Showing posts with label beauty products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty products. Show all posts

Beauty Gift Guide Under $20

Friday, November 28, 2014

In the spirit of Black Friday and the Holiday season truly kicking off today I am going to share 5 beauty gifts for under $20!!! These are all great little gifts for a friend, coworker or even stocking stuffers! I have included bath, makeup, nail, body, and hair products!


1. Caudalie Winter Duo from Birchbox

I first discovered Caudalie hand cream in my very first Birch box over a year ago. I had heard about it from Kate @ The Small Things Blog and it lived up to the hype! I absolutely love this hand cream! It keeps my poor dried out hands nice and soft in the winter. My husband is always trying to steal it too! Birchbox currently has this Winter Duo Lip and Hand Cream set for only $12!!!!! I just got it in the mail and can't wait to try the lip balm!

2. Lush Golden Wonder Gift Set

This incredibly luxurious bath set is perfect for anyone who enjoys a good soak! I think it would be perfect to get all dolled up for New Year's Eve. It includes a Golden Wonder Bath Bomb to start you off. Then the Toffee Scented Golden Fun Sudser to clean up and finally the Celebrate Hand and Body Lotion to keep away the wicked winter air! All of this gift wrapped for $19.95. Sounds wonderful!

3. Urban Decay's Pulp Fiction Pallet from Ulta



Urban Decay is known for their incredible make up and even more incredible pallets! This one might be my favorite EVER! It is great for anyone! The shades will work well with a variety of skin tones and are great neutral basics! Just $16 for Black Friday!

4. OPI Wrapped Wild for the Holidays Nail Polish Duo with Infinity Scarf! from Sally Beauty


When I saw this in the flyer I knew I HAD to have it! I love OPI polish and what a fun scarf! It is only $13.99 for Beauty Club members and I got another 20% off by using my birthday coupon. The Samoan Sand is a great neutral color for nail art bases and more. 

5. Beaded Boho Headband from Etsy Shop Snassy Crafts

Cute Headbands, Rhinestone & Beads Headband Bohemian Style, BOHO Headband, Hippie Headband With White Pearls, Women's Accessories

This headband is sure to be the "mane" attraction in any hairdo. With the stunning rhinestones, pearls and bead work it will look great with so many outfits for so many occasions! Simply stunning for $18. Be sure to check out their other items such as boot socks and newborn items!

I hope I have given you some beauty item ideas for the holidays. I tried to share products from a variety of different types of stores! Which one would you most like to see under your tree this season?

Find Joy in the Journey, Tess
Labels:,, | 2 Loves

Younique Brilliant and Awake {Cleanser and Moisturizer}

Tuesday, July 22, 2014


I finally got around to ordering my free products from my Younique Party - {See my Fiber Lash Mascara Review HERE} And it came yesterday! 

I chose two of their skin care products. Awake - a cleanser and Brilliant a moisturizer. The both retail for $39

The kids and I went to the pool and I thought it would be great to try it out right away when we got home!
My face still had my pre-pool make up on it plus had been sweaty and splashed with chlorine at the pool - it felt nasty! What better test?
Awake comes in the above tube with a silver lid. According to the website it is made with Garden Chrysanthemum (not sure how that is different than any other chrysanthemum), Aloe Vera and Licorice Root. I thought it was a nice sized tube which is good considering the price on the higher end if you ask me!

I was surprised to see it was silver when it came out! It is a nice thick creamy cleanser. It made a great lather with just a little water. It is not gritty at all it's definitely NOT a scrub - however I could feel all the dirt and grit and grime it was taking off my face! No joke! It was amazing! It has a light fresh clean scent. My face felt great after using it!



The second product I earned is the Brilliant Moisturizing Gel - According to the website it is made with natural silver, ginseng and pearl powder from freshwater pearls. It s the coolest looking stuff! These little white balls suspended in a clear gel.


You scoop out a little ball with some gel, crush the ball, mix with fingers and apply. I had just come from 3+ hours at the pool so this was nice and cool on my face. There seemed to be a LOT of gel so I scooped some out and rubbed it all over my shoulders and stretch marks (I have read it's good for those). It felt great! Hours later my face still felt great! It felt nice and soft and smooth! I took some pictures so I can compare after using it for awhile!
Sadly this product is retiring but they are coming out with a new moisturizer. I can't imagine what it will be like!
I am considering becoming an Independent Presenter - what do you think?
Are you a presenter? What advice do you have for me?

