My Favorite Drugstore Brand Mascara! (Deal of the Week)

Hey ladies --

Hope you're having a great week so far! I just wanted to share my recent drugstore purchase + what may be the ultimate beauty deal of the week!!!

To start off, this is what I got from my local Rite Aid today (September 25, 2012):

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara!

1. "Lots of Lashes" in Blackest Black

2. "Waterproof Hydrofuge" in Very Black

To my understanding, this legendary line of Maybelline mascaras can either swoon you into fandom or mildly disappoint -- and I am the former, a complete and utter fanatic of the Great Lash line, ever since I've laid hands on make up!

I was first recommended the product by a professional make up artist (personal story: she's the one who did my high school prom make up years and years ago!). And though I've strayed away now and again, I always ended coming back to this pink and green tube of sheer lash perfection!

 

 Great Lash "Lots of Lashes"








The first Great Lash mascara I got is the "Lots of Lashes" in Blackest Black. I personally am I huge fan of very black mascara, so I'm drawn to buying the darkest tone available. This would be the 3rd mascara I've purchased from the "Lots of Lashes" collection. The fact that I've repurchased it THRICE already hints at my adoration of this line of mascara!

Close up of the application tip

To get right into the nitty-gritty of it..

THE PROS:

1. The Great Lash formula hasn't changed from the Original -- non-flaky, visibly moist, and heavily pigmented.
2. The "new" and unique applicator allows you to reach EVERY SINGLE lash, even those you never knew you had (especially the inner corner of your eyes)!
3. Also the rubber applicator is practical in separating lashes -- I've rarely had clumping problems.
4. Voluminous results never disappoint.

THE CON(?):

1. Occasionally the mascara would smudge after a long arduous day. Frankly speaking, no way is this a viable con though... only because the mascara never sold itself as a waterproof product!

Hence, the reason why I bought the second mascara --

 Great Lash "Waterproof Hydrofuge"












My plan is to coat the "Lots of Lashes" with this waterproof one to prevent the ever so slight mishap I had with it!


Now, HERE'S THE REAL JUICY PART OF THE POST -- I bought both mascaras for a mere $3.38 (+ tax)! Can you believe this incredible deal?!

So how did I do it?
WELL to start off, Rite Aid is currently have a BOGO 50% for all Maybelline cosmetics. That honestly was enough to get me buying two mascaras.
But to my luck, all $15+ Maybelline purchases comes with $5 +UP Rewards (which is the equivalence to money I can spend in Rite Aid)! What's even weirder is that I didn't purchase $15 worth of cosmetics, yet I got the +UP Rewards!!!

$8.38 for two mascaras - $5 +UP Rewards = $3.38!

I personally love to shop at drugstores, and especially Rite Aid because it's less than a block away from home! I'll be using the +UP Rewards in no time :)

So ladies, if you have a Rite Aid nearby RUN and GRAB some lash-lovin' Maybelline mascara! It's seriously a deal to die for (in my opinion).


Hope you have a great week & look forward to another beauty RANT/RAVE by your one and only.

HINT: My next anticipated post will be on more high-end products. It has to do with skin care (and rosacea treatment)!

xo Karries

[Not So] Little Black Bag Haul!

Ladies!!!

Before I begin, I do want to express my disappointment in that my first formal post is NOT about beauty products :(. Fact of the matter is, I just got this incredible package in the mail that I just HAD to share with you..! Are you anticipating this haul as much as I am?!

I'm sure by now you've all heard of the subscription site called 'Little Black Bag'! I won't go into full detail of how it works (it's really quite not comparable to any other existing subscription service).. but in essence:

1. You pay $49.95 a month for a "bag" full of 3-4 accessory items like handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, home goods, and makeup (most are well-known name brands). The total retail value is guaranteed to be $100+. Apparently the rare 1~2% get lucky with a $200+ retail valued bag!
2. You can swap your items with fellow LBB subscribers for 7 whole days!
3. Be patient and persistent with the swapping game -- chances are you'll end up with an amazing bag with awesome-r items that are worth way more than your initial bag!

By the way, this is my first LBB haul.. so you can imagine my excitement when the package came in the mail! (For me, it took approximately a week and a half to arrive.)

                 

As you can see, my LBB wasn't little at all! The package was probably the biggest I've received EVER.. it literally came up to my waist! I guess one box wasn't big enough -- they fused two into one humongous monster box.

"Happiness Guarantee"? We'll see about that!

