Tons of Stuff...Including MAC, Lancome & the Target Beauty Bag!

It's been a while and I have a lot to share!  I've picked up some new goodies lately and I wanted to share them with you before sales/promotions have ended.  I also wanted to share the new Target Beauty Bag contents if you don't already know about that awesome freebie!

Lets get started!

Here are some great drugstore products I've picked up-

Below is Maybelline's Colossal Volume Express mascara.  I've heard some people like this mascara and since I'm always willing to try a new one, I gave it a shot.  It's not bad but it did transfer somewhat under my eyes.  I do like the brush however and I do feel that it added nice volume to my itty bitty lashes.  You can pick up a tube at your nearby CVS/Walgreens for around $5.

The next goodie is a concealer.  I still battle under-eye circles and I've read decent reviews about Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser. 

It's basically a concealer that you twist to make the product come through a soft applicator tip.  Does it work?  It works enough for me to want to finish the bottle but not well enough for me to purchase again.  I find the formula lasts and doesn't crease but is a little thin and doesn't cover my circles well enough.  It's available for around $9. 

Right now CVS is having their 50%-75% off beauty sale.  A few times each year CVS puts certain products on sale with deep discounts.  If you go to your local CVS you should see a wide variety of items for 50% and 75% off.  I picked up a few recently that I wanted to share.

For 75% off, I picked up this nice Revlon Custom Eyes palette in Metallic Chic that was originally priced at $9.97.

L-R- a soft gray, a medium bronze, a warm gold, a deep green and a cool gray. 

For 75% off I also picked up a bottle of Sally Hansen's HD nail color in DVD!  I also picked up a bottle of Sinful Colors polish in 24/7 at my local Rite Aid which is pictured below as well.  DVD is showing up blue in the picture below but it is really a deep, glittery purple.  24/7 is a hot pink that is super bright.  Sally Hansen's HD polish is usually priced near $6 a bottle and Sinful Colors is always $1.99/bottle.

I also picked up Loreal's HIP pencil in Gold Charge.  I've been looking for a replacement for my Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Baked and this is not a bad trade.  This pencil was originally priced right under $10 and I got it for 75% off.

Swatch of Gold Charge

I love when things are on sale but I also love getting things for free.  If you are not familiar with the Target Beauty Bag then let me fill you in.  A few times each year Target gives out a beauty bag which is basically a makeup bag filled with samples and coupons.  Usually you can request one via their website but their last beauty bag was available to only those who subscribe to their Target Style Facebook page.  I was lucky enough to request one before they were all gone and mine came in about a week ago.  Hopefully Target will release another one soon since they seem to do that every few months.  They are always free!

Pictured above is the Target beauty bag with samples of the following-

1 Contents makeup bag

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch sunblock

Tresemme Split Remedy Conditioner

Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo

Sample of Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Aveeno's Daily Detoxifying Scrub

Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo/Conditioner samples

Target Coupon Booklet

Another freebie I want to share is currently available at Macy's and www.macys.com  If you are in the need for a new foundation or skin care product from Estee' Lauder, now is the time to pick one up.  For each foundation/skin care purchase you make that is $35 or more, you can get the free gift pictured below.  Do note that my free gift differs from the one that is currently being offered online (the gift online is a tote bag instead of the makeup bag and has a comb included instead of the lipstick tray).  In order to get this free gift I purchased a bottle of Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation in Ecru which retails for, you guessed it-$35.

Free gift includes makeup bag, Pure Color lipstick in Crystal Pink, Sumptuous mascara in Black, Resilience Lift face and neck creme, Resilience Lift eye creme, Perfectionist [CP+R] serum and a lipstick storage tray.

If free Estee Lauder and Target samples were not enough, my mother in law added the icing to the cake this week with some more freebies she bestowed upon me.  She had recently ordered some Mally makeup (www.QVC.com) and she didn't like the colors so she gave me the whole kit instead!  Of course I took the makeup with a smile since I've been wanting to try Mally makeup for such a long time.  I received 3 mascara's, 3 eyeshadow sticks, 3 lip gloss tubes and 2 eyeliners.

