St Tropez Classic Untinted Self Tanner Mousse

I have been trying out various different self tanner mousses. If you have been a subscriber/reader for a while you will have seen my review on the Sally Hansen Sunless Tanner. The results of that one were nice but I wanted a little more color. I also wanted it to last longer than 3 days.

So I decided to try out the St Tropez Untinted Classic Self Bronzing Mousse. It is usually more on the expensive side with the 6.7 fl oz bottle costing around $44 in retail stores. Now I (being the thrifty person that I am) found a bottle that was barely used on Poshmark for only $14 so I decided to try it out. And I finally broke down and bought an actual mitt from Ulta so we're really getting fancy now!

I applied it in the same way as in my previous blog review but I will tell you my self tanning routine in case anything has changed.

1. I take a shower before I am going to get into bed but I do not wash my hair because if it is wet while the tan is developing and drips on your skin then the tan won't develop evenly.
2. I use a body scrub or some Epsom salt and I exfoliate my whole body, paying extra special attention to my elbows, knees, ankles and feet.
3. Then I shave everything! Well I don't shave my arms, but everything else. If you are not a full body shaver like me, your legs only will do just fine! It's all about preference.
4. When I get out of the shower I pat myself dry with the towel. I let myself air dry the rest of the way until there is not more drops of water on me. Then I put on some thick body butter on my spots that I extra exfoliated.
5. I use my mitt to apply my tanner evenly. This tanner does not have a color guide which threw me off a bit at first but I got used to it. I start with my calves and work my way up from there, only applying tanner to my elbows, knees and ankles when there is very little product on my mitt.
6. When I am finished applying tanner I stand in front of a fan and wait for it to dry and then I put on a big t-shirt and baggy pants and go to bed for the night.
7. When I wake up I jump in the shower and wash the rest of the tanner off and I am left with a beautiful, golden tan.

Here is my before and after pictures:

I LOVE the results of this tanner! Plus I can get 5 days easily out of it before it even starts to fade!!

Poshmark

Hello all!

Yes, I have been gone for quite a while but I am still alive and kicking! I will, in future posts, explain what has kept me away but for today we are talking about one of the many tricks that I have found to have nice things and get them for cheap! That's right, money saving tips!

If there is one thing that my family knows about me it is that I am good at finding expensive things for a cheaper price. Or taking something old and making it look new again, but more about this later as well! I am just so good at it that I think everyone should know my tips and tricks so this will be a series of blogs! And today we start with a website/app called Poshmark! Now just to clear the air, I am not sponsored by or influenced by Poshmark in anyway, shape or form! Now that that is out of the way, here we go!

Poshmark is an app/website that you can buy and sell used or new items, sort of like an online thrift store. You can find items anywhere from home decor to makeup to skincare to clothing and shoes. You can choose to buy with money from a bank account or credit card or, my personal preference, you can sell items on the site and you get basically like store credit to purchase other things on the site with. You can choose to request a check for the amount that you sold items for as well.

Tips for selling items successfully:

1. Be truthful about the condition of your items! If you live in a home where smokers are, don't say that it comes from a smoke free home. The buyer might be allergic to smoke. And if you have dogs or cats, make sure to list in the description so. The nice way to do it would be to say "Comes from a pet friendly home". And always explain what condition the item is in such as using terms like: "Some wear and tear", "Has a rip", "Tag is missing", etc.
2. Accurately state the size/color/shade of your items! I had experienced this exact situation myself. Everyone that wears makeup knows that you don't buy a foundation that isn't your shade if you can help it. I am the lightest of the light in shade and I asked someone what the shade of an item was (because she didn't list it in her listing) and she said it was the lightest shade and it in fact was not. If this does happen to you, Poshmark has an ability for you to return the item if it is not as described and get your money back.
3. Packaging goes a long way!Even if it is a bottle of shampoo, wrap it in something. I at least wrap everything in tissue paper. If it's makeup then wrap it extra good, or if it is breakable! Some people go as far as to wrap the items like a present with a bow and all. And the notes people leave as awesome. It can be something as simple as a sticky note saying thank you, or a thank you card with a hand written message. It's like you bought yourself a present!
4. Ship items on time!When your item sells, Poshmark automatically sends you a shipping label. Ship your items out in a timely manner! If someone doesn't ship the item in 7 days it does give you the option to cancel the order, which I have done several times. But the faster you ship, the more people will want to come back to buy from you again!