My first item was neatly tucked in beautiful black tissue paper! But being the impatient barbarian I am, I ruthlessly ripped it apart (as well as the bubble wrap underneath), revealing this...

Present Time - Layered Wood Picture Frame

$43 Retail

Honestly, I didn't expect the frame to be this big. Nonetheless, I love it and will use it to create a collage of the dbf & me! :)

My next 3 items were all bundled up in here! Again, let 'er rip!!!

  BCBGeneration - Karlie Striped Tote

$78 Retail

I got this bag with the intentions of using it as a beach bag/travel tote. It's definitely big enough to be a beach bag, and the pattern is OH-SO-CUTE! Too bad summer already ended here :(.. But I can't wait to use it next summer! lol

Deux Lux - Heart Sparkle Baby Pouch

$22 Retail

This is one item I couldn't (and didn't) give up! Say, a purple glitter wristlet shaped like a heart? UM.. HECK YEAH!!! Deux Lux is a great brand for quality, but affordable wallets and handbags imo. I first saw UO carry them.. and recently at Nordstrom! My only issue with the pouch: it's extremely flat. I can barely squeeze my iPhone in.. Knowing that, idk if she's a keeper no more :'<

+ FYI, these wristlets were trading up like hot cakes! It was fun having it in my bag -- I've gotten trades for items way more than twice the retail of the pouch, but I stayed put (perhaps I shouldn't have, aha)!

 

 

Rachel  Reinhardt - Turquoise Tassel Earrings

 $60 Retail

I knew these earrings wouldn't fail me! These drop-dead gorgeous pyrite veined turquoise gold tassel earrings were what drew me to LBB in the first place. Did I open my bag with these -- no. But I'm adamant enough to know what I want and get what I want! So I persistently traded for 'em -- tehe :). They're surprisingly light weight and SO pretty on!! Can go both ways -- casual and/or dressy.

Total LBB Haul Retail: $203


Not too bad for a first haul, eh? I've seen some incredible haul blogs and videos on yt.. But I am totally satisfied with mine (especially knowing that I actually wanted all the items I got)!

I must say though aside from the haul, the LBB swapping shenanigan is extremely addicting and fun -- seriously an experience like no other! For the whole week, I'd check my bag first thing in the morning to see if my trades were accepted and/or if I've received good trades.. lol!

Would I recommend LBB? Absolutely! Again, it's not just about what you get.. but HOW you get it! Half the fun is in the trading -- so if you're thinking to join, stick around all 7 days and take full advantage! Chances are, the longer you stick around, the better bag you'll end up with.

My only advice: PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE. Pursue like a crouching tiger and, just at the right moment, pounce on the item(s) you were eying! There are only so many items on LBB, so what goes around usually comes around :)

Hope you enjoyed my (first official) post! Please leave comments & feedback -- I'd love to hear from you!

xo Karries


+ Want to join LBB? Click here.

Another Beauty Blog...

Welcome to the Glossy Soiree (WOOP WOOP it's a beauty party)!

This space is yet another place for beauty product reviews, rants, and (most importantly) desires! My name is Karries and I'm a fellow beauty enthusiast and blogger. Though 22 years young, I'm very new (quite embarrassingly) to the captivating world of makeup and skin care.. but I'm eager to share my fancy for the fascinating fabrication that is lip glosses, eye shadow, and mascara!

I can't promise that my posts will be the most factually accurate, nor the most grammatically or politically correct. But I can promise that everything I write will be 100% genuinely and attentively my very OWN opinion.

My intentions are for you, the reader, to benefit from my reviews on certain beauty products -- by and by, to become a proactive and informed consumer!

Yes, we live in a world of he-said/she-said.. so ultimately it will be at your dispense to decide on purchasing (or not purchasing) the "it" item of the week/season/year. But, again, my hopes are help you lessen your regrets. After all, haven't we all dealt (and found disappointment) with the uber expensive, yet unpleasantly gooey mascara that promised killer-length lashes?! I know I certainly have!

As it is my first, I will not (quite yet) be doing a beauty review/rant/desire post. But I promise, it's-a-coming!

+ I will take requests for product reviews!

+ Time to time, it might not be a product review.. perhaps I'll indulge and share a haul or two ;)

+ I am an avid fan of bags and shoes (I utterly adore handbags -- my "babies")! I consider myself somewhat of a bag snob (haha), so you may see non-beauty related posts as such!

Please look forward to what's up and coming on the Glossy Soiree!

Have a beauteous day (YEEP I'm still working on my signature!),

xo Karries