Ulta and Marshalls Haul

These past few weeks have been tough ones for me. As I had mentioned previously, my grandmother had a stroke December 3rd. She ended up needing to be on hospice the past few weeks because she was just getting worse and worse after the stroke. On Easter Sunday she passed in her sleep.

I haven’t gone out much or done much since before it happened, due to stress. Its been a rough time for me emotionally because as most of you know, we lost my grandpa last year. No one prepares you for losing a grandparent… let alone two of them. It’s so hard thinking about how you aren’t going to see them or get those phone calls and voicemails.

Needless to say I had errands to run and needed some air yesterday. I have kept myself cooped up in my house, in my emotions. The reason I needed to get out is because I ran out of shampoo and so that gave me no choice to have to get out.

Along with my shampoo I needed at Ulta, I was in desperate need of concealer as well. When I went to the Urban Decay section… everything shown was 50% off. I love the Urban Decay All Nighter foundation, so finding it for 50% off was a must for me. I got mine in the shade 0.5 (I know… I’m pale). I also got the Urban Decay Stay Naked Threesome blush/highlighter and bronze trio. I haven’t tried this Urban Decay concealer yet but crossing my fingers that I love it.

Lately I have been using the L’Oréal Infallible concealer and that has been my go-to. I couldn’t find it in my Ulta so I didn’t pick that one up… I forgot I needed it when I went to Target after this.

The VERB Ghost shampoo is my favorite shampoo at the moment. I have naturally oily hair so I have to wash it every day or two to keep the oils under control. This shampoo doesn’t react like others I’ve tried and build up in my hair. Its very clean and my hair feels soft after washing. Not to mention, it smells amazing.

I ended up at Marshalls while I was in town and boy am I glad I went in! This Too Faced Pumpkin Spice Second Slice eyeshadow palette was on sale for $24.99! I don’t usually buy the seasonal palettes during the holiday season because they are so dang expensive when they come out. After opening this one, I fell in love with the color story and couldn’t leave without it.

The makeup wipes are always a given for me when I go to Marshalls or TJ-Maxx because they’re so much cheaper than at the drugstore. I bought these for $3.99. I also got the Revlon blurring powder because it just happened to be in my shade only and I love this line from them.

I was heading back to the beauty isle to put something back that I decided I didn’t need and the workers had apparently just placed out the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer and once again, only in my shade! I have been wanting to try this for a while but haven’t been willing to pay the hefty price it comes along with. I just happened to find this at $12.99. That’s a complete steal!

Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these and how you like them!

Until next time,

Ashley

Ulta Haul (and re-purchases)

I did a pickup order at Ulta yesterday because I had the day off work but I also needed some items for my every day makeup. I ran out of my brow pencil and brow gel so that was my main reason to do this order… they ended up not having my color so I did have to order it from the website. I also got a new highlighter because I wanted something more close to my skin color. I also needed bronzer because I’ve been feeling very pale recently.

My hair has been a bit more oily so I have been washing it every day but the Winter weather has seemed to cause my scalp to be dry and a bit more irritated so I wanted to try this new serum that Pacifica sells.

These beauty blenders by Real Techniques have been a staple in my makeup routine for years now. They don’t suck up all my product and they seem to blend perfectly. I change my beauty blenders about every month or so to try to help keep my skin as clear as possible.

I’ve always had dark under eye circles and I am always on the hunt for the best under eye gels. I have used the Arbonne ones and loved them but I haven’t wanted to renew my “subscription” with them due to costs. If you have any recommendations on under eye gels, leave them below!

The Florence By Mills lip balm got me with the sale price and the packaging… what can I say.

This online order was made solely due to the need of the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow gel. I had it on my pick up order and they were out of it.

I was also looking at the essence highlighter but my store didn’t carry it at the moment. For under $5, I couldn’t beat the price.

I have been loving Ulta’s lip oil. I have the one in Red Apple that I keep in my purse and it is really good for dry chapped lips. I wear it both with and without makeup. I added the one in tangerine and the one in cranberry-pomegranate to my bag because of the free gift that came with a $19.50 Ulta purchase.

Like I said, the Florence balms got me with the packaging but I can say… I absolutely love the formula of these. It feels smooth on the lips with a hint of color.

Ulta seems to do amazing with their free gifts! I absolutely LOVE everything I got in this free gift.

