FITFABFUN: SUMMER

It is a happy time when my FABFITFUN comes in the mail and this is only my second box! I also wasn’t expecting this box either as it wasn’t supposed to arrive for another week or so. This time around, I got nine items in my box of mostly skincare, which I am not mad about. I LOVE SKINCARE. Also, some of it I didn’t have or I needed a backup of. This is my second box and again, I think the value of what I received is worth the price that I paid. I paid $53.11 with tax on a $49.99 subscription. When I can afford to pay for a whole season, I will because I do want to keep this box around for a while.

ALSO, I will be adding any relevant items to my current inventory list. Basically, any time I add to my backstock, I will put into my inventory list and any item that I take out of backstock is deducted from the list. If it isn’t in backstock and was never considered backstock, it will not be added to the list. Any current item that goes into backstock will be added to the list. I just wanted to make that clear before I show you what I got in my box.

NOTE: I took a week off due to being sick. I’m hoping to stay back on my schedule, but still under the weather.

Invisibobble Original, 6 for $16

I have 3 clear and 3 nude hair ties. I am always in need of more hair ties. I am dumping these directly into my hair tie container where I keep all of my hair accessories. I’m not made that these where in my box. I have a use for them and I have always wanted to try something like this before. It is a very practical item that I’m sure most women could use. This was an item that everyone received in their box this season.

Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

& Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel, $45 for the set

I am BEYOND pumped that I got my choice! I have been DYING to try the Bum Bum cream and now I also get to try the shower gel as well. Since this is only a deluxe sized sample of the bum bum cream, I am intending to use it sparingly and only on my boobs and butt when I want them to look great. This set smells divine and I know that I want to buy the full size when all is said and done. I think I will wait to use the shower gel until I buy the full size, so I can use them together as a set. I am putting the shower gel in storage, but I will be putting out the Bum Bum cream to use. Even with my cold, it smells like a sweet and nutty bakery shop. I absolutely love it. I’ll be milking this small 2.5 oz container all summer.

111Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask, 5 for $160

Just these sheet masks makes the box triple its value and worth it. I am always ready to try a new sheet mask. So, I can now add these 5 to my backstock for when I am ready to use one. I did no masking this week as I write this post, because I have been sick. I think I might even skip a week of blogging, because I do not feel good at all. Every time I use a sheet mask, I subtract it from my inventory. I keep them in storage, because they are not something that I use regularly. These will probably be the first one that I use when I feel better. I am excited to try it and I wonder if the mask itself is reflective or like a foil mask in rose gold. That would be so cool. Ago, this was another item that I chose.

Odeme What A Pair Silicone Wine Glasses, 2 for $25

These are super cute and come in a pink drawstring bag. I could see using these for jello shots or icy sangrias. They are perfect for travel, if you plan on drinking at a picnic or something. I’ll probably use these at home with drinks. You could put these in the freezer for ten minutes to get them cold and then pour a drink in them. They will have a use at my house, so I am happy with them. They are also baby pink, so super cute. I also chose this item as well.

Generation Clay Ultra Violet Brightening Purple Clay Mask, for $39

This is another item that was included in everyone’s box this season. Another item that is going into backstock until I use up my current face mask. This one seems really cool, because it is a purple face mask and purple is my favorite color. I love that it is cruelty free. I cannot wait to start using it when I can. Since the product is completely sealed, I will not be opening it until I am ready to use it, so it can stay as fresh as possible. I am so pumped about this box. I absolutely love it. Already, I think this one is SO much better than the Spring box. I am WAY more pumped about the items in the Summer one.

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Purifying Cleanser, for $36

My mystery item that I didn’t get to chose was this cleanser and I am super pumped about that! I thought the mystery items were mostly unwanted products, but this one is the bomb dot com. If you are a SELECT member, you would have been able to chose this one or another choice. I couldn’t find this exact product on the website, which makes me think that this is the repackaged cleanser listed on the brand’s website. This is a daytime cleanser, so I think that I will immediately put this to use. I will start using this in the morning instead of my makeup wipes. I will reserve my wipes for lazy days. This cleanser is supposed to shrink pores and reduce oil production. It would serve its purpose better in the morning than at night. I am excited to start using this.

Whish Exfoliating Foot Mask, for $32

Everyone received this item in their box. I have a foot mask out at the moment, so this will be going into storage until I finish that tube up. It is very close to being used up too. This is a leave overnight foot mask, which is very interesting. I look forward to using it, once I use up my current tube which is just a 10 to 15 minute foot mask. I only really use foot masks during the summer to keep my feet in sandal shape. I do it occasionally during the Winter if I feel like my feet need it. This box is starting to have an insane value.

Grace & Stella Rose Facial Spray, for $25.95

Another item that everyone got in their box. I love face spray. This one already leaked all over the box, so it is going straight into rotation and replacing my coconut MAC Prep & Prime. This smells like an old grandma rose. I want to just use it up and get it out of my collection. It is in a plastic bottle, which I don’t think fits the $25 price tag. I can use this before makeup, after makeup, and whenever. I plan on using it whenever I want to, since I don’t care for the scent. I’m not going to hoard this one. I’m still glad that I have this and I will still use it up. I just don’t personally care for the scent. I am also sick, which could have a factor in how this smells right now to me.

