Clinique Gift With Purchase

FREE MAKEUP. As a makeup junkie, those two words are just about my favorite thing to see or hear.

Clinique's fall gift with purchase at Bon-ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's, and Younkers has started and all you have to spend is $25 to receive 6 free products and a makeup bag.

Check out what's in the gift!

Makeup Bag - This bag in particular gives off a real 70's vibe. If you have so many makeup bags that you don't know what to do with like I do, keep in mind that they make great gifts and can be used as a "gift bag" for small gifts for someone.

Liquid Facial Soap in Mild - This cleanser is step 1 in Clinique's 3 step system. Make sure you remove any face makeup before using this product to really get a benefit from it.

Take The Day Off Makeup Remover - This makeup remover is awesome! It can be used on your lids, lashes, and lips and removes even waterproof makeup. Just hold a cotton ball on the area you want to remove makeup for a few seconds and wipe it all away.

Lash Doubling Mascara - This mascara is both volumizing and thickening. I love the brush on it because it is skinny on top and gets gradually thicker. This makes it easy to coat all my lashes.

Different Lipstick in Surprise - This shade is a golden brown with hints of violet. It might look like a kind of scary bronze shade in the tube, but it is a pretty plum shade when swatched. I like this shade because anyone can make it work. If you think the color is too bronze/brown on your lips, try a different shade of lip liner underneath or a lip gloss on top.

 Soft-Pressed Powder Blush in New Clover - This blush shade is probably the most universal shade Clinique has. The soft violet color looks good on almost all skin types. You can dust the color on lightly or build the color to be a little more vibrant.

Even Better Liquid Foundation - This gift is a little different than what Clinique usually does for their gifts. It comes with a deluxe sample one of four shades in the Even Better foundation. This foundation evens skin tone, is oil-free, and has SPF 15. The four shades are 02 Fair, 03 Ivory, 04 Cream Chamois, and 05 Neutral. Be sure to get matched to one of these shades for the gift to make sure you are getting the right color for your skin.

Make sure you check out my two-part brand review of Clinique I did a couple of months ago to learn more about Clinique products.

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Smell This: The Coach Poppy Blossom Collection

The newest fragrances rolling out of the Coach factory are the The Poppy Blossom Collection. They are three different fragrances, each with a different twist on the floral scent.

Coach Poppy Blossom

Poppy Blossom is my personal favorite out of the three. This fragrance was previously a limited edition perfume late last year. The top notes are litchi, mara strawberry, mandarin, and freesia. The heart has lily of the valley, Centifolia rose, tuberose, gardenia, and Sambac jasmine. The base is made out of praline, vanilla, blonde woods, and musk.

It is the fruitiest one out of the bunch, with strawberry and mandarin being fairly noticeable in it. I love fruity floral scents like this. The perfume stays on very well (as do the other two) and stays true to the scent of the fragrance when I spray it on.

The bottle is adorable. I love the round shape because it looks very appealing and it fits in your hand nicely when spraying it on yourself. The lid is very intricate, with cute engravings on it. The gold on the lid and the nameplate on the bottle fits the Coach image very nicely. And, of course, my favorite part about the bottles in this collection is the flower on the lid. It is perfect for fragrances that are all about floral.

Coach Poppy Freesia Blossom

Fressia Blossom has top notes of bergamot, cassis, raspberry, strawberry, and apricot. The heart has star jasmine, white orchid, Tahitian tiare flower, and freesia. Base notes are vanilla, brown sugar, and musk.

This one is a lot sweeter than Poppy Blossom with the mixture of berries and flowers. It is almost a little too sweet for me personally, but it does smell softer on the skin after it sits a while.

Coach Poppy Citrine Blossom

Citrine Blossom's top notes are bergamot, mandarin orange, and black currant. The heart includes water lily, jasmine, tea rose, violet, green tea, and freesia. Base notes are benzoin, ambrette, and cedar.

This fragrance is the more citrus one of out the bunch (surprise, surprise). Although it is more citrusy, it is still sweet and floral as well. It seems like the perfect spring scent, but I tend to wear whatever fragrance I want whatever time of the year I want.

Each of these fragrances comes in a 3.4 fluid ounce bottle that sells for $85. They are also available in a 1.7 fl. oz. bottle for $65. However, the store I work at doesn't carry the small bottle, so it may or may not be hard for you to find. These fragrances are available at most department stores and beauty stores like Ulta.

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Ulta Haul

Getting my 20% of everything coupon in the mail from Ulta is one of my favorite things ever! When there are high-end products I really want to try but don't want to spend too much money on, I tend to hold off until I get this coupon.

