Online Shopping Haul! (Sephora, Sigma, and LUSH)

Hello! So this is coming a few days later than I planned, but for a very good reason...I got my room redone! It was my birthday present for this year, and is actually almost a month early, but that's fine with me. :) The only thing left is getting my headboard finished and put in, which will be on Monday. After that I will most definitely take pics and post all about it!

Anyway, on to the point of this post, which is a collective online shopping haul. I've actually had some of these items for a week or so, but wanted to wait until all of them came in before posting. As you can see from the title, the three places I ordered stuff from are Sephora, Sigma, and LUSH.

I'll start with Sephora!

I actually only ordered 2 items, and the rest are free samples. The items I paid for are the Origins VitaZing moisturizer (pictured above on the far left) and YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #7, Lingerie Pink (pictured on the far right). I've been using the VitaZing pretty much every day. I use it as my morning moisturizer, and I love it. It gives me the perfect amount of moisture without feeling heavy or greasy, it has SPF 15,it hasn't made my face go crazy and break out, and...I don't know how to explain it, but it's almost got a bit of tint to it. However, I would not describe it as a tinted moisturizer, exactly. It's got something in it that just evens out your skin and makes it look better, if that makes sense, ha ha. If you've used this before then you know what I mean. I highly recommend this moisturizer. The YSL lipstick I've used quite a bit, but not everyday because I do own a lot of lip products, and I don't like wearing the same one every day. It's a much paler pink than I thought it would be, but still pretty if I'm careful and don't put on too much. A darker lip liner underneath helps, as does lip gloss. Overall I like it, and the best part is that it smells like watermelon...yum! Lol. I got 3 free samples with my order, because Sephora is cool like that. I got Especially Escada perfume (in the pink package in the middle), Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta daily facial peel (2 small orange and white packages in the front), and a Givenchy foundation sample (not pictured, because I couldn't find it!). The perfume smells really good, but I've not tried the other products so I can't say anything good or bad about them yet. As a Sephora Beauty Insider, I get points every time I order/buy something from there, and once you get to 100 points you get a free deluxe sample. Mine was the Ole Henrickson Truth Serum with Vitamin C. I was SO excited to get this because the past few times that I've ordered, it's been available in a smaller package as a regular sample, but I've not been able to get it. I've been using this about every other day in the mornings, and so far I really like it. Not entirely sure what it does, but it feels good on my skin, and it smells like oranges. The last product from Sephora is Shiseido Eye Contour Cream. I was able to get a deluxe sample of this by entering a coupon code. I've been using it almost every morning, and I really like it. I'm starting to notice a reduction in the bags/dark circles under my eyes, so I'm pretty excited about that. I plan to buy the full size of this once the sample runs out.

Now for my Sigma order!

This my very first Sigma brush set, and it's the Make Me Crazy kit. The lighting in my bathroom makes the brush handles and the holder look pinkish, but they are actually purple. I have used these brushes since the day I got them, and I find myself wondering why I didn't purchase Sigma brushes before now, lol. I plan on getting more, starting with the kabuki brushes, because I've heard that the flat-top kabuki is amazing for applying foundation.

Last but not least is my favorite online purchase...LUSH!

These 2 items are wonderful. On the left is the Tea Tree Water, which I've been using as my toner morning and night. This doesn't burn my skin or make it feel irritated at all, it hasn't made me break out, and it has a nice smell. The product on the right is Grease Lightning. It also has tea tree in it, and I've been using this as a spot treatment. I really am able to tell a difference in my skin...I've had acne for a while now, and nothing else I've used has seemed to make as much of a difference as these products. I have to give partial credit to the fact that I've been taking an antibiotic, though...but still. I started using these before taking the antibiotic, so I know they're working.

