Target Haul

I went to Target to look at the Nicole by OPI exclusive shades and I didn't care for any of them.

Then I came across a CLEARANCE endcap :)

Made me smile!!

Here's what I got...

(you can click the photo to enlarge)

E.L.F 32 Piece Everyday Basics Eyeshadow Palette

Original Price: $4.99 - Sale: $3.48

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Finishing Powder

Original Price: $11.99 - Sale: $2.98 (AWESOME!)

E.L.F Sea Blue Eyeshadow Collection

Original Price: $4.99 - Sale: $3.48

Revlon Nail Polish

Emerald, Black Star & Royal

Original Price: $4.99 each - Sale: $2.48 Each

It was a great shopping day :)

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Deals & clearance finds at Target!

I was all excited to figure out this sweet deal at Target yesterday all by myself, only to return home and find it posted about on several blogs I read. Oops! Well, the deal was, Target had a printable coupon for $3 off 2 John Frieda products. There was a $3 off Root Awakening by John Frieda coupon from the 5/1 SmartSource paper insert, of which I had two. In total, it would be $9 off two Root Awakening products.

When I got to Target, the Root Awakening products were marked as $7-something a piece, which was still an OK deal with $9 off. But when I got to the register, they rang up as $5.09! They were on price cut but were lacking the signs that said so.

So I paid $1.18 (or $0.59 a bottle) for shampoo and conditioner that's usually $7-something a piece!

These Old Spice body wash sets were on clearance for $2.80, originally $4. The set includes a 16 oz (regular size) bottle and a 8.4 oz half-size one. We had a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free Old Spice body wash, which worked with this set! So we got two sets - two full size and two half sized bottles - for only $2.80. There's only one set shown in the picture because my brother already took the other :)

I also found these e.l.f. makeup sets on clearance. E.l.f. is cheap enough already, most of their products being $1, but it's good quality stuff. These sets were $4.99 for 5 products, but were marked down to $2.50! One set has 3 different color liquid eyeliners and 2 eyeliner pencils (one shimmer and one brightening) with built-in sharpeners, and the other has 4 dual-color eyeshadows and a double-sided eyeliner pencil and eyeshadow brush. I don't know what I'm going to do with so much eyeliner, but I couldn't resist the deal!

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My Target Beauty Bag finally arrived!

I know you all have seen these posts probably a million and one times by now, so I apologize!  But I was really excited and kind of surprised when I received my Target beauty sample bag this week.  When I didn't get it a few weeks ago when everyone else did, I figured either I didn't sign up for it in time (even though I thought I did), or it got lost in my apartment's mail room.  I'm happy that I was still able to get it!

By the looks of other posts I've read, my beauty sample bag is the same.  Here's a quick look inside (it's a Sonia Kashuk travel makeup bag, btw):

In my bag I received:

-Full-sized Neutrogena Naturals lip balm

-Trial-sized Nivea Express Hydration lotion

-Trial-sized Pantene Pro-V Flat to Volume shampoo

-Revlon Colorburst lip gloss sample in Hot Pink

-Fekkai Shea Butter moisturizing shampoo/conditioner samples

-Target beauty coupon booklet

The coupon booklet comes with all beauty-related coupons, and is what I was most excited for!  I'm saving them to hopefully stack with other manufacturer's coupons I collect.  

I'm loving the Nivea Express Hydration lotion.  I absolutely loathe when lotion takes hours to absorb, and this does it quickly (hence the name!).

Did you get your Target beauty bag?  How do you like what's in it?

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Did you get your Target Beauty Bag?

At the beginning of March, Target had an offer for a free beauty bag full of samples. I received mine a few days ago! It's fantastic that everything was free!

The cosmetics bag is by Sonia Kashuk, who sells her makeup line at Target. It's a really high quality, lightly padded zipper case that normally costs $5.99.