Coola Makeup Setting Spray SPF 30, for $36

Last but not least, this was another item that I did not choose and I am hella glad that I have it now. I pulled this setting spray in and my Huda into storage. This has SPF, so I want to use this one during the Summer for sure. It would make no sense to continue using Huda and wear this one in the Winter. I really love the cool looking glass bottle and it feels super expensive matching the price tag. I have only gotten into setting sprays recently, so I wonder how this compares to the Huda.

I feel like I love everything that I got in this box 110%. I am super excited to try everything. There isn’t anything that I am meh about. The total value of my box is $414.95. I feel like this season was the best box yet. I love and will use everything. I really should do a month of masking. I have plenty of them now. What did you get in your Summer FITFABFUN box?

With Love,

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Birthday Hauling: Sephora

I did a little Sephora haul for my birthday and I spent $57 USD and some change. I was very frugal as I usually spend $100 at Sephora alone for my birthday. I organized everything by samples, free gift with purchase, birthday gift, and purchases from low to high. I am brimming with excitement over everything that I have picked up. I have swatched everything out and it is so beautiful. Everything is exactly how I thought it would be. I read so many reviews and do a lot of research before I pick anything up at Sephora. It is an expensive place to shop and I want to end up with something that I will more than likely love instead of return.

High Expectations Cannabis Facial Oil

This is wierd, but I am just going to put it in my bathroom with my skincare to use up the sample this month.

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream

I am excited to have another sample of Drunk Elephant and I will put this in with my skin care to use up this month. I don’t want these samples building up again.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Unscented and Honeysuckle Vanilla

These are always nice to try and I already know that I love this sample. I am putting it in my bathroom to use up immediately.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask

I am happy to have snagged a baby size of this to try as it is on my Sephora Love’s List to buy (and the Avocado one). I am putting this baby size in my bathroom immediately as well, because I have been dying to try it. I do have another sleeping mask open, but this is more of a gel and does something different than my other one. It smells like a watermelon jolly rancher, but also a bit fresh in the after note. I am sure that I will be out of this baby soon enough. It is a third of an ounce, so enough to make a decision if I want to purchase a full size or not.

 

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser & Protini Polypeptide Cream Duo

This was the birthday gift that I picked this year, because I do not support Kat Von D. I still would have picked this up though, because I have been dying to try Drunk Elephant products. I even added a kit to my Love’s List since my declutter post. I am putting the cream immediately into my bathroom as I need a gentle night time cream for after treatments and harsh masks. The cleanser will be put away as I am using something else at the moment as my night time cleanser. I only use a cleansing wipe or water in the morning after a thorough night routine.

 

 

 

Too Faced Bronzed Peach Melting Powder Bronzer in Toasted Peach

I paid $10 for 12.5 grams of bronzer, which I feel is a steal. I only paid a third of the original price making this essentially drug store. The packaging is super adorable and it smells lightly of peach. I don’t find the scent too strong and I really like it. It contains a nice mirror and the bronzer isn’t shimmery. It is glowy, but I don’t feel like it is too much. Even though I have oily skin, I have been into glowy skin and makeup looks lately rather than my matte go to. The bronzer isn’t too brown or orange on me and blends out to be very light. I can be light handed and also build this bronzer up. It is the perfect color for my light skin and it will still match me in the summer since I can build up the color. The cream to powder formula is really nice as well. I like to dab with my fingers and buff out with a buffing brush. It’s perfect.

 

 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Highlighting Fluid in Skywalk

I paid $14 which is half priced for this beautiful light blue highlighter. I have heard good things about it being used as an under eye corrector for dark circles that brightens up the area and makes them disappear. This is for sure opaque and a lovely highlighter. You can have it look straight up purple/blue on the skin or blend it in for a diffused lit from within look. It is very thin and lightweight. I can see why it was made in the Naked line. Right now, I just got an under eye corrector in a FITFABFUN box, so I will wait on using this as an under eye corrector. I will be using it as a pretty highlight though. I have been dying to get one in this shade. Blue/purple highlights look really nice on my skin tone and really brighten up my face. Put on my cupid’s bow, it makes me teeth look whiter as well. Overall, I am really happy with this already and I’m sad that it’s being discontinued. I love this cream highlighter and I don’t usually like creams/liquids. It really has to be something special for me to not put it in a project pan.

 

 

Ciate London Glitter Storm Palette

I paid $30 and saved $10 off the original price of the palette. I wasn’t going to get a palette originally, but those glitters?!!!! They stole my heart and swatched out, they still look lovely. These are one finger swipe swatched btw. I wanted to see how opaque they were. I like to build up my eye shadow. These have amazing pigmentation. The glitters have a nice eye shadow base to them and I love them all. My favorite glitter would have to be Firestorm, which is the red/pink one. None of the colors are too dark for my hooded eyes. The packaging of the palette is pretty to look at and very weighted. It feels expensive like a $30 palette. The only color I don’t get in this palette if Whirlwind which is the matte peachy shade. It’s a sore thumb. They could have done a soft rose or a cream and it would have looked a lot better. Still using every shade though. I am so excited! This palette is very me, which is why I bought it. This palette will motivate me to use up my project pan items, so I can bring this out and play with it.

