Freeman Beauty #BarefootBLISS!

A while back, I discovered a wonderful website called Influenster. Thanks to the wonderful people at Influenster and Freeman Beauty, I got to try out two new products from Freeman's new Barefoot Spa Professional line!

First, a little backstory: Influenster actually sent me a voucher to go pick up one of the two products from the new line at a Walmart near me. Unfortunately, NONE of the WalMarts near me carried the BSP line, yet. I contacted the lovely people at Freeman, and they were kind enough to send me both of the products in the line! A++ for customer service!

Now, I have tried some of Freeman's facial masks in the past, and I love them. So I had very high expectations for these products. So I eagerly set up a foot bath outside and slathered these products on my feet only to realize that the products are NOT meant for your feet. They're meant for your body! Granted, I suppose I could have read the directions on the back labels a little closer, but I mean, come on...The line is balled Barefoot Spa Professional. The original Barefoot line is all foot products. Hence the name. And the packaging is actually shaped like a foot. Bottom line, the packaging and branding is confusing. But onto the actual products themselves...

Barefoot Spa Professional line from Freeman Beauty (left to right): Exfoliating Polish and Moisturizing Massage Cream

The Exfoliating Polish was wonderful. It is a true polish, as opposed to a scrub, with fine exfoliating particles. While gentle, it did its job effectively, leaving my skin feeling very smooth. It also left my skin with a nice shimmery sheen, due to the mica particles in the product. The product was also very easy to rinse off, and didn't leave my skin with some sort of weird residue. The fine particles didn't clog my drain either, which was a nice little bonus.

The Moisturizing Massage Cream, however, wasn't exactly the most moisturizing. It isn't what I would call a cream, since the product itself is very light. It is more along the line of a lotion. However, the product did feel really nice to apply, especially paired with the scrub. The product sunk in quickly and didn't leave my skin feeling greasy. Again, it's not the most nourishing, but it is very spa like and feels lovely to apply. Great for massaging into sore legs!

Overall, while the packaging and branding was fairly confusing, these products are pretty on point! The Exfoliating Polish is gentle, yet effective, and the Massage Cream feels great to apply, especially when used alongside the Polish. Again, I'm sort of a fan, but Freeman Beauty is known for making quality products. At the price point ($5.99 each!), you just really can't beat this #BarefootBLISS!






Disclaimer: I did receive both of these items for free thanks to the awesome people at Freeman Beauty and Influenster. Also, I am participating in a brand challenge #contest to try my hand at winning a prize so I can have more awesome products to review! =)

Urban Decay Reviews- DeSlick & Lip Love

Hey everyone!

Happy July! =) I've finally purchased some of my first Urban Decay products EVER, and I couldn't wait to share!

First up is the Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder. Now, I've been wanting this FOREVER. I had run out of my usual CoverGirl powder, and had been wanting to switch it up for a while. Everyone raves about this powder, and now I know why! This smooth, colorless powder absorbs oil and shine like a dream! I have noticed that it's not foolproof, but it is definitely better than any other powder I have ever used. Bottom line? I'm smitten.

Here's the front/top of the compact in case you're interested. Urban Decay definitely doesn't skimp when it comes to packaging design!

Next, I got a Lip Love Honey-Infused Lip Therapy in Failbait, which is a nice coral/peachy color. I am not much of a gloss person, but I love this one because 1) in has honey in it {love!} which will keep your lips supple, 2) the color can be sheer, but it is also slightly buildable, and 3) IT IS NOT STICKY AT ALL. Now I don't know about you, but I think sticky gloss is just plain annoying. This gloss smells, tastes, looks, and FEELS yummy, so this is definitely a good gloss to try! There are several other colors available as well.

Overall, I feel as if my first Urban Decay purchases/experience has been one giant success! I would definitely recommend these to anyone, but I would especially recommend the DeSlick powder to anyone with oily skin and the Lip Love to anyone that hates sticky glosses!

