JustFab: Sorbet Handbag Haul!

I received a "We miss you!" e-mail from JustFab. I had signed up on their website shortly after they had become the "it" service but never purchased anything or really browsed the site. With the e-mail I received I was offered the opportunity to purchase a handbag for $19.95. I decided to purchase the Sorbet handbag because I told myself it was gorgeous (which it is) and that I needed a pink bag in my life. Of course my boyfriend told me I have a pink Coach bag hanging up on the door (oops...).


I like the bag, it's structured and due to the base it stands upright. It's a vibrant pink shade with gold accent hardware. It's the perfect size and has a number of compartments inside the bag. The part I love is that it has a removable shoulder strap. I will be making use of that especially on days where I'm running a ton of errands (particularly shopping) and I don't want to lug EVERYTHING in my arms.

REVIEW: Montague Jeunesse Cucumber Peel-Off Masque

I had hauled this mask forever ago and finally got around to trying it. I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out considering as I opened it and applied it, I was at first a bit skeptical.

PACKAGING & PRICE:
The Montague Jennesse Cucumber Peel-Off Masque comes in a thin 0.3 fl oz. foil pouch that you rip open to reveal and squeeze out the product. Since the product is in such a thin foil pouch there isn’t a whole lot of room this will take up. That is unless you had about 20 of them then they’d take up some space – but since they are so thin (compared to an envelope) you could tuck them into a basket and they’d be fine. The only downfall with foil pouches is you need to make sure your hands are completely dry before trying to open it. The price really varies, but you can get them on sale for 2 for $3 at Walgreen’s or generally if you are only buying one stores tend to charge you $1.99. Although you can get them for $1.37 at Walmart.

PRODUCT:
When I first opened the product I noticed the slight green coloring to the gel. As I started to apply it to my face (product applies relatively clear looking) I found the scent to be borderline offensive. But now when I say offensive let me explain – I HATE the smell of alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Something about it just instantly congests me and makes me feel as though I can’t breathe. So needless to say I was holding my breath for a moment until I got the product onto my face. I did not notice a cucumber scent, but honestly, the alcohol smell overwhelmed me and I couldn’t smell anything else. As the product was on my face it started to “burn” my skin just slightly, particularly around nose area. Not an uncomfortable burn, but a few waves of my hands near my face calmed that. I do use an acne regiment so I’m sure that was also in part of the burning. As the product starts to dry – roughly 5-10 minutes after application, it starts to show slightly rubbery on the face, while clear in others. You’ll notice it’s drying because your face will feel a bit tight. As you peel the masque off, it reveals your freshly, smooth skin.

PURCHASING:
You can purchase these at any Walgreen’s – but you cannot purchase these on Walgreen’s website. You can find these at CVS and you can also purchase these on CVS’s website BUT you cannot ship these by air service due to the alcohol in them and the regulations associated with shipping aerosols and/or alcohols. You can get these at Ulta stores and Walmart stores (they’re the cheapest as most things are at Walmart).

OVERALL:
Minus the smell I will say this is a pretty stand up product. It made my face feel very smooth and refreshed. After a long day my face feels greasy since I have oily skin but after washing my face and applying this, it felt nice. It did not over dry my skin, didn’t even dry it, or cause too much moisture. I liked the end result and I will be repurchasing at some point!

ActiveLink – WW’s version of the FitBit!

I purchased myself an ActiveLink at my Weight Watchers meeting this past week.  I’ve been wanting one for weeks but I was in an excuse mode where I wasn’t going to the gym and I’ve since screwed my head back on straight, so I picked one up for myself.  Before I go into explaining what this is, it’s Weight Watchers version (that they teamed up with Phillips to create) of the Fitbit.  The device measures all movement and aids in helping the user to push themselves to get a certain level of activity per day, while also helps push the user to reach higher activity goals over time.

