Bath and Body Works 2 for $22, 3-wick Candles

One thing you should know about me is that I absolutely LOVE great smelling, scented candles and when Bath and Body Works has a sale on their 3-wick candles; I go "all in". I have been longing for spring weather, but Winter's gloom has been lurking over many parts of the country. Currently, I'm on spring break and if it isn't evident by the weather that spring has sprung, then my house will surely smell like it!

A few days ago, I was out at the mall, searching for items for my upcoming beach vacation. Needless to say candles isn't really what I was looking for...By the way, I did leave the mall with a few goodies that I'll show in my next blog post. When I passed by the Bath and Body Works store, I noticed the signage outside of the store, stating that the 3 wick candles were on sale at 2 for $22. I found it slightly odd, seeing as though their sales on 3 wick candles are usually 2 for $20. It looks like prices have gone up just a tad, on their candles. 3-wick candles used to retail at $19.50 ea. and can now be purchased for $20 ea.

I decided not to make a purchase at that time because I knew that I had some very old receipts lying around that had coupons on them with no expiration date. Yesterday, I tore through my room looking for the receipts and just when I was about to submit to the agony of defeat, I found 2 of my receipts; one with $10 off a purchase of $30 or more and another receipt with a coupon of $10 off a purchase of $40 or more. I took both with me because I was convinced that I had my sights set on at least 3 fragrances, with the intent to purchase 4 (just a weird quirk that I felt I NEEDED to purchase 4). With the 3-wick candle sales, you can purchase 2 for $22 and each additional candle will be $11. You do not have to purchase even quantities, although I like to. I settled on 3 of the candles and a candle sleeve.

First up the candle sleeve...

Birds & Blooms 3-wick Candle sleeve.  $5.50 USD

I think these sleeves are a great partner for the candles.  It gives them a decorative flair and makes them much more appealing to display.



Lemon Mint Leaf. Regular price $20 USD

When I saw Lemon Mint Leaf, I knew I wanted it.  It gives off a very interesting aroma.  It's not my typical choice in scents, although I don't really know that I have a typical fragrance.  This one smells like a freshly cleaned house.  This candle is described as, "A refreshing mix of freshly cut lemon balm and spearmint blended with soothing vetiver and zesty citrus."



Honeysuckle. Regular price $20 USD

Honeysuckle definitely exudes the aroma of spring.  This candle is described as, "An alluring blend of sweet honeysuckle, pink peony and a touch of creamy vanilla capture the essence of walking through a garden in bloom."  The label also states that it has the aroma of freesia



First Blook. Regular price $20 USD

First Bloom is not a candle that I originally planned to purchase, but as I began to smell the different candles, I found it to be an attractive scent.  This candle is described as, "...the essence of the season's very first blooms with an alluring blend of water lotus and pink peony wrapped in apple blossom and soft woods."  The label also states that it has the aroma of plumeria.

Just as I was about to leave the store, a whole group of summery, beachy candles caught my eye. I can't believe that I missed these beauties. I had to smell every scent before I left the store and part of me wanted to activate another coupon. I restrained myself and for now, I'll tell myself to wait until the next 3-wick candle sale.

If candles are your "thing", then you should hurry out to your local Bath and Body Works.  Neither these sales or these candles are permanent for Bath and Body Works.

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Hello Kitty Sephora: Last Call for Polish

Left to Right: Ice Cube, Banana Cream, Minty, Blueberry, Purple Sprinkles, Pink Sprinkles, Frosted Cupcake, and Bubble Gum

A while back, I posted that Sephora had placed some items from there "permanent" Hello Kitty line on sale.  The prices for these polishes had been reduced to $5, down from $10.I was able to grab all 8 of the nail polishes that they featured in their permanent line.  Recently, I decided to scour the Sephora website and noticed that the selection of Hello Kitty nail polishes has dwindled.

Banana Cream, 3 coats

Banana Cream is definitely an appropriate name for this shade.  This was a slightly thin formula and needed 3 coats to show this opacity.  This creamy yellow shade is just in time for the spring season.

Minty, 3 coats

Minty probably had a thinner application than Banana Cream.  Neither color seemed difficult to build, nor did it seem to take long to dry.  Although the formula was a bit on the watery side, the fact that I was able to apply multiple coats in a relatively short amount of time, made this product worth while.  I'm a bit impatient when it comes to waiting on nail polish to dry.



Blueberry, 2 coats

Blueberry was probably the most opaque out of all of these polishes.  This is definitely a plus in my book, as I am very much a fan of opaque polishes.  It only took 2 coats to build up this opacity and I was almost good to go with only one coat.



Purple Sprinkles, 2 coats

Purple Sprinkles turned out to be another pleasant surprise for me.  This polish was very dense with glittery goodness.  It only took two coats to build up this opacity.  This might be a color that could stand alone.

Frosted Cupcake, 4 coats

Frosted Cupcake came as a bit of a surprise.  I didnt' expect this color to be as sheer as it was.  It took 4 coats to build up to this opacity.  This might better serve as a top coat, rather than a stand-alone polish.

