Might Not Be My Mother's Shampoo, But She Still Likes It

If you happened to see my latest ULTA Haul post, you know that I purchased Not Your Mother's Beach Babe shampoo and conditioner. According to the packages, they promise "Wavy Volume" and "Tousled Waves," along with hydration and gentle cleansing. I've been using it for about two weeks now, whenever I wash my hair.

What struck me first was the strong coconut scent. This smell will stay with you for days, so be sure you like it before you buy it. All of a sudden, I'll toss my hair back and I'll get a whiff, even though I washed my hair two days before. I'm not much of a coconut fan, but this smell reminds me of suntan lotion and summer afternoons, so I actually really enjoy this particular scent.

It's a rich formula, but usually for me sulfate free shampoo does not lather well on the first round, and this is no exception. I know that the sulfates are what make the lather but can be bad for hair, but my hair is so thick that if the shampoo doesn't lather, it doesn't get distributed throughout. It kind of just sits there, like someone broke an egg on the top of my head. And so it goes with this shampoo, until I rinse and repeat and then I am able to get a good sudsing out of it.

The conditioner is wonderful, and very rich. I find, however, that the conditioner needs a good shaking before I flip open the cap, or else it tends to be a bit runny.

As for it's promises of waves and volume? Volume, yes, waves, maybe. As I mentioned, my hair is quite thick, but this shampoo does perk up the roots a bit, making my hair look fuller. If I let my hair dry naturally, it is normally neither straight or wavy, but instead it just exists, not knowing in what direction to go. This shampoo and conditioner definitely add to the waves, but not in any attractive fashion as it still looks crazy! If I want to get more organized (probably not the right word for it) waves, I bet I would have to invest in one of the texturizing sprays that can hold waves better.

I haven't tried these products with a blowout or a flat iron yet, but I've read that texturizing shampoos do better with styling tools because they help hold the style. We shall see.

And yes, my mom does like Not Your Mother's Beach Babe shampoo and conditioner. She really likes the coconut scent.

My Travel Essentials

Last weekend I had the opportunity to get away for the weekend. My dear friend had an extra ticket to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Connecticut and asked me along. As I was packing for the trip, I thought it might be fun to do a travel essentials post.

It is tough whittling down a giant makeup collection to just the bare bones! I like to travel very light, so I have to figure out exactly what makeup I'm going to actually use, and leave all the rest of my little friends behind. Nothing extraneous, just the few items I am going to need most often. So basically four categories: skincare, tools, foundation, and frosting (eyeshadow, mascara, lip gloss, etc).

In my search for the perfect makeup storage system to replace my current one (a giant tupperware bucket just doesn't cut it anymore!), I purchased Joy Mangano's Better Beauty Case Deluxe Set from HSN. It comes with an extra large roll-up case that I think will be perfect for storing my makeup, but also comes with a medium size case that fits perfectly in my duffel bag, and even fits in a large purse. I was excited that I would be able to use it for the weekend, and the four sections of the case fit my organization needs.

Each little triangle section is a different category. From right to left, I have my skincare, then tools, then foundation, then frosting. The bonus is that each little triangle is actually removable, so I could have stuck any particular section in my purse at a moment's notice. I loved this little case and was so glad I decided to pick it up off HSN.

So what's inside it, what did I deem worthy enough to travel with me? Quite a bit actually!

Skincare:

-bareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser (travel size): I don't like it as much as the Foaming Cleanser, but I love that it's a travel size

-bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for Combination Skin (travel size): smells delicious and does a great job

-Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Hydrating (travel size): not my favorite primer ever, but the small size is excellent for travel and it does a decent job

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion: the only eyeshadow primer that actually works for me, I would not leave home without it

Tools:

-bareMinerals Flawless Application Face Brush: perfect for applying bareMinerals Mineral Veil, Warmth and Rose Radiance

-bareMinerals Full Flawless Face Brush: for bareMinerals Original Foundation

-bareMinerals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush: for bareMinerals SPF 20 Concealer

-e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush: good for blending

-e.l.f. Studio Eyeshadow "C" Brush: great basic eyeshadow brush

-e.l.f. Essential Smudge Brush: haven't used this one much since I just got it, but it's a great brush for bringing eyeshadow under the eye

-e.l.f. Essential Blending Eye Brush: this is a fantastic brush for smoothing out harsh lines and contouring in the crease

Foundation:

-bareMinerals Original Foundation in Fairly Light: my favorite everyday foundation

-bareMinerals SPF 20 Concealer in Bisque: fantastic concealer, covers everything

-bareMinerals Warmth All-Over Face Color: a subtle bronzer that adds a hint of color

-bareMinerals Rose Radiance All-Over Face Color: I use this as my everyday blush

Frosting:

-Benefit They're Real Mascara (travel size): not usually my everyday mascara, but definitely one of my favorites. Love the travel size option.

