Thursday, November 29, 2012

HAUL - SEPHORA VIB Reward Card Sale

im in this love/hate relationship with sephora. they always have these sales towards the end of the year and of coz i cant say no to sephora! so i did some damage today... again lol

i got my $20 off $50 purchase vib reward card in the mail two days ago. of course i cant pass up this awesome deal! it's like 40% off! even better than the vib 20% off sale back in November 2012!





SEPHORA EYELINER ESSENTIALS retail value: $95 - $25






flick, drag, sweep, or smudge. create countless looks with this eye-enhancing liner kit (including three full-size products).


jet set waterproof eye liner in midnight black 3.4g/0.12 oz



24/7 glide on eye pencil in perversion 0.8g/0.03oz


SEPHORA LASHES UNLIMITED retail value: $59 - $25





from formulas that lengthen to wands that curl to falsies that flutter, this seven-piece set guarantees luscious lashes.


badgal lash 4.0g/0.14oz

buxom lash 6ml/0.2fl oz

smoky lash 3ml/0.10fl oz

false eye lashes in flutter 1 pair eyelash glue 0.4ml/0.01fl oz

outrageous mascara 2ml/0.06fl oz


you also get a handy little makeup bag from each of this kits. not bad for $25 each, even better with the discount. i paid $15 for each of this kits because of the $20 off $50 sephora coupon.

p.s. these two kits are sephora inside jcpenney exclusive holiday kits. so don't be surprise if you don't find this on sephora.com or in store.

ENJOY! & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!




Tuesday, November 27, 2012

DIY Christmas Wreaths Under $10 Project Decorating & Craft Ideas

I personally think all of the wreaths that are in the market right now are way overpriced. Even the cheapest wreath is going to cost around $20! Here I'm going to show you how to make a wreath (christmas) for under $10! ENJOY!

WHAT YOU NEED...

  • GARLAND (9 ft) $4.00
  • TINSEL (25 ft) $2.00
  • Ornaments (Shiny small 16pk) $1.00
  • Ornaments (Glitter medium 8pk) $1.00
  • Any other ornaments of your choice :)



Make sure to get wire garland, that way you don't need to have a base for the wreaths. the wire will give support and structure to your diy wreath.

now, all you have to do is to loop the wire garland into a circle, this will be the base of your wreath. I loop the garland 6 times fyi

then, wrap the wreath base with tinsel! this step is optional. I thought this will add a little something to my wreath so it wouldn't be so plain.. haha

finally, add ornaments of your choice! I picked out these christmas ornament balls at the dollar section at target. I picked out metallic (size: small) and glitter (size: medium) finishes.


Here is the finish product! Target ran out of the $1.00 red bows (the only one they had left was so dirty! it had coffee stains on it..) So i decided to add/make my own! 

If you haven't noticed, this is the same bow i made back in October (DIY Minnie Mouse Headband)

I paid $0.29 for the red felt sheet. one sheet is enough for the bow and the tassel. check out my DIY Last Minute Halloween Idea Costume Minnie Mouse Mickey Mouse Headband Costume Belt for a step by step tutorial on now to make a bow :)

I added two strips of red felt and hot glued it on the back of the bow to make it a Christmas bow! lol


Here is a picture of my diy wreath! WOOHOO.

ENJOY! & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


Haul Black Friday 2012

Calvin Klein belted double-breasted peacoat
retails for $259, got them for around $120 each!

I got two of the same coat in black and grey. I would've gotten the hot pink one but they didn't have my size :(



retails for $85, got it for around $25


retails for $49.99, got them for $25!



retails for $478, got it for $200



Total retail value : $1130
Total amount spent: $490
Total amount saved: $640

I also got 3x pj sets and kitchen tupperwares from target.. which costed me around $50. I thought I did pretty good this black friday, probably the most i've spent on clothing (at once lol). I think i'm good for the rest of the year. Must restrain myself from spending until next summer!

I also did a bath and body works haul during the black friday weekend. I don't need to go to bbw for a while, because i have around 15 candles to finish before i buy anymore! 