Next up is the "fun" LUSH products...bath bombs and soap! The 2 bath bombs I got are Twilight (bottom left) and Butterball (bottom right). Apologies, I used half of Twilight before remembering about this blog post, ha ha. It was a wonderful bath too, I must admit. The bath bomb is lavender scented, and leaves your water kind of purple tinted with glitter in it. I did not realize this bath bomb was sparkly until I broke it in half, because the glitter is all on the inside. But I guess since it's called Twilight, it's only appropriate that it sparkles, right? Lol. Anyway, I took a bath with this one night before going to bed, and it left me very relaxed so I was able to sleep very well. Since taking this picture, I have also used the Butterball bath bomb. It was also amazing. I'm not sure what's in it, but it made me feel like I'd just taken a bath in shea butter or something, because my skin was so soft afterwards. It has a soft, comforting scent, and doesn't really do much to the water except make it kind of milky looking, if that makes sense.

Now for the soap. In the top left corner is the soap I got, which is Honey I Washed The Kids. They sent me a pretty good sized chunk of this, so I've cut off a small piece to keep in my shower, rather than keeping the whole thing in there. I LOVE this soap. It smells like honey and vanilla, is very cleansing and moisturizing, lathers up nicely, and it's just overall a good soap. The one in the top right corner is a sample that came with my order, but I can't remember what it's called...when I opened the plastic to smell it, the label came off. I do remember that it's supposedly one of their best-selling soaps, though. I haven't used it yet, but it smells really good.

This final LUSH product gets its own picture and everything, because it's just that amazing. This is the It's Raining Men shower gel. I love it, simple as that. My sister ordered and received her LUSH products before I did, and this was one of the things she got. I smelled it and knew I had to have it, lol, so of course I bought the biggest bottle (16.9 oz/500 ml if you're curious). I could seriously drink this or something, but something tells me it probably wouldn't taste as good as it smells, ha ha. I use this about every other time I shower (and use the soap the other times) and I just really enjoy how it smells. You can even use it as shampoo, which I have a couple of times, and it works pretty good as long as I use a good conditioner afterwards. I feel like if I didn't, it would dry my hair out a little. Other than that, it's awesome, and I will most certainly repurchase this.

Okay, that's the end of my haul! If anyone reads this, then I hope you enjoyed. As I said earlier, once my headboard is put up, I'll do a post on my room redesign. Until then, take care!

xoxo, Brittany

Clothing/fragrance haul!

So, as promised, here is my haul from the past couple of times I've been shopping! It's not that many items, lol, but I'm not usually one to just buy a whole bunch of stuff when I go to the mall. I like to just get a few things each time, and that way I save money, which is always good. :) Anyway, I'm gonna just get into this now.

First up is clothes! These are all shirts, and the stores I went to are Maurices, American Eagle, Hot Topic, and Victoria's Secret.

Maurices: I really like this store. We have one in the town I live in, and I can always find at least a couple of things that I like and that fit me well. However, there is one in the mall I went to as well, and I find they have a larger selection.

This is the first top I got at Maurices. Apologies for the bad quality photo...it was taken with my iPhone and I didn't have very good lighting at the time. Also, I didn't realize until now that it's kind of blurry-looking on one side. Oh well! I really like this shirt. The sleeves and sides are lace, and I think it's really pretty. It is also a longer shirt...not quite a tunic, but definitely longer than most tees, which I like. I've worn this a couple of times already, once with black pants and heels for church, and another time with denim capris and sandals, so it's very versatile and easy to dress up or down.

This is the only other shirt I got from Maurices, and I absolutely LOVE it! It's off-white with a subtle white stripe, and the graphic on the front is pretty...it says "Great New England Shoreline Florist, Free Delivery." I like the color, the graphic, how it looks on me...but my favorite thing is the back of it. It's got a bow at the top of the back, and then an opening below that down to almost the middle of my back. I can wear this now (and actually have already, haha), but it's going to be perfect for summer.

The next store I bought something from is American Eagle. It's one of my favorite stores...I get most of my jeans from there, and lots of shirts. Usually I'm able to find several things I like that look good on me, but this time I only found one shirt that didn't look like every other shirt I already have, lol.

It's purple, which is my favorite color. :) It's loose and flowy, and has a crochet-ish design around the neck area. You can't really tell in the picture, but the sleeves are split in the middle, so they just kind of hang off my shoulders. Love it.

