Saving on Makeup

Hi all... and Happy Wednesday to you! I wanted to do a little post today about saving on cosmetics through savings programs, sales and coupons. With everyone jumping on the couponing train lately, it's not surprising to see those affiliated with cosmetics companies joining in on that as well! Since, there's a lot to absorb with this topic, I'm just going to take a little at a time. Today, I want to talk about the deal I was able to get last night and how I did it. 

Last night, I did a good shopping trip at Publix for groceries, but I also had some Cover Girl coupons and wanted to take advantage of those on some eye shadow singles. 

Publix have these priced (in Auburn, Alabama) for $2.99 each. Our Publix coupon policy states that you can use 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon per product. I had a $3 off 2 Cover Girl products coupon from the July 29, 2012 P&G coupon insert from the Sunday newspaper and I also had 2 store coupons from the Publix green advantage flyer that were $1 off 1 Cover Girl or Queen product. So, when I stacked those coupons I was able to get both eye shadows for just .98 or .49 each. After tax it was $1.07 for both full size eye shadows! 

 *Sorry about the right pic. Haven't figured out how to flip it on here yet!*

So the 2 colors I picked I consider both to be "highlight" shades. I picked up #620 in Snow Blossom and #540 in Pink Chiffon. Both are very light and frosty looking. Here are some swatches! (PS: I have a ton of the cover girl singles now. If you are interested in seeing swatches of all the colors I have now, just leave me a comment!)

My skin is light and pink colored as it is so these didn't show up particularly well, but they are both very nice. Snow Blossom, on the top, is a little chalky where as the Pink Chiffon is a really silky feeling. The Snow Blossom also has a little less shimmer than then Pink Chiffon. Both seem to be easy to blend and if they compare to the other Cover Girl shadows I have, they will be long lasting as long as they are used over a decent eye primer. 

Let me know if you have any questions!

- Yours - Jessica -

A Couple Product "Don'ts"

For me it's rare to find a product that I dislike enough to tell people that I wouldn't recommend buying it. Usually I can find something I like about it enough to at least say, "Eh... it's worth a try." Today, however, I'm bringing you reviews on 2 products that I will never consider purchasing again and I cannot recommend them at all. 

The first product, is the Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen. I received this product in my June bag from My Glam and had high hopes for this product. I am always looking for another great eyeliner and more specifically I have been looking for an eyeliner that will give me the look of a liquid liner but something that's easier to apply and will stay put on your eye. 

 I guess the word "permanent" is what convinced me this pen was going to be a success. Unfortunately, this eyeliner is hardly permanent. When you rub the line you've created, you have a slight amount of product rubbing off but this isn't the biggest problem. If you introduce any moisture to this product, you have a big mess. Any tears or sweat will cause this eyeliner to immediately smudge and run all over the place. I used the product once on a day where moisture wasn't an issue and aside from the fact that I had to go over my lines several times to make it a true black, I was fairly pleased with the wear. So, I decided to give it a try again. I wore it to the fireworks. God bless the kindness of the people around me because when I looked in the mirror I saw a raccoon before me! A hint of this product's epic failure should have been that it states on the pen to not use it at all if you wear contact lenses. I do not wear lenses, but I still think that should have been a clue. Shame on me... never again will I use this product. 

The next product I'd like to talk about is Revlon Photoready Airbrush Makeup. If you follow my other posts about foundation, you'll note that I purchased this the same time as my other Revlon Colorstay foundation. The colorstay has been working really well for me for the most part, but I figured I would give the airbrush foundation a try since I already purchased and swatched it. There is nothing I like about this foundation from the packaging to the application to the coverage. 

 To start off with, the pump for me is very difficult to push down while having any kind of control as to how much product comes out. If you have any kind of arthritis, shaking or pain in your hands, this pump is very difficult to use with any kind of accuracy. 

Next comes the application of the product. As with the other Revlon foundation I use, I used the Sonya Kashuk blending sponge to apply this foundation. Not only was the product very difficult to blend and not look splotchy but the coverage wasn't very good at all. It seemed like the more I applied to try to increase coverage, there was no difference in actual coverage at all. It just looked more splotchy!

