August Favorites

I'm sorry, I could've sworn yesterday it was only June?!

Like every month, this one went by exceptionally fast! August is never fun in my opinion, only because it means I have to start thinking about getting back into school. 

I actually start my senior year tomorrow, and I wish I was more excited! I kind of want it to be May already so I can just graduate and be done, I'm really over highschool. My junior year was the MOST stressful one yet, I swear there was barely time for me to breathe so I kind of feel like I didn't get much of a break between that stress and the new stress of SAT's, applying to college, paying for college...blergh.

But anywho, here are the products I've been loving throughout August! I'm not going to do my usual description for each product about why I've been loving it just because I have a million and one things to do before tomorrow!

Bath & Body Works Strawberry Lemonade Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

China Glaze "For Audrey"

MAC Paint Pot in "Indianwood"

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in "Medium Sand"

Cargo OneBase Concealer + Foundation in "01"

L'oreal HIP Jelly Balm in "Plush"

Walgreens & Rite Aid Haul

So I spent my Saturday doing a little drugstore shopping while the rest of Massachusetts was preparing for hurricane Irene!

I was honestly more worried about the large spider that decided to make its new home in the lamp above my bed (and the general increase of those vile creatures in my room...) than the hurricane. I've been through my fare share of terrible weather in the past so not much phases me anymore! Other than a mass amount of flooding, nothing much happened in my area, but I hope everyone else made it through safe and sound!

Anyways, I took advantage of Walgreens' 40% off Revlon sale and Rite Aid's 40% off Wet N Wild sale.

Walgreens:

Revlon ColorStay Combination/Oily Skin in 220 Natural Beige

Price: $8.09

I've come to the conclusion that I desperately need more coverage than a powder foundation gives, but something that still has oil control properties. I've heard nothing but fab things about Revlon foundations in general, so the 40% off sale was just extra incentive to try it out! I will say though the shade selection was a little weak, a lot of the colors had yellow undertones, but 220 Natural Beige seems like it will be a good match for my N5-NW20 skin.

Clean & Clear Boost Mango & Papaya Morning Burst Body Wash

Price: $.99

This was one of those things that caught my eye as I was checking out with its lovely neon orange packaging (damn those strategically placed items...). I already have the little sample size of the blue Splash body wash (not my fave, review of that coming up) so I thought I'd give this one a chance since I'll be needing a little body wash when I go to visit my dad for 10 days in a couple of weeks. I'm very pleased with my impulse purchase since this smells absolutely divine!

Rite Aid:

 Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color in Think Pink

Price: $1.79

I've been trying to get into more pink makeup instead of sticking to my trusty corals, so I thought I'd give this lipstick a try while it was on sale! I have since tried it out and think its total rubbish! The damn cap was pretty much screwed on, so that was a battle in itself, but then I tried to twist the lipstick bullet up and it wouldn't budge...completely fail in the packaging department Wet n Wild. When I did manage to get the color on my lips it looked rank, totally splotchy and cakey.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Pearlescent Pink

Price: $1.79

I have the other 3 Wet n Wild Color Icon Blushers and adore them, so it only made since to pick up the only one I don't have! I think this is going to make a great summer to fall transition color since it does have some brown in it but still a nice amount of shimmer.

Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells

Price: $1.79

Everyone and their mother raves about the Wet N Wild eyeshadow trios, so I thought it was about time I jumped on the bandwagon! I bought all of the neutral trios since I knew I just wouldn't use any of the ones with the brighter shades. I have yet to open any of these, but the colors looking stunning!

Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in I'm Getting Sunburned

Price: $1.79

Just look at that absolutely gorgeous gold shade! That color alone justifies picking up this palette, and apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so because this was the last trio on the shelf. I'm a little bummed to just be getting this now towards the end of the summer, it would have been nice to rock a golden lid in June/July, but whatever, it'll transition to fall and this make a great shade for Christmas party eyes!

Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Silent Treatment

Price: $1.79

The last neutral Wet n Wild trio, I'm excited to experiment with this one because I've never worn taupe colored shadows, I'm curious to see how they'll look with my brown eyes! I don't really understand why Wet n Wild likes to include that pink "brow bone" shade with a lot of their trios? Pink shadows don't really appeal to me, I kinda wish they would just put the classic white!

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl"

  

Description

• Unique palette of multi-colored pearls blends together to create an instantly glowing complexion and a perfectly even skin tone.

