Haul-o-Rama: Napa, Ulta, and More!

Haul-o-Rama: Napa, Ulta, and More!

Originally I was thinking about doing this in a video but I just could never get it together long enough to make a video like that. Most people have cameras and editing programs while I have my iphone and an app that you can sort of edit on but not really.

Also, my dogs kept barking about 3 minutes in. They are terrible when it comes to me making videos.

So I thought, lets make this a lot easier and do it in pictures.

Jewelry:

For as much jewelry as I make, I periodically buy some too. There's just certain things I can't do. 

Both of these are from Forever21! They're doing all these cool Indian/Moroccan themes and I am really into it. I'm surprised I didn't buy way more stuff.

 Makeup:

As you probably remember from previous posts, I bought the MAC fluidline in Dark Envy and the Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC15 while at a Cosmetic Company Outlet in Napa. 

Then I got that weird CK mascara that I also talked about in a previous review. Ulta is giving these out if you're a member and your birthday is in February.

I really, really like this.

Then I went crazy at Walgreens... So I bought another Jordana 12 HR Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner pencil in kind of a dark purple shade, and a Rimmel Lasting Finish lip pencil. I was attempting to find something I could wear under my beloved Dior Prune Daisy lippy, and also a few others in my collection.

 

It's not a dupe for Dior, but the reddish undertone will work for a lot of my stuff.

I'd also heard a ton about these new cream blushes and I've been using this one for a little while now. It is awesome. It is so awesome. It's not like a sticky cream blush, it's very creamy and has a gel consistency that blends so smoothly and easily. Sometimes to amp it up, I'll layer a powder over the top, but by itself it's that perfect Victorian rose color. I think the shade is "Make a Mauve".

So pretty.

Then I was like, I really want some neon-ness in my life, and Ulta was doing a buy 1 get 1 type sale.

These are horrifically neon and I am very excited about it.

I did kind of a messy swatch so you could see the colors.

The coral shade is: Sun of a Peach (which made me laugh real hard in the store)

The yellow shade is: Sun Kissed

 I also bought a lime green from Essie too called "The more the merrier" (I THINK, I FORGOT) and I like it way more in terms of having a lime green, but I love neon colored pedicures. I JUST DO, OK?

I also (finally) bought myself the Satin Smooth wax kit. I have been wanting this for a long time, but I always put it off because no one was really asking for waxes, but after awhile it was constantly, "Do you have a wax pot? I need my brows done!". I figured, if that many people were asking, I'll get it. Plus I think I might be the only person in my town who offers bikini and brazilian waxing, so- hopefully a couple of those and this baby will be paid off.

Clothes:

Oh man, Napa outlets are no joke, and neither are the malls. I found some crazy ridiculous deals.

I never took a picture of it on the hanger, but this is basically a cream version of the grey and olive sweaters I've bought recently at H&M, except I found this on the sale rack for $10. It's a little smaller than the other larges I have, but I actually don't really mind that because the olive and the grey are both slightly too big.

...Kinda wish I would have bought the red too, but I didn't think I could pull it off.

(Outfit info: 

Leggings- Black House White Market

Long tank- H&M

Sweater- H&M

Converse- I don't even know. Macys?)

Then I got this cardigan from Forever 21, and it's super long, don't let the hanger photo fool you. It totally goes almost to the backs of my knees and I kind of like that. It's so thin and nice. I kinda think it would be perfect paired with pink skinnies, but I do not have that. MAYBE ONE DAY.

(Outfit info: 

I found both of these guys at the Lucky Brand outlet store and they fit so great and they actually look really great together. I haven't worn the jacket yet because the weather suddenly dropped like crazy and I'm back to wearing my parka for a little while and I was waiting on the top because I didn't have a navy blue undershirt for it. I mean, look at that thing, it is so sheer. I can't even remotely get away with that unless I have a tank under it.

BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A PIRATE, AND I DIG IT.

