August Beauty Empties

Hello you, and welcome to inside the mind of an Obsessive Compulsive Designer.

It’s time to purge my hidden beauty empties drawer and show you all a little sneak peek behind a few things I’ve ran through recently. I feel like last month I ran through quite a few odds and ends in my beauty collection; but, most of my empties this month are hair products. Without further ado, let’s jump into this empties collection

OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo + OGX Argan Oil Conditioner

I’ll save you some redundancy and time and link my full review of these products here.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Divine Dark

Yet, another favorite of mine. Check out some more thoughts of mine in my last empties post. I go through these like every other week!

Tresemme Hair Spray

This has been my tried and true hairspray for YEARS. My hair literally doesn’t move but doesn’t compromise the lividity. No crust but all the hold! Now with me using this up, I’m on the search for a cruelty free hairspray solution. Let me know what you recommend!

Radha Rosehip Oil

Obsessed. I’ve already replenished my stock on this oil. I’m so glad I tried this out. The best part? I find mine on Amazon and have it delivered straight to me! This oil has totally changed my skin for the better and I can’t even imagine my life before it.

Retread

My go-to hair mask for damaged hair. It’s helped me keep my long hair while repairing my dead ends. I didn’t think I could get my hair to grow past a certain point; but, this product proved me wrong! Love it!

Glam Glow Thirsty Mud

Dry skin? You need this! I have loved each and every Glam Glow mask I’ve tried thus far. This mask is so perfect for that extra boost of hydration and it smells delicious!

Mario Badescu Vitamin A-D-E Neck Cream

There’s no better time to start taking extra care of your skin than before the damage is already done. I started using a neck cream this year and this was the first product I tried. I loved the thick consistency and it felt very nourishing. I didn’t see any change in my neck but, then again, I don’t have mature skin yet. I’m trying a different neck product now and will let you know how the two compare!

Victoria’s Secret Fresh Body Mist

This mist is from….Christmas I think? I was gifted a collection of four or five and have been switching between them all. Clearly, I really liked this one! The scent wears off easily but what body mist doesn’t?

NYX Micro Brow Pencil

My everyday eyebrow pencil that has seriously upped my brow game. I have already repurchased!

E.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner in brown

E.l.f. is seriously underrated. I love some of their products and this is one of them. Their eyeliners are great quality and easy to apply. What could be better? I like switching up my eyeliner color to brown for daytime looks because it’s less harsh. I recommend trying this one out!

Leave me a comment below with a cruelty free hairspray you recommend I try out!

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March Lifestyle & Beauty Favs

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March was a very busy month and feeling under the weather most of the month definitely was not how I would’ve preferred the month to go. But you always have to make the best of your situation so that is exactly what I did! Some of my favorites definitely helped my sicky-self get through the month. If you’re finding yourself in a similar situation to mine, keep on reading and see how I survived the month!

Samsung Tablet

I’m on my phone all day and sometimes I like to switch up my devices, especially for the silly little games I like to wind down with. I’ve been loving our new tablet and in particular Cookie Jam. It’s another knock off Candy Crush that is unbelievably addicting. My husband makes fun of me every time but I love it!

Lavanilla Deodorant

I recently hauled this and I’m really loving it. I’ll be writing an in depth review and explanation why I switch to a more natural product so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Silver Earrings

These gorgeous earrings were a gift from my boss that she got on her recent trip to Mexico. I’m in love with these earrings because they make sure a bold statement without being overly heavy.

Throat Coat Tea

If you read my How To Beat A Nasty Cold By Drinking blog, then you know all about this bad boy. It’s my ultimate go to when I’m recovering from a cold. It tastes absolutely amazing and really helps ease your throat. I highly recommend trying it out!

Sephora Honey Sugar Lip Scrub, Carmex, NYX Lip Lingerie

These three products in that order has been a life saver to helping me look more put together during my sick days. Whenever I get sick, my lips really take a toll and it shows! This lip scrub helps prep my lips for lipstick and I’m loving these.

Plaid Scarf

I’m loving this scarf for this time of year with the lighter pastel colors. The fabric is so soft and warm which is a must with these awfully cold and rainy days. But the colors channel a spring time vibe. I love this for the transitioning seasons.

Leave me a comment below and tell me something you’ve been loving this last month!
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How Expensive Is My Face?

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For those who may not have seen this post before you may be a little weirded out. This post basically sums up all of the makeup I put on my face every morning and takes tally of how expensive each of those products are. I haven’t myself run the numbers yet and I’m a bit scared to find out how much this total comes to! Stick around and find out!

Nivea’s Sensitive Post Shave Balm – $6.49

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation – $39

NYX HD Concealer – $4.99

RCMA – $12

NYX Eyebrow Pencil – $9.99

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette – $36

Wet N Wild Mascara – $4.29

Wet N Wild Contour & Highlighting Palette – $4.99

NYC Contour Powder – $4.99

Wet N Wild Color Icon Blush – $2.99

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray – $31

Tarte Lippie – $20

Which comes to a total of $176.73 and excuse me while I go vomit (because I’m dramatic). That’s a disturbingly high number for my face makeup! That’s not even including the large array of brushes in my arsenal. Yikes! Too bad I’m in love with all these products and refuse to give them up. I hope you all enjoyed this fun post and comment below if you have done this so I can be sure to check it out for myself!

