My Marshall's Adventure

A new shopping center recently opened near my location. Within this shopping center contains a new Marshall's, Charming Charlie, Target, and an Ulta. Naturally, I felt compelled to visit and shop where all of these glorious stores could be conveniently mapped near one another. 

I had never been to a Charming Charlie before, and while not completely enthralled with what it had to offer, it contained some worthwhile pieces for an affordable price. I tried to find something to buy, as I do, but I unfortunately left empty handed. Instead, the only place that I spent my money during this shopping adventure was at Marshall's.

Let's start with what we'll call my first purchase, even though I bought all of these items at the same time. This floral makeup bag is an essential in my opinion. For the longest time, I would put my toiletries and makeup items in high quality grocery store bags while traveling so that they wouldn't leak all over my clothes and things during transportation. This bag is nice because it's composed of a plastic material inside and out, making it rather easy to clean in the case of any spillage. It's an appropriate size; not being too large and not being too small. I can fit things inside without having to curse at it's zipper while trying to pull it shut. Where has a a bag like this been all of my life? I'm pretty sure I am the last person to own this kind of thing. The brand is "Forever England" and the Marshall's price was $9.99 compared at twenty dollars.

My most exciting purchase were these "BCBG" flip flops. I have been on the hunt for the perfect basic flip flop for a while now. Because there are an abundance of cheaply made foam-soled flip flops, it has been quite a challenge to find a pair of decent quality. When I spotted these in the clearance section (for thirteen dollars mind you) I immediately tried them on. I was surprised to find that they fit, which is lucky because they were the only pair and my shoe size varies from a 6 to a 7. It's exciting because for a next-to-nothing price, I scored decent summer footwear that will go with just about anything in my closet.

Lastly, I got some makeup-removing wipes. I'm always quite skeptical of buying cosmetics or any type of skincare from these types of stores. After reviewing the ingredients of these makeup whips, however, I discovered that they were much more beneficial than those of my typical Neutrogena wipes and much more natural. With that, these make-up wipes by "Blum" were about half the price at $3.99. This product does not contain synthetic preservatives, are paraben-free, does not contain sodium laural sulfate (which is an ingredient to look out for if you have sensitive, acne-prone skin), are alcohol free, hypo-allergenic, and pH balanced. They also contain organic tea tree oil and are not tested on animals. Beat that Neutrogena! I'll definitely never purchase makeup wipes at a drugstore again after this bargain.

Although this is a relatively small haul of items, I would consider my shopping trip a success. It's a nice thing to spend your money on things that you know you will get use out of, especially when you get them at a great price. Yay for Marshall's.

Fake Bake Flawless Self Tanning Liquid

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state fair

aside from being rediculously expensive, the food at the state fair was delish. i definitely skipped on the enormous turkey leg that kyle found appealing. i did enjoy a delicious italian sausage along with some fried mac and cheese and chocolate covered bacon.

fall haul: bath & body works

i'm a little butthurt about the fact that i missed out on the 2 for $20 deal on bath & body works candles. i picked up cinnamon sugared donut  in the 14.5 oz, anyway. i really am impressed with how authentic and absolutely delicious it smells. i would have also loved to bring home marshmallow fireside as well, which they did not have in the smaller size.

the smaller, 4 oz candles were 2 for $10. i purchased apple crumble and creamy pumpkin. as you may notice, i very much prefer food scents; especially fall-related. mmm!

the bottom of these candles say to trim the wick before each relighting. it took me a while to realize this, but it helps the candles to last longer. if you leave the wick alone and light, there's a bit of black smoke that can discolor the glass container and slightly alter the scent. so, that's good to know. they are nice quality candles, however.



i purchased one of the tin candle holders at the store. i was a little hesitant at first, but reassured once i lit my full-sized candle inside of it. i think it's super cute!



bath & body works also has a variety of decorative soaps. i bought a marshmallow scented one and a glittery, pink skull with the sweet pea scent (from their permanent line).

for a store i normally don't pay much attention to, i love what bath & body works has to offer this season. it makes me excited for fall, my favorite time of year!

holy grail and a fail: lip balm

i went to target a few nights ago, on the hunt for a new nivea a kiss of smoothness lipbalm because i had lost mine somewhere. i could not find the lip balm in the store, however, so i ended up with an organic one by botanics.





the description sounded  nice, adding how the shea butter contained in this product is from the karite nut and used by local women in west africa for cooking and skincare. unfortunately, the "power of plants" didn't do a lot for me this time around.

i find the balm's gritty texture to be an unpleasant experience along with the product dripping off of my lips due to it's super liquid form (i'm assuming that comes from the olive oil it contains). i do not feel as though it left my lips feeling more moisturized in the least and i only like the idea of an organic product if it works. definitely not worth the $6 and change that i paid.

on a much smoother note...pun intended, although i'm a little embarrassed about it, i found my nivea kiss of smoothness! i cannot begin to explain how moisturizing this product is. it glides across the lips, offering instant and lasting hydration. the lip balm contains jojoba oil, shea butter, and spf 4.



i have not really found a product that compares; mostly because other stick-form lip balms require you to press with force across already dry lips. this product is slightly addictive and a considerable purchase for just $2.99.

