Bimonthly Beauty Post – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: Bimonthly Beauty Post

Bimonthly Beauty Post: My Current Mascara Collection!

Posted on April 26, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have another post in my beauty series, and I’m going to focus on my favorite makeup product — mascara! While I don’t wear a lot of eye makeup, I almost always put on some mascara before walking out the door. It is just enough to give me some extra “pop” without being over the top. I find that adding mascara can make me look more polished and ready for the day. I constantly find myself perusing the makeup aisle for new mascaras and great deals! Let me show you the mascaras I’m currently using, and the ones I will be trying out next!

Here are the four mascaras I currently have in my collection! I think four is more than enough to have for everyday use, so I am focusing on using these up before I open any more. Once you open a mascara and expose it to the air, it has a faster chance at drying up in the tube. That’s why I keep my mascaras wrapped up until I’m ready to use them! As you can see, I have a good mix of both drugstore and high end mascaras. I always get a bargain when I can, though!

Brand Name: L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes

Price: $7.00 on Amazon [Buy HERE]; also available at drugstores

Best for: Lengthening! I can literally see my eyelashes growing when I apply this mascara. This mascara also gives you very full eyelashes, just as the name “Million Lashes” suggests. This is probably my favorite all-around mascara of all time!

Dislikes: I really have nothing bad to say about this mascara! I’ve been using it for a couple years!

Brand Name: Covergirl NatureLuxe Water Resistant Mousse

Price: $3.89 on Amazon [Buy HERE]; also available at drugstores

Best for: A natural, everyday look! I find that this mascara is perfect for adding color to your lashes and for providing some definition without it being too noticeable. It also does a great job at separating your lashes.

Dislikes: My tube is already starting to dry up after just two and a half months of use. That means clumping! It’s not too noticeable yet, but I think I will have to toss this one in another month or so.

Brand Name: Buxom Sculpted Lash

Price: $18.50 on Amazon [Buy HERE]; also available at Sephora

Best for: Shaping and curling! Just as the name suggests, this mascara is amazing at sculpting my lashes. It separates and curls my lashes with ease. I like to turn the wand to get a different angle with the applicator as I use it for added definition. This really helps with my left eyelashes, which seem to be a bit wonky — it makes them look full quite easily!

Dislikes: This mascara does not add much length to my eyelashes, but that’s because it is geared towards shaping them. I love everything else about it!

Because I’m a mascara hoarder, I already have a couple more ready to go for when I use up the ones in my current collection! On the left is Covergirl Clump Crusher, one that I’ve heard so many good things about! On the right is the brand new Revlon Lash Potion. I recently won the Revlon in a giveaway from the company, and can’t wait to try it!

I hope you enjoyed this post on my current mascara collection! Be sure to let me know what your favorite mascara is in the comments!

Some of the links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Bimonthly Beauty Post: How to Get the Most for Your Money at Sephora!

Posted on March 25, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today’s post is one that my Facebook followers highly requested after I posed a photo of my recent Sephora haul. Because Sephora’s prices are a bit out of my price range, I make sure to get as much as possible for my money every time I shop there. This post will include my latest Sephora haul, and explain the six simple steps I use when shopping at Sephora. Let me show you how I shop at Sephora and get as many products as possible!

I got all of these products in the photo above for $50! Sound too good to be true? It’s easy!

Shop online at sephora.com! While there are definitely perks of shopping at Sephora in person, I find that I can only get the most for my money if I shop online. This will make more sense when I share the rest of the tips I have with you.
Become a Beauty Insider member! Sephora has a free rewards program called Beauty Insider that earns you points on all of your purchases. Each dollar spent is one point toward a free perk! While it does take some time to earn enough points for perks, there is no reason not to join this program. Even if you spend zero dollars at Sephora, you will get a free birthday gift each year! I’ve loved all of the little gifts I’ve received along the way. You can sign up for this program online or in store!
Spend $50 to get free shipping! I always wait until I have $50 worth of products to buy on Sephora’s website before ordering so I can get free shipping. My trick is to place exactly $50 in my cart and not spend a penny more! For this haul, I knew I wanted the Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, and that I needed a new base coat. I then added on the Instant Eye Makeup Remover, the Sephora Pro Lesson Palette, and a pencil sharpener. These are all items that I will use, and the grand total was exactly $50! Click on the name of each item to see it on Sephora’s website.
Enter a promo code at checkout from the Weekly Specials page! Sephora always has special promotional codes each week that get you free deluxe samples with any order over $25. Since you’ve already spent $50 to get free shipping, simply choose any code you like and enter it at checkout! To find the Weekly Specials page, click on “3 Free Samples” from Sephora’s homepage, and then on “Weekly Specials.” I got a deluxe sample of the Caudalíe Premier Cru Eye Cream with this order that retails for $24.50! I’ve been wanting to try an eye cream, and this was the perfect opportunity! You can only get these freebies online, and not when you shop in store.
Use your Beauty Insider points to get a free perk! For every 100 points earned, you can get a deluxe sample added to your order without having to use up your promo code. The perks offered change regularly, so keep an eye out for something that you really want. I snagged the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask with my 100 points. My pores desperately need help, and I think this mask will be perfect. You can also save up your points for the 500 point perks as well, but I prefer the 100 point products so I get goodies more often!
Enjoy 3 free samples with every order! Last but not least, every online order gets three free samples. While you may get some samples when shopping in the store, you are only guaranteed three when you shop online. A few times per year, Sephora even offers five samples! I like to get perfume samples because they typically come in mini spray bottles that I can use at least 3-4 times. If there is another product I’m interested in, I’ll pick that up as well. This time I got Juicy Couture perfume in Couture La La, Clinique perfume in Happy, and Murad Hydrator lotion.