I am so happy with my Sephora purchase! Not one product disappointed me right out of the gate that I purchased. I am looking forward to playing around with all of my new makeup. Hopefully, I move out some project pan items in order to do so. Keep my motivation up. I tend to lose motivation around products. I might switch it up and do a monthly makeup rotation instead……let’s see how I do with the first project.

With Love,

Sephora Loves List

Today, I am going through my loves list and ITS MY BIRTHDAY TODAY. I am printing my whole Loves List in this post. I will be telling you what I am removing, what is staying, and which items I want to purchase for my birthday that I really want. I usually indulge a bit for my birthday month and I recently accumulated points to spend on my credit card and I received a rebate in the mail. I usually spend about $100 to $200 on myself for my birthday. I know that I got a tattoo earlier this year that I said was a birthday gift to myself, but I spoil myself. It’s the only time of year besides Black Friday where I really indulge myself. Otherwise, I put everything I have into my son. So, I put myself on a self-induced low buy every year and it’s good for my collection. I want to move a ton of makeup out this year.

Too Faced Bronzed Peach Melting Powder Bronzer – Peaches and Cream Collection
COLOR: Toasted Peach – soft bronze .44 oz/ 12.5 g
WAS $30.00 NOW $10.00

I am SUPER EXCITED about this one. I already put it in my cart. It is 1/3 of the price and something that I have had my eye on. Do I need it? No, I do not. I am a big fan of a bronzy glow though and I am allowing myself a $50 Sephora purchase for my birthday to get my free birthday gift. I would love to own something by Too Faced and I use bronzer. I know that this will be used. I do have two other cream bronzer/contours but they are in my Smashbox palette that is REALLY bulky and I always forget to pull it out. I will need to put it in my Summer Project Pan. I need to decide if I like the creams or if I only like the powders. I need to use up the creams if I like them.

BECCA Iconics: Prime, Brighten and Glow Trio
WAS $40.00 NOW $30.00
($70.00 value)

I have tried the primer before. I am a big fan of BECCA highlighters and I really want to try the under eye corrector. Having said this, this will not be going into my basket for my birthday. I just bought a BECCA limited edition kit at Marshalls, I just got an undereye corrector in my FITFABFUN, and I have a full sized primer that needs to be used up. I don’t need to go out and purchase this kit, but I do like it and will keep it on my loves list until it goes out of stock.

BECCA Glow Essentials Kit
WAS $39.00 NOW $29.00
($68.00 value)

Again, this is another BECCA set with two primers, a mini highlighter, and a mini lip gloss. I don’t need this, but it is staying on my Loves List because it is an incredible value.

Ciaté London Glitter Storm Eyeshadow Palette
WAS $42.00 NOW $30.00

This palette is small and absolutely stunning. All of these colors would be usable on my hooded eyes. I added it to my basket to buy for now. This is something that I really want. I don’t have a ton of eye shadow and I plan to be panning a good chunk of it this year. I have been wearing a pretty full face of makeup minus foundation everyday. I have been enjoying doing my eye shadow and throwing on mascara. I would get a ton of use out of this, but I don’t need it. It make not be purchased this time around, but I will keep it on my Loves List for sure.

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask Set
SIZE 2.7 oz/ 80 mL + Free Eye Mask
WAS $45.00 NOW $39.00

I just got a sleeping mask in my FITFABFUN Spring box, so this will be staying on my Love’s List. I really want to try these sleeping masks from this brand though. Has anyone tried them? I love luxury skincare, because I want to put good ingredients on my skin. I only invest in items like these though. I don’t buy high end toner water. lol. I usually spend a bit more on treatments and masks.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask Set

SIZE 2.7 oz/ 80 mL + Free Eye Mask
WAS $45.00 NOW $39.00

The same goes for this kit as well. It is staying on my Love’s List for one rainy day. REALLY dying to get one of these bad boys though.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Highlighting Fluid
SIZE 0.21 oz/ 6 g
COLOR: Skywalk – pale iridescent blue
WAS $28.00 NOW $14.00

I added this one to my cart as well and keeping it on my Love’s List. Do I need it? No, I have a few liquid highlighters to use, but this one is unique in that it is blue. I could truly use it as a highlight instead of an all over face glow for the ones that I have that have literally no pigmentation. It is also half off and discontinued. I may not get another change to buy this.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Eyeshadow Palette
$42.00

These are all colors that I would wear as well. I am keeping it on my Love’s List for when I move out most of my collection of eye shadows. It’s a big palette, but all these colors work for me. I am looking forward to getting this probably next year!

COOLA Full Spectrum 360° Sun Silk Drops SPF 30 1 oz/ 30 mL
$46.00

I am taking this off of my list. I’m not paying $46 for 1 ounce of sunscreen. LOL. What was I thinking?! Not clearly apparently.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette – Coconut Fantasy Collection Fantascene
$49.50

Another one taken off of the Love’s List. I am never going to wear that dark purple shade. I can’t spend $50 and not wear one of the shades. That would just be wasteful to me, even though the rest of the palette is gorgeous.

