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Ulta Haul!

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A few weeks ago Ulta was have a buy one get one sale on a lot of the brands the store stocks.  Of course, I took full advantage of this sale with a slight protest from my bank account.

I have not had a chance to use everything just yet, but what I have used, I absolutely love!

Here I just want to talk about the hair and skin care products I picked up and save the make up products for a different post, there is a lot to be said about those.  But I will include what I purchased in this post.

First, a list of what I managed to snag.

For the make up:

  1. Customized Eye Shadow Palette by Buxom
  2. Velvet Touch Finishing Powder by Japonesque Color
  3. Velvet Touch Concealer  by Japonesque Color
  4. Yellow Color Correcting Crayon by Japonesque Color

For the hair care: 

  1. African Black Soap Dandruff Control Shampoo by Shea Moisture
  2. Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque by Shea Moisture
  3. Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthening & Grow Treatment Masque with Sea Butter, Peppermint & Keratin by Shea Moisture.
  4. Argan Oil from Morocco by HASK
  5. Bamboo Oil Strengthening Deep Conditioner by HASK
  6. Macadamia Oil Hydrating Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment by HASK

For Skin Care:

  1. Daily Cleansing Towels by Olivella (x2)
  2. Miss Spa Bee Venom Plumping Mask by Woman Owned
  3. Panda’s Dream Eye Patch by Tony Moly

 

Now, let’s review.

#1 African Black Soap Dandruff Control Shampoo  &Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque  by Shea Moisture.  Having pink color treated hair, keeping color in is a hassle that leads me to restrict my shampooing to two – three times a week.  In-between shampooing’s I use baby powder (I know, not the best product but the product that seems to work the best for me) that leads to a lot of scalp build up.  Most dandruff / scalp build up shampoo’s are seriously harsh on not only your hair, but also the hair color you may or may not be using.   Needless to say, I have been looking for a gentle alternative.

While browsing the isles for a buy 1 get one 50% off sale (which is still going on) I stumbled upon the Shea Moisture products and quickly spotted this shampoo and the hydrating conditioner right above it.  Not that I was looking for deep conditioners, but I wasn’t opposed to trying something new.

I was sold after the first use of both of these products.  The shampoo is so gentle and I didn’t say goodbye to most of my color.  It washes away the flakes and leaves your scalp feeling nourished instead of stripped.  The hair masque didn’t leave my hair feeling heavy but rather perfectly hydrated along with leaving my scalp feeling amazing.

Shea Moisture is a cruelty free band.

#2 Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthening & Grow Treatment Masque with Sea Butter, Peppermint & Keratin by Shea Moisture, Bamboo Oil Strengthening Deep Conditioner by HASK, Macadamia Oil Hydrating Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment by HASK, Miss Spa Bee Venom Plumping Mask by Woman Owned

I still need to try these out, so maybe a review to come on all three products at once.

#3 Argan Oil from Morocco by HASK. I LOVE THIS OIL! LOVE.  I recently ran out of my Elixir Oil by Julep and is seems they don’t make it anymore, unless you buy it in the oil bundle.  Which I will probably do because I love it that much.  But this oil is such a fantastic substitution.   Now most people use this product as a finishing oil to add shine to freshly styled hair. Which I also do as well.  But I have this problem were my scalp becomes sore after I shampoo my hair (no matter what I use) due to a huge over production of oil at the crown.   To eliminate my scalps need to do this, I rub Argan Oil into my scalp and hair before washing it.  Usually the night before to allow the oil to really be absorbed, but a few hours before washing will do too.

This treatment leaves your scalp and hair so perfectly hydrated that I have not found anything that beats it.  You still use conditioner or a deep conditioning treatment just the same.   It is a miracle worker.

This product is also available in a larger size, which I will be buying after I finish with this bottle.

HASK is a cruelty free brand.

#4 Daily Cleansing Towels by Olivella.  Olivella is an Italian made brand that offers a range of products around one main ingredient, olive oil.  Olive oil has been used for centuries as a beauty aid and I have to admit, it does a fantastic job.  Olive oil is just a lovely hair treatment as well as several uses for the skin.

I was disappointed that most of the products from this brand were sold out, but there were two packages of these daily cleansing wipes that qualified for the buy 1 get 1 50% off. So naturally, I bought both packages.

