CVS haul – some deals!

I made a CVS trip recently (OK, this particular trip was a couple of weeks ago, but I still wanted to share my haul, since the deals were so good!) and got a few things from the last of the 50-75% off beauty clearance. Several times a year, CVS will run a 50-75% off certain beauty products that are either being discontinued or released with new packaging, and if you use coupons (including some coupons from the CVS Extra Care coupon machine in the store!), you can find some really awesome deals.

I got the last Coty Airspun powder that was marked 75% off. These are a staple in the beauty department of CVS, but they were clearanced during the most recent sale, and I thought about getting one each time I was in the store and finally did. I got this powder for about $1.75! A steal of a deal since it’s a tried-and-true favorite among makeup buffs, and it’s a fairly large size.

I also snagged this Rimmel Colour Rush Quad Eyeshadow in Smoky Noir, marked down to 75% off (can’t remember the final price, but it was in the $1-$2 range). Most of my eyeshadows are in neutral brown shades, but I’ve recently been loving a darker, black smoky eye and wanted to get some shadows that would help me create that type of look. It was fate that I found this quad for such a low price! The pigmentation isn’t bad at all, and it comes with a variety of blacks/grays that I can use for allover the lid, in the crease, and to darken the outer corners. Just wish that the pans themselves were larger so I got more product!

Even when CVS isn’t running its 50-75% off clearance sale, you can find some great deals in the store. These next two purchases from the same shopping trip are good examples of how you can find sort of spontaneous deals right in the store.

CVS is really great about marking down products and labeling them on the shelf with “don’t miss at this price” stickers! Sometimes, there’s a 25% markdown, but if you’re lucky, you can snag a great product, like this Burt’s Bees Radiance Healthy Glow Kit on clearance, sort of randomly! I found this kit for 75% off (not part of the great beauty clearance!), and paid around $3-$5 for it! That’s an amazing deal, since Burt’s Bees is a really great line of products that are all-natural and healthy for your skin, but usually a tad pricy. I love love love the Radiance line, since it does all of the great things that the main Burt’s Bees products do, but they add this touch of sparkle and glow to your skin. So gorgeous.

The other thing you need to make sure you do every single time you go into CVS is to visit the Extra Care Rewards Center, usually at the front of the store and often right next to the health/beauty/cosmetics section — easy, since you’re probably already there! You scan your CVS Extra Care card (and if you don’t have one, you need to get one! They’re free.) and the machine prints coupons for you right there in the store. I usually scan my card twice to make sure I’m getting all the coupons for the day. On this trip, I got an awesome deal — $8 off any Physicians Formula product!

I purchased this PF EyeBrightener in the shade Natural Eyelight, normally priced at $8.29, which means with my CSV coupon, it was just $0.29! This is a fantastic product, by the way…a great way to add a subtle shimmery highlight to your inner corner and brow area. Check out the swatch:

I love CVS, so if I need to visit a drugstore for health or beauty products, that’s usually where you’ll find me! On top of all the deals, if you have your CVS Extra Care card swiped every time you check out, you earn a percentage of your purchase back for quarterly ExtraBucks, which are like money to spend on anything in the store!

 

 

New obsession – Pink Sugar!

I’ve been shopping like a madwoman lately, but I’ve been bad about photographing what I’ve bought — by the time I get home, I just want to put things away and haven’t been documenting my purchases.

But, I did want to share my latest favorite purchase. It’s the best perfume ever, and it probably isn’t news to any of you, but I’m glad I finally got to try it…

It’s Aquolina Pink Sugar! I don’t have a super strong sense of smell, but this is strong enough that I definitely can sense it…it’s the best combination of really sweet (but not fake sweet) vanilla  and caramel. I almost always get compliments when I wear it — everything from “you smell really good!” to people wondering what the delicious, sweet smell in the air is. (The other day, someone said it smelled like gingerbread baking.)

You can purchase this at Sephora like I did, or you can look at places like Bed Bath & Beyond, where I saw it for about $7 cheaper (and BB&B regularly has 20% off coupons, so you could score a great deal if you buy it there). In addition to the eau de toilette spray, you can get body wash, lotion and more Pink Sugar-scented products. Yummmm.

Giveaway time! Win an EnvyDerm product worth $99.95!