Inside is:

• A coupon book with $25 worth of coupons for beauty brands included in the bag, as well as Olay, Maybelline, Burt's Bees and tons more
• A travel-sized bottle of Pantene Color-Preserve shampoo
• A travel-sized bottle of Nivea Express Hydration body lotion
• A one-use sample of Revlon Colorburst lipgloss
• A sample size packet of Fekkai Shea Butter Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner
• A full-sized tube of Neutrogena naturals lip balm!! (I'm most excited about this!)

I thought the bags might differ but from other bloggers' reports, they all seem to be the same. Either way, kudos to Target for having such an awesome freebie!

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Cute cheap finds: Target and Goodwill

A big Goodwill opened in a nearby town we sometimes go shopping in. Goodwills around here have become SO expensive I barely shop there anymore - especially when I can buy brand new clothes at Old Navy or wherever for $5, why pay even more for used clothes? But the one good thing about them around here is that they get cast-offs from Target and other stores! It seems that overstock or clearance items that don't sell get sent to Goodwills, so there are tons of brand new things hanging around!

Today I saw tons of Christmas decorations, pajamas, shoes, comforters/bedding, and other stuff fresh from Target. Ironically, some of the Goodwill prices were higher than the clearance prices they didn't sell for at Target!

My find was this awesome pink leopard Mulberry for Target bag! It was originally $29.99 (and I'd eyed it in Target multiple times) but at the Goodwill for $10. Brand new with tags, of course! I also then stopped at Target and found another one - the teeny black one - for only $3.47 on clearance (normally $14.99)!

 Then I found all this awesome V-Day stuff in Target's dollar section. Hand towels, cellophane bags, a cupcake rug, and little heart-shaped boxes.

Everything was $1 or $2.50! I love Valentine's Day, if not for just the massive amounts of cute stuff the stores all produce. Valentine's Day used to all be about sappy cards, velvet heart-shaped chocolate boxes, and stuffed animals holding hearts and/or candy. Now it seems like just an excuse to make adorable things, especially cupcake-themed things! Since when do cupcakes = Valentine's Day? To me, they're a year-round thing, but who cares, as long as they keep making cute stuff, right? :)

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All this stuff for $2.25 - Target holiday clearance!

This past Sunday I hit up Target for their 75% off holiday clearance. I'm sure by now it's at 90%, but I doubt there's much left either. There was NO candy left at all, they were completely wiped out! There was a fair amount of decorations and Christmassy things left, but I stuck to the $1 bins, where all the pink dot items were 75% off too!

So I got everything in the above photo for 25c a piece - only $2.25 for everything! I got 3 Hello Kitty notepads, 2 clutch/wallet thingies, 2 folding brushes, a 2011 planner, and Mountain Dew Code Red lip balm. Of course, nothing was really necessary, but splurges that cost so little are always welcome in my book!

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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.... ;)

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Small Target trip + pajama bonanza

Continued from my previous post!

We went to Target with a few things in mind, one of which was the Glade gift card promotion. Specific Glade items were on sale for $2.50 each, and if you bought 5, you got a $5 gift card! Some of the stuff was $4 and up regularly, so it was a good deal.

We had just bought a bunch of candles elsewhere, so we decided to try something new - the oil candle burners with their yummy new holiday scents! These little candle disks melt into oil to disperse the scent.

As you can see, we opened and used some immediately, before I could take a picture. We ended up with 4 refill packs and 1 burner (which came with 1 oil candle) in Bayberry Spice, French Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon, and Baked Magic.

All together it was $12.50, but I had a $1 off Glade Target coupon, as well as a $1.50 off manufacturer's coupon, making it $10 even for all 5 products. I probably could have done better and found more coupons, but it was spur of the moment, and I still got a great deal! I also got the $5 gift card, and gave it to Mom (who checked out behind me) to use on some other stuff we got (eco-friendly LCD Christmas lights and good stuff like that :D).

