Last Bath & Body Works SAS Haul

Wallflowers. I blame this haul on wallflowers. I found out this month my family and I are moving into a larger house and I decided at under $1.50 for each wallflower, stocking up now was the cheapest option. I spent $36.50 before tax and saved $114.50 on everything I bought. I know I am more than stocked up on body care, so I only purchased home scents this time. This is what I picked up.

• 1 'Tis The Season 3 wick candle. regular price: $22.50. sale price: $7.07.
• 1 Raspberry Meringue hand cream. regular price: $5. sale price: $1.96.
•  1 Kiwi Pear foaming hand soap. regular price: $6.50. sale price: $2.35.
• 1 Endless Weekend foaming hand soap. regular price: $6.50. sale price: $2.35.
• 1 'Tis The Season foaming hand soap. regular price: $6.50. sale price: $2.36.

Wall Flowers:

• 8 Winter Candy Apple. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.28 each
• 3 Cranberry Pear Bellini. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.27 each
• 1 Mint Chocolate Bark. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.28
• 1 'Tis The Season. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.27
• 1 Sparkling Icicles. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.27
• 1 Spiced Apple Cider. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.27
• 1 Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. regular price:$6.50. sale: $1.27 

I purchased 1 hand cream, 1 candle, 3 soaps and 16 wall flowers for $36.50. I am  very happy with what I was able to pick up. 

Sample Society January 2015

As of January 2015, Allure's Sample Society box is the only subscription box I have kept. I have really enjoyed the skincare samples I receive monthly from this box and this month did not disappoint. Out of the six items I received, I am loving five of them. This is what I got in January.

1. StriVectin Illuminating Serum. This was an accidental inclusion in this months box so it will also be in next months box. The full size of this product is $89 for 1oz which makes this sample size an amazing value at $22.50 for .25 oz. It is a skin brightening treatment and I am very excited to keep using this to see if it helps even my skin tone. 

2. Phillip B Light Weight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse. This Shea butter conditioner sounds nice but it will probably only be enough for one or two uses. I doubt it will be enough to see if I actually like it. The full size is $26 for 6oz which values this sample of .5oz at $2.17. 

3. Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar. This is an anti-aging moisturizer for all skin types. Unfortunately it does not have any SPF so I will only be using this at night, but I am very excited to try it. The full size moisturizer retails for $47 for 2 oz which makes this size valued at $6.62 for .25 oz. 

4. Zoya nail polish in Tiana. I love this color. It is an awesome mint green and I cannot wait to wear it. It is a full size polish so it retails for $9.

5. Revlon Photoready Eye Art Lid & Line & Lash in Peach Prism. I was already excited to try this product, but when I actually got it and swatched it, I became even more excited. It is almost a perfect match for the Wet & Wild 8 pan eye shadow in Comfort Zone. I have already worn this once and it is great. This eye shadow/eyeliner set is full size and retails for $8.99.

6. Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleaning Bar. This is the one item I am not really into trying. Bar soup is not really something I ever use, so I'm not sure if I will try this, or gift it. It is a cleansing bar that can also be used as a mask if it is left on the skin for 5-10 minutes. A full size sea mud bar retails for $45 for 5 oz so I am going to estimate this sample retails for around $4.50. 

Box Value: $53.38

Box Cost: $15

All together this box had a great value and I am very excited to use almost all of these items.

Best of Beauty 2014

Well this is a little over due, but I wanted to go through my collection and yearly empties to make sure I had not forgotten anything. Now I have my 2014 Best of Beauty.