Tips for buying items successfully:

1. "Like" items and watch them!When you find an item that you like but aren't happy with the price you have a few options here. You can "like" the item and it will go into a sort of "wish list" and when/if the seller ever lowers the price it will notify you. Then you can snatch that item up at a bargain!
   or
2. Offer the seller a lower price!When you find an item you like there will be a button at the bottom that says "Offer". You can offer the seller a lower price for an item. Not all sellers will accept an offer but if it is an item that has been in their store a long time or they just want to get rid of it, then they may accept the offer!
   or
3. Bundling!Bundling is a great option for SO MANY reasons! The main one being that you can get around the $6.49 shipping on everything...sort of. If I find an item that I really want and it is a good price I will ALWAYS look at the other items in their shop to see if they may have something else that I want. The reason being that you can by multiple items from 1 shop for 1 shipping price, whereas if you buy 2 items from 2 different shops, you will pay for shipping on each item! This is my favorite way of saving money on Poshmark!
4. Leave strong feedback!This goes the same with any site like this, such as Ebay. Leave strong feedback for each seller that you buy from. I had someone leave me 4 stars instead of 5 stars because "my packaging wasn't good enough". I wrapped it in tissue paper!!! It was a shirt!!
5. "Accept" your items as soon as you receive them!!!I can't even explain how it drives me bonkers when I ship an item to someone and the tracking says they have received it, but they haven't "accepted" the item. What I mean by that is there is this feature to Poshmark that is made to protect the buyer. It will not release the money for the item to the seller until you click on "Accept item" meaning that you have received it and it is in the condition stated in the listing. I under stand waiting a day...or even two. But when you have obviously received it and it has been 3 days...really? But lucky for us sellers, Poshmark has made a feature to cover us. If the item has tracked as delivered to the address and the buyer hasn't released funds after 3 full days, they release the funds to you on the 4th day. I personally "accept" items the day they arrive at my home.

And this concludes my tips and tricks for using Poshmark to get the most for your money! Hope you all enjoy and please don't hesitate to comment any questions! You can Click Here to go to Poshmark.com to check it out for yourself! You can also Click Here to check out my shop!

Happy saving!

Video Review on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

I just posted a Youtube video wear test and review on the Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation on oily skin! Check it out at: https://youtu.be/2izbbGutLUg

I know a lot of the beauty gurus rave about this foundation but I just could not get on the band wagon with it. See my full thoughts in the video!

Review on the Dermactin-TS Pore Refining Sheet Mask

I was at Sally Beauty Supply a few days ago to pick up some supplies to do my acrylic nails and noticed a sale they were having. It was sheet masks for 2 for $5. I love trying out new masks and since I was here I decided to grab a couple. I bought the Dermactin-TS Pore Refining mask and the Purifying mask.

A few days later I decided to try the pore refining one. I washed my face like usual and applied the mask to my face. This is a 2 piece mask, so you apply one sheet from your nose up and then one from your nose down. It says to leave on for 15-20 minutes so I left it on for 20 minutes.

Now I have very oily skin and large pores. There is not a single pore on my face that can't be seen ever. When I removed this mask I was in shock! There were patches of pores that were so small that you couldn't see them! And my larger pores were smaller! I couldn't believe it!

A few days later I tried the purifying mask and not only did it clean out my pores but it shrunk some of them as well. Not as many as the pore refining mask but it still visibly shrunk them!

So if you have large pores you need to try these masks! Even when they aren't on sale they are still only $2.99 a piece! And in the right hand bar I have placed a 15% off of your total purchase at Sally beauty. This should be able to be used online of in store! It is an affiliate code so I will make a small commission off of it.

If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and follow using e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Review on the Wet n Wild Photofocus foundation!

Yesterday I posted a new Youtube video! It is a review and wear test on the new Wet n Wild Photofocus foundation! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of photos that I got from it, but had different feelings on how it looked in person. Check it out at the link below to see my thoughts and how it looked!

https://youtu.be/UGy8qgixhGI

Hope you enjoy this tutorial and feel free to comment on the video or on this blog with any comments/questions/concerns/suggestions! Have a beautiful day!

Sally Hansen Airbrush Sun Tanner Review

I decided to try out the new Sally Hansen Airbrush Sun self tanner. I have tried the Jergens self tanner before and was not happy with the color pay off and that the tanner faded off in patches in less than 3 days. I saw a review on this tanner on Youtube and decided to try it.

I bought it at Walgreens and it was $14.99. Not too bad for a drug store self tanner but not cheap. They only had medium and dark so I bought medium.

I am very fair skinned, especially on my legs. But I just love the look of tanned legs. It makes them look so much more slimmed and defined.

Here is how I look without any tanner on.

So I didn't get to purchase a mit because nothing local to me sells them. I would have to drive to a Sephora or an Ulta to get them and we are talking like over 30 minutes to drive there one way! So on Pinterest I found this hack. Cover your hand with a grocery bag and then turn a really soft sock inside out and put it over top of the bag. And you have a mit!