Until next time!

xoxo,

New Wallet

Hey everyone!


Today I thought I'd share some neat purchases I made from Aldo! 


I've been in Aldo a few times before, but I had never bought anything from them. A while back however, I saw this wallet and fell in love! I didn't purchase it when I saw it, because I was with some friends at the time, and we were just quickly browsing the shop. I was also hesitant because I had never paid that much for a wallet before. But I just couldn't stop thinking about it! I found the wallet online that night but still didn't buy it. A couple week later, though, I decided to take the plunge. And boy am I glad I did! I am absolutely smitten!


Yellow is my favorite color so of COURSE I love this wallet. I've also never had a large checkbook-size wallet before, so that was also a nice change.

Here's the inside. Look at all those pockets and card slots! And in case you're wondering, there are eight card slots, one ID slot, two pockets that could be used for money/coupons, and a nice zippered change pocket in the middle. 

Not only do I love this wallet for its awesome color and the nice new size, but I love it because I can also use it as a sort of mini clutch. The zippered pouch could really hold anything, and the empty space could be used to hold a few essentials like a lip balm or cell phone. Great for when I don't want to bring my entire purse somewhere!

Now, I made this purchase online, and I didn't really want to pay for shipping, so I thought it best to look around the site for stuff I like that would make my total add up to $50. I found a purse I liked on clearance, and a ! The purse was cancelled after I made my order because Aldo discovered that they didn't actually have any in stock anymore. But they notified me very quickly, refunded me the amount of the purse, and never charged me for shipping! 

Here's the necklace, though. Isn't it awesome? I thought it was pretty alright on line, but I kind of assumed I was just going to end up returning it or something- especially since I'm a bit picky when it comes to accessories. But I ended up loving it, so I'm keeping it! Sorry for the mediocre shot- the sun had set and I don't have the greatest lighting...

But here it is close up! Isn't the design fabulous?

My first purchase from Aldo was definitely a success! I highly suggest you check out their website {http://www.aldoshoes.com/} yourself! Make sure to take a peek at their sale and clearance sections, too, because they have some mighty fine deals! 

Happy shopping!

xoxo,

Mini Body Shop Haul!

Hey everyone!

I am sorry I have been so terrible at posting! The semester is over now though, so I should have a lot more time to post. =) 

A couple of weeks ago, The Body Shop was having an awesome sale! Many things were buy one get one half off, and so on. PLUS, I had a Groupon! $10 for $20 worth of products! I was one happy camper shopper.  

The Body Shop is one of my absolute favorite places to buy bath and body products, but they can be a bit pricey, so imagine how excited I was! After a bit of deliberation I finally settled on what become my mini haul {literally!}.

Starting from the back left and going clockwise, here are the products I purchased: Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel, Sweet Lemon Shower Gel, Strawberry Body Butter, and Satsuma Body Butter. Can you tell I have a thing for citrus and strawberry? Honestly, they all smell DELICIOUS. I could probably eat these products if I didn't already know that's a bad thing to do. But seriously, it's tempting! They just smell REALLY good- trust me. 

The shower gels are great! They aren't drying, they rinse off nicely, and they lather up like a dream. The body butters are equally awesome, if not slightly better! They're rich without being heavy on the skin, which is really nice, and they don't leave you feeling all gross and oily either. It absorbs quickly and truly smooths and soothes your skin. And of course, both the shower gels and the body butters leave you smelling super yummy all day. =D

I got the mini versions of the products, simply because I hadn't been to The Body Shop for quite some time, and I wanted to make my Groupon stretch. So I figured why not buy the mini versions? That way I could sample a couple different products in a few different scents. I am VERY happy with my choice, and I cannot wait to go back to The Body Shop to get more goodies!

I highly recommend these products, and if you think the shower gels aren't really worth splurging on, just go into a store and smell them- you might change your mind! And even if you don't, I would definitely recommend trying a body butter at least. They're definitely the best body butter/lotion-type product I've ever tried! 

