5 OUT: August

I found some old reviews in a notebook that I was writing, so I thought that I would combine 5 here again for the month of August. I have another one for September in the works and if I have time, one of the months may have a bonus one as well. It takes me a long time to use up a product, because I am usually switching between a few products. I love testing out new stuff and I hardly have any old, true products that I still love now. The things that I fall in love with have a tendency of being discontinued or reformulated. Brands should stop it when they have such a good thing going. I used to love the Garnier Aqua Surge and now it is named something totally different and doesn’t hold a candle to the kind of moisture that it used to give my skin.

Lush Razzel Dazzle Solid Bath Oil

I love the lovely dusty pink bath water with a hint of shimmer on the surface. It is a very oily, very moisturizing solid bath oil. It was too oily for me, so I let my dad have the other half. We both loved the fruity scent and my dad was very impressed in how moisturized his dry skin felt after the bath. He didn’t care for the pink or shimmer. He wasn’t glittery or shimmery after the bath, but his skin was a bit “pink”. I would say it can slightly stain your skin. I would buy a less girly bath oil for my dad, but I wouldn’t repurchase this again. I have the golden egg, which is half bath bomb and half bath melt. Is that the same as a bath oil?

Softsoap Body Scrub Coconut Butter

My dad loves this body wash, because it moisturizes and has a good grit to it. I have used this a handful of times and I like it. I like Tree Hut better though and it is a cruelty free option. Hopefully, stores around me start to carry the Tree Hut again. This has been a repurchase by my dad and I can usually find him a coupon for it.

Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30

I love the smell of these sunscreens and they are cruelty free. I will be repurchasing. This one sinks in quickly and I love smelling like coconuts. I would repurchase the spray for Dean in the high SPF. I would like to see different scents or something. I would buy the face SPF, but I am still working on a Clinique one. It is great to know that they are cruelty free, because I don’t know if I would live without this brand. It is a summer staple. It is nonirritating and very effortless to rub in. No white cast and sinks in fast.

B&BW Slatkin & Co Tree Room Spray

This is a very concentrated room spray that lasted many years! I only used it during the holidays, but I would love to get more of them. They are great in the bathroom and for freshening up a house that hasn’t had a chance to be aired out during the Winter. I would buy them on sale again. I believe that I bought one and got the other one free or half off. Either way, it was a great deal. It quickly fills the room and is very long lasting. More so than a candle. Don’t spray too much or it will quickly become overpowering and nauseating. Less is more with this one.

Lipton Green Tea Acai Dragonfruit Melon

I have to say this one wasn’t my favorite, but I do prefer it cold with ice rather than hot. When it is cold, all of the flavors blend better and the iciness of the melon goes with a cold drink. When I have it hot, I find the cooling melon flavor to be weird and not taste right. I do enjoy green teas and I do recommend Lipton as a brand. I want to try more flavors of tea, so if you have any that you recommend, please let me know. I’m not a tea snob, I try anything as long as the name of the flavor isn’t too out there.

Those are my 5 highlighted reviews. I have another five coming right at you either at the end of this month or in September. The reviews are almost done and then, I’ll get on my next batch of reviews. I am always behind on my reviews, but my life is so busy right now and very hectic. The semester is almost over and then, I get a week break before the madness begins all over again.

With Love,

 

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November Empties

Hey guys! Another month gone and Christmas and Dean’s birthday are right around the corner. I had quite a few empties this month, so I was very impressed. I have a ton of reviews to write now in my spare time. I’ve been building the furniture I bought on Black Friday this weekend and I’ll be able to show them soon. I just want to buy some super glue to glue back some broken pieces on my nick knacks so they look good in the pictures that I’ll be taking. I’ll be having two VS hauls coming up soon. So, stay tuned!