• Real Mineral Pearl Extract delivers a luxurious skin-perfecting effect.

• Available in 4 shades

 -Translucent Pearl

-Beige Pearl

-Light Bronze Pearl

-Bronze Pearl

 Hypoallergenic. Fragrance Free. Paraben Free. Dermatologist Approved. Non-Comedogenic. 

Directions

May be worn alone or over makeup. Lightly brush powder over face and neck to even out skin tone. For the most even application, be sure to tap excess powder from brush before applying. For best results on dry to very dry skin, apply moisturizer prior to using powder.

Ingredients

 MICA, KAOLIN, SILICA, NYLON-6, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STEARATE, LAUROYL LYSINE, ACRYLATES / C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PEARL EXTRACT, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) OIL, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, BIS-PEG-12 DIMETHICONE BEESWAX, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, HYDROGENATED COCO-GLYCERIDES, POLYBUTENE, METHICONE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, PHENETHYL ALCOHOL. MAY CONTAIN: IRON OXIDES, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, CARMINE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, TIN OXIDE, YELLOW 5 LAKE.

Pros: This is an absolutely gorgeous looking product, I always keep it on my makeup table because of how pretty it is! The Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl" has a really smooth formula, it feels like butter when you dip your finger into it. This powder has multiple uses, on your face as a highlighter on your cheekbones, on the inner corner, under your brow bone, or even as an eyeshadow all over the lid. The product is really suitable for any skin color as its not a white based highlighter, which can look harsh on those with darker complexions. The Mineral Glow Pearls has a lovely champagne-colored base with really fine white and brown glitter that never comes off chunky. The flip-open compact is handy for on-the-go as it comes with a large mirror and little brush the perfect size for highlighting your cheek bones.

Cons: The regular retail price of $13.95 is absurd and off-putting, who wants to come to the drugstore where makeup is supposed to be cheaper and pay that much, but Physicians Formula is known to have over-priced products! The packaging on Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl" feels super flimsy, like it could easily break if it took a tumble. Having the little pearl detail on the cover is quite annoying as it doesn't allow you to stack things on top of it neatly! Physicians Formula needs to get better with packaging their products with care, the box that this powder comes in doesn't have any barrier between it and the product, so its quite hard to find one in the drugstore that isn't already scratched up, and even basic wear and tear shows up easily on the clear plastic top. All of the various drugstores I've been to have only carried the Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl", so if you want one of the other 3 shades, you'll have to do some hunting or order it online! The little brush that comes in this compact is very scratchy, and sheds a ton. You don't actually get as much product as you think, its mostly the flip-open brush compartment that makes the powder look like it goes deeper, but the powder itself is only a small pan. The compartment has little holes on the bottom, so if you use the brush that comes with it and store it in here, there's a good chance some of the glitter will end up falling through the holes into your purse or whatever you're keeping the compact in. When you put the Mineral Glow Pearls on your face it doesn't have any noticeable smell, but if you take a whiff of the powder compact it has a very typical cosmetic-y odor. When I apply this in the morning and touch up my face about 2 hours later I can definitely tell that the Mineral Glow Pearls have worn off, leaving only a bit of glitter. I also notice that the glitter has a tendency to travel on your cheeks, so you can get a little disco ball-y if you're not careful!

Overall: I only paid $3 for this when Physicians Formula products were on sale at CVS and had a $5 off coupon out, but I don't know if I could fork out the money for the regular price of $13.95 on a drugstore item! It's usually slim pickings at the drugstore when it comes to highlighting, so when I find one, I almost always take it home with me. Although the Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl" is a rare product and it works fairly well, I just don't think its worth the price. If you're thinking about getting this powder, I would either wait for a really good sale (we're talking 50% off), or save up your money for a higher-end highlighter such as NARS Albatros!

Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Fragrance Launch Event Haul

So if you didn't already know, Saturday Bath & Body Works held another one of their "I ♥ Fragrance" events where they launch their new scents and when you buy something from their signature collection, you get a lovely little gift for free!

For the Paris Amour Fragrance Event, the free gift with a signature collection purchase was a full sized bottle of the new Charmed Life lotion and an adorable pink bag that has a little Eiffel Tower charm on the zipper.

I went with my mom since we were already shopping this weekend (Tax free in Massachusetts, wahoo!) and my usual Bath & Body Works was so crowded it was getting hard to breath! The Sales Assistants were handing out and tying these hot pink ribbons that were sprayed in the Paris Amour fragrance on customer's wrists. I thought that was a tad weird/unnecessary since you could just walk over to the tester and smell it,  but whatever floats your boat.

