Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Spring Cleaning: A More Organized Approach To Beauty

One of the areas I struggle with organizing is my beauty products. I have a fairly big collection of makeup and other beauty products from couponing and subscribing to Birchbox for years and I have been shoving products in little plastic drawers for years now and it just wasn't cutting it!

For almost a year I've been dreaming of the Alex 9 drawer from Ikea. I attempted to order it online however there was a $200 shipping charge, not something I was willing to pay for a $119 piece of furniture that needed to be put together. So when my friend Laura suggested we visit Ikea during our girls weekend I was more then game!



Now you'll remember from that post there were a ton of pieces to the Alex 9 drawer and I had to individually build each drawer. It took about two hours but I found the process to be fairly easy and painless!







For a week all my products were just tossed inside the drawers until last weekend when I took a trip to my all time favorite store.....


The Container Store!




I had a fantastic time in the bathroom aisle checking out all the different organizers! I ended up leaving with a stack of Linus drawer organizers (and will be going back to get more!)


Looks like heaven...


I took my time organizing each product type-sorting out brands and types and tossing old products that I feel are expired or have had their time to shine!


Ready to jump in?! Let's go!


Right now the top drawer features one large linus drawer organizer. I keep all my cleansers and masks inside this drawer. These are products that are brand new and will eventually make their way into the bathroom when they are in use. As you can see I have several Neutrogena Deep Cleans from couponing, some Origins, St Ives, and Pacifica. I also have many small samples from Birchbox that I need to finish up!


Drawer number two is filled with foundations and concealers. I used only two small linus organizers- the one on the right for concealers and the one on the left for foundations and BB/CC creams. Most of this drawer is Birchbox samples- but I do have quite a few Physicians Formula concealers from different couponing deals.


I am in LOVE with drawer number three. Eyeshadow is my weakness =)
I used a large Linus drawer organizer and three small organizers. I have my big palettes on the left and all my singles and duos on the right.


Drawer number four is filled with two organizers. The first is mascara the second is eyeliners. Then outside the organizers I have makeup removers and makeup remover wipes. I would love to get another organizer to hold those as well.


Drawer five has all my lip products in the first organizer, blush in the second, and bronzer and highlighters in the third. I'm considering getting a lipstick holder to hold all those lip products!



 Drawer number six is empty.....room to grow!


Drawer seven holds all my nail polish. I need a second organizer for this drawer because the one Linus organizer is not cutting it!


Drawer eight has my nail tools which don't have an organizer right now so they need to be better organized in the future.


Then drawer number nine is empty- even more room to grow!

I will be going back to the Container Store to pick up some more organizers now that I know where I need them and what sizes I will need. I am so excited to have this piece of furniture in my room and have all these products neatly tucked away. I can't wait until it's perfect! =)

How is your makeup collection and beauty products organized?

Sunday, March 15, 2015

February Birchbox Review

Todays post is very delayed and for that I apologize. I've been busy with life lately. I have a ton of blog posts in the works and a lot of different projects and posts that I am excited to share with you- I just need to sit down and make the time for them to happen.

I am going to try to incorporate more of my day to day life with you throughout the blog as well like I used to do in Project365. If you want to see a true representation of my life and how I'm feeling check out my Instagram since I post there a few days a week without fail.

My day today started with a Cardio Sculpt class at the gym which was intense but felt fantastic. I also was able to see the movie Cinderella and go to dinner with my papa, his girlfriend Vivian and my Uncle Craig. It was a great day and I'm happy to be home nice and early so I can relax before my early work day tomorrow.

Now for the real reason you're here...my thoughts on my February Birchbox!





The Marcelle makeup remover does a decent job at removing makeup. I liked it okay but wasn't totally wowed by it. I have been using a Sephora eye makeup remover for years and am pretty much obsessed with it so I felt that this one just didn't compare. I will use up this container but I will not be purchasing a full size of this. It'll also probably take me about a year to finish this baby up so I won't need makeup remover for a long time!


I was excited to try this Parlor sea salt spray but man was it awful. It just seemed to separate my hair into hardened chunks and I was not impressed.


