Beauty for Every Body ~ Summer Edition

One of my favorite stores is Target. Target just has so many happy feelings and memories! The stores (especially the Super Centers) always seem so open! So inviting! So clean! And oh! They have those baskets that aren't just square/rectangles, but they curve in a bit to sit ever so perfectly on a woman's hip. And they don't have metal handles but rather soft plastic ones, so no matter how much stuff you pile into the basket, there is rarely any pain included:) And! Targets often have cheap popcorn (that is delicious) and Starbucks inside the stores! You can buy clothes, makeup, food, wine, shoes, jewelry, etc..

I imagine Heaven is like Target. Plus DSW. With a little bit of Dunkin Donuts mixed in....

Anyway, the reason I'm starting out with gushing about Target is because Target does some else super special! Every season, the put together these fabulous little sample packs to send to some fans on their Facebook page. (did I mention they are FREE??)

Last month, they announced their Summer Beauty Bag (and a special thank you to Whitney for reminding me to sign up for mine!) and I got signed up and waited for it to get here. I thought they said wait 6-8 weeks, but I'm pretty sure it got here faster than that!

When I first opened the box, I was greeted by a blue patterned makeup bag... it's a fabric kind of like denim; it's a Contents by Allegro bag and seems to be pretty sturdy!

Unzipping it showed all its goodies!

Ta-da! So full! So exciting!

1. A pack of coupons (yay! Saving money while shopping!:)
2. Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner (1 fl oz each). Promises to reduce up to 80% of split ends after 3 uses!
3. Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70 (1 fl oz) (woohoo!! even more than my usual 50 SPF!)
4. Aveeno Smart Essentials daily detoxifying scrub (1 oz)
5. Garnier Fructis Fortifying Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner (.34 fl oz each)
6. Revlon Lip Butter Peach Parfait--I remember when the summer beauty bags were first advertised a bunch of the girls on FB thought we might get a full size lip butter! lol, no such luck! 

But what I'm really excicted about using this card for is to keep track of all the lip butters I acquire! You may recall that when I first got Strawberry Shortcake, I was really not a fan like everyone else seemed to be. However, after giving them a second chance with Sugar Plum and Gumdrop, I definitely became a believer:) And now I want more.... ;)

Be sure to follow Target Style on Facebook to keep up with future beauty bags!

Did you get a summer beauty bag from Target? What is your favorite item? Have you tried any of the products that I received to sample?

My *First* VoxBox from Influenster!

Hi Lovelies! I'm super excited to share this box with you today--because it was FREE!!! Yaaaay for free stuff!!:) For those of you that aren't aware of VoxBoxes, they come from Influenster! What is Influenster? "Community of trendsetters invited to share their lifestyles and show off their influence to qualify for personalized product shipments, special rewards and exclusive deals from the brands they love. Members love testing the latest products, giving insightful feedback, and spreading the word on their favorite finds!" You earn badges, increase your chances of reviewing stuff, they send you stuff and you review it! How fabulous!! If you want to know more you can check out all the info and register here!

So my VoxBox came in the mail on Monday, and I finally got around to taking pictures tonight so I can share it with you!

SALLY HANSEN - SALON EFFECTS

Real Nail Polish Strips! This product wears like nail polish because it IS nail polish (with no drying time). Apply and you’re ready to go.

SHEER COVER - DUO CONCEALER

Ideal for hiding blemishes, age spots, redness, scars and other imperfections without heavy, cakey coverage. Duo shades can be blended to perfectly match any skin tone.

CHAPSTICK - LIP SHIELD 365

This new product offers all season protection & moisturization for year-round exposure to the sun, wind & cold. With SPF 50+, it helps to protect from the sun’s damaging UVA/UVB rays.

BATH & BODY WORKS - FINE FRAGRANCE MIST

Discover a better, more delicate fragrance experience with the NEW Fragrance Mist Collection. With over 20 Signature fragrances to choose from, it’s love at first mist!

DR. SCHOLL’S FOR HER  - BALL OF FOOT PADS

Whether you have on-going foot discomfort, or just a soft spot for the most stylish shoes in the store, you’re going to love the Dr. Scholl’s® For Her line. Take a few steps towards happier feet today!