Until next time,

Ashley

Current Skincare Routine

I know this is in no way “clean” or organized but my skincare shelf in my bathroom

I have had the same skincare routine for over a decade. I’ve added a few products this year as they are newer and I am very passionate about my skincare routine.

A beautiful face of makeup always starts with a skincare routine. Without a good skincare routine, you won’t ever be able to achieve a clean face of makeup.

At around age twelve or thirteen, my mom started me on Clinique’s 3 step routine twice daily. I have had very oily skin my whole life and have struggled with how to manage it. I saw dermatologists one after the other and no one was able to help me. We were in the mall one day back-to-school shopping and we stopped by the Clinique makeup counter and explained my situation I had been in.

This 3 step system is where it all started. I started on the oily skin facial cleanser, the pink bottle of clarifying lotion (toner) and the oily skin moisturizer. This skincare is definitely on the pricier side of skincare when you compare it to drugstore prices. The best thing about the Clinique skincare I have found is, the bottles last me a very long time as you don’t need much at a time.

The oily skin facial soap, for the 13.5 oz jumbo pump, only costs me around $37. That bottle can last me 3-6 months, using it twice a day. The combination oily toner, the same jumbo with a pump 16.5 oz, is only $35. The toner of this size will easily last me 6-8 months, using it twice a day. The moisturizer, you literally only need about 1 pump anytime you use it to cover your whole face. The jumbo moisturizer pump costs you $45 but it will last you forever.

This year I added three more products to my routine. Two of those products I only use once a day and the other I am working on adding twice a day.

I have started using the Clinique All About Eyes from my samples that Clinique has sent me. I have a few samples of this and the samples are taking me pretty far. When it comes to eye cream, a little goes a long way. I get dark circles under my eyes and that is one of my biggest insecurities. This product has worked wonders for me. When Clinique does their free gift with purchase, a hefty sample is usually included in that free gift.

The product I have been using for a few months now twice a day is their Acne Solutions Acne + Line Correcting serum. With this product, I have seen a difference in both my occasional breakouts, and my acne scars. The directions say to use two to three drops, I use three. I put a drop on each cheek and a drop on my forehead and pat that in and let it soak into the skin. The usual cost is $49 but I try to wait and get mine when it is on sale. Right now it is on sale at Macy’s for $34 plus tax.

Clinique Acne Solutions Serum $49.00

The third new product I have started using is the Clinique Pore Refining Solutions stay-matte hydrator. I like using this in the morning with my skincare before I put my makeup on. I’m a fan of anything mattifying. I haven’t used this product long enough to have a full review on it, but I will keep you posted with a full honest review. The usual price is $44 but once again, I will only buy these fancier products when they are on sale.

Clinique pore refining solutions stay-matte hydrator $44

Overall, I highly recommend these Clinique skincare products. I was a huge fan of the pep-start morning collection but the only thing they kept from that line was the eye cream. I’m still a fan of that but I miss the pep-start face wash. The plus about this is I don’t usually run out of them all at the same time. It’s usually one product at a time, so that’s easier on my bank account.

If you have any questions regarding any of these products or any Clinique products feel free to leave them below!

January Marshalls Haul

I’ve been suffering with my mental health lately and one thing I make myself do every few weeks is get out of the house on the weekend alone. I get asked why I don’t take my husband and the answer is not that I don’t want to bring my husband out with me, I need to prove to myself I can do hard things.

I need to prove to myself that I can in fact go to town alone. I can go pick up some groceries alone. For a long time my Agoraphobia (fear of leaving your house) ruled my life. I know if I don’t get myself out and even just browse, that there’s a possibility that it can creep back in.

This weekend I had some things to pick up grocery wise, so I went to Target and I stopped in Marshalls as well as Bath and Body Works (Semi-Annual Sale Haul coming soon). I like to walk around and browse even if I don’t end up purchasing a ton. There were a few things on my list that I needed anyways.

At Marshalls, I got a few makeup items. The only thing I hate about stores like this is that whenever I find something high end or a name brand it’s always either swatched or opened. I understand wanting to see what’s inside but it makes me hesitant to buy anything not sealed.

I looked at a few lip items, mascaras and blushes but I didn’t trust they hadn’t been used or they had finger marks in them and unfortunately you never know what someone has or I have a fear of staph with any makeup items.

I did pick up a rose quartz Gua Sha and face roller set on clearance for $7. I have heard people talk amazing about these things so I wanted to try it myself.

I got two E.L.F Ride or Die Lip Balms in tough Cookie and PSL. I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice but the colors were appealing to me.

