Spendthrift Explorer

Covering shopping hauls of beauty products that are based on personal reviews. FTC Disclaimer: These posts are not sponsored by companies, all products are bought by me and reviewed by me.

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Reducing Redness In Your Complexion

I have good skin--not acne prone and not too sensitive.  The weather however has been wreaking havoc on my skin in a different way.  Redness tends to appear in areas around my cheeks and nose area. 

Many people suggest using redness-reducing primers, but using primers everyday seems like a hassle--not good for my skin either!

Here is a tip:

Before applying any makeup, take 2-3 drops of Rosehip Oil ( I use Amir Rosehip Oil ) and put it in the areas where you have the most redness.  Massage it into your skin and then step away from the mirror.  After 5-10 minutes, you should see your redness reduce considerably.

You can go about your make up routine and not have to worry about wearing primer.  My only caveat is that you remember what works for your skin.  Not everyone is the same and neither are the results.  A final note about facial oils is that you should make sure the packaging is in a dark glass bottle.  Also make sure the oil is pure and has not been mixed with other additives.  If you are not careful, this could exacerbate skin conditions further. 

Do you have any natural remedies to tackle redness?  Share your thoughts below. 

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Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel Roll On

My recent trip to Sephora involved finding a good eye cream/eye gel that would help me find relief from dryness and fine lines.  Aging is unavoidable, but I really wanted to find something that would help with my dry under-eye area.  I took some samples and bought a set from Ole Henriksen.  The day after my trip, I visited my local TJMaxx and found this in the store.  Did I mention that many high-end products are sold at heavy discounts at TJMaxx?

Anyways here are my thoughts:

Pros:

Cost (9.99)

Cooling sensation

Reduces puffiness/dryness

Gel

Does not break me out

Stainless steel roller ball

Cons:

Tube ( Can be a little tough to squeeze the product onto the roller ball)

Roller ball (Sometimes it can get stuck)

Hard to see whether it reduced fine lines

Availability ( I happened to come across this at my local TJMaxx)

In essence, I was satisfied with this product except for the few things about how the product is delivered through the roller ball.  This product is scarce in stores and I will wait for it to be at TJMaxx before repurchasing. 

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Tony Moly Mango Mild Sunblock (SPF 50)

     I was in the market for a new sunblock.  I was dissatisfied with a lot of American brands due to the smell and white cast.  I was perusing Amazon and found this on their website. 

Pros:

Smells good

Does not leave a white cast

Dissolves into skin easily

Ingredients

Squeeze tube to ensure you don’t waste too much product

Cons:

Cost ($11.81)

Not readily available

Foreign product

Size

Overall, this product is good if you are looking to avoid the white cast that is common with sunscreen.  I have not experienced any breakouts from this product, and I will continue to use the sunblock.  The price is a little steep, but the quality is good.  On a final note, it’s best to wear this sunscreen under your makeup instead of over your makeup.

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e.l.f. Mineral Mascara

     It’s about time I reviewed a mascara on this blog.  So here it is!

My biggest complaint about mascaras has always been their shelf-life.  Three months of use and then it is best practice to toss--you don’t want an eye infection.  I got this mascara from the e.l.f. website and was amazed by its cost---$3!

Here is a breakdown of my thoughts regarding this mascara:

Price: At $3, you are getting a very good deal.  The only disadvantage is finding this mascara in stores if you are a brick and mortar shopper.

Formula: This is a wetter formula compared to the e.l.f. 3-in-1 Mascara.  Sadly, the e.l.f. 3-in-1 mascara was a disappointment.  Back to my point, the formula is not wet to the point where you will have raccoon eyes by the end of the day.  I will note that towards the end of its shelf-life, it does tend to get irritating in the eyes. 

Wand:  The wand is plastic and has nubs.  The mascara can easily coat each lash with the wand.  I never had any issues with the mascara looking spidery on my eyelashes.  If you are looking for a natural look, this is a good pick.  For those looking for drama, you might want to skip this one. 

Color: It’s black and that’s all I can really say.  Though, it would be nice if it came in other shades.

Final Verdict:  Mascaras these days are pretty pricey, but this mascara is worth checking out if you are looking for a cheap mascara of good quality.  Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the product is cruelty-free. :D 

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I'm Back....with some new reviews! Let me start off by saying Happy New Year in advance! My posts have not been consistent mainly because of Graduate School. I recently graduated and I am looking forward to catching up with beauty blogging. While I was out, Burt's Bees launched lipsticks--different from their lip tints and crayons. You can find them at your local Target or Ulta and they retail for $8.99. That is a little steep for my spendthrift lifestyle and I managed to find a coupon that took off 30%. I picked up two lipsticks for $6.29 each. If you shop at Target, make sure to look up coupons/deals using the Cartwheel App. You can save a lot and avoid paying full price for a lot of products. Back to the review, here are my thoughts on the lipsticks: Packaging--Traditional lipstick tube with Honeycomb design. Goes a long well with the Burt's Bees brand. Pigmentation--Suede Splash has decent pigmentation, but you have to make multiple swipes across your lips for Sunset Cruise. Some people may disagree because they may have tried more shades than me. Texture/Wear--These lipsticks are creamy and wear like a balm. They don't smell strange and are not heavily fragranced. They are comfortable on the lips, but don't expect them to hold up too long on your lips--longevity is not a promise here. Overall: The shades are nice and very suited for anyone looking for everyday/wearable makeup. The emphasis is on being natural and comfortable for everyday wear. I would not pay $8.99 for these lipsticks because there are other brands that offer a better price point and pigmentation. While I applaud the ingredients that Burt's Bees uses--the lipsticks are balm-like. This line of lipstick is great for natural makeup enthusiasts, but the price point is very questionable.

