College VoxBox 2012

If you haven't signed up for Influenster.com... go do it now! This is a really cool site that will send you a box of free goodies every once in a while as long as you stay somewhat active on their website. If you are interested in learning more about Influenster.com click HERE and request an invite. After you get your invite and sign up all you need to do it start unlocking badges in whatever areas you like. I was only a member of this site for a month or two and signed on every few weeks to unlock badges and I got a box! It's really that easy. :)  I am not in college and somehow I qualified for the College box, but I am not complaining! Who doesn't love free stuff? I want everyone to know before reading my reviews of these products that I am not at all bashing these companies or Influenster.com. I am giving you my honest opinion, and I am so thankful that Influenster.com chose me to participate. So thank you very much Influenster.com! I greatly appreciate it! Here is what came in my College VoxBox...

NYC Show Time Glitter Eye-Liner Pencil  Retail $2.49

This eyeliner is really great! Its super creamy and has little glitter flecks... It glides on your waterline really nicely, it's soft, and doesn't tug at all. However the glitter can get in your eyes and cause some discomfort. I recommend using this on your top lid only, but if you are brave go ahead and live on the wild side and put it in your water line. ;) I really like this eyeliner and for $2.49 it's a steal! 

Impress Press-On Manicure Retail $7.99 

Are these not the cutest? I did not try these out for myself because I am not a big nail polish or Press-On nail kinda girl... only because I am a stay at home mom and every time I paint my nails I chip them right away. Rgh! After washing dishes or scrubbing floors I take a gander at my nails and half the polish has vanished into thin air! Not cool... at all. I gave these to my boyfriends sister because she loves painting her nails. Hopefully she likes them! But I have heard great things about the Impress brand before, a lot of people really like these nails. If you are interested in finding out more about them click HERE and you will find a ton of reviews on the Impress brand. 

Energy Sheets Retail $5.95

There are pretty gross... just saying. These reminded me of those Listerine strips that you stick on your tongue...ew. You just pop one of these on your tongue and POOF you have instant energy.... NOT! I have tried these twice and I have not noticed a difference in my energy levels at all. I had high hopes for these because I chase after a 16 month old all day and I get a bit tired sometimes. Daniel tried these as well and he didn't notice them working either. So it's not just me. Sadly I think these are a gimmicky product, and for $6 that's a total waste of money. Don't buy these... just drink a cup of coffee and you'll be fine! 

Pentel EnerGel-X Pen Retail $1.90 

$1.90 for A pen... not a pack of pens but one... one freaking pen! I am sorry but I do not like to waste money, and when I can buy a pack of ten pens for a buck that's what I am going to do! But I will be honest with you guys this is a NICE pen. :) It writes soooo smoothly, but like I said it's a pen. I am glad I got it for free because I don'y buy myself nice fancy pens, and this one is really nice. Remember when you were younger and you got all excited to go school supply shopping? No? Am I that lame? Yes, I was that kid. The one that was like YES! New pens, binders, and tab dividers... that's pretty Sweet! My best friend Katie and I would get together before the new school year started just so we could show each other our new school supplies! Geeks. But we thought we were super cool, and back then we would have been ecstatic to get cool pens like these. But nowadays I am like a pen is a pen. But enough of my ranting... this pen is nice, if you want to spend $2 go on ahead. Ill buy my cheap pack for $1 and Ill have 9 more pens that you! muah ha ha ha  ;)

Necco Tropical Wafers Retail $1.25

I hate Necco Wafers... chalk anyone? My mom LOVES the original Necco Wafers so I am saving these for her. I don't know if she is going to like this kind but we shall see! 

xoxo,

Jackie 

Project 17 Bottle Update!

I have finished 6 products from my Project 17 bottle! I am not going to lie to you guys and say that I have not purchased anything because I have... I am weak, I have no will power, I am obsessed. But the good news is that I am still making myself use up my older products before I move onto the new goodies I have accumulated.The picture below shows everything that I have finished and like I promised I will let you know what I think of each product. 

In order from left to right.

1) Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover

I am not a big fan of eye makeup removers of any kind. I prefer to just wash my face because I feel like its a hell of a lot quicker, and there is a lot less tugging on my eyes and a lot less oily crap all over my face. This eye makeup remover works ok. I still woke up the next morning with mascara and eye liner smudged under my eyes and I feel that this products claim to be "oil free" is a bunch of bologna. After removing my makeup with this product I still have to wash my eyes so I can get all the oil off. There is also too much tugging on my eyes when using this product, but I will say that it does not sting at all and it does a fairly decent job at removing most of my eye makeup. 

2) CO Bigelow Grapefruit Lotion

I really loved the smell of this lotion! It was light weight but still did a really good job of moisturizing and sank into the skin quickly. I am pretty sure this product has been discontinued so I don't think you can find this in stores anymore. 

