Tag: blogging

  • Target Beauty Box: July

    Target Beauty Box: July

    Happy Thursday!! Thank goodness it’s almost the weekend; it’s just been one of those weeks that seems like you have a million things to do but not enough time! For instance…this post, I got my box in the mail about a week ago and I’m only just now getting around writing about it.

    The Target Beauty Box is a one-time purchase monthly box that includes deluxe and full-sized beauty products that you can find at Target and of course other retailers.

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    The box varies in price from $7-$10 so it’s relatively inexpensive to purchase a box. This month the box was $7! I like that you can choose every month if you want to buy the box or not since it’s not an actual subscription.

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    Here is a BREAKDOWN of the JULY goodies:

    1. Scunci Cashmere Headwraps (Black & Charcoal) – Value for 2 = $2.00

    You can buy a pack of 6 headbands for only $6 at Target! Taking comfort to a whole new level! Feel the difference with just one touch of these Super Soft Comfy headwraps. The thicker, black and grey headbands were included in my box. Normally I would love these, but I have about a million of these in my drawer. I also have fine, thin hair so these tend to slip easily and never stay in place while I’m working out. These are perfect if you have the right shape head or really thick hair that keeps things in place.

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    1. e.l.f. Illuminating Mist & Set – Value for 2.02 oz. = $3.00

    This is a full size product!!! This fine mist creates a natural glow on the skin with ultra-fine, light-reflecting particles for an instant illuminating effect. Infused with Vitamin A, C, E, and Green Tea to help hydrate, nourish, and brighten the complexion for a healthy looking radiance. The lightweight, comfortable formula is perfect for all skin tones. Helps improve makeup wearability and prevent color from running or fading. I don’t actually use setting spray, in fact I currently have an unopened MAC one in my makeup drawer at home. I think that this spay would be good because it is inexpensive and I know a lot of people who rave about not only this brand, but this product as well.

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    1. John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon – Value for 0.15 oz. = $0.20

    The full size, 4 oz. bottle of this is $5.39. The sample size I got is probably only big enough for one use. Instantly smooths hair and camouflages frizzy ends for a flawless, shiny finish. Use anytime, anywhere.  This was one of the only products that I was truly disappointed by. I don’t have frizzy hair and have never had the need to use this type of product before. This is definitely one that I will not be using.

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    1. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturizer Value for 0.25 oz. = $2.65

    A full, 1.7 oz. jar retails for $17.99 in store. This is a refreshing, lightweight water gel that instantly quenches and continuously hydrates skin. This sample size seemed very tiny to me! I like and use a lot of Neutrogena product, so when I saw this I was excited to try it out. I tried this out one morning as a day moisturizer, but I would recommend using at night since it has a little bit of a smell to it. I only used it once since the sample was so small, but for the price I would buy this product to use on a regular basis. I liked the way this felt smooth on my skin and it didn’t feel thick even wearing it under makeup. I would recommend this product to be used at night before bed.

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    1. Que Bella Limited Edition Duo – Dead Sea Mud & Pineapple Peel Off Value for 2 = $2.00 (approximate)

    These masks usually run from about $1.99-$2.99 depending on which one you buy. Two masks nourish, firm and refresh skin with Dead Sea minerals, vitamin C and amino acids. I couldn’t find these 2 online, but I know that they were limited edition so they may be sold out already. I like this brand and have used many of their masks before, so I was excited to see these in my box. The Replenishing Dead Sea mud mask and the hydrating pineapple peel off mask both left my face feeling refreshed and like I didn’t just have a breakout a few days earlier. I love masks and I love this brand so I would recommend to anyone who asked!

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    1. Secret Cool Waterlily Clear Gel Deodorant Value for 0.5 oz. = $1.06

    A full, 2.6 oz. deodorant retails for $5.49. Quick-dry deodorant with new, reactivating scent technology offers long-lasting odor protection. This is the perfect size for my gym bag! The scent is great because it’s not overwhelming but you still smell fresh. I usually switch my deodorants between Secret and Men’s deodorant so that my body doesn’t get too used to one type.

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    1. ACURE Day Cream – Value for 1 oz. = $9.70

    A full, 1.75 oz. tube of day cream retails for $16.99.  face the day with gotu kola extract and chlorella. This powerhouse combo helps moisturize and protect with a one-two punch. Honestly, in my opinion, this brand tends to have a funky smell to their products. I’m not sure if it’s just the ones that I’ve used, but I really didn’t want to take any chances with this one so I didn’t bother to try it out. I’ll see if any of my friends want this product because I have a few who love this brand.