Monday, November 26, 2012

Haul - Bath and Body Works Candles

I finally caught the BBW 2 for $20 3-wick candle sale!

I was able to use my $10 off $30 purchase so I ended up saving even more! woohoo

Here's what i got from the sale :) I didn't get it during the black friday sale because i forgot to bring my coupons with me at the time. so I missed out on the vip bag...

But i didn't really care for what was included in this year's vip bag so i'm not that sad about it. lol


Revel in the cozy fine woods fragrances of mahogany, cedarwood and oak, highlighted by delicate lavender and geranium notes.


Capture fall's fleeting beauty with this fragrance featuring layers of spicy black pepper combined with uplifting bergamot and lavender.


Celebrate under the sweet scent of blue spruce, frosted cranberry and a kiss of citrus.


We amour this romantic infusion of sweet raspberry, French tulips and apple blossoms tickled with notes of sparkling pink champagne.



Fill your home with holiday magic with this sparkling blend of white cranberry, juicy peach and raspberry, infused with pure joy!




Monday, November 19, 2012

REVIEW influenster college voxbox 2012

Just received my College VoxBox thanks to @Influenster! See what I'm testing here. 
http://bit.ly/TLGnXS

so finally i got my influenster college voxbox in the mail today!

this was my very first influenster box and i was beyond excited! 

open box :)

there were five items in my college voxbox 2012! 

Energy Sheets: $5.95 per pack of 10 sheets

this product is very unique, i have never seen anything like this before. it's like breath sheets except it suppose to give you an energy boost. im excited to try this energy sheets out.

Here is a list of products i received in my influenster college voxbox 2012!

  • IMPRESS PRESS-ON MANICURE: $5.99 for colors, $7.99 for patterns (D030 Holla! - pink base color with black lace design)
  • NYC NEW YORK COLOR SHOW TIME GLITTER EYE-LINER PENCIL  $2.49 per pencil (944 Show Time Black - Black eyeliner with silver glitter)
  • NECCO TROPICAL WAFERS: $1.25 each, $24.00 per box, $37.50 per tube
  • PENTEL ENERGEL-X CAMPAIGN: $1.90 per pen (mine was in black)
  • ENERGY SHEETS: $5.95 per pack of 10 sheets
im so happy with influenster's product testing service. it's completely free to sign up with no strings attached. i can't be happier with the college voxbox. it's a great way to discover new products too! ;)



Just received my College VoxBox thanks to @Influenster! See what I'm testing here. 
http://bit.ly/TLGnXS



Thursday, November 15, 2012

influenster college voxbox & a little sephora incident...

influenster college box

on tuesday 11/13/2012, i got an email saying that im getting the college voxbox from influenster!!! i'm so excited woohooooo! I can't wait to receive my very first influenster box in the mail. I'll definitely do a blogpost when i get my college voxbox :)

and here is a little story of my sephora.com vib "haul"/incident..

I'm too lazy to type up everything so i just copied and pasted what i posted on sephora's facebook page. i have always been a big fan of sephora, online and in-store they always have the best customer service. i have been shopping at sephora for years, this is the first time sephora has let me down. i wish their cust rep didn't tell me it'll be deliver on time. at least i can be proactive about it and just get it in store for my friend. i emailed and called sephora, but it feels like nothing is getting through so i thought facebook was my last choice. 


I ordered a gift for a friend's birthday on 11/11/2012 9:15pm and have it ship to her house. I forgot to change the shipping address to hers, and i called sephora on 11/12/2012 in the morning, the cust rep told me there is nothing he can do until i get my tracking no., so i waited until 11/13/2012 (after a tracking no., was sent to my email), i called sephora again and the lady said she can reroute the package for me but the system is not allowing her, so she will do that once the system starts working again and that she will put a note on the order. on 11/14/2012, i went online and checked, the package's destination is still to my address instead of my friends. i called sephora right away and have it reroute to my friend's address. FINALLY it got rerouted because i can see the destination changed minutes after we hung up. by the end of the day, the package arrived to Ontario, CA around 9:40pm (which is about 2 hours driving distance away from my friend's house. on 11/15/2012 morning, i checked online again for the status, it says the package is being sent back to the sender! i called sephora again, they said it is because the package is being rerouted twice?!

well, nobody ever told me the package is being rerouted twice. the second time i called in they should have let me know so i dont request it again. but even so, both reroute request are made to ship to the same exact address. if anything, they could have told me that the package is not going to make it for my friend's birthday. i would have place another order on 11/12/2012 while i can still take advantage of my vib discount. and just return the first shipment when it arrives.



Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Quick and Easy Recipes - Avocado Salad / Salsa

Ingredients - one bowl per serving, this recipe is for 1 serving
  • Half of an onion (chopped)
  • Half of a green bell pepper (chopped)
  • One medium avocado (peeled, pitted and diced)
  • One small tomato (chopped)
  • Half of a lime (juiced, or 2 teaspoons of lime juice)
  • 1/4 of a jalapeno (minced)
  • Optional---
  • Cilantro (chopped)
  • Garlic (minced)
  • Corn (1/4 cup)





Directions -
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
  2. Season with vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, salt and pepper

serve immediately (salad)
cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving (salsa)

the only difference is for salsa, you'll need to finely chop and/or mince all ingredients; and leave it in the fridge before serving.

for them meat/seafood lovers, add chicken, shrimp of your choice. 


Enjoy!!!  :)




Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Quick and Easy Recipes - Home Remedy for Sore Throats - Asian Pear Soup with honey

Feeling a little under the weather? dry cough, itchy throat, scratchy voice.. here's a homemade recipe to make you feel all better! :)



Ingredients - one bowl per serving, this recipe is for 2 servings
  • 1 table spoon honey
  • 4 cups water
  • 3-4 Asian Pears peeled, cored and cut into 1" cubes
combine the water and pear cubes in a medium cooking pot over high heat and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until the pears are soft.

let cool, covered, for 5 minutes. add the honey and stir to combine.

serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours until cold. 


Enjoy!!! 

//Stay warm and take care everyone! :)

part 2 SEPHORA HAUL the vib holiday shopping event 2012

Alright, so i took advantage of the sephora vib sale and place another two orders on sephora.com

it's taking a little longer than usual for them to process and ship out my packages, but it's understandable because of the sale.

Here's what i ordered on my second and third order. i could of combine the orders but since i qualify for free shipping, i couldnt say no to free samples! (sephora.com always let you choose 3 free samples with each order! woohoo)


i couldn't print screen the whole list but i pretty much got the same samples as my first order.
they did add the sephora vib tote to both of my orders, but im not sure if they will send both since it says "permanently out of stock" on my orders. we'll see.

for all of these, i spent just under $125, which is not bad. all of the stuff i got are repurchases, except the tarte carried away set. its a great set on its own without the coupon, so with the discount its an even better deal!

I can't wait till the holiday sale in December 2012. I called sephora customer service and they told me we will have another $20 off $50 purchase in December ($20 off for vibs, and $15 for bis). she didn't tell me the exact date, i guess they are still not allow to give out any official information but she confirmed that there will be another sale/coupon going out next time. so time to save up again! :)

Friday, November 9, 2012

October 2012 Empties Products I've Used Up



Bath and body products...


Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray
I hated this dry shampoo, it made my hair smell gross after a couple of hours, it also made my hair oilier than ever. even on day one hair. im throwing this out!

Dove Invigorationg Dry Shampoo
Smells great when first applied, still made my hair oily and dirty. throwing this out too. plus, there is not much left after 3 or 5 uses.

Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
thought i'd give this a try since i was looking for something gentle. has sulfate in it, not sure if i'd repurchase..