• Brushes- E.L.F. Studio Line brushes. Most, if not all, of the studio line brushes made by E.L.F. at $3 and awesome quality. I currently use the complexion brush, the powder brush, the blush brush, and the small tapered brush. I love this and continue to purchase these. 
• Moisturizer- Clean & Clear Morning Burst. This smells like cucumbers and it really keeps me hydrated during the day. 
• Primer- Benefit Porefessional. Oh man I love this primer. It makes my pores almost invisible and the texture is so smooth. 
• Foundation- Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily to Combo Skin. This is a tricky category to choose for because as on January 1st, this was my all time favorite foundation. So for the purposes of this list, it gets the title. But since this year has started, I found Covergirl 3-in-1 Outlast foundation. It is amazing. Hands down, best drug store foundation. 
• Concealer- NYX HD Concealer. I love this concealer. I use others as brighteners, but this is my HG face/blemish concealer. 
• Powder- Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder. This powder is one of the items I never leave the house without. It is that much of a staple in my daily beauty routine. I recommend it to everyone I know and have yet to find a powder that can even come close to this one.
• Blush- Benefit Bella Bomba. I did not get to try this blush until I purchased the Benefit holiday palette, but I have used so much of it since, I knew I needed to include it in my best of 2014 list. This blush is the perfect shade for my skin tone and it has just the right amount of shimmer.
• Highlight- Wet & Wild Coloricon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana. I cannot believe the value you get out of this highlighter. It is marketed as a bronzer but it is a cream shade and for the under $4 it costs, it has lasted way longer than any other powder product I have been using all year.
• Eye Primer- Wet & Wild Fergie Take On The Day shimmer eye shadow primer. This is not a good primer if you want a completely matte eye, but if shimmery shadows are going to be used in your makeup routine, this is a great option.
• Large Palette- Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. I will always hold a special place in my heart for this palette because it was my first "prestige" purchase. I have used this palette so much this year, hazelnut has almost hit pan. It was definitely the best palette I used all year. 
• Cream Shadow- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze. It was almost like this cream shadow was made to be a base for the chocolate bar palette. It is the perfect color for almost any look I wanted to create.

Make a collage

• Eye Liner- Jordana Fabuliner. I love felt tip liquid liners and this one is the best one I have tried. It is my favorite because it applies so well over top of shadows.
• Mascara- Urban Decay Perversion. THE BEST MASCARA OF 2014! Probably my favorite product of the year. Awesome separation. Great length AND volume. I love this stuff!
• Brow Product- Maybelline Brow Drama. I used to be able to get away with only using clear brow gel, but recently I have gotten a few spots that aren't growing as well as the others. This gel hold very well and has good color pay off.
• Lip Balm- Chapstick in the flavor Cake Batter. This lip balm is super yummy. I went out and bought a bunch of back ups when I thought it was seasonal in 2013. I am beyond set when it comes to this flavor.
• Lipstick- Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. I have only recently become a lipstick person, so these were an awesome transition product. They have enough color pay off to be visible, but not so much that they are high maintenance. I own 6 or 7 of these and I really like all of them.
• Chubby Stick- Revlon Matte Balm in the shade Showy. This was the first bright colored lip product I ever purchased that I was comfortable wearing out. It is super pigmented and lasts through meals and drinks like a champ.
• Lip Gloss- NYX Butter Glosses. I love the shine these glosses have and they smell amazing. I get a little bit of streakiness when using the lighter shades, but the darker shades are amazing. 

Customize your own picture collage

My ultimate choices for 2014 are Porefessional, Rimmel Stay Matte, Too Face Chocolate Bar, Urban Decay Perversion, and Chapstick Cake Batter. 

Oops.... Another Small Bath & Body Works Haul

I swore to myself I wasn't going to go into Bath and Body Works again until after the semi-annual sale was over.... That didn't work too well. I went in with my mom so she could pick up a bunch of lemon hand soaps, and ended up picking up a few things for myself. The fact that I only spent $16 is still awesome to be, so I can't be too upset about the trip. This is what I picked up.

*Country Chic Triple Moisture Cream. I already have body spray in this scent. I enjoy it a lot and I may go back before the sale ends to pick up a body wash.

Scent description: Carefree blend of wildflowers, wood, and citrus.

*Fresh Picked Hand Cream in Farmstand Apple. I love this scent and was super happy to get this 6oz hand cream for only $1.60. Yes please!!