The way I prep prior to applying self tanner is I take a shower and exfoliate my whole body but paying extra attention to my elbows, wrists, knees, ankles and feet. Then I put a heavy, creamy lotion on those areas only.

Then I pump 2 pumps at a time onto the mit and apply it to my body. I start from my legs and go up. I apply it in circular motions, avoiding my joints until I have almost nothing left on my mit and then going over those areas.

Now the color guard on this one scared me a bit because it is very gray. I really thought I was going to turn out gray! But I didn't.

When I got done applying this I waited about 5 minutes and it was dry. I did reapply it to my legs for a second layer because my legs are so much paler than my arms and I wanted them to match.

I put on some baggy pajamas and went to bed for the night. When I woke up in the morning I took a quick shower just to wash off the guard. I just used my normal gel body wash and a loofah.

And here you can see my after pictures!

I absolutely love the results! It looks so natural and like a sun kissed glow! I would definitely recommend this to anyone! I will be repurchasing it in the future!

If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and follow using e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

May Ipsy Bag

Just got my May Ipsy bag in today and couldn't wait to open it and do a review for you all!

First of all it came in this bag this month. I am not a fan of the bag this time around. It is cute but it is not my style and it feels like a very cheap plastic to me. My daughter is excited though because when I don't like my Ipsy bags she gets them.

The first thing that I pull out is this Global Beauty Care charcoal mask. It says that it is a 15 minute facial therapy deep cleansing mud based formula that unclogs pores and lifts away impurities and is for all skin types. I'll do a first impression/review on this item when I get to try it out.

The next item that I find is the Island Life eye shadow palette from Pacifica. It is a natural mineral eye shadow that is 100% vegan and cruelty free. It has 5 neutral shades and all shades are shimmer, no matte. 

I finger swatched the shades on my hand and find that the 3 lightest shades have almost no pigment at all. This palette will be going to my mom who has very little makeup 

experience so it will be good for her to play around with.









There is also a brush in this bag. It is by the brand Royal & Langnickel and it is the Precision Angled brush. This brush is super soft, it reminds me of the IT Cosmetics brushes because they are some of the softest brushes I have ever felt. This brush would be perfect for contouring the nose.

The fourth item is a matte lipstick by the brand tre'Stique in the shade Tuscan Wine. It is a beautiful berry shade. 




It is not long lasting or smudge free. It is the definition of a matte lipstick.

The last item int his bag is the Urban Decay Afterglow 8 hour powder highlighter in the shade Sin. I love the brand Urban Decay, I have several of their products. I haven't heard anyone talk

about their highlighters though. I finger swatched it and got almost no color payoff. It reminded me more of a shimmer eye shadow than a highlighter.





Overall I am less pleased with this Ipsy bag than I have ever been. Hopefully next month will be better.  If you would like to sign up for the monthly Ipsy bags you can do so through this link and I will get a bonus 250 points towards the rewards program! If you enjoyed this review please do me a favor and follow using e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that by using the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Jergens Natural Glow Face Moisturizer

This review is on the Jergens Natural Glow face moisturizer. I have been using self tanner lately and needed something to make my face match my body. I decided to try this moisturizer that gradually tans your skin.

I replaced my usual face moisturizer with this and am happy to report that it did not break me out or make my acne worse! It also did not make my face any oilier than normal. I got the formula for fair to medium skin. It also has 20 SPF in the formula.

It claims to gradually create flawless, natural-looking color when used once daily. I applied it every morning after washing my face. I really feel like it fulfilled its claims. My skin has a very natural looking glow. It did only darken about 2 shades but it looks very natural, not orange or streaky.

                                     Before                                                                                             After

Here is a before and an after picture. It's hard to tell a difference just looking at the pictures but if look at the difference between my face and my neck in both pictures you can see the change.

I am in love with this product and will continue to use and repurchase it! If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and follow using e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Amway G & H Hand Cream Review

This is a review on the new Amway G & H Nourish+ hand cream. Amway just released this new line. This stuff is awesome! It leaves my hands moisturized but not greasy and they stay moisturized for hours. I do my own acrylic nails at home and my hands and cuticles get very dry and I love putting this stuff on right after completing a full set or fill in.

The formula contains a blend of orange blossom honey, shea butter, and pumpkin seed oil. They say that the orange blossom honey is one of nature’s best moisturizers. Shea butter is naturally rich in vitamins and incredibly nourishing for skin. Pumpkin seed oil is a super food that is rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins. It is dermatologist tested, allergy tested, wheat-free and includes no animal products. They are also not tested on animals.

It also can not be bought at any store, it has to be ordered online. My mom is a distributor though and you can purchase it on her website here. It is $13.85 for 3 30 ml bottles which are the perfect size for your purse!