My other grand purchase:

I've had a $2 off Maybelline Eyestudio coupon for a while now, I've been waiting for the opportune moment to use it. This eyeshadow quad runs about $7.50 to $8 in my local stores. I was shocked to see at this Target (not one we usually go to) it was only $6.42! So I figured now was the time - and I got it for $4.42 with the coupon!

I also had a little pajama splurge, although not all at Target. On Target's printable coupon site, they had a $10 off 3 pajamas coupon. While it would be ideal to grab a bunch of clearance PJs and get them all for free, I am in dire need of winter PJs and am drowning in summer ones (the only ones on clearance). So we decided to split it up - I got one PJ set (which comes with a long-sleeved shirt, long pants AND shorts) for $19.99, Mom got a pair of PJ pants for $10, and we got another 3-set for someone as a Christmas present. It wasn't much savings, but $10 off is better than nothing! And the designs are sooo cute!

I got the rest of the PJs from Kohl's. My grandma had received several $10 gift cards in the mail (her apartment complex is right down the street from a Kohl's, so they send them out as promos - lucky!!) and gave them to us (super lucky!). The blue PJ set was $40, on sale for $24.99, I used one $10 gift card, making it $14.99, and then a 30% off coupon we got in the mail, making the set only $10.50!

The two shirts were actually just ladies' long-sleeved shirts, but they're 100% cotton and were only $7.99. So $15.98 for the two of them, minus a $10 gift card and the 30%, they came out to be $4.19 total, or less than $2.10 each! Score!

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I've been away... and a few new things

I'm so so sorry I haven't blogged this week!  School picked up a LOT late last week, and then this weekend my boyfriend and parents came to visit me.  This week I've been feeling kind of "off" (I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong), so all of that combined led to the infrequent posting.  I hope you guys understand!
This weekend was a great time spent with my boyfriend and parents.  My boyfriend has never been to the city before, so it was a nice change of pace for him especially.  Here are a few pictures:

This was at the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park

Looking down from the Sky Deck on the 103rd floor of Willis (Sears) Tower- I almost got sick, lol!

On a river boat tour that went out on Lake Michigan

We took a TON of pictures, but I won't spam this entire post.  I'm happy I finally got to do more tourist things!  And it was the first time I've been on the lake, so that was beautiful.

Anyway, I've inadvertently put myself on a shopping ban of every kind the last week or two.  I really didn't mean to, but there hasn't been much that isn't ridiculously out of my price range that has "spoken" to me.  Haha.  I shop by the motto that if you don't get that excited feeling when you see something, it's not for you.  

This weekend, though, I took a much-needed trip to Target.  I picked up Maybelline Full 'n' Soft mascara, and Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue gel-cream moisturizer (I had two coupons- a $2.00 and a $1.00, so in total I got it for about $4!).  Afterwards I went to Walgreens where they have select Wet 'n' Wild products 50% off.  I've been looking for darker lip color, and being $.49 I thought the Silk Finish lipstick in Dark Wine would be a good place to start.  I seriously love this color!  I'll feature this in a look sometime soon, don't worry.

(I'll also do some kind of review on the Garnier moisturizer once I've used it awhile)

I also got this cute knit hat from Forever 21 tonight... just because.  :)  I definitely don't need it or anything, just felt like buying myself something.  Hey, it's been a rough week!  ;)

Thanks for bearing with me, again- I know my blog has been ridiculously slow!  And I've fallen behind with responding to comments, but I read each and every one.  You guys are awesome.

<3

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Roundup of some current makeup coupons!

I'm sure a lot of you know about these coupons, but I know I personally find it easier when I have a list of all the ones available in one place.  I currently have a TON of drugstore makeup coupons in my wallet waiting to be used!  There are several going around right now, so I hope you take the time and clip these before they slip away.

Facebook: (Some you have to "like" the page, some you don't)
- Revlon $2/2 nail polishes and $2/1 Super Lustrous lipstick HERE (these printed two times each for me)
- St. Ive's $1/1 any product HERE (not makeup but still a good coupon!)

