Summer Haul: Forever 21 and Etsy

Soooo....a few paychecks ago I may or may not have done a bad thing. You be the judge.

It all started out with me wanting to pick up some statement pieces for the summer. Normally, when I look at chunky or colorful jewelry I think of Forever 21. What's not to love about it? There's quite a selection and everything is super cheap.
Wait, I take that back, there is something I don't love-the physical store. To me, no matter which location, it's always hot and crowded. Not to mention, the way all the merchandise is displayed is horrible. Considering I'm often out with my three year old son who has zero patience for standing in one spot for more than a nano-second, I just don't have time to look for treasure.
I digress....

Back to the subject at hand, I spent several hours pouring over Forever 21's website and $55 later, picked up quite a bit of loot (sorry for all the pirate references)....

 

 

 

 

 

If you're interested, here is a list of items and prices:

*Petite Bow Earrings Set $2.80

*Almond Teardrop Earrings $5.80

*Lacquered Heart Pattern Necklace $3.80

*Geo Drop Earrings $3.80

*Diagonal Striped Square Studs $3.80

*Lacquered Bow Necklace $1.80

*Layered Spike Necklace $3.80

*Layered Triangle Necklace $5.80

*Spiked Chevron Necklace $5.80

*Colorblocked Geo Earrings $4.80

*Lacquered Anchor Necklace $1.80

*Mustache Charm Necklace $1.80

*Spiked Pearlescent Chain Necklace $5.80

 

 

Then I made the mistake of checking out Etsy....

 



 

What I ordered:

*Pink Strawberry Cupcake Earrings $12.00

*Miniature Macaroons In A Jar Necklace $15.00

*Lime Popsicle Earrings (a free gift with purchase)

 

So there's my damage, Heather...I hope you enjoyed my summertime jewelry haul :)

 

As always, thank you for checking out my blog :)

 

Note: With the exception of the Popsicle earrings, the products mentioned were purchased by me. I am not affiliated with Forever 21, SimplyyCharming, or Sugarcube Corner. This is not a sponsored post. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

 

 

 



Laura Geller Haul

 

Recently, Laura Geller had her Semi-Annual sale in her store and online, naturally, I decided to take advantage and order a few items that I had been curious about...

Beauty A La Mode kit including Blush & Brighten in Dreamsicle and Baked Eye Pie Shadow Trio in Apple Peach Pie

Baked Cheek Dreams in Banana Split

Baked Marble Eyeshadow/Eye Rimz in Cinnamon Swirl/Mint Chocolate Chip and Toasty Pink/Berry Flambe

Italian Marble Lipstick in Berry Vanilla

Color Drenched Lip Gloss in Berry and Cafe Au Lait

Air Whipped Lip Wear in Praline Mousse and Sweet Candy Mousse

I've been playing around with these for a decent amount of time and have really been enjoying all of the different products, especially the lip glosses. I also learned quickly what needs to be applied with a light hand as I am fair skinned. The lovely Laura Geller has not disappointed.

If you've never tried her products, feel free to visit her website.

As always, thank you for stopping by :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.



Cam & Zooey Blowout



After watching several Tiffany D. videos this past summer I started to fall in love with the pair of Henry Bendel hoop earrings that she wore. Since I couldn't afford that exact set, I began my search for a much more affordable version.

Unfortunately, at least in Jersey, this was not an easy task. All I wanted was a pair with just a little bit of something special to make them stand out....that didn't happen. Luckily, I happened to be on Hautelook one day and found exactly what I wanted during their Cam & Zooey blowout.

According to my receipt, I saved over $100 and for two pairs of earrings only spent $22 (including s/h).


The first that immediately caught my eye was the Orchid Flower Hoops-as soon as I saw them I knew immediately that I finally found what I was looking for. These have an antique silver look and have vines and little orchids wrapped around.

On impulse, I also added the Hummingbird Hoops because they were very different from anything I've seen before. Inside the hoop, there's a hummingbird and flower scene, which I found to make a statement yet in a classy way.

(Orchid Flower Hoops)

I've worn both sets on multiple occasions and found in the beginning that they needed to be opened up a little bit, especially the Hummingbirds. After doing that, they became so comfortable that I actually forgot I had them on. I feel like these can be great for casual or formal wear and I am quickly becoming obsessed with them.

(Hummingbird Hoops)

I have never heard of Cam & Zooey before and don't even have a clue as to where they can be found. I'd say if you're interested, your best bet would be to try Google or Amazon.

Thank you for reading this blog and showing your support.

Birthday Haul 2013

Nothing says "Happy birthday" like a giftcard (or a few) to a makeup store. It's like someone handing you money and setting you free....and that is just what I did this past week.