First let me share the gloss.  Each color is very lovely and let me say I've enjoyed wearing this gloss lately.  It's pigmented and stays on without drying out my lips or without being sticky.  My favorite color is Mally's Baby.  It's coral/pink shade with shimmer.  You can purchase High Shine liquid lipstick at www.QVC.com for $20 each. 

L-R- Fuzzy Navel, Orchid & Mally's Baby

I also have enjoyed both of the Evercolor Waterproof eyeliners.  I've been wearing Tiger's Eye (deep brown) all week and it's held up nicely.  Fierce Forest is a deep green that is unlike anything else I own.  It doesn't smear and the staying power has been impressive.  You can purchase a duo of these eyeliners for $22 at qvc.com

Top-Bottom- Tiger's Eye & Fierce Forest

Here are some swatches of the gloss & liner shades:

L-R- Fuzzy Navel, Orchid, Mally's Baby, Tiger's Eye & Fierce Forest

Today I found out how awesome the eyeshadow sticks are.  The temperature here was over 95 degrees and these stayed on ALL DAY.  Once you apply and they dry, they are not going anywhere.  The eyeshadow sticks are my favorite Mally product that I've tried so far and I highly recommend them!  They are available for $25 or for a set of two for $35.

Each eyeshadow shade comes in a retractable tube.

L-R (with flash)- Firework (shimmery champagne), Purple Rain (deep purple) & Twilight (taupe brown).

Same colors as above with no flash.

Last but not least I tried a tube of Mally's volumizing mascara in Black.  This was my least favorite Mally product.  It applies well and does volumize nicely but it does transfer.  This mascara is available at www.qvc.com for $20.00

You would think with all the freebies listed above that my makeup-loving self would be satisfied.  I was until I made the mistake of hitting up the MAC and Lancome counters.  I've had my eye on a few items for a while now and I decided to pick them up.

MAC Hug Me & Blankety Act lipsticks, MAC blush in Dollymix and Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara in Black.

Hug Me and Blankety Act have been on my makeup wishlist for some time now.  Both are simple lipsticks that are perfect for everyday wear.  Hug Me (Lustre) is slightly brown and has a nice sheen whereas Blankety Act (Amplified) is more of a pinky nude.  Both are available at www.maccosmetics.com for $14.50/ea.

Dollymix is a hot pink blush with slight shimmer.  The key to using Dollymix is to not be scared of the bright color.  MAC blush is my favorite product that they carry and Dollymix doesn't disappoint.  You can wear this color sheer or build it for more Oooomph!  You can get Dollymix for $20.

Lancome's Hypnose Drama is my go-to mascara when I'm needing super-long, dark lashes.  I don't care for this mascara for everyday wear since it does tend to transfer but it's great for occasional wear, especially if I am doing a smoky eye look.  Each tube costs $26.

Top-Bottom-Hug Me, Blankety Act and Dollymix swatches

Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara wand

Close-up of MAC's Dollymix blush

Since my birthday was a few weeks ago, a good friend gifted me an awesome palette by Elf.  If you read my blog often enough, you know I adore Elf makeup.  Elf gives a lot of bang for your buck and their eyeshadow palettes are a great way to experiment with color without spending a lot of money.  Pictured below is Elf's 100 piece eyeshadow palette (which differs from their pro palette).  It's available at Target for $10-well worth every penny!  A lot of these shades are perfect for the summer and some are dual colors that can be blended together to form another shade.

I wanted to share some other things I've been loving lately-

My new summer scarf :)

AND

I got to meet Rowlf the Dog-childhood fantasy come true!

Summer polish picks, Bath & Body Works, Ralph Lauren & more!

Not sure if it's just me but May has already flown by!  Soon it will be June.  Kids are getting ready to get out of school and the weather is turning not just warm, but HOT! 

What goes better with hot weather than hot hued nails?  It's time to bring out the flip flops ladies and bust out with some awesome color!  If you hate bright nail polish, then stop reading because I can't get enough of the new neon shades that are EVERYWHERE.  Neon colors and glitter is hotter this season than ever.  Get ready to be blinded by some new polish choices that won't break the bank.