This time around, I got a lot of Urban Decay products and a couple other things. Take a look!

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Venom - As soon as I saw swatches of Urban Decay's new Revolution Lipstick, I knew that Venom was the color I had to get. Bold lips are awesome and if bold is what you're going for, this is the perfect color. 

Venom is a raspberry plum shade. I put this on over UD's Ozone lip pencil (talked about below) and the color lasted for a good six hours before I felt the need to reapply at all. When I did reapply, I didn't need much. The only negative thing I can say about the lipstick after wearing it once so far is that it feels pretty dry on my lips. That's totally fixable with a bit of lip gloss on top though. Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks are $22.

Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Pencil in Ozone - This lip pencil (or one like it) is something I definitely think everyone should have. It is a colorless pencil that can be used with any color to help keep lipstick in place. Awesome. I'm sure there are cheaper ones out there, but I'm a sucker for UD, so I got this one. Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Pencils are $19.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Freak - When XSparkage swatched all of Urban Decay's new eye pencils when they were released, she said Freak was her favorite out of all of them. I wasn't so sure about it though. Greens aren't my favorite and I worried about how well it would even show up when applied. Every time I went to Ulta, I would swatch it on my hand, and every time it would grow on me more and more. Well, I finally bought it. I'm excited to play around with it and see what I can come up with. Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencils are $19.

Freak on the left

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in LSD - This is an eyeliner I have been eyeing for a while now. I love how rich this dark blue liner is, and the glitter in it makes it even better. I cannot wait to use this! This is also $19.

LSD on the right

Revlon Signature Series Hair Brush - For at least a year now, I have only used a comb on my hair. I don't know why I don't have a brush, but I decided to pick one up. We'll see if I notice any difference using a brush on my hair sometimes instead of a comb. And, of course, the brush is purple. This brush is $5.29.

Ulta Foaming Sugar Scrub in Fresh Lilac- I am turning into a scrub junkie. I should probably stop buying them because I think I have enough to last me an entire year by now. Ulta had a buy one get one free sale on almost all of the Ulta brand products, so I felt the need to try out some of their stuff. I have only tried a couple of their makeup products but none of their bath or body products. This one smells like lilac (duh) and is very soft and light. These are $9.50.

Ulta Foaming Sugar Scrub in Freshwater Mist - This one smells very fresh and clean. It has a blend of fresh mountain air, cucumber, and watery melon. This is also $9.50.

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Acne Solutions

I have had oily, acne-prone skin for a long time now. Basically, it sucks. It has been hard to tame, but I want to share some ways that I have been able to improve my complexion and keep the acne and oil at bay.

I started getting acne when I was in 4th grade. As I got older, it only got worse. I felt like I tried every acne medication, ointment, etc. on the market. I had an allergic reaction to benzyl peroxide, so that eliminated a lot of my options as well. I tried Clinique Acne Solutions line at some point a few years ago and didn't think it worked for me. However, after some convincing from my Clinique consultants, I tried it again. 

This time was different. My skin did get worse at first. I don't think some people realize that, and I don't think I realized it back when I had tried it before. Your skin has to expel all the bad gunk in it, which can cause, AT FIRST, more breakouts, irritation, and so on. Once that stage had passed for me, my skin started to look a lot better. I went from having several major breakouts to having one or two.

I still use the Acne Solutions line minus the Acne moisturizer because it has benzyl peroxide in it. I substitute it for Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel Moisturizer. My acne has definitely subsided thanks to this line. I still get breakouts, but they are not usually too bad. With stress and hormones, I would never fool myself into thinking that I will ever have perfect skin, but I know my skin is a lot better now than it was before.

Clinique is somewhat more expensive than drugstore acne lines, but it is also cheaper than things like Proactiv, which I definitely do not recommend. It is a three step system - cleanser, clarifying lotion, and moisturizer. Each item in the acne line is around the $15 mark. If you have tried tons of different products like me, you probably won't mind spending a little money on this. If you don't want to commit to the whole thing, at least try the clarifying lotion.

A great thing about Clinique is that they have a 100% guarantee. If any of their products just don't work for you, they can be returned. Just remember to give anything you buy at least a couple weeks to see if you like it.

As I said, I can't use products with benzyl peroxide, so that makes Cliniques Acne Solutions Moisturizer off limits. I am currently using the Clinique Dramatically Different Gel Moisturizer instead. This moisturizer is oil-free and it supposed to help maintain the moisture balance in oily skin. It is meant to be used in conjunction with another moisturizer. I have a few different ones I use.

