Natural, Cruelty Free Drugstore Goodies!

...What could be better?

Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes, EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush

The title, explained -
Natural: The Yes to Cucumbers wipes are 98% natural; the EcoTools powder brush is from natural and recycled materials.

Cruelty Free: I don't think many of you know this, but I've been only buying cruelty free makeup, hair products, and body products (working on skin care and tools) since around the start of 2011. Neither of these products was tested on animals, and the brush contains no animal hair.

Drugstore: I picked them up at Walgreens!

I hope you enjoyed this quick lil' post! Any interest in a review of either product?

Love, Val

Nordstrom Haul!

Yesterday I went to my favorite store, Nordstrom, to pick out one complete outfit and some new makeup (to make up for what I finished in Project 10 Pan!). Here's what I got...

This pair of navy slip-on Vans was on sale, and they're going to make great everyday shoes!

Army green was everywhere in the store, so I figure it's a trend? Anyways, I picked up this loose fitting, very comfy shirt from "Rubbish."

To go with the shirt, I picked up these cuffed, faded denim shorts from the brand "STS Blue." They're a spring/summer staple!

Finally, I went to the MAC counter! I picked out "Woodwinked" eyeshadow (thanks to Devea's recommendation), a Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, and "Speed Dial" cremesheen lipstick. All of these I LOVE!

I love going to Nordstrom, it perfectly fits my style! What's your favorite place to shop?
Love, Val

Drugstore Haul/Update!

  First order of business. I am SO, SO sorry it has been too long!! I was on a quick vacation, then right after high school started. I've been carried away with homework, studying, and my new health kick! But I really missed you guys, so here I am. :)
  Over the last month or so I've accumulated quite a bit of drugstore makeup, and I am so impressed with most of it! Quick haul/review for you guys. Then, I hope to return to my one or two posts a week schedule. :)

R

Face

• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation (50 soft beige) - This is an amazing foundation! Possibly my new "it" foundation. As in, the one I will wear year round. Glowy, leaves skin soft, just the right amount of coverage (I don't use concealer with it). I have used it consistently every day for the past month and still love it!
• Maybelline Dream Matte Powder (medium sand) - Not cakey, not drying - it's just an awesome powder that's very effective for mid-day mattifying, or when I decide to go matte!

Eyes

• L'Oreal HIP Shadow Duos - They really are super well pigmented! (See swatches below.) I think they're really cute and MAC-esque. I have Mystical, a crystal formula, and a Sculpted, a metallic formula. Only $8 for such great pigmentation, so they're fun to experiment with color.
• Wet N Wild Trio in Walking on EggShells - My cousin and I had a five dollars to spend at the drugstore, so we stuck to Wet N Wild. I had never tried their eyeshadows. I assumed they were chalky and badly pigmented, but picked up a trio anyway. All I can say is, wow. Silky, pigmented, and just high-quality feeling! Be careful about dropping, they're soft! 
• Wet N Wild Eyeliner in Black - At $1, it is surprisingly well pigmented! It's not that super-creamy, kohl Urban Decay/Stila/MAC feel, but it's much better than the CoverGirl liner I had used previously - it's a true black line without pressing too hard.

Lips

•  Wet N Wild Lip Gloss - Okay, so this one's not special. But it's a super sheer fuchsia, so it looked fun. :) 

Okay, all for now. I appreciate all of you lovely followers and I will be posting more. :)
Love, Val

Left to right, top to bottom: HIP Duo in Sculpted (pink and dark purple), HIP Duo in Mystical (aqua and yellow), Wet N Wild trio in Walking on Eggshells (white, brown, and pink)

 

 

 

Sephora Haul!

Hi girls! Oh, my, goodness, I LOVE SEPHORA!! The last time I went I was 10 and only interested in their nail polish. I went Saturday, and I had to restrict myself to three things. I probably spent a half hour in there trying out everything, and I mean everything! So without further ado, here it all is. (And I am 110% satisfied with my purchases!)

First, I'll talk about the Urban Decay Summer of Love kit. I knew I wanted something from Urban Decay, as I'd never tried the brand before, and I was about to buy the single eyeshadow in 'Chopper' for $17. However, then I saw the Summer of Love kit! For $24, it includes four eyeshadows, an eyeliner, and their famous primer potion in Sin. The pigmentation of everything is AMAZING! The eyeshows are fabulous, the eyeliner glides on beautifully, and the primer potion intensifies any eyeshadow times ten.... needless to say, I love it all. :) And FYI, none are full sized, but hey I can repurchase if I run out!

Eyeshadows in Flash, Maui Wowie, Chopper, and Smog; 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner in Bourbon; Primer Potion in Sin.

Next, a bronzer! It's almost summer, and bronzer is definitely a must. I've heard great things about this Hoola bronzer by Benefit. First, let me just say the packaging is adorable, and it comes with a cute little brush... which I will probably not use, and it sheds, but it's convenient if I'm going to throw this into my purse. I tried it out, and I love it! Not orange, not muddy, but the perfect matte brown that will make you look beautifully sunkissed. It applied wonderfully, and this bronzer will become a part of my daily routine.

Finally, my first Nars purchase ever! It's their blush in... you guessed it, Orgasm. It's probably the most highly acclaimed blush ever, though I've heard all of the Nars  blushes are great. The reviews are correct, this peachy pink blush gives me the perfect flush, that 'I just woke up like this' glow. Finely milled gold shimmer adds a subtle sheen. This is also a new part of my daily routine! :)

The color is actually a bit darker than it appears in this picture.

