Black Friday Hauls! (Makeup, Bath/Body, Clothes)

Black Friday could very well be my new favorite day of the year.  Almost better than Christmas- you just don't see these kinds of deals on a regular basis!  And it wasn't until I started working in retail that I realized just how many sales go on.
So obviously I did a little shopping, first Friday morning at 3:30am with my cousins, and then Friday afternoon/today with my mom of course (she's my favorite person to go with!).  It's just not the same by myself.  This was the first year I woke up super early and braved the crowds, too.  Let me just say it isn't worth it for me!  My cousins and I stood in lines at Target and Kohl's that wrapped all the way around the stores.  It was beyond insane, and the things I bought I could have gotten any other time.  But hey, you live and learn.  :)
Shopping Friday afternoon/today with my mom was the most fun.  The clothes she bought for me as intentional Christmas presents, but then decided I could just have them now.  Mom, you are seriously too good to me!
(I think it's because I'm home on break and have been gone all semester.  She did the same thing when my sister was away at school!)

Anyway, here's everything I got (It looks like so much!  I'm telling myself it's OK because I've been really strict with my purchases the last couple of months.. haha, oh, rationalization).

Target: (not pictured- Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation- I needed another!) Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer SPF 30, Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash scrub, Yes to Carrots Pomegranate lip butter, Secret Fresh Effects Cucumber Aloe deodorant/body spray (came as a set), Venus razor refills

Walgreens: Maybelline Mocha Velvet blush (on clearance for $2.99 and I used a $1 off coupon from redplum.com, making it only $2!)

Dollar Tree: NYC Deep Plum liquid eyeliner, Almay Pure Blends mascara, Maybelline Pink Halo Dream Mousse eyeshadow, Revlon Tempting Teal matte eyeshadow

A few quick notes- I'm currently suffering from severely dry lips and heard good things about these Yes to Cucumber lip balms.  My first impressions of it aren't the best, but I'm hopeful!  Also, the NYC liquid eyeliner and Almay mascara are going in the trash- thankfully they were only $2 total from the dollar store.  I used to love the Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer when I was younger, so I'm excited to try it again.  And I'm LOVING the smell of the Secret deodorant/body spray!  Usually I dislike "fresh" scents, but I'm a fan of the quality of these deodorants and Target had bonus packs of deodorants and body mists for only $3.99.  This one is lovely.  I used to use the "coco butter kiss" scent, but grew tired of it.

Bath & Body Works: I haven't been to a Bath & Body Works in FOREVER!  They don't have one near me in Chicago, so I was just so anxious to go shopping.  I used my coupon for a free item up to $13 with a purchase of $10+, and got the Dark Kiss body lotion+spray.  I bought these in the mini sizes when they first came out and I repeatedly get compliments when I wear them.  I wanted the eau de toilette but didn't want to spend more money on perfume, because when I was at working at Victoria's Secret I bought...

(I forgot to take a picture, sorry!)

VS Shine Pink perfume!  It was on sale for 50% off, so I only paid $15 after tax.  I've loved this one ever since it first came out, but couldn't justify buying it.  It has peach and tiare flower in it- a lovely fruity-floral.  

Hollister: The leather jacket and ruffled cardigan are from here.  I've steered clear of Hollister for years, and it wasn't until I somehow came across the website that I decided I needed to give it another shot.  If it weren't for the logos splattered across half of the clothes I would have totally bought more!  The jacket was a great deal, though- $50- half off of the regular price of $99.

Charlotte Russe: The jeans I got along with a skirt, lace top, and two pairs of tights, but last few are getting wrapped up for Christmas.  :)  I really needed a new pair of jeans, so I hope these last a fair while!  Charlotte Russe had everything 25-50% off, so they were discounted a little. 

The lace print headband I got from Target.  They have a lot of cute, girly ones!  

Whew!  Thanks for reading, guys.  Unfortunately I left my camera at school (I used my mom's), so no makeup swatches/pictures.  I tried to change my mom's camera's settings but I just couldn't get it right.  

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving/shopping time!  The weekend isn't over yet, though, and Cyber Monday is around the corner.  And my bank account hasn't been totally emptied.... ;)

Collective Clothing/Accessories Haul! H&M+F21

Long time no post again- I'm so, so sorry!  I seriously haven't purchased makeup lately, and it's to the point that I've forgotten how it feels to get excited over it.  It's a really sad deal, guys.  However, in place of not buying makeup I have been treating myself to the occasional clothing purchase.  The Forever 21 and H&M up the street from me are quickly becoming my most frequented stores!
I was really in need of more cardigans/sweaters for winter, so I booked it over to H&M.  I've been really impressed with both their selection AND great sales this season.  If you're in need of some good quality fall/winter staples, I highly suggest checking there!
On my Christmas list is a good pair of flat ankle boots and oxfords.  I'm waiting to find some that aren't too trendy but still inexpensive and of decent quality.