I also went to Hot Topic, and really only went there for one purpose: a Hunger Games shirt...and I got it!

It's black and has the flaming mockingjay design on it. I wore this last night when I went with my family to see the movie (which was AMAZING, btw...can't wait to see it again!). I really like music/movie tees, mostly for just hanging out around my apartment/cleaning/whatever, but there are some that I'll wear out at times...I can definitely see myself wearing this one. It's too awesome of a shirt to keep confined in my apartment, lol.

The last clothing store I visited was Victoria's Secret. I got a new bra and some underwear, but obviously I'm not posting pictures of those, ha ha. However, I did get a shirt too, so...yeah.

It's just a simple tee, but I really like the color. It's actually a bright, really pretty blue, and the picture definitely doesn't do it justice. Plus, it's VS PINK brand, so it has the "PINK dog" logo (in the right corner above), which is so cute!

Besides clothes, I also bought some fragrance items from Bath and Body Works. These were purchased in 2 separate mall trips, and actually at 2 different malls lol.

This was from the first trip. I love these little hand sanitizers, which are usually 5 for $5. They sell the keychain/holder things for them. I do have one on my keychain, but they also fit perfectly on my stethoscope at work, so I have one there as well. I got 2 of the fresh market apple ones (my favorite), a wildberry hibiscus, and a vanilla berry sorbet. I also got a peach one, but it's not pictured because I gave it to my little sister. :) I also got the "best kiss" lip gloss, and I am in love with it! It goes on clear, but then changes to this perfect pink color. The best part, though, is that it smells and tastes like chocolate...I could seriously eat it, lol.

These are from the second trip, and are all "home fragrance" items. I love the candles but only buy them when they're 2 for $20, because any other time they're like $19 by themselves. I think that's a little ridiculous for a candle, no matter how good it smells lol. Anyway, the 2 candles I got are lemon mint leaf and white palm. They both smell amazing...the lemon mint leaf is citrus-y but not overpoweringly so, and also has a freshness to it. The white palm is a scent that I find very relaxing, much like the beach, but without the coconut scent that you think of when "beach scent" is mentioned. I like to light this one when I'm taking a bath, or right before I go to bed. The day I got these, Bath and Body Works was having a special deal where if you purchased 2 home fragrance items, you got a free antibacterial foaming hand soap, as well as a free tote. The soap I got is fresh picked peach (they gave me the option of that one or fresh picked raspberry). The tote is going to come in handy when my sisters and I go on vacation this summer. :)

Last but not least...Mia got her hair cut. :)

Isn't she adorable? I love this little snuggle bug, even if she is spoiled rotten. :)

That's about it for now. I have received all of the items I ordered online, so in the next few days I'll post an "online shopping" haul. I'm off now to get a little bit of rest before work tonight!

xoxo, Brittany

Update/what I've been up to/etc...

Hello hello! I realize it's been over 2 months since I last posted...oops! I'm trying to get myself to where I can post more regularly, about 2-3 times per week, but lately it's been difficult. For one, I was kinda stuck on what to write about, and also my computer STILL being broken doesn't help. But anyway, I've got several ideas for blog posts now, and hoping to get my computer up and running in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'll just steal/borrow my sister's computer, like I'm doing today. :P

I know in my last post I mentioned doing a post about my ex, but thinking about it now...well, honestly, he doesn't deserve a whole blog post, ha ha. So I'm just going to post here what happened. Basically, I think we got serious too quickly. He'd just got out of a relationship that he'd been in for over a year, and the girl he was with was very mean to him, mentally/emotionally abusive, and just pretty much not a nice girl. He didn't have enough time to get over that break-up before we got together, and felt like he would be bringing me down by talking about it so much. He did talk about it a few times, but I didn't think he was overdoing it or anything...I think he just wasn't as ready for a serious relationship as I was at the time, and used his difficult break-up as an excuse to break up with me, which makes no sense at all, but whatever. I know the right man for me is out there somewhere, and hopefully we find each other soon. :)

Now for something a lot more exciting: I'm going to Florida this summer with my sisters! I know, it doesn't sound like a big deal, but for us it is because it'll be our first time going without our parents. I am SOOOO excited because I absolutely LOVE the beach. I think if it weren't for the hurricanes, I could live there, lol.

