Julep Secret Store is OPEN! :)

A quick post for your morning!! The Julep Secret Store is officially open!!!!! :D Here's a peek at what you can get this month!! CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SECRET STORE! They have some great stuff this time.

AND there you have it my loves!!! The September Secret Store in all it's glory. Seriously, I never buy anything but I'm thinking about at least buying the birthstone polish since it's so pretty!!! Click HERE or any of the photos above to access the secret store if you're logged in and got your box this month!!

Happy Shopping!! More posts to come later today! :D

Xx Ashley C.

Azure Naturals Ultimate Vitamin C Serum Review!!

Tonight I'm bringing you my review of Azure Naturals Vitamin C Serum. Recently I reviewed their Retinol serum, which I really enjoyed and was happy to review this serum for them as well!!

As with their Retinol Serum, their Vitamin C serum is a high quality product. I've been using it for over a month now and have seen significant improvement in my skintone as far as evenness goes. I usually have redness in my cheeks and I think since I've been using this with their Retinol serum my skin is doing much better than it previously was. Once it dries, you can feel your skin become tighter, but you have to make sure and moisturize right away or it will get a little dried out.

The only issue I had with this product, is that when I first started using it, it burned a little when I first applied it. This could have been because of some of the other treatments I'd used prior though, so you'd have to try it out for yourself to see if it does the same thing. This is different from alot of the C serums I've tried because it has Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E in it and in my opinion you can really tell a difference!

AND surprise! I have a FLASH giveaway of this product for you guys that will only be running until tomorrow night! This is open to U.S. only at this time. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you'd like to find out more about this product or some of their other products you can visit them HERE!

Happy shopping!

Xx Ashley C. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Australian Tea Tree Oil Review!

Recently I got a chance to try out some 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree oil, and oh my god is it AMAZING. Until this, I'd only tried out products that had tea tree oil in them, and this seriously changed my life. You can use tea tree oil on basically EVERYTHING, and I chose to use it on acne, bug bites, and to clear up some dry spots on my scalp.
Here's a picture for your reference!

To start, there are like a million ways you can use tea tree oil. You can use it from everything to healing cuts, for a cold, to kill head lice, to a household cleaner. This Pure tea tree oil that I received from Apothecary Extracts is POTENT. Seriously, you only need a drop or two to get the job done. The bottle itself is pretty HUGE and will probably last me over a year since you need so little. According to what I've looked up, it's also packaged in the correct way, which is in a darkened bottle, since it has to be in a dark bottle to stay fresh!
I have big plans for this tea tree oil too. I'm planning on mixing it with my conditioner to make one for dandruff, since my favorite conditioner is Paul Mitchell's tea tree conditioner and shampoo. I LOVE the way Tea Tree smells, so this will be great for me.

When I used it on my mosquito bites, it instantly made them stop itching, and it seemed to get rid of them faster. On my acne it dried them up within a day, which is awesome since I've tried a million and a half ways to curb my acne lately. This is probably what I'm going to use for it forever, and I wish I'd known about it before!! As for my scalp, I'm a notorious skin picker, and this cleared up all the imperfections which is what bothers me the most.

Overall I give this tea tree oil a million thumbs up and I will definitely be purchasing it again whenever I run out. I plan on making some household cleaners too, to see what all the fuss is about!

If you'd like to learn more about Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree oil, you can CLICK HERE and purchase it for only $24.99!!

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Checkout 51 Information! My FAVORITE grocery app!

So I've made it my life mission to become an extreme couponer. I hope one day I can get really great at it and start a blog for just freebies and deals. :)
Before I start on Checkout 51 and what it is, let me tell you guys about my epic Rite Aid purchases yesterday and a few weeks ago. I know it isn't much, but I'm pretty dang proud of it! LOL Rite Aid is basically the only place I've ever been successful at getting completely free stuff, and it's usually makeup.
They offer those coupons that you can load directly onto your card and then they come off at the register. PLUS they have an entire section of makeup that I guess is out of season and is only $2, AND an extensive clearance makeup section!!

A few weeks ago, I had printed off some coupons for $2 off any Covergirl Outlast lip product. WELL GUESS WHAT!? My local Rite Aid just so happened to have TONS of their Outlast stuff in the $2 bins, so I used my two coupons and got two Outlast lippies for FREE!