Alright, enough about my clothes lemmings.  Onto the collective haul!

Left: satin/lace top, F21 Right: lace long-sleeve top, H&M

I actually got this cami-style top to wear to a party on Halloween.  It's really pretty and I get compliments from my best friend every time I wear it!  I'm loving this dusky-pink shade for fall, I don't know why!  Same thing going on with the long-sleeved shirt from H&M.  It's not the most comfy shirt because of the lace, but I love the color and design.  It has little buttons going up the back of it, too.

Left: shawl-collar sweater, H&M Right: ruffle-trim cardigan, H&M

These two sweaters I got BOGO free!  One of the best deals you can find at H&M right now.  The cream colored one was $35 and the dark grey was $25, so I only paid $35 for both.  I'm tempted to go back and take advantage of this deal again, lol!

Left: scarf, F21 Right: long-sleeve cardigan, H&M

This animal print scarf from F21 is huge!  I love it.  I just got it last night and haven't taken it off, haha.  Same thing goes for the cardigan, which came from H&M.  I want to go back and buy it in different colors, although this was the one color I was drawn to (And there aren't any deals on it right now).  It's just a plain long-sleeve design, but the sleeve has buttons along the cuff and pockets in the front.  It feels like it's quality, which I really appreciate.  I've been wearing this as much as possible though!

(Wearing the scarf+cardigan pictured above.  The top is also new but you can't really see it- it was a gift I just received in the mail from my best friend.  I thought it was so sweet of her!)

I got these jeans from F21 with the lacy cami on Halloween.  They were only like $15, and I've been wearing them all the time!  Unlike a lot of F21's cheap jeans, these feels more durable (Not high quality, but better considering they were cheap).  

Lastly, these hair pins are all from F21 and super inexpensive.  The top two grey ones came in a pack, and then the bottom three were in their own.  Each was under $3 (I'm sorry I can't remember the exact prices!).  I love how cute and girly they are!

That's it for my collective haul!  It's been really nice treating myself this season.  All this no-buy business has paid off!  

What have you guys been purchasing?  Any good deals you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear!

<3

Knomo by CSN Stores: My new ID card wallet

Happy hump day!  Today I have my review of what I picked out from CSNstores.com to share with you all.  In my teaser post a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I had been on the hunt for a small wallet to hold my various school-related IDs (Basically the ones I take everywhere with me, no matter where I go).  When I was contacted again by CSN Stores to do a review, I decided this would be the perfect time to find one for this purpose.  After searching my favorite of CSN Stores' websites- Luxe by CSN- I came across a wallet that looked to suit all my needs.

I got this Knomo Magnetic Credit Card Case in the color Fuschia in the mail a couple weeks ago, and have since been testing it to see how it works for me.  (Side note about the shipping process- this came in 3 days, seriously!  I was so impressed.  I experienced no problems; they got my order right, there was no damage done to the product, and it arrived right when the tracking statement said it would.)

So first off, it arrived in this pretty little box:

Packaging: I love that they really took the time and paid attention to details in the packaging of this.  I really felt like I was unwrapping an expensive, designer wallet!  It came wrapped in a pretty cloth material, nestled inside that cute white box.

Functionality: The case has two pockets- one on the inside that is accessible by the magnetic flap, and one on the outside (the "back" part of the wallet).  The one on the outside is where I keep my residence ID and bus pass- cards I use all the time and need easy access to.  I can get them out with no problem.  On the inside, I keep cards like my library card, laundry card, and school ID.  I don't use them every day so the magnetic flap that covers them doesn't bother me.

(Backside)

(Inside)

According to the website, it measures about 4" height by 3" width.  I need something I can quickly grab with my cell phone when I'm running around my residence building or to class.  Nothing too bulky, but nothing too small, either.  For the most part, this wallet works well for my purposes.  Sometimes I do wish it was slightly more compact- the magnetic flap on the front makes it a little thicker than I'd like.  However, I don't take off too many points for this because I feel it's a purely personal opinion/criticism.  

Design: This wallet is so stinkin' cute, guys.  I get compliments all the time.  My friends all have little ID wallets to carry their cards in, too, but mine is hot pink AND looks like patent leather.  My only complaint is that I wish it had the logo embellished or engraved somewhere in the design.  

