Friday, March 14, 2025

ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY: WEEK 2 PICKS


Week 2 of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty kicks off today, March 14th! In case you missed the sale details, every year Ulta hosts a three week long sale event with tons of higher-end beauty products on major sale. The products and brands vary within makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance and are all 50% off of their regular retail price. The only kicker is that the items change daily so sale prices for each item is only valid for one day only. You can shop both in-store or online at Ulta.com!

PS-- Sephora is also offering the same 50% off deals on the same items they also carry + some of their own sale picks! I will link the item's on their site below or you can shop here. I've also seen a few of the deal price matched here on Amazon too! 

Last week I shared my top picks for Week 1 of the sale- I'll link that post here just in case you want a little more info on the sale or are curious about what was on sale last week. I've been trying not to go too crazy but with prices this good, there are a few things I just can't resist! Would you want to see a haul of everything I've bought once the sale is over? Let me know! 

Let's get in to my Week 2 sale picks. All of my picks are the items that I'm the most interested in purchasing or are tried-and-true products that I love + would recommend. Over the years I've seen them included some of the same items over the years so it can be a good time to stock up on favorites as well as try out new products! 

**One last thing-- if you're shopping online, make sure you earn some extra cash back with Rakuten!! I always plug them (not sponsored- I just love it and have been using it for years) because if you're not shopping with Rakuten, you're leaving extra money on the table. It's a free cash back "hosting" site where you can shop thousands of retailers and earn cash back on your purchases. I just looked at my own account and since signing up in 2012, I've earned over $1,100 by shopping through Rakuten! I tend to use it the most for places like Ulta, Sephora, Target, Nordstrom, etc. They have pretty much any national retailer you can think of and most places offer at least 1-2% cash back always, however you can sometimes earn up to 10-20% back! It definitely adds up over time and I use it every time I shop online.

Once again, *not sponsored* or obligated to share, however I do have a referral code if you want to sign up! If you use my code, after spending your first $30 through Rakuten (can be on any retailer), we'll both earn an additional $30 of cash back! I'll link my referral here if you want to sign up :)** 

ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY SALE PICKS: WEEK 2

Live Tinted Huestick Color Correctors (Monday, March 17th; $13 sale price, regular $26)

+ Peace Out Acne Redness Mist (Sunday, March 16th; $14 sale price, regular $28)  

Lancôme Lash Idôle Lash-Lifting Volumizing Mascara (Friday, March 14th; $15 sale priceregular $30) 

Nudestix Nudies Bloom/Matte/Glow Sticks (Monday, March 17th; $12-$17.50 sale price, regular $24-$35)  

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream (Friday, March 14th; $19.50-$35 sale price, regular $39-$70)

Dermalogica Daily Milkfoliant (Saturday, March 15th; $34 sale price, regular $68)  

OUAI Anti Frizz Creme (Saturday, March 15th; $14 sale price, regular $28)  

+ Bumble & Bumble Dryspun Texture Sprays (Friday, March 14th; $18.50 sale price, regular $37)  

-SHOP THE SALE ON SEPHORA HERE-

Do you have your eye on anything from the sale?

I love sharing my picks with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

HEALTHY GROCERY HAUL | 3.12.25


Okay we're back on this lovely Wednesday with another semi-healthy focused grocery haul. I'm always the first to admit when I fall off the wagon which unfortunately happens all too often... after my birthday week and Valentine's Day, it was pretty much balls to the walls on eating everything I wanted. This week we're getting back on some disciplinary action and like with most things, ya gotta put your money where your mouth is (quite literally in this case, no??). Hehe- jokes aside, not having healthy food options at home is pretty much a recipe for disaster with clean eating. I was stuck in this endless cycle of "I'm getting back on the healthy train tomorrow" which just kept going and going and going. I kept thinking WHY can't I get out of this and then I realized like with everything else, spending money would solve all of my problems.

Lol- in reality I *should* be saving by eating at home versus ordering takeout but my grocery bills might beg to differ on that, these prices are still wacky as hell. It isssss what it isssss (and it's not good!!) -lol.