Find Joy in the Journey,
 Tess
Labels:,,,, | 0 Loves

Younique 3-D Fiberlash Mascara Review

Friday, June 20, 2014

I recently posted on Facebook looking for a new mascara. Mascara is one of my biggest makeup challenges! I have short, thin lashes, they used to be blonde tipped too but I think I finally stained them I have been using mascara so long! I am always on the look out for a good mascara!
My lashes have become more plentiful I think since I started using lavender oil in my mascara! But that's a different story!
My friend Heidy messaged me and offered to send me a set of Younique Fiberlash in exchange for a blog review and hosting an online Facebook party. Of course I said yes!!!!
In this post I will review Younique and compare it to other top Mascara brands.

Magnify and enhance your OWN lashes!
Heidy sent me a new package of the Fiberlash. It comes in an eyeglass type case, which is very nice. It has two tubes. 
1) the Transplant gel and 2) the fibers

It says to apply a thin coat of your mascara to start. Then apply the transplant gel and while still wet apply the fibers and then seal with another coat of transplant gel. So you want to do one eye at time to ensure that you apply the fibers before the transplant gel dries.


Please ignore the bags under my eyes!!! I didn't have any other eye make up or liner on so you can truly see the lashes!

The top picture is no mascara - see I have like NO eyelashes!
The middle is one coat of  Guerlain Mascara which is one of the pricier, better quality mascaras out there!
The bottom is the Younique 3-D Moodstruck Fiber Lashes!

I was super impressed with the length and fullness! You can clearly see that they are MUCH longer and fuller than the middle picture! I have read that a lash separator can help with any clumping which some people have noticed. My first time applying I noticed there was some fall out I had fibers on my cheeks. I think that was due to the product being new and my inexperience. I only did one coat on the bottom lashes and I would agree with others that you don't want to get to close to the waterline to keep the fibers from getting in your eyes. After my second and third applications I can say with certainty multiple light layers is better than thicker layers!


Here is a close up of my eyes all done up! Look at all those freckles and spots! Oh my! I am on the look out for a product to help with all that! Maybe I can get something with my rewards!


And a silly selfie! I am really having fun with this mascara!

So I would say definitely buy!

They're Real by Benefit
Bad Gal Lash by Benefit
Guerlain Mascara 
all pale in comparison to Younique's 3D Moodstruck Fiber Lashes!

I would still like to try Tarte's Fiber Lashes to see if they can beat this one but I doubt it!

Check back to see what I get with my rewards and a comparison to Tarte!

If you would like to check out Younique 3D Fiberlash Mascara please visit my friend Heidy's website www.youniqueproducts.com/Glamlashesnow

Find Joy in the Journey,
Tess

Disclosure - Heidy is my friend and she gave me the mascara free for hosting an online party and I earned rewards. All opinions are my own and I only say what I truly believe and promote products I truly love and believe in!
Labels:,,,,, | 0 Loves

My first Ipsy Bag

Saturday, February 15, 2014

So I posted back at the beginning of January that I was going to try out Ipsy. I signed up and it finally came yesterday!!!!!!

Not familiar with Ipsy? It is a monthly subscription bag of beauty products based on a profile quiz!

Let me start with the fact that I am super impressed that you get full sized products!


I received
Be Matte Blush by City Color - which is VERY pink! I tried this and it's actually NOT that bad but you need to use a VERY light hand with it! There are other shades I much rather would have liked to get and would have worked better for my skin tone.

Plump Pout Mini by POP Beauty which is VERY pink! I tried this and, the texture and feel of the gloss was nice BUT the color was awful on me! Not sure who can wear this color but it certainly isn't me! Again I would have rather had the other shade.

Zoya nailpolish which I LOVE! I was just saying I wanted some more Zoya polish!!!

Fake Eyelashes with Glue -which I most likely won't use - the one time I tried fake eyelashes I ended up with my eye glued shut! - no joke!


Skyn Fresh Start Mask - I haven't tried this yet but it looks nice!
So overall I really like all the products except the fake eyelashes which are a great product - just not for me! The colors are just off for my skin tone. I looked at the profile and while there are several questions none of them are geared towards skin tone or warm/cool tone preference. It asks my hair color, skin tone, and eye color but even those suggest a warm toned person, and the colors I received are very cool.