-L'Oreal Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner 24 Hour in Blackest Black: got this in my last ULTA haul and I absolutely love it. It came with a great applicator brush, and it glides on the lid effortlessly. This is a definite staple.

-NYC IndividualEyes Custom Compact in Midtown Mauve: this is a little palette that has four really wearable colors. Including a primer and highlighter, this palette can be worn so many different ways, making it the perfect travel companion (I did not use the primer as I had my Urban Decay primer)

-NYX Cosmetics Butter Gloss in Eclair: another standout from my last ULTA haul, I am so glad I took the advice of other bloggers and tried this. It is a fantastic lip gloss and I love this color

Wow, looking back that is a long list of "essentials"! Everything I brought easily transferred from day to night looks, was easily transportable, and allowed me to keep with my beauty routine even on the road. The case was perfect for travel and I look forward to using it again in the future.

PS The Dave Matthews Band concert was awesome! I had never seen them live before, and I am so grateful to my friend for letting me tag along! We had such an amazing time. Thanks, Jen!

Treated Myself to an Ulta Haul

It has been a rough couple months blog-wise. As you can see, I've only updated the blog a few times recently. My busy time at work is from May through July, so as we enter into the hotter months I am going to have a bit more time to dedicate to you, my readers! So why not start out with my favorite of things: a new haul!!

There is something fantastic about a haul. The thrill of browsing through the store, the wonderful feeling when you feel the heft of your purchases in the shopping bag, the potential that comes with opening each item, and the ultimate buyer's remorse being repressed. It's just the best.

This month's haul is from Ulta, my favorite beauty destination as it holds every brand I love all under one roof. What a brilliant idea it is to have the prestige brands, plus traditional drugstore brands all in the same place. It's a one-stop shop, and I go there so much the manager knows me well.

Ulta was having a special this week on NYX and L'Oreal Paris, among other brands. After winning a L'Oreal prize pack during a Twitter chat, I fell in love with the brand. The quality is outstanding for a drugstore brand, all at reasonable prices. I especially love the haircare line. And, NYX is always a temptation for me. So at 40% off, I was incredibly excited to get to the store, I even made a shopping list!

-NYX Dream Catcher Palette: This eyeshadow palette reminds me of Urban Decay's Naked palettes. At over $50, I cannot justify buying any of those palettes (yet), even though I want Naked3 SO badly. But in the meantime, I'm very happy to buy this little gem and not spend over $10. With 10 great colors, I'm excited to experiment! I bought it in the collection "Stormy Skies."

-L'Oreal Paris Infallible Lacquer Liner: Saw this gel liner when scrolling through the sale items on the Ulta app and it caught my fancy. I have never tried gel liner before, but all the reviews for this product made it seem like this is a great introduction. I got it in the shade Blackest Black.

-NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: I had never heard of this until I saw the L'Oreal Infallible Gel Liner Review/Demo by LearningToBeFearless where she mentions it (check out her videos, she is wonderful). Apparently this eyeshadow stick can be used as an eyeshadow (fancy that), an eyeshadow base, a brightener for the waterline, etc. It's like the Jack of all trades of the eyeshadow world. I'm just worried about having to sharpen it!

-NYX Butter Gloss: I have to admit, I was trying to resist these. I have SO MUCH lip gloss, I could use a different lip gloss each day for the rest of my life and I feel like I'd still have some leftover that I didn't use. But as I make the rounds of beauty bloggers and vloggers, these glosses keep following me! Everyone raves about these, about how they're not sticky and how wonderfully pigmented they are. But as they are usually around $5+, I was able to pass on them. But at 40% off? No way, they were indeed going to be mine. My original intent was to get just one, but of course at the low price I bought two. I got the shades Creme Brûlée and Eclair. I've been wearing Eclair and I have to admit, it is great so far.

-Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Shampoo and Conditioner: I waited for these to go on sale. I read somewhere that texturizing shampoos were great if you want to curl your hair or even to hold a better pony tail. Plus I'd like to imagine my hair would look great with beachy waves. So I'm going to check this shampoo and conditioner out and see what happens. Either way, at least it smells good!

