Buying on a Budget in Today's Economy

Hello Everyone!

In today's economy people are looking for ways to save a few dollars. I thought this would be a good topic to post since the holidays season is here (and to post in general). Today I bring you a few of my tips on how I try to save money when making purchases.


1. Do Your Homework


When buying on a budget, you should try and exhaust all your money saving options. Look for bargains, sales, coupons etc.


2. Use Coupons


As I mentioned in tip #1, if you do your homework you can find a coupon on most items. I'm NOT an extreme couponer, but I do like to use coupons. I've saved so much money by couponing. When couponing make sure you look at the dates of expiration etc.


3. Price Match


Check the store(s) policy about price matching. I know that Walmart does price matching. As the holiday season approaches (and in general), this will come in handy with saving a few dollars.


4. Buy in Bulk


When stores have products that I like or need on sale. I might buy in bulk. Depending on what your purchasing, you sometimes can buy two products for the price of one.


 5. Check for Mistakes in the Store with Pricing


Lets say an item was on sale last week for $2.50 and this week its $4.00, but store still has the item for $2.50 the store has to honor that price of $2.50. Many people don't know that.


6. Check for Damages


Another thing people dont realize if you buy a product and it is damaged this can vary from clothing to food, the merchant can offer the same product/item at full price. If you insist on purchasing the current damaged product/item, the merchant should offer you a discount or you can request for a discount price.


7. Purchase Items During Off Season


Near the end of or after a season or holiday, you will notice that items go on sale. Sometimes you can find items for 50%-75%.


8. Shop the Clearance Section


Some of my most favorite items come from the clearance section (especially Victoria's Secret). Clearance is another area that you may save up to 50%-75% off depending on the store.



Those are few of my tips on buying on a budge in today's economy. What are some of your budgeting tips?



Thanks for stopping by my blog!

My Favorite Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes

Hello Everyone! 

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! Since the holiday season is quickly approaching, today I wanted to share a few of my favorite palettes that I intend to use for festive holdiay makeup looks.
I chose these palettes because some of them have sparkly shades, and/or beautiful gold shades. Some of the palettes are great for creating smokey eye looks and soft romantic eye looks that are perfect for this time of year.

- BH Cosmetics Missy Lynn Baked Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette 

- BH Cosmetics  88 Color Cool Shimmer Palette 

- BH Cosmetics It's Judy Time Palette

- Maybelline The Smokes Palette 

- Urban Decay Naked Palette 

- Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette 



Stay tuned throughout the holidays for makeup looks and makeup collaborations! What are some of your favorite eyeshadow palettes to use during the holdiays? 


Side Notes: Thanksgiving was pretty quiet. Did some cooking and spent the day at home. Here is what I had for dinner.

Homemade Sweet Potato Pie 

Thanks for stopping by my blog! 

Thanksgiving Inspired Makeup 2015/ I'm Thankful

Hello Everyone!

It's almost time for Thanksgiving! One of my favorites holiday even though it may not always be so kind to my waistline lol. Anyway today I'm going to share a Thanksgiving inspired makeup look that I created. For this look, I went for deep red/cranberry colors. Also, you'll notice near the end of this post I wrote my annual I'm Thankful post.

 Products Used 

* Eyes *

- MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre 

- Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette 

- Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette 

1. Naked 2 for transition color (Naked Basics Palette)

2. Alchemy all over the lid (Vice 3 Palette)

3. Reign on top of the lid and crease (Vice 3 Palette)

4. Crave slightly on Outer V (Naked Basics Palette)

* Face *

- Cetaphil DermaControl Oil  Moisturizer (for primer)

- Fashion Fair Pressed Powder (Fawn)

- Fashion Fair Fast Finish. Foundation Stick (Butterscotch/Caramel)

* Lips *

- NYX  Lip Pencil in Auburn

- MAC Media Lipstick

Im Thankful

As the holdiay season nears I am thankful for all the good, bad, and everything in between. When I feel the need to complain I remember that I'm blessed and I'm thankful everyday. Things are not always going to be perfect nor easy, but there are people in this world who have it much worse. So with that being said I'm thankful for life, the people in my life that I'm close too, having basic necessities, the companies I've collaborated with, and last but not least my blogger friends. May you all have wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Also I want to thanks Palmer's collegues at Coyne for sending me a few goodies in the mail this week!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

What Makes Me Stronger

Hello Everyone!