The next thing that is kind of annoying about this foundation is that there is a shimmer to it which is borderline
"glittery". I say this because some places even seem to have pieces of glitter as opposed to a shimmer. This is personal preference, but I believe any shimmer or glitter should be left to other products as opposed to being directly in your foundation. 

So, that's my take on these 2 products. I hope at least someone has had a better experience than I have!

-Yours - Jessica - 

Oysters, Burgers and Wings... OH MY!

Not much to say about Jefferson's other than YUM! My husband and I took our 4 children out yesterday in search of a restaurant that might be open. It was 4th of July so pretty much everything was closed. Then, we were pleasantly surprised to see a newer restaurant in Opelika was OPEN! What made is awesome is that I love oysters, my husband loves burgers and we all love wings... so, in we went to try it out!

Let's start with the surroundings and staff. We were the only ones in the restaurant. I'm assuming that we're the only ones that grill out on a regular basis so not grilling out on the 4th was no big deal. All the staff welcomed us and our waitress came over immediately and was very attentive during our entire visit. She was kind, helpful and just had a great over-all personality. We also were able to chat with the owner who was kind and gracious as well. Upon walking into the restaurant you'll find booths to your right, high-top tables each with 6 tall stools to your left, tables and chairs in the center, and the bar straight through to the back. We chose to sit at a booth on the right and one thing that's great is the tables are movable to accommodate those growing bellies! It frustrates me when restaurant booths are all glued down therefore forcing all larger guests to only sit at the tables in the center. Our table was very clean as was the floor and any other surfaces we came in contact with.

One of the interesting things in the restaurant, is the collage of dollar bills on the wall. You can read the story about how that got started in their menu which contributes to some interesting meal conversation!

This restaurant would also be great for sports enthusiasts! I counted about 6 flat screen televisions that each boasted a different sporting event.
As usual, we began our ordering with drinks. The drink specials on the table said "June" but our waitress said they would honor them because they were still on the table. 

I ordered a Bahama Mama and water and my husband a Lima-a-Rita as well as sprites all around for the kids. The drinks were properly made and tasted fantastic. Our waitress came out with the drinks and explained that my husband's drink was the last of its' kind so that was disappointing, however, there is definitely something to be said for her telling us right away! There is nothing worse than having a drink and going to have another only to find out they are out! Along with the kids' drinks, they all received a balloon that came with their meals! SO CUTE and BRAVO to Jefferson's for realizing how a child can be glued to a balloon for hours thus allowing the parents to enjoy meal time too! HAHA!

Next came the ordering of our appetizers which came out VERY fast from time of ordering! We ordered a 12 piece hot boneless buffalo wings with blue cheese and a full size order of fried pickles with blue cheese dressing. 

For a minute there, I almost forgot that fried things were supposed to be crispy! Jefferson's hit it out of the park with both of these appetizers. The chicken was crisp yet still soft and full of flavor and I had yet to even taste a fried pickle that was crisp until now! The boneless wings we ordered were "hot" flavor and I'd say they were that. There was one level of heat above what we ordered which I probably would have enjoyed even more! The blue cheese dressing they used was great as well offering pungent chunks of blue cheese in a rich and creamy mayonnaise based dressing. 

For our entrees we ordered 6 meals, one for each of us. Two of our children had corn dog kids meals and two of them had chicken finger kids meals.  Each basket had the choice of french fries or apples and of course all 4 of my children chose fries. Their meals looked fantastic with all items appearing crisp and juicy!

My husband chose the double burger with Jack cheese and bacon and it was HUGE! He described the burger as juicy and filling. I've never seen him not be able to eat his whole platter before, but alas, the left the french fries!

 *He apologized for plopping the mayo before I could take a picture! HAHA!*

And OH, happy day for me! I ordered the Jefferson Baked Oysters. 12 fresh oysters baked to perfection with Parmesan cheese, hot sauce and jalapenos served with cocktail sauce and lemon. This was the perfect dinner for me, as I still am on a no-chew diet and everything else I had to chop up very fine in order to taste to make this review. The oysters themselves were so soft and delicious while the hot sauce and jalapenos added just the right amount of heat and the Parmesan cheese provided a creamy tang to the oysters. I chose not to eat the jalapenos so that I didn't have to chew them, but the flavor was very much there even through the hot sauce flavor. 