I tried to change the settings a bit to see if I get warmer products next time!

Overall a good deal and fun!

If you are interested in joining Ipsy and would like to use my link click HERE.

Find Joy in the Journey,
Tess
Labels:, | 3 Loves

My First Maven (Julep) Box

Saturday, January 25, 2014

 So I finally decided to try Julep. 
You see I thought it was JUST Nail Polish.
I WAS WRONG!
It is so much more!
Julep is a monthly subscription box. It is $19.99 a month for at least $40 in product.


I went to their site HERE.
And took the Beauty Profile Quiz
 and got "Classic with a Twist" on one of them and "It Girl" on the other.
So what did I order as my first box?
"Modern Beauty"
Cause that makes sense.
It did at the time....I think.
So in my first box (Modern Beauty) I received:
Julep Lip Gloss - Charming
I love this lip gloss! It is nice and creamy and smooth! There is a tiny hint of stickiness but barely noticeable and not enough to bother me.The color is beautiful and it made my lips feel great! Not super long lasting but what lip gloss is?

and Kajal Eye Glider which came with a sharpener too!
Kajal Eye Glider & Sharpener - Brown Shimmer and Carbon Black with sharpener
I am really excited about the Glimmer Brown but haven't tried it yet - I used the black and it was a very thin line as it is a very sharp point. It was great for day use!

I added on
Alaina | Julep
Beautiful color! I had to try to get used to the bottle shape/size.
Mystery Nail Color which ended up being Isla
Isla | Julep
Frosty white but good coverage with two coats.
It is also quite thin polish which I guess I am just not used to. It is very nice polish and I am still going strong with my manicure so no chips yet!



Julep Essential Cuticle Oil

Very nice cuticle oil. I didn't have one with a roller ball so that was a nice change. I felt like I had more control over it. It has a strong clean smell but nothing overwhelming.

I also recieved a sample of Julep's Blank Canvas.

So overall I am incredibly pleased with Julep! 
I definitely plan on continuing to be a Maven! 
The price was a wee bit intimidating at first because most other subscription boxes are only $10 but your first one is FREE and it is definitely worth the price!
These are full size products - NOT samples!
I like that you get a sneak peek at the collections each month and can change it up and edit your product choices, as well as add on products!

I hope you enjoyed my post about my first Julep Box and it helps convince you to try it! It is so worth it!

Disclaimer - Affiliate Links are included in this post but I was not paid for this post nor given this box. As always my opinions are my own and I will only promote products I believe in. 

Find Joy in the Journey,

 Tess
Labels:, | 0 Loves

January Birchbox

Thursday, January 23, 2014


This Month's Box 


I have to confess I was a wee bit disappointed this month there was nothing I really LOVED. 
Ok products but nothing to get overly excited about!

Juara Candlenut Body Creme - This was a tiny sample and it was pretty much a one time use with the type of packaging :( It was a nice cream I tried it on my hands. VERY strong scent which was ok. It didn't make my olfactory senses go crazy like so many scents do. It was very silky feeling and not greasy at all. I wish there had been a larger sample to try as an actual body cream!
Ahmad Teas - I am NOT a Tea drinker. I do not like Ice Tea, hot tea none of it! The closest I get is a Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks. So even if I were to try this I couldn't tell you if it was good or not!
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara - Let me start this one by saying I have next to NO eyelashes! My children especially Kaden have the most amazing beautiful long eyelashes - where they got them I have NO idea! Mine have always been short, blonde tipped little stubs! I have worn mascara FOREVER to even look like I have eyelashes! I currently wear a CRAZY expensive mascara because IT WORKS. This mascara is all natural, organic formula that is supposed to lengthen even the sparsest lashes. So over all I was very disappointed in this Mascara not that I had super high hopes but I was completely underwhelmed - it did next to nothing!
Toni&Guy Cleanse Shampoo for Dry Damaged Hair - Well that definitely describes my hair! This shampoo had little to no detectable scent even with my sensitive nose. I was pleased with this shampoo. It lathered well and cleansed my hair nicely. I am not sure if it helped the damage at all though.
Toni&Guy Nourish Conditioner for Damaged Hair - This conditioner had a non-descript mild smell. This was a nice conditioner. It did leave my hair feeling nice and thick and soft. I would worry about build up over time though as it made my hair feel "heavy".

