Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty Launch!

Have you heard about Ulta.com's 21 Days of Beauty?

Here are all the goodies you can score! 

click the pic for more information about today's deal!

I'm hoping to score Tarte's $10 Mascara on March 17th or BareMinerals $9 Mascara on March 28!  And if I'm super on top of my game, I'm hoping to get Lorac's Champagne Dreams for $15 on March 29th!  (Who knows, it might show up in a future giveaway!) 

Which days are you most excited for?

February's Freebies! How I Scored Them & You Can Too!

Okay, now all you wonderful ladies & gents who follow me know how much I LOVE a freebie!  Well, here are all the freebies or almost-freebies I scored for the month of February and how I did it! 

Enjoy!

Fun Stuff to Read:

The magazine subscriptions are still going strong!  Make sure to check out Hip2Save on a daily basis to score these bad boys.  Subscriptions go really quickly on this site!  They also find plenty of other exciting giveaways, so check this one for daily finds!

     

Can I just say how important it is to enter giveaways?

I don't even know how I won this lovely book that I've been coveting!  It seriously just showed up in the mail one day!  No. Joke. 


Beauty Products!

So excited to try out GlamGlow's newest product! I love being on company mailing lists; I actually have an entirely separate email account just for this purpose.  Since I'm on GlamGlow's mailing list, they sent me the information to request this free sample!

These two little get clean goodies were courtesy of GetItFree.  Thrilled to try out Nivea's new body wash plus score a coupon!  Hubby got a free full-size deodorant from Dove, which is awesome!

Sometimes freebies come in the form of coupons!  I got a BOGO coupon in my sunday paper for purchase of one Revlon Mascara and get one eyeliner free.  Yep!  Cashed that bad boy in for goodies for an upcoming giveaway! 

I mentioned the importance of mailing lists right?  I am a huge fan of being on BeautyJunkees mailing list.  (Hang around on their site long enough and a pop offer to join will show up!) They recently sent out a promo code that allowed me to get one mini-kabuki brush (regularly $18) of my choice for $1.95!  Pretty good!  

Love Harvey Prince!  I'm following them on Facebook, and recently joined their mailing list (sound familiar?!).  So, when they advertised another free fragrance, for which I only paid s&h of $8.99, I was pretty excited.  I threw in the samples for $3!  WOOT!

Edibles:

Totally love some free tea!  Scored this free sample of tea from Twinings from GetItFree.

Vitamins are so important, and I'm so excited that there are chewy vitamins for grown-ups now!  I got this free sample + coupon from Target.com!

So, there you go!  All my freebies this month, and where I found them!  Good luck in March and happy hunting!

#DIY Friday: Aromatherapy for This Beginner!

Okay, so I've been having a difficult time staying focused and awake while working on my comprehensive exams (as I'm sure we're all aware by now).

So, as part of my latest reviews, I've been becoming increasingly interested in essential oils and their benefits!

My first serious project was to create a home fragrance that I could put on my desk to help me focus, concentrate, and feel a little bit more upbeat than I have lately.

*      *      *      *      *

I gathered all my materials:

- Small Jar: I found this diffuser set on clearance at Marshall's for $2.99!  It came with an oil in a separate container so I'm using this set for my own!

- Reeds: Mine came in the set I found on clearance, but you can find them either on Amazon, Pier 1 Imports, or likely any boutique that specializes in essential oils. ( I struck out at my local Target, as a side note).

- Lemon Essential Oil: this is supposed to relieve depression and anxiety, which is great for me!  I struggle with anxiety based depression, which tends to disrupt my ability to concentrate, stay on task, and be productive.  Since I received some for review, I figured, this would be the perfect place to start!

- Mineral Oil: simple baby oil helps to carry the solution up the reeds

- Alcohol: Either vodka or rubbing alcohol.

*      *      *      *      *

Then I Put Them Together:

- Mix 1/4 cup of Mineral Oil and 2 Tbsp. of Alcohol

- Add 1 1/2 Tbsp of Essential Oil

- Pour mixture into small jar and add reeds

Final Product:

Perfect for my desk! 

*      *      *      *     *

Care & Maintenance:

- Flip the Reeds every few days

- Refresh with more essential oils as needed

- Replace reeds when they become completely saturated with oil

I hope that you've enjoyed this little DIY post!  What other DIY projects would you like to read about here?

January's Free Scores and How You Can Get Freebies, Too!

I love scoring freebies, and I want you to know how I do it so that you can get great products for free too!

Magazines!

      

Through Hip2Save, I have gotten many magazine subscriptions for free!

Skin Care & Beauty Items!

    

I received free samples of L'Oreal Hair Care, Stetson Claliber, plus a really cool sticker & bracelet about ending fear of not having my phone through GetItFree.com!

   

Keeping my eyes peeled on Facebook, I found free samples for GlamGlow and Philosophy!  I even found a deal for a free rollerball of Harvey Prince fragrance; I only paid S&H!  (I did add the shampoo & conditioner for $1/each, though!)

I am totally stoked, because I scored these two freebies by being accepted into Secrets #clearlybetter challenge!  This is an opportunity extended to bloggers!  Yay!  I got noticed!

