July Favorites

Hi guys!

I can't believe it's already time to do favorites again. This summer has been so busy that it is flying by! Thankfully, I've gotten to try some new products this month that I'm loving.

Sachajuan Ocean Mist

I already mentioned last month that I'm loving beach sprays. I got this one in my PopSugar Summer Box, and it smells SO good. Other than that, I think it does really nice things to my hair - soft, tousley, perfect-for-summer hair!

Elf Brush Cleaner

I bought this accidentally thinking it was the Makeup Mist and Set, but I actually really enjoy it. I'm terrible about cleaning my brushes, and this gives me a fast, easy way to keep them (relatively) bacteria free. Plus it smells good and so do my brushes after I use it!

Beauty Blender

I got my first Beauty Blender, and I'm totally in love with it. The only thing is that within three weeks it started to mold! I think it's just the way I was storing it to dry, but I've got to be extra careful with my next one.

Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara

I felt like I needed to switch up my mascara, and I'm definitely glad I choose this one. The formula is perfect for me - not too wet, not too dry - and I'm finding that I really like the synthetic wands.

Citrus Sambra Limited Edition SoftSoap

After being very disappointed by the Summer Edition SoftSoaps last year, I'm really glad I like this one. I love anything citrus, and this reminds me a lot of the The Body Shop Satsuma shower gel I was using, just more moisturizing and lather-y, which I like.


So that's it! Everything I've been loving this month. I have to confess, I may not be able to blog very much soon. I have to tighten my budget quite a lot to save up for some important things, and that won't leave very much for new beauty products. It may just mean more reviews and a closer look at my products instead of new things, but we'll have to see!

Five Products I've Emptied

It's time for another empties post! For a while it felt like I wasn't finishing anything. Now I'm finishing everything at once! Not good for my wallet, but definitely good for my soul.

1. Simple Moisturizer

I wasn't blown away by this moisturizer, but I did like it. I realized after a while that it made my skin really greasy in the morning, and it was a little thicker than I would've liked, but overall not a bad product. I won't repurchase it, but only because it's just not for me.

2. Softsoap Limited Edition Summer Scent in Maui Coconut Splash

I've loved this the entire time I've been using it. And while I'm ready for a more fall scent, I can't help but be a little sad that this is gone. It's really moisturizing and smells great. I love Softsoap, and this was no exception.


3. Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Scrub

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This little sample from my September Ipsy didn't last long, but man did I love it. The fact that it was black (I know - it's charcoal) was a little off-putting, but it made my skin so soft. I definitely will consider repurchasing in the future, but right now I need my skincare to have a little more acne fighting properties, so this one might go on the back burner. 

4. Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Treatment

This may very well be my holy grail primer, and I'm devastated that it's gone. It lasted me almost a year before it finally ran out. I love how light this stuff is but how well it mattifies. I love the light, pomegranate scent. I love the packaging. The only thing I don't love is the price. That's the one downside. And unfortunately, right now, ain't nobody got dimes for that. So I'll have to do without. Stay tuned, though, I've been using a new primer, and I'm really liking it!

5. Victoria Secret Pink! Fresh & Clean Body Mist

I finished my second travel sized bottle of this, and I'm on to my full size! I love this scent. It's a little muskier, a little less feminine than most, but that's what I like about it. I'm not a flowery girl, and this is perfect for me. I might try to expand my scent horizons once I finish my giant bottle, but that won't happen for a while!

What products have you guys used up lately? Anything you're absolutely repurchasing? Anything you're absolutely not?

August Favorites

1. Suave Dry Shampoo

I recently finished the TRESemme dry shampoo I'd had forever, so I decided to try something new. While I'm not sure it works as well as the TRESemme one, it was definitely a favorite this month. It smells WAY better than the TRESemme, and it works nicely. Next up: snagging the Batiste one from the TJMaxx in Augusta!

2. The Devil in the White City

I raved about this book before, and I'm raving again. Seriously, it's so well done. It focuses on the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and "America's First Serial Killer" H.H. Holmes. It's written like a novel, but every conversation in it comes from letters and transcripts, so it all actually happened. If you enjoy history and creepy stuff (like serial killers) I would highly suggest this book.

