Collective Sightings at CVS, Haul, and Swatches

I'm back from the cruel experience that is finals week and I survived! :P
 
I've walked through CVS a few times this past week, but haven't been able to post it until now. 

Last Saturday night I've walked through the beauty once again, because that's my most exciting activity during finals week, lol!

I spotted the Milani baked eyeshadows I've been lusting after!

Milani Marble Baked Eyeshadow, the aqua/powder blue one is lust-worthy! Retails $6.99.

Milani Metallic Baked Eyeshadow, with the red one I love! Retails $6.99 too.

The price is a bit high for drugstore, so wait until CVS has the BOGO1/2off sales! Check out both displays, because sometimes the eyeshadows are misplaced! Also, I've been having trouble finding the purple baked one in the metallic display. I wonder if they forget to bring it out or it's super popular.

They are really ramping up Almay for 2011, look at all the displays!

Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara ($8.49) and Eye Makeup Remover ($5.99)

Almay Dial Up Mascara, retails for $8.49!

Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance Pressed Powder, retails $13.99.

I haven't used Almay since they launched eyeshadow palettes for different eye colors a few years ago. If I see something cool launching this year, I'll give it a try!

I don't know how recent it is, but I noticed they changed the packaging of Maybelline's uber popular Stylish Smokes eyeshadow quads. 

Stylish Smokes in Emerald Smokes, That's my friend Wilson's hand! He wants the credit, lol.

Stylish Smokes in Natural Smokes, his hand too. :P

As you may notice, they changed the proportions of each shade. Before, each shade was equal size. You now get more of the "Brow Bone" shade, which is now called Base and less of the Outer Corner shade now called Liner. I think it's a great change, I end up using most of the Base color and less of the Liner shade anyway. What do you think of the change?

As you may have guessed, I hauled the Milani eyeshadows! I hauled a red from the metallic line and a fabulously complex looking one from the marble collection.

I couldn't wait for a sale this time, but I'll wait next time to get my hands on the purple and aqua!

Tops off, so gorgeous! I do hate the packaging though. It was so difficult to get the top off. I took a bit off the red eyeshadow with my nail when I opened too hard. *Tear*

The photo does not truly capture the multicolored amazingness that is Famous Duo. I spotted red shimmer, silver shimmer, in a black-brown base. It'll probably be great for a holiday smoky eye. The red eyeshadow isn't a true red, comes off a bit orange-red. I love it, never thought I would look good with red eyeshadow. :) I think it would look great on warm tones!

Spotted these displays in your stores yet? Any lemmings? Your thoughts! :)

P.S. I promised myself that I would write a post everyday during winter break, now that I have time to do so. So watch out for more coming soon! :D 

New Sightings at CVS and Haul

I went to CVS today to use up a $5 off $15 coupon. While I was there, I spotted some new displays.

New collection from Organix with argan oil! Organix is my favorite shampoo brand, I love their quirky botanical combos. Argan oil has been the it-ingredient in haircare for a while. Nice to find it in a more affordable range!

The collection includes shampoo, conditioner, hair serum, and treatment.

Some closeups 

EDIT: The shampoo and conditioner retail for $7.99 too.

The hair serum, it's not 100% aragan oil though.

I jotted down the ingredients for the Renewing Moroccan Aragan Oil Penetrating Oil (hair serum).

Ingredients: cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, cyclomethicone, C12-15, alkyl benzoate, butylphenyl methylpropional, argania spinoza (argan) oil, linum usitatissimum (linseed) extract, parfum, yellow 11, red 17

The ingredients are similar but definitely not identical to Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum.

The hair serum (in the box) and treatment (in the tub) retail for $7.99.

I spied some new Rimmel foundations.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation retails for $8.99

It's pretty chic for Rimmel. The packaging is luxe-looking, in a heavy glass bottle. Wonder how it performs! If you're in the UK, you can enter here to win a free full-size sample of this foundation to try out. 