I'm not necessarily in love with this product, but I don't hate it either. I don't feel like my skin is a lot less oily when I use this product. However, it is a decent, oil-free moisturizer. I probably won't run out and buy this right away when I finish the bottle though. A bottle of this moisturizer is $26.

SIDE NOTE: Sometimes I feel like almost all of my posts are just about a bunch of products that I rave about. I just want to be clear that I don't think everybody needs to go out and buy everything I talk about. I just like sharing with people what I have tried that works for me and things I really like or even don't like. You can do what you wish with the information I give you: END SIDE NOTE

When it comes to acne, one of the best things you can do is just take care of your skin. Wash your face every day and night. I know it's hard to wash your face at 2:00 am when you can barely keep your eyes open, but I promise it's worth it. At least get the makeup off your face and out of your pores.

Also, drink as much water as you can. Your skin needs hydration in order to work properly. Your skin can help you if you don't help your skin.

Finally, I really believe that eating habits are related to what your skin looks like. I know there have been tons of studies on this and some people say some food can cause acne and some people say it can't. All I know is that when I eat a ton of junk food, I notice that I get more acne. When I eat healthier, my skin is clearer.

I know this post if kind of wordy and long, but I hope it helped. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions for me or feedback. Have a great weekend!

                                                                                                                                              Photos from Clinique.com, Howstuffworks.com, Growyourfamilystrong.com, and Foodnetwork.com

Fortune Cookie Soap

For anyone who doesn't know about Fortune Cookie Soap, it is an online-based company that sells various bath and body products. The name comes from these soaps they hand-make and sell that look just like fortune cookies complete with a fortune inside of them. 

I discovered Fortune Cookie Soap through Leesha AKA XSparkage. I admired all the goodies on the site for a good year or so before I actually ever bought something. This past December I decided to buy some things for my friend for Christmas and ending up buying soaps for her, for me, my boyfriend, my mom, and my sister. 

Honesty time: I haven't actually used mine yet. I bought one soap for myself and it smells delicious and is super cute, so I never wanted to use it. Now that I have a bunch more, I will actually use them and then maybe later do a review on what I think of them.

A few weeks ago, Fortune Cookie Soap had a Christmas in July sale and had all their fortune cookie soaps for sale at 50% off. They have come out with a lot of new soaps the past few months, so I decided to buy a few. I got eight fortune cookie soaps, two body scrubs, and a bar soap. Take a look below to see them all!

The soaps come in packing just like this or you can pay extra (around 50 cents) to have them sent in a cute take-out box. The prices for these soaps range from around $3 - $4.

What? It's Five O-Clock Somewhere! - The website says it is supposed to smell like a fruity cocktail. The smell is both fruity and floral. I can't put my finger on any particular scent that is in this soap. It is very pleasant though and I love the design.

Body Shot - This one is supposed to smell like raspberry lemonade. It smells very lemon-y. There is a faint scent of raspberry. The design on this is really awesome also.

I Scream, You Scream - I like Neapolitan ice cream and had to get this just because I thought it was so cute. It is supposed to smell like creamy vanilla, sweet strawberries, and chocolate ganache. I mainly smell the vanilla in this one. It smells just like a vanilla-scented candle. The chocolate and strawberry scents are faint and I only really smell them when I hold each side up to my nose. Maybe the scents will become stronger while I'm using the soap.

This one did melt on one side slightly in transit to my house. It's not a big deal, but just keep in mind if you order these around this time of year that they may not look perfect when they arrive to you.

Pink Lemonade - The website says this one smells like pink grapefruit. I'm not sure I smell that, but I definitely smell lemon. My boyfriend and I have decided it smells like lemon pledge. I love the pink color of this one and the glitter in the soap.

Aquaholic - The description for this one says it smells like tropical pina colada. I think that is a pretty accurate description. I smell coconut and pineapple. This one also has glitter in it. 

Once A Beach, Always A Beach - This one has water lily, apple blossom, sandalwood, and soft bergamont. The name is very fitting for this one. The smell is very ocean-like and one of my favorite scents out of all the ones I got. The top has "sand" mixed with glitter. So cool, but I'm not sure how that will work when I actually use the soap.

Bah! Humbug! - For the Christmas in July sale, they also had Christmas-themed soaps for sale. I got two of them. I would say this is the least attractive soap out of the ones I purchased. I'm just not a huge fan of the design or colors. However, this does smell awesome. This isn't available anymore on the website, so I don't know what it is supposed to smell like. I guess I would say it smells very fruity. I think I smell grapefruit in it.

