Frugal Friday: Ulta Dual Action Cleansing System

If you haven't been living under a rock you have probably heard about the Clarisonic cleansing system. It is a sonic skin cleanser that claims to clean your face better and in turn your skin will absorb all those spendy products you buy better. People of all ages are raving that its a game changer. Unfortunately it is also a wallet changer. Ranging from 99 up to 225 dollars. Pricey much? That's not even including how much you are going to be in the hole when you start replacing your brush heads every 3 months. 30-40 bucks a pop.

So here is where you can get your frugal on: Ulta brand sells their own version for 25 bucks. With there near constant 20% off coupons you can get it for 20. Replacement heads are a two pack for 8 dollars. It comes with a foam head or a brush head.

 

Ulta Dual Action Cleansing System

 



 

I like to break the rules. It isn't meant to be used in the shower because it isn't water proof. I like to use it in the shower. I keep it up on a ledge out of the direct spray of water, and I don't submerge it. It's a risk I'm willing to take because it makes it more convenient for me.

 

What to do with the two separate heads? The foam is obviously more gentle and it can be used to apply lotion.

 

I can't say that it has transformed my skin. It does make my cleanser go farther and make it foam up much nicer. I usually use my bare mineral deep cleaning foam. I have also tried it with Indie Lee which I received in a subscription box. The Indie Lee was designed to be used with a Clarisonic-type of cleansing system.

 







 

My skin has been really dry lately. I don't know if I can attribute it all to this or just the changing of seasons. My skin CAN get really dry in the fall/winter. I used the foam today to apply a facial lotion and it did work quite well buffing it in. I also really like how clean my skin is after using it. I might look into a more moisturizing cleanser for winter.

 

 

I'm absolutely happy with my purchase. 

 



Frugal Friday: E.L.F.

Candy... Candy Canes... Candy Corn... Syrup.

Oh, wait. Not that Elf.

I was recently called a makeup snob. I'm not. Really. If its a dollar and does the job, I'm good with that. Do I have favorite brands that aren't cheap? Maybe. But that's more about preference than ability to get the job done.

On Fridays I'll try to show you only drugstore or cheaper products. Starting with Eyes. Lip. Face. brand. I think this brand gets a ton of attention from Pinterest. I have mixed feelings. Some things are great, some things are pretty much you get what you pay for.

Here are some products that I've given a try:

• Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia
• Essential Natural Lash Kit
• Studio Cream Eyeliner in Coffee
• Essential Liquid Eyeliner in Copper and Black
• Eyelid Primer

Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

 

This is supposedly a dupe for a Nars product (Laguna/Orgasm). This Nars combo is supposedly the best blush color for everyone. That being said I felt I just had to spend the 3 whole dollars to see for myself.  I don't own said Nars product but I would highly doubt it is a legitimate dupe. It is completely flaky and hard as hell to get blended. Crazy fall out. Crazy. The blush isn't so bad but the bronzer is just sooooo difficult to work with. On the upside it is very pigmented and the colors are flattering. The bronzer is a nice color without being orange. The blush is a nice peach with a tiny bit of shimmer. Would I recommend it? Well, its 3 bucks, you can check it out yourself. It doesn't really live up to the expectation that pinterest created for it. I probably won't buy it again. 

 

 Essential Natural Lash Kit

 

 



 These lashes cost a dollar. 1 dollar. As you can see they do not look over the top but add a little something extra. These were easy to work with. I wrapped them around my eyeliners to make them more pliable. I'm pretty sucky at lashes. I really tried to get these into place correctly and they were probably the most successful lashes I've ever applied. The glue is pretty thin is my biggest complaint. If you are considering taking the plunge this is a low cost starting point in the world of lashes.

Studio Cream Eyeliner

 

 

This eyeliner is not half bad. I don't wear a ton of eyeliner but I like cream eyeliner. It came with an itty bitty brush that had this weird curve in it. I used it once. Now I just use my full size liner brush. If you don't own a full size liner brush, don't bother with this. I love this brown eyeliner for more natural makeup days. They also sell a vibrant teal I would love to get my hands on but Target did not carry that color. I bought this for 3 bucks. I would buy it again.

 

Essential Liquid Eyeliner

 

 

Here are swatches of all the eyeliners. Copper, Black, and Cream Coffee

 

These eyeliners were my first E.L.F. purchases. You can read my original blog post on them here and how I used them to create a leopard print look. I love them. They are worth more than the dollar you spend to get them. The copper glitter is so much fun. Once they dry they have really good staying power.