Yesterday, I went back in there just to get some prescriptions. Well, I remembered that I had a coupon on my card for $3 off any two Covergirl lip products, so I searched around and found some really pretty lipsticks and grabbed two of them for $2 a piece. I got SUPER lucky and found one that had an instant $.50 off on it. So I got TWO new lipsticks for only 50 CENTS!

Okay so anyway, another way that I really like to use coupons and save money is through apps on my phone. They make it super easy to get money back, and even though you don't get it right that second, it adds up and you can transfer it right over to PayPal. This has enabled me to save funds in my PayPal account that I use for swapping, and to buy nail polish on my favorite sites.
One of the apps I have and use regularly is called Checkout 51. Each week on either Wedesday or Thursday, they issue a new list of items you can buy to get money back. I've redeemed cash back on everything from food, to cosmetics, to household products and they've recently started upping their cash back offers to stuff that pretty much everyone buys, like produce, eggs, milk, bread, etc. It's a SUPER easy way to get free money that you wouldn't normally be getting. All you do is buy the items, then go to the app and scan your receipt and click on the items you bought then BOOM cash back! Once you hit $15 you can request your money back, and trust me, it adds up fast!!

I recently became an affiliate for them, so I figured it could benefit all of us if I shared. Here's a link that shows some of their current offers that you can view to see if it might or might not be for you!
CLICK HERE FOR OFFERS

If you decide to get it, just use the links above to download the app on your phone, and then I get credit and you can start earn money back on your everyday purchases!! Easy as that!
Let me know if you have any questions! :)

Xx Ashley C.

GRATiaE Cosmetics Review PLUS Giveaway!!

Tonight I'm bringing you a review of some amazing products I got a chance to try courtesy of GRATiAE Cosmetics, which, I believe is owned by Primer Dead Sea, who I reviewed some things from in the past and LOVE. Via Tomoson, I was sent their Renewing Moisutizer Cream, Passion Fruit and Lime Body Butter, and Salt Scrub. I'm really excited I got the chance to test them out because they are absolutely AMAZING!!

First, I want to review their Renewing Moisturizing Cream! This is seriously probably the best moisturizer I've ever, EVER used. It goes on incredibly smooth and leaves your face feeling literally like silk. Here's a picture for your reference.

This product comes in a pretty large container, and is packaged really nicely. The package I received from the company contained all KINDS of information about the products too, which is definitely a nice touch. It even had a bag with it and everything. Just like I had purchased it from the store. I give them and A++++ on their packaging. Top notch for sure. 

Back to this amazing moisturizer though. It kind of has the same scent as the body butter and salt scrub that I received, but much much lighter. If you're sensitive to products with scents in them, then this may not be the best moisturizer for you. I, however, am not and LOVE LOVE LOVE this. I use it morning and night along with an eye cream vitamin C serum, and my face has never felt more smooth. I would DEFINITELY repurchase this item.

Next, I want to talk about their body butter. First of all this Passion Fruit and Lime scent is amazing. It's fresh, but not too fruity and fake smelling, which I really really like. It's a great compliment to the salt scrub, and I usually use it right after the shower after I've exfoliated with the scrub. Here's a photo of the duo!

On the left is the salt scrub and on the right is the body butter. They come in the cutest little gold round containers, and the salt scrub even comes with a little spoon so you can scoop it out without getting it all wet and ruining it. These also were packed amazingly well, and I'm all for a company that provides not only a great product, but great packaging. 

The body butter leaves you skin smelling AMAZING, and feeling super smooth and not dry at all, even though I've just exfoliated with the scrub.

The Salt Scrub is just as amazing as the other two products. It seriously removes like every bit of dry skin on my body, and left it feeling more exfoliated than any other product I've ever tried. It has the same Passion Fruit and Lime scent as the Body Butter, which again, isn't too heavy or artificial. I LOVE this Body Scrub!! 

You can purchase the moisturizer HERE on their website for $129.99.

The Salt Scrub and Body Butter DUO HERE for $54.99.

These are a little on the expensive side, but definitely WELL, WELL worth the price tag, as they are basically the most amazing things I've ever used. I'd definitely be interested in trying more of their products, and they have TONS! :)

NOW on to the GIVEAWAY!! 

**NOTE This is only open to the U.S. at this time, and will only be open for ONE DAY, as I'm pretty late getting this review done and need to get the results back to the company ASAP!**

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cleopatra's Choice 100% Raw Shea Butter Review!