All in all, if you follow these six steps you will be sure to get the most for your money at Sephora! For this particular order, I only spent $50, but got $85.56 worth of products! That’s an extra $35.56! The best part is, I only got products that I know I will use and it only took a bit of strategizing!

I hope you find these tips helpful! Let me know how you score great deals at Sephora!

Bimonthly Beauty Post: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup Review

Posted on March 4, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have a review of the new foundation I bought about a month ago. I posted about it during my beauty haul, and I had a request for a full review. Unlike many of the products I feature on Adventures in Polishland, this one is far from affordable! At $39, the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup is definitely an investment product. With my experience so far, I am happy to say I feel like I am getting my money’s worth!

I have been using UD Naked Skin as my daily foundation. I love that it is very light and evens out my skin tone without being caked on my face. This product is also very customizable — I wear one layer for a natural look, but you could add another layer for more coverage. UD Naked Skin is also very blendable. A little bit of this product really does go a long way! It’s also very helpful that the bottle comes with a pump, since many drugstore foundations do not.

Above you can see what the foundation looks like on my hand before and after I blend it in. Because I walk outside in the sun a lot, my face is actually a bit darker than my hands, so that is why the foundation looks a bit dark for my skin in the photos. As you can see, just a dab of the foundation evens out to provide light coverage. You can still see any freckles or imperfections (here, my veins), but the overall coloring is evened and improved.

Overall, I am quite happy with my splurge purchase. The only thing I don’t like about UD Naked Skin is that I have to seal it with a powder to reduce shine. Other than that, I’m very impressed. I have also been using this foundation almost every day for a month and there is no visible fill line at all! This is going to last me a very long time!

You can buy UD Naked Skin at Sephora HERE for $39. There are lots of shades to choose from to find the perfect look for you!

Bimonthly Beauty Post: Baby Lips Review and a Giveaway!

Posted on February 18, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have a review of my latest beauty obsession — Maybelline Baby Lips! I am a sucker for a great lip balm, and after hearing a lot about Baby Lips, I just had to give them a try. I picked one up back in early January and soon found that I needed to have them all! Let me show you my Baby Lips collection, and tell you a little more about the product.

Above is my coveted Baby Lips collection! From left to right, the colors are Quenched, Cherry Me, Grape Vine, Pink Punch, Peach Kiss, and Yummy Plummy. All of them, with the exception of Quenched, are tinted lip balms that hydrate your lips while adding subtle color. Quenched is a just a clear balm, and was the first I tried. I was unsure about trying a tinted balm, but was absolutely blown away with the effect Quenched had on my lips! Baby Lips is advertised to protect and moisturize lips for up to eight hours, and I have found that claim to be true. Quenched is absolutely perfect for dry lips, as it includes SPF 20 to reduce extra drying from the sun. After trying it, I decided to go back to the drugstore and try the tinted shades.

But alas, I couldn’t find Baby Lips in any local drugstores! The displays were completely empty! Thankfully, my mom was able to find four of the shades for me and shipped them out as soon as she could. In the meantime, a friend from school found one for me as well! I also spotted another at the drugstore the other day and grabbed that off the display as soon as possible!

Above you can see all of the shades the Baby Lips come in. They are in the same order in all photos. I am very natural with my makeup, and stay away from lipsticks, so I love that the tinted Baby Lips are so wearable! They provide subtle coloring that looks perfect on any skin tone due to its sheer nature. I also find that the coloring of Baby Lips works like a lip stain. In other words, I can apply Baby Lips in the morning and the color is still visible on my lips when I get home from school. I can even add my regular lip balm on top to keep my lips hydrated during the day without losing the color from the Baby Lips. All in all, my lips feel healthier and more moisturized since using Baby Lips, and I love that the tinted shades look great and natural on my lips! Baby Lips sell for around $3-4 in drugstores. Check for coupons and sales before shopping!