3) Aquaphor Healing Ointment 

This stuff is awesome. Its great for dry, cracked skin and it really helped my hands out this winter. I even used it on Eva when she was getting some dry patches on her face, and this helped so much! I will definitely purchase this in the future if I need it. 

4) Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon Bubble Bath

Not a fan... at all. I do not like the scent. Granted this product was really old and probably way past it expiration date but it made my skin extremely itchy and pretty darn dry. It bubbles up really well, but I'd prefer a different scent. 

5) Nicel Daily Repair Cream

This actually had Equate Absolutely Beaming Moisturizer in it, the pump broke on its bottle so I went ahead and put it in this container. This product was good, but I don't see myself repurchasing it since I have fallen in love with Puristics skincare. This had an SPF in it which I love, and it moisturized my skin really well. This product is supposed to even out your skin tone, which I don't think it did, but overall its a good buy. 

6) American Eagle Shimmering Body Lotion

This smelled really clean and fresh and it was a deep moisturizer. I really enjoyed this! It does has shimmer though so its not great for everyday use. It moisturized really well, but I would not recommend layering this with perfumes or body sprays. The lotion is strongly scented and can be worn alone as your scent for the day as well as your lotion. 

xoxo,

Jackie 

HUGE Makeup Clearance at CVS!!!

CVS is having a huge clearance event on a lot of their makeup products. I went today and yes I bought a few things... even though I am on a Project 20 Pan. I am a huge failure... wah wah waaaah. Do not fret! I am still doing my Project 20 Pan, but being the makeup obsessed lady that I am I couldn't turn down a 50%-75% off sale! This clearance event is happening at all CVS' across the U.S. as far as I know. So if you are in the market for some new goodies I highly suggest you mosey on down to your nearest one... or 5. ;) I only went to one store, believe me I wanted to go to more but I had a napping baby at home and I was on a mission to finish my Christmas shopping for the boyfrand. So while Eva was at home snoozing with her Pops I decided to check out CVS while I was out and about and boy did I score! I only picked up 4 items, and I am very proud of myself for that. It was hard not to grab every single thing, but I really am trying to buy less makeup.  

Here is what I got! 

As you can see everything I got was 75% off, I only spent $8.65 and that is without any coupons! 

Milani Nail Polish in Mint Candy $4.60

After discounts $1.17

Revlon Colorstay Blemish Concealer in Fair $10

After discounts $2.49

Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara in Blackest Black $8.99

After Discounts $2.25

Milani Runway Eyes in 01 Designer Browns $9.49

After discounts $2.25

Total before discounts $33.08

Total after discounts $8.65

That's a total savings of $24.43! 

Now I am sure you can see why I couldn't turn this sale down! Now stop reading already and go get you some makeup!

xoxo,

Jackie 

Project 17 Bottle

Here I go again!

I am really trying to live minimally... well somewhat minimally. I still love my beauty products and I fully intend to keep buying more and trying new things, because well I am just unstoppable. But I really do want to cut back and only have the essentials and not a ton of extras taking up space and going bad. So along with my Project 20 pan where I am trying to use up 20 makeup products, I am also embarking on a Project 17 Bottle. I am going to attempt to use up 17 beauty products before I allow myself to buy anything else. The only exceptions to this project are that I am allowed to purchase a product if I run out of it and I need a replacement. Also if I can get the item for free with coupons then I am allowed to purchase it. I am not putting a time limit on this project either, I will not be finished until all 17 products are completely gone. I plan on updating you guys every few weeks to show you my progress and I will also give a mini review on each finished product. 

Here are the products I am going to use up! 

From left to right.

1. C.O. Bigelow Grapefruit Lotion

2. Tree Hut Coconut Lime Body Scrub

3. Got2b Kinkier Curling Spray Gel 

4. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover 

5. Suave Dry Shampoo

6. Nicel Daily Repair Cream

7. Precious Perfume

8. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

9. Aquaphor Ointment 

10. Got2b Smooth Operator 

11. Super+ BB Cream 

12. Elf Zit Zapper

13. Up and Up Brand Lavender Baby Lotion

14. Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon Bubble Bath

15. Small Jar of Vaseline

16. Loreal Go 360 Clean Facial Cleanser

17. Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser 

As always wish me luck! I can resist the beauty isles... right? ;) 

xoxo,

Jackie 

Project 20 Pan

So... I have a bit of a problem. I am obsessed with any and all kinds of beauty products. Makeup is my weakness, I don't know why but every time I'm at the store I gravitate towards the makeup and beauty isles. I just can't seem to stay away... don't even try to distract me. I will run you over with my shopping cart, my kid will call you a cat and she'll throw any and all inanimate objects in your direction. ;) 