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    1. Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes – Value = $1.47

    This is actually considered full size since they do sell a 7 pack of wipes in store! This size is perfect for traveling or for throwing into your gym bag for on-the-go purposes. Dissolve dirt, oil and makeup (even waterproof mascara!) for clean, fresh skin in one easy step. I love getting things like this in my boxes because then I never have to buy my makeup removing wipes at full price! I use these daily after my workouts during lunch time. These don’t irritate my face and they don’t dry out my face either.

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    THE VALUE

    The value of this July Beauty Box is approximately $22.08. Since this box was only $7.27 including tax and shipping (I have free shipping + 5% off with my Target Debit Card) this is a great deal! There were 8 items in my box this month and 2 were full-sized items. This is perfect for trying out a new product that you may not normally purchase.

    I think this box is a great deal and I love trying new products every month! I also love the fact that if I don’t like the box one month, I don’t have to buy it! The only thing is if you want the box, you have to be quick because they do sell out every month.  I can’t wait to see what will be in the August box!

    XOXO

    P.S. If you see something that you like/want feel free to check out my Mercari app to see if I’m selling any of the products I didn’t want. If I can’t find friends that want any of the goodies I’m not a fan of, I try to sell it!

    *Any products I sell on my page are 100% unused/unopened (if sealed) and 100% authentic*

  • Happy Birthday to ME!!

    Happy Birthday to ME!!

    Alright y’all I went to bed last night thinking that I would talk about the newest BARKBOX I received over the weekend, but when I woke up this morning I decided to talk about myself a little bit on the blog today...

    Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Katie

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    Well here we are, another year, another birthday. Yesterday I turned 25. I’m half way to 50. I’m a quarter of a century old. I don’t know how many other ways to say it…I’m getting old.

    Last year I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my 24th year of life. Here’s the list I prepared a year ago from my “Nobody Likes You When You’re 23” post:

    Things to do before I turn 25: 

    1. Get engaged (I know this one isn’t up to me, but I can hope right?)
    2. Buy a new car – I have wanted a new one for a while as my current car is 10 years old
    3. Save enough money to move out of my parents’ house – this one is a little unrealistic at my current pay scale but I’ll still put aside money
    4. Travel to at least 5 places big or small – I can’t currently take time off with my new job because of a probationary period
    1. Follow through on plans I make with friends (It’s always the same…”omg, let’s hang out” and then it never happens)

    Here’s the FINAL verdict on my 24th year of life:

    Get engaged: Ok, so for those of you who may not know, or just started following me…as of November 2016, I AM ENGAGED. After 5 years of dating and talking about marriage together, the big day finally happened! The proposal was absolutely amazing and everything I could have wanted! You can read all about my AMAZING proposal here. 64392856-a312-4dd9-9914-11c4ea868ee9

    Buy a new car: As of June 2017, I became a new car owner! This is something that I have been saving for with my own money for about 6 years now. I was previously driving a 2005 Ford Focus (which I loved, btw, but it was time for an upgrade) I had been looking at more luxury brand vehicles and decided (after much research) that I was between the Mercedes C300 and the Audi A4. I actually know a few people who drive Mercedes, but I wasn’t really impressed after sitting inside of it. The fiancé and I went to the Audi dealership and looked at the A4, but he was a little too tall and didn’t fit comfortably inside it. We then went and looked at the new 4-door A5. They are brand new to the US this year as they’ve only ever had the 2-doors here. Since I loved the idea of having something that no one else did, I was very intrigued by this particular model. I think it was fate because the fiancé did in fact fit into the A5 and we happened to get a once in a life time deal on the car. It was too good of a deal to pass up so a few days later (I had to wait for them to get the white exterior with black leather in) we went and picked up my NEW 2018 Audi A5!!! I absolutely love my car and wouldn’t trade it for the world. img_5824

    Move out of the house: HAHAHAHA ok I’m done laughing now, I did NOT move out of my house this past year. In fact after getting engaged, I realized it was for the best if I stayed home and saved money for the next year and then move out as it gets closer to the wedding. While the fiancé still lives at home as well, we can both save as much as we can plus we’re not in any hurry to pay rent every month so why waste money right now when we can both stay home for about 10 more months? This is also hugely in part with the cost of living in wonderful Southern California (where 1 bedroom rent can be almost 2 grand a month and tear down houses in bad areas are selling for $800k).