Tatcha The Pearl Tinted Eye Illuminating Treatment
SIZE 0.4 oz/ 13 mL
COLOR: Moonlight – warm glow for fair-medium skin
$48.00

Another eye treatment that is staying on the Love’s List. I want to try this one eventually. I did just get an eye treatment though, which is why I am not trying this one. Even though it is in a pot, I am still interested in trying this one out.

Marc Jacobs Beauty
Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter – Coconut Fantasy Collection
SIZE 0.8 oz/ 24 mL
COLOR: Fantasy – warm rose-gold
$44.00

This is staying on the Love’s List. I have been lusting after this for soooo long. I cannot justify it though when I still have a ton of liquid highlighters and I am already buying a different highlighter to boot. It will stay here. Hopefully, I can buy this one next year if all I have left are powders.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
$42.00

This one is coming off the list as well for that one black shade and possibly the one above it that I will never use. I am only buying palettes that I can use every shade in, unless there is something uniquely special about that palette that I can overlook one shade. This palette is nothing special, pass.

Too Faced Sex On The Peach Complexion Set
$45.00
($85.00 value)

I totally forgot about this being on my list, but I currently have two powders. I am keeping it on my list, but will think about purchasing it once I am down to my last powder. I don’t want to be too much of a hoarder. This will probably be a next year purchase as well unless more powders come into my collection between now and then.

GLOW RECIPE
Watermelon Pink Juice Moisturizer
SIZE: 2 oz/ 60 mL
$39.00

This is for sure staying on my list. It is reasonably priced for 2 ounces of product; however, I have two tubes of moisturizer right now and cannot justify having this sit around on my shelf. This might be more of a November sale buy this year. I might be picking it up then as long as I am almost out of my daytime moisturizer.

IGK
Foamo Holographic Hair Foam
SIZE 2.4 oz/ 70 mL
COLOR: Moon Rock
$22.00

I totally forgot about this. I put this right into my cart and keeping it on my list as well. This would be nice to put into my blue hair for a fun color shift or a nice play time with a certain little girl in my life. This could be a lot of unicorn fun. Hopefully, it at least gives off a little bit of color, but its okay if not too. Its making fun memories that really count. I will for sure buy this even if it isn’t during my birthday. For sure in time for Halloween though.

STILA
Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow
SIZE 0.153 oz
COLOR: Starlight – shimmering light gold champagne
$24.00

This is coming off of my list. It is really plain and I still have two other minis of these. I would buy this in a mini size, but not in a full size. I don’t want to waste money to have these dry up on me. Maybe once I get used to living here, I’ll see how fast I’ll be going through my makeup. I have already used up a few makeup items, because I have been using it more since the move.

TOO FACED
Chocolate Gold Eyeshadow Palette
$49.00

Again, there is 2 shades that I won’t wear and I don’t think it is that unique of a palette. I am taking this off of my Love’s List. I am happy to see that I am chipping away at my list. Sephora has a ton of great items. It would be nice to keep my list somewhat reasonable.

TARTE
Top #Shelfie Essentials
$36.00

This is a great mini set! Minis are something that I can finish in a reasonable amount of time. This is a great treat yourself gift. I am keeping it on my list, but passing on it for now. I already know that I love this line and want to keep buying minis of it to refresh my skin once in a while.

SOL DE JANEIRO
Brazilian Bum Bum Cream
SIZE: 8.1 oz/ 240 mL
$45.00

This is staying on my list to buy next year. I need to go through my current backstock of body lotions right now. This is a guilty pleasure one that I will indulge in next year though. The scent is too die for and I neeeeed it. I would love it if I could find one of these at Marshalls for even $10 less.

TOO FACED
Diamond Light Multi-Use Highlighter
SIZE 0.42 oz/ 12 g
COLOR: Diamond Fire – diamond blue/ diamond pink/ diamond yellow
$36.00

This is a super unique looking highlighter and I would love to add it one day to my collection. I need to move through a few of my highlighters first though. In case you haven’t noticed, highlighters are my weakness. I covet them the most out of any other piece of makeup. I buy tons of lippies, but only have 1 on my wish list. My obsession is highlighters. I will always love them and wear them to death.

SUNDAY RILEY
Space Race Fight Acne, Oil + Pores at Warp Speed Kit
$65.00
($85.00 value)

This is staying on my list and I will probably buy it during the November sale. I have a few acne treatments to go through first, but this line really works for me and is worth the splurge. The oil of that size lasted me a year of use, so I know that it is a great buy as well. I highly recommend this kit if you have oily, acne prone skin. It will change your skin for the better if it is anything like mine.

MARC JACOBS BEAUTY
Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter
SIZE 0.8 oz/ 24 mL
COLOR: 50 Dew You? – golden peach
$44.00

This is just a lighter more wearable shade that I will be buying in the future as well. I am thinking this will be my winter shade for a believable glow in the cold. My favorite brand is Marc Jacobs. He may be expensive, but it is so so worth it.

CAROLINA HERRERA
GOOD GIRL
SIZE 1.7 oz/ 50 mL
$94.00

 

I want to smell this before I purchase this, but it is a pretty bottle to add to my perfume collection. I want to get down to 5 bottles TOPS. I am keeping this on my Love’s List for when my perfume collection dwindles down. I have already used up one perfume bottle this year and I am almost done with another. I still have loads to go before I am down to five however.

