Tag: discounts

Back to School Week | 5 Tips for College Success & Survival

Happy Tuesday! Today’s Back to School Week post is going to be something a little bit different here at Adventures in Polishland. I wanted to share with all of you some of my tips for having a successful and positive college experience. College was a very difficult time in my own personal life. While I loved my classes and professors, I just didn’t fit in with the social atmosphere. I went to a small liberal arts school, and felt isolated and really unhappy my freshman year. It was my first time away from home, and I really missed my family. In addition, my roommate and I completely clashed, so I was uncomfortable in my own room. To top it all off, I don’t drink, so it was extra difficult for me to make friends outside of class and find things to do on the weekends. All of that being said, I tried to make the best of my situation, and by the time I graduated I had a great group of friends, and a lot of positive experiences I can look back on with fond memories. I hope that this post will help those of you just beginning college this year, or those who are struggling to fit in just like I was. Without further ado, let me share five tips for college success and survival!

5 Tips for College Success & Survival | Adventures in Polishland

1. Join an On-Campus Club or Organization

My first tip is what I consider the most important, and that is to join at least one on-campus club or organization. I joined a lot of clubs my freshman year, and even became the president of two of them later on. Not only are clubs a great way to meet classmates with similar interests, but it gives you the opportunity to get out of your dorm room each week. I met some amazing friends through the clubs I was a part of, and got to experience some really amazing events as well. I suggest picking one or two clubs to start, and perhaps even adding a couple more from there. I can guarantee your college will have at least one organization for you, whether it be an intramural sport, political club, or something else.

2. Change Up Your Study Location 

Now let’s talk about your studies. That is why you go to college, after all! Many students like to find that one study area where they can go on a regular basis. It’s definitely a good idea to find a study location where you are comfortable, but I recommend having about three or four locations that you rotate on a regular basis. That way, whenever one location isn’t working, you can change it up and go somewhere else. I liked to study in my dorm room, in the library, and in my school’s atrium. The change of scene helped me stay on track, but I was still comfortable studying in each location. I also picked spots that had food available nearby (gotta have that caffeine boost!).

3. Write Letters to Friends and Family 

While social media and phone calls are a convenient way to stay in touch with your family and friends back home, I really enjoyed writing letters as well. There is something special about getting something in the mail, especially in today’s world. Make sure to swap addresses with your friends before you leave for college, and try to write to them at least once per month. It might sound silly, but it’s a lot of fun, and you’ll get to know your friends in a new way. You can even save the letters and cards in a scrapbook to look back on them later in life.

4. Take Advantage of School Freebies and Student Discounts 

It’s no secret that the price of a college education is ridiculously high, so be sure to take advantage of all the freebies your school offers, as well as student discounts. My college had free laundry, free printing, and free gym facilities. We also had the opportunity to buy discount movie tickets. Moreover, my college had a free shuttle bus to take us to the local Target, grocery store, movie theatre, and train station. I could also go on and on about all the goodies they gave out at events, too. I always took advantage of these freebies and discounts, not only to save money, but to get off campus once in a while. Plus, your tuition is paying for these extra goodies, so make them count! Believe me, I miss having that free laundry big time!

5. Stay True to You

Last but not least, you have to remember to stay true to you. College is a great time to reinvent yourself and to grow as a person. However, never feel pressured to anything you don’t want to do. It was difficult to be one of the few people in college who didn’t drink, but I knew that I would rather be myself than just do what everyone else was doing. During my senior year I decided not to attend many of the senior events that celebrated the countdown to graduation. Looking back four years later, I don’t regret that decision one bit! I much preferred the quiet night in my dorm than feeling uncomfortable at the event. Sometimes it won’t be easy to stay true to you, but always remember to stay safe and never do anything you don’t want to, no matter what your own personal limits may be.

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That brings us to the end of this post! I hope you found it helpful as you either begin or continue on your college experience. If you have any questions, or would like more advice on a particular topic, please let me know in the comments! You can also email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com if you’d like to ask a question there. Best of luck to those of you heading back to school!

My Most Successful Sephora Haul Ever | $100+ in Product for $33!

Happy Monday! If you’ve been a follower of Adventure in Polishland for a while, you’ll know that I only shop at Sephora a few times per year. And when I do drop some cash on high end products, I make sure to get the most for my money. I’ve written two step-by-step guides on How to Get the Most for Your Money at Sephora in the past (see them HERE and HERE), and today I just have to share my latest haul! Let’s jump right into the products! How to Get $100+ of Sephora Products for $33! | Adventures in Polishland

REGULAR PRICE ITEMS

Regular Price Items | Sephora Haul

As always, every Sephora haul starts out with the purchase of regularly priced products. I always spend as close to $50 as possible to get free shipping online. This time around I hit the $50 mark right on the nose! Here is what I purchased from left to right:

  • Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray – $30 [BUY] – This product is the entire reason for this Sephora purchase! I absolutely love this setting spray, but it’s definitely a splurge item. One bottle lasts me nearly a year, so it’s definitely worth it when I can afford to spend the money.
  • Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter – $6 [BUY] – I added this body butter to my cart in order to make it to $50. I can always use a nice moisturizer, and I’ve loved the products from this line that I’ve tried in the past.
  • Lavanila Pure Vanilla Mini Deo Duo – $14 [BUY] – I’ve heard great things about this natural deodorant from several beauty gurus, but most recently Ingrid Nilsen (watch her on YouTube HERE). I love my Dove deodorant, but I’ve been wanting to try a natural option, so I figured now was the time. More thoughts on this product to come in a future blog post!