AVEENO - DAILY MOISTURIZING BODY WASH

This body wash cleanses & moisturizes for visibly healthier skin every time you shower. It’s lightly fragranced, soap free, dye-free & hypoallergenic so it’s gentle enough for sensitive ski

SOYJOY - BAR

Enjoy SOYJOY with all-natural real ingredients like real fruit and whole soy! Simply baked in their Southern California bakery into SOYJOY bars for REAL energy-sustaining deliciousness.

So! Some initial thoughts! I cannot wait to eat that Soyjoy bar! I love *anything* blueberry! Blueberry pie, blueberry sundaes, blueberry cobbler... omg I'm getting hungry just thinking about that! And this is healthy too! So I can't wait to savor it;)

I'm also super duper excited about the Bath and Body Works spray!! I used to use Sweet Pea a lot in college--it's just such a fresh, light, springy scent. Plus, it's such a huge bottle! This will last a while, and I'll definitely be able to test how I like the texture/volume of the spray.

I've used the Dr. Scholl's pads before, but I plan on putting them in my highest heeled shoes and really test just how good they are! I *love* all my fabulous shoes, but it's true the balls of my feet often end up sore by the end of the day from all the walking around the office; we'll see if these make my feet feel any better;)

I know the Sally Hansen nail strips have been around for sooo long now, but I still haven't tried them! So I'm definitely looking forward to trying these! I wouldn't normally have picked the leopard pattern for myself, but it's good to try things outside your comfort zone once in a while, right?

I dabbed some of the concealer on my arm just to see how it is. It is so soft and smooth! The test will really come as to how well does it cover my under eye circles? 

I'm looking forward to trying the ChapStick and Aveeno lotion too, but not nearly as excited about those as the other products!

In the next couple weeks you should be seeing full reviews of most of these products! So stay tuned! And if you got a VoxBox we'll definitely need to exchange notes!

What do you think of the prodcuts? Have you used any of them? What is your favorite concealer?

 P.S. I received each product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

Items that are "clothes" to my heart

Back when I was in college (those six short years ago) a lot of my friends and I were all the same size. It seemed like everyone I knew was a 3/4 or 5/6 and all of our clothes were interchangeable. We'd share clothes, shoes, everything without even a second thought about it. We took a trip to NYC once, and it was like each of our wardrobes tripled because we could fit into all the clothes each of us brought and the clothes that everyone else brought too. (and seriously, looking back at those pictures, you can see which day each of us wore some of the same items. lol)


But then we grow up. Our bodies change. We gain weight. Lose weight. I like to think a lot of my weight just re-positions itself. I'm pleased that certain parts of my body did grow on their own ;) lol but other problem places seem to keep getting all the left over pounds when my weight "re-positions" itself. hahaha. It gets harder to share clothes with our friends since there's the super skinny girls, the more voluptuous girls, etc. 


When I went to a clothing swap with some of the girls today, I really wasn't sure if I'd get anything out of it. Oh, I definitely put enough into it! I had two full size trash bags full of clothes--clothes that didn't fit, clothes I didn't like any more, just a way to purge out my closet:) Now, I've donated clothes to Goodwill before--and I'm fine with that, you never have to see people LOOKING at your clothes. It's a completely different story when you can see people LOOKING at your clothes. It's almost like I felt they were judging me based on the clothes I was getting rid of. A lot of the clothes I've bought were for "special occasions." Like, oh, that's the shirt I got on my first date with so-and-so. That's the cute top I bought when I was on vacation with what's her name. Everything had a story to me. And it was almost like people were going thru the history of my life. And it was just a weird feeling. Believe it or not, I'm not a very open person, and it just made me feel too vulnerable having people I knew going thru my stuff...


But, it was a happy ending story! I ended up coming away with a super cute pair of jeans, a tank top, a frilly sleeveless shirt (that I LOVE), and a flowy little short-sleeve shirt. Yay for new free clothes!


The clothes of mine that weren't taken at the swap have since been disposed of in a donation bin. So someone will get to enjoy the clothes I no longer want. And I won't have to see anyone else go through my personal items:)