TJmaxx Haul

I've been on a bit of a spending diet recently. I don't put myself on complete bans or no-buys because I am horrible at sticking with them, and I'll just likely go spend money on something that's not makeup. I've decided to keep my spending at under $100 a week. I know this seems like a lot of money as it is, but I'm including meals out, drinks snacks and the like, clothing, shoes and gifts (and if I'm more than likely to actually succeed than I'll keep doing it). I really have to stop giving in to every sale or deal that I find (that's why you'll notice me posting sales but saying I'm not going to be participating) and if you try to hit "free ship" on orders, they add up quick!

Anyway, I've been doing really well the last couple of weeks so I decided to stop by TJmaxx today after work to see if they had anything interesting in stock. I gave myself a budget of $50 to play with and went to town.

I missed out on Goldie nail polish before they were discontinued so I was thrilled to find a set of three for just $4.99

I've heard excellent things about the Barielle nail treatments so when I found a whole slew of them for $3.99 a piece, I picked up 3 to try. No way was I going to pay the $16 retail price!

This cute little pack of Essie minis was missing a bottle so it was marked down from $7.99 to only $3 and includes the infamous Ruby Slippers that's been on my "to try" list!

I've never tried Willi Smith (you know, for years I thought this was Will Smith's clothing line, haha, I just caught the extra 'i') makeup, in fact, I wasn't aware there was one, but each of these palettes was only $3.99 and they come with a real brush. Apparently, you can buy palettes on... amazon? For the price, I picked up 2 to try.

Nic's Sticks. I've heard these were awful but I wanted to test them for myself (for the record, I've heard the formula was good but the brush is crap though they can be "de-penned"). Anyway, for $2 a pack, or $1 each I'm willing to take the chance to try them myself.

Do you see the little $5 clearance price tag in the picture above? Sure you do. Eyes by Design used to be carried on HSN... is the brand gone already? Their website isn't working? Anyway, these palettes retail(ed) for $20+ so I grabbed this one brand new, untouched for $5.

I spent $43.39 including tax minus the $3.99 KitchenAid egg slicer which we actually needed so really under $40 for the makeup/beauty stuff. I'm excited to play with and test my new goodies.

Tarte Code

You might have noticed by now that Tarte puts out 40% off codes all the time, so no huge rush to purchase something today, however, for today only (no joke!) there is a code for 40% off all purchases. Code is APRILFL. Will you be picking anything up? The free ship over $40 is usually after discount.

Businesses & Social Networking Sites

The internet has drastically changed how we interact with each other. I remember when only a select few were able to access the "world wide web". I remember when my parents bought their first computer in the mid 90s and I played games that were pixels. My, how things have changed. The internet has also changed how businesses interact with their customers. Before interfaces like Twitter, Facebook and Blogger, many companies were impersonal conglomerates: now they have human faces. You, the consumer can now discuss lipstick with a VP and they'll actually listen and respond to your input. To get your voice heard, you don't have to incessantly press 0 on the company phone tree to finally talk to a "live person".

But just like the fear of consumers putting too much information out there (do you really want your employer seeing those photos from Mardi Gras?), some businesses aren't putting their best foot forward on the web. I have both been encouraged to buy from companies based on their interactions on these social networking sites and have been put off. It's a delicate balance. Sure, you want the customers to see the "real you", that you are accessible to them, that you feel and think the same things that they do. But in the end, you are running a business, and ultimately the customer is picky, easily offended and even sometimes a bitch. And whether or not you or anyone likes it, it's part of being a successful business. It's part of the "yes, m'am not a problem" when someone is cursing at you from the other end and it's part of not posting about that customer on Twitter or Facebook.

Although it would be easier for these companies to avoid social networking sites, it is essential for them to be involved, so they need to be careful about their approach to this new media.
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I've been thinking of posting this for quite a while but wanted to make sure this was a fair and impartial commentary. This is my first "editorial" post and I'll admit it's pretty nerve wrecking to post my opinions on here!

I'd like to thank DH for editing this for me.

Korres' Response to "Let's Do Lunch" ... Tea Time!

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Many of you probably know that Smashbox has a special deal every Tuesday and Thursday (if not, now you do!). With every purchase during the lunch hours of 9am-2pm PST, orders receive a free gift (sometimes deluxe samples and other times full sized items). Well, Korres has jumped on board, with "Tea & Treats in the Afternoon". I actually started yesterday March 30th but the gift tomorrow is much better, so don't feel as though you are missing out. The Korres does seem to have a minimum purchase amount, unlike Smashbox; and unlike Smashbox they don't always have free shipping (love that about Smashbox!), but still a nice Tuesday/Thursday deal.

Free full sized items? And free shipping? Yes, please! Hopefully the gifts in coming weeks will be just as good!

Review: One Cherry Pie Lip Balm

One products have a survey on their site and their thank you for filling out said survey is one of their lipbalms (and you even get to pick!). I chose the Mom's Cherry Pie Shea Butter Lip Balm. 

These lip balms (and the entire One line for that matter) come in the most adorable packaging ever. The brand tries to keep sustainability at the forefront of their design philosophy and does not use any plastic products in their packaging. The cardboard and twine packaging is simple and natural but it still looks nice. Unlike LUSH that sometimes uses no packaging in its products (and then I have absolutely no clue how to use half of their stuff) there are actual directions on these and you don't feel gross picking them up or using them wondering where someone else's hands that "played" in store had been. Even though the scent is described as "cherry pie", I don't detect any foodie scent from this, it's just a very tart juicy scent, which is great for me.

How darn cute is the back?

"Directions: Place a little on your finger tip and smooth over your lips. Natural, moisturizing lip balms are so yummy to smell, you'll never want to be without them on your lips."