I got a new Wet Brush because it was only $4.99 and that’s the only hairbrush that doesn’t kill my hair. It’s the only hair brush that doesn’t make brushing and styling my hair painful and rip too much out when detangling. I also saw Batiste has a shine mist and it was on clearance for $2.00 so I thought why not, this is the brand of my favorite dry shampoo.

I definitely needed new liquid eyeliner and so I got them here, I’m not sure how long they will last but I didn’t really want to go to Ulta or Sephora. If I’m going into those two places I always like to have a little extra spending money because I get carried away.

Not pictured are the card games I got on sale… I got: New Phone, Who Dis?, What Do You Meme? and the game Likes. They all were hilarious card games that were all under $10 each and I thought they’d make great game nights. We like to keep it lighthearted and fun during our game nights.

Do you prefer Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross, or Burlington?

XOXO,

Ashley

Ulta Haul

For Christmas I got a gift card from my Mother-in-Law for Ulta and as a girl with no self control… I spent it. I spent it literally the night of Christmas. I know I know but hey I got some good deals. I also had a coupon… that was an added bonus.

Part one of my Ulta haul

Okay so the first shipment I got from my order had my Too Faced “You Drive Me Glazy” collection. I only spent $24 on that whole collection! It came with a palette that had 4 blush/bronzers and 20 different eyeshadow pans. It also came with a mini of their Better Than Sex mascara and a full sized Killer Liner. I love the formula of Too Faced eyeshadows so I couldn’t resist this one.

I also grabbed an eyelash comb separator because I didn’t have one and sometimes lashes can be tricky. Lashes have good days but they also have bad days. This is for those times. I also got a crème gel eyeliner brush by IT cosmetics for only $1.80!

I grabbed these two Morphe Wondertint Cheek and Lip Mousses. They were gorgeous colors and I’m super excited to try out this formula. I’m trying to get more into cream products so I figured drugstore is the best place to start. I grabbed the colors Dream and Wish for only $5.05 each.

The last thing in the picture is the ColourPop Enchanted palette. I love the color story of this palette and I’ve had my eye on it for a while. When the price dropped to $3.78 I couldn’t help myself but add it to the cart. ColourPop never disappoints when it comes to formula and pigment.

Ulta order part two

The second part of my order came in and it had my ELF flat liner brush and the Double The Sex mascara set. My flat liner brush was starting to get a little nasty so I thought now was the time. Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara is one of my favorites of all time. At the normal price I find myself having a very hard time re-purchasing when I run out. When I saw that this two pack was only $18 I didn’t even hesitate to add it to my cart. I’m so happy I did because this is one of my favorite formulas in a mascara.

Overall I’m SO extremely happy with my little haul I got with my Ulta gift card! Did you get any gift cards for Christmas? If you did I’d love to hear what you got yourself!

XOXO,

Ashley

Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener Review

At the end of December I got off work early one day and decided I needed to go get a few new clothing pieces for my wardrobe to make me feel better about the way I looked. After I was done shopping at Maurices, I headed across the parking lot to Kohl’s… I was on a mission.

I really wanted the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Blush but my Sephora was all out. Me being the makeup lover I am, I looked around to see what else was new.

Right when I walked into Sephora, there was an end cap that had a whole display of the new Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener with the exception of the second lightest shade, that was all gone.

I have very light skin and get very dark under eye circles, so I decided to give this a try. On first application, I wore it on it’s own with no makeup and I was impressed. I liked how it didn’t leave a streaky look behind and it looked more like skincare. The metal applicator though… Chef’s Kiss.

This was the first time I had worn it with my makeup. I put on my primer like normal, foundation, then the under eye brightener underneath my concealer. I expected it to either be patchy or completely disappear… neither of those things happened, though. I am thoroughly impressed at how this product performed.

I have oily skin and it didn’t make that worse, it just looked clean and fresh. I picked mine up in the shade light. At only $24.00, I highly recommend this to anyone who has dark circles or needs a little brightness under their eyes.

Has anyone else tried this? What did you think of it?

Until Next Time,

Ashley

Why I Started Blogging

For as long as I remember, I have always been a reader. I’m a major bookworm, so writing seems fascinating to me. At a young age, I remember starting my own novellas in my notes app on my phone.

I have always aspired to be a writer. You know how most people have a goal they want to complete before they die? My goal is to self publish a book. Only a select few people have read some of my work. I have one story line that I started about 7(ish) years ago that I’m super passionate about.