Pink Sprinkles, 4 coats

With this polish, I was surprised at how much the base color showed up.  I expected to get peachy/pink iridescent glitter in a clear polish, rather than the peach base color.  It did take 4 coats to build to this opacity, so this glitter polish is not as dense as Purple Sprinkles.  This polish might be great for layering.



Bubble Gum, 3 coats

Bubble Gum applied in much the same way that Minty did.  This polish seemed to be a bit thin, but there wasn't much down time between coats.  I enjoyed this color so much that I decided on this for my manicure after I finished shooting pictures for this post.

Overall, I think that these polishes were worth the money and the cute packaging is just an added bonus.  These polishes will make a wonderful addition to the polishes that I purchased back during the release of the 2011 holiday collection.  It looks like Sephora has made room for the latest Hello Kitty nail polishes, just in time for Summer.  If you haven't guessed by now, I can't wait to sink my nails into those bright colors.

If you were on the fence about these beauties, this may be your final opportunity to snatch them up.  If you don't see the shade you adore online, you might be able to check your local Sephora while supplies last.

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St. Patrick's Day Nails 2013

Some time ago, while I was at a gas station, I came across some "Mint m&m's" on sale.  I can't say that I had ever seen this kind of m&m's before, but with a penchant for mint and chocolate chip ice cream, I jumped on the purchase.  This pack of m&m's got me thinking...St. Patrick's Day nails!  I was inspired by the pastel greens on the m&m package, which led me to create this nail look. 

 

As fate would have it, just before creating this nail look, I broke 3 nails. Augh!

 

 

 

 



Left to Right: Sephora Hello Kitty Liquid Nail Art in "Minty", Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat, Orly "Won't Chip" Topcoat, OPI Nail Polish in "Don't Mess With OPI", Nail plate from the Born Pretty Store, and Cina Nail Art "Dial-a-Gem".

 

I decided to break out one of my new Hello Kitty polishes from Sephora.  It reminds me of China Glaze's "Re-Fresh Mint", although I have yet to compare the two.  This polish is still on sale and available on Sephora's site.  To stamp the clover/shamrock on my nails, I used a stamping plate that I received from the Born Pretty Store.  For the gems, I used Cina Nail Art "Dial-a-Gem", that I purchased from Sally's Beauty Supply.  With this design, I decided to test out the Orly nail polish bonder and "chip resistant" top coat.  My nails are notorious for chipping, breaking, and peeling, so I'm eager to find out just how long this manicure will last.  More to follow on the Orly products.

 

**Availability of items featured in this post are subject to change.

 

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MAC Archie's Girls Update: Ronnie Red + Bonus Material

About a week ago, I finally got my hands on the coveted Ronnie Red Lipstick from MAC's Archie's Girls Collection that was released last month.  I was trying to hold out on MAC doing another restock of this lipstick, but it seems I had no such luck.  I've been itching to do this post for the past week, but I've been so bogged down with work.  I also managed to get some Archie's Girls pigment samples, from my local MAC counter.  Today, I decided to test out these colors on my skin (you'll find the photos below).

 

MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE), Archie's Girls Collection



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE), Archie's Girls Collection



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE), Archie's Girls Collection



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE), Archie's Girls Collection



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE), Archie's Girls Collection



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE); Swatch with Flash



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE); Swatch without Flash



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE) Swatch



MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (LE) with Strawberry Malt Lipglass (LE) on top



Top Row (left to right): Betty's Pigments in Lucky in Love and Cheers My Dear
Bottom Row (left to right): Veronica's Pigments in Magic Spells and Black Poodle



Base: For Effect paint pot, Lid Color: Lucky in Love pigment, Crease Color: Magic Spells, Eyeliner (lowerlash): Black Russian pearlglide eye liner



Base: For Effect paint pot, Lid Color: Cheers My Dear pigment, Crease Color: Black Poodle, Eyeliner (lowerlash): Rave pearlglide eye liner

 

 

 

Due to recent restocks, items from this collection (that were previously sold out) are currently available on MAC's website.

 

 

Check out my previous posts on this collection:

 

MAC's Archie's Girls Collection

 

MAC Archie's Girls...Part 1.1

 

MAC Archies Girls Collection...It's still not over

 

**Item availability is subject to change.

 

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MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme: Deep Dark Brunette

Today, my package has arrived!!  In much anticipation of warm weather, I’ve been on the hunt for some beauty staples that could withstand the summer heat.  MAC Cosmetics kicked the new year off with the Stylish Brow collection; a collection with all the promises of eyebrow, face framing perfection.  I have tried many different brow products, but I’ve always navigated back to using my faithful MAC eyeshadow, to fill them in.  This collection featured many different brow tools/products; from pencils to powders to gelcremes.  Once I learned that the gelcremes were transfer proof/waterproof, I was sold…but…as the saying goes, “you snooze, you lose”.  By the time I came around to this collection, all of the Fluidline Brow Gelcremes in Deep Dark Brunette were sold out not only on MAC’s website, but also at my local MAC counter.

