Dr. Brandt – Adventures in Polishland

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January PLAY! by Sephora Unboxing | My Favorite Yet?!

Posted on February 8, 2016February 3, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I’m excited to share my January PLAY! by Sephora box with all of you. For those who are new to PLAY!, this is a $10 beauty subscription box curated by Sephora. I received my first box back in November (see that unboxing HERE), and have been overall pretty impressed with this subscription service. In December, however, I was a bit underwhelmed with the products, so I was interested to see if January’s box would be any better. I think it is my favorite box yet!

This month’s theme is No Appointment Necessary, and is filled with high-performing products that let you get expert-level results from home. I was immediately excited as soon as I lifted the informational magazine out of the box and saw the first product lying on top. As always, I’ll show you each product individually and share the sample’s retail value with you.

Sephora Collection Green Tea Eye Mask – $5.00

The first thing I spotted was this Green Tea Eye Mask. I’ve seen so many beauty vloggers use masks like these, and they look like a fun and easy way to treat your skin right! Sephora offers a bunch of different eye masks in this line, and the Green Tea one is designed to give a cool, fresh sensation to the eye area and provide a smoothing effect. I am so excited to try this!

Dr. Brandt Needles No More – $15.13

The skincare continues with a product from one of my favorite high end brands, Dr. Brandt. We did get a product from Dr. Brandt last month, but I am totally fine with another! Needles No More is a wrinkle relaxer, and is supposed to provide both instant and long-term effects. I’m really intrigued with this one!

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel – $9.60

The last skincare item in this box is a peel from Dr. Gross Skincare. I’ve always been nervous to try a peel, but there are three treatments in this box so I guess a peel is in my future! I do like that this peel is a two-step wipe process. This should be interesting!

TOCCA Isabel Perfume – $2.00

Next up is a perfume sample from TOCCA, which you all know I don’t like getting in this box. Sephora gives perfume samples away for free, both online and in-store. It’s ridiculous we keep getting these! Nonetheless, Isabel is a rose-scented perfume, which I cannot use because of my sensitivity to floral scents. This is my least favorite item in the box.

Living Proof Prime Style Extender Spray – $2.94

Moving on to hair care, we got a Living Proof sample in the box! I love this brand of hair care, so I’m happy that I received this. The Prime Style Extender Spray is designed for fine hair, which I have, and is supposed to make any style last 2x longer. I don’t usually style my hair, but I’ll be glad to have this on hand for when I do!

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight in Hefty Highlight – $12.57

Last but not least is a makeup item from Clinique, which I am really excited to try. This is a cream highlighter in a beautiful pink shade. I think this will look beautiful with my fair skin tone. I’ve never tried a cream highlighter before, so I can’t wait to put this to use!

All in all, I am very impressed with my January PLAY! by Sephora box. I will use every item except for the perfume, and I am very much looking forward to the skincare and makeup. The retail value for this box is $47.24, which is also excellent. I’m going to continue my subscription for sure! If you are interested in subscribing, join the wait list HERE. I’ll be sure to share what I receive next month, too!

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December PLAY! by Sephora Unboxing! | $60 Value for $10

Posted on January 6, 2016January 5, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I’m here to share what I got in my PLAY! by Sephora subscription for December. I talk all about what PLAY! by Sephora is in my November Unboxing, so if you want to learn more please see THIS blog post. I was really looking forward to this box after an awesome first month, and I was a bit disappointed when it arrived. Nonetheless, it does have an amazing retail value! Let me show you what was inside my December PLAY! by Sephora box!

December PLAY! by Sephora Unboxing! | $60 Value for $10

The December theme was Oh What Fun! in celebration of the holiday season, but to be honest I don’t really see a cohesive theme with the products. Just like last month, I got a mix of makeup, skincare, and fragrance products. As I show you each product, the dollar amount listed is the retail value of each sample size, which I calculate in proportion to the full size product.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb – $4.00

I am once again disappointed to get a perfume sample in this month’s box. Perfume samples are free at Sephora, both online and in-store. Nonetheless, I understand that Flowerbomb is an iconic perfume, and many people love it. This sample would be great for travel, or if you wanted to test out this luxury scent. Unfortunately, I cannot use it at all because floral scents really bother my allergies. I know I’m a unique case here, but this product is a bust for me.

Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil

Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil – $5.00

The next product is a face oil, similar to the argan oil I received in last month’s PLAY! I really love the brand Fresh, and am always excited to try out different products from the company. I do tend to have bad luck with face oils, as they don’t work well with my combination skin. I’m still going to try this out, though, just because I’ve had good luck with Fresh in the past.

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette – $6.92

The next sample is one that is really awesome, and that is a mini eyeshadow palette from the brand Smashbox. I love that this sample comes with two eyeshadows, and that you get a mirror with it. The shadows can even be worn together! Unfortunately for me, I just purchased the Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette, and both of these shades are included. That is definitely a risk you take if you are a regular Sephora shopper!

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in Black

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in Black – $11.88

The other makeup product in the December box is a black eyeliner from Make Up Forever. This is another awesome sample in general, but for me it is disappointing. I received an eyeliner last month, and I don’t wear eyeliner often at all. I’m glad this is a black shade, because it is the easiest to wear and use. I’m not sure if I’m going to keep this for myself, or pass it on yet.

Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion Pore Perfecting Exfoliator

Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion Pore Perfecting Exfoliator – $7.25

I received two more skincare samples, and the first I am really excited about! I absolutely love Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion, and use it on a regular basis. However, because it is so expensive, I wouldn’t be able to repurchase it when my bottle is empty. Now I have a backup, or a travel sized bottle. I’m so glad I got this sample!

NUDE Skincare Advanced Renewal Serum – $27.30

The last sample is definitely the most perplexing one in the box! I got seven foil packets of the NUDE serum. At first I was annoyed to get foil packets, but then I realized that I could try out the serum for an entire week to see how I liked it. When I calculated the retail value, I was absolutely floored. These foil packets do not have any sort of size marking on it, but I did some research and most foil packets are 0.05 fluid ounces. I used that for my calculations, and cannot believe how much these samples cost! While it is annoying that these are free samples that could be given out at any Sephora (I’ve even had one before!), the value is definitely impressive.

Overall, my December PLAY! by Sephora box has an approximate retail value of $62.35. That is amazing considering I only spent $10 on it! However, I’m very disappointed that the box is quite similar to last month’s. In both boxes I got a perfume sample, eyeliner, and oil – all things I don’t typically use. The only item that I am particularly excited to use in the December box is the PoreDermabrasion. Thus, despite the high retail value of the box as a whole, it is a flop for me. I’m going to be trying out January’s box to see how it compares, but if it is repetitive I will most likely cancel. For more information on PLAY! by Sephora, see the official website HERE.

Do you subscribe to PLAY! by Sephora? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the December box!

Shop for the items inside my December PLAY! by Sephora box using the widget below and I will earn a small commission. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

What’s in My Shower? featuring Shower Bouquet Loofahs

Posted on December 7, 2015December 7, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I’m going to share with you all of the products that I’m currently using in the shower. I got the Shower Bouquet Loofahs to review, and I thought it would be fun to take a little tour of my shower. I keep what’s in my shower pretty basic because I don’t like to have too many products open at once. My hair care routine hasn’t changed, so be sure to check out THIS blog post for more information on my current shampoo and conditioner system. Let’s go ahead and take a peek at what’s in my shower!

Shower Bouquet Loofahs

The idea for this blog post came about when I received the Shower Bouquet Loofahs for review. This is a four-pack of loofahs in yellow, pink, blue, and purple. I could immediately tell that these loofahs are more luxurious than the ones I typically snatch up at the drugstore. They are larger and denser than other loofahs I’ve tried in the past, and they also include soft lace in addition to the mesh fabric. I thought the lace would be scratchy, but I am amazed at how soft these loofahs are! Not only do they hold a lot of product, but they feel so nice on the skin. I never knew how amazing a loofah could be!

Shower Rack Overview

I recently got this shower rack at The Container Store for just $6.99. I was looking for one everywhere, but they were so expensive! I was so glad to pick this one up, as it’s great quality at a super affordable price. You can also get it online HERE. I keep all of my body products and face products on this rack, and hang my loofah on the hook.