I love these wipes so much that I had to share the second package with my best friend.  She has always used baby wipes to remove her make up but has been finding them to be too rough on her skin.  The Olivella ones are soft and soothing.

Not only is this a great product, this brand has a great concepts behind it. Clean, safe and green.

Olivella is also a cruelty free band.

#5 Panda’s Dream Eye Patch by Tony Moly

I thought when purchasing this item that this brand was cruelty free. While this product did brighten up my under eye area, I am finding this brand might be one that still tests on animals. Also being a Korean Skin Care company, I am not 100% about the regulations and ingredients used.

They have a wide range of fun facial masks that make them appealing and fun to use, but before I use them again I will be doing more research.

So that is it for this review on my Ulta haul, stay tuned for the make up reviews coming soon!

April Wish/Shopping List

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Spring is such a time of year were most people lighten up their make up and clothing shades, loading up on the pastels.  While I tend to dwell in the darker realm of the color spectrum ( don’t get me wrong, I love dusty pastel colors. As you will shortly see) but I can occasionally step out of my shadows and explore.

I also feel like this is a time to really brighten up your skincare routine after the brutality of winter and the chapped problematic skin it can cause.   I have very oil skin. I mean oil derrick oily and all this oil can really congest my pores.  On top of that, my skin is very sensitive and prone to acne if I use certain products. A problem I have been experiencing a lot lately, until I tried numbers 3, 6 & 7 on my shopping list here.  So let us dive in.

april

 

#1 Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Craft – $20 If you have not tried Anastasia’s line of liquid lipsticks, you are missing out on life. These liquid lipsticks go on a creamy liquid and dry down to a lovely matte.  What is the best part?  The products stay put.  This brand is by far one of my favorite brands of matte liquid lipsticks and I have the need to have each shade in my collection.

#2 Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Collection – $49.00. Let me take a moment to sigh here.  Every time I added this product to my cart and continued to check out, it has sold out in that split second.  While yes there is a lot of hype about this palette, I am a huge Too Faced fan and this palette really speaks to me.  I need this in my life and hopefully the make-up gods will be on my side the next chance I get to swoop this bad baby up. Hopefully. Crossing fingers.

#3 Doctor Brandt PoreDermabrasion – $58.  Yes, 2.0 oz bottle is a bit on the expensive side, but if you are like me and exfoliation is the path to clear, glowing and healthy skin, $58 dollars is a small price to pay.  Let me tell you why I love this product so much: It works.  Simple as that.  I just ran out of my sample tube and ready to commit to the full size product.  This defoliator really breaths life into my skin and really evens out my skins texture while reducing the appearance of my moon sized pores. Just as it claims to do.

#4 & #5 Urban Decay Single Shadow Pots in Vanilla and Aura – $19/each.  I use a skin tone shadow as a base shadow under most of my shadow looks.  It just really sticks to the primer well while leaving a smooth canvas for whatever look I am going for.  My poor Tarte Flower Child shadow from the Tartelette in Bloom Palette has been taking a beating and I’m about to hit pan on it. So I am starting to collect some nude skin tone matching  shadows to prolong the life of my dear sweet Flower Child and thought I would give Vanilla from Urban Decay and chance in life, even though it is a shimmer.

While browsing their range of shadows I came across this Aura duel shadow pot and kind of fell in love at first sight.  Aura is a duel shifting shadow consisting of a iridescent white with blue shift and a iridescent white with red shift. It sounds like pure magic, which means I need it.

#7 Balance Me Skin Saviours Congested Skin Serum – $23.50.  Lately, due to using a new moisturizer, my skin has been giving me absolute hell.  I can’t remember when my face was so broken out.  So I reached for a sample I received in a birch box, hoping it might save the day. It went over and beyond my expectation.  I used this sample at night and woke up the next more to incredibly clearer skin.  Not only does this serum help with the break outs, it does wonders for redness and inflammation. After one use I was sold.  this is a British made brand, so I am not sure what the brand’s prices are when it comes to shipping in the USA, but I did link to site were I could find the cheapest price.  I would honestly like to do a whole haul on this brand alone.

