Never pay more than $10 for your mascara!

Hello beautiful people!

I've been thinking about this post for a long time, and the more I think about it, the more urgency I feel to write it. Here's the deal...
I am a mascara ADDICT.
I don't know if there is a stronger word for my addiction, but if there is, I need to know. My obsession with mascara is out of control. It's my favorite beauty product of ALL TIME. You can see my current mascara collection below:

UNREAL, right? Only a crazy person would have this much mascara! (Shout out to my summer swap buddy from last summer - Puppy Mom of 3 - who sent me a ton of the mascaras that you are currently seeing! <3 you, girl!)

But here's the deal. You can have amazing fabulous lashes without spending a ton of money! For someone who loves mascara, I have tried A LOT of them, and some of the very best ones will surprise you. This is because they are from brands you see in your local stores every day.

Here's a look at Sephora's top selling mascaras at the moment...

These are definitely the most talked-about mascaras on the internets. To me, that's a lot of money for a product that you will only use for a month or two. Some people will argue that it's worth it, but I've tried all of those mascaras. I would grab my top 3 over those mascaras any day. But what if you want to try the newest mascara? You can. And you won't have to splurge. I promise.

Here are my tips on how to NEVER spend over $10 for any mascara!

1. BUY DRUGSTORE!
I was a mascara snob for a long time. The more I try a variety of beauty products, the more I am discovering my love for drugstore products. Some of them are REALLY GOOD! My very favorite mascaras are from the drugstore. Even with all of my high-end choices (Lancome and Benefit, I'm looking at you!) I constantly reach for these day-in and day-out.
THE FAVORITES:

L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara ($7.99 at Target)

Maybelline The Falsies Flared (Only $4.19 at Ulta right now! Regular $6.99)

Wet n' Wild MegaLength Mascara (Less than $3 at most stores!)

Disclaimer - I usually layer this mascara over others as my last step. I don't usually use it on it's own, but I have! Just wanted to throw that in there!

 
2. Sales, sales, SALES!
Always buy on sale! There are even sales on Prestige beauty products at times - Ulta has 20% off coupons from time to time that are good on prestige beauty. They ALWAYS have half-price products during their 21 Days of Beauty events. They also frequently have a "$3.50 off $10" coupon - which you can use on drugstore products. (Like my very favorite mascaras mentioned above!) You can also get coupons for drugstore products in your Sunday paper, and on websites like coupons.com! (There are currently high-value coupons for L'Oreal, Maybelline, and Cover Girl! Just click the coupons.com link!)

3. Consider buying the sample size.

Let's be honest - it's only a matter of time until your mascara decides to dry out on you. It may be months, or it may only be weeks. But it will happen. Consider purchasing the sample/travel size of the mascara you are looking for. You will be able to switch up your mascara sooner, and if you hate it, you aren't out the full price. Win!

4. Join a beauty perks program!
Most beauty lovers are members of one or more beauty programs offered online or in stores. Ulta has a rewards program called ULTAmate Rewards where you can earn points for your purchases and get a free birthday gift. Sephora has the same type of program called Beauty Insider. These two stores also offer free samples with your online orders - and at Sephora you can pick your samples. If you keep an eye out for what they are offering, you can usually pick up a sample size of one or more mascaras. Also - keep an eye out for codes to get additional free samples added to your order! Check the Weekly Specials page often for the latest promo codes.

5. Join a sample program!
Last but not least - join a sample program! You can join many programs for $10 a month (like ipsy and Birchbox) OR you can get the Walmart Beauty Box (seasonal - samples are free, you just pay $5 shipping) or Target Beauty Box (seasonal - $5). You won't always get mascara, but when you do, it's usually full size! And, you never pay over $10!

I hope that the mascara lovers out there find this post helpful - and I hope it inspires you to always look for deals!

Vow VoxBox from Influenster

It's here! My first VoxBox from Influenster!

Described as the box "For the brides, bridesmaids, mothers-of-the-bride, wedding guests, and wedding crashers of Influenster Nation!" Which ends up being perfect for me, since I will be attending three different weddings this summer. On to the contents!

• Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - $7.99
• Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream - $30.99
• Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream - $1.49
• EcoTools Pure Complexion Sponge - $5.99
• Tide to Go - $7.99 (for 3 pens)
• Riley and Grey 50% off code

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - I have yet to try this product, but plan to do a manicure using it this week! Stay tuned for a review once that happens!

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream - Although I can't tell you if it actually fades dark spots in 8 weeks as it claims, I CAN tell you that this stuff makes a wonderful night cream! I have very oily skin so I stick to gel moisturizers during the daytime, but I have been using this product at night for about a month now. It has a subtle but amazing scent and has really helped control the dry patches I have been getting on my nose. (These dry spots came out of NOWHERE I tell you!) It's rich but not so rich that you wake up with in a puddle of grease. I definitely recommend this product to others who struggle with dry patches, especially for the night time!

Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream - You can read my review on this product in a previous post - right HERE!

EcoTools Pure Complexion Sponge - Below you will find my review on this sponge from the EcoTools website - in a nutshell I LOVED this product and think that it's an exceptional deal at just $5.99!

Tide To Go - What can I say, this is a tried-and-true item that has saved my butt for years! I happen to be a very messy eater, and also tend to spill a LOT of coffee! Most recently though, it saved my husband's shorts from a nasty ketchup spill on the 4th of July! Luckily I had my Tide To Go pen in my purse that day!

Riley and Grey - I didn't use my code since I didn't need to make a wedding website, but I checked out what they offered and can say that their sites look fabulous! Here is my favorite:

Riley & Grey Camillia Design

I like that you don't even have to click the buttons on the top to browse the site, you just keep scrolling down and it will go through all of the tabs at the top automatically! The price will run you $35/month or $240 for a year. I think that a website like this could actually save you money in the long run. If you have a younger crowd attending your wedding, you could publish many of your details on the site and cut down on paper that you send out with your invitations.

Overall, I really enjoyed my first VoxBox and thought it contained great products for someone like myself!

What do you guys think?

Disclaimer - I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own :)

Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream with Aloe! #PureSilk

Hello friends!

Today I have a review of Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream in Raspberry Mist. I received this product free in my Vow VoxBox from Influenster. If you are not familiar with Influenster, it is a "social media powered product review site". You review products, complete tasks, and sometimes get lucky and receive a VoxBox! My Vow VoxBox included multiple items that I will be reviewing - so stay tuned if you would like to learn what I got!

Pure Silk shave cream claims include "special combination of ingredients creates a luxuriously rich lather that protects against nicks and cuts, leaving your skin as smooth as silk and ready for maximum exposure." I am used to using shaving gels that foam up into a cream once you lather, so this type of cream was something that I haven't used in a very long time. I have found, after multiple uses, that I actually enjoy the texture of this cream much better than the gel-to-cream formulas that other brands use. Definitely a win!

Pure Silk definitely leaves your legs feeling soft. I have very dry skin on my legs and I found that the formula left enough moisture that I didn't even have to apply lotion afterwards. Another win for Pure Silk in my book!

The fragrance of the product is also wonderful! Raspberry scented items can be hit or miss for me, but this product has a subtle scent that is enjoyable. You also can't beat the price!

Overall, I really enjoyed this product and WILL be purchasing more!

 Hooray for silky smooth legs!

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own!