Redplum:
(All coupons can be found on their website HERE)
- $1/1 L'Oreal Paris eye cosmetic
- $2/1 L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base by Studio Secrets

- $1/1 Sally Hansen lip product

- $1/1 Rimmel product (any kind)

- $1/1 Rimmel product (there are two of these available)

Target:

(All coupons can be found in their coupon database HERE)

- $2/1 Neutrogena face cosmetic product

- $1/1 Neutrogena facial care product

- $1/1 Revlon any cosmetic product

- $1/1 Revlon tools

I also have a few older coupons that used to be available on Redplum and All You but they aren't anymore.  I can't wait for drugstore makeup companies to come out with new things for fall, because I haven't been interested in much recently!

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Super cheap Target find!

I got lucky at Target today to find this Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste on clearance from $2.99 to $1.48!

I think it was on clearance because of the box is a little beat up, it was right on the shelf with the rest of them, which weren't discounted. I have been hanging on to a $1 off manufacturers coupon for this, so I finally got to put it to good use - the toothpaste cost me only .48c!

Of course, I was so excited about getting the deal that I didn't check the ingredients until I got home. I'm disappointed to see it includes sucralose as a sweetener. I avoid artificial sweeteners in my food, and don't like the current trend of adding it to other products as well... is it really necessary? It's in the mouthwash I use too. I guess it's not as bad as ingesting it, but still...

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Target haul!

Went to Target today and got a lot of freebies :)

Approximate total price of items pictured: $16
Amount paid: $3.19!!

The Air Wick air fresheners (I love these because they're non-aerosol light fragrances!) were on sale for $1.99, and I had a B1G1 free coupon. So the two of them were $1.99, making them less than a dollar each.

The Whiskas cat food trays were 57c, and I used two B1G1 free coupons, paying $1.14 for all four. These are pretty pricey as far as cat food goes, but the kitties love them so it's nice to spoil them every once in a while :D

The Sobe Lifewaters (usually $1 each) I got for free, using a B1G1 free manufacturers coupon in addition to two 50c off Target coupons.

U by Kotex tampons were on clearance for $2.08, so I used one manufacturers $1 off coupon in addition to a Target $1 off coupon, making them 8 cents!

The Post-its were all free using $1 off manufacturers coupons (they're only $1 regularly)

And the Bic pens were 99c each, so I used $1/2 manufacturers stacked with a $1/2 Target coupon, making them free with a 2c overage!

I love shopping trips like these :D

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Non beauty-related post: Preparing for college

Hey guys, today's post is going to be a little different and not about beauty.  It's about college and how I am (and still very much in the process of) preparing for it!  I'm definitely a procrastinator when it comes to school.... and getting ready to leave has turned out to be no exception.  I'm excited, don't get me wrong, but it's still a hassle having to pack and think about everything I'll need.
I'm hoping this will help any of you going away to school who are in the same situation as me, and find yourself not quite sure what to get/pack.  I know I'll happily take any advice I can get, and my 10-years-older sister has also been a great help!  She keeps reassuring me that I'll have time after I move into my dorm to get anything I forgot, in case it happens.

I have most of the necessities for my classes besides my textbooks.  I'm taking five classes, so I got my notebooks/folders for each of them, along with pencils and index cards.

The folders I got from Target, and the notebooks I got from Walmart and Walgreens (Walgreens has notebooks BOGO free this week!).  This is the one area I feel fairly prepared for.

In terms of dorm stuff.... not so much.  My mom and I did go out shopping yesterday and came home with quite a few things from my list, but I still don't have a comforter and other randoms.  Quite a few things we're waiting to buy once we get there and see what my room is like, though (Full-length mirror, blankets, decorations, shower curtain, etc).  We have towels, wash cloths, and other things like that here that I'll take with.