And that brings me to my next point, which is this...I've been working a lot more on losing some weight and getting myself fit. Actually, I've started to do just that a few times over the last month, but couldn't stick with it. So today, I started over and I WILL stick with it this time. My main motivation is, of course, being able to buy a bikini for the first time in a few years and actually look hot in it. I plan to get one from Victoria's Secret, because I think they have very nice ones, and when I have the body for it, why not spend a little more money? Especially since I'll be working so hard to look good, ha ha.

So this is what I'm doing to get in shape. First, I've changed my diet quite a bit. For one thing, I'm making healthier choices with my meals, and when all that's available is something unhealthy, I'm eating less of it. This is a basic meal plan for me, though it does vary some.

Breakfast: smoothie made with fruit, plain Greek yogurt, a little bit of protein powder, and water; vanilla Greek yogurt with fruit; granola bar; or cereal. This is pretty much what I usually have for breakfast anyway, but there are times when I get off work in the morning that I think driving through McDonald's or somewhere sounds like a good idea for breakfast, so I'm going to not do that anymore.

Lunch: sandwich on whole grain sandwich thins made with turkey, cheese, olive oil mayo (delicious, by the way!), and mustard; salad (I like to get the pre-made chef salads from Wal-Mart); or something else "healthy." Can't really think of any other options that would be considered "healthy," but sometimes my sister and I like to get sushi, Subway, or Taco Bell for lunch. I know that last one isn't always the best, but they do have healthier options than most fast food places.

Dinner: Whatever is available, ha ha! Sometimes I eat at home, and my sister will cook some kind of chicken dish, or salmon, or steak. Also, sometimes she will go get something, so once again, I'll choose the healthiest option. Sometimes I do go to my parents' house and eat with them, and usually my mom cooks nutritious, delicious meals.

On nights that I work during the week, I usually do eat a small meal around 10:30 or 11 pm. The cafeteria at the hospital I work in has a grill, so usually I get something from there. I'll have an omelette (with ham, cheese and mushrooms) or a grilled sandwich (ham and American cheese or turkey and Swiss). Usually when I get an omelette, that's all I'll eat because they are huge and fill me up. With the sandwiches, though, I'll get a bag of baked Lay's, pretzels, or pita chips.

Drinks: I'm limiting my Cokes to 2 per week. This is probably going to be the hardest for me, because I really enjoy Cokes, but I know I can do it because I have before. I even got to the point where I wasn't drinking Cokes at all. The rest of the time, I'll be drinking mostly water and tea, juice with breakfast if I feel like it, and 1 energy drink a week (at work, because I do get tired). Of course, I love coffee, so when I get to have a "normal" night of sleep (when I'm not working), I have coffee in the morning right after I wake up.

And that's about it for the "diet" part of my get-fit plan. Now for the exercise. I'm currently doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It is amazing, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get in shape fast. I did this last year and looked pretty good, but did need to lose a bit more weight. When I did it last year, I didn't actually complete the whole thing, but this time I will. I'm doing that on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Wednesday, I'm doing Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown. I love yoga, and this one is really good. I feel like if I did 30 Day Shred straight through 5 days a week, I would get frustrated with it and quit, so that's why I'm putting the yoga kind of right in the middle. On Sunday I'm taking a rest day, and I will take my dogs for a 15-30 minute walk around my apartment complex, depending on the weather. Since it's spring now, it feels so nice outside, and my dogs need a bit of exercise too sometimes, lol. Plus, they love walking around outside just as much as I do. :)

I've got more posts coming up in the next couple of weeks! Tomorrow or the next day, I'll be posting my first haul, and when all of the things I ordered online come in (from Sephora, LUSH, and Sigma) I'll post an online haul. I've also got a skin care routine, hair routine, AM and PM routines, and an everyday make-up look planned. Like always, I don't know if anyone actually reads my blog, but if you do, leave me a comment or tweet me to let me know.

Be back soon! xoxo, Brittany