~Sephora~



Beauty Insider Gift



Sephora Samples



I initially went online trying to figure out what I'd want so I wouldn't go in blind-sighted. Yeah, that plan went out the window real quick.

Nars Orgasm Blush

I have been wanting this for a very long time but could never bring myself to actually buy it...ironically, I've probably spent more money than what it actually costs picking up all of it's more affordable dupes.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

I must have walked past this about five times before I finally decided to go ahead and get it. I really like UD shadows but for all the neutral shades I own, I really didn't think this was something I needed. The funny part is that the general response from my family and friends once they saw it was "Oh, you've been talking about that a lot"...yeah, I didn't realize...

~Ulta~
bareMinerals The Next Big Thing Quad

This came out pretty recently and is from their Remix collection. From the moment I first saw this a couple months ago, I knew I wanted to pick up these shadows. I love the quality of these but not all of them have really wowed me as far as shades, however, this set really caught my eye (no pun intended).

Tarte Lights Camera Splashes

Being my HG mascara, I figured it couldn't hurt to pick up an extra. I've said this before and I'll say it again-this is the best mascara I've ever used. They're not joking when they say this is waterproof.

Last but certainly not least...

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette

Jason had ordered this a few weeks ago and was disappointed to find that the company sent the wrong product. I have been lusting over this ever since it came over and can't wait to use it!

I was really surprised and appreciative by everyone's generosity...and the fact that they were more than willing to cave into my addiction ;)

I'm going to go and play with my new makeup now...

As always, I thank you all for of your support...have a great weekend :)



It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year...for Sephora VIBs

I've been meaning to post this for a while...
This year's VIB opening party was pretty dead, although, I don't doubt that Sandy and the snowstorm that followed played a role in it. It's a shame, too, because it seemed like my Sephora tried really hard to host a great event. Unlike last year they had a table full of food, a DJ, and all different services throughout the store.

Personally, I only went to redeem my 20% off, especially being with my son who wasn't too thrilled to be there (thank god for Jason, who was kind enough to walk him around while I shopped).

I walked out with...
-Philosophy's Gingerbread Man Hot Salt Scrub
-Philosophy's Snow Angel Hand Cream
-bare Mineral's shadow duo in The Phenomenon
-Tatre's Lights Camera Splashes mascara (HG item!!!)
-Sephora VIB tote

Certainly a much smaller list that last year, which, I'm actually proud of :)


I thank you for reading this (late) post :)
Feel free to share-what was it like in your store and what did you use your 20% (or even $15 and $20 cards) to buy?

Macy's Philosophy Mini-Haul



Upon making room for this season's shower products, I decided to pick up a new shower gel from Philosophy. Ulta was out of everything and all Sephora had were testers (according to sales associate, the products were not available yet.
I was about to completely lose hope when on a whim I walked up to the Impulse Beauty section in Macy's and was greeted by a very friendly sales associate. When asked about their stock of seasonal products, he replied with "hold on" and came back ten minutes later carrying a big bag of the entire Philosophy holiday line...not even on the shelves yet. I couldn't help but jump with joy. It was like Christmas had come early.



While a little voice inside told me to buy it all, I resisted temptation and only bought a couple products...ok, I almost resisted-as he was about to finish ringing me up I quickly added one last item. In my defence I love it!!!!!! Just before I left he also tossed in a small bottle of their newest fragrance, Living Grace.

I walked out thrilled to have had such an amazing experience and have never met a manager like that who was genuinely friendly and helpful. In a crowded store, he treated me like the only customer in the place. We even talked for a while after I was initially rung up. That's definitely the kind of service that will keep me coming back.

I came home with:

-Homemade Pumpkin Pie 3in1 

-Have A Cherry Christmas 3in1

-Candy Cane Salt Body Scrub

-Living Grace Sampler

So far I've used the Pumpkin Pie 3in1 and it smells oh so good (exactly like pie!) along with the body scrub which feels quite invigorating.I keep that scent in the bathroom all year long because it's perfect to use when I feel under the weather.
I'm holding off on using the Cherry Christmas gel until it gets closer to the holidays but it smells like a mix of cherries and snow (I don't know how!). I'm also waiting to use the Living Grace perfume but I like it a lot...it's light like Pure Grace.

I'm not sure when everything will be available but you can probably find these items at the following:
~Macy's Beauty Impulse
~macys.com
~philosophy.com
~qvc.com
~Sephora
~sephora.com
~Ulta
~ulta.com

I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to the rest of the holiday fragrances to come out!

As always, thank you for supporting my blog and me :)

Carters Haul



It's that time of year again...the air is cooler, leaves are falling from the trees, and children everywhere are having growth spurts-my soon-to-be 3 year old son included. As usual, he's between sizes so to be on the safe side I bought him everything in 3T and figured even if i is a little big he'll grow into it.