  Can you tell I'm super excited?? Anyways, I've learned that Sephora is my new heaven, and now I know what to ask for for my birthday... Sephora gift card! Next time I will have to get Benefit's primer and High Beam, as well as more Nars blushes, a multiple, and a lip gloss. *Guilty smile*
  Anyways, I'll stop rambling now! Talk to you all later!
  Love, Val
  P.S. You want it, I'll do it! Help me out and comment me with requests!

CoverGirl Haul!

Hey girls! So I went to CVS a week ago (NEVER let me loose in a CVS. I will want EVERYTHING!) and I got five things. One was a Sally Hansen eyelash curler, another was Revlon Photoready Liquid Foundation, and the other three were all CoverGirl products. Since eyelash curlers are pretty self-explanatory, and I'm going to review PhotoReady soon, I decided to haul the CoverGirl products. Enjoy!

• First is a relatively new product, LashBlast Volume. I have never owned the famed LashBlast, but I love my LashExact, so I decided to buy. The applicator is very thick, with rubber bristles. I only had to apply a few strokes to get excellent length, volume, and fanned-out lashes. New favorite? Definitely. However if you layer this mascara too much it will clump and look fake/spidery, so avoid coating this on.
• Next is WetSlicks lip gloss. I've needed a clear lip gloss for a while - great when you want to add shine to your natural lip color, or gloss over the perfect lipstick. As far as glosses go, this one is pretty standard. Kudos to CoverGirl for the non-stickiness and the yummy scent, though.
• Finally a product I have owned before, CG's eyeshadow trio in 110 shimmering sands. This was my first eyeshadow ever and it ran out a few months ago, so the time was ripe for a new one. Fabulous quality, especially considering it's drugstore, and very pigmented. The colors are perfect for a shimmery neutral eye.

All for now! Look out for a Revlon PhotoReady Foundation review soon, and see more photos of the CoverGirl stuff after the jump!

Love, Val

Makeup Haul!

Hey all! So a couple weeks ago I placed some makeup orders at Amazon and Dulce Cosmetics (a very inexpensive brand recommended here), and now that I've had some time to test them out I'm doing a haul! Enjoy!

From left to right, top to bottom: boi-ing concealer, baked powder, muffin cake blusher, baked blusher, essential eye brush kit, brilliant fusion palette, eyeshadow trio, duo lip gloss and liner, and liquid eyeliner pen.

1) First is Boi-ing Concealer by Benefit in 02. I bought this concealer because I'd gotten a sample of it before and LOVED it! Boi-ing is a cream concealer that is great for undereye circles, redness, and blemishes. When I use this I skip the foundation.
2) Next, Dulce Cosmetics baked powder in 02, a sheer, marbleized powder that instantly mattifies my skin. I like to buff it in with a powder brush.
3) Now Muffin Cake blusher by Dulce Cosmetics in 04. This is a really pretty blusher, marbleized between light gold and pink, and it shows up as a nice peachy flush.
4) This is Dulce Cosmetics' metallic blusher in 04, but I like using it as a bronzer! This is great for that shimmering, summer glow.
5) Now for a change of pace, some brushes! This cute Sonia Kashuk essential eye kit comes with five eyeshadow brushes: a large eye shadow brush, an angled bush, a sponge applicator, a crease brush, and a smudge brush. While shorter than I expected, these brushes do the job much better than what I previously used (the applicators shadows come with or my fingers)!
6) Possibly my favorite purchase, Dulce Cosmetics' brilliant fusion eyeshadow palette in 02 is a gorgeous mix of pigmented shimmering neutrals, perfect for an everyday or formal eye.
7) Now another eyeshadow by Dulce Cosmetics, their Viva Trilogy trio in 05. I bought this shadow on a whim, and I'm glad I did, because the shimmery red, brown, and pink are great for a glam party eye!
8) Next, Dulce Cosmetics' duo lip gloss and liner in 05. While the lip gloss is pretty standard, I do like the frosty pink color, and the brown liner it comes with is actually really nice as a casual eyeliner.
9) Finally, PenAbsolute liquid eyeliner by Dulce Cosmetics. This is my first liquid eyeliner ever, and I was surprised at how easy it is to get a nice, thin line. The pen applicator is definitely a plus for us eyeliner beginners!

That's all for today! I hope you enjoyed the haul, and check out some more photos after the jump!
Love, Val

Marshall's/Target Steals!

Hey everyone! So I posted this morning about my idea to add little extras to this blog, like makeup tutorials and hauls. This afternoon I went to Marshall's and Target, and I decided to try a haul post, just to test things out. So let me know what you think in the comments section!

First, a Merona daytime purse from Target. This was on clearance for only $7 and it was so cute I couldn't resist! It's a canvas/cloth material with a green and white diagonal stripe design. Medium sized (my favorite size) and casual, it'd be great for going to the beach, shopping, or to the movies. I can't wait to start using this!
Next, a skinny black Merona belt, also from Target. I've needed a good versatile belt for forever, and this is just the thing! This belt will go with everything, and only $8. It's a nice black leather-looking material.
Finally - my most exciting purchase! Light wash Lucky Brand bootcut jeans from Marshall's. I am SO happy to have found such a deal! Lucky Brand is a hugely popular clothing brand known for their jeans, and to snap up a pair originally $110 for just $35 is amazing! These jeans are big on me, but in a cute, boyfriend-jeans way. Ahhh!! (That's me being excited!)

So there's my first haul! I'm so happy with all my purchases.
Love, Val