bargain – Adventures in Polishland

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Is Erin Condren Worth the Price? | #PlanWithPolishland

Posted on September 5, 2015September 5, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have a new #PlanWithPolishland post for all of you, and I am really excited about it. I’ve been using my Erin Condren Life Planner for a little over two months now, and I am really loving it. I can honestly say it’s helped me make a change in my life, and I’m so glad I invested in it. You can learn more about the planner I purchased HERE, but today I want to talk about whether or not the Erin Condren Life Planner is worth the money. A standard 12-month Life Planner costs $50, and that price tag sounds quite expensive at a first glance. Let me show you how the Erin Condren breaks down in terms of cost, and share my thoughts on whether I think it is worth the price.

ERIN CONDREN LIFE PLANNER BY THE NUMBERS

First and foremost, let’s break down the price of the Erin Condren Life Planner (“ECLP”). For this post I will be basing my numbers off of the 12-month Ready to Ship Life Planner purchased by a first-time Erin Condren customer. If you are debating about whether or not the ECLP is for you, I’m assuming you are a first time purchaser. If not, these numbers will need to be adjusted a bit, but you are still getting a fantastic deal! The ECLP retails for $50.00, and shipping is $9.95. However, you can receive a $10 off coupon for your first Erin Condren purchase by signing up for a free Erin Condren account using my referral link HERE. Once you create your free account, you will receive an email with your coupon code. Your $59.95 purchase is already down to $49.95!

Next up, let’s take a look at all of the freebies and accessories included with every Ready to Ship Life Planner! These add up to a retail value of $22.70!

Perpetual Calendar – $5.00 [LINK]
Party Pops Snap-In Bookmark – $4.00 [LINK]
3 Compliment Cards – $1.50 [LINK]
Do-it-All Dots Sampler Sheet – $0.67 [LINK]
1 CoilClip Connecter – $0.58 [LINK]
Coupon for a FREE Cover – $10.95 [LINK to the cover design I chose]

Your first order from Erin Condren will also include two additional freebies! They have a retail value of $20.87.

Coupon Code – $10.00
10 Gift Labels – $10.87 [LINK]

If you’ve been keeping track, so far all of the freebies and accessories add up to a total retail value of $43.57. Every Erin Condren Life Planner purchase also comes with a free sticker and postcard. I would estimate the value of these goodies at about $1.00-1.50. That makes the total amount of freebies included worth $45.00! That is an excellent investment considering you only paid $49.95 out of pocket!

ERIN CONDREN LIFE PLANNER QUALITY & USAGE

Of course, the price of the Erin Condren means nothing if the quality of the planner isn’t good. Take it from me – the quality is amazing. The covers are very sturdy and laminated, and snap in and out of the planner easily. The pages are very thick and sturdy as well. The tabs included on the side for separating the months are also laminated, so I haven’t had any issues with those bending or getting damaged. Finally, the coil is very strong, too – it doesn’t bend or get messed up like regular notebooks. As you can see, the quality is top notch!

In the end, I think the Erin Condren Life Planner is 100% worth the price so long as you are going to use it! Make your planner your new best friend, and it will treat you well. After just two months of using my planner, I find that I am more organized than ever. I immediately add appointments, bills, and events to my planner, and that way I never forget about them. I also use the notes pages for shopping lists, and the monthly calendar to track my blog and YouTube posts. I am so happy I finally made the investment in an Erin Condren Life Planner. If you’ve been thinking about it, DO IT! You will not regret it.

Do you use an Erin Condren Life Planner? Tell me how in the comments or use #PlanWithPolishland on social media!

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

Posted on December 29, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

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!

REGULAR PRICE ITEMS

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

The 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

I 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!

Subscription Sunday | November Julep Maven Box

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! It’s been a couple months since I shared my Julep Maven Box with all of you, and I’m excited to show what was inside my November box. I decided to go with the Boho Glam style this time around, and I’m pretty happy with what I got. Here’s a sneak peek of everything inside my November box.

As you can see, I got two nail polishes, a lip gloss, and a sample of Julep’s Luxe Repair Skin Serum. I will say, I am disappointed that the serum sample is the extra this month. Julep used to include really great extras, but the past few months they just haven’t been as good. I hope that turns around!

The first nail polish in my box this month is Alexandra, an off-white creme polish. Alexandra’s formula was a bit thick, and prone to streaks. WIth carefully application, I got a smooth finish in two coats. Alexandra is not my personal favorite polish, but if you love neutrals I think it is a good choice!

The other polish in my box is Aisha, a deep, berry creme polish. Aisha has a perfect formula that applies well and is opaque in two coats. The color is just stunning, and right on trend for this fall. Aisha is definitely one of my new go-to colors this season! I highly recommend it!

