There are numerous beauty products that I used in the beginning of the year that I have ditched, modified, or fell in love with and would like to share my thoughts so you don’t have to go through as much trial and error as I have.
No Longer Use:
- Herbalism: At $13/3 months I found the price wasn’t worth it. At first I thought the exfoliant was perfect for my skin but I still got breakouts and found that my skin didn’t get any worse when I stopped using it.
- Fresh Farmacy: I only used one cleansing bar of this and didn’t like it. It seemed to leave my skin feeling rubbery.
- Bath Bombs/Fizzies/Bubbles: This is only because of price. At $5-8 a pop these are way too expensive just for a nice fragrance or softer water. It is much cheaper to buy some bath salts that do the same exact thing (you can even buy them plain and add your own preferred essential oil). I know you can split the bath bombs in pieces but I just wasn’t amazed enough by them to repurchase.
- Solid Shampoos: I tried several of Lush’s solid shampoos. They are convenient for traveling but as far as cleaning my hair, I didn’t find them amazing.
- Fructis Styling Products: For now, I am replacing my shine-enhancers and defrizzers with King of the Mods (Lush). I hate putting chemicals in my hair so it makes me feel better to not be dependent on these types of products. They worked and all, but it did seem to take a lot and left my hair feeling really weighed down/greasy.
- Eyebrow Waxing: I know that $5-10 every 2-3 months is generally affordable but maintaining my eyebrows myself is ridiculously quick and easy with the grooming set I purchased.
Use, Won’t Repurchase:
- Celestial: This moisturizer smells great and has a very soft texture but I simply don’t feel the quality matches the $21.95 price. I still use it but very infrequently so it has lasted me quite a while. I do like it just not enough to purchase again. However, my skin doesn’t need a full-time moisturizer either.
- Tea Tree Toner: This is merely preference. I don’t really need to use a toner on my skin. I do like that this toner is alcohol-free so I never get the burning feeling as I have with other toners, but I hardly ever use it. I am sure this $8 bottle will last me a while but I do not plan on repurchasing.
Now Using and Love:
- Persa-Gel 10:This stuff is truly amazing! I use it as a spot-acne treatment and it’s wonderful! Dries out the spot perfectly. It does dry out my skin a little bit so I’ll just use some moisturizer (only time I need to). Without this stuff my skin is an absolute mess. Couldn’t live without this one!
- Shine Control Blotting Sheets: I know they’re expensive but this is another can’t live without for me! My face seems to get a bit oily in the t-zone at work so I love being able to whip one of these sheets out and just blot the oil. Has considerably reduced my skin problems.
- Big: This shampoo is amazing! It has greatly increased the volume, shininess, and lightness of my hair. I’ve even received comments from coworkers about how different/better my hair looks. The scent of the shampoo is wonderful too!
- King of the Mods: This styling gel is super light, smells amazing and keeps my frizzies down. Even better is that I don’t need a lot of it. It’s not mega hold but it does keep my hair straight after ironing.
- Eyebrow Touch Up Razor: In less than five minutes my eyebrows are looking perfect! I love this set. This has completely replaced waxing for me.
- Foaming Cleanser: At $6 this thing can easily last me 6+ months. It doesn’t dry out my face at all and works well as a make up remover too.
- Daily Pore Cleanser: This one isn’t amazing (bought it on sale) but if I feel my face needs a little scrub, I’ll use it. For the price and how long it lasts, it can’t be beat as an exfoliant.
December 30th, 2008
life
I decided to get a fresh start for my 2009 budget. I revamped my GoogleDocs spreadsheet and made it even simpler! For starters, I integrated the “expenses” sheet into the budget so there would be one less thing to have to update. I also incorporated all of my bill tracking right into the budget, so that would be even easier to look over. There is a third worksheet to provide a summary of annual spending.
Continue Reading December 23rd, 2008
life
After making my first real marinara sauce a few weeks ago, I knew it was time to tackle Chili. It wasn’t that I feared completely ruining it, I was more nervous about tackling the perfect chili favor. Specifically, enough spice and zest without going overboard. With the help of a recipe fromBaking and Books, I nailed my first attempt at Chili.
Continue Reading December 2nd, 2008
food
In an effort to save more, I am trying to compare once-a-month grocery shopping with buying-things-on-sale grocery shopping.
Continue Reading November 26th, 2008
food, life
While I still did have to pay a lot out of pocket for being uninsured, there are numerous programs out there that will provide assistance if you just ask for it. Obviously, having insurance was a much more pleasant experience and I was extremely surprised at how much they covered of the visit.
Continue Reading November 7th, 2008
life
Instead of buying Hershey’s chocolate-flavored syrup for $2, I decided to make my own! This recipe makes just as much as a normal sized bottle, tastes really rich and is super quick. Here ya go!
Continue Reading October 27th, 2008
food
Silver Cloud - Bath Bomb: As the first bath bomb I have ever used, I enjoyed it a lot. You simply start filling up the tub, then drop the bomb in the water and it will dissolve entirely.
Silver Cloud gave the water a light greenish color that was pretty and quite fragrant. The aroma was not overpowering yet still enticing and lingered on my skin for most of the day afterward. The water was very smooth and relaxing with the aromas. All in all it was pleasant and the smell was really nice. However, for a one time use of $6, I would save it for special bath occasions. Will buy again.