basket case

i'm not exaggerating when i say that orly's basket case is the perfect bright pink polish. it's formulation is opaque and looks lovely with 2 coats, even better with 3. i like that it's a non-shimmer polish with a shiny, yet matte finish.



opi's bring on the bling is a dense glitter polish that looks nice paired with basket case. both polishes are true to color as far as there appearance in the bottle.

healthy eating

i find grocery shopping to be rather exciting if i'm with someone. otherwise, it's completely boring when i'm alone. after putting it off for quite some time, i finally took a trip to my local kroger. i love kroger most for it's organic section, where i usually buy frozen pasta meals and burritos. my regular items consist of plenty of vegetables, grapes, romaine lettuce and things for salad, dried vegetable chips, humus and wholegrain pita, and salmon.

when my apartment isn't filled with groceries i end up consuming way too much taco bell. so you can see why i'm exceptionally motivated to improve my diet after i've gone grocery shopping. here is what i ate for lunch recently.



grilled mushrooms, onions, green and red peppers on a whole wheat pita pocket with shredded cheddar. mmm! i definitely forgot to add sundried tomatoes, which would have made the mix that much more delicious.

only on rare occasion do i feel like cooking, so i love healthy meals that are quick and easy to prepare. please share if you have an idea for a simple, healthy dish!

amazon kindle; my new obsession

in the middle of reading breaking dawn, i purchased a kindle. i have a huge love for books and this seemed like the perfect little device for me to own; so i bought it. the problem was that i wasn't keen on the idea of interrupting breaking dawn with a new e-book. so, i downloaded breaking dawn for 9.99 on my kindle, and it has been a wonderful experience!

the kindle is a convenient way to carry a current book, along with many others, where ever you may go. now that school has started up again, i read in between classes. textbooks are heavy as it  is and if it weren't for the kindle i'd have to carry all 754 pages of breaking dawn around with me...or not get as much reading done.





after registering your kindle online, browsing the kindle store and downloading e-books is extremely quick and simple. where ever you can access wifi, it's possible to search for books and add them to your wishlist or buy them without re-entering your credit card number. the books available on the kindle are usually cheaper than buying them new in-store. i'm ok with paying for the convenience of an e-book on my kindle. it makes reading more enjoyable.

amazon also makes a black, leather case for the kindle that includes a pull-out light. the light is activated by the battery provided by the kindle. there's no need to purchase batteries or carry around a separate light. if your kindle is always in it's case, you'll never forget it! the case provides a substantial amount of light, so it's been easy to read at night in the car or in bed.



other benefits include the matte, non-glare screen and crazy battery life. the kindle let's you know how much of the book you've completed at the bottom of your screen and saves your place for you. if you're interested in technology like this simply for books, go with the kindle instead of another tablet. i'm obsessed!

everyday eye

i love neutral pigments and warm tones. i wear this eye makeup everyday to school, work, or where ever. the look is simple, using only 3 shadows. i always skip liner, because i just don't have the patience for it. sometimes i think the simplicity of just shadow is beautiful. if this look were for going out at night, liner could always be added for more a more dramatic eye.



i start by using mac's bare study paint pot as a base. with my finger, i blend bare study all over the lid and up to the brow bone. this paint pot is gorgeous alone with mascara for super quick makeup.



urban decay's naked palette contains absolutely gorgeous pigments. for this look, i use both naked and sidecar. sidecar contains some glitter and can often result in fallout when applying the shadow with a brush. i use my finger to place this color all over the lid. then using a blending brush, i take naked to blend and diffuse the color towards the brow bone.



taking mac's bravado, i use the same blending brush to place and blend the color into the crease. this color is from mac's earlier quad take wing, which is amazing. i don't think bravado is a part of mac's permanent line, but it's easy to find similar colors.



i finish off with revlon's fabulash mascara, which is my favorite at the moment, and i'm done!

                                     bravado. sidecar. naked.

products i do not recommend

after work one night, a few of my co-workers and i decided to go out. my hair was a little flat and i couldn't have that; so i went to pick up a small can of hairspray in order to tease the bejesus out of my hair. i purchaed l'oreal's elnett and figured that it would perform well due to it's infinite positive reviews.

i can understand the hype that comes from elnett. it gives a firm hold that lasts without leaving your hair feeling heavy, sticky, or too crisp. after spraying this product, it's easy to brush through hair for re-styling. sounds great, right? except that when i got back into my car to style my hair, i felt like i was trapped inside of big foot's dutch oven from hell within the first spritz. okay, even if it may not have been that bad, the smell was pretty horrendous.

i'm not normally sensitive to smells and can appreciate a product that works regardless of scent. elnett just smells like a potent chemical bomb that cannot be healthy for the lungs even from a mile away. because of this, i would not repurchase. would not recommend. no, thank you.

neutrogena healthy skin liquid makeup interested me because many had compared it to nars sheer glow.

i think they were joking because this foundation does not even begin to compare to the texture, coverage, or quality of sheer glow. i get that it is a drugstore foundation, but this healthy skin liquid makeup has horrible pigmentation. aside from the lack of coverage, it's finish left my skin a bit dull.

if you're looking to get a quality foundation for a small amount of cash, i would recommend revlon photoready over anything else.

you can click here to read my review on photoready.