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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Beauty News!!!

     I have been MIA and super busy! I've been trying to get ahead on my blog and my schoolwork. AAARGH it's frustrating, I could see me doing makeup, FOREVER...graphic design? not so much. It's practical and not as fun as I thought it would be. I'd rather stick to painting and painting my face!
     But I digress! I owe you 2 reviews, the best $10 I ever spent and a $1 *GEM*...it's coming.
I'll try to have at least 2 of those things tomorrow.
Also because of my financial situation and am on an indefinite NO BUY!
I shared a lot with you today and as we know sharing is caring!
Now for this weeks specials and there are some good ones!

     To start off there will be an event a Sephora inside JCP on March 1st , where you will receive a complimentary makeover AND a free gift. The event runs from 12pm-5pm. Check your local Sephora inside JCPenny for further details.

Ulta
15% off skincare
free gift with purchases of Philosophy, Urban Decay or Mario Badescu products

CVS
BOGO 50% - Milani, Revlon, Almay, Wet n' Wild, Nuance, Aveeno, Clean n' Clear, Simple, Roc and Lumene.

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- L'Oreal, Roc, Cetaphil, Covergirl, Neutrogena, Studio 35 skincare, Revlon, and Maybelline

Rite Aid
NYC BOGO FREE!
40% off Almay, Physicians Formula and Revlon
BOGO 50% Covergirl, Neutrogena, L'Oreal

Thursday, February 13, 2014

BEAUTY NEWS!!

I know it's Thursday,  and I know you can't shop without my guidance. Well I'm here!!! I didn't go any where. The weather has delayed my circulars from getting to my house early and some websites do not list their sales until the start of a new week.

I am definitely on a "beauty product fast" unfortunately it's an imposed fast, not consentual. Good thing for us is that I bought a years worth of products to test at the end of 2013. That combined with my beauty boxes and free samples, will tie us over until 2015.

So shop until your little hearts are content! I will be shopping vicariously through you!

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%-revlon, l'oreal skincare, almay lip, eye and concealer, rimmel, maybelline, covergirl, cetaphil, eucerin, clearasil, neutrogena, bio oil, crave
Wet n' Wild 40% off
L'Oréal cosmetics $6.99

CVS
BOGO 50%-covergirl, rimmel, cvs, skincare, makeup wipes and pads, almay, nyc, revlon, wet n'wild, lumene, ponds, neutrogena, cetaphil
Physicians Formula 40% off

Walgreens
BOGO 50% L'Oréal,  covergirl, maybelline, almay, revlon, roc and neutrongena
2/$3 wet n' wild lip and nail

Also urban decay has a 20% off friends and fanatics sale.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

WEEKLY REVIEW: Facial Masks

     February is all about skincare! This month I'll have different reviews on skincare products, first up are masks! Sometimes masks are hard to buy and sometimes hard to figure out if it's are working or not.
     At least once a week you should be using a mask. I usually make Sunday my "facial day" believe it or not it takes me an hour to wash my face. I chose Sunday because usually I have little or nothing to do, plus all my shows are on that day, so I have time to relax, plus I get to multitask, one of my favorite activities.
     From my research I found out that after the age of 30, you should get a facial at least once a month. I also found out that it depends on your skin type. I agree with the skin type plan :)
If you have oily acne proned skin a facial is recommended every 2 to 3 weeks. For normal skin every 4 to 6 weeks.
     Remember this IS "Beauty On A Budget" and facials are expensive, so what can we do about that? Even if you bought a Groupon deal or a Living Social deal, you're still looking at a minimum $30 bucks per session, per month! Are there products that help you minimize this cost, but still give you quality results? YES,  there are! By splurging on a great masks ONE TIME, you could have several, quality, at home facials for $10 a month or less.
     I said it earlier that masks are hard to buy, because since you only use them once a week, it's hard to tell if it's working for you, as opposed to cleansers, which you use everyday.
Unfortunately, my favorite mask ( and MOST affordable) was discontinued years ago. It was a blue clay mask by St. Ives. It was a great product, but had horrible packaging...I still love you and miss you if you're out there clay mask!
     My BIGGEST learning curve came from testing these products. They truly taught me the meaning of "you get what you pay for."

First lets start with my LOVES!!!