*Carried Away Triple Moisture Cream. This is my favorite perfume type scent from B&BW. I have the regular lotion, shimmer mist, and shower gel for this set already. 

Scent description: Spirited blend of raspberries, jasmines, and whipped vanilla. 

*Wine Down Wall Flower. I have not seen reviews on this scent or had the ability to smell it, but for $2.25, I figured I would give it a shot. 

Garden Strawberry, Holiday Crisp, and Pumpkin Sugared Doughnut medium candles. I had not tried any of these scents, and for less than $3.25 each I decided to pick them up. When I burn a candle on my side table, the throw doesn't need to be amazing, so these smaller candles work well. 

I really was going to stay out of the store after I did my last haul, but I'm glad I picked up what I did, There is nothing I need before the June semi-annual, so I do not plan on having any B&BW purchases other than some new candles and soaps for work.

Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale Jan 2015

I spent a lot of time at B&BW last year, so I mostly picked up the items I knew I could only get during this sale. This is what I got.

Lemon Vanilla: 1 fragrance mist, 1 body lotion, and 3 body washes.

Scent description: "A bright blend of refreshing lemon and cool vanilla"

Jingle Bellini: 1 body lotion and 1 shower gel. I already own the shimmer mist from this set.

Scent description: "A festive cocktail of peach champagne, apricot nectar, and powdered sugar"

Vanillatini: 1 body lotion, 1 shower gel, and 1 shimmer mist.

Scent description: "An addictive cocktail of fresh vanilla, creamy coconut, and lemon zest"

Strawberry Sparkler: 1 body lotion, 1 shower gel, and 1 shimmer mist.

Scent description: "A flirty cocktail of wild strawberries, sparkling mandarin, and pink jasmine"

I also pick up a few random items. A Pumpkin Gingerbread room mist,  a London Tulips body lotion, and  a Vanilla Wish shimmer mist.

Scent descriptions:

Pumpkin Gingerbread: "Just baked gingerbread, golden vanilla and fresh creamy pumpkin makes a scrumptious Christmas treat"

London Tulips: "Unforgettable romance of English garden tulips, sparkling raspberry tea, and wild freesia, kissed with dewy Windsor apples and white sandalwood"

Vanilla Wish: "Key notes - dazzling vanilla, apple fizz, asian pear, white freesia, and sheer sandlewood"

I am working on using up my past purchased products, so I did not get any candles or wallflowers. Hopefully I have enough spring type scents to last me until the June semi-annual. 

Top 5 Beauty Products Under $5

For anyone looking for some awesome drugstore staples to try out that barely cost $20 total, this is my recommendations. These were all products I found and fell in love with during 2014.

1. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder: Walmart for $3.97. My absolute favorite pressed powder. I use the shade Nude Beige but I have heard the Transparent shade is just as great. 

2. Wet & Wild "Reserve Your Cabana" Bronzer: Walmart for $3.93. This is the perfect highlighter and under eye setting powder. The is so much product, I will never run out. 

3. Jordana Fabuliner Liquid Eyeliner:Jordana for $2.99 but it can also be found for the same price at Walgreens. I love this liner because it applies great to top of eye shadows and lasts all day. It is a felt tip applicator but it applies awesome over shadow. 

4. Wet & Wild 8 Pan Eye Shadow in "Comfort Zone": Rite Aid for $4.99. My favorite drug store palette. 

5. Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara: Jordana for $2.99, but can also be found for the same price at Walgreens. This is a great first coat mascara that gives awesome separation. It has a natural bristle brush. 

New Year, Better Me

Happy New Year everyone! My name is Lindsey and I am a licensed cosmologist. I do hair, as well as nails, makeup, waxing, and facials. I love makeup and beauty, and I decided I am going to spend the next year documenting my journey into the beauty industry. This will not only be the site where I share my on-going portfolio, but also where I share about makeup, body care, shopping, and my other favorite pastimes.  I am very excited to begin my journey and cannot wait to start sharing with all of you. :)