Garnier Fructis Pure Clean 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner
Had a $1.00 off coupon and got it for only $1.99, didn't do much to my hair, would not repurchase without a coupon. haha

Bath and Body Works Be Enchanted Shower Gel
this was a christmas gift from last year, lol finally used it up. one bottle of bbw shower gel lasts for about a month. this is by far my favorite scent from bbw! cute packaging too, i'd def repurchase

Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner
got this from one of target's beauty bag, i LOVE this shampoo and conditioner. my hair felt very clean every time i use it. i usually wash my hair ever other day and with this shampoo and conditioner, i can go 2 days without washing my hair! (and did you know it's not good to wash your hair every day?! lol)

Pantene Pro-V Color Preserve Shine 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner
another sample from target's beauty bag, i personally don't like pantene cuz it makes my hair super oily. this one was okay, i don't have much to say, didn't do much. would not buy it even if i had a coupon..

Shea Terra Whipped Shea Butter Body Creme Bourbon Vanilla
i LOVE this butter creme! it's very moisturizing. the texture is cool too, it's like memory foam stuff, its quite interesting. i enjoyed using it very much. the only down side is the scent. its almost sickening. i'd repurchase it after i finish all my other body lotions


Skincare products...


3LAB Perfect cleansing Foam
got this from myglam, just your basic cleanser. my skin felt very tight afterward, which i didn't like. would not repurchase, but i wouldnt mind using it if i were to get it for free

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Regenerating Skincare Day/Night Cream
this is a really good cream for winter, but when i use it during the summer it broke me out. i only had a little bit from last winter and just finished it days before this blogpost. this is a repurchase, and i'd buy it again

Basq Cucumber Tea Soothing Eye Gel 
just another basic eye gel, nothing special. whatever they use to make this eyegel to give it the "cooling" sensation, i didn't like! it makes my eyes water T^T. got this from a glossybox by the way, and iwould not repurchase

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster
it smells like oranges! its a light serum and it smells great but did nothing for my skin. and the pump kept unscrewing itself off the glass bottle. how annoying! got it from a glossybox too. would not repurchase but i wouldnt mind using it if i get another sample of it

Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum
this came in a sephora skincare set i purchase back in May (i got two sets since it was a steal! lol), this tiny little sample lasted me 2 weeks i believe. Not sure what to say about murad skincare line, it doesnt do anything to my skin nor it breaks me out. its too expensive to buy something that doesnt do wonders so i would not repurchase. but if they have another skincare set and this was in it, i wouldnt mind. i still have another sample bottle to go through from my second set.

Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm***
good stuff, the texture is sort of like Clinique's all about eyes rich but better. got this from the sephora skincare set too, i'm throwing this out because my doctor told me to get rid of all things i use on my eyes because they might be contaminated with bacteria that causes/spreads corneal ulcer

The body shop tea tree skin clearing facial cleanser
a sephora lady gave me this sample to try out. didn't do much to my skin, has a very strong tea tree oil scent. would not repurchase

up & up™ Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
i use this to take off my face makeup before washing my face. it does its job but dont get it anywhere near your eye. it burns! i still have 4 or 5 packs that i need to finish up, and will continue to purchase it until i find something cheaper other than baby wipes lol

Skinfood Omija Whitening Cream
sample foil packs a friend gave me, it's a lightweight cream. didnt break me out or anything, not sure about the whitening effect since i didnt use it long enough

Philosophy Purity Made Simple/ Hope in a Jar/ The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash
i dont understand all the hype about philosophy products. they smell insanely gross. it drives me crazy. they have this strong chemical smell that makes me gag. a sephora lady gave me these samples and i didn't wanna just throw them away... but never again!

Naruko Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Whitening Toner
just your everyday toner. i liked it a lot at first so i got a back up, im now going through the second bottle and would like to try something new. its a good toner if you're looking for something natural 

Up & Up Cotton Swabs with Paper Sticks 
i got through a pack of this every 6 months. i like this much better than qtips and they are cheaper! already repurchased! 

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
one of my fav eye makeup remover. been using this for years and already repurchased!

Sonia Kashuk® Remove - Eye Makeup Remover***
heard a lot about this on youtube, got it from target and at the time it has a travel size freebie. it works just like the neutrogena one except its more expensive. i spilled the bigger bottle when im half way through, and i spilled the travel size when im half way through.. maybe its not meant to be lol. im throwing this away because it maybe contaminated. i only have about 10% of it left anyway. would not repurchase.