As I get older, I look back and ask myself "How did I ever overcome some of the things I have? This is general question that I've asked myself quite a few times. I think at some point everyone has asked themselves that question or something similar. When facing trials and tribulations, it's easy to feel hopeless and discouraged, but it takes strength to and courage to make it through a tough situation.

The fact of knowing that I got through something challenging makes me realize that I'm stronger than I give myself credit. I've also realized that trials and tribulations help prepare me for anything I may face challenging in the future. I felt like this was an important post to write especially with all the things I've been facing recently especially the aftermath of the flood. Sometimes you have to find your inner strength and realize you can overcome obstacles.

What makes you stronger?


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Tomboxes Holiday No Flow Double The Makeup Box

Hello Everyone! 

This is a sponsored by Tomboxes. All opinions are 100% my own.

Tomboxes (Time of Month) has chosen me as one of their top 100 reviewers to be a part their next promotion of receiving this month’s Holiday No Flow Double the Makeup Box! Thanks Tomboxes for sending the items!

You may remember the I wrote a review about Tomboxes back in August. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the company you can read my review HERE


As stated in the beginning of my post, this month theme is the Holiday No Flow Double the Makeup Box. I guess for a holdiay gift Tomboxes focused more on makeup and jewelry rather than including a box of tampons or a bag of pads of your choice.


Here's what I received 

Swatches of the green eyeshadow and black eyeliner 

My Thoughts


I really like the metal bracelets and then marble bracelet. I'm interested in trying the concealer. Since I started using my Fashion Fair Fast Finish Foundation stick, that's all I use for a concealer lol. Even though my foundation stick can also be used as a concealer, I've been wanting to go back to using a traditional concealer, so I'll definitely write a review. The full sized eyeshadow looks like a great color for the holidays. You never can go wrong with a subtle sparkly green eyeshadow for the holiday season! Even though I don't really wear eyeliner that much, the black paired with shadow would look nice. Both the eyeshadow and eyeliner are really pigmented, and the eyeshadow has a buttery texture. I hope this eyeshadow will work well once applied during a eye makeup look. I sprayed the perfume sample and honestly I hated it! It smells like a weird floral bug spray scent. I'm not too fond of overly floral scents anyway, so this was a no go for me! I don't think I'll be using the self tanning towelette, just like I didn't use the tanning cream in my last month. I've never used a mud mask for my feel so I'm interested in how well the mud mask will work for my feet. Last but not least, a piece of chocolate. I mentioned this in the last Tomboxes review that the company only sends out chocolate during the cooler months so the chocolate won't melt. Overall I thought this was decent box. 



Notice: I'm still getting back on track with my blogging, but I will be reading your blogs, commenting, and responding etc. I'm also working on new content to share with you all! Thanks for understanding! 


Thanks for stopping by my blog! 

Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Curl Condition Hair Pudding Review

Hello Everyone!

Disclaimer: The product in this post was sent to me from Palmer's for review purposes See First Impressions Post. All opinions are 100% my own. 

For today's post, I have this curl condition hair pudding by Palmer's for review. Before I tried this product, I was curious to see how this hair pudding would work for my frizzy curly hair.


About the Product and Claims etc.

Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Curl Condition Hair Pudding adds moisture and shine to transform dull, frizzy hair into perfectly smooth, elongated and defined curls.  This creamy, whipped emulsion of pure coconut oil and keratin adds superior shine as it maximizes curl length, preventing shrinkage for longer lasting styles.  Perfect for naturally curly, wavy or frizz-prone hair.


Key Ingredients

- Keratin Protein: helps repair damage and replace essential nutrients

- Vitamin E: aides in protecting hair, allowing it grow with less splitting and breakage

- Palmer's Cocoa Butter: moisturizes and prevents curl shrinkage

- Jojoba Seed Oil: enhances hair's shininess and brilliance

- Macadamia Seed Oil: combats frizz and dryness

- Sweet Almond Oil: helps elongate and define curls

- Avocado Oil: infuses natural fatty acids for deep replenishment

- Shea Butter: deeply nourishes and fortifies hair

- Aloe: helps protect fragile hair

Other Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-12 Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrolized Keratin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Acrylate/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone, Trithanolamine, Sodium Lactate, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acyrlic Acid Copolymer, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond Oil), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Tetrasodium Edta, Dmdm Hydantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance (Parfum), Coumarin.

* No alcohol and no parabens

* This product is NOT animal tested. Palmer's is against animal testing.