I'm quite pleased with the things we found, though!  At TJ Maxx I got a dry-erase/cork board, a shower caddy, and an organizer to put cards (and makeup palettes!) in:

I didn't tell my mom but that pink organizer will hold my ELF beauty book palettes perfectly.  Thanks Becky for the idea!  :)

Part of the reason I hadn't gotten more prior to this week is because I'm so darn particular.  I can't find the "right" bedding, and none of the decorations or dishes I found were unique enough.  We went to Target and I threw my hands up and just bought some things I really needed:

They have 4-packs of cups and plates for $1.99 each.  And they do have little designs on them, so they aren't totally plain.  Cute and cheap.  Sounds good to me!  I also got a bowl just to have for fruit and stuff.

This just screams "college" to me.  Yeah, I'll need these.

And the last thing I'll post here is the lamp I got for $14 at Target.  I didn't want to get a lamp before I found my bedding, but since I probably won't find bedding until I move, I gave in.

I also have a few other things I got, but I didn't want to make this into some kind of college 'haul' post.  These are items I know I'll get usage from on a daily basis.  And, I feel so much more prepared!

Are you going away to school?  What are you bringing?  I'd love to hear any advice you have.  Thanks so much!

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New Face Brushes: Studio Tools & Walmart

I said earlier that if I got off work early today I'd make a trip to my 'big' Target and look at their selection of Studio Tools brushes, but I had a migraine (Wisdom tooth removal pain) and didn't want to go across town.  I ended up going to Walmart and checking out their selection of brushes.  I'm not exactly sure what the name of this brand is, but they have blue labeled packaging and are really cheap.
In this post I'm going to talk about the two brushes I got from this brand (Not a full review on these, as I haven't had a chance to fully use them yet), and then my Studio Tools kabuki brush I got yesterday.  I'm proud of myself for building on my face brushes!  :)

First up is my Studio Tools kabuki brush, which I believe was $4.99 at Target:

This brush is actually a lot softer than it looks in these pictures.  I took the second one to show you how dense it is.  It covers about half of my cheek, and makes mineral powder a breeze to apply (and does it in half the time!).  It's not the softest brush.  If I wasn't somewhat desperate for a kabuki and seriously curious about Studio Tools, I don't know if I would have picked this up, but I certainly don't regret it.  

This works just fine for me at the moment (Read: if you already have a nice kabuki I wouldn't recommend going out and buying this one, but if you can't afford to spend much more like me, this is a good bet).

Next up are the brushes I just got tonight, from Walmart:

Duo-fiber highlighter brush, angled contour/blush brush

This blush brush was $5.98 and is seriously so soft!  I'm trying not to jump to conclusions about it, but I think I'm going to love this.  The only other angled blush brush I've owned is the ELF $1 one, and it was scratchy and shed hairs everywhere.  I looove how soft this is!

Update: This applies a subtle amount of pigment.  I used it with my ELF Studio blush in Blushing Rose,  a pretty pigmented blush, and it gives me a softer look.  Which means I won't always have to go back and buff out my blush.

This is the Duo-fiber highlighter brush, which was $4.98.  This one is very soft too.  The handle is a little shorter, something I'm not thrilled about, but I'm trying not to complain because of the price tag.  It's supposed to be used for powders (blush, bronzer, highlighter, setting powder), but I've been dying to try out a duo-fiber brush for its "airbrush" effects.  I'll have to decide later whether this one could work for that.  It's a little small.

Update: Having never used a brush specifically for highlighting, this one applies highlighter powders really nicely!  None of my regular powder brushes pack on pigment this well.

Have you tried any of these brushes?  What are your thoughts on them?  I don't know if I'm going to end up getting more Studio Tools brushes from Target, however I need an angled eyeliner brush and they have one for around $2.  

Also, check out my last post on the VS eyeshadow primer- I updated the pictures.  Hopefully you can tell how well it worked a little better!