Daiso Daily Facial Cotton Pad Puff 
i only use japanese contton pads cause they are much softer and it doesnt tear and leave cotton all over my face. its a great deal i love daiso! <3 lol

Makeup products...


Nars Plaisir Blush [discontinued]***
swapped it 3 years ago on makeupalley. its been well loved and its time to say goodbye. i dont even know if powder blush expires but it hasnt break me out or anything. but just to be safe, im done with this blush. one of my fav blush to wear. 

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel CreamLiner, Hazel Eyes ***

one of the cheapest you can buy in drugstore, its creamy but the pigmentation can be better. would not repurchase. 

Sonia Kashuk® Dramatically Defining Long Wear Gel Liner - Ebony***
got it on clearance at target, it was okay, would not repurchase. 

Rimmel Royal Gloss Delicious Lipgloss***
smelt like cheap candy, but its moisturizing and nonsticky. it wasnt expensive either. 

Essence Liquid Waterproof Eyeliner***
the applicator was thick so it was hard to draw a precise line

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF20 sample 
my friend recommended me this foundation, so i went to nordstrom and got myself a sample to try out. it was drying, even on my oily skin. would not purchase.

Anastasia brow gel
got these samples from sephora, just another brow gel. i dont even use brow gel on a daily basis. but i dont mind getting another sample of it

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara***
this is a repurchase, i thought it was the closest compare to benefits bad gal mascara

Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum***
the liner was great, the last boosting serum was whatever. already repurchase the eyeliners

Revlon Precision Lash Adhesive
the lash glue itself is great. the packaging sucks though. tons of glue would get stuck on the applicator and it gets really gross after a couple of uses


Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara
got this sample at a networking mixer. i actually really like it. but im not sure if i'd go out of my way to purchase it

Victoria's Secret, Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Mist travel size
found this laying around the house, used it as a car spray. would not repurchase


Nautica Ocean spray sample
i love this scent!!! got it from sephora too, i went out and bought 1 1oz, 1 1.7oz, and 1 3.4oz bottle. im already done with the 1oz and now working on the 3.4oz. i went crazy cuz i dont see them at sephora so i stocked up. i know this is for men but i love the scent. it's that abercrombie, hollister smell.. musky but fresh! i love it!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly sample
didnt like the scent, would not buy

Japanese lash growth serum
that tiny bottle costed me $30, and it didnt work. dang it!

ebay eyeliner brush ***
just another eyeliner brush

ecotools eyeliner brush ***
got it from a kit, just another eyeliner brush


items that are marked with *** are the ones im throwing out either they are old, expired, or eye products that i need to get rid of in case they are contaminated

seems like a ton of products but 90% of the items are half empty when i decided to do this monthly empties.

omg this is by far the longest post i ever did, its tiring. lol






Thursday, November 8, 2012

SEPHORA HAUL the vib holiday shopping event 2012

The sephora vib holiday shopping event started today (11/8/2012). 20% off for sephora vibs from November 8 -12. free sephora limited edition tote available during the in store event or online with ANY purchase, while supply last.

just so you all know, the sephora vib tote is pretty crappy. i'd say it's about the size of a magazine and you can't fit much in it. i wish they make the bag bigger so i can at least use it when i go grocery shopping..


i only got a few things today, but i think im going to go back before the sale ends.


here is a list of what i got.. <3
  • Caudalie Our Favorites $35
  • Caudalie Grape Water $18
  • Clarisonic Replacement Brush Head Twin Pack - Acne $40
  • Clarisonic Replacement Brush Head Twin Pack - Deep Pore $40
  • L'Occitane Hand Cream Shea Butter $10
I think i spent around $125 after tax, which is not bad. I got a year supply of clarisonic brush heads, and get to try out the caudalie skincare line. I'm so excited!

I was actually looking for Josie Maran Rosey mist-refreshing rose water ($24) but the sephora i went to didn't carry josie maran's skincare line. the sale associate recommended me Fresh rose marigold floral water ($38), which is also rose scented but it was way over my budget! or should i say im too cheap to spend that much on a toner...