Origins Clear Improvement Mask  ($16-$24) sephora, origins, ulta-
As you know I am a glutton for clay masks! I have raved about this in the past and I haven't changed my mind. I love that the small tube of Origins lasts about 4-6 months (when used once a week). At $16 (for the small) it's a tiny fraction of even 1 facial and about half the cost of a facial from an online deal.
 Plus the wait time is only 15 minutes  for the mask to dry.  Origins is made of all natural ingredients and it's safe for every skin type!
The link below is my previous encounter with this mask.
http://punkrockpretty.blogspot.com/2013/02/sephora-workshop.html



Radical Instantly Revitalizing Mask ($65) sephora- Now before you yell at me for featuring a second product over our $10 plan, hear me out! In this bottle is 1 ounce, but you only need 1 pump to rub over your entire face.
 ( 2 pumps if you're feeling generous)
EASILY this bottle could last you 4-6 months, breaking down your total cost to about $10 a month. You do use this mask twice a week, but the wait time is a mear 5 MINUTES! This cuts down my total facial time by 10 minutes!
 For me, this was the closest mask to a salon facial. Once the product is on (it goes on clear) it foams up immediately. Then the bubbles start to pop, creating this relaxing vibrating facial massage.
     I know the mask is revitalizing, which leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean, but for me it also help with my breakout. About once a month a get an acne breakout, which has lessened over the years, but still happens. (I'm actually experiencing it now) The Radical mask also stopped the growth of any pimples I did have.

*Side Note* My mom asked for something for her skin, so I let her try the mask. She loved it as well. Out of all the products I've tried, my mom has only tried to steal 3, this being one of them. She actually got to keep the other 2 products, but I'm holding on to this one!
 
     The Radical mask does not dry out your skin and if safe to use on all skin types. Not to mention that the mask smells delicious and comes in this 'sexy' spill proof packaging, which happens to be perfect for travel.

Now that we got the GREAT out of the way, let's get this over with and talk about the BAD.
This has to be my least favorite part :(

 Micheal Todd Pumpkin Mask ($34) glossybox, ipsy- I wanted to love this...I saw pumpkin and thought "natural...great" BUT once I applied it I felt gross. It was like smearing pumpkin pie on my face. It smelled GREAT, but there wasn't any noticible difference. I even tried it again and it didn't seem to do anything  for my face.






 
Epielle Facial Cloths ($1)- These are cotton masks, 'supposedly' soaked with a nutrient rich formula. I bought the 'green tea and aloe' and the 'firming and lifting'. I know I should have seen the price and stayed away! I haven't always been disappointed my discount products though, so I HAD to try it. The wait time was ridiculous! 30 minutes!!! 30 minutes for this thing to sit on your face and do nothing! I should have seen the other warning signs on the package. The pack literally says, do not use on irrititated skin, meaning no burns, scrapes or even PIMPLES! seriously? It has to used on perfect skin?! Then why would I need a mask?

Now for some GOOD products. They weren't necessarily for me, but they have their merits.

Vasanti Mask ($34) amazon, birchbox- This product is EXCELLENT for whiteheads. I don't get them often enough to use this mask, but it does work. It's pretty much Biore strips in a mask form. I does dry out your skin  which is another reason I am conflicted on it's use. Be sure to use a moisturizer after.

*Side Note* This was one of the 2 products my mom actual got to keep. She uses it as needed, about every other month. I think it's the way the mask should be used.
 




Mary Kay Botanicals Mask ($14) marykay- This mask wasn't bad, my only real complaint was that it dried quickly. It has an exfoliant in it, which is an instant time saver, BUT the mask dries to quickly for you to actually take advantage on the exfoliating properties. Positives, it's all natural and comes in two different formulas, depending on your skin type.

Essentially, the masks I did try were the price point I've been trying to hit, but still not expensive as have a monthly facial. Splurging on a fantastic skin care item will benefit you in the long run. The better you take care of you skin, the less makeup you have to wear !

Monday, February 3, 2014

Beauty News!!!

     WELCOME BACK!!! I hope you enjoyed your superbowl weekend...I'm actually writing this as the game is STILL on, but did you see Denver get slaughtered!?!
Anyway this is about beauty, not football.
     Biore is changing their packaging again!! Do we know what that means? Check you clearance aisles for items in the old/current Biore packaging. I'm not sure when the change will take effect nationwide, but I have locate some items for 50% off at Walgreens.
     Biore is also added NEW items to their line. They will have a cleanser and a 1 minute mask which will both be CHARCOAL based. I have not seen these items on the shelf yet and I can't wait!

SALES!!!!

ULTA
Ulta has this amazing IN STORE sale on CARGO products!! They are all 50% off!!!
Don't Forget about the other sales on Revlon, NYX, Covergirl, etc...for BOGO 50%

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- Revlon, Maybelline, Almay, Covergirl, NYC
Neutrogena 40% off
St. Ives $3.99
Garnier Dark Spot Corrector products $14.99

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- L'Oreal, Neutrogena, Yes, Studio35, Rimmel, St. Ives, Revlon, Simple.
CarMax 3/$3

CVS
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, Olay, Almay, Neutrogena, Roc, Trim tools
Neutrogena Buy 2 Get 1 Free!!

Tune in this week to my youtube for my brush video.
I will also be bringing back the $10 I ever spent, $1 *GEMS* and a NEW challenge.