Giveaway!

In order to share the Baby Lips love with all of you, I am having a small giveaway! I have an extra Pink Punch that will soon belong to one of my followers. Since these are so hard to find now due to the increased demand, I figured someone would love to win it! Pink Punch is my favorite color as well. Four people complimented me the first day I work it! Thanks for entering, and good luck!

Rules:

Giveaway is only open to participants with a USA shipping address.
You must be 18 or older to win, or have parental permission.
The giveaway will close at midnight EST on March 18, 2013.
All entries will be verified. False or repeat entries will result in all of that participant’s entries being deleted, and that participant disqualified.
The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond. If she fails to respond, she forfeits the prize and a new winner will be chosen.
I have the right to add or change the rules at any time during the giveaway.

PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bimonthly Beauty Post: Welcome & Haul!

Posted on February 4, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

I am excited to announce a new feature here at Adventures in Polishland. Twice each month you will now be getting a post dedicated to beauty and skincare products. Called the Bimonthly Beauty Post (BBP), this series will showcase hauls, reviews, and more! I have recently taken strides in my life to take better care of myself and my skin. Join me on my journey to looking and feeling beautiful!

Today I have a beauty haul to share! It seems as if all my products are running out at the same time, and there are a few new items I’ve been wanting to try as well. I headed to the Union Square area of New York City to stop by Nordstrom Rack and Sephora. Let me show you all the goodies I got!

Top row: Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub, Burts Bees Facial Cleansing Towlettes, Soap & Glory Heel Genius.
Bottom row: Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation, Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, Not Your Mother’s Beat the Heat

The first stop on my journey was Nordstrom Rack. Like Marshalls and TJMaxx, you never know what you are going to find there. I was hoping to get as many items as possible at a discounted price. Not only was the store extremely busy, but the beauty section seemed to be a bit picked over. I have to remember to go during the week from now on! Nonetheless I picked up two items. I’ve been needing a face exfoliant to help remove the dry skin I get, and I decided to go with the new Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub. Originally I had been contemplating the Clinique Exfoliator that retails for around $19, but I am happy I settled with this one for just $6.97! I try to use natural products whenever I can, and I think this one will be gentle. I can’t wait to try it out! I also got Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract. I love cleansing wipes like these because they take off makeup in a breeze and leave your skin feeling instantly clean. I often use them before bed, or when I get home from school. I’ve never tried any from Burt’s Bees before, but a 30-pack was only $5.97 so I couldn’t pass them up! That price and quantity is better than what I get from the drugstore.

Sephora was the next stop on my beauty haul journey! I rarely shop at Sephora because of the high prices, but I was in the mood to splurge on some great quality products. First up I grabbed Soap & Glory Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream. I have been using Julep’s Best Pedi Creme Ever each night before bed, and I love it. The only problem is I go through it quickly and it’s sold out online! I grabbed this substantially larger bottle for $16. I’m hoping it lives up to its name!

The next item I splurged on is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup in the color 3. I’m still a bit shocked at myself that I bought foundation for $38, but this bottle is going to last me a very long time, and is of the best quality. I tried a sample of this stuff and fell in love. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I do like to put my best face forward. This will keep my skin looking natural and non-oily all day! Finally, my last Sephora splurge was the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. I have been desperately needing a lip exfoliant, and because I know that Fresh Sugar makes amazing products I went for it and paid $22.50 for this little tub. I tried this out as soon as I got home, and I am loving it already! My lips are completely smooth and free of dry skin. Plus, you only need the tiniest amount. This thing is going to last me a long time!

Last but not least, I stopped by Ricky’s NYC on the way back to my apartment. I am an avid flat iron user, so I make sure to use heat protectant to at least prevent some damage. I’ve been using a bottle of Frizz-Ease Heat Defeat for over a year now, and was about to buy a replacement bottle when I spotted a similar product called Not Your Mother’s Beat the Heat for an entire $6 cheaper. I decided to switch it up and try out this protectant instead. I hope it lasts me as long as the Frizz-Ease!

My grand total for this beauty haul was a whopping $103.90 with tax. Although this is way more than I usually spend, I’m glad I got some great products that will last me a very long time. If you would like to see a detailed review of any of these items, please let me know in the comments! Stay tuned to Adventures in Polishland for more Bimonthly Beauty Posts, and for your regularly scheduled nail polish!