The Balm Haul

I am a big fan of the brand The Balm and even bigger fan when it is on sale on HauteLook. I have actually never purchased The Balm full price. When it is on HauteLook it is 50% off, so you really can’t go wrong. I have tried all these products too so I will give a mini review.

I repurchased this concealer in the shade light. It is a good product and nice consistency. I like to use it under my eyes and around my nose.

I have a love affair with highlighters and wanted to try Mary-Lou Manizer.

It is a fantastic highlight and has quickly became my go to.

Swatch of the product – there is not a ton of sparkle/glitter in it which I really love.

I had another Balm blush so I decided to try Frat Boy.

I love Frat Boy – it is a gorgeous matte peachy color.

I decided that I was going to try a few face products. I love that The Balm products are Paraben-Free and Cruelty-Free.

I actually needed a new toner and decided on the Cucumber Face Toner. HauteLook had a few for sale but I was drawn to this one. I really have been loving this product.

I love love love the scent of Lavender so that drew me into this facial cleanser. It is gentle on the skin and I like to use this on days when I am not using an exfoliant.

I was interested in trying a Microdermabrasion for sometime now but just never found one that I wanted to buy/for the right price. Almond Microdermabrasion Face Exfoliating Scrub is fantastic. I love this product and am happy I got it. My skin is so smooth and bright since putting this product into use!

 

As I said before all products were selling for half price on HauteLook – I would totally pay full price for all these products as I really do love everything I purchased. I try to always look for The Balm on HauteLook though because you really can not beat the deal. It is a nice way to try new things without feeling bad if you hate something because you didn’t spend a ton on the product. Overall, I love all the products I got from this haul and the few other things I own from The Balm – it is a really fantastic brand!

Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps – First Impression

Four years ago I could not paint my own nails. Being a righty, painting my own right hand proved to be the HARDEST thing ever. I am not the type of person who goes to get their nails done often either. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy it, I just never have the time and I felt that I could and SHOULD be able to do this myself. So, with lots of practice I am now pretty good at doing my nails at home. Confession – I am a nail polish junkie and when I read online that using Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Acrylic Gel as a base coat to get a quick at home, close to gel mani I was interested.

So off I went to CVS and I bought this product.

Basically, I used this as my base coat and then being a nail polish addict as I said I purchased this gorgeous blue polish from Essie in Aruba Blue.

The post I read said to use Sally Hansen top coat but I chose to use my favorite top coat – Essie Good to Go.

I am going to have to retry this method with the Sally Hansen top coat because my first impression was not good. My nails have never chipped so fast!

I painted my nails on Saturday and this was them on Tuesday! Overall, my first impression was not impressed at all! Though I believe in fairness and will try this base coat again paired with the Sally Hansen top coat and see how that works!