Ulta Birthday Haul

Hello Everyone!

Before I start today's post, I wanted to thank everyone again for the emails and birthday wishes! I truly appreciate it. Today I want to share my Ulta Birthday Haul.

My Birthday was actually on Christmas Day, but as you may remember I took time off social media last month. For my birthday I received a few Ulta Gift Cards and I decided to treat myself after my birthday.


Ulta Beauty Free Birthday Gift December 2019: Tarte Cosmetics Maneater Voluptuous Mascara

I was surprised that December's free birthday gift was this full sized Tarte Mascara. I've never used a Mascara from Tarte, but I look forward to trying this product.

Lipstick

I have a love hate relationships with some Liquid lipsticks. They're either too dry or don't dry well. I started using Morphe's Liquid Lipsticks in late 2018 and I haven't look back since. The lipsticks I have are a balance of comfortable matte and hydration on my lips.

Morphe Liquid Lipstick (True Story)

Morphe Liquid Lipstick (Peanut)

Morphe Liquid Lipstick (Jealousy)

True story is a beautiful rich caramel shade. Peanut is also a beautiful color. I don't think I have too many sienna shades, but this one is caught my attention while I was inside Ulta. Jealousy is a muted mauve shade. I like the color mauve, and I can see myself wearing this lipstick often.  Nude lipsticks are some of my favorite shades to wear.

Morphe Liquid Lipstick (School Girl)

I can't forget about the shade School Girl. This is a light pink nude shade. I've gone to Ulta several times in past to look for this lipstick and it was always sold out. Finally I was able to get this liptsick, and it was the last one. The sales associate at Ulta told me this shade sells out regularly. 

Makeup Brushes

Over the past few months I've been purchasing new brushes and receiving brushes in PR. Some of my favorite brushes were getting a little worn.

- Morphe M421 Mini Concealer Brush

- Morphe M213 Smudger Brush

I try to have different sized Concealer brushes in my Collection. I plan on using this size brush to create cut creases. I'm very picky about my smudger brushes and this brush is one of my favorites.

Morphe X Jaclyn Hill JH03 Ride Or Die Foundation  Brush 

Morphe X Jaclyn Hill JH01 Powder Brushes

Morphe X Jaclyn Hill JH08 Anything Creamy Brushes

This is my second Jaclyn Hill Foundation Brush. I love the first brush I recieved with the Jaclyn Hill Complexion Master Collection as a birthday gift in 2018 from my mom. I love the size of the Jaclyn Hill Powder Brush.

As you can see I purchased two of them. These brushes are so soft and fluffy. I can't wait to use these brushes with mytranslucent powders. Ulta forgot to send my $10 off birthday coupon, so they sent me two! I used those coupons to pick up two of the Anything Creamy Brushes.

Skincare

I've had samples, the mini size, and the smaller size of the hydrating Jelly. I finally purchased the large bottle.

Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly

Size: 4.2 Oz

I use this product often and it keeps my skin hydrated. This is good product to use in the Winter if you experience dry skin.

Huge PR Haul!

Hello Everyone!

* Disclaimer: This posts contains PR Samples from various brands. I want to thank each brand for sending over product(s) for review! All opinions are 100% my own.

During my social media break, I received quite a lot of different PR Items. I'm going to write a few separate reviews for upcoming posts, and I'm going to review products during this post. As always I want to thank the brands that sent over these products!

*Pixi By Petra Summer Glow Palette

This is a replacement Palette. Pixi sent over this Palette a few months ago, but the Palette was shattered. I fixed it, but Pixi kindly sent me a replacement.

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*Royal and Langnickle Moda Rose Gold Brushes

These Moda Rose Gold Brushes are absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to use these brushes to create makeup looks!

I didn't see these in a brush set on the Royal and Langnickle website, but you can purchase these brushes individually.

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*Derma E Advanced Peptides & Collagen Serum and Mositurizer. Derma E Beauty Sponge

How cute is the Derma E Cutout? Very creative! Recently I started applying some of my skincare products with a makeup sponge. This is a good method to apply skincare and the sponge doesn't absorb most of the product.

Derma E keeps my skin looking healthy, so I was happy to recieved these goodies! Derma E serums and moisturizers are some of my favorite products. I just turned 34 last month and as a preventative measure I've been using these products a few times a week to help prevent wrinkles. I don't have any wrinkles, but it's not too early to start using peptide and collagen products.

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*Derma E Blue Light Shield Spray and Blue Light Shield Concentrated Serum

New Year, new skincare! I was reading up on these new Blue Light Shield products and I'm quite impressed. Derma is known for clean beauty their etho-ethical standards towards the environment. I think that it's awesome that Derma E released these new products. For example, I know that I'm guilty for spending too much time in front of a computer screen. It does make me wonder what is this light possibly doing to my skin? Blue light Shield is truly a new wave for the future.