Another flop...I'm sorry to say that I hated this Harvey Prince Ageless perfume. It smelt terrible- I can only describe it as an old lady perfume! I don't even know if I can finish this small sample...


This was a nice mascara made by Laura Gellar. It worked great on my lashes and made them long and full. I was super impressed by this small sample and would consider using it again in the future.


I was very excited to try this theBalm Read My Lips lip gloss but I found the color looked strange on my lips. It was just too pink for my lips and I definitely don't think it's something I can wear on a regular basis!

What products have you tried lately?

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Teeth Whitening Challenge

Through complete coincidence I received two different teeth whitening products for review. I rarely test out different types of dental products since I feel so strongly about using Sensodyne as my toothpaste and Crest ProHealth for my mouthwash. It was nice to try something new.

The first products I received were from Smiley360.

Image result for arm and hammer truly radiantImage result for arm and hammer truly radiantImage result for arm and hammer truly radiant spinbrush

Through this review program I received the Arm and Hammer Truly Radiant toothpaste, mouthwash and Spinbrush toothbrush. I wasn't a huge fan of the taste of Arm&Hammer. The premise of it is that it has the same power as baking soda did when people used baking soda to clean their teeth. I thought that the toothpaste actually tasted like baking soda and the mouthwash was pretty awful tasting as well. While I wasn't a huge fan of the products- I did like the manual Spinbrush a lot. There was nothing too exciting about it, but I thought it did a great job of making my teeth feel clean no matter what toothpaste I used it with.

I don't feel the need to purchase any of these products in the future just because they weren't my cup of tea. The taste alone is enough to deter me in the future.

My next package in the mail came from BuzzAgent.

Crest Pro Health HD


Crest Pro Health HD
Crest Pro Health HD

























BuzzAgent sent me a two step system by Crest used for teeth whitening. Step one of Crest HD is like a typical toothpaste- it cleans your teeth and foams up quite nicely. Step 2 is what they call the "perfecting gel" and tastes a little like the Crest White Strips. I found that the taste of the Crest products was a million times better then the taste of the Arm&Hammer products. I also felt that the perfecting gel did wonders for my teeth whitening. I saw a definite improvement from the day I started until the day I stopped using it.

Since trying both of these product lines I have gone back to my Sensodyne toothpaste and Crest Pro Health mouthwash. I will definitely be using the Crest HD two step in the future, but will not be using the Arm&Hammer products again.

Have you tried either of these product lines? What do you use to whiten your teeth?





Monday, March 9, 2015

A Fun Girls Weekend!

Hey everybody, I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I personally am not a fan of Daylight Savings Time and always have a hard time during "Spring Ahead" losing that precious hour of sleep... however, I greatly enjoyed the sun staying out till after six tonight =)

This weekend flew by around here- the weather has started to get warmer here in Rhode Island (today it was in the 40s!!!) and I had super fun plans for the weekend.

I started off my Saturday with a quick Step class and then headed home to shower and change. I headed to Connecticut to visit Rachel and Ant and meet their newest addition Franklin.



Franklin is Rachel and Ant's new puppy and he is such a sweetheart! He spent most of my visit sitting in my lap and I just wanted to cuddle him the entire time! He really made me miss Roxy =(

After spending some time time with Franklin- Rachel and I headed out to get our nails done. It was so relaxing getting mani-pedis and the salon that we go to when I visit her gives a free ten minute massage after each nail service- it's amazing =)

After our nail appointments- I spent a little more time visiting with Rachel, Ant and Franklin and then headed off to the other side of Connecticut to spend time with my college roommates Megan and Laura!

Once we were all together and caught up we headed into downtown West Hartford for dinner. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory and to my dismay Penny wasn't working... (any Big Bang fans out there?!) After we ate dinner and had a few drinks we walked down the street to a local bar called Barcelona- unfortunately we were ignored and unable to get drinks after standing at the bar for quite some time- so instead we went next door to Bar Taco where we almost instantly found seats at the bar and got drinks!


We had a great time people watching, talking to the bartender and having a few fruity cocktails. We stopped in a third bar (Grants) before heading back to her house and ran into a few guys who were actually groomsmen in Rachel and Ant's wedding. CT is almost as small as Rhode Island!