The balm comes in a tin (my only concern with this is that it has more of a chance of coming open in my purse because it doesn't seem to 'snap' on). The texture is slightly hard and firm but creamy. It actually reminds me of my dear Woody's lip balm. Even though the balm is colored pink, there is no tint. I put this on my lips about a half hour ago and ate dinner and my lips are still smooth and I can detect a tiny bit of balm still on them.

Rubbing my finger over the product several times only produced a smear, no dip.

My only complaint about this product is the fact that it comes in a tin (I prefer tube balms but I understand that it probably wasn't possible without using some sort of plastic in the packaging). I'm looking forward to when my Target gets some more of their products in so I can try some more!

JT Wants: Clinique Brandied Bronze Collection

I'm only sometimes interested in Clinique's new Limited Edition collections, though I love some of their permanent products (creamshapers most notably). An e-mail arrived about their new Brandied Bronze Collection and who else is loving the shades in the new palette? Jewel tones are my favorite (surprised?) and if the colors show up anywhere near to the colors in the "pot", I'm sold.

Tarte Sale @ Sephora

There are a bunch of Tarte goodies that have made their way onto the sale page on Sephora.com - definitely worthy of a pick up if you've been wanting them.

Spring Greening Reusable Straw Palette $38.50 $19.50 - I actually reviewed this early on in my blog here and wasn't a fan, but different strokes for different folks. Beware the crappy out of focus pictures!

Miss Fix-It Palette $44 $22 - I haven't reviewed this but I do own it and it is adorable! Makes a cute gift too.

t5 Super Fruit Lipgloss Set $30 $15 - Liking the 50% discount and also makes a cute gift.

There's also your typical sale offerings on the page and Sephora has finally started clearancing the Dylan Candy Bar line, it's about time!

NOTD: Nina Ulta Pro Velvet Underground

I picked a few Nina Pro shades when Sally's was having their 50% off clearance and after probably over a week, I have finally polished my nails again (my last manicure was the Borghese brown and it was seeing better days). This color is so gorgeous. It's one of those chameleon purples and was opaque in 2 coats.  These are my very first Nina Pro colors and I'm anxious to get my hands on some more. The formula on these is great, I hope they wear well. I believe retail is $3.99 but I paid $1.50-

sunlight

shade

slightly different angle

It is a slightly more purple version of Sally Hansen's Opulent Cloud, which of course, is gorgeous.

Greasy Goodness

On my favorite budgeting blog, there was a link that intrigued me. Well, first of, the man doesn't really write about beauty so when I noticed the words, "La Mer" on my screen, I had to investigate.

What is this fabulous product that rivals the super pricey La Mer?

I'll give you one guess.

Two? Three? Four?

Don't believe me? Read this. And then read some reviews on makeupalley. Crisco has a user rating of 85%!

It's not just for pie. And it's probably the only thing you'll put on your body with the following warning:

WARNING: Oil will catch fire if overheated. Damage or serious burns may result. DO heat shortening carefully, uncovered, on medium heat. DO reduce heat if smoking occurs. DO NOT leave unattended while heating. DO NOT refill bottle with hot shortening. IF SHORTENING CATCHES FIRE: DO turn off heat. DO cover pot until cooled to room temperature to avoid reignition. DO NOT carry pot until cool. DO NOT put water in hot or flaming shortening. 

I'm actually tempted to try the stuff, at the very least on my cuticles and horribly dry legs. Have you ever used Crisco as a moisturizer? Share your thoughts!

Review: Garnier Fructis Smoothing Milk

Ok, by the way, that's not the full name. The title was getting ridiculously long so I shortened it. The item name is actually...

"Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Smoothing Milk"

When I met Jasmine for drinks, she asked me what products I love. So I started listing pretty much everything I was wearing that day: Woody's lip balm, Stila eyeshadow, Sue Devitt Starlights eyeshadow and some things I had in my purse (like the L'oreal Colour Riche that was empty that I still hadn't taken out - oops!) and then I got to my hair. "Oh, what's the name..." I said. I could not remember what product I used on my hair, but that it was great.

Jasmine probably thought that I had consumed a little too much caffiene and not water, the drink of champions, me? A beauty blogger? I couldn't even remember the name of my... smoothing milk? I might as well have shut down my blog entirely due to sheer embarassment (I'm kidding of course).

I'm sure there are plenty of us, blogger and non-bloggers alike that have things that we use, sometimes daily, because we need to use them and they are, for lack of better terms, useful. But really, am I going to yell from the streets that my hair is so frizzy that I get a 2nd layer of fuzz on top anytime there's a touch of humidity? Or that the only way my hair looks halfway decent is to put something on it. I want the world to think I was blessed with perfect hair, which I obviously am (I do actually get complimented on my hair the most - my husband is sad every time I chose to cut it). Back on the subject, I never really thought to review this hair stuff. Jasmine was intrigued, "it doesn't look like you're wearing anything" which I hope didn't mean that I looked like an electrocuted cat. I told her that this is some of the only stuff I've tried that doesn't get my hair crunchy but still works.

Now that I've written a novel...

I picked this up on a whim when it was on sale and have no doubts, it sat under my sink for quite awhile before I popped the clever top, think water bottle. I was pleasantly surprised. I don't really follow the instructions to a T. This is reserved for the top of my head only and I apply it when my hair is a tiny bit damp - after I've put my hair in it's usual state - a bun or pony tail (and I never blow dry my hair). It cuts down on frizz without the crunch and I'll be replacing my bottle when it runs out.

The texture is a slightly thick and milky colored gel, not runny like you would think a "milk" was.  It will run you only about $4.50 at CVS which I think is a steal (and Garnier often goes on sale). All in all, it's something I use when I need to, and it does the job very well and you can't beat the fruity smell.