Also saw some Tweezerman sets. 

I don't like traditional tweezers, I'm used to the scissor grip variety. I run through the revlon scissor grip ones quickly, because they misalign in months. I'm looking for a more durable scissor variety. Any suggestions?

A Maybelline One By One Volume Express Mascara display

Lol, it's not just cardboard, it's a giant wand replica. I'd blind myself with it if i used it!

I've seen this Milani display for a while. But it's the first time I haven't seen glitter polishes picked clean. 

Milani is BOGO1/2 off this week.

Aaaand my haul

I got: 
Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Renewing Treatment ($7.99)
Milani Jewel FX Nail Lacquer in Gold and Gems ($4.99, BOGO1/2 off)
eos Lip Balm With SPF 15 in Lemon Drop ($2.99 on sale with $2.99 extra bucks, Thanks Gianna for the tip!)

I'm really excited to try the treatment. My hair is crazy damaged, I'll try anything to get rid of my split-ends. 
I'm slightly nervous about the glitter polishes. I feel like the trend is on its last leg. I'll bet next spring everyone will be rocking duochrome shades instead, and I'll be stuck with a dozen glitter polishes, lol.

Any of these new collections pique your interest? Have you tried them already? Your thoughts!

Mega Haul / is there an item limit on addiction?

I swear I didn't mean for it to end up like this. I've been school-free for the past six weeks. Not of my own volition, of course. I dropped a class (though I managed to learn P(finding an upper division probability course too hard to take during the summer) ~ 1). The first few days were heaven, no school to be late for, no homework to toil and weep over. It was absolute freedom.

Which meant I got sick of it after two days.

I was so bored. As the saying goes, the devil finds work for idle hands. Well, my idle hands shopped! It was way too easy to shop with all the available time. Now I know what they mean by "retail therapy."
Bad mood? -> Wonder what sales are at Rite Aid?
Miss bf? -> I think I need more blushes.
I'm bored -> I really should get into painting nails.
And on and on. And blogs and vlogs only gave me more new products to try. This added up really quickly.

Here's what it looked like after hitting countless CVS's, Rite Aid's, Target's, and Walmart's.

Can you tell it took 20 minutes to arrange it so it would all fit in one frame?

Pretty scary, right? It looks like I emptied a drugstore shelf into my shopping cart (which wouldn't be too far from the truth). It's actually worse than it looks, because some products are hidden by others. If I expanded it, it would look insane.

It's weird. I'm more interested in skincare, but I have an absolute weakness for cosmetics. If I love a cosmetic blogger's taste, I will develop a lemming for her raved products like no other until I have them in my hands. I have absolute trust in other bloggers' take on cosmetics, because I'm so unfamiliar with it myself (not wearing any on most days).

In contrast, I will be more skeptical with skincare. I won't invest in a skincare product until I know its ingredients, no matter how many raves I see.

What are y'all's buying habits like? :)

I'll break this down by store I purchased it from:




Haha, I realize that making a spreadsheet is pretty neurotic, but that's how I am when I have nothing else to do. I love being detailed and crediting sources. :)

I didn't just buy beauty products either. After I read Elle's rave over Poketo for Target's collection, I went the very next day to get my hands on some. They were available in Target and online way before the August 10 release date.

My Poketo Haul
Further evidence of my inability to resist temptation. :P

I bought a laptop sleeve (which fits a bit snug for my HP TX2500, but would be perfect for small, super thin laptops), a pack of three bags (big one for my make-up, medium one for pencils, and wee one for camera/phone), and an umbrella (couldn't deny myself cute green bears = fail). The entire collection was all so cute that I applaud myself for not walking out of the store with it all (baby steps).

My out-of-control spending habits will hopefully diminish with the new school year starting in late August. I'll be too focused on school, clubs, etc. to buy things or go to stores. You won't see hauls like this anymore!

Well,

we'll see. ;)