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Shopping Haul – Target, Ulta, Michael’s

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I definitely satisfied my shopping itch this weekend. My wallet isn’t happy, but I am! Like most people, Target always gets the best of me. This haul is definitely an odd mixture of all things décor, clothing, and beauty so let’s just get into it!

Firstly, this shirt…omg it is made of the comfiest material ever. I purchased it this weekend and I’ve already worn it. It’s super cute and super comfortable. This shirt will definitely be one of the most used in my collection and who can argue with that price? Am I right? Target you don’t disappoint.

Cat owners will understand this next purchase. I’ve been needing a jewelry tray to put my ring and earrings in at night. Whenever I put them loosely on my night stand, I’ll wake up to find that my cat took them and hid them…This tray is super cute and I loved the metal mixed with glass.

I was in desperate need of a mascara so I decided to try out a Wet N Wild mascara to add to my cruelty free products. So far, I’m not disappointed! I can’t tell if that is because this mascara actually rocks or if my old mascara was soooo beyond done that anything looks better. I’ll keep you updated.

I picked up two more bottles of the Batiste Dark & Deep Brown dry shampoo because I go through these things like nobody’s business! I like the brunette version much better than the original due to the fact that I don’t have to worry about brushing out the white cast.

I’ve wanted to try out these blushes ever since I saw Casey Holmes rave about them. So I picked up Wet N Wild’s Color Icon Ombre Blush in Mai Tai Buy You A Drink. I’m excited to try this out! I bought it at Target but can only seem to find the purple blush on their website? So I linked the actual color from Wet N Wild.

I couldn’t resist picking up another darker nude liquid lipstick and I’ve been meaning to try the new NYX Lip Lingerie line (mine is in the color Push Up). Dark nudes are definitely my go to year round.

I’m always looking to get my hands on a backup eyebrow pencil. So naturally, I had to pick up some more of my ash brown!

I’ve been looking for a good set of cute letters to display. I’m not quite sure where they’re going to be displayed yet but I love the color and material of these. I just had to have them!

My Go-To Autumn Lip Shades

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This nasty humid heat doesn’t have me feeling much of that beautiful fall weather I was promised. However, that doesn’t stop my style from switching seasons before the weather. I’ve officially declared it fall to my wardrobe. I’ve got an itch for a fall shopping spree (let me know if you would like to see a fashion haul). My clothes may need some freshening up for fall but I have my fall lip colors sitting out ready to use. These are some of my staple colors and I don’t stray too far from these darker nudes throughout the year. They are definitely more fall tones though, so I thought I would share.

1. Tarte’s Tartist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Namaste
2. Maybelline Color Sensational in 940 Touchable Taupe
3. NYX Soft Matte Lip Crème in Copenhagen
4. Maybelline Color Sensational in 695 Divine Wine
5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Crème in Athens

I swatched them all together in order below so you can see them in relation to each other since a couple of them are quite similar nudes. What are your favorite go-to fall shades? I’d love to try out some new shades!

Cruelty Free Makeup and Beauty Products

Hello you, and welcome to inside the mind of an Obsessive Compulsive Designer.

This year I made a big change in my life that I’m definitely proud to share. I only wish I had done this sooner! I had all these preconceived notions that making the switch over to cruelty free products was going to cost me an arm and a leg. I’m not saying some products aren’t pricey…but there are great drugstore priced alternatives that are out there. Since I do have rather sensitive skin, I’m fine with paying a little extra for products that will have a major impact on my skin’s behavior. For instance, I tend to shell out a little more money on foundations, moisturizers, toners, makeup removers, etc. Not to say there aren’t great products in the drugstore price range for these items. I just prefer not to chance it with my sensitive skin.

WHY MAKE THE SWITCH?

I have always been a big lover of all of our furry creatures but never really paid attention to the impact we had on them. One day I was surfing the internet and came across a gruesome picture that finally woke me up and got me to really open my eyes. Of course I won’t post a picture of that extremely graphic image here, but just know what exactly you’re getting yourself into if you Google “animal testing”. That is probably my most important point I want to touch on in this blog, is research.

RESEARCH. RESEARCH RESEARCH.

Researching for yourself what exactly animal testing means and how it impacts our furry friends. Researching what brands are completely cruelty free and which are obligated to test on animals. And of course, researching which products are worth spending the money on. Youtube has definitely been a great resource for me. Watching and listening to dozens of experts in the field hear about why they use certain products and what products work well with certain skin types definitely broadened my knowledge of makeup (as well as taught me how to better treat my skin).

HOW DO I MAKE THE SWITCH?

Making the switch over to cruelty free products is a long one. If I was a millionaire, I would just trash all my old makeup and buy all new. However, for a realistic girl on a budget, I am slowly just replacing my old with the new. Every time I run out of an old product I buy a cruelty free substitute! When old products start to get low, I turn to blogs, videos, and reviews to help me decide which cruelty free product I should replace it with. I started this transition at the beginning of the New Year and I have made a pretty solid dent in my beauty stash.

Making this switch has definitely lifted a weight off of my shoulders and I can sleep a little better at night knowing my selfish habits don’t harm anyone. I do urge you all to take the plunge and do better for our furry friends; but, I do want you all to do your research and figure out what all it entails. Together we can steadily make cruelty products a standard in the beauty industry.