According to Weight Watchers:  ActiveLink is an integrated activity experience consisting of a monitor, a personalized website, and tips and motivation brought to you by the experts at Weight Watchers and Philips. You wear the small ActiveLink monitor in your pocket or clipped to your clothes, and it tracks all of your activity throughout the day, Whether you’re walking the dog or working out at the gym, ActiveLink will let you know how many activity PointsPlus values you’re earning. The personalized site creates an activity goal for you, and provides information and motivation to help you achieve your goal over a 12-week period. And when you reach one goal, it will help you set, and reach, another.

Right now I am in an 8-day assessment phase where I wear my monitor all day and it measures a baseline of activity.  This baseline will be used to assess as to if my activity is lower and/or higher than what it was during that assessment phase.  Unfortunately during that assessment phase you’re not able to see the cool graphs that come with the ActiveLink but after the assessment is over I’ll be able to see my movement on my screen.  It’s super easy to use, you just plug the link into the USB portion of the computer and it charges and reads all your information.

I work with a few people who have an ActiveLink and they’ve enjoyed it thus far.  I’m hoping this will be the little push I need to help me continue to be honest and will help push me into continuing maintaining my healthy lifestyle – workouts included!

I paid $39.95 for the device itself and it’s a $5/monthly charge for the service.

If you’d like to follow my healthy lifestyle blog – where I talk about my weight loss, my journey and helpful tips, please check it out here: http://shannonslifestyle.blogspot.com/

Glade Expressions Collection – thanks BzzAgent!

Has an unpleasant scent to it – not a cucumber scent but more of a harsh alcohol scent.  Product burns on skin just slightly, particularly around nose area.  Very sticky, had to really scrub hands to get liquidy product off.  Product is green in the package, but when applied to my skin it appears clear.  As it dries, skin starts to feel tight.  Skin feels fabulous afterwards!

I got all of these Glade products for essentially free all thanks to BzzAgent.  I ended up not realizing the free coupons were on the other side of the coupon package I received from BzzAgent, so I went to the store and combined the coupon with a $1 off Glade from Targets website and paid 99 cents for a diffuser and a starter kit.  After BzzAgent advised that the free coupons were on the other side of the packet (duh, I’m so ditzy sometimes!) I went back to the store to get my freebies since I loved what I tried so far.  I essentially got everything else for free because for some reason the free coupons went in as the maximum value ($7.49 and $4.99) instead of the $2.99 and $5.99 the products would have cost.  I didn’t realize it until I left the store and went home (I purchased a slew of other items so it wasn’t noticeable at first).

The Glade Expressions Collection is probably the best collection Glade has come out with, especially with the fragrance mists.  I feel like the mists are so long lasting and I can honestly smell the fragrance in the air when I leave and then return to a room.

The oil diffuser comes with a very contemporary decorative sleeve.  The oil diffuser actually drops down into the middle of the device and allows for a nice sleek holster for your fragrance.  The fragrances come in three scents all of which are very fruity yet homey.

The fragrance mists come in four scents and I happen to really enjoy the mists over the diffusers simply because I feel Glade stepped it up with their mists and made them long lasting.  I would say these smell as good or even better than the mist sprays by Febreeze.  Hands down the BEST scent in the line is the Cotton & Italian Mandarin.  And now that I feel as though I’ve been blabbing about how amazing this scent is – that’s one of the reasons I’ve been having the hardest time finding it anywhere.  Seriously, Glade, if you make this into a perfume, I’ll buy a case.  I’m crazy about clean scents – I love cotton smelling room sprays/candles/etc and this is one of the best I’ve smelled.

Now if you haven’t tried these, I would strongly recommend them.

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Haul: Proactiv Refining Mask

Never had I imagined myself purchasing a Proactiv product.  BUT I have this horrible obsession with purchasing things Nikki Phillippi on YouTube recommends.  I tend to have the same acne issues that she had and is dealing with – and I’m using two of the same prescription products she’s been using (I just happen to not use mine as consistently which is the problem).  So because we have the same types of acne issues, I tend to listen to what she has to say regarding products for acne/scarring, etc.  The past few weeks my face has been going crazy with acne and I’m not sure what has really been breaking me out so in a state of I’ll do anything, I purchased this Proactiv Refining Mask on Amazon for under $5.  I’ve never used Proactiv products simply because I’ve been under dermatologist care and the type of acne I have, Proactiv wouldn’t touch it other than dry the crap out of my skin.  BUT I am looking forward to seeing how this works on trouble spots and/or my face in general dependent upon how I use it.