-NYX Suede Collection: This was my impulse buy! I happened to see it at the end of an aisle, on the bottom shelf. I hadn't even seen this palette online, I didn't know the price, I just went for it. The colors are gorgeous! I need to be more adventurous in my eyeshadows (nudes are not the only shades!), and this, combined with the Dream Catcher palette, should fit the bill.

I haven't had this big of a haul in a long time. I'm so excited to try all of it, it took all of my willpower to not open everything before I had the chance to photograph it!

PS Does anyone know if NYX is pronounced like "Nicks" or like separate letters like "N.Y.X." Comment below with the answer because I want to know!!

bareMinerals Addiction Continues with Destination Glow

As I've mentioned probably a thousand times within the short lifespan of this blog, I love bareMinerals. So when Ulta sent me a coupon for $10 off any $50 bareMinerals purchase, I of course took the bait. Hey, I was almost out of concealer anyway, so I was already $20 closer to qualifying for the coupon! bareMinerals coupons are so rare that I was not going to pass this up.

After much consideration, I decided to go with the new Destination Glow 5-Piece Full-Face Color Collection that came in an adorable mini tote bag. The kit includes the 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow, Riviera Eyecolor, Flawless Definition Waterproof Mascara, Faux Tan Matte All-Over Face Color, and Loud & Clear Lip Sheer in Magenta Vibe. Honestly the tote is what caught my eye first, I am a sucker for a cute bag since it's like a bonus gift. But the two pieces that really sealed the deal for me were the 5-in-1 BB Cream Eyeshadow, and the Lip Sheer.

Although I have so many eyeshadows, I tend not to wear it on a daily basis. Not only am I lazy and usually running late in the morning, but I actually like the natural color of my lids. But sometimes I want to switch it up, so I have been looking for a quick and easy solution. The new 5-in-1 BB Cream Eyeshadow looked like a great idea, where I just could apply the eyeshadow and take off, and not have to bother with primer and blending and whatnot. Coming in the shade Soft Linen, this cream shadow is perfect for everyday, and takes about two seconds to apply (jackpot!). The first day I wore it, I definitely put it to the test: a 14 hour day of work! I have pretty oily eyelids after a few hours, so I was checking on this cream eyeshadow every hour or so for signs of breaking down or creasing. I didn't use any primer, I just put the product on straight from the tube in the morning. I was seriously impressed by the staying power, as there wasn't any noticeable creasing until about 9 or 10 hours after application. Even after it started creasing, I just took a tissue and blended it out again and it lasted the rest of the night. Even with primer, I can't think of an eyeshadow I've tried that can perform as well as that. I can't wait to get this puppy in other shades!

The other diamond in this set is the Loud & Clear Lip Sheer. Again, I have a ton of lip glosses, but this new sheer balm from bareMinerals looked so juicy that I couldn't resist it. I'm usually not one for such bright colors like this magenta shade, but I heard that this product truly is sheer and would be flattering on most. This lip gloss goes on so smooth, it's almost like Vaseline in texture. It doesn't have much of a flavor or smell, which I am fine with, and the magenta really gets diluted once applied and just gives a nice pink hue to my lips. I am absolutely in love with it, and again can't wait to get this in other shades.

I haven't tried the rest of the items in the collection yet, but I'm looking forward to the All-Over Face Color (my pale skin could use all the tanning help it can get) and the traditional loose powder eyeshadow. The Riviera Eyecolor is a stunning gold shade that I think would look great by itself, but may be even better and brighter if put over the Soft Linen cream shadow.

So, Ulta got me again with such a great coupon (please keep them coming!!). I am very satisfied with this collection and would recommend it to any bareMinerals fan. These colors are universal and flattering on everyone, and it's a great stock-up kit (every girl needs waterproof mascara). Plus the little tote bag gets me every time, it is so cute!!

My Current Wish List

My wish list is so long, no human could possibly need or even use up the amount of products I want to buy and try. I really have to keep a tight leash on my wallet when I'm walking through Ulta, Sephora, or random drugstores, looking through magazines, watching HSN, reading blogs, oh my gosh pretty much everywhere. If I won the lottery, there would be no limit to my beauty spending! (If only I could win the lottery asap!)

I've decided to share some of my current beauty wants, and although the list is always changing, these are the sticklers that one day shall be mine, oh yes, they will be mine. Unfortunately since I don't actually own any of these and because I'm new and not sure about the blogging rules for using pictures other than my own, I don't have any photo examples to accompany my list, so use your imagination...

