a bunch of their stuff, so of course I had to check it out. I found this baby amongst a bunch of things that were marked down (they had single eyeshadows, and smaller eyeshadow pallets as well as a few lip products at my store, too). I spotted this pallet with a sticker that said it was normally $25 and was now $12.50. Score! I was super excited about my find, and when I went to check out, it rang up at $4.99!!!! Holy crap! And, to make things even better, I have the Ulta app on my phone, that had a weekly offer for 20% off one single item. So, I scored a $25 pallet for $4. Even if I don't like this baby (which I know I will), at $4 I'll let my 6 year old daughter have it for playing with before I'll return it.

That's it! I normally don't spend over $50 in one week on cosmetics at all! But, tarte always gets me with their pretty packaging and great quality. Other than the tarte pallet, this was a very budget-friendly week, being that I got a free mascara, and a $25 pallet for only $4. Next week there will be a haul from CVS for sure. They have some great deals going on for the week that are sure to make for some cheap makeup! So I'll see you back here next Friday to share my findings!