3. Blurred Lines

With all the controversy from the VMAs, I almost hate to admit that this was a favorite, but I can't help it. It's so damn catchy! And while I don't agree with Robin Thicke and his image or values, it doesn't stop being a catchy song. 

4. My Forever 21 Headscarf

I definitely got a lot of use out of my headscarf this month! It's just such an easy way to class up second day or "I don't care" hair. I'm all about looking cute without trying, and this makes it so easy! I've been into Forever 21 recently looking for more, but I think they're only online now. 

5. Andy Grammer

While "Blurred Lines" may be the song of my summer, Andy Grammer may become a more permanent figure in my life. My roommates introduced me to the song "Fine by Me," and after loving it a lot (I think I might've listened to it 4 or 5 times in a row on the drive home) I looked into more of his stuff, and I'm permanently in love. He definitely falls into the Josh Kelley/Jason Mraz category for me: soulful, upbeat, and mellow. Everything I love!


6. Olay Fresh Effects Moisturizer

I've only been using this for about a week and a half now, but I'm already ready to share it with you! I picked this up after seeing Stefanie from EleventhGorgeous on Youtube talk about it, and I love it! It says it's between a gel and a lotion, and definitely has a satiny finish. I like that I don't wake up crazy greasy from it like I did from the Simple one, and how light it feels. I definitely need to check out more in this line. I already love the shine free cleanser, and I'm excited to try more!

7. Softsoap Limited Edition Summer Scent in Maui Coconut Splash

The first time I posted about this, I mentioned that I couldn't find it, and I picked up the Pacific Sunset scent instead. Well, I finished that one, and I needed more, and Walmart had this one in stock. So, I picked it up, and pretty much fell in love. This is what I wanted the Coconut Island Quench scent to be, but it failed horribly. This scent, however, is lovely. It's very refreshing and coconutty, and the formula of the soap is great. It lathers nicely and washes clean, but it's still thick enough to make you feel like it's doing something. The Limited Edition Summer Scents still seem to be around, so stock up before they're gone!

And that's it for the month of August! What have you guys been loving this month?

Five Products I've Emptied

Welcome to the second edition of products I've used up! In contrast to last time, I actually enjoyed all these products! Let's find out why!

1. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

This product has taken me a long time to use up. Not because it was bad, but because I'm really just not a body lotion person. I bought this two years ago (wow, really?) after I got my tattoo because I was instructed to have a non-scented lotion to moisturize with. It works really well, but I like scented lotions, so it got put on the back burner until I decided to use it up. But if you want hypoallergenic and super moisturizer, this is the lotion for you!

2. Love & Beauty Lavender Extract Makeup Cleansing Tissues

Honestly, I picked these up because they were right by the checkout, were $2.80, and I'm always in need of makeup wipes. For those who don't know, Love & Beauty is the jewelry/makeup/cosmetic line by Forever 21. They even have stores dedicated to only Love & Beauty products. I was blown away by how good these were. They smell nice, and weren't abrasive to my skin while still removing all my makeup. I have already repurchased these (I think they have a green tea and maybe another version as well), and I will probably continue to do so after I finish up all my other kinds.

3. Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant 

I also received this in an Influenster box, and while I haven't repurchased this specific one, I have repurchased from the Secret Clinical Strength line. I think it's approach to the different kinds of sweat is interesting, stress sweat is just not my biggest problem. That being said, I loved this deodorant. It smells AMAZING and if stress sweat is a problem for you, I'd definitely recommend it.

4. Softsoap Body Butter Mega Moisture Body Wash in Heavenly Vanilla

I've already said that I love Softsoap, and this one was no different. I bought this during the winter when I was having problems with itchy, dry skin on my back. Since it's not the easiest thing to lotion your own back, I decided to try a body wash with a little more moisture in it. This did not let me down. I really felt like it moisturized me without having to add any moisturizer afterwards. It did help with my dry skin (it didn't magically heal it, but I wasn't really expecting it to) so I was happy with the results.

