Hi everyone! Today I have a quick post with some of my awesome recent freebies.
This L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher was an unexpected treat! Cosmopolitan Magazine and L'Oreal randomly sent me this full-size product asking me to try it out and give feedback. How cool is that? I was really excited to receive this, since I had sampled this product awhile back and really liked it. You can read my review here.
This full-sized L'oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lipcolour was also from Cosmo Magazine and L'Oreal. They sent me an email asking if I'd be willing to try this lipgloss and fill out a survey about my experience. I really liked this product, so I will likely post a review soon!
When I requested this freebie, I thought it seemed a little too good to be true. So, I was really excited when it actually arrived! I got these Jockey Skimmies shorts for creating an account with Jockey. I love wearing dresses and skirts all summer, and I always wear cotton hot pants-type shorts under them. These are like an upgraded version of my usual shorts. The nude color is great and the fabric is like a slip, so there is no catching on dresses or skirts. These aren't shapewear, so they aren't tight and don't create any weird bulges. I highly recommend these to all my dress-loving readers!
I won this full-sized Suave Visible Glow Self-Tanning Body Lotion from a Suave Facebook giveaway. If you like their products, you should definitely friend them on Facebook, because they give away tons of free products and samples!
I got this NeilMed Sinus Rinse for reading a tutorial and taking a quiz on their site. It might not seem all that exciting, but this product is worth more than $10 and is a total lifesaver if you have sinus problems or allergies!
I got two sets of this Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo/Conditioner sample from different sample sites. (I think one was from Pinch Me, and the other was from Walmart.) This is the first time I remember trying Dove shampoo. I used the first set already, and I really liked it! It is a good inexpensive shampoo for fine hair.
This Dove deodorant sample was from Poshly.
These Olay and Herbal Essences body washes came from a P&G Sample Box, and an Orgullosa Box. If you like P&G products check out both the P&G site and their site for Latinas called Orgullosa. Both offer great sample packs!
Frizz Ease Styling product samples from John Frieda.
These are various small samples: Crest White strips, Suave Naturals, Ban cloths, Olay lotion.
So, what freebies and deals have you gotten lately?
Hi everyone! I recently bought these two pairs of sandals at Shoe Factory, a local Philadelphia shoe store.
These thick strapped gladiator sandals are right on-trend and were only $9.99!
My pictures do not do these shoes justice-they are so cute on!
Not only are these stylish, the material of the straps is straps is very soft and the shoes are really comfy.
These nude sandals were also $9.99. They are made of a soft microsuede fabric embellished with plastic studs. I like how they kind of blend into my feet, giving a very neutral and minimalist look.
I decided to write this post after I realized there was barely any information about Shoe Factory online! This is a local family-owned Philly store that I have been shopping at my whole life. So, I wanted to do a quick review on this awesome store.
Shoe factory is located in Northeast Philadelphia at Castor and Tyson Avenues. It is within walking distance of the Roosevelt Mall. You can check out their Facebook page here.
Shoe Factory sells discount women's shoes and some girls' sizes as well. The prices are really reasonable, with their shoes averaging about $15 full price. (Their winter boots tend to be more in the $30 range full price.) They also regularly mark down their merchandise throughout the season. Sometimes there are sales where the whole store is marked down. Many times, I have picked up some cute shoes there for $4-$7!
Their selection is really random. They offer shoes in every imaginable color and style. This store is a great place to check out if you need to match a certain outfit or want some sexy shoes for a night out or a formal event. They carry many fashion-forward and over-the-top styles. You can find anything from basic to attention-grabbing, flats to stilettos. Most of their shoes are unknown brands, or inexpensive brands like Bamboo, Qupid, or Classified. Occasionally, you might find a store brand like Charlotte Russe or Forever 21. As a size 5.5/6 I find the selection hit or miss. Often, they don't have my size, or the sizes run too big for me. My sister who is a 7.5/8 fares much better.
They only have one location, and the store is cramped with tables stacked with shoes. It is almost always crowded. When I can, I like to go on week nights when it is a little more quiet. There is not much space to walk or try on anything on, but I consider the less-then-perfect shopping experience a small price to pay for such a huge variety of cute and inexpensive shoes!
I also saw a number of bad reviews of Shoe Factory's customer service on store review sites. This has not been my experience, but I have witnessed moments of tension between staff and other customers while shopping there. I personally think that this stems from two things: Shoe Factory's bag-check policy, and their return policies. The staff asks that all larger bags are checked-including handbags! This is not a common store policy, so I think it leaves some shoppers feeling disgruntled. I consider it an inconvenience that I'm willing to accept in order to get a good deal, and I simply leave my handbag in the car if it is large. Also, Shoe Factory's return policy is very strict. I'm not sure of the details, because I don't do returns, but I think returns are only issued as store credit and many sales are final. These policies tend to annoy certain customers, but since Shoe Factory is a small privately owned store, it is the owners' prerogative, and being demanding and pushy will get you nowhere! I have been shopping there since I was a pre-teen and never had an issue with customer service.