However, I love showing this off when I pull out my meal card or school ID.  

Quality: This is made out of lambskin leather with a patent trim around the magnetic flap.  It feels expensive and sustainable, which I love.  I'm still worried to spill anything on the quilted exterior of it, but as long as I don't keep it on the table while eating dinner I should be OK.  :)  I've given it some pretty good wear and tear even over the last two weeks, and it still looks brand new (And shiny).

I was so happy to have this chance once again with CSN Stores.  I've experienced nothing but amazing customer service, and now I can fully recommend one of their many, many products.  

Have you guys ever purchased anything from Luxe by CSN?  What do you think of these kind of wallets?  Thanks for reading, like always!

Disclaimer: I was able to pick out this product for review courtesy of CSNstores.com.  My opinions are 100% my own, without any bias towards to company.  

EOTD: Sparkly Peach, Grey, and Black

I finally have an EOTD that I'm (somewhat) satisfied with!  Enough to blog about, anyway.  I've been in such a makeup rut lately that it's almost pathetic.  I think it's time to start buying new products again, because I feel like I don't enjoy using anything I have anymore.  I also would like a good pencil brush- I think that would help me get my crease right.
Anyway, this is a slightly different version of a previous EOTD I did over the summer using the Wet 'n' Wild Greed palette.  I used a little more sparkle, and black eyeshadow as liner to intensify the focus on my eyes.

(Click to enlarge!)

Wet 'n' Wild Greed palette for reference:

What I used:

-Mac Impeccable Brow pencil in Taupe (brows- I actually filled them in today!)

-Almay Bright Eyes eye base (primer)

-Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush chubby eye stick in Glampagne (base)

-ELF mineral eyeshadow in Natural

-shimmery peach (inner lid), shimmery grey (crease), matte cream (browbone), matte black (liner) eyeshadows from WnW Greed

-shimmer cream eyeshadow from WnW Walking On Eggshells trio (browbone highlight and inner corners)

-Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express mascara in Black

Because I had this peach theme going on with my eyes, I decided to bring the party down to my cheeks! I dusted the bronzing shade from ELF Studio contouring blush/bronzing powder all over my cheeks/temples, and then used Jane Blushing Earth Sheer blush on the apples of my cheeks.  I love how glow-y it looks!  (Excuse the awkward facial expression I have, though)

That's it, guys.  Thanks for reading!  Have a great Monday.  <3

Review: Wet 'n' Wild Silk Finish lipstick in Dark Wine

Finally, I have a new review for you all today.  It feels like it's been forever and a day since I've done one of these, so I truly respect your patience and understanding.
I've been meaning to talk about this product for a long time.  I bought it probably a month ago now, when select Wet 'n' Wild lip products were randomly 50% off at my Walgreens.  I had been looking to try out a dark lip color for fall, so this seemed like the perfect chance (How can you say no to a $0.49 lipstick?).

Wet 'n' Wild Silk Finish lipstick in Dark Wine #522A

(My flash washed out the color a bit, I'm sorry!  The truer color is noticeable in the swatch)

Price: About $0.99 at Walgreens (They often have Wet 'n' Wild on sale, though, so you can easily score it for 50 cents like I did!)

Quality/formula: For being not even a dollar, these lipsticks are golden.  Now, I'm not too familiar with lipstick formulas and describing them, but this one is creamy and not overly drying.  It does dry down to almost a stain-like finish, though, which is great for people like me who dislike the feeling of product on their lips.  I totally forget I have lipstick on!  

The creaminess of this lipstick makes it easy to apply.  I get a good 3-4 hours of wear until the color begins to fade.  This is perfect for me, because usually by that time I've been eating and drinking.  When it starts to fade, it's not splotchy, either.  A little lip gloss on top would make it wearable without re-touching for another hour or so.

Color/finish: I'm adding in this category because I'm so particular about the color and finish of my lipsticks.  I typically stray far away from dark, even red colors, but this one was a cream finish so it seemed less intimidating.  This is a beautiful shade of red/berry.  A lot of the other colors in this line are really frosty or too brown looking, so I was pleasantly surprised when I swatched Dark Wine.

Unfortunately, there aren't many other cream finishes (From the looks of it anyway.  I could be wrong!). I don't do frosty lipstick, so this is a con for me.