The forever 21 had way more spring/cool stuff than the one close to me for some reason. So I got a graphic tee that has some BS life quote on it, but honestly I just like these for layering. They're so blousey and comfy and they always look good over shorts.

That cardigan is so fun. It has a hood and fringe at the bottom, because I like looking like a ragamuffin extra on the set of Les Mis or something.

Ann Taylor man. My mom goes in there all the time and I rarely find stuff, but when I do, I really like it.

This is super adorable over jeans and with the flats I bought (pictured down further). It's really cute. The pattern reminds me of a couch from the 80's, but I don't caaaaaare.

Funny story.

I love Carly Aquilino from Girl Code and I actually really like her style. Anyway, she wears a jacket like this and it's starting to sort of pop up in tv shows too, and I could not stop obsessing about it. Anyway, American Eagle's outlet had it and I was so excited. I sent a picture of it to Roger and even he was like, "Oh, did you finally find that jacket?"

Yes I did.

Here are the flats I mentioned before. They are from the JCrew outlet so I don't know if they're in the original stores, but who knows.

I just really needed nude flats, but I loved that these were sort of more towards the peachy side.

I have these in a few other colors and they always serve me well.

So I don't know what happened lately but my skin decided it was not having it. I broke out so badly it was starting to really take over. So I stopped pretty much everything in my routine and switched over.

Not pictured is Weleda's "Skin Food" which is a cream product for dry spots.

Basically I started taking Biotin because I wanted some strength in my hair and nails (which lately have taken a beating) and then I wash my face with the Desert Essence Gentle Nourishing cleanser (which by the way smells horrific, but it works sooooo well), apply diluted Tea Tree Oil to acne areas, apply Skin Food to dry areas (like my whole face basically) and then lastly apply the Desert Essence moisturizer. (All the Desert Essence stuff is for dry skin)

That Skin Food product is no joke. I wish I would have just bought the big bottle because it is so great. My dry flaky skin cleared up overnight, it's amazing. And the Tea tree is doing something great because my acne has died down A LOT. This combo of stuff for anyone with dry but acne prone skin is tops. And it doesn't agitate my sensitive skin.

It's been working wonders. My only gripe is that the cleanser smells a bit like rotten oranges (which is strange because the moisturizer doesn't smell like that so I don't know what is happening, but it's working and I ain't complaining.)

And then I blew some money on my hair. Stephanie added "roots" for me so that I wouldn't have to keep retouching them all the time and then she was like, "We need rose gold".

And I was like, "Yes, I agree."

Unfortunately my hair gave me a big middle finger and even though we only did it towards the ends, I ended up with half of it rose gold. The back of my head pretty much didn't take at all- sooooo we gotta do another round of it this week but I'm so in love with it. It looks so cool where it did take, I can't wait for it to be stronger.

All in all, there was a lot of shopping in the last couple weeks, but that just means there's a lot of reviews to come!

-SamanthaK

Advice from a Blogger

Advice from a Blogger

So I've been blogging for a little while now and I thought I would just weigh in a little on the subject.

Now I know I'm on the newer side and this hasn't exactly hit the big times yet (hopefully soon, post to come on that too), but I will tell you what- I've learned some things.

Don't go into this thinking you're going to be rich, famous, or successful.

-Because odds are, you won't be. 

I didn't go into this thinking I would get popular. In fact, I went into blogging because I love trying out products and I love telling people about them. Eventually people I really knew and respected were saying things like, "How do you even know that? Are you researching? I've never heard of that!"

And I was like, "If you don't know what this is, DOES ANYONE?"

And then I started writing. To be fair a lot of what I want to do is still being held up either by my lack of real cameras, or lack of editing skills (and programs)- or frankly the lack of my own computer. (Roger and I are sharing and it's tedious to say the least).

So my advice: Start writing because you have a voice and something to say, not because you think you can eventually get famous. Even bloggers and youtubers aren't "famous", they're just known well in a community.

Be consistent.

-Because people will eventually read your blog, and they want to see new content.