It is lightly scented and I do love the scent as well! I will definitely be repurchasing this product and will be making sure to keep it on hand!

If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and subscribe to e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Kokie Professional Nail Polish in Heavenly

I received this nail polish in my Ipsy bag. As I have said before, I don't usually use light colors but I have been enjoying this one! This shade is called Heavenly and I would describe it as a very pale blue/gray color.



The color pay off is very shocking! I can almost wear this with one coat, but there was a few streaks. 2 coats and it is completely opaque! I am very impressed! On the left is what it looks like with one coat and on the right is two coats.

According to the website you can purchase this at Wal-Mart and Bed Bath and Beyond and retails for $6. You can also purchase on their website here.

I usually add a coat of Beauty Secrets Top Coat to my polish. I will put updates on the longevity of the polish below! So far I am very pleased!

Please feel free to comment with any suggestions that you might have for me to try. And if you enjoyed this blog please subscribe to email notifications when I post more. You can find that on the right hand bar of this page. Have a beautiful day!

clariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Mask

Today we have a review on the clariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Deep Pore Detox Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Mask...that's a mouth full! I received this in an Ipsy bag, though I can't remember which month it was. I love trying out new face masks! This product is all natural, paraben free, sulfate free, fragrance free, dye free, vegan friendly, gluten free, and cruelty free.



Charcoal masks are known for being good for acne prone skin because charcoal draws out the dirt clogging your pores. Cleaner pores = clearer skin! This is what my skin looked like after washing and before using the mask. Even after cleansing my skin the pores are not cleaned out, I still have several blackheads in my t-zone mostly. I typically use a knock off Clarisonic and that cleans out my pores better than standard washing, but for this review I did not do that so you could see the results of the mask alone.

So the instructions say to pour a quarter-sized amount into the palm of hand or a small bowl. Slowly add drops of water, while mixing, until a paste is created. Paint onto face in circular motions. Rinse off once dry. Exact: 1 teaspoon mask & 1/3-1/2 teaspoon water. The product is very light a fluffy until you add water and it turns into a mud like consistency. So I mixed it with water and applied it to my face. And this is how it looked.





When it had dried fully I used a warm, wet washcloth to rinse it away. It was easier to wash off than any other charcoal mask I have ever used. This is what it looked like after I removed all of the mask.

My camera quality is not fantastic but, in case you can't tell, a lot more of my pores are cleaned out than before. I would not call it a high quality mask but it definitely works. For the price, I think it is a fabulous deal. I think it is worth buying for sure. I might purchase it when/if I ever run out of masks to try.

You can purchase this item on their website here. It retails for $14 for a 2 oz bottle, which I would definitely consider to be drugstore pricing. Super affordable!

If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and subscribe to e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Younique Moodstruck Mascara Review

Today we have a review on the Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes Mascara! Now let me first say, I am not a gimmick type of person. If I hear that a product is an amazing item then I will try it and if I like it I will tell people! If I don't like it then I will most likely just not talk about it. But different products work differently for people. If it doesn't work for me it doesn't mean that it won't work for you. I would also like to say that I am not being paid to give this blog. These are my honest opinions about this item.

Okay, now to the review! I am really in love with this mascara. In my opinion is give you the length and volume as if you are wearing falsies but without the weight and dealing with the glue. Personally, I am incapable of applying falsies to myself. It's mainly because I have terrible vision so I wear glasses and without them I have to be an inch away from the mirror to see my eyes! This was a game changer for me!

They just reformulated it in January 2017 and I love the new formula! The new packaging also has a "window" on each tube so you can see when you are running out of product. That's just a fancy little feature that I like. They also have tutorial videos if you need help with your application technique here.

The general process is you take the Transplanting Gel and apply it like you would a normal mascara. Then you take the wand for the 3D fibers and smooth that from root to tip of your lashes. It applies the fibers to the lashes to give you length and volume. Then you reapply the Transplanting Gel to lock in the fibers. At this point if you are happy with the length and volume you can stop here but you can also repeat the steps until you are satisfied with the results. After it dries I like to take a small fluffy brush and lightly run it across the lashes to remove any loose fibers so they don't fall off on to my face throughout the day.

This is my first time using the mascara. My right eye is without mascara and my left eye is with one coat of the mascara and fibers!

This is a before and after as well. Th left is my lashes before application and the right is after application.

This I feel is a very good representation of the mascara's abilities. This is my mom who has virtually no lashes without mascara, as you can see on the left. The right is a full face of makeup that I did on her with the Younique mascara and it is like a night and day difference. I don't think the pictures really do it justice.

You can purchase this mascara for $29 + tax and shipping, shipping is free with $100 or more order. You can order it through my very close friend Stacey Davidson here.

If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and subscribe to e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!