    Travel: I did in fact make it to 5 different places even though some were on the smaller side.

    1. Boise, Idaho – September 2016 – My brother goes to school in Idaho, so my mom and I went for parents weekend and I got to check out all the cool scenery Boise has to offer. Boise was really cool because there were a lot of up and coming spots near Downtown. It was also really cool to watch football being played on the blue field.img_3239
    2. Palm Springs, California – September 2016 – The fiancé (he was still my BF at this point) and I went to Palm Springs for a little weekend getaway. We just went for the night, but it was still nice to get out of our small town, plus we got a great deal at the JW Marriott. The weather was still hot and there are a ton of great places to eat.img_2980-1
    3. Seattle, Washington – November 2016 – This was right after we got engaged. I have friends from college that live in the Seattle area, so Robert and I decided it would be cool to go and visit. We stayed with one of my friends and got to go to the Space Needle and have lunch at the top. We went to Pike Place Market, the gum wall and even went to a University of Washington football game (I enjoy a good PAC 12 game!). While we just went for the weekend, we had tons of fun and got to catch up with some of my friends.img_3956
    4. Manhattan, New York – January 2017 – This was my weekend getaway to The City with one of my BFFs that I wrote about back in January; you can check it out here. I absolutely LOVE New York and if I could go once or twice a year, I would be a happy camper. I’ve been 3 times in the last 2 years (once in September and twice in the winter).img_4730-1
    5. Avalon, Catalina Island, California – June 2017 – This is a small island about an hour away from the Port of LA (where the cruise ships leave out of). My family owns property over on the island so we try and go over at least once during the summer. This was just a little one night trip for my mom and I while my dad and brothers stayed longer. I’ve been going over since I was about 6 weeks old, so there’s nothing super new or exciting now. On this trip though I saw Bobby the Deckhand from Below Deck Mediterranean. He was very friendly and chitchatted with us for a few minutes. img_5994

    Follow through on plans I make: Hmmm…this one is a little hit or miss. While I did follow through on a lot of my plans I made with people, I just can’t bring myself to go out every single weekend and some of my friends want to do exactly that! I like to go out, but after a long day at work, sometimes it’s nice to curl up with my fur baby and fiancé and watch our shows. So maybe this is one that I can continue to work on some more.

    All in all, I think that I met my goals that I made for myself last year on my birthday. I’m proud of the accomplishments that I have made (p.s. I’ve officially been at my job for a full year) and the things that I have done this past year. I know that 25 will bring a lot of change to my life, but it’s all good and exciting change. This will be a whirlwind year with planning the wedding, booking a honeymoon, and finding a place for us to live. I look forward to this coming year and know that I will continue to be blessed in every aspect of my life.

    I’m grateful for the opportunities that have not only been given to me, but for the ones that I have worked hard for. I honestly couldn’t be where I am today without the support of my parents and my loving fiancé who continues to amaze me every day.

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    So CHEERS to 25, let’s make it the best year yet!

    XOXO

     

  • Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

    Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

    Y’all know what time of year it is…the #NSale The Nordstrom Sale is basically the biggest sale of the year. It’s Christmas in July and Early Access happens to fall on my birthday weekend (can we just say HBD to me)!! You can gain early access through either the Nordstrom credit card or debit card. I have the Nordstrom Debit card which is great since it comes right out of my checking account! You can apply for a card here and get early access plus a $20 note to spend at the sale.

    Unfortunately I was at work all day, but I still managed to get online during my lunch break and order some things that I will be able to pick up later at my Nordstrom. Below I’ve linked some of my favorite items (some I purchased and a few I wish I could buy right now).

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    Row one: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

    Row two: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

    Row three: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

    Even though I had to do all my shopping online, I have to say that I prefer it since I hate having to look through everything and fight crowds! I can’t wait to pick up all my in stock items and try them on so I can share with y’all what my favs are and what didn’t work out for me (hopefully everything works out!).

    Let me know if any of y’all hit the  sale today or if there were any special finds that you picked up. I’d love to hear all about your experience!

    XOXO