L-R- Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter, Sinful Colors Frenzy, China Glaze Prism & Sinful Colors I Miss You

Glitter polish is so fun to wear.  I'm 30 years old and I'm not scared of it and you shouldn't be either.  The key to wearing glitter polish is to avoid watery, chunky formulas and stick with shades that can be easily paired with other colors you already have.  For instance, Frenzy by Sinful Colors above looks great over Essie's Jamaica Me Crazy (a shimmery purple).  Each Sinful Colors polish can be found at Walgreens or Rite Aid for only $1.99 each!  If you want to try a new color but you don't want to shell out over $8 for OPI, pick up Sinful Colors.  So far I've enjoyed this brand and found it to be worth a lot more than it's cheap price tag. 

China Glaze's Prism shade is part of their new Prismatics collection.  It combines super-fine glitter "dust" along with larger glitter flecks.  It has a nice, purple-bluish tint when dry and shines like crazy!

Close up of Prism

Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter is a pink jelly shade with blue, green, yellow and purple glitter.  It takes about 3 coats to get full coverage but it's a nice glitter polish that holds up well. 

Close up of Pinky Glitter

Frenzy by Sinful Colors is one of my favorites so far from this line.  It is full of small purple and blue glitter.  I'm currently wearing this polish over a purple shade right now and it looks outstanding!

Close up of Frenzy

The last glitter polish is I Miss You by Sinful Colors.  It is another glitter polish with small pink, silver, purple, red and blue flakes.  It's really pretty and would look great over black.

Close up of I Miss You

Of course like I mentioned earlier, what would the summer be without brightly colored toes?  Over the past few years I've enjoyed Flip Flop Fantasy by China Glaze (my all time favorite summer color) but here are some other neons to check out-

L-R- China Glaze's Turned Up Turquoise, China Glaze's Purple Panic, Piggy Polish's Buzz & Color Club's Age of Aquarius

Turned Up Turquoise is showing up more robin egg blue in the picture above than it actually is.  The color is a medium teal and looks awesome against tan skin.  Of course it's not the brightest shade but it definitely stands out.

Purple Panic is more pink than purple.  It is a pink with purple undertones.  It is bright without being too loud.  It would look nice even on fingers. 

Buzz is one of the brightest shades I own.  This color is a super-neon green.  It's darker than a highlighter would be but still bright and definitely neon.  I must say I didn't like the formula of this polish though.  This bottle was my first Piggy Polish and it was hard to work with.  It was goopy and thick.  I may get some thinner and see if that helps. 

The last shade is Color Club's Age of Aquarius.  This is currently on my toes.  It dries darker than it appears above.  It's a really nice green teal that reminds me of the Caribbean.  It applied smoothly and was only $4.99.

Close up of Age of Aquarius by Color Club.

L-R- Big Daddy by Sinful Colors, Zesty Citrus by LA Girl, Hazard & Energetic Red by Sinful Colors

Currently at Rite Aid they are having a promotion-if you spend $30 or more on nail polish between now and 6/1/12, you get $10 back in UP Rewards.  Because of this promotion, I picked up some more Sinful Color shades and a new yellow that looked appealing.

Last week I wore Hazard (pictured above) which is a creme coral shade.  It looked wonderful and was an exact dupe to my beloved MAC shade, Malibu Peach.  I have not worn Big Daddy, Zesty Citrus or Energetic Red yet but I can't wait.  Big Daddy is an orange coral.  Zesty Citrus is a yellow jelly polish with fine shimmer.  I don't own ANY yellow polish, so this bottle will be my first.  Energetic Red is a creme coral red that would look great on toes or fingers.  Sinful Colors are priced at $1.99 each and the bottle of LA Girl was priced at $2.99. 

L-R- Bath & Body Works' Bali Mango & Malibu Heat lotions

I wanted to share a few more things that I picked up recently that I've been enjoying.  I LOVE Bath & Body Works.  I enjoy their lotion and this month I've been wearing Bali Mango & Malibu Heat (their newest scent).  Bali Mango is a sweet scent described by B&BW as " an exotic getaway of juicy mango, sugar cane, pink passionflower and luscious nectarine".  Malibu Heat is described as "a fresh blend of juicy pineapple, California orange and creamy coconut milk".  Both scents scream hot weather!