With these three items, I hit the $50 for free shipping, but I also lucked out big time! I used my $15 off of $50 coupon that all Beauty Insiders received in December and only spent $35 total. I was so excited that I still got to use free shipping! And, that means all of the products I show you in the rest of this post were completely free.

WEEKLY SPECIAL COUPON CODE

Pampered Party Prep Bag | Sephora HaulThe reason I love to shop at Sephora online is because of the freebies available in the Weekly Specials section of the Sephora website, which you can find HERE. This page includes all of the bonus coupon codes that can be used. There is always a great perk for spending $25 in regular priced merchandise, but this time I surely hit it big! I grabbed the Pampered Party Prep makeup bag filled with all of these samples! Let me tell you all of the products inside and their retail values.

  • Living Proof Style Lab Satin Hair Serum – $3.29 [BUY] – I am so excited about this hair serum sample! I recently discovered the amazing product line that is Living Proof, and want to test out everything.
  • Nude Perfect Cleanse Omega Cleansing Jelly – $ n/a [BUY] – I can’t assess the value of this foil packet, but it’s definitely a nice bonus in the bag. I use foil packets when I travel, and facial cleansers are always great to have on hand.
  • GLAMGLOW Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment – $9.74 [BUY] – I’ve been wanting to try the coveted GLAMGLOW line for so long! As you can tell from the sample’s retail value of nearly $10, this is a luxury skincare brand known for its masks. This one sounds awesome!
  • Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil – $5 [BUY] – This is the only goody in the bag I’m not too excited about. My skin does not like face oils, but I know Fresh is a great brand. It is definitely a good product to include, and has an awesome retail value!
  • Calming FX Calming Primer – $6.08 [BUY] – I’ve never heard of this brand before, but this primer sounds great! It’s formulated for sensitive skin, and is designed to reduce redness. I can’t wait to put it to the test!
  • Benefit Stay Flawless Primer Stick – $2.37 [BUY] – I’m surprised there was another primer included, but I’m not complaining! Primers are very expensive, so getting free samples is perfect.
  • Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish – $3.76 [BUY] – This is a face exfoliant that I’ve yet to try. I’m sure it will be great! Laura Mercier has a wonderful reputation in the skincare world.
  • Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate – $1.85 [BUY] – Wow, can you believe this foil packet is worth so much?! It’s because this serum is valued at over $100 for the full size bottle.

The grand total for the Pampered Party Prep makeup bag in terms of retail value is $32.09! How awesome that I get to try them all for free! In fact, that’s nearly how much I paid out of pocket for this order. I’ve almost doubled the value already!

3 FREE SAMPLES, BIRTHDAY GIFT, & POINT PERK

3 Free Samples, Birthday Gift, & Point Perk | Sephora HaulI know I sound like an infomercial when I say this…. but wait! There’s more! I still have more free products to show you! Each Sephora online order comes with three free samples. This time I got:

  • Algenist Multi-Perfecting Pore Corrector Gel Moisturizer – $1.63 [BUY] – I’ll definitely be using this moisturizer when I’m traveling this month! Foil packets come in handy!
  • Agave Oil Treatment – $1 [BUY] – Oil treatments for hair are always a plus during the cold winter months. I’m sure this will smell amazing and tame my frizz!
  • Anna Sui La Nuit de Boheme – $1.80 [BUY] – My last sample is perfume. I love getting perfume samples because it’s fun to try out new scents without having to walk into a perfume store and spray ten of them!

Next, I got my annual Birthday Gift, and I discovered a way to cheat the system! My birthday is actually in October, but I didn’t plan on purchasing anything. So, I logged into my Sephora account in October and added my Birthday Gift to my cart. There it sat all the way through to December. So, here is your trick – add the gift to your cart during your birthday month and it will be there when you want to make a purchase in the future! This year, Beauty Insiders received a Make Up For Ever mascara and lipstick duo worth $22.14! Amazing!

Finally, the last product I got was a Point Perk that I cashed in 100 rewards points to receive. I got a mini Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb that has a retail value of $8.56! I’ve heard so many great things about this lipstick range, but I didn’t want to drop $22 for just one. Now I get to test the formula!

My grand total retail value for all of the products I purchased in this Sephora haul is (drum roll please) $101.95! That’s right, I got over $100 worth of products and only spent $35. That’s nearly triple my spendings! Of course, I also shopped through Ebates and received $2.00 cash back on my purchase. That means I only spent $33. I think this is definitely my most successful Sephora haul ever! Now, it’s not every day that Sephora offers a coupon or such an amazing Weekly Special, but you can use all of the tricks I shared here to get an amazing Sephora haul as well. Please share your amazing Sephora goodies in the comments!