I'm on a mission, and I can't say I am thrilled to embark on this said mission. I have decided to go on a “Project 20 Pan”.  Going on a Project Pan means that I must stop buying makeup products until I have finished every single item in my “Project”.  If you want to learn more about "Project Pan" click HERE and you will find tons of videos on it. I have decided to select 20 makeup items that I have had for quite sometime now and I want to completely finish them before I can buy any new ones. This is going to suck! I don't spend a lot of money on makeup, I always shop sales, use coupons, and stalk the clearance sections... yes I'm cheap. But it would be really nice to actually use products up completely. I'm on a less is more kick and I really would like to only have what I need and weed out the extras. I know this doesn't seem hard but for me being as obsessed as I am, this will be quite a challenge. I will be the first to admit that I have far too much makeup for one person, and I would love to save a little money and stop wasting it on more lovely chemicals to smear on my face. 

I have a few rules that I am going to follow while doing my Project 20 Pan.

1. I am not allowed to spend any money on new products until all 20 of my items are completely used up. But I am allowed to buy a replacement if I completely run out of something and I need it. 
2. I am allowed to purchase makeup products if they are free, or money makers when I am couponing. If I receive something as a gift that does not count since I did not buy it. 
3. I am not putting a time limit on this. My Project is not finished until I have used up every last drop!

I plan on updating every few weeks as I go along. I will let you know what products I have finished up, and I will also do a mini review on each product. That way I will let you know if these products are worth spending your money on. :) 

Here are the products I am going to use up!  

Lip Products 

1. Toy Story chapstick 

2. Eos lip balm

3. Ms. Fields chapstick

4. Nivea Milk and Honey chapstick 

5. Burts Bees lip balm  

6. Milani lip gloss

7. Elf hypershine lip gloss

8. Sally Hanson clear lip liner 

Face Products 

9. Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse Foundation

10. NYC Blushable Cream Stick

10. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Foundation 

12. Elf Mist and Set

13. Shills Primer

14. SoBare Beauty Blush

15. Physicians Formula Happy Booster Powder

16. Bonnebell Concealer 

Eye Products

17. NB eyeshadow 

18. Elf Eyeshadow Quad (I am only using up the two shades on the left)

19. Covergirl Last Blast Volume Mascara 

20. Elf eyelid primer 

Wish me luck... I'm sure as hell going to need it!

xoxo,

Jackie 

Target Couponing Haul 11-8-12

Hey Everyone! I went to Target this afternoon to pick up a few things, and I wanted to share them with you. I used coupons on most of the items and I will show you where I got the coupons and how to use them to get these deals. Please keep in mind that some stores will differ from others, sometimes I am able to use all of my coupons and sometimes I am not. It really just depends on your cashier and if they decide to be nice that day. :)

Here is what I got...
 

 Total before coupons: $39.39

                                                                                       Total after coupons: $10.06

 

 





Transaction 1:

Select Glade Winter Collection products are $2.50 right now, and if you buy 5 you will get a $5 gift card to use on another purchase (good through December 22). I ended up paying $7.83 total after my coupons, and I got a $5 gift card back. Here is how I did it...

 

5 candles at $2.50 each = $12.50 before taxes

Use 2: $1 off 2 Glade holiday home fragrance items (Printed from Target.com grocery coupons section)

Use 2: $1.50 off any 2 Glade 4oz jar candles (Printed from Coupons.com Household section)

 

Coupons total: $5... So $12.50 - $5 plus taxes = $7.83 and a $5 gift card!

Transaction 2:

 

 

2 Aussie 3 minute miracle deep conditioners on sale for 2 for $5 (sale ends Saturday the 10th)

Use 2: $1 off any Aussie product (from smart source machine at Publix located by Aussie products)

 Use 1: $1 off any 2 Aussie products target coupon (this came in the target fall beauty bag coupon booklet)

Total: $2 after coupons

 

Purell 8oz hand sanitizer $2.89

Use 1: $1 off  8oz or larger Purell (from Target.com beauty coupon section)

Use 1: $1 off  8oz or larger Purell (I got this out of a coupon insert but I am not sure which one... Sorry!)

Total: .89 after coupons

 

Glade 4 pack of Fall collection candles on clearance for $1.48

Use 1: .75 off any glade Fall Collection item (not sure where this one came from)

Total after coupon: .73

 

Tena 30 count pads $4.99    *** $3 money maker!!!***

Use 1: Save $7 on any 1 Tena pad product (go to this website http://www.tenatwist.com/coupon-index.php and they will send you one by mail!)

Total after coupons: FREE plus $3 money maker!!!

 

Milk $3.19

Eggs $1.59

 

Total before coupons: $20.42

Total after coupons and $5 gift card from previous transaction: $2.23

 

Grand total before coupons: $39.39

Grand total after coupons: $10.06

 

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!

 

xoxo,

Jackie