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Mini Target Haul & Swatches

I decided to take back the Pixi by Petra Eye Beauty palette that I posted about yesterday.  I tried them on my eyes last night and found the following: 1) the colors were very sheer, and 2) they felt like they weren't long-lasting.  I know that's hard to tell from only 5 minutes, but they were powdery and just didn't seem to "stick" to my eyes well.
This is now the second time I've returned an opened beauty item to Target, and they've been super friendly and helpful!  They haven't given me any problems.  I just got the money put back on a gift card so I could spend it there (about $15.00).


So guess what I found!  Those ELF Beauty Books!  This is the Super Target I went to today, so the regular Target in my town doesn't carry these yet (I went there yesterday).  But these were just sitting on an aisle display right near the beauty products, not advertised or anything.  I'm glad I saw them.
I was really lemming the "Eye Bright" Beauty Book from swatches online, but when I saw it in person, there were really only a couple colors I loved.  I decided to get the "Neutral Eye" edition because I'm loving plums/raspberries/golds/neutrals lately.
That was $5, so with the rest of my gift card I bought the Sonia Kashuk large crease brush and a Neutrogena Nourishing eyeliner in Plum Drop.

First I'll show you swatches of the ELF Neutral Eyes (Although I'm sure you've now seen these a million times, sorry!):

(The light nude on the bottom left reminds me a little of MAC Naked Lunch)

Top Row:

Middle Row:

Bottom Row:

These eyeshadows are just as pigmented, rich and creamy as the reviews I've read have said.  They even seen more pigmented than the eyeshadow quads, to me anyway.  I think I might just head back to Target (Again, for maybe the 100th time this week LOL) and get the Eye Brights edition just because the quality is so nice.

Swatches of Neutrogena eyeliner:

I finally used up the $3.00 off Neutrogena coupon I've been hanging onto.  This one swatched nicely for me, and it passed the rub test!  It's not rubbing off with just my finger, thank goodness.

Sonia Kashuk large crease brush compared with MAC 224:

Finally I have a stiff, shorter crease brush!  I've been wanting one that applies eyeshadow better for awhile, but haven't wanted to fork over the money.  This Sonia Kashuk one (on the left) was only $5.99, and since I had my gift card, I figured it was the perfect time.  It fits into my crease perfectly. 

That's it for my mini haul!  Thanks for reading, everyone.  Have a lovely day.  

<3

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Pixi by Petra Eye Beauty Kit in Mermaid

(I love seeing that little red/white clearance sticker at Target, LOL)

Today I was at Target (Again) with my sister, and of course we were snooping around in the beauty aisles.  Usually I overlook the "designer" makeup sold there, but I caught a few clearance stickers so I decided to take a closer peek.
All the Pixi by Petra Eye Beauty Kits were marked down from $28 to $14, and since I had $9 left on an old giftcard, I decided to see if any of them jumped out at me.  Um, Mermaid sure did!  I'm amidst a turquoise eyeshadow obsession so these just screamed "gorgeous".  And they look totally wearable.
Anyway, I have yet to try this palette out on my eyes, but I'm a little nervous.  I looked up reviews of these online just a minute ago and it looks like people hate them.  On Makeup Alley there would be like 5 bad reviews, and then 1 good one floating around.  I'm trying to not let that sway my opinion, though, since I haven't actually used them.

Swatches of left-side shadows, in same order:

Swatches of right-side shadows, in same order:

They are lacking in pigmentation, but these were swatched without a primer or base so I'm trying not to be too hard on them.  The shadows on the right side were much more vibrant than those on the left (However, on my light skin, light shadows have a tendency to all look similar).

These shadows are housed in a cute light green case, and the palette comes with a double-ended brush as well.  Props to Pixi for that- while I'm sure my eyeshadow brushes will work better, it looks like they at least took some effort and made decent-looking applicators.

To the touch the eyeshadows are really soft, so I'm sure they won't be hard to blend.  I will definitely do a look with these ASAP and go into more detail on how they apply!  