1) Urban Decay Naked3 Palette - While I would gladly accept any of the Naked palettes, this would be my first choice. The rose gold shades are to die for, and right up my alley. Nude shades with a twist of pinks and shimmer, count me in. I love how versatile these shades are, and how they can be used for everyday or for special occasions with just simple changes in style. I am not someone who wears eyeshadow on a daily basis, but if I owned this palette I would definitely make room for it in my routine. Every time I see a tutorial online I swear my lids itch with longing!

2) Benefit Fakeup - This innovative under eye concealer is surrounded by moisturizer to help keep that delicate area nice and hydrated. As someone who regularly deals with both dry skin and dark circles, this concealer seems perfect for me...except for the price tag.

3) Lorac Back to Bronze Collection - Some of you may remember my regret for not picking this kit up in my last Ulta Haul post here, and I am still regretting it. The beautiful colors of the Alter Ego lipsticks have been calling my name, and the good things I'm hearing about the Lorac eyeliners make the urge to kick myself even greater.

4) Mally Beauty Face Defender - I've got to admit, part of the reason I want this is for the "whaaaat" factor. I hadn't seen this until recently on QVC, where Mally demonstrated this crazy gel-like substance that set makeup and did touch-ups on the go. I felt the product in the tester at Ulta, and it was slightly greasy but left no residue, and was a lot firmer than I expected. How this solid substance creates such a beautiful finish over makeup is amazing, and I must try it. I also truly appreciate that Mally interacts with all of her fans on Twitter, which cannot be an easy task to keep up with all the chatter. I don't own anything by Mally yet, but I already consider myself a "Mallynista!"

5) Sealed with a Kiss Hairspray by Martino Cartier - I'm usually not one for hairspray, I don't style my hair much past a simple bun or ponytail, but I love the idea that you can use this hairspray before ironing or curling without frying your hair off. My hair does not hold a curl well, and to use a hairspray before curling would normally destroy both my hair and my curling iron. But Sealed with a Kiss promises that using this hairspray before styling can actually help your hair and will ultimately hold your desired look. I think that if I had this can handy, I'd be much more likely to try more intricate looks.

There you have it, folks, the top products I'm yearning for lately. For now I will just have to be content to dream about the day when that lucky lotto ticket gets into my hands so that I can get all these awesome items and more! Does anyone have these items? What do you think of them?

Fail: elf Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

I guess the old adage still stands: you get what you pay for. When you spend $2.00 on an eyeliner pen, don't expect the world. I have a deep love/hate relationship with elf products. Some of their items have been awesome and a great value, and others I wish I hadn't wasted my time or money. This particular item falls into the latter category. 

I had high hopes for the Waterproof Eyeliner Pen. Some great reviews on YouTube put the idea of it into my head, and it gets about 4 out of 5 stars on the elf website. It's billed as a waterproof and smudge-free liner, which is important when much of the time I am looking through a camera and my eyeliner smears all over the place. I chose the shade Midnight because it looked more navy than black, and I have more than enough black eyeliners. And a felt tipped eyeliner pen seemed perfect for me, a person who is terrible at applying eyeliner and has had pretty good luck with the liquid pen type in the past. So I took a shot and ordered it, along with a haul of other things (and thanks to retailmenot.com, free shipping!).

I was so excited to rip open the package and try it, but the second I took a look at the tip, I knew this was a no-go. The tip looked so dry! The little fibers sticking out of the point didn't have an ounce of liquid on them. When I tried to swatch it on my hand, the tip was indeed dry, barely eking out a bit of color. Plus the pen was so stiff it almost scratched my skin! Thank goodness I didn't go right for the eyelid. Hoping that the liquid might just have been blocked from the tip during shipping, I recapped it to put it tip down to get the juices flowing. The back of the package states "Best stored tip down for ultimate color saturation," but the cap end is rounded and will not stand up on its own! Why suggest storing it tip down, but then make the packaging incapable of standing tip down by itself? So two strikes so far.

Notice the curvature of the cap, that's not going to stand up!

I left it alone for a while, propped tip down between two bottles of lotion, and hoped that when I reopened the cap that the tip would look a bit more saturated. But alas, this was not the case. I decided to play with the eyeliner anyway, and attempted to gently swipe it across my lid. OUCH. The tip was outrageously stiff and it actually hurt! One pleasant surprise was that it left a much more pigmented line than I had anticipated. Until, that is, I went to repeat the process on my other eye and it was a faded, pale line. I had to draw over the line about three times to match the darkness of the first side (and thus three more times of painful swiping). Strikes three and four. In a ballgame, this guy would have been benched already.