No Peeking! - This is the other Christmas one I bought and it is definitely a glitter bomb. The glitter does kinda get all over, but it's so pretty. I seriously can't even come up with a description for the scent. It's not my favorite scent, but i will use it eventually. I'll probably break this out when it gets closer to Christmas and set it out somewhere in my house.

Body scrubs are one of the many other products Fortune Cookie Soap makes. These were also discounted during their sale, so I decided to get two because I love body scrubs. The scrub for Body Shot smells a little better to me than the fortune cookie soap, in my opinion.

This scrub smells a lot stronger than the Aquaholic soap but still smells great. These are $11.99 a piece.

When I was buying stuff on the website, I guessed which scent I thought I would like the most and got the bar soap of it. I went with "What? It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" and it is one of my favorite scents out of the ones I got. I love the design of this soap. I can't wait to use it!

The price for these bar soaps is $6.95

Both of the times I have purchased things from Fortune Cookie Soap, they have sent at least one sample with my order. I am assuming that is a regular thing that they do. This is a sample of their Bath Bomb in Rainbow Sno-Cone. It smells amazing. Very strong and fruity. I don't really take baths, but I might have to so that I will have an excuse to use this.

The shipping for this stuff can get pretty expensive. I don't mind too much though, knowing that these are handmade, good quality products.

So what do you think about this stuff? Would you use them? Let me know in the comments below. If you would like to see a review for this stuff after I have used some of it, make sure to tell me that as well. Anyone can comment and I like reading your feedback, so don't be shy!

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July Favorites

Another month has come and gone so that means it is time for me to share with you the products I really liked in July.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Empire - This is a smoky, metallic purple that adds just enough color to any look. I have been using it with a lot of different eye looks lately to either add color to a subtle/nude eye or to even out a bright eye.

Maybelline Color Whisper Lipstick in Pin Up Peach - I really like these Maybelline lipsticks. They are sheer but add just enough color to the lip. They are also fairly moisturizing as well. This shade is a pretty peach that complements many skin tones and is great if you don't want to go too bold with peach/orange lip colors.

Clinique Color Surge Eye Shadow Quad in Plum Seduction - I love purple. Can you tell? This quad has two beautiful purples, one dark and one light. It also has a taupe shade and a brownish gray shade. These colors are swatched in my post I did about Clinique cosmetics. Clinique now has brand new eye shadows, so this one is not going to be in their collection anymore. However, they do have some awesome new purples and other shades like the ones in this quad. If you are looking for some similar shades try their new eye shadows in Purple Pumps, Rock Violet, Foxier, or Hazy. They also have a new quad called Going Steady that has purples in it.

M.A.C Powder Blush in Blush Baby - This is a beige-pink sheertone blush that I wore almost every day in July. It adds a beautiful neutral color to my cheeks and doesn't overwhelm any other makeup I wear.

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator - This stuff is awesome! It basically mattifies your face and keeps oil under control. I am so glad I had this to get me through the hot July. It really does cut down on the oil on my face. I would totally recommend this to anyone with oily skin.

Urband Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray - I have been using this stuff for maybe a couple months now and it does seem to help keep my makeup in place. I spray it on before I apply my makeup and after, which seems have the best effect. I don't think it is a miracle product by any means, but this did help me get through the hot July as well.

Not Your Mother's Lock Luster Oil Treatment - I've never really gotten into using oils in my hair, but for some reason I finally decided to try one out. I went for one of the more affordable one out of the ones I've found and got this Not Your Mother's brand. This brand is one I have grown to love, and I plan on doing a separate blog about hair products sometime in the future where I will discuss this brand more. This oil treatment is infused with argan & macadamia oil, which is supposed to help repair dry and damaged hair. It also is supposed to protect your hair from heat and styling. I love how lightweight it is when I put it in my hair. It doesn't weigh it down or make it look greasy. I just put it on the ends and my bangs without getting too close to my roots. It helps tame my fly-aways and any frizz in my hair.

I have A LOT of stuff to talk about and show you in upcoming posts and I don't want any of you to miss them. To make sure you don't miss anything, you can subscribe to my blog or follow me in several places. I am on BlogLovin', which you can follow me on by clicking the link in the sidebar. You can get e-mail updates by entering your e-mail in the sidebar as well. You can also follow me on Twitter to get updates. Thanks to everyone who continues to come back and please share my blog with your friends! :)