After a good nights sleep it was time to go for brunch at Grants where we had stopped the night before...



Then.... it was time for IKEA!!



I found what I have been wanting to buy for a year now. It was super exciting.



We tested out some beds...


and rode on some carts...

After getting Laura's items in her house and my huge box in the my car- I headed back to Rhode Island before it got too late!

Then it was time to build the Alex 9 drawer unit!



At first I was a little overwhelmed by how many pieces there were to the Alex. I did find that it was fairly easy and the directions were simple to follow.


Halfway done...and still SO many pieces left to go.


When I was done I was so excited. I've been dreaming about owning this piece of furniture for about a year now.


It sits nicely in my closet next to my dresser. Now I know you're probably wondering what I keep inside...but you'll have to wait for a future organization post to find out!

How was your weekend?!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Spring Cleaning: Sentimental Items (Cards)

I think one of the biggest hoarding problems is sentimental items. I have to keep myself in check when it comes in sentimental items...particularly cards.


I've been storing my recent cards in this box my friend Rachel gave me when she asked me to be her MOH. It has been sitting in my closet and I've been slightly lifting the lid and shoving cards in there for months.



There are quite a few in there- it was almost full!

I went through the stack of cards one by one. If a card didn't have a special message in it- I dropped it in the recycling pile. I tried to be as honest as possible- do I need a homemade card from a student I taught that has no name on it and I have no recollection of who gave it to me? Probably not. Do I need every birthday card given to me with only a signature inside? Nope!

I ended up getting rid of quite a bit!



Here is my pile of recycling and my box only halfway filled now!


I always feel much better getting rid of a huge stack while I spring clean/declutter!


What sentimental items do you have a hard time getting rid of?

Monday, March 2, 2015

Winter Empties

I don't know what it is about winter but I always seem to go through SO many products! 

I have been focusing on using up sample size products I have in my stockpile and also I have been on a no-buy for most of the winter so I have been forced to use products I already have rather then running out to buy new ones. 

As a side note I also feel like getting rid of empties is part of my spring cleaning because I am able to clear out a bit of room in my stockpile and everything feels cleaner! (Although I have taken a little break from couponing- so when I get back into it I'm sure my stockpile will fill up quickly again...)



My empties bag was overflowing so I knew it was time to dump everything out and get some pictures! (I also secretly love this because I get to categorize everything and sort all the products on my floor which is fun for the organizer who lives inside me!)


First up: Body Wash!

Soft-soap Body Butter Coconut Scrub-  This body scrub was something I'd been looking at in the drugstores for quite some time. The smell is intoxicating and I love a good body scrub...however I have to say that I got sick of it pretty quickly. I think that is normal when you're working on any big bottle of product- but I was definitely ready to try something new and I don't think I need to repurchase this again (especially since I have two more in my stockpile!)

Philosophy Almond and Cream Shower Gel- This was a small sample I was given at Sephora a couple of years ago. I finally used it during one shower and thought it was nice but not my favorite scent!

Dove Deep Moisturizing Shower Gel- This is a really nice shower gel. I find Dove products are always super moisturizing and don't leave my skin feeling dry. I have a few full size Dove shower gels in my stockpile so I won't need to purchase this again for awhile.

Thann Shower Gel- This is a shower gel I took after staying in a hotel. It was just okay, nothing fabulous!

Not Soap Radio Shower Gel-I received this in a Birchbox and was not a huge fan of the lemon scent, but it was okay. Sometimes I felt the lemon was refreshing but most of the time it was not my favorite scent in the world!

Philosophy Homemade Honey Buns Shower Gel- I love Philosophy shower gel but I hated this scent. I just was not a fan of smelling like honey buns...

Philosophy Christmas Cookie Shower Gel- I liked this scent but it wasn't my favorite out of all the scents I've tried. I don't think I would necessarily repurchase this one but I'm glad I got to try it.



I used quite a few hand lotions...

EOS hand lotion- I purchased this on a whim one day at Target and am so glad that they did! It was a delicious smelling lotion and I loved the size and look of the packaging. It was much easier to keep it in my purse!