Also, The Body Shop is currently having a 50% off sale on a TON of their stuff- but it ends today, so hurry!

Hope everyone's summer is treating them well!

xoxo,

Hey everyone!

Today I thought I'd share with you my favorite skin care line: Clinique! I used Clinque's 3-Step System for a while when I was younger and it worked for me pretty well. For some reason that I don't remember, I stopped using it and just used Neutrogena Acne Stress Control instead. I used the Stress Control line for quite some time, but eventually, I realized that it just wasn't working for me. My skin was actually breaking out more {the exact opposite of what the Acne Stress Control line promised!} and my skin simply felt terrible.

About a year ago, I switched back to Clinque's 3-Step Skincare System, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. In case you're not familiar with Clinque's system, let me show you!

As you could probably tell by the name, there are three steps to this routine, which are cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. Also, the awesome thing about Clinque's system is that there are different formulas for each product that are designed for a particular skin type. They organize these formulas by numbers. 1 is for very dry to dry skin, 2 is for dry combination skin, 3 is for combination oily skin, and 4 is for oily skin.

So, the first step is cleansing. You have the choice of a liquid facial soap, or a facial soap bar. The cleansers are available in formulas 1-4. Personally, I prefer the liquid soap, as I find the pump to be a rather convenient time saver. The cleanser is great in my opinion. It cleans my face thoroughly, but gently, and never leaves my skin feeling taut or dry.

Next up is the toner. This helps to sweep away any excess dirt {although with how great the cleanser is, I find there is hardly ever any excess dirt to clean up!}, excess oil, and flaky skin. It also helps to tighten up your pores. Clinique calls their toner a Clarifying Lotion. I think it's the best astringent you can buy because it  does it's job well and it never, ever burns or stings. The Clarifying Lotions are available in formulas 1-4 as well as a special mild formula specifically created for very dry skin.

Last, but certainly not least, is the moisturizer. Clinique is actually very well-known for their moisturizer, and for good reason. It's honestly the only moisturizer I have and ever will use. Even when I was on the Acne Stress Control line, I still used Clinique moisturizer. It comes in two formulas: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. The Lotion is designed for skin types 1 and 2, while the Gel is designed for types 3 and 4. I personally use the Gel formula, because I have type 3 skin, but I know other people who use the Lotion. Regardless of formula or skin type, there is definitely a general consensus that Clinique moisturizers are nothing short of amazing. I seriously cannot rave enough about them!

If you have acne-prone skin, Clinique also has a 3-Step System designed specially for you! It includes everything above, but each product has preventative and healing acne medication. I have used that system as well, and I find it to be very effective. I have combination/oily skin, so I usually just stick with the formula 3 now. However, I do still struggle with acne {it's definitely not as bad as when I was younger, though!}, and I find that the traditional formulas do just fine at keeping the breakouts at bay!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Clinique is one of my favorite brands, and I honestly believe that they have an amazing quality skin care line. They also have a ton of other awesome products, too, so definitely check them out! Just as an FYI, this was not a sponsored post. I just have a great love for these products.  =)

I plan on posting my entire skincare routine soon, and other tips and tricks as well! Until then, I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! See you soon!


xoxo

New Beginnings

Hey everyone!

As this is my first ever post for my new blog, I thought I'd give you a rundown on what I plan to share with you!

As you can probably tell from the name of this blog, I hope to share some beauty tips with you {and learn some from you as well!}. This will be a great place to learn about anything beauty related- makeup, skincare, hair care...you name it!

Seeing as most of the beauty blogging community {now including myself!} is also obsessed with fashion, I plan on creating fun fashion posts as well! 

And of course, there will probably be the occasional lifestyle post or random ramblings about other things.  =)

I'm sure we'll become good friends, and I hope you will enjoy my blog!

xoxo