Last but not least, Julep included a lip gloss this month in the color Charming. I wasn’t too excited to receive this, but I was so surprised to discover how much I love it! First, the gloss smells amazing – just like vanilla cupcakes! But that’s not all! The color is a gorgeous “my lips but better” shade, and it feels so nice and creamy. I can’t get enough of it!

All in all, I really like my November Julep Maven Box! While I’m not too excited about Alexandra, I’m loving the other products, and plan to use them again and again! Not only do I recommend this Julep Maven subscription program (which is just $19.95 per month), but if you shop right now you can get everything on the Julep website for 50% off during the company’s Friends & Family sale! Use code GOCRAZY through tomorrow, November 4, 2013, and you will save 50% off your order! If you shop the sale, be sure to let me know what you get!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

How to Get the Most for Your Money at Sephora – Part 2

Posted on October 31, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! After posting a spoiler of my recent Sephora haul on my Facebook page, I knew I had to share more about the products I purchased, and the great deals I got. Back in March, I shared with you six simple steps to get the most for your money at Sephora (you can see that post HERE). Today, I’m going to change those steps up just a bit for even more savings. Let’s get started!

1. Start at Ebates.com and shop online!

For a long time, I thought that Ebates was some sort of gimmick or spam website, but now I’ve been a member for a few months, and it is totally legitimate! Sign up, and you’ll earn cash back for almost all of your online purchases. I’ve already received my first check, so I know it’s safe to use. Sign up HERE. All Sephora purchases get 4% cash back!

2. Spend $50 to get free shipping!

I only shop at Sephora a few times per year, so I think it is fine to splurge and spend the big bucks! To get to the $50 limit for free shipping, I got the Sephora Collection Base Coat at $6, Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower Gel at $16.50, and Too Faced Primed & Poreless at $30. I am running out of Primed & Poreless, and it is easily a holy grail product for me (see a full review HERE). I also love the Sephora base coat, and the Philosophy Shower Gel was my bonus product. It will last me a very long time, and I’ve been hearing so many beauty gurus talking about it lately that I needed it in my life!

3. Add on the bonus products!

The bonus round is definitely my favorite part of shopping on Sephora’s website! This is the key to getting the most for your money. There are three ways to get bonuses added to your order:

The annual birthday gift: Every Beauty Insider member gets a free birthday gift! This year is was the Benefit Real Birthday Turn-Ons duo with a mini They’re Real mascara and Watt’s Up highlighter. This set retails for $14.41!
Weekly Specials promo code: You can always add a promotional code to any order over $25 – a true bonus that you cannot claim in store! The specials change weekly, and feature amazing deluxe samples of high end products. I got the Clinique Acne Solution Cleansing Foam, which has a retail value at $7.89!
Claim a perk: Use your Beauty Insider points to grab a freebie! Perks start at 100 points, and feature great deluxe samples. I grabbed a mini Sephora X nail polish in the shade Pyrotechnic. Its retail value is $4.20! Don’t forget, the Beauty Insider program is free, so there is no reason not to join!

4. Grab your free samples!

Every Sephora order comes with three free samples! They rotate all the time, but here’s what I grabbed with this order: Flash by Jimmy Choo perfume, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, and REN Hydra-Calm Day Cream. These three samples together have a retail value of $8.29!

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $87.29

TOTAL SPENT (including tax!): $57.16

SAVINGS: $30.13 + $2.29 cash back from Ebates

All in all, I am really happy with my latest Sephora haul! I got great savings and some amazing products. When you’re on a budget, it’s definitely difficult to shop at Sephora on a regular basis, but by using these steps you can make each haul worth it. I hope you find this post helpful. Let me know what deals you’ve gotten at Sephora lately!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Urban Outfitters Freakin Pink — My Favorite Clearance Find Ever!

Posted on June 11, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! As you know, Adventures in Polishland is dedicated to fabulous and affordable nails, so I am always hunting for nail polish bargains. A few weeks back I got an email from Urban Outfitters letting me know it was time for the 50% off clearance sale. That means that everything on clearance was an additional 50% off the sale price. I headed to the nearest store and found that several nail polishes were marked down to just $0.49 with the extra discount! I had to grab a few for myself, and I am so glad I did. Let me share with you my favorite clearance find of all time!

Here is Freakin Pink in all its glory! Not only is this polish a neon, bubblegum pink, but it dries to a matte finish! I surely did not expect this polish to have a matte look, but it was a fantastic surprise. Plus, Freakin Pink has an amazing formula that applies with ease. It is opaque in two coats, and doesn’t require top coat due to its unique finish. Freakin Pink is perfect for the summer and is on trend with the neon craze!