TOO FACED
Sweet Peach Creamy Peach Oil Lip Gloss
SIZE 0.14 oz/ 4 mL
COLOR: Papa Don’t Peach – spiced peach
$19.00

I have had this lipgloss on my Love’s List FOREVER. I have been hoping to run into this at Marshalls but no such luck so far. I don’t want to spend $19 on a lip oil when I still have SO MANY lip glosses to get through. This will be staying on my Love’s List until I have used up a good portion of my lip gloss collection or if I need to add a low price item during the November sale to get free shipping.

I have since placed my order, so it will be a surprise in my birthday haul what I ended up picking up including my free birthday gift. I am super excited to be sharing that with all of you later this month or the beginning of next depending upon when I get my hands on all of my orders. I am waiting on my LUSH purchase to see if my tub gets fixed or not. As I write this, it is supposed to be fixed on the 3rd. Fingers crossed for that.

With Love,

FITFABFUN Spring Subscription Box

I decided to try the Spring box of FITFABFUN with a $10 off coupon. I was able to chose 3 things in my box and if I think it is worth the value/money, I will get the annual membership. I like that it has a mixture of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle items. It will feed my beauty addition, but also add a few things our home needs and a few pieces to my wardrobe. If there is anything that I don’t like/need, they would make really good gifts. As long as this month, I get my $40 worth then I will continue the subscription, because it would still be worth it. I am really happy with my 3 picks and it was really easy to sign up for the box. The annual membership, you get to choose more items that go into your box, so I am looking forward to that if I decide to do that. Oh, and this is a quarterly subscription, so the next box that I would get would be in June/July. Plenty of time to decide if I want to get the year plan or just another month. This is something I always wanted to try, but could never afford before.

The Box:

The box is cute as hell and I will be keeping it to collect items for birthday gifts and such. It is the perfect size for things like that to store away in a closet. I can for sure see myself in the future repurposing more of these boxes as they are pretty, sturdy, and generally a good size to have around.

The box has a magazine insert in it that has recipes and articles, but also has the list of everything in the box and the breakdown of the prices as well. I will also be double checking the prices online to let you know how true to scale what they say you are getting in these boxes. The magazine is a nice touch and I will be reading/using it for sure. I like having light reading material sometimes.

Ciate London Extraordinary Translucent Setting Powder, $22

I am pretty darn excited about getting this one! I have a finishing powder, but now I have a setting powder that I can pair with my concealer or foundation if I want to wear those types of products or anything that really needs a setting powder to “set” it. Otherwise, on the day to day, I use my finishing powder to give my skin a soft blurring effect. I will be putting this powder to good use for sure and now, I will not be needing to buy any face powder for a long, long time. It is also a pricey brand that I wouldn’t buy unless on sale at Sephora.

OUAI Leave In Conditioner, $26

I was just talking with my boyfriend, Martin, that I recently finished up my current leave-in that was doing nothing for me and switched to using my expensive Moroccan oil and the wonders it was doing to my hair keeping it knot free. I am going to immediately start using this instead of my expensive oil and see how it compares. If it doesn’t hold up, I want to finish it up and go back to what works for me. I am willing to try new things, but my hair oil (even though expensive) does the job of detangling, moisturizing, and keeping it tangle free when I don’t wash my hair for days. I am excited to try a prestigious brand from this box. Already, this box is equal to what I paid for and I am very happy. I will give you the grand total at the bottom of this post.

Manna Kadar Champagne Body Scrub, $24

This is a huge and generous body scrub tub. It isn’t very pricey when you consider that VS sells their 8 oz tubs for almost the same price and you are getting more than double the amount in there. I will be setting this aside for when I finish my other two body scrubs from VS. I like to use a body scrub before shaving my legs and about once a week to keep my skin soft and smooth. It’s actually a “secret” of mine. It really works to give yourself baby soft skin and to keep your skin in its best condition. The best part? Most of these scrubs with oils hydrate the skin and seal in moisture. This means you don’t have to put lotion on your skin when you get out of the shower. I love skipping a step when I can, because time is a precious commodity.

Unplug Meditation Aromatherapy Diffuser, $55

We just used this last night and I am in love. It changes colors, so it is a pretty cool nightlight. I love the essential oil included. It is a sweet orange scent that is very uplifting. I filled it when we were settling into our room for the night and it diffused until we fell asleep. Don’t know how many hours it works for, but it was very nice. Only con is that it needs to be plugged into a USB port which is a pain. I will buy a USB charger/battery thing, so it can run on its own. Currently, I hook it up to my laptop at night. It isn’t ideal since I tend to knock things over and I don’t want to get water anywhere near my laptop.

Eleven By Venus Jump Rope, $15

Not sure that this jump rope is worth $15, but I will be keeping it as part of my exercise routine indoors that I need to get back to. May is a brand new month, my birthday month, the perfect month to get back to exercising again. This will be nice to rotate into my routine and get some good cardio going. I will be keeping this at my desk, which is in a corner of our living room where I will be keeping my exercise equipment/supplies as I collect them. I like having the extra space over here (next to a cement ledge), because it sort of extends the top part of my desk. I didn’t care for this item, but I will put it to good use and will use it.

Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, $48

I thought this was a face mask, but it is more like an overnight treatment face cream? I am excited to try Korres, another high end brand that I have always wanted to try before. I will set this in my bathroom to alternate which my night time face oil, since one of the serums that I do use at night is more compatible with a cream than an oil. This will be a good pairing with that. This seems EXTREMELY STRONGLY of roses which I LOVE but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I feel so fancy! I can say without a doubt that I am keeping the subscription right now. Not sure that I can afford to swing the annual membership for a bit, but I will as soon as I am able. That’s like paying for 3 1/2 instead or 4 boxes. Even saving $20 makes a difference, plus with the upgrade, you get to chose two more products in your box instead of 3.

Giadzy Copper Plated Measuring Spoons, $15

One can never have too many measuring spoons when cooking and these are a super nice pair and SO SHINY! I am reserving these for my dry ingredients, since these don’t separate. I am excited to have a plastic set for wet and a nice sturdy pair for dry. You really do need two pairs, because yesterday I had to use a TBS of oil and then a TBS of sugar. I had to wash and dry in between cooking. A second pair will just make things so much easier while cooking.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel, $42

I have a major problem with dark circles under my eyes (Genes) and my eyes are always a bit puffy in the morning. I am currently using a roller ball by ELF for $3 that I am enjoying for depuffing but it does nothing for my dark circles. I am excited to give this a try once I finish up my ELF morning treatment. This will be put in back stock until then, but at least I know that I don’t need to buy any day eye cream/gel anytime soon. My evening eye cream is getting low though. I have a few things on my list to get for my birthday that I limited myself to 4 stores: Lush, MAC, Sephora, and ELF.

That is everything that came in my box. So, I paid $42 with shipping and the value of this box was…..$247. I definitely feel like I got my moneys worth from this box and will use everything. I had nothing set aside for gifts, because I know that I will use everything. This was a very nice surprise! On future calculations, whatever I set aside for gifts will have a box total and a usage total of what I will actually use. I am very happy with my first box and I am looking forward to the Summer box in June/July.

With Love,

How Many Face Masks Til The New Year

I have another collaboration post to share with you all. I saw this post over on Just Sheilz. It is a new project that I have never seen before, so I thought that I would give it a try. I have seen masking everyday in a month challenge, but this challenging is using up as many masks as you can until the New Year. Sheila will be masking every other day. I plan on masking at least 3 times a week. What attracted me the most to this project is the fact that I have SO many sheet masks and potted masks that sit in my collection. I want to get the most use out of them as I can and I will for sure be including skin care in my 20 by 2020 project pan next year.

The photo above is my whole entire face mask collection currently. Below are the items that I will be focusing on. I chose a potted mask and enough sheet masks to do one every week until New Years. I am concentrating on my pot of NCF L’Oreal Pure-Clay Mask. I would like to say that I am halfway done with this mask, but I could only be a third done. I have not hit the bottom on the glass yet. I chose a single packet that I have left of an anti-aging mask. I chose a Sephora Rose Lip Mask that I could do when my lips get dry in the winter. I have a SOO AE Donkey Milk Sleeping Mask that I don’t know how many uses it has in it. It is just liquid, so I am figuring there will be a lot in there. I might use this on days that I do not do any masks. I have 8 sheet masks in total that I would like to use. Four are from The Sharing Co and are CF: Hyaluronan, Soothing, Elasticity, and Brightening. One NCF from VS which is the Let’s Glow Face Mask. Three from MJCARE that are Herb, Phytoncide, and Coenzyme Q10. I am excited to get masking!

Will you be joining our project?

With Love,

5 Out: Product Reviews

It is that time again where I finally wrote about 5 more products in my collection. I am trying to do these posts twice a month, so I am writing 10 product reviews a month. I am behind though, because I have a basket of trash collected from this year that I still have yet to review. Next year when I am concentrating on 19 things instead of 200, I am sure that I will be going through a little less product. I will be working on mostly full and full sized items. Most of it will also be makeup which takes a while to use up. I can take the time next year to finish up the reviews from this year and keep up with next year’s empties. I still use up a lot of items throughout the year, but with having a set goal this year, I was motivated to use products every day and not skimp out most of the time. I am looking forward to enjoying my collection more next year instead of focusing on using up most of my mini products.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

For a high end cleanser, this was too basic. I expected more from this brand. It didn’t even remove all of my makeup. My Aveeno cleanser did a better job than this one. This mini was overpriced at $10 USD. I do not recommend and I will not repurchase. You can do so much better at the drugstore or Marshalls. I have to say though that it is hard to find cruelty free at the drugstore. The ones that I know offhand for skin care are Alba, Elf, and Burts Bees.

Disney HSM Super Moisturizing Body Lotion

Nearing the end of its life, this body lotion started to turn on me, which is why there is a bit melted to the side. It hardened into the side of the bottle. This was a really light gel-like body lotion that was also very moisturizing. I enjoyed the light sweet scent that I couldn’t place. It didn’t really smell of anything recognizable. It didn’t smell like vanilla, just sweet. It is hard to describe. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, but it is very good.

Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion

I enjoyed mixing this stuff with my moisturizer. It gave a very subtle lit from within glow. I am starting to mix all of my liquid highlighters in with all of my moisturizers for this glow that I am enjoying so much on my oily skin. You don’t need this particular one. Any liquid highlighter will do. This one gives a nice, healthy pink glow to the skin! I have yellow undertones, so it wasn’t too much pink for my complexion. If I ran out of liquid highlighter and I saw this at the store, I would repurchase it. I do recommend this, but it is very subtle as a highlighter. It is great for those of us that wear minimum to no makeup for a healthy glow.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 2 Vanilla

I did not enjoy this under my eyes. I think it made my under eyes dry and did nothing for concealing my dark circles. Powder tends to cling to the concealer making it look like you have dry patches of skin. I used this all over my face as a foundation. It was okay as a foundation, but nothing special. I do not recommend it and I will not be repurchasing anything from Nars as they are no longer cruelty free.

Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding

This did not minimize the appearance of my pores, but it did purify my skin and helped pull out acne. I would not purchase, because I have a few clay masks already that do the same thing. I would purchase from the brand again, but this mask is nothing special. i think I would try their peel off mask, because I have a ton of black heads and I think that type of mask would be more effective for my skin concerns. On the plus side, this mask was very easy to remove with a warm wash cloth.

With Love,

5 OUT: Product Reviews

So, I have uncovered more old reviews that I have written and never reviewed on my blog. I thought that I would share another 5 of these today. I am happy to see that my drafts on my blog are getting smaller in numbers. I mean, I always a few in there so as to not forget to write about them like my Monthly Reads, Movies, EI, ABA, Semester, and Project 200 pan posts. I always have a draft with the titles in there for those. Other than that, I am free to write whatever posts that I would like. It is a great feeling. I used to have a ton of posts that I planned in there. I have greater freedom now to do what I feel like doing and not feel guilty about it. I still plan on doing some cooking/baking posts now that I have a camera! I am looking forward to those posts!

New England Coffee in Blueberry Cobbler

This was just terrible. I usually enjoy coffee from this brand, but this flavor tasted terrible. Not even coffee creamer could redeem it. I love trying new flavored coffees and would buy from this brand again, just not this flavor. I’m very picky when it comes to my flavored coffees. It has to be just right and hit all the right notes. This coffee just tasted burnt to me, even though it was never burnt once or left out too long. I brew by the cup, so no chance of that happening. There was definitely no “juicy, berry flavor” like they claim. This did not taste like fruit at all. I figured it would taste good like fruit and chocolate but no.

Yankee Candle Tropical Island Breeze

The candle scent was so good that I burned through two of these that I bought at Marshall’s. It is sweet and light and perfect for those muggy summer nights. It smells like summer. These are huge candles and I burned through them so fast, because the scent was always there but never overwhelming. The candle itself burns clean and there is very little wax left in the jar. I would repurchase this if I saw it at Marshall’s again and I am going to be keeping an eye out for more Yankee Candles at my local store. $13 is such a steal!

Gerber Sweet Potato Puffs

Dean really enjoyed these puff snacks, but he had to be in the mood for them. They are kind of bland, so I am going to see if there is any healthy adult cereal that he can try with more flavor to it. I would purchase these again, but he is over them. He loves strong flavors.

MJCARE Snail Sheet Mask

I was really afraid of trying this mask, but I had nothing to fear. It smells light and perfumey. I didn’t notice anything but more moisturized skin and a more plump appearance. I find that all sheet masks do the same thing, but I love the experience when I have the time for it. MJCARE masks are also really basic and a dollar a mask. I’ve tried Tony Moly masks and I feel like they only perform a little bit better, giving me a little more glow or a bit clearer pores. I will repurchase on my next Amazon order and I don’t buy very often from them.

Avon Advance Techniques Keep Clear Anti-Dandruff Treatment

Anytime I had a bit of dandruff, this leave in scalp treatment did the trick. I can no longer find this on Avon’s website. I’ve had this for a very long time. I no longer shop Avon, because they are not cruelty free and that’s a big thing that I am trying to stick by now when it comes to beauty products. Avon is also a big pyramid scheme but that is a story for another time.

There you have it. 5 more reviews of products that are no longer part of my collection (besides the other MJCARE sheet masks). What have you used up lately? I still got a ton of reviews that I need to write and share on my blog. I am very backed up. Doing this 200 pan, I am using up stuff faster than I can review it and with school, I don’t even try anymore. I need to start writing these at least twice a month. I know everyone says that they are busy, but I mean, I really am. I’m not sitting here watching Netflix. I am blogging and getting my papers edited to upload for school that’s due today. Speaking of which, I should probably get those done now before I start another procrastinating blog post.

With Love,

June Empties

I am sorry again with the late post. I don’t have nearly as much time for my blog as I used it. I still get the joy of blogging and I love it. I just can only do it an hour every Sunday and maybe squeeze in 30 minutes on my other day off. Believe it or not, I can get about 3 posts done in an hour and not skimpy ones either. I am not going to say how fast June has gone, because July is almost gone right now. June is a distant memory right now. I am a fan of lengthy intros in case anyone is wondering. I like to get my thoughts out there before I get to the point.