Packaging: Lastly, the packaging.  Unfortunately this is where the cheap price is most obvious.  The container snaps shut just fine, which is good, but it just feels cheaply made and inexpensive.  However, this wouldn't bother me so much if the lipstick just screwed all the way down into the tube.  I hate when companies do this.  Look:

The Mega Last lipsticks do the same thing, it's so annoying!  But that's what you get for $0.50, so I don't hold it against Wet 'n' Wild too much.

Pros:

-Inexpensive, easily available

-Good formula

-Decent wear time

Cons:

-Poorly packaged

-Limited color/finish selection

I'm really impressed with this purchase.   I really didn't expect much coming out of it, but I'm happy I ended up trying this!  Do you own any of these lipsticks?  I'd love to hear if you like any of the other colors!  

Wet 'n' Wild LE Holiday Craze eyeshadow palettes (I FINALLY found them!)

Oh man you guys, I've been looking for these Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon palettes ever since the very first pictures went around (When there was word they were only at Meijer grocery stores- which are in my area but not close enough for me to access).  Ever since then, my sole purpose of going to Walgreens and CVS was to find them!  They were part of the only LE display I was really interested in.  So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw the WnW 'Holiday Craze' display at my local Walgreens this afternoon.  These two palettes, Snow Sprite and Sugar Plum Fairy, were the only ones left- and conveniently the ones I wanted most.
I took a picture of the barren display.  Hopefully you can see these two sitting by their lonesome:

But anyway, here are a few pictures/swatches for you to refer to incase you've been searching high and low like I have.

Left: Sugar Plum Fairy, Right: Snow Sprite

They all come with a matching Color Icon eyeliner (I have the full-sized purple one- these seem to be the same as the ones that were 'released' this summer with a new formula and colors)

Sugar Plum Fairy:

Swatches: (far right is bottom row, middle is middle row, far left is top row)

The lighter colors didn't show up too well for me, especially the top right cream-colored shade.  It's almost identical to my skin tone.

Snow Sprite:

Swatches:

This palette showed up much nicer for me than Sugar Plum Fairy did.  They're both equally pretty, though!

Eyeliners: Purple, Silver

Have you guys seen these popping up around your area?  I'm interested to see the other two in person, even though from swatches I've seen online I don't know if I'm in love with the colors.  

Off to take a test now :/  Have a good evening!

October Favorites (AKA my fail-safe products of the month)

I've been so uninspired this month.  I've hardly bought any new makeup, and I haven't been experimenting at all with different looks.  I think I'm in a rut!  My wallet is certainly thanking me, though, so I can't complain in that area.  :)
These are the products I used on an almost daily basis in October.  Once I decided I loved them on me, I went back to them over and over.  The best part?  They go with just about everything!

MAC Naked Lunch, Club, and Rimmel Spark It Up! eyeliner in Peridot- Naked Lunch is one of my favorite "all-over wash" eyeshadows, and I love pairing it with Club for a neutral, everyday look (See my EOTD in this post for something similar!).  The Rimmel eyeliner is a dark, shimmery teal that enhances Club.

NYX Flamingo, Wet 'n' Wild Lust palette (matte light pink and dark shimmery purple shades), Maybelline Full 'n' Soft mascara, EcoTools angled eyeliner brush- I've been loving the combination of NYX Flamingo all over my lid, the matte light pink shade from the Lust palette in my crease/highlight, and then doing a winged eyeliner look using the dark shimmery purple.  I usually highlight my inner corners with the shimmery white, too.  It's a light look for daytime with a little extra something.  And the Full 'n' Soft mascara is amazing!  It flakes on me occasionally, but for the most part it's not a problem.  I'll do a review of this soon.

ELF Studio Contouring Blush/Bronzing Powder- I was using the Studio Golden Bronzer religiously, but I wanted something a little darker.  I had been applying this bronzer with my EcoTools bamboo bronzer brush, but yesterday I tried it with my ELF Studio complexion brush (a big powder brush) and it shows up way better!  I'm also using the blush side of this duo.  Although I'm not typically a fan of peachy shades, I love this.  It's subtle enough for me.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, and Physicians Formula gel/cream liner for green eyes- When used sparingly, this JEP is really great!  I find if I accidently use too much my eyeshadow creases on me, but as long as I don't go into my crease I'm OK.  It really helps bring out the colors of any eyeshadow.  Lastly, this gel liner is just gorgeous.  I love the color, it stays on all day, and it's easy to apply with my EcoTools angled eyeliner brush (see above picture).

That's it for my monthly favorites!  I'm so excited for what November brings.  To me, this new month is representing new beginnings.  It's a great feeling.

Hope you're all having a wonderful start to your week.  <3