1. 2. International Delight Coffee Creamer

3 – 8. Gerber Graduates Lil’ Beanies

9. Lipton Green Tea Acai Dragonfruit Melon

10. Dunkin’ Donuts Colombian Coffee

11. Equate Cotton Rounds

12. Halls Defense Drops

13. Pearls Taco Infused Large Ripe Olives

14. Dial Himalayan Pink Salt & Water Lily Hand Soap

15. B&BW Tree Room Spray

16. Equate Acetaminophen

17. Pantene Pro-V Intense Colorcare Conditioner

18. 19. PaperMate InkJoy & Profile in Black & Pink

20. 21. Benefit Gimmie Brow

22. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

23. Chanel Gabriela Perfume

24. Mark Lip Gloss

25. Korres Antiwrinkle Night Cream

26. Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer

27. IGK Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel

I finished off quite a few minis, but also some full sizes as well. I’m very proud of what I have been able to accomplish. I am looking forward to seeing what I can finish off before it is time for my January inventory to start off the new year with. I will be busy inventorying my whole collection and making plans for my 2018 year project pan where I want to use up 250 beauty related items next year. There will  be plenty of fun posts in the new year. I’m happy that I’m only doing one project next year. Simplified.

With Love,

❤ Selena Hannah ❤

Candy Cane Lane

For Celestial Seasons Candy Cane Lane Green Tea

This has to be my favorite seasonal tea flavor. It is a sweet mint with a hint of vanilla. I don’t need any added sugar with this tea. It is sweet enough on its own. Celestial Seasons is my favorite brand of tea, because I just enjoy more of the flavors than any other brand. If you haven’t tried this, then do you live under a rock? It is seriously amazing and if you like Christmas teas, than you really need to try this. I drank this tea a lot during the end of my pregnancy. It was a serious craving of mine and holds sentimental value to me now. I have to have a box every year. Once I see it on the shelf, I know that Dean’s birthday is around the corner and Christmas! I look forward to this tea every year and I could never get sick of it.

With Love,

❤ Selena Hannah ❤

April Empties 2017

I know I’m about two days early for my monthly empties, but I am ready to empty my wicker basket and start collecting for May, my birthday month. I am hoping to go through more beauty products next month, since it is my birthday month. I will probably be wearing more makeup anyway. I also have EXCITING news on my Pan That Pallet progress, at least exciting for me. LOL. This was a lighter month with less empties, but I am happy that I finished off two makeup products. I also have three more on their last legs, so I am hoping to have 5 or more makeup empties in May. I have so many update posts to write, but I love being busy on my blog. I might have a May Reads post this month, because I made a promise to myself to read an hour on Saturday and Sunday. I hope that I can keep that promise. I’ll be back to reading more once I finish my last class for my Associates Degree in Information Technology.

1. Aerin Rose Lip Conditioner

2. Glam Glow Glow Starter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer

3. Scented Secrets Gingerbread Cookie Body Lotion in Wild Berry

4. Victoria’s Secret Hydrating Body Lotion in Pear Glace

5. Lush Cup O’ Coffee Face and Body Mask

6. Bumble and Bumble BB Hairdresser Invisible Oil Primer

7. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

8. Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

9. IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm

10. Crest 3D White in Arctic Fresh

11. Sharpie Accent Highlighter in Green

12. 13. 14. 15. PaperMate InkJoy Pens in Green, Red, Pink, and Light Blue

16. Halls Triple Soothing Action Drops in Cherry

17. 18. International Delight Coffee Creamer in Amaretto Cafe and White Chocolate Raspberry

19. Boston’s Best Jamaican Me Crazy Coffee

20. Celestial Seasonings Green Tea in Candy Cane Lane

21. 22. 23. 24. Gerber Lil’ Beanies with White Cheddar & Broccoli

25. Gerber Fruit Pick-Ups Diced Apples

It was a slow month with a few product multiples, but I really enjoyed using what I have up. I currently have a lotion on its last legs and I think I might use another mini lotion after I use this one up. I never realized how much I really had before I did my collection videos. I knew that I had a lot, but it really puts it in perspective. I know how much I can use up and I strive to enjoy using up my stuff everyday. I don’t want to be the girl with 20 lotion backups anymore. I think I can have a few in back-stock once I use up what I have. Naturally, when I go B&BW shopping, I will be shopping the annual sale and the buy 3, get 3 free sale. Naturally, I will have multiples of products, but it won’t bother me. I’m not going to buy more on top of that. It keeps the back-stock reasonable when you just buy once. Once I run out of something, I’ll do another haul when I can, but I’m really loving my mindset right now. Very zen and minimalistic. I really love minimalism. I got my closet down so much that now, I can go out and do a clothing haul to buy pieces I will love and that will last. I don’t want to support consumerism anymore.

With Love ❤

Black Tea Anyone?

For Lipton Natural Energy Premium Black Tea

What it is:

Premium black tea with 75 mg of caffeine and 20 mg of theanine.