#8   Bayberry Naturals Rosehip & Hibiscus Moisturizer – $17.95.  As stated above, my current moisturizer as been tormenting my skin.  I needed something to use until I could figure out what product to replace it with.  Hidden in the drawer of sample wonders, I found this little gem that I received from Ipsy.  As my other moisturizer it stated it is for all skin types, so I was a little cautious and skeptical that it would work for me. I was pleasantly surprised. In use with the Balance Me Serum, my skin is really calming down and looking fantastic.  This product is so lightweight that I am surprised it moisturizes as intensely as it does.  Another brand I would love to do a haul on.

So there we go, my make up and skin care goals for this month.  Wish me luck!

March Ipsy Bag

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IMG_8853Why am I writing my first post on a set from last month?  Well simply because I have been busy putting this blog together.  Better late then never, right? So, let us dig right into the products in this bag.

First off, the bag itself. I absolutely love this bag!  There have been very few Ipsy bags that I adore, but this one is definitely one of them.  The contrast colors of aqua and coralish-red complement each other so well and really give off that spring vibe.

Second, the Global Beauty Care Dead Sea Wash-off Mask.  While this mask states you can use it for your body as well as your face, I only tested it out on my face. Maybe next time I will try using it on my neck and chest to see how it measures up as a “body mask”.  This mask provides a deep pour cleaning while making you feel like your bathroom as been turned into a luxury spa. I love this mask and it just might be a product I commit to after I am finish with this sample.  It also left my face feeling firmer, which is always a plus for those 30+ people looking for natural solutions to changing skin.

What more is there to love about this product? After some research I found that the company makes the following statements about their products and product lines:

• Natural and plant-based ingredients.
• Natural ethical and cruelty-free products.
• Recyclable Packaging and Shipping Materials
• Healing Solutions
• No Synthetic Fragrances
• No Harsh Detergents
• No Mineral Phosphates
• No Sulphates
• No GMO Ingredients added 

While they might not be organic and 100% paraben free (from what I can tell, please correct me if I am wrong) I think this company does a darn good job in stepping in the right direction.  I give this product a solid A.

Third, the Crown Brush Small Chisel Fluff Brush.  I am a fan of synthetic Crown Brushes, though I am not sure I am a huge fan of this brush?  This brush is made of a sable blend, which saddens me.  I don’t need a animal to suffer because I want a make up brush, it is ludicrous.  Therefore, I would have to say I am disappointed in this sample and can not find it in me to recommend it, at all.

From what research I have been able to find, I don’t believe Crown Brush is a cruelty free company (though they do offer cruelty free options). If I find out otherwise, I will most definitely do a post on Crown Brush.  Until then, thumbs down.

Fourth, NYX Cosmetics Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft Spoken. I love, love, love this color! LOVE. NYX is a very affordable, cruelty free brand. This product had a decent wear time, but I can’t remember 100% how long and if it survived through a meal. But the formula was smooth and consistent, not at all patchy. I could dive deeper and review the toxicology rating of this product, but I wasn’t able to find a solid rating.  So, other then that I really have no negative remarks about this product and recommend it.  If this is a product you would like to try, I say go for it!

NYX Cosmetics Remains Cruelty–Free! NYX Cosmetics has been a committed member of PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies program since 2010. In 2014, though, NYX was acquired by L’Oréal, a company that chooses to sell in China, where tests on animals are required.Mar 19, 2015′

Fifth, Manna Kadar Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Fantasy. Sadly, I was not prepared enough to have a swatch of this product (maybe in a future post) nor have I tried the product out, but I do love the concept of a three-in-one product. I believe this company is cruelty free and for me at least, LOCAL! I love supporting local companies and this will be a brand I will look more into.  If you live in Orange County or the Southern California area, CHECK THIS BRAND OUT.  Until further notice, I’ll be playing around with this shadow/bronzer/blush and doing my research.

Sixth, TEMPTU Warm Glow Bronzer.  I am going to be honest here, this scares me.  Not because of the brand (which is cruelty free), I just am very timid when it comes to blush and bronzer’s.  It just isn’t a leap I have fully committed to taking when it comes to my make up, but testing the waters slowly.  The idea of a liquid bronzer makes me want to run for the hills.  I do believe this product line is meant for airbrushing? But I have seen reviews were you can dab this sample and rub it on your cheeks? I’ll get around to trying this… one day.  I’ll admit, I failed this sample.

Over all, with the exception of the brush, March’s glam bag was overall interesting and fun.  Ipsy rarely disappointing me which is why I have kept this subscription for about two years.

If you have not given Ipsy a try yet, I recommend clicking here and signing up!