All in all, I love everything about this polish, from its bright color to its colorful name! I am beyond happy to have found this polish in the clearance section at Urban Outfitters for just $0.49, especially when the regular price is $5! Talk about fabulous and affordable nails! You can still find Freakin Pink online for the regular price as part of the Urban Outfitters Basics Collection HERE. Stop by your local store to see if you can snatch one up for a discounted price, too!

Save More and Make it Mini: OPI in If You Moust You Moust

Posted on January 16, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a lovely pink color to celebrate Pink Wednesday, and to show you a perfect Valentine’s Day polish. If you’re like me, you love to try out a lot of different nail polish colors without spending big bucks. OPI is a great brand, but I don’t like spending up to $8.50 for a full size bottle that will only be used a handful of times. Thankfully, whenever it comes out with a new collection, OPI will release a set of mini polishes so that those of us on a budget can enjoy the collection at a discounted price. As a lifelong Minnie Mouse fan, I knew I just HAD to have the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection mini set. Luckily, I won it in a giveaway over the summer, but it is selling on Amazonright now for just $6.96! That’s an amazing price for three colors and a top coat. Let me show you one of those polishes.

If You Moust You Moust is what I am calling the perfect Valentine’s Day pink! It is a classic pink polish, and I am just in love with it! The formula was great — a bit streaky with the first coat, but evens out well with the second. Just two coats are needed for opacity. I used this polish as the base for a glitter manicure that you will soon see, but it can easily be worn alone. It’s perfect for the office, as it’s bright and feminine, but not too out there. Plus, OPI polishes last a long time without chipping so it is great for the girl on the go! As a pink aficionado, this is one of the best pinks I’ve tried!

If you love this polish and Minnie Mouse as much as I do, I highly suggest going to Amazon and purchasing one of these sets right away. As I’m typing this, there are only 8 more left in stock! Click HEREnow to get it for just $6.96!

Compare & Save: Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18k Gold Top Coat

Posted on October 28, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

One of the latest trends sweeping the nail polish nation is the 18k gold top coat. That’s right! You can wear real gold on your fingers if you’re willing to pay the price. For around $30 you can purchase a real gold top coat from a number of nail polish brands. OPI just released The Man With the Golden Gun ($30), Jessica Cosmetics has Gold Leaf ($29.95), and Zoya has the Gilty Box, which includes the gold polish plus a black & white polish for layering ($35). Because of these steep price tags, I was going to pass up on having golden fingers, but I lucked out! While at Sephora inside JCP a couple weeks back, I found the Sephora by OPI It’s Real polish on clearance for $8. I couldn’t believe it! I snagged that beauty up right away. Let me show you how gorgeous it is!

I layered It’s Real over Julep’s Eloise (see Eloise HERE). I used one coat to get the look in the photos. It’s Real is in a clear base, so you can layer it over any polish to add some gold! What makes this polish really unique, is that the flakes of gold are all different sizes and shapes. You never know the exact look you are going to get! I really like the subtle, golden shine that one coat of It’s Real has, but if you want more just add on another coat. I felt really fancy having gold on my nails!

You can find It’s Real at Sephora stores and online HERE. You will notice that online the price of It’s Real is $15, so I suggest going to your nearest Sephora store to see if you can find one on clearance for $8 like I did. If you have a Sephora inside JCP near you, definitely check there first!

We should never have to pass up on a fabulous nail polish trend just because it is expensive! With a little searching, we can always find a more affordable (but just as fabulous!) option.

Favorite Friday: Neon Pink + Glitter

Posted on September 21, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I bring you a look created with two of my favorite nail polishes. Every Friday I like to use a polish that I love, but that I haven’t used in a while. I thought today would be the perfect time to use a neon pink with glitter over it. Remember when I got L.A. City Nights from Jordana? I knew that it needed to be used over pink! You can read that post HERE. Not only is today’s manicure fabulous, but I used polishes that both retail for $1.99 each! They can be found at your local drugstores.

I began with two coats of Plastic Flamingo by Spoiled. This polish has been featured many times on my blog already, but it is such a great neon pink! The formula is a little streaky, but it evens out with two coats. For just $1.99, there is no excuse to not have Plastic Flamingo in your nail polish stash. The best part is that neon pinks are still in for fall! I’ve spotted many girls sporting this color on the subway.

I’ve worn Plastic Flamingo alone a few times, but today I wanted some extra sparkle. Jordana Glitters in L.A. City Nights is a glitter polish with fine purple grains and small blue hexagonal glitters. I applied one thick coat over the neon pink, and then applied a glossy topcoat. I absolutely love the look! It is so fun! I wish I could capture the glitter better, but as you can see it is quite bright and sparkly! It is definitely the perfect manicure for the weekend, or any day! I love that Jordana nail polishes are sold for $1.99 also. How can you go wrong?

What do you think of my Favorite Friday manicure? Do you rock similar polishes?