I started this blog to not only get my thoughts out and use it as a online journal, per say. I also wanted to share my love for reading, beauty, makeup, and other random-ish things I’m passionate about.

I know I have said this before but this year I plan to make my blog a priority. I plan to make a schedule. I plan to have different topics written out ahead of time so I can schedule posts. I have already started scheduling some posts and started an idea list in my journal for blog topics.

When it comes to beauty, I love makeup. My skincare routine has been the same for over a decade. Don’t get me wrong, I love some higher end makeup but I hate feeling like I’m blowing my money. If I can get a good product for a lower price, I will most likely go for the more affordable drugstore products.

When I started this blog I did a lot of unboxings and dupe posts. I do have at least one unboxing to share in the next few days from an Ulta purchase after Christmas that I had a gift card for… I got some higher end products for a heck of a deal and I cannot wait to share that when that order comes in.

What I’d love from you guys is some feedback. What are you most interested in? What are some topics you’d love to see me write about? Should I go back to my roots and do some dupe posts again?

Let me know in the comments, because I’d love some inspiration.

XOXO,

Ashley

December Ipsy

Wow, I can’t believe December is already here and Christmas is in 7 days… 7 DAYS! Winter is coming in 3 days… this is my favorite time of the year.

Maybe I should quit blabbering and get on with this post. So this month I have to say my Ipsy bag was so-so for me. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. The bag itself I think is adorable but the contents… eh.

The first thing I received was The Coffee Scrub in the scent Coconut. I’ve never really used a scrub so maybe I’ll give this one a try.

I’m kind of happy that I received the MAC Extreme Dimension Lash, MAC is a brand that is so talked up in the beauty community and I haven’t really tried much besides their lipstick and setting spray.

I received the Meech and Mia white pigment and I’m so so on this because I don’t usually wear pigments and if I do I tend to go for glittery colors.

The trestique brow pencil I received I wasn’t super excited about, I don’t usually use many brow pencils so it will probably get passed on to a friend.

Lastly I received a shader brush from Luxie beauty. I love luxie brushes they are so soft and hardy brushes.

Well that’s all that I got in my Ipsy bag this month. It wasn’t the best this month but it had a few good things so I won’t complain.

What did you get in your bag this month?

XOXO,

Ashley

New @ Colourpop

Today, November 16, Colourpop will be releasing 10 NEW Ultra Matte lips and 4 Ultra Glossy lips to add to their collection. The products launch at 10 AM PST.

The Ultra Matte lips:

1. Soufflé
2. Star crossed
3. Take a pixie
4. Snow fleek
5. Cloudscape
6. Lightweight
7. Fragile things
8. Flurries
9. Arabesque

The Ultra Glossy Lips:

1. Lay-z
2. Fingers crossed
3. Believe me
4. Imagine

Colourpop is offering Free domestic shipping and free worldwide shipping with orders over $30, this is starting today (11/16/17) for 48 hours.

Will you be buying any new Colourpop products? I just may have to place a small order!

XOXO,

Ashley

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What skincare products I’m currently using

I have never been the one to have bad problems with acne or skin issues when I was younger or even high school. I was one of the lucky ones who was blessed with pretty clear skin… besides those one or two when “Mother Nature” decides to come along if you know what I mean! 

About a year and a half ago I was put on a medication, which I’m not on anymore thank god, and the medication totally broke out my face with the acne I had never had. I tried everything… over the counter washes to Dermatologists. Nothing worked. 

When I heard of Rodan and Fields, I thought it seemed to good to be true. I thought “oh they’re just saying it’s this good to make money!” That’s because it is a pretty steep price, $180! 

Well one day I decided to go out on a limb and just order it because honestly it couldn’t get worse than it was so why not give this stuff a shot. Maybe it’ll work like everyone says? So I went online and purchased the Unblemish line. 

I will admit along the way of using Unblemish I have had my doubts. Around week four I was frustrated thinking my skin problems would never be fixed. My mom encouraged me to keep trying. I’m so glad I did… around week 8, I looked in the mirror and thought wow my face looks really good! It’s starting to take both my acne and scarring away! 

I finally have hope that my face will clear up. Why? Unblemish! 

When taking off my makeup at first I use Dove sensitive skin bar soap then I go in with the treatment wash and then follow the steps from there. 

If you’re questioning wheither or not to try Rodan and Fields I would say go for it! 

XOXO,

Ashley