Ralph Lauren Big Pony 3-For Her 

For mother's day I received a bottle of perfume from the new Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection-in the scent #3.  The third scent (out of four) is described as a fresh floral with mimosa and pear.  It's been described to be similar to Versace's Yellow Diamond pefume.  I find 3# to be a younger version of the Versace and I really think this fragrance is clean and easy to wear.  It's definitely my favorite out of the four in the collection.

The last item I want to share is a new bottle of shampoo I received from my hairdresser.  It's Healing Color Care shampoo by L'Anza.  I don't know anything about this shampoo or brand other than my stylist stated it worked well with color treated hair.  It retails at my salon for $22 for 10.1 fl.oz but I received this bottle for free.  If you know anything about the brand, let me know.  I can't wait to try it.

UPDATE

A few posts ago I shared with you Ossion's Mild Touch Detox Bubble Mask-read about it here.  I was excited to try this mask and I now have pictures to share. 

You begin by taking the serum and rubbing it over a clean face.  I used the mask after my shower.  After the mask is applied, it begins to bubble on the skin and foam.  It tickles as the bubbles thicken and the purpose of the mask is to hydrate and infuse oxygen back into the pores.  I didn't see any immediate results (I only had two samples-I'm still planning to use the other soon) but I did think the mask left my skin soft.  It was gentle and I didn't break out after using it. 

The mask begins as a serum.

After applying, the mask begins to foam.

The foam continues to thicken...

until your face is covered in bubbles!

Pure Color by Estee Lauder, Clarisonic, Sinful Colors and more!

I was a bad girl the other day.  I went into my local Belk store to get some clothes and I walked out with a new blush (including a nice gift with purchase) and no new clothes!  I'm a sucker for a beautiful blush and my new Pure Color blush by Estee Lauder in the shade Wild Sunset is stunning.  I love just about any shade of blush but this one caught my eye.  It's perfect for the summer and looks great on.

Closeup of Wild Sunset

Recently Estee Lauder updated their blush line and Wild Sunset pulled me in the fastest.  It's a bold, coral shade with gold shimmer.  Don't be scared of the shimmer though, it's very fine and adds a perfect "glow". 

Pictured above- Wild Sunset blush and Estee Lauder eye pencil in SoftSmudge Brown

While at the Estee Lauder counter I also picked up an Artist's Eye Pencil in Softsmudge Brown.  I have been looking for a good eye pencil in a brown shade that is not too dark.  This pencil has worked great and is perfect for small eyes like mine since black eyeliner can overwhelm and make them appear smaller. 

Wild Sunset and Softsmudge Brown are available at your local Estee Lauder counter or at www.esteelauder.com  Swatches of both the blush and eye pencil are pictured at the bottom of this blog entry. 

Because I purchased over $35.00 in products at Estee Lauder, I received this nice gift with purchase.  It included a cute blue and white bag, .24oz of Advanced Night Repair, a Pure Color lipstick in the shade Candy, .5oz of Time Zone Line & Wrinkle creme, .17oz of Time Zone eye creme, double ended Sumptuous mascara and Lash Primer Plus and 1.7 fl. oz of Soft Clean Creme Cleanser. 

I've been using the primer and mascara which I have enjoyed.  The primer is nice and helps my itty bitty lashes look longer.  The mascara has not caused "raccoon eyes" and has held up well.  I do wish the mascara was more thickening but it does lengthen well.  The lipstick shade is a bright, shimmery pink but I wish it lasted longer on my lips-it seems to disappear too quickly.  A swatch of this lipstick is pictured at the bottom of this entry.

Closeup of the Sumptuous mascara wand

Recently I also visited my local Ulta store and picked up a few goodies I've been eyeing for a while.  I purchased a bottle of Pantene's Aqua Light shampoo, a new Clarisonic brush head (for normal skin), a bottle of Essie's Millionails (on clearance!) and Laura Geller's Baked Body Frosting.