5. Buxom Lash Mascara

I bought this back when I was on my "all my makeup must be high end" kick from Sephora. Although in retrospect, it wasn't the kind of mascara I was looking for, I did enjoy using it. It definitely adds volume to your lashes and was pretty easy to apply. It has a fairly thick wand, and I liked the way it looked on my lashes. I had no problems with it smudging or flaking. 

*I will admit, though, that I don't feel like I'm very good at reviewing mascara at all. I'm naturally blessed with long, fairly voluminous lashes, so I don't need a lot of help in that department. I also like a pretty natural look as far as mascara goes.

Five Products I've Emptied

I've been collecting these for a while now because I was originally going to make a video about them (back when I was trying to be a Youtuber) so I've decided to split them up into two posts. I assume this will become a regular thing as I finish up products.

1. Softsoap Body Butter Coconut Scrub Body Wash

I am a huge fan of the Softsoap brand. Ever since I received the Coconut Scrub bar soap in an Influenster Box, I've been enjoying trying all the scents and formulas. This was the first one I tried because I loved the bar version of it so much. It's lovely and exfoliating without being abrasive to my very sensitive skin. It smells really good too! I'd definitely recommend it.

2. Boi-ing Concealer

This was my holy grail concealer when I first found it. I still love it a lot, but I've been trying to reverse the slow move I'd been making over the past few years toward higher end makeup. I still enjoy high end makeup, but I'd rather have affordable options if I can find them. I never truly emptied this product, but once I hit pan on this, it dried up pretty quickly.

3. Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

As previously noted, I'm not a huge fan of this brand. I received a trial size of this in an Influenster box, and I was really excited about it. I had been eyeing this product (and sea salt sprays in general) for a while now, and I loved that I got to try it before I bought it. I loved it at first, but the more I used it, I just didn't think it did anything for my hair. My hair is naturally wavy, and I didn't feel like I could use this product by itself. It just didn't give me the look I was wanting. 

4. Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Intensive Moisture Mask

I've been lusting over the Natural Macadamia Oil brand hair mask for a while, but I just couldn't justify the $33 I would have to spend on it, so when I heard a Youtuber talk about how great this one was, I decided to try it. First of all, I love packaging like this. Love it. Can be sucked in by just about anything in this packaging. Second, there's really nothing wrong with this mask except I didn't feel like it did much for my hair. My hair is not ridiculously dry or damaged and maybe I would've noticed a difference if it was, but I just felt like the formula didn't cling to my hair enough to really penetrate and make my hair super soft. There was nothing bad about this product, per se, but it was more of a regular conditioner than a special treatment mask.

4. Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

Yet another thing that Youtube raves about that I didn't like. I like the Simple brand a lot. I've used their cleanser, and I'm currently using the moisturizer, and I really enjoy both of those products, so I had no qualms about buying the facial wipes. My issue with these is that they weren't wet enough for me. I felt like I had to scrub my face with them to get makeup off. For a brand that calls itself the "sensitive skin experts" this was unexpected. The truth is, my $2.80 wipes from Forever 21 work way better than these.

I'm linking up today! Check out Agape Love Design's post for Makeup Monday by clicking on the button below!

Softsoap Limited Edition Summer 2013

A while back, I journeyed to Walmart to see if they had the new summer Softsoaps in yet. They didn't, but they still had some of the spring ones. I ended up picking up the Forever Springtime scent because as glorious as the Lemonade Berry Splash sounded, it was way to strong for me. I love the Forever Springtime scent, but I was really on the hunt for the summer ones.

The second day I was in Monmouth, I ventured to the Walmart in Augusta to buy a few things. I decided to peruse the beauty aisles, and while I was at it, I saw one of the summer Softsoaps!

Unfortunately, they only had the Pacific Sunset scent, but since that sounded more appealing to me anyway, I wasn't too disappointed. 

I'm still finishing up my Forever Springtime, but I'm excited to start in on the Pacific Sunset. I really enjoy switching up my body wash and rarely using the same scent twice! Is anyone loving either of these? Have you found them yet?