Thanks again to KMR Communications for sponsoring another giveaway here at What’s On My Face? This time around, we’ll be giving one lucky winner an EnvyDerm product, worth almost $100! Check out the details about the product:

EnvyDerm is an eyelash growth and conditioning serum that will give you fuller, longer lashes. Who doesn’t want that? I know whenever I see my lashes in the mirror, I wish for more volume. I’ve never used any kind of treatment for my lashes, only mascara, but this one sounds pretty awesome.

How to Use EnvyDerm?
The EnvyDerm applicator is very similar to a liquid eyeliner applicator. One should apply the stimulating serum once a day before bedtime along the upper and lower lash lines.  EnvyDerm does not disrupt the daily application of make-up or other skincare routines. Can be used on brows as well.

What is in EnvyDerm?
EnvyDerm is formulated with active natural ingredients such as bioavailable lipo-oligopeptides that stimulate keratin genes.  Powerful SymPeptide technology lengthens and strengthens natural lashes. EnvyDerm uses vitamins, minerals and amino acids to moisturize and nourish lashes and brows.

When Can I Expect to See Results?
One should begin to see the lash line becoming thicker, fuller and healthier looking in as little as 2 weeks!  In a clinical study, users saw a 25 percent increase in eyelash length during this period.  EnvyDerm will continue to prove results over time if used on a consistent basis.

And, check out this photo of the results of using the product:

So, want to try EnvyDerm? (I know I do!) Here are the details of the giveaway:

• Must subscribe to this blog (through Google Reader, Blogger, etc.)
• Must be 18 years or older (or have your parent’s permission to give your address so we can ship your prize)
• Must live in the U.S. (sorry to international readers!)
• Must comment to this post, telling me which celebrity has the most glamorous look (and it’s probably because of the eyelashes!)
• You can comment as many times as you like, but each comment must be different.
• You can earn an additional entry by linking to this blog on your own blog, or Facebook or Twitter (reply to this post with a link to your post).
• The giveaway will end at midnight on February 28, 2011.

Good luck!

Walgreens haul! Wet n Wild 8-pan palettes, Yes to Carrots, L’oreal EverStrong

I’m so sick of winter! I know I can’t be alone…I’m done with cold, gray days and looking forward to spring (or at least the month or so of spring we’ll get here in Texas). When I’m feeling restless like I have this week because of the weather, one thing puts me in a better mood…shopping!

So, I bring to you a Walgreens haul from this afternoon. I didn’t go in with much of an intention, except to get at least one of the new 8-pan eyeshadow palettes from Wet ‘n Wild, which are only being carried by Walgreens and Wal-mart. And, score! My Walgreens had all three in stock, and I picked up two (the blue/silver one called Blue Had Me at Hello was tempting, but I didn’t think I’d be able to make much use out of it, so I couldn’t justify buying it).

I did pick up these two…

Comfort Zone, the neutral palette of the bunch with pretty olives, coppers, browns, tans, peaches, etc. I have all the neutral W’nW palettes, from Vanity in the ColorIcon collection to Walking on Eggshells in the trios, and Golden Goddess from the 2010 holiday collection, and I’m happy to say that these colors, while very similar to shadows in my other palettes, aren’t duplicates of what I already own.

Petal Pusher, another palette I was destined to get because I’m a sucker for purples. I also have the purple palette from the W’nW 2010 holiday collection (Sugar Plum Fairy) and sadly, the first three colors on the left are the exact same as what I got in the other palette. Pretty colors, but duplicates nonetheless!

After I got the Wet ‘n Wild palettes, I strolled down the haircare aisle. My hair has been giving me some trouble in the past couple of weeks. Normally, I have pretty dry, thick hair, so I don’t need to wash every day (or even every other day) because it just never gets oily. But, recently, I’ve noticed a lot of oil and/or product buildup just the next day after I’ve washed it, although the ends are still dry. Because my hair is thick, this kind of buildup really weighs it down and makes it look dull and lifeless.

I looked through just about every line at Walgreens and almost bought some John Freida products (they had coupons attached to them!) but after reading the ingredients and seeing that they contained parabens, I went with more natural products — Yes to Carrots Daily Pampering Shampoo and L’oreal EverStrong Overnight Treatment.

I’ve used the Yes to Carrots shampoo before and remember really liking it. I’m kind of fickle when it comes to shampoos and switch them around a lot, but if this does the job, I’ll probably continue to repurchase. I washed my hair with it tonight, and it foamed up so nicely and made my scalp feel so refreshed and clean.

I’ve never used the EverStrong treatment, but it was on sale for $5.99 instead of the regular $8.99 price, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I’ve used a ton of different leave-in treatments, but this one says it’s specifically for use before you go to bed and on dry hair, so I’ll let my hair air dry and put it on the ends before I go to sleep.