My Thoughts

After I took my braids out, pre-pooed and shampooed my hair, I added a dollop of this hair pudding on my hair while it was still damp. Since my natural hair is thick and frizzy, I had to add more than a dollop of this hair pudding on my hair. After I massaged the hair pudding into my hair, I could feel the moisture was there soon after application. Even when I blow dried my hair, my hair was semi moisturized Sometimes my hair gets dried out and more frizzy when I use a blow dryer. I also tried using this hair pudding when I let my hair dry, that's when I notice my hair is more moisturized rather than using a dryer.

Even though I like coconut scents, I'm not to fond of the way this hair pudding smells. When I opened the jar, I smelled an overpowering coconut oil, and shea butter scent. It's not an unbearable scent, but it's going to take some time for me to get used to the scent. On the bright side, the scent does fade. As for controlling frizz, I did notice a difference since my hair wasn't as frizzy. I also noticed that this product helps control frizz more so than holding moisture. I wish that this hair pudding would hold moisture in my hair better.  If you have frizzy, wavy, and/or curly hair you may want to try using this hair pudding, but if you're looking for a product to help keep your hair moisturized then, this product may not be the best option.


Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Pink and Gold Smokey Eye

Hello Everyone! 

As you can tell I've been into wearing smokey eye makeup lately. I mean it's Fall, so why not bring out the smokey eye's right? I wanted to try something different, so I created a Pink and Gold Smokey Eye. If this picture looks familiar, I posted this look on my INSTAGRAM page at the beginning of October. These pictures were taken in my old apartment. 

Products Used

*Eyes*

- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

- BH Cosmetics 120 Color Palette 1st Edition

1.  All over the lid: Gold shade

2. Crease: Pink shade

3. Outer V and on top of the Lid (blend): black shade

- BH Cosmetics Missy Lynn Baked Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette 

3.  On top of Lid (to bring out the other gold shade): Bronze shade

* Face *

- Cetaphil DermaControl Oil  Moisturizer (for primer)

- Fashion Fair Pressed Powder (Fawn)

- Fashion Fair Fast Finish. Foundation Stick (Butterscotch/Caramel)

* Lips *

- MAC Faux Lipstick 

Side Note: I'm still taking a semi hiatus on my blog and blogging in general while I'm still getting settled in the new apartment, but I don't plan to stay away too long. (See previous post HERE for details).  In the mean time I have a few more posts I had in my drafts that I'll be sharing. As always thank you for your kind words! Talk with you all soon!

Thanks for stopping by my 

Perfect Fall Makeup

Hello Everyone!

Fall is a time of year that wearing a smokey eye is popular. One of my favorite looks includes wearing a smokey with a nude lip, so that is the look I created for today. This look isn't too dramatic and it's perfect to wear all throughout the Fall. Random thought: I have to admit I think out of all my Naked Palettes, Naked 2 has to be my favorite! 

I wanted to take a picture with my glasses. Excuse the mess in the background lol. As you probably can tell these pictures were taken in my old apartment. 

Products Used

*Eyes*

- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

- BH Cosmetics 28 Color Smokey Eye Edition

1. Transition and Crease Color: Tease

2.  In Tear Duct and half of the Lid: Busted

3. On the half of the Lid and Outer V: Blackout

Blend Blackout on top of Lid

* Face *

- Cetaphil DermaControl Oil  Moisturizer (for primer)

- Fashion Fair Pressed Powder (Fawn)

- Fashion Fair Fast Finish. Foundation Stick (Butterscotch/Caramel)

- BH Cosmetics 10 Color Glamorous Blush Palette 

Reddish brown color at the end of the second row for cheeks

* Lips *

- NYX Lip Pencil Soft Brown

- Revlon Lip Butter in Cream Brulee

Did you miss Fall Week on my blog? Here are the links to my posts!

http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/2015/09/all-in-packaging-macaron-and-lipstick.html

http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/2015/09/i-love-fall-tag.html

http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/2015/09/hello-fall-fotd.html

http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/2015/09/bath-and-body-works-haul-fall-candles.html

http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/2015/10/clarisonic-mia-1-review.html

http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/2015/10/fall-makeup-and-nail-polish-essentials.html


Side Note: I'm still taking a semi hiatus on my blog and blogging in general while I'm still getting settled in the new apartment, but I don't plan to stay away too long. (See previous post HERE for details).  In the mean time I have a few more posts I had in my drafts that I'll be sharing. As always thank you for your kind words! Talk with you all soon!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!