 

The other day I got sent a HUGE tub of Raw Shea Butter from Adovia to review. Up until this, I had never tried actual raw shea butter before, only the kind in a moisturizer, so I was excited to get to try it out. 

Here's some pictures courtesy of Adovia before I get started on my my review!

When you take the Raw Shea butter out of the tub, it has a very thick consistency and looks like this

Here's a picture of the top of the tub. YES ONE POUND of Shea Butter!!

And from the side

So on to my review. In my opinion this stuff is great! It's pretty hard but if you rub it in your hands for just a few seconds it gets soft really quickly. This is completely unscented though, as it's 100% Shea Butter, so keep that in mind. It has kind of a nutty, natural smell to it, which would be good for moisturizing if you have sensitive skin. I used this on my knees and elbows when I tried it, and it left them soft and smooth all day. The only negative I've noticed about it is that if you apply too much it is a little bit on the greasy side. So just be careful if you're going to use this by itself.

Another option for this product is that you could use it to make your own custom moisturizers for your body, cuticles, or even your hair! I looked it up online and there are TONS of recipes for Raw Shea butter products, and I'm looking forward to making some body butter and cuticle butter VERY soon. For only $16 you get an ENTIRE POUND of Shea Butter, and like I said a little bit goes a LONG way, so this is definitely a cost effective solution to making lotions and whatnot! As soon as I make my products I will definitely post a recipe!

You can pick this up for only $16 on Amazon right now if you CLICK HERE, AND you can even get free shipping!!! :) You can also click the link above to find out more if you're interested. 

Everything I've had the chance to try from Adovia/Cleopatra's Choice so far has been AMAZING and I guarantee, you will not be disappointed in this either!

Happy Monday!

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Madison Reed Hair Color Review! PLUS before & after pictures!

 

Hi everyone! I haven't posted in a bit, due to moving and other life happenings, but I am finally back, and with an AWESOME review to boot!

Tonight I am bringing you a review, of what is basically the best at home hair dye kit I've ever received and used IN MY LIFE. I found this opportunity through one of my affiliate sites, and the GOOD news is to my fellow beauty bloggers, YOU could also have the chance to try it for yourself and blog about it! :)

Just CLICK HERE to sign up and get your kit to test out and become an affiliate! 

SO ANYWAY back to the review! 

Madison Reed is a company that I'm super excited to share with you. They offer HIGH quality at home hair dye kits that you can purchase either one time, or even have it delivered via a subscription, so you never have to worry about rushing to the store to cover up your roots again. I've been dying my hair for many, many years, and have tried TONS of different dyes, and I seriously will never go back. The kit itself is amazing, and makes the hair dying experience so much more exciting than a regular, boring box of dye. Here's some pictures to show you what I mean!

First things first, I received this HUGE box in the mail with two purple boxes inside. I ordered the lightest color of blonde they had, and the $10 add on with additional developer and dye for long hair, because I'm always paranoid one bottle isn't going to be enough.

Upon opening, I found this cute little note from the company. :)  

And another! :)

I like the instructions panel alot too! I love how easy it is to read and that it isn't some regular piece of paper like most boxed dyes. It's actually part of the box that you open up. The instructions are SUPER easy to follow and even include illustrations for visual people, like me.

This is the $10 add on kit I received. Basically everything you need to dye your hair if it's extra long. I actually didn't end up needing this, so I'm just going to take advantage of the freebie and use it next time I need to do my hair. :)

And LAST but definitely NOT least here is my kit in it's entirety. Every kit comes with gloves, a cap, barrier cream, a cleansing wipe, developer, cream color, shampoo, and conditioner. DEFINITELY more than your average box of dye right?! I usually use conditioner as a barrier cream, and it never really works so I was kind of really excited to get this in my box.

 NOW for the results. As some of you may know, my normally dark brown hair is currently bleached to blonde. By blonde I mean.... some parts white, some yellow, some brown still, some pink, purple, blue, orange, YOU NAME IT! SO I was basically keeping my fingers crossed for a miracle with my Madison Reed color kit! 