Key Ingredients:

Black tea

How it tastes/smells/looks:

When you make it, it  looks like a regular cup of black tea, but it does not taste like the original Lipton black tea. It tastes so much better. It really is higher quality tea, but you wouldn’t know it by the way it looks or smells.

Why I like it:

I think the reason why I enjoyed this tea is simple. It is a high quality black tea that is worth the 2.50 USD for 20 tea bags. I think the “natural energy” label is a gimmick. So they added theanine in it. It isn’t at a high enough concentration to matter and I didn’t feel more energized compared to any other tea. I think that I would just buy their regular premium black tea, where you can get  100 tea bags for 4 USD. My dad really enjoyed his two sample bags of it, so we will be making the switch, just not to “natural energy”.

With Love <3

African Red

For OleHenriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser

What it is: A facial cleanser with vitamin C and brightening citrus extracts.

Key Ingredients: water, ascorbic acid, aloe lea juice, borago seed oil, linseed oil, black currant seed oil, carrot seed oil, orange oil, mandarin orange peel oil, grapefruit peel oil, shea butter, aspalathus leaf extract, pumpkin fruit extract, maticaria flower extract, glycerin, limonene.

How it feels/smells/looks: It is yellow in the bottle, but turns into a white foam when you pump it out. It smells like sweet mandarin oranges and feels soft and fluffy when you use it on a damp face. The wetter your skin is, the more the product foams up.

Why I like it: This sample that I bought in a kit lasted forever. It took so long to use it, even though it is about half the size of a full size cleanser. I really enjoyed using this product, but I do not think that I would repurchase it. I didn’t see a difference in my skin and since I don’t have a problem with dull skin, I did not see the brightening effect. I think if you do have a problem with dull skin, that you should give this a try based on all the great ingredients in it. If this was in another kit that I get, I will gladly use it, because I did like it.

Thanks for celebrating the first day of Octoberfest with me! I will be uploading a post everyday this month and some of them will be holiday themed. I am so excited, especially since I might not get to complete 25 days of Christmas blogging due to my pregnancy. I am supposed to give birth on December 18th! So close and yet, so far away.

With Love,

Walmart Haul

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

I recently went to Walmart for a few things and ended up collecting a little haul for you. I plan on hitting up Kmart later this week, so there might be a mini Kmart Haul as well. I have 5 USD in shopyourway points, a 2 USD off a 20 USD purchase coupon, and a 2 USD off of a Sally Hansen product. So, I am going to combine these offers to get 9 USD off. You can look forward to that post soon. For right now, I have a Walmart haul to show all of you!

Great Value Cappuccino French Vanilla Mix: I was so surprised to see a big can like this for 2.98 USD. I had to buy it and I have already tried it. It is very good and such a great deal! Nowadays, I like lightened versions of coffee and this is already mixed. It is very convenient and this will last the month of both my dad and I using it. I love mixes like these to make at home for my chronic headaches. Caffeine is the only thing that works and its more natural than medicine, which I’m not really supposed to take anyway. Before I have people attack me for drinking coffee, I am allowed 16 oz of coffee a day and as many decafs as I want. I have a cup in the morning and possibly one more at night, if my headaches come. I don’t always have a cup in the morning either. There are plenty of days that I have no coffee like yesterday.

Lipton Green Tea in Honey Lemon (Decaf): 20 tea bags were 2.19 USD, which was a good deal as well, since other herbal teas were 2.50 and up. I have tried the Lipton Green Tea in a sample pack before and I really liked them. I am getting really sick of mint teas, so I thought that this would be a nice change of pace. I am taking this to work with me to have tea there and cut down on decaf coffee. I usually drink 16 oz of water at work, 8 oz of whole milk, 8 oz of coffee, 8 oz of decaf, and usually 16 oz of more water in the afternoon. This way, I can cut out the decaf and possibly the caf if I’m not suffering from headaches. Honey lemon sounds like it will be sweet, so no sugar or milk needed!

Spring Valley Prenatal Adult Gummy: A bottle of this is 7.98 USD, which is expensive but I have to have it. I can also only remember to eat it, because they are gummies. They taste like candy and it reminds me to eat them. I really like these, but I haven’t tried other gummy brands. I prefer them over pill versions. I wonder if I can find gummy ones for iron supplements? I will check that out after pregnancy. I don’t have that problem anymore, since Aunt Flo hasn’t visited in four months.