Dreamtime - Bath Melt: This product is slightly different than the bomb in that it merely melts into essential oils and aromas in the water. It did leave my skin feeling very smooth and the smell was very light and relaxing. The fragrance did not linger on my skin for as long as the Silver Cloud bomb, but the bath itself was a bit more relaxing; the aroma was softer. I wouldn’t say it made me feel lethargic or anything but was definitely calming. The same with the bomb, it’s $6 so use it wisely.
Tramp - Shower Gel: I was actually just given a free sample of this at the store. I really was not impressed by the smell. It was a bit heavy and strong and just did not feel very pleasant. The gel itself lathered nicely, like any other shower gel, and had little change on my skin. I wouldn’t spend the $18 on a 8.5floz. bottle but I would be willing to try samples of the other gels.
Karma Komba - Shampoo Bar: I have never used a shampoo bar before but I really like it! Karma is definitely my favorite scent! It is a wonderful light scent that isn’t too musky, floraly, or sweet. It is just a very pleasant scent without being too overbearing on the senses.
To use the bar itself, I simply start at my top of my head on a side, and just run it down my hair about 5 strokes going around my head. I don’t even need to scrub it on there, just rub my hair down a few times, put the bar back in a little soap dish, then lather up! The lather is perfect! And it doesn’t feel like you’re putting a large glob of liquid on your scalp. Also, the bar is much easier for travel than worrying about a messy bottle.
The scent, afterwards is lovely, as well. It lasts in my hair for most of the day and is subtle enough to leave a little hint behind, so it doesn’t knock anyone out. I plan to continue using this and see how long it lasts. Oh, also, with it, my hair does not get as ‘greasy’ as fast! I can easily skip two days without shampooing and my hair won’t be nearly as flat as it was with the Redken, Aveda or Pantene Pro-V I was using. One last thing, I actually haven’t used conditioner with it at all! It seems to keep my hair clean, shiny, free and light without it! Will buy again.
Veganese - Conditioner: Now, I did ask about the scent of this and was told that the scent of your shampoo will overpower this scent - because I was afraid of scent mixing. I used this conditioner with a non-lush shampoo. I liked the texture of the conditioner, the smell wasn’t that bad at all and it did condition my hair. However, and it might be the dry weather, but it made my hair plenty poofy. My hair is thick so it doesn’t need any extra volume. I will continue to use it and work with it to see if it has different affects on my hair in the summer, but for now, I will stick to just using the karma shampoo bar alone.
Skin Drink - Lotion: During the winter months, I have very dry skin on my legs and am constantly looking for a lotion to fit the bill. Surprisingly, in October I found Eucerin. It smells pretty mediciny, but has seemed to do the job. So, when I saw Lush had this super moisturizing lotion, I decided to give it a shot (and it was part of the buy 1 get 1 free deal).
I don’t mind that it is brown. I don’t mind the kinda awkward scent (it’s not a fragrance but also doesn’t stay on the skin, so it shouldn’t be an issue). My skin hasn’t changed at all, so I guess that can say that the lotion works. For if it didn’t work, my legs would be extremely itchy. I’m not sure I like it more than Eucerin, especially with a $6 price difference and container difference but I do recommend it for very dry skin. It leaves my skin feeling soft and is smooth to put on. I do like that it doesn’t feel like medicine. I probably will not purchase this again but if you are on a search for super moisturizing lotions, I do recommend this.
Fresh Farmacy - Skin Care: I still love this stuff! And since it is a bar it seems to be lasting a really long time. I’ve had mine, about $8 worth, since October and I’m not even half way done with it. The pink color is pretty and it makes my face feel very smooth and refreshed after. I use it as a night time cleanser. Will buy again.
Herbalism - Skin Care: I don’t care how icky you think this stuff looks, it is the only effective skin care product I have ever used. I use it as an exfoliator in the mornings/in the shower and it keeps my skin super smooth, super clear, and super fresh. To use, you just put a pinch in the palm of your hand and mix a little water with it, to make it into a paste. Then slather onto your face, rinse, and smooooooth. There isn’t a smell or anything and it doesn’t feel like a “scrub” exfoliator either, so it should work well for sensitive skin. It has an expiration date of three months, but I go through $8 worth in two months, using it almost every day. Will buy again.
May 29th, 2008
life
I didn’t always have a budget. In fact, there was a point in time where I didn’t need one. In college, I had one monthly bill and one per semester bill. I didn’t have time to go out and didn’t have the room to store things. I didn’t have time to cook or to take on expensive hobbies. Then. I graduated. I had more money, time, and interests. Basically, now I have more bills.
I have went through tons and tons of different budgets. I keep them flexible but every month I end up tweaking the layout, categories, and allotment. The format I have stuck with the most is based on three categories: 1) Income, 2) Fixed Expenses, and 3) Variable Expenses.
GoogleDoc Links for Spreadsheets: Simple Budget | Expenses
Continue Reading May 23rd, 2008
life
Just trying to keep track of my morning commute. Mainly to see how many hours I spend in my car and to observe daily traffic patterns. In the evenings, I stop and run errands on my way home from work on most days so tracking that is unnecessary.
January is an odd month because of the beginning holidays and colleges are still off for most of it.
Also, I am using Google Docs because I really have not used it to its full potential yet. You should be able to refresh this post each day to see the updates in the spreadsheet.
January 22nd, 2008
life, travel