Here is a before picture of my hair:

Maybe not the most amazing before picture, but you can definitely see that it's not very even and needs serious toning. Well, I bleached my roots, then used my dye, and now it looks like THIS:

It's PERFECT! :) I've tried so many dyes and toner since bleaching my hair, and this is the only thing that has made it look fully normal. I love it! I am DEFINITELY going to purchase another color as soon as I decide to not be blonde anymore, and more blonde when I run out of my extra dye.

AND a Bonus photo for your viewing pleasure, now that my roots have grown out. Just for fun :)

SO to conclude, Madison Reed is awesome. While it is more expensive than regular box dye you can go to Walmart and get, the quality and care they put in to their product definitely makes it worth it in my opinion. Even the bottle of shampoo and conditioner that come with the kit are awesome. 

You can purchase your own kit HERE and get HALF off your first order if you use code LAZYDAYS at checkout for the rest of August!!!  This is definitely a great code to test out the product if you're interested. You also get access to video tutorials, consultations, and TONS of other perks once you place an order!  AND don't forget about the subscription program. It's probably what I'll ultimately end up doing, since I'm lazy and never have time to go to the store. :)

If you have any more questions about Madison Reed, how to become an affiliate, or about the dye I tried, don't hesitate to ask!! & If YOU'VE ALREADY tried it before, let me know if you loved it as much as me!! :) 

Until next time,

xX Ashley C.

Starlooks July 2014 Nylon Pink special edition!

Sorry this took so long . I was waiting for the mystery items to arrive from the last promo .
The special edition Nylon Pink box actually scared me at first since I knew it would have bright colors;  and well me and bright colors just don't go well together lol.
I will admit I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I could wear everything but the lipstick (Ashley already claimed that since she's more brave with makeup lol)

Now the first time I got this box I was stalking the mail since it was 101 here in the south and well we all know how heat and lipstick go so well together lol.
So I'm driving my kids nuts sending them to check the mail every 15 min. But it didn't help.  So to be on the safe side I let it sit a bit. Ugh oh Texas ..... no dice I opened the lipstick (starlooks tender gloss in pooh bear) I had barely opened it and it fell out of the tube ( honestly my first thought was omg Ashley is going to kill me, then omg I have neon orange stuff all over my couch and carpet! ) yea it's bright alright! But it's pretty . I certainly can't pull it off though.  Even the lio liner in tipsy was melted.  Yea we don't have ac here either I dunno maybe that proves im a bit insane. ...
So I was actually on the phone playing with the shadow after I had emailed pictures of my melted box and while the c/s lady was doing her thing I was noticing how buildable the shadow was. It's really not as bright as I thought. And can be worn alone for a subtle look.  It came off as a very light gold  rather  than a yellow.  (Im certainly not complaining lol). My point of mentioning me calling c/s about the melted box is just another props to this awesome company.  I wasn't on the phone for longer than 10 min. I had assumed with s new box being sent that I would be waiting at least a week. I was actually amazed to come home from work 2 days later and find it waiting for me ( thankfully it was only a cool 96 that day snd yes I am aware how sad that sounds lol) I'm still on the fence about the eyeliner that came in the box.  The only way I can describe it is a bright smokey blue if that makes sense. I have blue eyes so I want to try it.  But will it be too much blue?  The lip pencil is really the perfect color for me . Its a great neutral color which kind of suprised me that it was in a box with such bright colors. All in all I t h ink this box was a great mix of bright and neutral colors .
The retail value of the box was 49$ and I only paid 17 and change.  (15$ plus s/h) a great deal IMHO
Here's all that was included &yes they are full sz products! 
Blue clill eye pencil- $12
Traffic yellow eyeshadow- $12
Pooh bear tender gloss- $13
Tipsy lip pencil- $12

I didn't think I would like this box but I really do love it! Awesome customer service doesn't hurt either! :)

~Melissa
If you would like to subscribe feel free to email me or click the link ( I'm working on including my link since I blog from my phone,  but you can always just tell them you heard about them from melissa spangle )

What to review? Readers choice!

Yep I am working on the starlooks review from the july box ,but while im waiting I want to hear from you! The sad thing is I may have something you request in my stash. But if not I'll run out and get it. Of course please keep in mind I only have a sallys as our towns "high end makeup store" and I'll have to keep a budget of a max $20.00. So while I m doing spaghetti Tuesday I want to hear what you guys are wondering about. With any luck I'll have something you guy's request in the comments.  Yes I may be a little obsessed with makeup but this could work to our advantage! Annnnd GO!
~melissa