You don't have to keep a rigorous posting schedule, but that's what a lot of people do and they have success. 

At this point in my life, I'm doing a lot of stuff, and posting on certain days is hard for me. Eventually though it'll fall into a 3-4 times a week category. 

Try a lot of stuff.

It doesn't matter if you're into beauty or travel, or whatever. Trying things is what makes you and your writing interesting. I've done makeup training, eyelash extensions, about a million mascaras, foundations, clothing lines, ordering online,and tried a million different hair colors and products.

What makes me interesting is the fact that I've tried so many different things, and my strength is being able to compare them so I can tell you what's important.

So try stuff.

And then talk about it, and talk a lot.

Blogging isn't the end all be all.

-because it isn't and it especially won't be for me.

In the course of my short blogging career I managed to get my cosmo license, my hunters safety license, I got a job at a salon, I'm working full time, I travel quite a bit, I ride horses for fun, I make and sell jewelry, and eventually I will probably start doing stuff like cowboy mounted shooting and sky diving.

Don't let your life be defined by your job. You're a blogger and that's just something you do.

This day was stressful and crazy.

This one was easy and fun.

Blogging is not glamorous.

Does this look glam to you?

Blogging is mostly trying out new products.

And it's disgusting and fun.

But, your skin will begin to go crazy and you will probably have some acne flare-ups. SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO WARN YOU.

Your drawers will begin to overflow to the point where you actually start buying furniture to accommodate the makeup habit you are supporting.

Your mom will start saying things when you buy makeup like, "Is this for work or for you?" And you genuinely won't know the answer.

Your boyfriend will move into the guest bathroom because there is no room for his stuff.

But a lot of blogging is trying to come up with ideas and then sitting down to actually form opinions on stuff- and it's difficult! You eventually hit a wall where you can't really form words and then you end up slipping for about a week before someone says, "You blogging anymore?" and then you start sorting your shit out again.

Vicious cycle man.

I hate to say it but if you want to blog about makeup, you're going to end up spending a lot of money on makeup.

I was lucky enough that I had some stuff to write about for awhile, but now it's getting to the point where I'm hitting the end of my stash and I've been restocking my loot. 

And let me ruin your world right now- You really can't make a blog career out of blogging only about drugstore stuff.

You can't.

I don't care what you say.

You can HAVE a lot of drugstore stuff but eventually you run out of stuff because the things at the drugstore worth talking about only go so far. Eventually you will have to start bumping up to the department stores.

And let me crush your dreams right now:

Say goodbye to your birthday and Christmas gifts because at this department store level of buying, you're going to be asking your relatives for the newest latest and greatest palettes. You will blow your holiday gifts on getting makeup for reviewing so you don't end up wasting your own money.

And it is a tough blow.

Don't be held back because you think you have nothing to say.

Odds are, it's not true- but you are probably focusing on a subject that isn't right for you.

What do you know the most about?

What things have you tried?

What do you get excited about when you're talking to your friends?

For me it's makeup and just generally stuff I'm doing. The most popular things I do are my "You Too Can Do's" and my "Day in the Life" posts. They're silly and fun but my friends loved it and it gained some popularity while I was in school.

I know a few people who want to blog and end up pigeon holing themselves. Just because you're a hairstylist doesn't mean you have to only talk about hair, and just because you're fashionable doesn't mean you need to only talk about clothes.

And don't ever be held back because you think you have nothing to say. Sometimes sitting down to write about a product starts slow and you end up gaining a lot of momentum. My posts half the time start with me not knowing what to say.

But here's what I ask myself when I'm writing (especially reviews):

Did I like this?

Would I recommend this to my friends?

Would I really recommend it for someone who isn't like me- oily skin, darker tones, etc?

Is it worth the price tag?

Do I have anything similar to this? And how does it compare?

Does it live up to the hype?

Does it live up to the descriptions written by the company?

Usually once you answer those, the review is ok and then it's up to you to really push it over the line. That's what makes some blogs stronger than others.