Pictured above- Clarisonic brush head for normal skin, Pantene Aqua Light shampoo & Essie's Millionails strengthener.

Laura Geller's Baked Body Frosting in Honey Glow

I've been using the Pantene Aqua Light shampoo this past week and it's okay.  It does cleanse well and is lightweight like it claims BUT it leaves my hair very dry.  I know most cleansing shampoos can be drying and I guess my hair is just too thirsty to care.  The shampoo states it provides weightless nourishment without silicone that can weigh down hair.  I think this would be a great shampoo for someone with fine hair.

I was so excited to see Essie's Millionails on clearance.  Essie is redesigning their packaging therefore some products are on clearance.  I have used this nail strengthener in the past with success.  Usually it costs $15.00 which is very steep but I found my bottle on clearance for $4.99! 

This past week I decided to replace my Clarisonic brush head.  I've been using the sensitive skin one but I bought a normal skin brush this week, so hopefully all will go well.  All single Clarisonic brush heads are available at Ulta for $25.00 each.

 The last item I was excited to pick up was Laura Geller's Baked Body Frosting.  I can't tell you how many times I've swatched this, picked it up then placed it back without buying.  It's designed to be a body bronzer.  It's a HUGE compact (.85 oz) that comes with a body puff.  The bronzer can be applied dry or wet.  I used it today on my neck and chest and I was happy with the results.  You can find it at Ulta for $45.00.  You can see a swatch at the bottom of this blog entry.

Neutrogena's Micro-Mist sunless tan and Sinful Colors polish in Hazard

Of course no haul would be complete without a trip to the local drugstore.  I chose Rite Aide and picked up some self tanner, nail polish and some more bronzer (because clearly I don't have enough)!

I have been using Neutrogena's Micro-Mist airbrush sunless tan this past week and I have mixed thoughts about this product.  It sprays a very fine mist which is super-easy to apply.  The result is a product that doesn't have to be rubbed in and the product doesn't smell after it's applied.  The negatives about this product is that it only makes your skin about 1 shade darker and that if not used in a WELL-VENTILATED area, you might lose your ability to breathe freely.  I'm not kidding.  This stuff is so strong that it gave me a coughing fit when I used it.  I know it can't be healthy to inhale it too often but I used it in my bathroom which is fairly large and still I was overpowered by the smell.  If you can get past the fumes it gives off when applied, you may decide to use it often.  Neutrogena's micro-mist sunless tanning spray is usually priced around $10.00

I haven't tried my bottle of Sinful Colors polish yet but I've heard good things about this brand and the $1.99 price tag doesn't hurt either!  I have been using my City Color bronzer though.  It's a nice, large compact that has a raised palm tree and a gold overspray.  The nice thing is that this bronzer has gold shimmer throughout the product, not just in the overspray.  I've used this on my chest and I liked the results.  I usually don't go for a shimmery bronzer but this one is pretty decent for the $3.99 price.

City Color bronzer in Sunset.  On the left you can see where I have used the product past the gold overspray (which is seen to the right).  See swatch below. 

Swatches of products mentioned above (L-R)- City Color bronzer in Sunset, Laura Geller's Baked Body Frosting in Honey Glow, Estee Lauder's Wild Sunset Pure Color blush, Estee Lauder's Artist's Eye Pencil in Softsmudge Brown and Estee Lauder's Pure Color lipstick in Candy.

Asian Skin Care-including Ossion & Salux!

I've been lucky in the past to have visited the Missy cosmetics counter to try different Asian skin care products before.  Asian skin care products have been exploding onto the American beauty market scene for the past few years.  Products like BB Creams have taken off thanks to this and Korean skin care lines are beginning to find mainstream enthusiasts here in the states.

I am always willing to try something new, so when I visit the Super H Mart in Atlanta (Asian supermarket), I always take time to stop at the Missy cosmetics counter for some more goodies.

Ossion's Mild Touch Cleansing Foam Set- $29.00

A while back I made a post about Isa Knox BB Cream click here to see review.  I found the BB Cream to be a great product but I also enjoyed one of the samples I received when I bought the cream.  I found that I really liked Ossion's Mild Touch Cleansing Foam and that I couldn't wait to get the full size.  Ossion is a line under the Hankook umbrella of Korean skin care brands. 