Top Rack:

Venus Razor – I’m not too picky about the razor I use, but I’m currently using a Venus Divine blade. [BUY]
Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Shower Gel – I keep one shower gel open at all times, typically in a seasonal scent. I’m about halfway through this pumpkin one, and I really love it. I highly recommend keeping just shower gel open at a time. Otherwise, you could turn into a goo hoarder! [BUY]
Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser – I’m currently using my Michael Todd cleanser, and really love it. This bottle is going to last me a very long time, and you can read my full thoughts on it HERE. [BUY]
Dr. Brandt PoreDemabrasion Pore Perfecting Exfoliator – I use a facial exfoliator about once or twice a week. The Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion is definitely a current favorite. It is on the more expensive side, but worth the price. You can read my full review HERE. [BUY]
FOREO LUNA for Combination Skin – I keep my FOREO LUNA in my shower and use it with whatever face cleanser I’m using at the moment. It is truly an amazing device, and my skin loves it. I think it’s definitely worth the splurge! You can read my full review HERE. I highly recommend this is a holiday gift. Make sure to shop on Ebates because you can earn 7.5% cash back on every Foreo purchase! [BUY]

Bottom Rack:

Dial Soap – I keep an unscented bar of soap in the shower for any sensitive areas, such as underarms, that I don’t want to wash using a fragranced shower gel. I get this affordable Dial Soap from the drugstore, but I don’t really have a preference on the brand. [BUY]
The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub – Finally, I always keep a body scrub in the shower that I use about once per week. I’m currently using a coconut one, but I change the scents up seasonally. [BUY]

All in all, I hope you liked this little tour of what I keep in my shower. Perhaps I inspired you to keep it basic, or maybe you found a new product to test! I definitely recommend the Shower Bouquet Loofahs. You can get the pack of four loofahs for $15.95 on Amazon HERE. While this is a bit more pricey than what you will find at the drugstore, the quality is amazing and definitely worth it. The Shower Bouquet makes an amazing stocking stuffer, or break up the pack for use in holiday gift baskets! They truly make any shower more luxurious!

What’s in your shower? Let me know in the comments!

Some of the products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion Pore Perfecting Exfoliator Review | #PoreDermabrasion

Posted on October 7, 2015October 1, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to review a high end skincare product from the brand Dr. Brandt. I had just run out of face exfoliator, and one of my blogger networks reached out with the opportunity to review Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion. I’ve had great luck with the Dr. Brandt samples I’ve tried in the past, so I was really happy to review this one as well. My skin has been a bit icky lately with the seasons changing, and I really needed to clean out my pores. Let me share more about PoreDermabrasion and my experience with the product!

The Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion is a targeted exfoliator featuring physical and chemical exfoliation to deep clean and refine pores. It is designed to be used by anyone no matter the age or skin type. The scrub can be used 1-2 times per week. Simply dampen the skin with water, massage the scrub on for one minute avoiding the eye area, and let set for 1-2 minutes so the product can activate. Then, rinse well and pat dry.

I’ve been using PoreDermabrasion for the past two weeks now, and am already loving the results. I could even see a change in my skin the first time I used the product! I took a good look at my pores using a magnifying mirror before using the scrub, and again afterwards. Many of my blackheads were gone after just one use! I find that the exfoliator is more abrasive than others I’ve used in the past, but it is not painful. I make sure to not press too hard on my skin during application and trust that the product will work on its own. I like that it doesn’t have an odor, and that there is no tingling whatsoever. My skin feels so fresh and clean when I rinse it off!

I’ve done three treatments so far, and my skin is overall much more even. I have a lot of enlarged pores, especially in my T-zone, but they look cleaner now than ever before. I’m excited to see how my skin will continue to improve in the weeks to come.

All in all, I highly recommend Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion. It is a high end product that retails for $58.00, but because you only need a pea size amount each application, this 2oz tube will last you a very long time! You can purchase this direct from Dr. Brandt’s website HERE. PoreDermabrasion ships free, and you can earn 2x Dr. Brandt loyalty points by purchasing it. In addition, if you share this product with two friends who come back to drbrandtskincare.com, you both save $10 on your next purchase!

Do you use an exfoliator as part of your skincare routine? Let me know in the comments!

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The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. #PoreDermabrasion #iFabboMember