This was the first time I've looked in-depth at Pixi by Petra.  The eyeliners look REALLY nice; the colors were really pretty, and they didn't budge at all on my hand.  The blush/highlighter duos also looked pretty.  Unfortunately the price-tag is a little steep (If I'm going to pay $14 for an eyeliner I don't know how I feel about getting it from Target), but they are all packaged very cute.  :)  

Have you tried any of these eyeshadows?  Anything else you'd recommend from this brand?

PS- I've been seeing LOTS of those clearance stickers at both my Targets.  If you haven't been to Target lately, I'd recommend stopping by and seeing what's in yours.  The Super Target in my town has even more clearance items than my normal Target.

Update:
These are kind of letting me down.  I love the colors, but the pigmentation just isn't great at all (I'm also afraid the shadows are going to disappear from my lid in like 30 minutes).  I'm searching ravenously for my receipt.  If I find it, I'm thinking about getting one of the eyeliners or blushes.

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Mini Walgreens and Target Haul (UPDATED: And Walmart!)

Today I got a few things I've been wanting for a long time, so I'm excited to share this with you!

(Clockwise from top left: EOS lip balm Lemon Drop, Covergirl Trublend Minerals blush in Pure Romance, Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express mascara in Glam Black, Wet 'n' Wild Mega Last lipstick in Think Pink)

I've read endless mention about these EOS lip balms, and I FINALLY figured out where they sell them. I thought for the longest time you had to buy them online, but no, they've been at Walgreens!  I did have to go to the one a little farther away from me (The one around the corner didn't have them), but that wasn't a problem.  I honestly don't even care that this balm isn't the most outstanding one I've tried; the packaging is so cute!  My mom was really interested by it, haha.

I pass this Covergirl Trublends Minerals blush in Pure Romance every time I go to the grocery store, Target, Walgreens; wherever they sell Covergirl.  It wasn't until recently when I read a blog post about this particular color (I forget where, sorry!), and how lovely it looks on fair skin, that I decided I needed it.  It's such a gorgeous, pale pink color.  This is the only product I got today that I am a little disappointed by- it's hardly pigmented at all, and I think my skin is just a tad too dark for it to show up well (I'm fair, but I usually wear the 2nd or 3rd foundation shade depending on the brand).  It's shimmery, so it basically gives my cheeks a nice "glowy" look.  Definitely pretty but not what I had expected.  (PS: You get so much of this.  There is .63oz of product; I don't know if I'll ever finish it!)

The Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express mascara is my current HG mascara.  I've gone through several tubes of this in the past, and the one I've been using is pretty much done with.  I love it so much that I needed to buy another one.  I think this is the first time, recently, that I haven't wanted to try a "different" mascara! 

Lastly, this Wet 'n' Wild Mega Last lipstick in Think Pink is one I've looked over every time I go look at lipsticks.  It always looked too "baby pink" to me, but today I just decided to try it.  I'm so glad I did.  It's pretty, and with the right lip gloss I think it's wearable enough for everyday.  Now I have four of these lipsticks!

(Left- Covergirl blush, Right- Wet 'n' Wild lipstick)

Update:

So I ran to Walmart before hitting the gym tonight, because I realized I've done really well with saving money so I deserved just a couple more things to spoil myself with.  :)  I got my hands on the Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Peach Petal (YES!  I love this and have been eyeing it ever since I bought the others last week!), and then a Jane Blushing Cheeks blush in Blushing Earth Sheer.  I picked this up because I remember awhile ago Jamie at Maquilagem Masstige had raved about it.  It is really pretty!  

I think I'm just going to start collecting these Revlon SL lip glosses.... because I want another one already (Nude Lustre).  I think the packaging is sophisticated for a drugstore lip gloss, they feel lovely on my lips, and I love the distinct scent they have.  They aren't the cheapest, but I feel OK spending a little extra on them.

I love Peach Petal... it's like a nice creamy nude color, but with enough peach in it so it doesn't completely wash you out.  I'll post pictures of this in another post sometime, you can count on it!  

I'll definitely be picking up more of these Jane blushes, too; they are nicely pigmented, soft, and gorgeous both in the pan and on my cheeks.  

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