My one last hope for this product was the waterproof, smudge-resistant, long-lasting power promised by elf. I let the eyeliner dry, and waited about twenty minutes before testing it out, more than enough time for it to set in my opinion. I went to the mirror and slightly touched my finger to my lid, and... smudgy mess! The tiniest touch took my nice thin line to an ashy, thick line that honestly looked like a big bruise. Smudge-free, I think not. Deep down I knew that if it was this easy to smudge, it was impossible for it to be waterproof, but I didn't want to leave any stone unturned. I put a bit of water on my fingertip and touched my unsmudged eye, and as I thought, the second the water hit my skin the eyeliner ran like it was being chased. Strikes five and six, this guy shouldn't even be playing the game.

So this is going straight into the fail bin. If I had spent more than a couple bucks on it, I'd be making a much bigger stink with elf customer service. But as I said, you get what you pay for. Skip this one, ladies!

Latest Ulta Haul!

I made one of my many pilgrimages to Ulta this past week. Although a normal event for me, I was looking forward to this trip more than normal. Not only did I have a pretty rough week at work and needed some beauty retail therapy, but the busiest season of the year at my job is about to come up and this was going to be my last opportunity to leisurely browse through my favorite store for a long while. I even named it "Ulta Day," and my coworkers wished me a Happy Holiday, that's how serious I was and how bad I needed it. I gave myself a budget of about $30, and hoped that I could get some great stuff within that price point.

My original intent was to buy the LORAC Back to Bronze Collection. This set was gorgeous, with a ton of goodies for only $36. I've been wanting to try LORAC cosmetics for a while now, and I thought this would be the perfect introduction. The kit included the famous Cobra mascara, Alter Ego lipstick in Girl Next Door (so pretty), TANtalizer Baked Bronzer, a dual ended liner & shadow, and Liquid Lustre Gloss in Peach Lustre, all with a cute little makeup bag. I really was convinced that this was the set for me. But somehow, as I always tend to do, I talked myself out of it. I'm definitely regretting it now as I describe it.

After about an hour of wandering the store and picking up basically everything, here is my haul that I ended up with:

Starting from the left, the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herb & Rosewater. This is a product that was given to me as part of a gift for my high school graduation #### years ago. I never really used it, but was looking for a moisturizing spray that could be sprayed over makeup and dug this out of my stash. I absolutely love this product. Not only does it smell fantastic, but it sets makeup, helps keep my skin hydrated, and best of all- it's affordable at $7 a bottle. I bought another bottle to keep in my work equipment since the summer months are going to be brutal and this will help my skin immensely.

Next is the Tweezerman Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover. As I constantly have to combat annoying facial hairs that pop up, I was really interested in this product. Apparently spring-based hair removal products are nothing new, but I've never seen such a thing and decided to give it a try (anything beats awful depilatory creams!). Plus, this came with a free mini-tweezer, another thing that has since gone in with my equipment for the upcoming busy season. Full review to come!

And last but not least, there was a sale on NYX items, and I had NYX on the brain after watching this video by emilynoel83 about her favorite NYX products. She is awesome, and her videos are addicting to watch. In this video, she talks briefly about the Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray and how it doesn't make her look too powdery. Honestly, that's all I had to hear, because her makeup is always gorgeous! So luckily, Ulta had one bottle left and I grabbed it! Since NYX face cosmetics were on sale for buy one get one half off, I had to find something else. My first instinct was lip color, especially since emilynoel83 speaks  highly of them, but I have so many lip glosses already that I really had to force my hand away from the display. Then I noticed the NYX Illuminator, and I am a sucker for highlighters. My pallor lacks the inner glow that every girl wants, so I am in a constant search for a highlighter that will make my pale skin look less lifeless. I bought it in the shade Enigmatic, which is a pretty pink shade that from first glance is pretty sparkly. I swatched it in the store and it gave a beautiful, natural looking pale pink shimmer to my skin. NYX is usually hit or miss for me, with more misses than hits, but I have high hopes. I'm going to try them for a little while before I do a full review.

By the end of Ulta Day, I had spent about $40, which was over my budget but close enough that I was satisfied, plus I got some great stuff. Hopefully this haul tides me over until I have some free time to head back! Have you used any of these products? Have you gotten anything good at Ulta or anywhere else lately? I love comments, tell me about it!