Ossion's Mild Touch Cleansing Milk and Cleansing Foam

I find that this facial cleanser is a great addition to my skincare routine.  I usually use Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser with my Clarisonic each night.  I decided to use the Ossion foam instead this week and I have really enjoyed it.  It removes makeup, has a great scent (not too heavy or fragrant) and leaves my skin feeling very soft.  It comes out of the tube thick and is white in color.  Once massaged into the skin (or applied using a Clarisonic), it begins to foam and washes away completely. 

I notice my skin feels very clean after using the product and that I haven't had any breakouts since using it.  When I purchased it, it came with a smaller tube of Ossion's Cleansing Milk which can be applied to a dry face and rubbed into the skin to cleanse and remove makeup.  I have tried the cleansing milk as well this week and I find it is very similar to Ahava's Cleansing Milk.  Both Ossion products came together in a set and were $29.00.  You can purchase the set by calling 770-418-0202 or by visiting a Missy cosmetics counter.

L-R- Facial masks by Sooryehan and The Qure (with cucumber and collagen).

After I picked up the Ossion cleanser, I also picked up two face masks to try.  Both masks are applied by laying them on your face for 15 -20 minutes.  The mask is made of paper and has the product applied on one side, so it literally sits on top of your face and soaks in.  Once you are done with the mask, you peel away the paper then rub the excess product into the skin. 

I have already tried the Sooryehan mask this week which unfortunately didn't seem to make a difference with my skin.  I did notice a few blackheads come up around my chin area but I am not sure if this was because of the mask or not.  I'm excited to try the Qure mask next.  The Sooryehan mask was $2.99 and the Qure cucumber collagen mask was $1.99. 

Top (L-R)- A3F[on] Turn Again Peeling Gel & Ossion's Mild Touch Detox Bubble Mask

Bottom (L-R)- Ossion's Intensive Slim Body Peeling & Ossion's Collagen V3 Cream

Another thing I love about shopping at the Missy cosmetics counter is the free samples I get.  Each time I get to try new products and the sweet saleswoman offered some new samples for me to try.  Since I expressed my love for the Ossion cleansing foam, she offered a sample of Ossion's Mild Touch Detox Bubble Mask. 

This mask is very popular and the reviews I've read reminds me of Bliss' Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Facial Mask.  The Bliss mask is $54.00 at Ulta.  The Ossion mask is $40.00.  I'm excited to try it out to see if it worth the hype.  You first apply the mask by rubbing it onto your skin and letting it sit there.  As it sits, a foam begins to develop.  When I try this mask out, I will be sure to take pictures and post them here.  I'm also excited to try the peeling gels and the collagen cream. 

Salux's Beauty Skin Cloth-$2.99

The last item I picked up from Super H Mart wasn't located at the Missy counter.  I have been hunting down a Salux cloth for a few months now and I was so happy to have found one.  I have read great reviews about this Japanese cloth which prompted me to search for one in the first place (click here to read reviews). 

The purpose of the this cloth is to exfoliate.  As you know, summer is just around the corner and exfoliation is important (especially if you use a self tanner).  This cloth is not soft but has a rough texture which whisks away dead skin cells with each use.  I have used this cloth for about a week now and I really like it.  I find that it is too rough to use on my face but that it's great for my feet, knees, elbows and shoulders.  The picture on the front of the package shows a girl using it on her back and I think it would work great there too.  It's long and wide and comes in many different colors.  Because of the popularity of this product, there are a lot of "fake" cloths out there, so make sure you purchase a real Salux cloth.  You can find Salux cloths in Asian markets, at www.amazon.com and at www.saluxshop.com

 

Close-up of the cloth's texture.

Another shot of the cloth.

One More Thing...

As a side note, sometimes I like to share other things I am into that are not beauty related.  Over the past few weeks, the night sky has been great for checking out the moon, stars and some planets.  I couldn't resist pulling out my camera and taking a few photos of the moon lately.  There is something so peaceful about gazing up at the moon.