Another Shop Lately Arm Candy Haul!

I should not be allowed to receive deal e-mails from ANY company because a deal means “Oh!! Must buy!” in my mind. This always leads to my bank account being a little bruised because I can be a rather impulsive shopper. My new obsession has been Shop Lately. I’ve never been much of a jewelry fan outside of gold (real gold) earrings but I’ve been bitten by the cute bracelet bug and off and purchasing I’ve gone. Then the last few months I’ve been considering getting myself a watch, especially because when at work when I’m walking around I have no idea what time it is unless I am carrying my cell phone with me. So to avoid that, I found a pretty watch on Shop Lately on sale so I purchased it. Upon receipt I will say it’s a stunning watch, but it’s big so I have to take some of the pins out to adjust it to my wrist size. I purchased 5 of the bracelets because they were adorable online and I wanted to get some extra as little gifts. It’s Christmas in August/September….

Here’s what I picked up:

- Glammed Gear Watch - Rose Gold (you can see it here: https://shoplately.com/product/13900/glammed_gear_watch_rose_gold)
- Everyday Cross Bracelet – Gold (you can see it here: https://shoplately.com/product/14020/everyday_cross_bracelet_gold)

I would appreciate if you’re going to purchase anything shown above and you do not have an account, you would do so through my referral link: http://shoplately.com/?u=xdfnsh0p .

REVIEW: Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub

I admit I went a little crazy when Simple first was introduced to the US. I purchased a bunch of products they came out with and after I went through a few bottles of the refreshing facial wash gel I decided it would be best to give the Smoothing Facial Scrub a try. I don’t exfoliate my face everyday and I was hoping this would be a wonderful alternative to using harsh exfoliates in the shower. Sadly, I don’t think this will be my everyday exfoliate in the shower. I feel as though it does a decent job when my face is all sweaty and gross, but for an everyday product, I don’t feel it’s that fabulous as exfoliating. The exfoliates in it are VERY small. Granted, Simple is a sensitive skin product, so I can understand why the exfoliating particles are so fine – but I personally would prefer something that’s a little grittier to pull the gunk off my face.

PACKAGING & PRICE
A full size bottle comes with 5 fl ounces of product in it. The bottle itself is a light lime green which is a bit opaque, but not completely. The price itself truly varies where you purchase it. CVS sells this for $7.99 a bottle – but you’d more inclined to receive some sort of ECB offer, or a buy 1 get 1 offer at CVS/Walgreens than you would at say a Target or Walmart. The bottle sells for $6.99 at Target and I do know there is currently a coupon available online for $2.50 off the purchase of 2, or $1.50 off the purchase of one.

PRODUCT
The product is white in color and has very small exfoliating beads in it. You can’t quite see them to the naked eye, but when you rub your hands together you can feel them. There aren’t a whole lot in there, considering it is made for sensitive skin. It glides onto the skin nicely and you don’t need a whole lot of product to clean your face. For me this would be my “every once in a while” facial scrub and not my everyday facial scrub.

PURCHASING
This is available at all major pharmacy locations (CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid) while it is also available at department stores like Target and Walmart. Target and Walmart do generally have them for the cheapest out of pocket proce, but pharmacy locations tend to be the locations where you can get a good deal of the week. You can also purchase the line at Drugstore.com, Walgreens.com, CVS.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com.

OVERALL
I would recommend this product if you are looking for a very light exfoliating product for your face – particularly if you have sensitive skin. But if you have sensitive skin and can handle a little harsher of an exfoliate I would not strongly recommend this. I do notice it works when my face is really grimy, but I don’t really notice a difference in my face when I use this on a daily basis. Would I repurchase? Probably but only when my acne meds flare up my face and I can ONLY use sensitive skin products on my face. I find Simple doesn’t aggravate my skin at all and I truly enjoy everything that I have tried from this line.