In the end, we truly enjoyed our experience at Jefferson's and will be all too happy to eat there again! I can't wait to try the other flavors of oysters as well as some of the other flavors of wings! Next time you go to Jefferson's check out our contribution to their local collage... a couple booths down on the right!

Check out http://www.jeffersonsrestaurant.com/ for menu, locations and more!

*This blog post serves as an unbiased restaurant review of Jefferson's in Opelika, Alabama.*

*For just over $70, we purchased 2 full size appetizers, 3 bar beverages, 4 children's meals with 4 soft drinks, and 2 adult entrees.*

My New Foundation Routine: Initial Feelings

Hi friends! I know I was supposed to update you all the next day after the big foundation test (the summer outdoor children's party in Alabama heat) but I believe I still may be recovering from that! LOL I have continued basically the same foundation routine the remainder of the week and today I was not planning on going anywhere so I have slapped on my Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" and am using this opportunity to clean my brushes and sponge.

So here's my thoughts about the different products I have used this week each day:

1.  Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" (sample received as part of my $10 June Glam Bag Subscription) : I am very pleased with this product. It doesn't seem to really help with any redness I have (Although I've seen they do have a moisturizer to help with that and will probably try that next.) however, this gel-like moisturizer has a lovely cooling feel when you apply it and does not feel greasy at all to me. The little sample sized tube has been wonderful and with using I would say a double pea-size amount each time has lasted me about 10 uses and maybe has 1 or 2 left in there. I will give my final review and decision to repurchase when it's completely empty!

2. Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer: Ultra Light Formula ($8 - Walmart): This is another product I am very pleased with so far! I will start by saying the one thing I would change about this product is that it feels EXTREMELY greasy when it goes on and frankly I was really worried about that making me break out (which is not normal for me) or increasing my redness. I wish they could change this initial feeling because I think it could scare some people off but when the product dries it leaves your skin as silky and smooth as a newborn baby's bottom!! LOL There is no feeling of greasiness when it dries at all and it really does make a nice smooth layer for you to apply your color cosmetics on top of. This product is white in color and is clear when you spread it so this product would not be used to help conceal anything, just help make a smooth surface. I had hoped that whatever primer I chose would help to conceal my redness without having to use an actual concealer so again, this is another product that I have not decided yet if I will repurchase and will give a final review and decision to repurchase when it's completely empty. 

3. Revlon Colorstay Makeup in #250 Fresh Beige for Oily/Combination skin ($9.99 - Target): This product has lived up to ALL expectations to me thus far AND lived up to it's name for me. I already have serious issues with facial sweating when it's not 100 degrees out in Alabama, but now that it is actually that, I have an even greater need for a long-wearing foundation through the heat and sweating. When I bought it I was not sure about the color and I also didn't realize I had picked up the one for Oily/Combination skin and I have dry skin. I have been very pleased with the color choice for me, I usually have to pick the lightest shade of foundation as I am fair skin and I tend to avoid the sun as much as possible during summer months but this color, a couple shades away from the lightest, seems to suit me well and looks natural when blending down the neck. Also, I was afraid the Oily/Combination product would be bad with my dry skin and hasn't been too bad thus far. My dry patches haven't gotten worse, but that being said, I do not think this type of foundation is helping to make those patches less dry either. My plan is to go ahead and work on finishing out this bottle and to keep an eye out for Revlon sales and my Revlon coupons and see if I can't pick up one pretty cheap for dry skin. As far as coverage, I would say this is a medium to heavy coverage foundation. When using a blending sponge to apply (thoughts on that coming next) you really do have the option to control the coverage more than say using your fingers or brushes (in my experience) to apply. I consistently went over each area and then would go back again to my reddest of areas. I found that 95% of the time my redness was well covered. As posted in #2, I will probably be on the search for a concealer in the next week  or so that is light and can be of help to me just during days I really need it. 

4. Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge ($10.49 - Target): This product has been fabulous for me. In my opinion, this product, blends well, holds well in the hand while applying, is able to be used on all areas of the face thanks to the different sized ends, helps you control your coverage and rinses out well daily. I had previously seen several reviews where the reviewers had trouble rinsing our their sponge, but I have not encountered that. I am about to do a full washing with some foaming face wash so will let you know next review how well that works out. I have used the same process every day with this sponge to get the results I've had. I get the sponge wet under the faucet and I squeeze out really well until you can't really tell if it's wet or dry. I then put a dime size amount of foundation on the back of my hand, I dab the sponge in the foundation and then I use a light stippling motion all over my face. I truly feel like this product helps me to achieve an even application and airbrush-like finish. This will be my LAST review on this product until it comes time to replace it to let you all know how long it lasted for me. As stated in my last blog, I currently have no intention of trying the Beauty Blender (the pink, egg-shaped one). FABULOUS PRODUCT!!!

5. Mary Kay Loose Powder in Ivory #1 ($14.00  - Local Mary Kay Rep): This will be my last thoughts on this product until the winter months as I have made the decision to put this product away until the weather gets cooler. When I wore this product the other day out in the heat, once I did start sweating quite a bit, the powder did start to clump up again (not pretty). I spent 90% of the time at the party blotting my face. Since that day I have chosen to go without the powder and I have not experienced that again. As I stated before, I did really enjoy the powder when I wasn't sweating so bad, so I will give it another go when it gets cooler out. 

And that's it folks! I have been pretty pleased as well with the wear of my eye makeup, but I do think I will go back to using the Tarte Eyelid Primer that I was using when the True Blood palette came out. It really helped with any creasing and the over all look and wear of eye products. As usual, the STAR of all my face products HAS to be the Tarte Eyelash Primer and Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara! I will never go back to anything else! I am a very emotional person and that mascara has held up though everything... Tears, Sweating, and even unintentionally rubbing my eyes after a long day. FABULOUS PRODUCT TARTE!!!

If anyone has any questions, let me know! :)

ISO: A New Foundation Routine

For a while now I have been in search of a new foundation routine. Before it started to get really hot I was enjoying the light Tinted Moisturizer from Mary Kay and if I wanted a little extra coverage, I would top it with the loose powder from Mary Kay. Then I started noticing that the warmer it was getting outside, the more I began to break out. In addition to that, I always have issues with facial sweating but in the Alabama heat, it's about 100 times worse than in the winter months. One Sunday I was HORRIFIED. I applied my tinted moisturizer and powder as normal and went off to church. There was an issue that day with the A/C coming on in the room that I lead children's worship in but I just did the best I could with it. After worship, I went into the bathroom and the moisturizer was literally STREAKS running down my face and the powder was all clumping up and I thought at that moment I could not continue to go on like that throughout the summer months, especially singing and dancing around with kids each week!

So, I set out on a hunt for something new. I am not one for immediately jumping to high end products without trying more affordable ones first, especially ones I know I can get coupons for! I began watching videos and reading blogs from other people who have tried and reviewed different primers, foundations and powders. I also sat down and watched some people's foundation routines on You Tube just to see what others are doing and why they are doing it. I figured I might be able to come across someone who has some of the same concerns that I do! I then made some notes about ones I might want to try and set out to the makeup section in Target the last time I was there. 

I decided to start with a Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge and the Revlon Colorstay Foundation (I also purchased Revlon Airbrush foundation but have not tried it on my face. I was not really turned on by the one swatch I did, so I haven't gone there yet.) I couldn't, however, find any primer that I was interested in trying. I did see several rave reviews about Elf's primer but since I haven't had luck with any other Elf products I've tried, I figured that wasn't a good place to start for me. I ended up purchasing a Hard Candy primer the next day when I went to Walmart. 