SKINCARE:

Alba Botanica Acne Dote Deep Pore Wash

VS About Last Night Face Mask

HAIR CARE:

L’Oreal Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Soft Pink

Revlon Colorsilk After-Color Conditioner

MAKEUP:

Dermablend Long Wear Makeup Remover

Bite Agave Lip Mask Sampler

Sample Perfume in Tropical Wish

BODY CARE:

Crayola Bathtub Fingerpaint Soap in Vivid Violet

Hang Ten SPF 50 Sunscreen

Goddess Garden Organics SPF 30 Sunscreen

RANDOM CATEGORY:

Cutex 100& Pure Acetone

Crest 3D White Diamond Strong Toothpaste

Parent’s Choice Diaper Cream

That is a total of 13 empties this month. I have a feeling that the trend of less empties will continue for the rest of the year. I don’t know how I am going to finish up 200 items now. I really need to step up my game and start reaching for products that I can hit pan on. I should also really work on my lip collection as well. I could probably empty a couple of those in August if I really try. July’s basket seems to be a bit empty, so I might have less than this month. I won’t really know until I count them out. I am going to shift my focus to makeup now that I have some of my skincare under control. I don’t have time for eye make when I go to work, so I will be focusing on base and lip products. I will make a better effort to do my eye makeup when I am at home. It is time to get serious, so I can drop some serious dough on makeup next year.

With Love,

 

May Empties

I may be late sharing my empties, but I never knew how much I had to share in a month until I cut down my schedule to about 15 posts a month. I’ve been having to switch around the format of my posts and so this one is coming up later in the month than what I like. I basically sit down two Sundays a month now and write posts. I now have two Sundays a month free for classes. I only work on my blog for about 4 hours a month. That only includes writing the posts, not taking the pictures and coming up with the ideas. I am happy with this new pace of my blog. It makes it so I can be a well-rounded person and have time for everything that I want to have time for. It is nice to know that when life gets hectic, I generally have a week or two already planned out on my blog.

You hear about these every month, so I am cutting out the drinks that I purchase without fail every month. You know that I love them or else I wouldn’t have featured them for over a year here on my blog.

1 Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo

2 Hair Teasing Brush

1. MJCARE Sea Weed Sheet Mask

2. Alba Botanical Acne Dote Deep Clean Astringent

3. Borghese Clay Cleanser

4. GlamGlow Super Clean Cleanser

5. Philosophy Purity Face Mask

6. Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream

7. Derma E Hydrating Day Creme

1. VS Coconut Mango 2-in-1 Wash & Scrub

2. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

3. Equate Pain Relieving Cream

1. Dr. Brandt BB Cream

2. ELF Color Correcting Powder

3. Buxom Plumping Lip Gloss

4. YSL Black Opium Perfume

5. 1. Perfume Sample Cards

19. Physician’s Formula Cushion BB Cream

1. 719 Walnut Avenue Honeysuckle Jasmine Hand Soap

2. Fresh Breath Brushing Gel

3. Equate Cotton Rounds 100 ct

4. 1. PaperMate Ink Joy Blue
5. 1. 1. B&BW Mini Candles

6. Avon Mini Emery Board

Well, I had a lot more empties than I had originally thought. I cannot wait to do my progress update on my 200 pan goal. I have been working on my pictures and I hope you can tell a difference. I think it looks more professional and I have added a bit of brightness to the pictures themselves by staging some lightening. Since I have a bit more time, I thought that I would put more effort into the picture taking themselves. I have a feeling that my empties will be slowing down, because I am running out of mini things. I still have a whole bunch of samples that I need to get through though. I hope you enjoyed looking through my trash today. Reviews are to come. 🙂

With Love,

April Empties

Another month checked of of my calendar and we are officially in my birthday month. I am super excited to be getting my birthday treats and having a great second Mother’s day. I cannot wait for the day that Dean makes me Mother’s Day gifts from school. Speaking of school, that will be a big topic for me next year in regards to Dean. I was discussing it with his EI Speech therapist and I realized that he won’t be in mainstream classes. Since Dean is nonverbal, he will have different goals than the other kids and after kindergarten, will be separated and put in the “special” classroom with the other children that have autism, down syndrome, and mental handicaps. Part of me is glad that he won’t be made fun of and the other part of me is sad that he’ll be segregated from neurotypicals. I have very mixed and raw feelings about this right now.

1. International Delight Amaretto Coffee Creamer

2. Dunkin’ Donuts Cinnamon Coffee Cake Coffee

3. MJCARE EGF Sheet Mask

4. Boscia Pore Pudding Mask

5. Goody Paddle Brush

6. Revlon Conditioner

7. Disney HSM Super Moisturizing Body Lotion

8. 9. Perfume Sample Cards

10. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 2 Vanilla

11. Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion

12. 13. B&BW mini candles

14. Papermate Ink Joy pen in green

15. Tylenol

16. Equate Ibuprofen

That is it you guys. Really small empties post this last month. I am hoping that May will be a bigger month, because it is my birthday month. If I am going to be using some stuff and pampering, this will be the month for it. I am hoping to finish off a face powder and a lip gloss this month. Anything else will be a nice bonus, because I am not focusing on anything. I am just enjoying the stuff that I have and using it up will just follow naturally. I don’t want to use stuff up for the sake of using stuff up, you know?

With Love,