Find Joy in the Journey,
Tess
Labels:,, | 0 Loves

Urban Decay Naked 2 is in my house!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

I have wanted this FOREVER! I built up my Ulta points....and then it was out of stock (due to Christmas)  so as soon as it came back in stock I pounced and ordered!


Yes I know Naked 3 is out but it's very PINK and I am not really a pink girl. I do like rose gold which is what the Naked 3 colors remind me of but this pallet is much more me I KNOW I will use every single color except Blackout - which if I watch enough Youtube videos I might even try it!

And it comes with a brush! Silly I know but excited about that too, and I love the lip color it came with Naked which I already have the pencil for!

It made yesterday's bathroom disaster much more bearable!

Do you own a Naked Pallet? Which one? If not -why? Leave me a comment and tell me!

Find Joy in the Journey,
Tess
Labels:,,, | 0 Loves

December Birchbox

Saturday, December 21, 2013

 I really enjoy my birchbox, I am going to add ipsy and julep soon to compare and see which one is the best for me! But this post is about my December Birchbox so let's get to it!




Products included
Harvey Prince Hello - Nice light floral and citrus scent! Doesn't give me a headache, went in my purse like all the perfume samples I like for when I need a scent touch up on the go! Doesn't seem to have staying power I like in a perfume.
Number 4 Non Aerosol Hairspray - great lil sample for my travel bag - love that it is non-aerosol
Manna Kadar Cosmetics sheer glow shimmer lotion - great lil shimmer lotion kinda hard to apply as a face highlight - silky smooth and feels good on - will throw in my purse in case I need an emergency pick me up highlight
The Honest Company Winter Wellness Kit - I recieved the hand balm it is very thick and VERY greasy it doesn't hold a candle to the Caudalie hand cream for thick hand cream or Big Fat Yummy Hands from Perfectly Posh for everyday hand cream. It is an intense repair cream and I get that I just didn't like the feel of it on my hands - going to try it on my legendary dry feet and see!
Twist Band Specialty Back - I recieved one of these lil beauties in a coppery metallic and I love it - I love these style lil hair ties - make a pony tail seem chic! Would not recommend for a workout but super cute!

If you think you would like to try Birchbox please consider using my link to join - HERE! Right now referrals are the only way I benefit from Birchbox - I am not paid to review my Birchbox nor do I receive them for free. As always I will always give my honest opinion of products and only promote and endorse products I actually try and believe in.


Find Joy in the Journey,
Tess
Labels:,,, | 0 Loves

Candy Cane Nails

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Thought I would get festive and try THIS pin. Obviously I am not as talented as the original pinner but for this REAL chick who was always struggled with painting her nails I was pleased!


I used Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Hard As Nails in White Out - which is a nice cheap white with good coverage and Red Carpet which is a very pretty sparkly true red - which I threw away after I was done! I had to re-do a couple nails and the red stained my fingers when taking it off! I looked like I was on the bad end of some horrible fingertip accident!
The manicure itself is pretty easy only changing the one nail which I think is super cute and fun! I was pleased with how many stripes I got - less than the original pinner but this was my first time trying anything like this. I used used scotch tape to create the lines. It was pretty easy and came off without taking polish off  - I want to say it was the "green" scotch tape if that makes any sense!
Thanks for checking out my Candy Cane Nails - how do you do your nails for the holidays? Anything special?

Enjoy the Journey,
Tess
Labels:,,, | 0 Loves

November Birch Box

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Let's just dive right in, what do you say?


Products:
Color Club Cocktail Hour Nail Polish - I received the color pictured called Top Shelf! I loved this nail polish. It went on so nice and easy and stayed well! I have big plans for this polish with a gold glitter! Stay tuned!
Vasanti Brighten Up! - This is an INTENSE face scrub! Directions say 3-5 times a week - there is no way I could use it that often! It is like a mini microderm. My skin did look good after using but I would only use like once a month - MAX! Definitely like the Grand Central Polisher from September's box better!
Chella Highlighter Pencil - I can always use a highlighter pencil - this one is very nice but nothing special - used on my brow bone
Chuao Chocolatier Honey Comb Bar - What a fun little addition to my birchbox - It was dark chocolate which is not my fave (of course cause it's actually good for you) but was very good what a nice lil treat! I wanna try Rocky Road and Salted Chocolate Crunch.
Tocca Crema da Mano - I received Cleopatra - grapefruit and cucumber which turned me off at first but I opened it and was pleasantly surprised! It smells wonderful and is nice and creamy! Not as thick as my Caudalie but very nice - right in my school bag it went!