And don't be afraid of your voice- otherwise you'll never post anything. 

I'm notoriously rough around the edges, my jokes are corny, and my passion is literally makeup. And I am a makeup nerd. I get legitimately excited talking about new products from small makeup companies no one has heard about.

I'm very proud of those facts about myself.

And if you want my personal advice- this is how I write.

1) Write the post, don't stop til it's completely done.

2) Re-read it ONLY ONCE and only change something like spelling or grammar. DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING. Leave it all there.

3) Post.

4) Re-read it again after a week and if you don't like it after then- delete it. 

(I should not I've never deleted a post).

The more you edit a post and tinker around with it, the less genuine it becomes and at that point you might as well be a tv show- it's so scripted.

One of my friends gave me some good advice that I think is pretty great when it comes to blogs.

If you google something, you should write about it. Chances are, if you're looking for something- someone else is too. 

Why else would my RCMA foundation post get almost 700 views?

(Btw that is my favorite blog post that I've done so far and it shows. I was very passionate about sharing my discovery and readers really enjoyed it, I think.)

-SamanthaK

Review Time: CK One Color Mascara aka some weird mascara made by scientists

Review Time: CK One Color Mascara aka some weird mascara made by scientists

This is by far one of the weirder mascara's I've attempted to review.

Now you know me, I'm a mascara junkie and I like trying them out and I normally have 2 or 3 tubes on my constant rotation so of course when Ulta sent me a birthday email saying, "Hey, February Birthday Customer, come in and get a free full size mascara", I was like- yes.

So when they gave me my CK mascara, I was actually really excited. A lot of primarily fashion brands are starting to expand into the cosmetic market- Michael Kors, Burberry, and Calvin Klein (CK). I've heard a million wonderful things about the Burberry line in particular but it's also pretty expensive so that may not happen until I get a really great job that supports my cosmetic junkie habits. (Or until Burberry sees this and attempts to send me stuff- Hi Burberry! I hope you like my blog!)

Ok, so lets discuss this mascara for a second.

Retail: $18.00 (Ulta)

Color I got: Show (true black)

Colors offered: Show (true black), Confess (soft black), Attract (brown), Trip (violet), Electrify (blue)

Claims: 1) Features a precision curved brush. 2) Shapes, lifts, and amplifies every lash. 3) Keeps lashes supple. 4) Ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested. 5) Safe for contact wearers.

Packaging: The tube itself is actually kind of rubbery on the outside, which I like. It doesn't slide around in my hand when I'm applying (like, assume I have lotion on or something). And the rounded top and bottom actually give it a distinct shape where if I was rooting around for it, I would know it just by feel, which again is something I actually like in a product. 

So here's where I got super confused.

I was looking at the tube and it had a sticker on top that said, "remove to twist". I think I stared at it for like 5 minutes because the sticker wasn't on the part where the top/wand would untwist, it was at the very tip. 

Again, after removing the sticker, I stared at it again. 

"So...twist the top?"

I twisted it back and forth and it moved and I could feel a clicking but nothing really happened. 

So I pulled the whole wand out and then tried it and THEN SCIENCE HAPPENED.

So here's the first wand. Pretty normal, no big deal. It's a curved brush and it's a pretty standard rubber bristle brush.

Then you twist the bottom.

AND THE WHOLE WAND EXPANDS. LIKE WHO EVEN?! The whole brush untwists itself to grow roughly the size of the Benefit BADgal mascara brush but it's thinner. Basically the whole curved brush shape itself is just because it's twisted and shortened. I can't even. Scientists be crazy.

So basically there's 3 mascara wands- the short version is only curved on 2 sides and straight on the others, so you have a normal mascara wand and a curved wand. The long version has the length and skinny-ness on it's side, so you can get a lot done at once, or build up the middle and outer corners on the second layer.

All in all, it's pretty impressive.

If your eye was normal.