Okay this is kind of a recap of where I started in January but sticking to what works, works! As of now, I've learned I have to keep breakfast and lunch easy peasy if I'm going to eat healthier at home. I bought some eggs to try and kick my current Starbucks habit but keeping it totally real- I'm not too motivated on giving that up just yet. I can moderate my calories pretty well, plus it's something I look forward to that helps get me out the door in the mornings. They've also ruined me with the convenience of mobile ordering- I order as I'm leaving the house and by the time I arrive, it's always waiting on the counter for me. Consciously I know I need to dial it back a bit so maybe I'll aim to replace 1-2 of the days with eating at home. 

The lunch plan that works for me is some type of deli meat + cheese with greek yogurt. It seems to be the easiest meal for me to get higher protein in with lower calories. I'm pretty sure I recapped all of this in my last grocery haul but I like to do the Oikos Greek Yogurt with some variation of meat/cheese roll-ups or a wrap/sandwich. I love these Hero Tortillas or this Hero Seeded Bread for that! Worth the splurge- great nutrition/ingredients + yummy.

We love a protein/potato/veggie dinner but I actually had some new ideas for this week. I found a Baked Mozzarella Tomato Chicken recipe that I want to try out so I grabbed the essentials for it and originally planned to also try the viral TikTok ground beef/sweet potato bowl (it's ground beef cooked with taco seasoning, cubed sweet potatoes, cottage cheese, avo + hot honey on top!), however it's getting pushed to the future. I ordered a new bottle of Mike's which hasn't come yet and they were sold out of cottage cheese so TBD on that. I also ended up finding chicken drumsticks on sale so we love an improv. I'll probably use my fave Greek seasoning for them- it's so easy and is great on chicken with a little lemon and EVOO. 

Everyone did us a solid this week by putting all of the Yasso items on BOGO which I can never pass up and then you've always got a few stragglers, ya know? Mine this week is the Catalina Crunch Snack Mix (on BOGO at Publix!) plus two different breads which is rando, lol. 

DAIRY
+ Mozzarella Cheese
+ Smoked Gouda Cheese   
+ President Salted Butter 

PRODUCE
+ Brussel Sprouts 
Honeycrisp Apples 
Sweet Potato
+ Red/Orange Bell Peppers
+ Diced Red Onion 
+ Cherry Tomatoes 
+ Avocado 

PROTEIN
Chicken Breasts
Chicken Drumsticks 
+ Eggs 
+ Hickory Smoked Deli Turkey 

GRAINS/BREAD
+ Rustik Oven Hearty Grains & Seed Bread
+ Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal Bread 

MISC:
Yasso Sea Salt Caramel Bars
Yasso Cookies & Cream Bars
+ Yasso Sea Salt Caramel Poppables 
+ Catalina Crunch Cheddar Snack Mix 
+ Spices: Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika & Sesame Seeds

What are you shopping for this week? 

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

Monday, March 10, 2025

WHAT'S IN MY AMAZON CART | 3.10.25



I love sharing my picks with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

Friday, March 7, 2025

ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY: WEEK 1 PICKS


It's time for the first annual 21 Days of Beauty Sale at Ulta of 2025. Ulta offer's this event a few times each year with tons of amazing deals. It's a three week long event with daily "beauty steals" that are 50% off of the regular price for that day only. All items are from higher-end brands within the makeup, skincare, haircare + fragrance categories. Because these items usually have more moderate to higher end price points, the savings are incredible! It's a great time to stock up on favorite products or to try out something new. I always shop the sale + cover it here on the blog with all of my favorite picks! 

These are the items I either already own and love or that I have on my list to purchase.

-THE FULL SALE 411-

+ The sale is a 21 day event starting on Friday, March 7th - Thursday, March 27th 

+ Items change daily so each sale item and discount is valid for one day only when featured

+ Items can be purchased in-store or online for shipping/free store pickup at your local ULTA Beauty (PS-- Sephora also offers the same daily deals on their site on the products that they carry; if there is an item on sale at Ulta that they do not carry at Sephora, they usually will offer a different item/brand that is comparable)

+ Diamond & Platinum Ulta Rewards members get free shipping on all deals (if you aren't Diamond/Platinum, you have to spend $35 to get free shipping or can do free store pickup!) 

+ If you're shopping online, make sure you use Rakuten to earn some extra cash back! It's 100% legit, free + easy to use. If you've never signed up, my referral code will give you a $30 bonus after your first purchase of $30 or more (can be earned anywhere through Rakuten but a great offer to take advantage of now if you plan to shop the Ulta sale!) 