Peter Thomas Roth- This lotion was awful. It was watery and gross and didn't do much for my skin. I picked this up from a hotel and thought that since it was a great name the lotion would be great but I really didn't care for it.

Calgon Tropical Dream- I have had this lotion for years and years. I finally decided to finish it up and while it wasn't my favorite and left a slight greasy film on my skin, I really enjoyed the scent. It just smelled tropical and floral and I wish that the lotion had been a better quality.

Whish Body Butter Coconut- I received this for my last birthday and not only did I love the lotion itself but I loved the packaging. I liked how the bottle pushed the lotion up so you were able to get every single drop of lotion out of it. I love coconut- but this coconut smell wasn't my favorite- I would definitely purchase Whish Body Butter in the future but not necessarily in this scent.

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Juiced Berry Lotion- This lotion had the great packaging that the Whish body butter did but the smell was far too fruity for me. I received this years ago as a gift but I was glad to finally use it up.

Suave Lotion- This lotion is meant for extremely dry skin which I tend to have this time of year. I thought this lotion was too watery but I definitely enjoyed the effect it has on my skin. I found my skin to be softer after using it.

Dr Hashuka Cream- This cream is gross! It smelled pretty terrible and the cream was thick and not great at all. I would never purchase this in the future.


I went through SO many candles...

BBW Leaves-  This is my all time favorite candle and I know I say that all the time but it is true! I love the scent throw and it smells spicy and just like you would expect fall to smell.  I will continue to buy this candle over and over again and can't wait till the fall so I can stock up on these again!

BBW Merry Cookie (two candles)- I finished two Merry Cookie candles, only because I'm trying to use up my stockpile. I have learned that I'm not a fan of cookie scents and I don't think I would repurchase these again in the future. The scent throw wasn't great, but the scent in general just smelt gross and too sugary.

BBW Vanilla Snowflake- I received this as a Christmas gift and the scent was great when it started burning but towards the end the scent throw was very lame! I like a candle to fill my whole room with a scent but this one didn't do much. I'm not sure if it's the candle itself or just this particular one, but I would be willing to try it again.

BBW Island Margarita- I won this candle at a baby shower, so it wasn't something I purchased but I didn't care for it at all. I am not a huge fan of margarita scents (or margaritas in general) so I don't think this would be something I'd ever need to smell again!

Christmas Time Candle-
 Years ago I received this candle as a gift from a student and it might as well have been unscented. There was absolutely no scent to it at all and it was nothing fantastic. I would never need to purchase this in the future.

Teal Candle from Target- This was an unscented candle that I bought just because I thought it was so beautiful! Even though there was no great smell I did like this candle just because of the packaging.

4 Tealights (unscented)- I am trying to use up my candle stockpile and taillights were no exception. I don't have much use for candles with no scent so I decided to use these babies up! They were just okay.

Yankee Candle Apple Pumpkin-
 This candle smelt better in the packaging then it did when it was actually burning. I'm not a huge apple or pumpkin fan so I don't think I ever need to use this again.

Yankee Candle Turquoise Sky- I liked this candle a lot, it wasn't my favorite scent but it was a good beach scent overall.

Yankee Candle Pink Sands- I think this is one of my favorite Yankee Candle scents. I like the name as well- it's another great beach scent!

Yankee Candle Golden Sands- I loved this scent, it was absolutely perfect. It smelt like a beach day but not in a gross way. I would definitely purchase this full size.


Then in the haircare department...

Dove Oxygen Shampoo and Conditioner (2)- I finished two sample sets of Dove Oxygen shampoo and conditioner. I received these both as free samples but I won't be purchasing it in full size because it made my hair really stringy and dry- two things I don't need.

Thann, Disney, Omni, Red Jacket, Fragonard and Essentials Shampoo and Conditioners- I've grouped these together since they are all hotel shampoo and conditioners and they were all horrible! My hair has never felt worse then it did using these- so I'm glad I managed to finish so many samples this season!

BigSexyHair Protectant- I used this before drying and straightening my hair and really enjoyed it. It smelled fantastic and did a great job of protecting my hair. I do like the Oscar Blandi protectant better but this one was nice too!