Overall this was a good box! My favorite so far in fact!

If you think you would like to try Birchbox please consider using my link to join -HERE! Right now referrals are the only way I benefit from Birchbox - I am not paid to review my Birchbox nor do I receive them for free. As always I will always give my honest opinion of products and only promote and endorse products I actually try and believe in.

 Find Joy in the Journey,
 Tess
Labels:,, | 0 Loves

October Birch Box

Saturday, October 19, 2013

This is my second month of getting Birchbox, I really like having something in the mail besides bills and junk mail! It's such a fun little monthly perk. Let's check out what I received this month.

Products included:
DDF Winkle Resist Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum - this is amazing makes my skin feel like silk, like smashbox primer but this is much more expensive - not enough to test longer and see how it effects pores and wrinkles over time - this is definitely a splurge!!!!
Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine - this is incredible strong and lasts a LONG time - but I didn't care for the scent, at all.
the Balm Staniatic - I wasn't qute sure what to make of this product. It is very wet. It made my lips very red but in a - I drank Kool-Aid way not a pretty way,
Sarahpotempa The Half Up - this is a really interesting tool in theory - but you need thick/coarse hair to REALLY pull it off. I, have neither. My hair is fine and thin , it slid right through this when straight, curled was better but I would need really worked up hair for this to hold well.
ChapStick Hydration Lock - what a fun little addition to the box - who doesn't love a good chapstick?

So that's it - two very high end products and two full size products! Good value but not my fave products.

If you think you would like to try Birchbox please consider using my link to join -HERE! Right now referrals are the only way I benefit from Birchbox - I am not paid to review my Birchbox nor do I receive them for free. As always I will always give my honest opinion of products and only promote and endorse products I actually try and believe in.

 Find Joy in the Journey,
Tess
Labels:,, | 0 Loves

September Birchbox

Saturday, September 21, 2013

It's finally here! My first Birchbox is here!

Look at the adorable pink box it comes in! So exciting to find in the mailbox!

I opened the pink box to reveal a very nice, sturdy, kraft box - thinking about the re-purposing possibilities already!

And when I opened that there they were, carefully wrapped in pink tissue paper - my samples! I dove in right away and tried them all that day!

Products included:
Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream - I was so excited about this one because I had seen Kate from The Small Things blog about the Caudalie products and she was right they are amazing! This is the best thick hand cream ever! I put it on right away and hours later my hands still felt great! This is going in my purse, I know I will need it more and more come winter.
Ruffian Nail LAcquer - This was one cool bottle of nail polish. I loved the top/handle. It was so much easier to hold on to. I received Fox Hunt which was a perfect for Fall deep orange, unfortunately I hate orange! But I tried it out anyway just to see how it went on and it went on like a dream! I am giving this to one of Andrew's dispatchers who loves nail polish. I will definitely order in a different color! It is a birchbox exclusive so you won't find it at Ulta or Sephora.
Beauty Protector Protect and Shampoo - This was a nice shampoo, it lathered well and left my hair feeling thicker than normal. It has a different smell - not bad I have just had shampoo that smelled like this.
Beauty Protector Protect and Condition - This was a nice conditioner, like the shampoo it left my hair feeling thicker, it had the same smell as well. These are birchbox exclusives as well.
Grand Central Beauty SMART Skin Perfecting Polisher - I really liked this! I used it after showering and after about 30 seconds you can totally feel the little balls appear. Afterwards my face felt fresh and tight (which I like). I wish there was a larger sample to see results with longer use, that said I am really considering purchasing it!

 I am very pleased with my first Birchbox! Can't wait till the next one! If you think you would like to try Birchbox please consider using my link to join -HERE! 
Find Joy in the Journey,

 Tess


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Who is the Krafty Mama?


Hi I'm the Krafty one! :) I'm the Queen to 2 little knights and a sweet princess. I married my knight in shining armor (kevlar) over 8 years ago and I am a REAL mom, wife and substitute teacher trying to be the best I can be! I love "krafting" but tend to buy more supplies than I actually use. I love make up, nail polish, hair products and fashion but have been known to leave the house in sweats a messy bun and no make up! I love to cook and bake but am guilty of feeding my kids McDonalds in a pinch. I love direct sales and have joined too many to mention! I would love to get to know you!

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