Alright, I think that's all of the highlights and nitty gritty on the sale. This post is all of my picks from Week 1 of the sale. Be sure to check back next week and the following after for my Week 2 + 3 sale picks!

ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY SALE PICKS: WEEK 1

+ Snif Coco Shimmy Fragrance (Sunday, March 9th; $32.50 sale price, regular $65)

+ Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (Saturday, March 8th; $22 sale price, regular $44)  

+ Kopari Beauty Kaanapali Coast Hair & Body Mist (Sunday, March 9th; $14.50 sale price, regular $29)  

+ Live Tinted Huegard Skin Tint SPF 50 (Sunday, March 9th; $21 sale price, regular $42)  

+ Kiehl's Creme de Corps Body Butter (Tuesday, March 11th; $24.50 sale price, regular $49)  

+ Fenty Gloss Bomb Lip Plumper (Saturday, March 8th; $11.50 sale price, regular $23)  

+ NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush (Friday, March 7th; $16 sale price, regular $32)  

+ Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (Saturday, March 8th; $18 sale price, regular $36)  

+ Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Eye Patches (Thursday, March 13th; $37.50 sale price, regular $75)  

-SHOP THE SALE ON SEPHORA HERE-

Do you have your eye on anything from the sale?

I love sharing my picks with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

MARCH BOOK HAUL


In the spirit of sticking with my yearly reading goal and fueling my ongoing shopping addiction, I have a lil' March Book Haul for you! I spent a some time researching romance books on the TikTok and ordered all of the ones that were repeatedly recommended. A good romance always seems to pull me out of slumps and helps to jump start the reading flow. I'm especially excited about today's haul too because there's a good mix of genres within the romance category. 

Starting with what I'm currently reading is Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy. This one I would categorize in the regular contemporary romance genre with some friends to lovers/love triangle vibes. It's the classic "girl loves her brother's best friend" tale except he breaks her heart to let new boy to swoop in, lol. I'm only a few chapters in on this one so not too much to share yet but from the get go, I'm already team new man. I also hate to say it but it feels just a bit strange now reading college age romances? I don't think it's so much the age as it is the behavior and activity. I'm liking Say You Swear so far but I'm definitely not in my party gal era. I'm also still scarred from After which I FINALLY finished, praise the Lord. We have a history, ya'll. The ending piqued my interest enough to where I *almost* considered starting the sequel but I just couldn't do it. Maybe another time, eh? 

I just might be the most excited for Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli. This is a fantasy romance and the plot sounds so good! It's an enemies to lover vibe but very different from anything I've ever read. I've always been a fantasy gal so I'm looking forward to diving into a new narrative. The sequel Rebel Witch also just came out in February. 

I've also been dying to read Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton. This one I've had on my TBR list for a few years now but it also comes highly recommended. It's a dark romance but all I know is that there are stalker vibes, lol. I use to be really excited for this one but after starting (and *pausing* lol) Credence, I have a different view on dark romance. I can get down with a little bit but I had to take a chill pill on it, ya'll. I always like to go in with a blind eye but that can definitely knock ya on your a** sometimes! 

Okay, let's talk about Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann. This is another contemporary romance but the synopsis has a drama/thriller vibe. I've also never read anything quite like this either and I always like a unique plot, especially in a romance. A lot of them can have similarities but from what I've heard, this one is pretty noteworthy. 

Last on my list is Flawless by Elsie Silver. I actually kept seeing lots of her books pop up- Ms. Popular! The most frequent flyer by far was Flawless which is apart of the Chestnut Springs series. This one has western vibes and The Longest Ride (one of my favorites) written all over it! I believe there are 4-5 other books in this series so if I like it, it'll be a fun one to keep reading! 

What are you reading right now? 

**SHOP THIS POST + MY ENTIRE READING LIST HERE** 

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :) 

Monday, March 3, 2025

WHAT I WANT | MARCH

Leather Pointed Toe Mules // Striped Button-up // Purple Gel Nail Polish // Sculpting Face Palette // Makeup Bag // Makeup Remover Wipes // Blue Gel Nail Polish // Baggy Jeans // Dual-Ended Sculpting Brush 

-SHOP THE POST-

*SHOP THIS POST + ALL OF MY WANTS HERE*

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)  

Friday, February 28, 2025

NEW AT SEPHORA


-SHOP THE POST-

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)