So, there’s what cheered me up today! I’ll do a separate post later with swatches and a review of the W’nW palettes.

What’s making me smile at the moment?

A couple of beauty-related things have been helping me kick my winter blues (seriously, when you’re past all the holidays, and it’s still crazy cold, and you just want it to be breezy and sunny, it’s easy to be in a funk!) — and I wanted to share with you all, so you can smile, too!

Curly hair! For as long as I can remember, my hair has been super straight, not a hint of bounce or wave. But in the past year or so, after cutting in some long layers, I’ve noticed that if I let it dry naturally, it always has some curl to it. Here’s the look I rocked today…I washed it yesterday before going to the movies, gave it a quick blowdry and put it up in a bun. When I took it down last night before bed, it was more than just wavy…it was curly! I helped it a bit today by using a curling iron to better define the curls, and I love the look I ended up with.

Birchbox! If you haven’t heard of Birchbox, check out the website. It’s sort of like a magazine subscription, where you pay each month ($10) or can buy a yearly subscription, and at the beginning of each month, you get a box of goodies in the mail! You fill out a survey when you join so they can get an idea of what your skin/hair/cosmetics likes and needs are, and they send you a box of deluxe samples (in high end brands) tailored to your profile! I got my first Birchbox in January, and I intend to keep it going on a month-to-month basis. Love getting mail, love trying out new products, what’s not to love?

Another current love that I don’t have photos of…Victoria’s Secret PINK loungewear! I definitely made a couple trips to their Semi-Annual Sale last month, and I scored on sweatpants, sweatshirts, and yoga pants. When I’m not at work, wearing business attire, I’m at home, lounging in these comfy, casual clothes. Love love love.

OOTD/Fashion: Keepin’ it casual!

I may have hinted with the lack of posts this past week that life has been super duper busy for me — there’s more to do at work, and I started the new semester with my grad class, so I’ve got plenty on my plate. (Plus, we’re still getting adjusted to the much bigger new house, so decorating, cleaning and unpacking is still on my to do list every weekend.)

So, what’s a girl to wear when she’s got so much going on in her life that she doesn’t have much time to devote to pulling together a cute outfit? T-shirts! I know what you’re thinking….yawn. But T-shirts don’t have to be part of a drab outfit. You can add a few touches here and there to make an OOTD with a T-shirt really fun and fashionable.

During the week, since I work in an office, I wear slacks, skirts, sweaters and dresses. But on the weekend, I’m a total T-shirt girl. I was recently sent a few shirts from Crazy Dog T-shirts, a website where you can buy custom T-shirts with funny designs, including some vintage-looking styles and 80s throwback logos.

I was really impressed not only with the cute styles of the shirts I was sent, but also with the quality. If you’ve got several T-shirts in your wardrobe, you probably know that not all shirts are made equally, and some tees can be pretty cheap and fall apart after one wash. But these have worn well, and I’ve really been reaching for them the most out of all my T-shirts.

You can see here that I ditched the usual sneakers that most people pair with T-shirts and went with a soft black boot with tucked in jeans. I really like this shirt because it’s a reference to the HBO show True Blood, but it’s not an overt T-shirt with Sookie and Bill on the front.

Merlotte’s Bar and Grill is the restaurant where Sookie works on the show, but you’d have to be a fan to know that. I’ve gotten tons of compliments when I’ve worn this, from people who love True Blood!

One really cool thing about this site is that they have a variety of fits and sizes in their shirts. This one is an adult size, which I got in a small, but you can also get women’s slim fit, which would fit more like a baby doll tee (more fitted sleeves, shorter in the waist).

This shirt is also a nod to True Blood, with a graphic that features “Bon Temps football,” the name of the town that the show is set in. Love love love this one, and when I wear it, I go for a super casual style with laceless Converse slipons and baggy boyfriend jeans, since the shirt itself is really soft and loose.

They also sent me this women’s slim fit shirt with a Bayside Tigers athletic logo (Saved by the Bell, anyone?), which I got in a size large. It fits just right, with a little bit of give in the chest and stomach but still fitted enough where it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing pajamas. Whenever I wear T-shirts, I like to do my makeup really soft, girly and glowy so that I don’t feel like a total bum!

I’d definitely recommend checking out Crazy Dog T-shirts to see what unique tees you can find that are fun little pop culture references. And, when you’re wearing a tee, remember that you can definitely go extremely casual, but you have other options to pull your outfit together and look chic!