Last week, while perusing the net, I came across the most wonderful blog (swatchmechocolate.blogspot.com) and found…cue the celestial choir…a post on MAC’s Fluidline Brow Gelcreme!!  Not only was there a post with review about this product, but there was a link to where the product was still available…NORDSTROM.  I completely forgot about this little gem of MAC hopefuls.  I quickly ordered my gelcreme and I’m glad I did because, as my package arrived today, the gelcremes are no longer available on the Nordstrom site.  MAC still has one color held up on its site.  The product retails for $16 USD on MAC's website, but I purchased it from Nordstrom for $15 USD.

With the approaching warm months and bright clothing palettes, I want to ensure that my makeup doesn’t slide off of my face and onto my clothes.  Having a product like this can be very helpful to maintaining a polished look in the heat.  Today, I swatched the gelcreme and here are the pics…

 



Bare Brow



MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette



Nordstrom samples with purchase and free shipping

This is a product that you don’t want to take your time with as it dries fairly quickly.  Once this gelcreme dries, it is set.  I rubbed my fingers across my brows and didn’t find any transferring of the product.  Whether or not this product holds up against water or humidity, I haven’t tried yet, but it’s already more promising than anything I’ve used in the past.  I really hope MAC considers either bringing this product back or making it permanent.

 

What are your thoughts?  Are there any other comparable products on the market?  What is your favorite brow product?

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Buxom Shimmer, Shine, & Smoke: Sephora Beauty Insider Kit

For those of you who are familiar with Sephora's Beauty Insider plan, you know it is a way to keep beauty addicts hooked. Rarely do I find myself redeeming my rewards, but I have run across something that I think is totally worth it…Buxom’s Shimmer, Shine, and Smoke kit.

If you aren’t familiar with Sephora’s Beauty Insider program, let me take a moment to give an overview.  Sephora is one of the main retailers for many different beauty brands.  To become a Beauty Insider, there is no additional cost.  One of the perks you receive as a Beauty Insider is a complimentary birthday gift (on or around your birthday) as well as a chance to earn Beauty Insider points.  Beauty Insiders can use the points to redeem featured products that have been selected by Sephora.  Often times the products are trial size.  It isn’t often that I come across products that I want to try or that I’m willing to cash in my points for.  In fact, I have only used my points one other time, and it just turns out that those products were by Buxom too.

Now, on to the kit…

Buxom’s Shimmer, Shine, and Smoke kit features four trial size products, all of which are available for purchase in full size.  The contents included in the kit are:

 

 

 

 

Mini waterproof smoky eye stick in Silversword (0.42g/0.015oz.):

Silversword is an interesting name for this product.  I wonder if it was inspired by the plant whose leaves are covered with silver hairs.  Silversword, the eye stick, comes across as a charcoal gray/black with almost microscopic silver flecks.  This smoky eye stick is very reminiscent of a shade stick, but once this product sets, it definitely isn’t going to budge.  Surprisingly, I found this product very easy to remove with soap.

 

This full size product is currently available at Sephora.com (0.03oz) for $19 USD.

 

 

Mini Lash Mascara in Blackest Black (6mL/0.2fl.oz):

This mascara is said to be volumizing.  One thing that I noticed about this product is the applicator.  The bristles are more like combs, making it difficult for clumping.



Bare Lashes



One coat



Two coats

 

This full size product also comes in a waterproof formula.  Both mascaras are currently available at Sephora.com (estimate: 11mL/0.37fl.oz is the closest reference I could find.  Product size is not listed on Sephora or Bare Essentuals website) for $19 USD.

 

 

Buxom Big and Healthy lip polish in Sugar (2mL/0.07fl.oz.):

As I mentioned earlier, the only other Beauty Insider reward that I redeemed with my points was a Buxom kit with lip products.  This lip polish is advertised as a “sheer, shimmering gloss”.  I didn’t experience much opacity with this lip gloss.  One thing that I like about Buxom’s lip polishes is the tingling sensation your lips feel when they’re applied.  It’s like you can feel your lips becoming fuller.  Sugar could not have been more appropriately named because that is definitely the aroma that this product exudes.





No Flash



Flash

 

This full size product is currently available at Sephora.com (4.45mL/0.15fl.oz.) for $19 USD.

 

 

Mini Divine Goddess™ Luminizer in Venus (30mL/1fl.oz.):

According to the product label, this product can be worn on the “cheeks, temples, décolleté, or all over your face…”  I haven’t had a chance to work this product into my makeup regimen, but with hopes of warm weather in the near future, I am looking forward to trying this out.  Heck, I may not wait too much longer for the weather.  I did swatch this product on my arm and much like the waterproof eye stick; the luminizer didn’t seem to budge once set.  The true test will come when I try this luminizer on my combination/oily face.

 

This full size product is currently available at Sephora.com (60mL/2fl.oz) for $28 USD.

 

Swatches with flash

Swatches without flash

 

 

The availability of this kit will depend on the Sephora locations.  If you haven’t had a chance to check this kit out, you may want to give it a try.  It is a 500 point perk.  If you want to check out the full size products, they are available at Sephora.com.

 

*Prices and availability are subject to change.

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