Pantene Pro-V Deep Cleanse Purifying Shampoo: I bought this clarifying shampoo for 3.98 USD, which I thought was worth a shot for the price. I am having a pregnancy issue, where not all of my hair’s natural oils get cleansed with shampoo. I’m hoping that this will strip all the oils off of my hair. My hair is dirty/oily after I freshly wash it. That is not normal. I’m producing so much oil from my scalp and pores. My face is a greasy mess by 2. I use paper towels, because I was wasting too many oil absorbing sheets a day. I do a weekly deep conditioning treatment, so I think that this will pair nicely with it.

Equate Sensitive Cleansing Facial Wipes: This packet of 40 wipes were for 3.98, so another steal in my opinion. I have never tried them before, so they could be a loss as well. I plan on using these at work on the days that I don’t wear bb cream. Let’s face it, it’s not very often. I will bring my moisturizer with me, if I decide to cleanse my face to get rid of the oil buildup. I use wipes for a quick cleanse. I don’t usually use them as a replacement for washing my face, unless it’s really late at night and I’m lazy.

Schick Hydro Silk Sensitive Care 5 Curve Sensing Blades Replacement Heads (4 ct): This is by far the most expensive thing that I bought, but these work wonders on my legs. It is honestly the best blades that I have ever used and so much better than the disposable version. It was 16. 98, but I had a 4 USD off coupon. It was only 12.98 USD for me.  Still, that is like 3.25 USD a piece. My legs needed them though and I can no longer use my trusted and well loved Veet. Each head will last me about two months of use, since I only shave me legs once a week. They get extremely irritated otherwise and it’s not a pretty sight.

The Big Wedding: This was in the 3.97 USD bucket at Walmart. I have never seen this movie, but I love the cast  of characters in it. I’m hoping that it will be a worthwhile romantic comedy, which is one of my favorite genres. I’ll let you know how it is in an Entertainment Monthly.

Lastly, I bought two harnesses for the dogs, but I will be bringing the large one back. It turns out that Mooky fits into the medium perfectly and Serena needs a small instead. If Walmart’s small does not fit, I will have no choice but to go to PetCo as they have more variety in sizes and styles. Mooky’s harness was 5 USD. The bigger one was 11.98, but I am returning it and getting a small, which will probably be 5 as well. I wanted my girls to match!

With Love,

First Impressions: The Yogi DeTox

For Yogi DeTox & Yogi Skin DeTox

 

What it is: 

DeTox: A tea that supports healthy liver and kidney function.

Skin DeTox: A tea that supports a healthy glow.

Key Ingredients: 

DeTox: Sarsaparilla Root, Organic Cinnamon Bark, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Licorice Root, Cardamom Seed, Organic Clove Bud, Organic Black Pepper, Juniper Berry Extract, Long Pepper Berry Philodendron Bark, Rhubarb Root, Chinese Skullcap Root, Coptis Root, Forsythia Fruit, Gardenia Fruit, Japanese Honeysuckle Flower, and Winter Melon Seed.

Skin DeTox: Organic Green Tea Leaf, Rose Petal, Organic Honeybush Leaf, Organic Hibiscus Flower, Organic Red Clover Leaf and Flower, Natural Rose Flavor, Organic Pomegranate Flavor, Cardamom Seed, Organic Grape Root, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Burdock Root, Organic Dandelion Root, Yellow Dock Root, and Organic Stevia Leaf.

How it feels/smells/looks: 

DeTox: This one smells very spicy and tastes like pumpkin pie. I enjoyed drinking this tea, but the spiciness burned my tongue a bit.

Skin DeTox: This tea was the total opposite. It was very fruity and sweet. When you smell the packet, it smells like powdered ice tea.

Why I like it:

DeTox: I felt like this was a nice health drink for when you are sick and a bit dull to the senses. It is almost medicinal, which would go really well if you had a cold. I would buy this, when I am sick. If I had two coupons instead of one, I would buy it on my next shopping trip.

Skin DeTox: I really like this one…a lot. It really suited my taste buds. I really love fruity, sweet drinks and this one did not disappoint. The Yogi teas also have cute sayings on the paper end of the string. Very inspirational. I can already tell you that I did pick up a box of Yogi tea, but my local Market Basket only had two flavors to choose from and neither one of these were an option.