Clear Shampoo and Conditioner- I love all the shampoos and conditioners in the Clear line- they all make my hair feel great and this one was no exception. I was sad to see this finished!

Pantene Beautiful Lengths Shampoo and Conditioner- This shampoo and conditioner was something I really enjoyed- especially after donating my hair last year to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. I was so excited to try it out and found that it made my hair silky, smooth and conditioned it nicely.


For face products this winter...

SeaRX Anti Wrinkle Serum- I liked this sample from my Birchbox a lot- it felt great on my skin but I don't think it's something I would repurchase anytime soon. It's not something I think I need to have in my daily beauty routine.

Key West Aloe- I loved, loved, loved this Birchbox sample. It was absolutely amazing and I was sad when I finished it up. This product was so smoothing on my skin and really moisturized my skin. The aloe really worked wonders on my face and is something I'd consider using in the future.

St Ives Oatmeal Scrub- This was another amazing product. The scrub itself was very gentle and the oatmeal seemed to make it even better. I would definitely purchase and use this again.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser- This was my favorite cleaner for a long time and if I get a couponing deal on Neutrogena in the future I would definitely consider picking more of it up. It is really gentle on my sensitive skin and gives a slight tingly feeling so you know that your skin is getting clean.

Dr Brandts Vacuum Cleaner- This mask was pretty nice. It dried hard on my skin like clay but washed off easily. I don't know that it did anything fabulous for my skin so I probably wouldn't repurchase it.


I finished a few perfumes...

Taylor Swift- This is my all-time favorite perfume! I get the most compliments when I wear this perfume and I have already purchased a larger size. I highly recommend it!

Mary Kate and Ashley- This perfume is so old and gross that I couldn't even finish it. I finished more then half but decided to just toss it after all this time. I think I've had it since middle school!

Falling In Love- I received this perfume during Rachel's wedding and it didn't take me long to finish it! I loved it and thought it was a great perfume. There are perfumes that I like more then this one so I don't think I will purchase it in the future.

Beyonce- I liked this perfume- it was actually a real nice scent. I don't need it in full size though!

Aerie Shimmer-  This perfume was really light smelling, something I might purchase for myself- but I don't think I will because I do like other perfumes better.


Some miscellaneous beauty items...

Yes to Coconuts Face Wipes- These wipes are fabulous, I would like to purchase them in the future because they are so gentle on my skin. They not only took off my makeup but I felt like it took care of cleaning my skin too which was great. The coconut smell was amazing as well.

Almay Makeup Wipes- I have talked about these in the past- but I still love them! They do a great job of taking off makeup.

Almay Eye Makeup Wipes- I don't like these as much as the full sized wipes. I would only purchase these in the future if I got them in a couponing deal.

Elf Liquid Eyeliner- I received this in a gift set awhile ago and I liked it and used it until it dried up. I was able to do my eyeliner on my lid with precision thanks to the great brush that was part of the eyeliner. I would definitely use this in the future.

Roar Perfume- I forgot to put this in the picture of perfumes but I love this perfume. It is made by Athena's Home Novelties and I've already put in an order for a new one.  This is another perfume that I get soooo many compliments on. I highly recommend it!

NYX Mascara- This mascara is fantastic- it is dry enough that I can use it from the first drop to the last drop with amazing results. I have already repurchased it since I know it will work great and keep my lashes from getting clumpy.

Mirenesse Mascara- This mascara was just okay, by the end of its run it became all clumpy which I hate. I love a lot of mascaras far more then this one.

OPI Rainbow In The Skylie- This nailpolish dried out on me but I had almost finished it anyways. I loved having this rainbow top coat over other colors. It was gorgeous! This was part of the Kardashian collection so I don't think it is around anymore but I definitely would like to have another rainbow topcoat in the future.


I finished two deodorants...

LaVanilla Vanilla Deodorant- I love love love love love (there's not enough love in the world) this deodorant. I originally heard of it from MakeupbyTiffanyD on Youtube. It is the best natural deodorant that smells amazing and stays on all day. I have already repurchased a stockpile of these.

Jason Tea Tree Deodorant- This was my favorite deodorant until I started using LaVanilla. I would definitely use this in the future as a backup deodorant, but I like the LaVanilla much better!