Eyelid Primer



 

 

 

You can read up here on the importance of eyeshadow primer. Here you can see it buy itself, eyeshadow by itself, and then eyeshadow over the primer. You can see that the primer works well. When I went to wipe off the swatches with a makeup remover cloth the E.L.F. primer really stuck. I had to scrub it really hard to get it to come off. It stuck as well as Urban Decay primer potion. This is definitely something to try out. I have heard it works well for some people, and not for others. For a dollar it would be worth trying out. 

 

 

 Overall the e.l.f. brand is a lot of fun. I will definitely continue to try products from this brand.

Are there any brands you would like to see me feature in a Frugal Friday post? Leave me a comment below and let me know.

My whole look today was with affordable drugstore makeup. My foundation is Dream Smooth Mousse by Maybelline, lipstick is Happy Booster by Physician's Formula, concealer is HD concealer by Nyx, Brow powder by nyx.

12 Benefits: Your New Pink Addiction

12 Benefits

I am in love with these products! I first discovered them from Birchbox. You can read my original review here. At the time I really liked the trial size I received and always meant to purchase more. Then one day during a Salon visit my hairdresser and I had a discussion about the brand. She had discovered 12 Benefits and liked them as well. I decided to buy the Instant Healthy Hair Treatment and also a bottle of the Pink Addiction. It is less expensive than the It's a 10 products that are all the rage right now, and honestly I've grown to like 12 benefits much more!  



instant healthy hair treatment



Here are the 12 Benefits of the Instant Healthy Hair Treatment according to the bottle:

1. Seals Color
2. Smoothes Frizz
3. Repairs Damage
4. Prevents Split Ends
5. Moisturizes Dry Hair
6. Strengthens Fragile Hair
7. Prevents flat iron damage
8. Protects from Chlorine, Wind, and Sun damage
9. Adds shine, softness, and a silky finish
10. Protects from blow-drying
11. Improves texture and manageability
12. Anti-age formula keeps hair youthful



But if those aren't enough reasons I have one to add: decreases blow dry time. I hate blow drying my hair. Hate it. Avoid it. Would rather have ugly hair. Okay, maybe not. Normally it takes 10+ minutes to blow-dry my hair. I timed it after using the Instant Healthy Hair Treatment and boom- 5 minutes. 5. Who doesn't have 5 minutes? Plus it provides protection from the heat and leaves my hair straighter and less frizzy. Straight out of the shower I have wavy frizzy disaster hair. If I let my hair air dry its a hot mess.

 

Here is some photo evidence. These are after blow-drying for 5 minutes. Shiny, straight, and frizz free. This is a quick blow-dry without using a brush. Sometimes I will use a paddle brush to get super straight sleek hair when blow-drying but this product does wonders without even using a brush!

 



 

 

 

 

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I just spray a little on my damp hair and I'm set. You can also spray it pre-beach or pool for protection. Sometimes I get a bit carried away and I'll spray spray spray and then step into it on my floor and its quite slippery.... just a word of warning. You can buy it online through Birchbox, Amazon, or even Walgreens. It varies in price from 15-20 bucks. It's absolutely worth that. You can also talk to your stylist and see if they can get it for you from a salon supply store.

 

This go-round after going blonde I decided to add another 12 benefit product to my arsenal at the recommendation of my stylist: Pink Addiction.

 

 



The 12 Benefits of Pink Addiction

1. Replenishes Keratin
2. Rejuvenates
3. Polishes
4. Strengthens
5. Moroccan argan oil protects and nourishes
6. Intensifies Shine
7. Velvety Soft Feel
8. Eliminates Unruliness
9. Reverses Hair Deficiencies
10. Restores Hair Health
11. Damp or Dry Hair
12. Anti-age formula

I feel like this a very intensive treatment that not everyone would need. I've fallen in love with argan oil for hair. It really makes it so soft and supple. This comes in a little pump and is a cream like substance. I rub it on my palms and then smooth it through the ends of my hair. I used it after blow-drying with the healthy hair treatment before I used my curling iron for some extra heat protection.  

 



Loving the healthy look to hair after the Pink Addiction

I love love love the pink addiction. If you have never used any kind of frizz cream it is a lot heavier of a product if you have fine hair. My hair can handle a lot or product because it is damaged by styling and coloring. I would recommend starting with the instant healthy hair treatment spray. If you need something more intensive, Pink Addiction is an awesome addition. It is a little pricier around $25 but it will last you some time. You can also find it on Amazon and Birchbox or see if your stylist can get it for at a beauty supply store.

12 Benefits also has a Rapid Blowout Argan Oil Blow Dry Spray that I haven't tried yet but would love to! The instant healthy hair treatment cut my dry time down but I'd be excited to see how the Rapid Blowout performs. When I try it I'll be sure to let you know.