Both products contain Lutein that shields, Blue Green Algae that moisturizes and Ginseng Extract that energizes. These products are supposed to help soften skin which will be great to use during the Winter. We're having extremely cold weather in South Carolina this week, so I definitely want to have soft hydrated skin. I haven't been wearing much makeup lately, but I did test out the Blue Light Shield Spray after applying my makeup. 

You can apply this spray as a final touch to your makeup or skincare routine. My makeup looked flawless, and the spray is non greasy.  The serum is lightweight, but it's very hydrating and moisturizing. The serum just like the spray, is also non greasy.

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*Regular Girl

Regular Girl sent over this cute tote bag along with Regular Girl On-The-Go prebiotic soluble fiber (Sunfiber) and probiotics.

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*GSQ by Glamsquad 

GSQ By Glamsquad Exclusively at CVS! This is a new line of beauty products at CVS. Review coming soon!

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*Curls Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection 

I've written a review and tutorial for this collection. Here are the links :)

Curls Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection

Journey to Healthy Hair Feat. CURLS Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection

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*Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Collection

Review coming soon! 

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*Eco Tools Stunningly Soft Collection

The brushes came in this beautiful box, and the box is my favorite color, pink!

This collection has 4 Tiers of brushes.  Here's a sneak peek for the first tier. I can't wait to review and use this collection!

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*FYY Store

I was recently contact by a company called FYY to chose a product for review. I selected this cute Travel Cosmetic Bag ($19.99 USD). This bag is on the small side, but it has compartments that you can fit a lot of skincare products and toiletries. This bag would also be a great to use as a makeup bag.  I like that this bag is smaller, so it's easy to pack and store. FYY was founded in 1998. All the products are designed and manufactured by our own. Shipping is from China and fulfilled by USPS. The parcel came fairly quickly within 5 or 6 days. Make sure you check out www.fyystore.com for toiletry bags, phone cases, tablet cases etc! 

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Coastal Scents Cosmetics 

Do you remember Costal Scents?! I have a few products that I tried years ago, but I was given an opportunity to chose a few products that I wanted to review for the brand. Stay tuned! 

Zoya Calm Collection: Spring 2020

 Updated 1/23/20: Zoya never disappoints me with their seasonal collections. I love this year's theme and colors for the Spring.

When I open the box, I saw Zoya personalized my box with my Instagram Handle miss_pilar (click on my link to follow me) How thoughtful is that?! Thank you Zoya! I can't wait to review this collection! These colors makes me wish for warmer Spring days! 

Journey to Healthy Hair Feat. CURLS Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection

Hello Everyone!

* Disclaimer: This posts contains PR Samples from Curls. Thank you Curls for sending these products for review. All opinions are 100% my own. Product and brand information provided by curls.biz

For my last post, I reviewed Curls Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection. Today I'm going to share my journey to healthy hair using Curls Poppin Pineapple Collection. I've had frizzy hair since I was a little girl, but last year I noticed that my hair became increasing dry and brittle in addition to my hair being frizzy. I have 4b/4c hair which means it's important that I use products that provide moisture for my hair.

- So So Clean Vitamin C Curl Wash

- So So Moist Vitamin C Curl Mask

- So So Smooth Vitamin C Leave In Conditioner

First I shampooed and used the hair Mask on my hair. I love that these products are so moisturizing. After I rinsed both products out of my hair, I added the leave In Conditioner and dried my hair. Since my hair is damaged from Iron Deficiency issues, I didn't apply extreme heat to my hair. I used a cool to warm setting on my blow dryer to help reduce breakage. My hair is typically very curly if don't blow dry my hair, but since I did use a blow dryer it give my hair a more afro texture with soft mini curls.

- So Do Def Vitamin C Curl Defining Jelly

- Hair Clamps

- Large Wide Tooth Comb (not pictured)

- Medium Hair Pick

- Hair Dryer

I've been trying the Poppin Pineapple Collection several times and I'm noticing my hair feels so healthy.

I have thick hair, but the I love how the Curl Jelly adds so much volume to my hair and decreases frizz.

I was going to do a twist out on my hair to create thick curls, but I want to continue to get my hair back healthy first. 

The finished product. I didn't used the scalp oil in this tutorial since I oiled my scalp a few days ago. I love how voluminous and defined my hair looks!


Don't forget to check out my Curls Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection review! Curls products are sold online at www.curls.biz and exclusively at Walmart.

Curls Poppin Pineapple Vitamin C Collection

Hello Everyone!

* Disclaimer: This posts contains PR Samples from Curls. Thank you Curls for sending these products for review. All opinions are 100% my own. Product and brand information provided by curls.biz

This year one of my goals includes having healthier hair. After being diagnosed with nutirent deficiencies last Summer, I found out my iron deficiency was one of the causes for my brittle and dry hair. I've used many hair products over the years, but I'm always searching for hair products that are going to control frizz, and moisture, and maintain overall healthy hair.