MopTop giveaway winner

Wow, it’s a crazy week for me! Sorry for the lack of posts. But, I want to make sure I get this post up tonight. Drumroll, please, announcing the lucky duck who has won the MopTop travel kit giveaway…

5. Shana  |  January 23, 2011 at 1:26 pm

I have always had crazy curly hair that I couldn’t get under control unless I used a bunch of gel and hairspray, which made it crunchy and gross. After trying Japanese Straightening for a few years, I’ve noticed that even though it made it LOOK nice and straight, it was actually making my hair paper thin and damaged. I recently cut off a good amount of my hair and I am trying to go natural now in terms of haircare ingredients; I am apprenhensive and think something like this would be hopefully be great for my hair. Thank you!

Congratulations, Shana! I’ll also contact you via email so you can send me your address and MopTop will get your travel kit to you!

Getting my hair under control with MopTop! Review and giveaway!

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know that I’ve got a thick head of hair that falls way past my shoulders, and I’m always on the hunt for the best products to keep it in control. When I heard about MopTop Unruly Haircare, a company that focuses on hair products to help tame dry, frizzy, unruly, color treated and/or chemical treated hair (and is free of silicone, waxes and sulfates!), I knew I wanted to give it a try.

I was sent this travel kit, which retails on their website for $23 and includes mini, 2 oz. bottles of their Gentle Shampoo, Daily Conditioner, Detangler & Refresher Spray and Light Hold Anti-Frizz Gel. I’ve been using all the products for the past week, and I have to say that I’m definitely a fan!

What I love about all of the products in the travel kit is that they are hardcore, in the sense that they really have tamed my hair, which has recently been super dry and unmanageable, but they somehow remain really gentle and light on my hair. I’ve used the shampoo to wash my hair two days in a row, normally something I can’t do with other shampoos because it makes my hair dull and flat, stripping its moisture. Using the MopTop shampoo and conditioner combo, my hair is light, shiny and soft!

I’ve sprayed the Detangler & Refresher Spray after each wash, and it really smoothes out my wet hair when I run a comb through it. I’ve used the Light Hold Anti-Frizz Gel when I want to blowdry my hair after washing, and it does a fantastic job of smoothing the hair out and keeping it straight as it’s drying.

I love all these products because they do the trick, and on top of that, they smell good and don’t burn my eyes when I’m using them, which must be because they don’t include any of the “junk” that’s in most commercial hair care products (sulfates, parabens, wax).

Now, I’m sure you saw the word “giveaway” in the title of this post, eh? The folks at MopTop are awesome, not just because they have an amazing line of products, but because they’re sponsoring a giveaway of the same travel kit that I received to try!

Here’s all you have to do…add a comment to this post, telling me the hair problem you think the MopTop travel kit can help you with! After a week, I’ll randomly select a winner from the comments and give your info to MopTop so they can send a kit to you! The contest will end at midnight CST on Tuesday, January 25, 2011.

coming soon — more reviews and a couple of giveaways!

Just a quick post to let all my readers know that I’ve got some exciting things coming up here on What’s On My Face?, including some great product reviews and giveaways from some really amazing companies. Stay tuned!

OOTD – discount fashion

Here is part two of my recent ROSS haul (part one was my makeup find, a BareMinerals palette). I got 2 pieces of my OOTD in my ROSS shopping trip.

I got this top and sweater at ROSS, and both were under $10! Really, shopping at stores like ROSS, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Target for clothes has made me such a thrifty shopper — I rarely will pay full price for an item, and if I do, it has to be pretty inexpensive.

The sweater was on clearance for $4.99, and the top was $6.99.

Here’s a better look at the sweater — love those gold sequined pockets! This outfit was perfect for me for work because it was neutral with a few pops of style, like the pockets on the sweater or the lace detail on the top, which was a sleeveless striped tank over a black tank.

Here’s a close-up of the detail on the pocket…

Here’s the bottom half of the outfit, purchased during  a previous JC Penney haul. I got a $50 gift card from JCP for Christmas, along with a $50 VISA gift card, and I went shopping there the day after Christmas — taking advantage of all the doorbuster deals and seasonal clearance! I got these slacks for $14.99 and the shoes were around $12!

I kept the makeup for this look pretty neutral, soft and work-appropriate, and I just pulled my hair back into a messy bun.

Hope this post (and all my fashion posts, actually!) inspires you to look for those deals — you don’t have to spend a lot to look great!