I love Carters and usually if left alone, I can come out in about five minutes with a dozen or so bags all for under $50. Unfortunately, that was not the case on this past trip. This was my first time in the toddler section and if you were there and happened to notice a person walking around like a lost puppy, well, that was me. I'm used to footie PJ's, outfits, and onesies....oh no, not in the big boy section where it's only separates and {eekkkkk} higher prices.

Still, I didn't do too bad- I was in there for a little over a half hour and walked out with jeans, long sleeve shirts, and pjs...all for under $115. It's more than what I had planned on spending but the poor kid looked like a pauper in his ill-fitting pants.

After this experience, I think next time I may just bring a map.

As always, I thank you for reading this.
P.S. It's so nice to be back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday Haul

I am so excited!!!! I got so many fun gifts (and gift cards) from my family and have a lot of ideas for future posts :)

Something I'm really excited to try out are a set of nail pens. I had seen these on QVC during the holidays but every time I even considered ordering they'd sell out. I honestly have no clue as to how these will end up but I can't wait to try them out!

I also got a set of sprays and a "bath spa" set which consists of gel, bath salt, lotion, etc.

My sister gave me a two-part gift....the first was a scarf which I think will look really cute in the office(couldn't get a good enough picture of it), and the second was a couple of very tasty cakes-we ate them so quickly that there wasn't time to get any pictures...lol

With some gift cards that I was given and had managed to save up, I went to Sephora where I got the Too Faced Natural at Night Palette and was given my VIB gift-a set of two lip balms from Bliss.

The Bare Escentuals boutique was a lot of fun! The sales associates let me try out the skin care products that I had been curious about and really took the time to explain all the details about what they do and how to use them. I walked out with the Exfoliating Treatment Cleanser, Deep Cleansing Foam, and the Purely Nourishing Moisturizer. I also picked up the Ready Touch-Up Veil along with one of the 2.0 shadow duos in The Scenic Route.

Last but not least, my fiance surprised me with a really pretty gold chain necklace that I had wanted. It's quite long and can be worn in multiple ways (I've been having a ot of fun with it for the past few days :)

I'm really looking forward to trying all of these products out, along with posting all of my reviews. Keep an eye out for upcoming posts!

"Joey and Janice's Day of Fun!" {...a haul story...}

My mom and I decided to have ourselves a girls day this past Friday. It was really nice to be able to spend time together...especially when everyone else was at work!

The dangerous part: having off on payday. The result:

First stop: Goodwill

We happened to be driving past and were curious so we stopped in. I didn't know what to expect but was really surprised by how organized it was...they separate their clothes by color! It was a shock to see the name brands there as well In the bag section alone I saw Vera Wang, Gucci, and Kate Spade all priced under $25. Unfortunately, I held off on a new purse even though they were super cheap. I ended up walking out with a cute pair of sapphire chandelier earrings and Andrea Jovine sunglasses. Upon further investigation, these glasses, in which I paid $3, retail for $85!

Sephora!

Since I started using BE, my mom has been curious about it so we went to check it out. To my complete shock she actually decided to by a kit just like I had. I was really disappointed, though, because the sales associate didn't help her out with how to apply or anything. In fact, she didn't seem to have a lot of knowledge about the product.

I came out with BE's Pure Radiance and the Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner.

Bare Escentuals

Had I known there was a boutique in the mall we would have gone there for my mom's kit. I must say that store is nice and welcoming! We were greeted by a very friendly sales associate who helped me pick out a new brush (Flawless Radiance brush). I felt compelled to tell her all about what this product has been doing for me and when she mentioned the skin care she gave each of us samples of a face scrub. I haven't tried it yet but now I'm thinking I might want to look into it during my birthday shopping trip.

Hello Yellow!-Bath & Body Works

We went to B&BW on a whim and I am so glad we did...I didn't know that they're discontinuing Charmed Life. I was so shocked because that's only been out for maybe three months. Unfortunately, all the shower gels and full sized products were sold out but I did grab the rest of their travel sized lotions...along with a couple from Be Enchanted....and a sample lotion of their new Rio Rumberry....and some soaps for my mom....Actually I only paid $11 for all of it!

Harmon

I didn't plan on buying anything from there until I saw travel sizes for Organix shampoo and conditioner. I decided to give it a shot as I've been curious about this brand.

Last Stop: Home

As soon as we got back I did something I've wanted to do for years: give my mom a makeover. We sat in the kitchen and I showed her how to use all of her new products...she looked so great!

I loved spending the day together, especially watching her pamper herself for once, but my favorite part was going to sleep. I was exhausted by the time we came back.