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August TJ Maxx Deals Spotted! You might want to check your local TJ Maxx for these deals: Butter London Nail Polish for $2.00--at least $18.00 in other places. Lavanila Deodorant Two Pack for $16.99--these are at least $15 each at other places.

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e.l.f. 3- in-1 Mascara

This mascara makes three claims to lengthen, define and create volume. The mascara is a dry formula and waterproof. On it's own, it doesn't give me the results I am looking for. However, it makes an excellent layering mascara with wetter formulas. The wand was fascinating, but the mascara tends to struggle with clumps on the end. Overall, it's around a $3 investment but I find it needs to be paired with another mascara if you want drastic results.

If you like dry formulas, then this might work for you.  However, I was not satisfied with this mascara on its own.  I will not repurchase.

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Body Butter Duel 1. The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter (TBS) 192g $5.99 from TJ Maxx 2. Bath and Body Works Wild Madagascar Vanilla Body Butter (BBW) 200g --See previous post BBW blends in more seamlessly into the skin compared to TBS. You are getting more product too with BBW. Verdict: I prefer BBW for its ability to seamlessly blend into skin and its price point.

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Target: e.l.f and Pacifica After being cooped up in the house for two days, I ventured out to my local Target and saw the following things be completely marked down. I have tried out the shadows and they have impressive glitter power. Have you recently visited your local Target? What were you able to haul in the clearance areas?

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Dry Scalp?: Jane Carter Solution Scalp Nourishing Serum Looks like Spendthrift Explorer turned a year old and I thought of expanding my reviews to hair care products! This winter has played a number on my hair...especially my scalp. I've been going back and forth thinking it is just dandruff, but my scalp isn't oily--it's dry. I visited my local Ulta and saw this product for $8.99. It seems to be a serum that will help with dry scalp. Has anybody tried this product? What are some recommendations you have for dry scalp?

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Deal Alert! The Body Shop Body Butters and Jellies for $6 each!

I was in my local TJMAXX when I saw The Body Shop Body Butters and Jellies being sold for $5.99!

I have seen these Body Butters being sold at $20 and find that the deal here is too good to resist.

Haul them if you can and let me know your thoughts.

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Dry Weather Blues: Wild Madagascar Vanilla (Ultra Shea) Body Butter Ushering in the New Year hasn't reduced the wrath of winter weather. Often, I have found myself with dry skin this season. Thanks to the Semiannual Sale at Bath and Body Works, I was able to stock up on Body Butter. While the 24 hours of hydration is contestable, the formula this year is more thicker than before. It almost feels like dipping your fingers in room temperature coconut oil. Overall, I've been using this product for a week and find it quite beneficial after hopping out of the shower or heading out on a cold day. Not a bad investment for $3.13! If you have any suggestions for dry skin this winter, please share.

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Areas of Improvement: Makeup is still frustrating in 2015

Happy New Years to everyone and hope everyone had a nice holiday season. I wanted to start off the New Year with a post that is poignant rather than espouse about the qualities of this or that product. Often, I find myself having issues with the products I buy. This is especially the case with beauty and or makeup products. Let me breakdown some of these issues: 1⃣Hype--this is commonplace as someone on any platform can create hype over a product which in actuality is a mediocre product. Or it may be a makeup trend that is not sensible for everyday looks, ahem...contouring. 2⃣Tall claims--24 hr. coverage, 16 hr. wear...and the list goes on. Why would someone want to wear makeup for THAT long?? I would not like to know the consequences that it may have on my body. Another common claim surrounds mascara and how it can do ten different things for your lashes.... 3⃣Inconvenient--on the days that I do wear eyeshadow, I have to first wear primer then wear the selected eyeshadow. My question at this point is, why not combine the two instead of having to do two different things. If sun protectant can be combined with foundation, how about some other things? This and the reasons above are one of the many reasons why I can't do my makeup everyday. 4⃣Cost--now that the cost of gasoline has plummeted, this shouldn't be an issue. Wrong. Spending more than $10 every three to four months on mascara is one example of how costs add up. If there is one product that I hate and need at the same time, it is mascara. The age old sacrifice over quality v. lower price comes into the picture often. In some instances it can be argued that its better to have a higher quality product than have a lower quality product with a slew of issues. Caveat Emptor. The buyer must set the wants and needs in the market. Otherwise, its a blind sheep mentality....where so and so says product is unique and is a must have...

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Bath and Body Works

More candles like Be Daring remind me of why guys need to smell like this….

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NYX Runway Chic Eyeshadows Picked these up at Ulta for $7.99. The first shade from the left is called Whipped Cream and swatches as white on my skin tone. Next, the second shade after Whipped Cream is Fancy That Seduction and swatches as a creamy and glittery bronze. The next shade is Own The Night and it swatches as a dark coffee brown. Immaculate and Ultraviolet are the last shades in this collection. Immaculate swatches as a beige tone on my skin tone and Ultraviolet is a purple shade. Out of all the shades, Ultraviolet required a little more work to build up into a swatch and was less creamier than the lighter shades. Overall, it's not a bad collection and it's paraben-free!

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Bring It Back! (BIB) Happy Thanksgiving! This is a product I have been using for the longest time. It's a lip balm by C.O. Bigelow that is a discontinued product. I have used this product on days where my lips are extremely chapped. It has been able to work miracles on dry, wintry days. Not to mention, the aftertaste is quite nice! And, that's why it should be brought back. I have a little time before I run out, but are there any bloggers out there that love this product? Let me know what you think and if you have any other products that deserve the BIB spotlight.

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The Verdict: Essie Sleek Stick Just finished applying the Sleek stick. Overall, it was easy to apply. While opening the packaging, things were clear. They are pretty long lasting and can hold up through a lot---cooking, washing hands. For now, I am satisfied with my $1 investment.