*One point I want to make about my decision to purchase the Sonya Kashuk blending sponge is that I was rather humored by the reviews I found on beauty blenders on You Tube. Now, for those of you that are familiar with the different beauty blenders you know that they are special sponges, varying in shape and size, that are used damp to apply your face products for a more "air brushed" finish. Also, if you don't already know, you need to know that the Sonya Kashuk sponge is $10 LESS than the pink, egg-shaped, beauty blender. Here is where the humor comes in: I would find several reviews from people RAVING about the SK sponge. They would give an awesome review, show proof of the product with before and after pictures, and go on about how they wouldn't go back now that they had it. Then, you would find a later video where they would state that they keep seeing videos from other people about this pink TWENTY DOLLAR (YIKES!) sponge and they just HAVE to try it. <Blank stare inserted here.> Are people so desperate for perfection that the things they once thought were perfect aren't perfect enough any more?? Anyway, they would buy the pink ones, fall in love and never go back to the SK one. <Rant completed. Sorry.>*

Unless my SK sponge causes me some kind of mental agony... I officially have NO intention of purchasing a beauty blender (A $20 sponge.) with my own hard-earned money. 

Today I decided to give all 3 products a try. I am very very pleased with the coverage, wear and ease of application of ALL products I used this morning! This is the first time EVER that I have ZERO complaints! I am on my way headed out to an outside-in-alabama-heat birthday party and am looking forward to seeing how it holds up chasing the kids around in this nonsense we call weather here! LOL So here is my face of the day along with all the products I used. I will be letting you all know tomorrow how it held up outside and I intend on giving a final opinion review in a couple weeks!!

Moisturizer: Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" (sample received as part of my $10 June Glam Bag Subscription)

Primer: Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer: Ultra Light Formula ($8 - Walmart)

Foundation: Revlon Colorstay Makeup in #250 Fresh Beige for Oily/Combination skin ($9.99 - Target) applied with Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge ($10.49 - Target)

Powder: Mary Kay Loose Powder in Ivory #1 ($14.00  - Local Mary Kay Rep)

Eyes: NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk ($4.49 - Ulta), Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Illuminating Black (From the Trio for Hazel Eyes - $9.49 - Walmart), Covergirl Eye Enhancers in #710 Champagne- $3.39 at CVS), Mary Kay Mineral Eye colors in Espresso and Lavender Fog ($6.49 each - Local Mary Kay Rep), Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara (Part of the realEYES Natural Smokey Eye set from Ulta for $32 - $19.99 separately at Ulta), Tarte multiplEYE Lash Primer (Part of the realEYES Natural Smokey Eye set from Ulta for $32 - $22.00 separately at Ulta)

Lips: Mary Kay Lipstick in Raisinberry (My ABSOLUTE fav lipstick ever!!) ($13.00 - Local Mary Kay Rep)

*All products were purchased on my own unless otherwise noted. Some products, such as the Cover Girl Eye Shadow, were free or highly discounted due to couponing efforts on my part. If you would like any information on how I use coupons in my purchase of makeup, please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to post about that!*


*Please remember all opinions expressed above are my own and of my own experiences.*

Julep Maven Subscription - May 2012 Box

Happy Friday everyone! I'm starting this blog with a review of my May Box from my Julep Maven Subscription. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this service so please check out the link to the left if you are interested and you can get your first month for just a penny! What comes in a Julep Maven box?? Keep reading!

Ok, so first of all I want to talk about the actual service. Julep is based out of Washington with one of their salons in beautiful Gig Harbor, where I used to work at Artbeads.com back in the day! Last month I had to call to update my credit card information and was greeted with a pleasant voice message where I was asked to leave my information for someone to call me back. Having had mediocre experiences with companies in the past, I honestly expected to be called back the next day. Boy, I was I pleasantly surprised when I was called back within 5 minutes.... by a PERSON ... who spoke ENGLISH!!! HAHA! HOLY COW! That never happens anymore! The lady who took my call was so kind and when I told her I used to work in Gig Harbor she personally invited me to come to one of the salons the next time I'm in the area and told me all about how Julep Mavens get a discount! AWESOME!

Their next A+ in my book goes to their shipping department. Each package arrives lightening fast AND with tracking information! I really do not like when you pay for something and you don't know where it is until you have it in your hands. So.... A+++ to the Julep Shipping & Customer Service Departments!

Now let's talk about packaging... SUPER CUTE! Each month, you subscription arrives in a very sophisticated looking black box with Julep Maven in white writing. When you open it, everything is packaged perfectly! Each box has arrived with a cute crinkle paper of some kind to act as padding and then each product in the box is carefully placed and wrapped in either a sturdy box or a cute bag or tissue paper and some ribbon. They even wrap any of the glass nail polish bottles in bubble wrap for extra protection!