Remember those free magazines I mentioned earlier?  Well, some of them stash amazing samples + coupons inside!  Triple score!

Never underestimate the power of the Giveaway, my friends!  These little bad boys both came from giveaways!  One was from a blog that hosted a giveaway by Not Your Mother's.  The other was from Allure's December Giveaway (yes, those prizes can take forever to arrive; I didn't even know I had won anything until this arrived!)

Food!

I scored this really cool box of individual packs of honey crystals from Abe's Market Try For $2!

I've snagged my second freebie from Swaagable! Totally excited to get a free Runa Tea!

I hope you've enjoyed this month's free score post!  How do you hunt down deals and freebies?  I'd love to hear from you!

Lovely L'Occitane En Provence Holiday Box!

I have been wanting to try L'Occitane products for the longest time!  I always felt like they were a bit pricey for my grad student budget.  When they launched their Holiday L'OcciBox with a discount code that made it $15.00, I knew that it would make an easy Christmas present from hubby to me!

I refused to peak at all the goodies, so I made him order it.  Here are my thoughts on this delightful little box of treats!

Here's a picture of all the goodies!

Verdict: Yay! 

I would definitely recommend keeping your eyes open for another box of delights from L'Occitane!  It arrived in a beautiful box with products that every woman would love and actually use.  For $15.00 this box rocks!!

December's Free Haul!

Okay, Lovelies, I really love free stuff!  I know I've posted about my favorite spots to score freebies (here,here,& here), but in case you still aren't convinced, check out everything that arrived in my mail FOR FREE just this month!

Personal Care Items:

derma-e psorzema creme through Facebook Ad

Garnier Fructis Hair Oil from Veo

Dove Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Oil, and Gucci Samples for Him & Her through Hip2Save

Sample Box with Pantyliners, Razor, Advil, Advil PM, Caltrate Chews, and Coupon Book from Target

Sample of Shisheido Ultimate from my Allure Magazine!

Magazines:

Style Magazines through Hip2Save

Life Style Magazines through Hip2Save

Food Items:

Coupon for a Free "I Can't Believe Its Not Butter!" from Smiley360

Southern Breeze Tea Samples through GetItFree

Hemp Hearts from Swaggable

Miscellaneous:

Olay Moisturizing Body Wash, Gevalia Coffee & Wine Voucher from PinchMe

Water Testing Strip from Hip2Save

Me & Freebies/ Freebie Sites: All of these items I received for free by completing request forms.  I do not advocate using 'freebie' sites that require you to purchase anything.  The sites I recommend are legitimate freebie-finders. I have been freebie-hunting for about six months, and these are the most reliable sites on the internet I have found.  In all that time, I have found a few links to more questionable 'freebie' sites on GetItFree, but this is extremely rare.  

Laughing Scholar's Fabulously Frugal Gift Guide!

Alright, ladies & gents, it's that time of year again!  Is your budget stretching thinner than your gift list?  Are you just running out of ideas?  Here are some of my favorite internet finds that just might be what you're looking for to give to someone special while not breaking the bank!

All photos are linked to product pages for convenience!

From one of my new favorite sites: Tanga.com

               

Earrings with Swarovski Crystal Elements and 14K Gold Accents $15/ pair

              

LG Tone Pro HBS-750 Bluetooth Stereo Headset $45 / Brown 100% Cotton Fedora $5

I love Tanga!  They offer some truly wonderful products at steep discounts.  I've purchased a computer and a photography lightbox for myself.  I've also purchased a leather bracelet, fedora (pictured), and other items for my husband.   Everything is remarkably good quality, and Tanga has amazing customer service!

I think these jewelry items (or others that are on the site) have great value for their price, which should please even the pickiest gift-giver and receiver.  :-)  Ensure that your phone-addicted loved one is safe while driving by gifting this beautiful & practical hands-free set.  Finally, if you know someone who's dying for a Fedora, this hat is extremely good quality for the price.  My husband loves his.

If you are a Birchbox Member & you want to rack some points while getting some good gifts, I'd highly recommend these options:

       

 Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner $24/ Caudalie Winter Duo $12

         

Billy Jealousy Beard Envy Kit $25/ Quirky Wrapster (Set of 2) $7

I greatly enjoy racking up my Birchbox points while getting lovely items for friends.  I highly recommend the Winter Duo for friends in snow-country.  I wish I had had that in my purse while living in Chicago!  Benefit's Liner is a great splurge for that fashionista in your life.  I purchased the Beard Envy kit for a friend of mine, and he loves it!  Finally, my hubby was thrilled to find out that one of my BB orders came with one of these as a surprise for him; no more tangled headphone cords!

I wish you all the best of luck in your holiday shopping!  May the deals be plentiful, your budget delightfully long-lasting, and your gift list just right!

If you haven't signed up for Birchbox, and want to, I'd love it if you'd be willing to use my referral link! (Referrals make my world go round, and help me continue making posts!)

Participate in Comments!

Who are you giving to this holiday season?  Are you done with, in the midst of, or not yet begun your shopping?  How do you figure out what to give that one difficult-to-shop-for loved one?