To me, Paris Amour smells light, sweet, and floral all at the same time. It's almost like the longer you smell it, the more notes you can pick up on. The first time I took a whiff I mainly got a floral fresh scent, but upon closer whiffing I noticed a bit of vanilla. It's not an "Oh my god that smells rancid" scent, but it's also not a "Oh my god I have to have that" scent. I'm not overly impressed, especially so because I wore the hot pink ribbon around the mall while my mom and I shopped for a couple of hours and I kept noticing this gross old lady smell. I thought it was someone else since there were quite a few elderly women shopping around as well, but in the changing room I got a whiff of my wrist and oh boy, gross! 

Something about Paris Amour doesn't mix well with the natural smell of skin. I mean of course all fragrances smell differently on different bodies, but this was straight up rank! I smelled my mom's wrist where the ribbon had been sitting all day, and she had a lovely light scent. So that's a bummer that it doesn't work for me, but a winner for my wallet since I won't be buying this fragrance!

Now onto the free bottle of the Charmed Life Body Lotion. This crap is RUBBISH smelling! Ugh, it's like a straight up mixture of baby powder and old lady perfume. That's exactly how it should be described instead of what the bottle says "A positively sexy blend of juicy guava, sparkling pear and creamy vanilla musk, inspired by taking chances, having fun and savoring life's fabulous moments". Yuck, do not be fooled by the delicious descriptive writing Bath & Body Works has plastered onto the label. This is getting exchanged, ASAP!

My Haul:

The little Eiffel Tower charm

Apple Blossom Citrus Fragrance Mist
Price: $12.50

Apple Blossom Citrus Body Lotion
Price: $10.50

Peach Citrus Body Lotion
Price: Free (Free Signature Collection item with $10 purchase coupon)

Peach Citrus Fragrance Mist
Price: Free (Buy two get one free)

Pink Paris Bag
Price: Free (Gift with any Signature Collection purchase at the event)

Charmed Life Body Lotion

Price: Free (Gift with any Signature Collection purchase at the event)

My Mom's Haul:

Cherry Blossom Triple Moisture Body Cream
Price: $12.00

Cherry Blossom Triple Moisture Body Cream

Price: Free (Free Signature Collection item with $10 purchase coupon)

Apple Blossom Citrus Shower Gel
Price: $10.50

Apple Blossom Citrus Shower Gel
Price: Free (Buy two get one free)

Pink Paris Bag
Price: Free (Gift with any Signature Collection purchase at the event)

Charmed Life Body Lotion

Price: Free (Gift with any Signature Collection purchase at the event)

Back To School Giveaway! *CLOSED*

The Prizes:

Mini got2b Guardian Angel Gloss Finish Flat Iron Balm

Mini got2b Smooth Operator Smoothing Lustre Lotion

Bath & Body Works Travel Sized Twilight Woods Fragrance Spray

Bath & Body Works Travel Sized Secret Wonderland Fragrance Spray

Bath & Body Works Cinnamon Heaven PocketBac

Bath & Body Works Nectarine Mint PocketBac

Bath & Body Works Travel Sized Cucumber Melon Body Lotion

Bath & Body Works Travel Sized Sweet Pea Body Lotion

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara in "Black Organics"

Rimmel The Max Volume Flash Mascara in "Extreme Black"

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat and Seche Clear Crystal Clear Base Coat

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Blush in "Rosy Glow"

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Nude"

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Nude"

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Rose"

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Berry"

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Natural"

 MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in "Creme Cup"

MAC Paint Pot in "Bare Study"

MAC Brush Cleanser

Sigma Large Powder F30

 Sigma Duo Fibre F50

 Sigma Large Angled Contour F40

Sigma Tapered Blending E40

To Enter:

1.  You must be a follower of my blog!

2. This is open internationally!

3. If you're under 18 then, make sure you have parents permission to give out your home address!

4. Leave a comment below saying anything you want!

5. Post a link in your side bar for two extra entries or blog about this for three extra entries each (five entries total if you do both!), and please leave me a link to your blog in the comments so I can see!

6. The giveaway will end at 12:00 AM on August 31st!

7. I will notify the winner by email (but if you don't respond within 24 hours I will pick a new winner)!

Good luck to everyone!