Julep also includes a card to describe what you are getting in your box and I always seem to find some "extras" thrown in which is always wonderful in my book! Wait... did I say "thrown" ?? Most companies I've purchased from, when they include something extra, it always seems to be just an extra product they've had left over or something, a product that has nothing to do with anything else in the box, and it's just "thrown" in there. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate ANYTHING that is free. However, it just seems like such a nice touch to include a surprise extra that coordinates with something else in the box!

One of this month's cute "extras" was this Julep Daylight Defense lip balm with SPF 15. This product coordinates so well with the lotion that was included with my subscription this month. It is labeled as "Vanilla Mint" and it definitely is that! The lip balm itself is very soft and creamy and not oily at all. The vanilla mint scent is fantastic and the mint leaves a cool sensation around your mouth without being overpowering at all. The ingredients are natural and make me feel good about applying this product daily.

My next cute little summer surprise... 2 pixie sticks!! LOL! I haven't had one of these since I was little and so the memories just came flooding back! Thank you Julep for the flashback moment! :) So adorable!

This next little card was tied with a ribbon to the outside of the package. I LOVE Katharine Hepburn so I thought this was an adorable little inclusion with this package. It really seemed to fit with the box. As you will see the nail polish colors are bold but the other products encourage you to be responsible in having all your summer fun!

Now, on to the actual subscription products for the month! (Can you believe all that other stuff were just freebees??!) One thing you need to know about being a Julep Maven is that it is very much customized to you. When you sign up for the subscription, you take a little style quiz and it places you into a category: American Beauty, Boho Glam, Bombshell, Classic with a Twist, & It Girl. (But you can always pick which ever box you want in the end! Will explain that later.) My Julep Maven style is Classic with a Twist. So far I've just gone with their suggestion and have not changed to any other style boxes. So, the first product you see here is the Julep SPF 30 Daylight Defense for Hands & Face. The box reads, "The one-step solution for beautiful hands, nails and skin. Vitamin E hydrates skin and strengthens nails, while built-in SPF helps guard against fine lines and sun spots. - No parabens or sulfates - PABA-free - Ideal for everyday use"

My thoughts: This product feels so good on the skin! I have only used it on my hands so far and not my face, but I love what I'm feeling so far. The product to me has an extremely light citrus-y scent and is not oily, or greasy feeling; it just feels very soft. It really is a pleasure to wear! I plan on trying this out underneath my tinted moisturizer at some point on my face. 

Also with my subscription this month came 2 Julep Nail Polishes. LOVING these cotton-candy-like colors this month!! On the left is the pink polish called "Lauren". I would lean to say this is almost a hot-pink. One the left is the blue polish called "Claire". This is a beautiful true sky-blue color. 

These polishes were close to a recent nail tutorial I saw about water marble nail polish so it inspired me to give it a try! It's not perfect, but I love how the colors came out and when they blend, it gives a beautiful purple hue.

So there's my take on the water marbling with those 2 colors. Not too shabby for my first time, I don't think! 

Here are some FAQ about Julep Maven Subscription:

1. How much is the subscription? You can get your first month for just $.01! Seriously, that includes your products and shipping! After that, each box you choose to keep is $19.99 including shipping. 

2. What if I don't want a box during a particular month? Julep is AWESOME about this! Each month you will get an e-mail saying that your box is ready to view. You then have a few days to choose one of the following options.

a. Keep the box as is and do nothing. Your card will then be charged when the box ships.

b. Choose one of the other collections.

c. Gift the box to a friend (This is a great idea for a last minute birthday gift!) The box of your choice will be sent to the person you choose and your card will be charged when it ships to them.

d. Skip a month. (There are no penalty fees or anything of that kind when you choose to skip a month)

3. How can I become a Julep Maven NOW!? Just click the link to the left! If it doesn't show your box as a penny, just ask me for the latest coupon code!

--So that's it guys! I hope you enjoyed my review on this box and please let me know if you have any questions! I would love to know what you got in your Julep boxes this month!--

Yours... -- Jessica --