About CURLS

CURLS was founded in 2002 in Elk Grove, California by CEO, Mahisha Dellinger. Now greatly expanded, CURLS continues to maintain the highest standards for quality ingredients and product dependability. Dellinger collaborated with leading cosmetic experts to develop CURLS.

Her intense desire to create a remarkable line for a growing, yet overlooked audience, coupled with an extensive chemistry background proved to be a winning combination. CURLS’ exceptional CEO remains committed to carefully upholding the principles of quality and integrity that define the company.

So So Clean Vitamin C Curl Wash

Description 

Formulated with Vitamins A, B1, B6, C, So So Clean Vitamin C Curl Wash hydrates and cleanses your curls & scalp. 

My Thoughts 

The sweet pineapple scent of shampoo smells amazing! I noticed there's not a lot of suds from the shampoo, but nonetheless my hair feels very clean after usage. Some shampoos tend to leave my hair feeling stripped and dry, but this not this shampoo. My hair feels so hydrated once I washed the shampoo out of my hair.

So So Moist Vitamin C Curl Mask

Description 

Formulated with vitamins A, B1, B6 and C, So So Moist Vitamin C Curl Mask is perfect deep conditioner infused with vitamin C, A and more!

My Thoughts

I have thick hair so I tend to use more product on hair. It's a little hard to get the mask out of the bottle because of the thick texture (a jar would probably work better), but this mask makes makes detangling my hair simple. My hair is moisturized throughout usage and after usage. My curls are detangled feel very soft.

So So Smooth Vitamin C Leave In Conditioner

Description 

Formulated with vitamins A, B1, B6 and C, So So Smooth Vitamin C Leave-in Conditioner is the dopest way to refresh, condition and soften your curls every time you style.

My Thoughts 

One word...Wow! Where had this conditioner been all my life? I'm always looking for a good leave in conditioner and I think I found it! This leave in conditioner leaves my hair feeling moisturized for 3 to 4 days. Very impressive. There isn't any residue left from the leave in conditioner, just moisturized hair.

So So Def Vitamin C Curl Defining Jelly

Description 

Formulated with Vitamins A, B1, B6, C, So So Def Vitamin C Curl Defining Jelly is the bomb for keeping your curls poppin all day long! 

My Thoughts 

I'm so glad that there are more options available such as this curl defining Jelly for natural hair. This product is more hydrating than moisturizing, but it does define and gives my curls volume. This is another product that I love because the Jelly isn't like other gels that have left my hair feeling dry, brittle, and frizzy. This jelly is the complete opposite. Since the Curl Jelly is so thick, it can be a little hard to get product out of the bottle. I usually unscrew the top and use the Curl Jelly. I hope that Curls will consider changing the bottle to a jar for easier access.

So So Fresh Vitamin C + Mint Scalp Treatment

Description 

Formulated with vitamins A, B1, B6 and C, So So Fresh Vitamin C + Mint Scalp Treatment is the most refreshing way to keep your scalp feeling fresh and clean!

My Thoughts

Over the years finding a scalp treatment for my hair has been a challenge. I'm not that fond of mint scents for hair, but the tingling sensation and oil keeps my scalp moisturized. The oil isn't too greasy and melts into my scalp quickly. I smell more of a pineapple scent than mint, but you can definitely tell a mint scent. I can't wait to do a twist out to see how well this scalp treatment will hold moisture in my hair. 

Overall, I really like the results I'm noticing with my hair. I still have frizz, but not as bad as the last few months. My hair isn't as dry. The leave in Conditioner keeps my hair moisturized throughout the day. I like to use the Curl Jelly after the using the conditioner to lay my curls. I highly reccomend trying the Pineapple Vitamin C Collection. Curls products are sold online at www.curls.biz and exclusively at Walmart.

20/20 Vision

Hello Everyone!

20/20 vision to focus on my goals 

I'm a little late, but I hope everyone New Year is off to a wonderful start! I took a much needed break, but I should have a posts on my blog this month. I will start post regularly in February.

PR Hauls coming soon

It's hard to believe it's already 2020. In many ways I'm glad. Sure you can start over anytime you need to, but I really needed a new start. A new year and new decade. As many of you know if you read my blog, I don't make new years resolutions, but I do set realistic goals for myself. I wrote realistic because I'm striving for my goals, but I'm also not overexerting myself this year. As long as I'm doing the best that I can, strive to be healthy, and happy, I will be at peace.

I see many people sharing their vision boards for this year. I'm thinking about creating a vision board for myself, but I'm not sure. Either way I always write my goals and visions for myself down. I'm doing things a little different this year. I usually share my goals, but this year I think I might share them at the end of the year. Sometimes it's good to make moves in silence. This year I'm not living in the negativity of the past, and looking forward to a good year. I'm speaking good things into existence.

My friends I wish you all a wonderful and prosperous 2020!