My eyes are not only deep set in general, but also smaller than they technically should be. So the bigger wand was sort of difficult when it came to maneuvering (for my personally). For reference when the mascara is fully extended it's the length of my entire eye. Yeah, it's a lot.

Lets talk about the application.

Like I've said before, my lashes are less than ideal. The deep set eyes make it look like my lashes are kind of hidden, but they are also short and blonde.

Also, in these pictures I am wearing liner- but you can still see there's nothing going on in the lash department.

I kinda hate posting these pictures, BUT THEY ARE FOR YOU GUYS.

 So the application itself was a little bit of a learning curve. 

I pretty much just went to town with the large brush and tried to do a good first coat just with that shape.

All in all, not bad. I can see a difference, for sure. I definitely got some crazy volume but not really too much length.

So when I twisted the wand down into it's curved shape and used that for the second coat and to get the outer and inner areas.

(I used the long shape for the bottom lashes. It works, for some reason. I don't know, science.)

So I can definitely tell it made a difference. I mean, really with my blonde lashes anything makes a difference.

I will say this though, the formula is really great. It's damp, but not wet, dry but not mousse-y and crackly. I really liked this.

As for wear through the day, it's pretty solid. I didn't notice any running or panda eyes- which is pretty normal for me so that's saying something about the staying power. I even got a little water on it and it wasn't budging. I actually got a few complements when I was wearing it, so I'm gonna gauge this mascara as a looker.

The removal.

This is where I get a little worried when it comes to this mascara. If you've worn it for awhile, like through the day (or all night because you forgot to wash your face like I did) the removal is a little sketchy.

My face wash removes eye makeup really well and it's very gentle, but I usually give the makeup a head start by using warm water and kind of splashing my face a bit. So usually what I do for mascara is get my fingers wet and then rest them on my eyes to sort of melt the mascara down a bit. 

This mascara doesn't really melt, in fact it turns into a million pieces and flakes off.

I don't even... is this science? I can't imagine a contact wearer being remotely ok with this. I mean, none of the pieces got in my eye and honestly I wouldn't have noticed it had I not seen a couple flakes under my eye after I had cleansed and dried off.

It was sort of crazy, I won't lie.

The first couple times I wore it, it was only for maybe most of the day (9 hours? maybe?) and when I went to remove it was stubborn but it melted ok with just a few flecks. So maybe it was just the really long hours that made it react like that.

So, if you're going to remove this, maybe do the makeup wipe or remover first to give it a hard hitting punch before going in with cleanser. I didn't notice my lashes like, breaking or anything but better safe than sorry.

So here's my final thoughts.

Do I like this mascara? Yes.

Does it live up to it's claims? Pretty much, except I have reservations on that contact lens wearer thing. I would make sure you take your contacts out before washing your face or something. Those lenses are expensive, you don't need them getting ruined from a mascara.

Is it worth the price tag? Kinda, but I also think you can find really great mascaras at the drugstore for 10 dollars less. Paying for this mascara is paying for the packaging, let's be honest. However, 3 mascara wands in one tube is pretty great, especially considering there's a lot of different eye shapes out there. And remember, the formula is actually really great, so even though you're paying $18, you're getting a really nice mascara you will probably love.

Will I buy again? Actually, yeah. I think I might. I usually try to keep a really great mascara on retainer while I try others out so that way if I hate something I'm not totally stuck. And Ulta has a really great rewards system so I can build up points and take 3 or 4 bucks off by the time I would need to repurchase in a couple months.

Is the crazy wand set up worth it or is it all hype? Honestly, for me it's a bit of hype BUT I also have a eye set up that is problematic for pretty much every mascara wand in the universe. The curved brush is pretty great though and I love having the slim, longer version for under my eye- so maybe it's not total hype. It serves a purpose.

So if your birthday is in February and you're an Ulta member, or if you just really want to try out something new, go check out this mascara.

If nothing else, you can use it to show to people and they'll think you're like this amazing person for knowing about cool, weird, science-y makeup.

-SamanthaK