5 Burts Bees Chapsticks- I quit Burts Bees guys! I did it! This is my last 5 tubes!!!

3 EOS mint lip balms- This is my new love, I've been using this daily and think it's even better then Burts Bees. Seriously. It tastes amazing and keeps my lis moisturized- in fact they feel a million times healthier then they did before.

1 EOS vanilla mint lip balm- I like this lip balm too. I don't like it as much as the regular mint but it's still nice and something I will use again.


Febreeze Air Freshners- These make my room smell great but aren't something I'd purchase unless I got them for free couponing again.

Febreeze Air Spray- This is another great product by Febreeze that I got from couponing. I would definitely use it again if I got it for free.

Pledge- My favorite furniture spray! I have gone through so many of these that I can't count. I haven't found anything else that works as well as this.

Clorox Wipes- I use Clorox wipes religiously. I wipe down everything with these and find them so useful. I can't recommend anything else more then Clorox wipes- they are truly multi-purpose.

Method Daily Shower Cleaner- I use this after everytime I take a shower. I spray the entire shower down and it keeps my shower from getting gross and makes it so I only need to clean it entirely once a week.


Now for some random products...

EOS shave cream- This shave cream was great. I liked that I could shave wet or dry with it. However, it's super expensive in comparison to other shower gels (especially those that are couponed for) so I won't be purchasing this again in the future.

Renu Contact Solution- This contact solution expired, but I did like it. I do like BioTrue a bit better- but this one was nice too. I received it free through couponing so I wouldn't pass that up again in the future!

Arm and Hammer Truly Radiant- This was a free sample and a good one at that! I prefer other mouthwashes to this one but I will discuss it further during a future post about teeth whitening... (so stay tuned for that!)

BBW Caribbean Escape Hand Soap- I love Bath and Body Works hand soaps and this one smelt incredible. I've used this particular scent a few times and loved it every time. I would definitely get this in the future.

Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo- I've mentioned before but I use this to clean my makeup and hair brushes. I think that it cleans the brushes nicely and also is nice and gentle so they won't get ruined. I will keep using this as a brush cleaner!

That's what I used up this winter...what did you use up?

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Spring Cleaning Week 1: Clothes, Clothes, Clothes...


Happy Saturday friends! I am updating you from the car dealership where I'm waiting for my car to get an oil change. I hoped to use this time and bang out a bunch of blog posts...but it's proving to be more difficult then I initially planned. The internet is moving at snails pace! 

I promised you last week that I would be working on spring cleaning posts for you, so here we go with episode one!

This week I focused on clothing. In years past I have done different things to weed through my clothing. One year (you might remember) I put post-it tabs on every single hanger and only took them off once I had worn that piece of clothing. At the end of the year I got rid of every item that still had a flag on the hanger- it was a great way to get rid of a ton of clothing that I wasn't wearing- but it took a year for that process to play out. This time I wanted immediate results.

I went through and tried on every single item in my dresser and closet, one by one. I only kept items that fit and I enjoyed wearing. There's no reason to keep clothes that I don't want to wear! The drawer that I donated the most from? My shorts. I thought this was strange but since it's been cold for so long here in Rhode Island I suppose I know what fits me in my pants drawer- but my shorts drawer was filled with stained clothing and shorts that were a little too tight for my liking.


I also got rid of quite a few accessories. I sorted through my scarves and shoes and managed to gather a pile of items to get rid of. (You'll see I also have a few Christmas tins in the picture that I threw into this load of give-aways) I found a few tank tops that have become too short after years of being washed and some long sleeved shirts that I don't enjoying wearing because of the material.

In addition to the clothes I decided to give away- I have finally decided to give up my prom dresses. I have worn both as Halloween costumes but I know that it is time these get donated. Perhaps someone else will be able to make memories in them- but it's time to let them go!


Here's an example of how I operated. You can see above that I took all my shorts and laid them out on my bed.


The ones I liked were folded neatly back in my drawer and the ones to be donated were piled. So many shorts! I told you- I found seven pairs to donate which is a big number for me in one category.

Now I challenge you to go through your closet and dresser and find items to donate- Get on that spring cleaning!!