Shoe Factory is one of my favorite places to shop for shoes, because there are so many great deals to be found. Just leave your big purse and your attitude at home, and try not to go on Saturday afternoon!
You can also check out a Shoe Factory review from PhillyDiva19154
I have gotten a lot of great freebies and bargains lately, so, it seems that I'm long over due for a freebies and bargain post.
Freebies
These cute little sandals from H&M were FREE! They are possibly one of my greatest bargain snags to date! Neshaminy Mall sent me an online survey that promised a $10 gift card, so I completed it and scored $10 free. At the mall, I was looking for some little summer sandals. These fit the bill, and were priced at $12.95. So, with my gift card, I expected to pay $3. Not a bad deal!
Oh but it gets better....
At the register, the sandals rang up $5 on clearance... AND all the clearance was buy one get one free!!! My sister got a little two-pack of panties as the BOGO deal. So, I got these sandals, panties for my sister, and still have $5 of free money on my card. How awesome is that???
I won these two chocolaty-brown Nicole for OPI polishes from a Dove chocolate giveaway on Facebook. The prize also included a coupon for a free Dove chocolate bar-yum!
Wet 'N Wild always offers $1-off coupons, making their 99 cents items FREE. I got these two colors free with coupons at CVS. If I keep getting these deals, pretty soon I'll own every color!
I won this full-sized Weleda Pomegranate lotion from their Facebook giveaway.
Free lotion samples that I requested by mail: Jergens BB Body, and Suave Moroccan Infusion.
A free sample of Pantene shampoo and conditioner.
Samples of John Frieda shampoo/conditioner and Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil.
I scored all of these for free in a "Start Sampling" box. I like medicine samples like the Tums and Breathe Right strips, because they are great to keep around in case someone in my house gets sick. Because of free samples, I have a little medicine stash in case of emergencies. I also got this Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser Sample, and best of all, a free Colgate tooth brush!
These are random samples. I grabbed a Gucci cologne sample for my BF, Burberry Brit and a body splash for me. The L'Oreal Pore Vanisher, Garnier 5 Second Blur, and Olay came in my free magazines-so double win there! I also got this Tide sample, and a coupon for a free full-sized bottle of Suave. I'm going to give the Suave to my BF.
Some vitamin samples...Zarbees natural allergy relief, Heliocare, and all the rest are from AI Sports Nutrition. I'm not sure if these AI Sports products are a sample pack or a giveaway, because it seems really generous for just a sample!
I also picked up some things for free with coupons at CVS. This Almay eye makeup remover was free with coupons and Extra Care Bucks. (Sorry, I used it before taking the pic!)
This Colgate Optic White toothpaste was free at CVS after Extra Care Bucks and coupons.
Bargains
This sporty white watch was just $2.50 on Ebay, including the shipping from China! It works great and looks really nice. It also comes in other bright colors.
I found these two skinny belts on sale at Charlotte Russe at Neshaminy Mall. They were $1.99 for both (so, less than $1 each!) and they are perfect for summer dresses and skater skirts.
I found this small cross-body handbag on Ebay. It was $4.50-and that's including shipping from China! Obviously, for just $4.50 it is not top-of-the-line quality, but it is a good-looking bag and perfect for the price. It almost resembles a small version of the Marc Jacobs Natasha Bag. It also comes in a variety colors. I've been pretty satisfied with inexpensive bags that I've purchased from China. So, if you need a certain color, shape, or style of handbag but don't want to pay a lot for something you won't wear often, Ebay is a great place to look.
So, have you scored any great freebies or bargains lately?
This is what I wore to see a couple of film festival movies yesterday. I also went out to eat and did a bit of shopping. This look worked really well since it was an artsy afternoon event and the weather was in between warm and cool.
Hi! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This is a look I wore out last night. The weather was beautiful, so I went and had dinner with some friends at a sidewalk cafe around my neighborhood.
I wore this pretty top from Forever 21. I paired it with the tan boots rather than the leopard pumps.
Instead of my Chanel Earrings, I decided to wear these fun spike earrings from Gemzstyle.com.
Hi everyone. Today I have a quick review of L'oreal's Youth Code Pore Vanisher. I received a free sample of this product from the company because I have an account at the L'Oreal website. So first, this is what the L'oreal website has to say about the product: What is Pore Vanisher™? Pore Vanisher™ is a fresh, airy cream that instantly minimizes the look of pores and shrinks actual pore size in 1 month.
How does it work? Pore Vanisher™ works on three dimensions to shrink pores: depth*, number and size. Instantly pores appear virtually vanished and skin feels hydrated. Perlite absorbs excess oil for an all-day, shine free, smooth finish. In one day LHA micro-exfoliates to visibly smooth skin’s surface.In one month pores begin to snap back into shape as our highest concentration of Perline-P strengthens and tightens pore walls to shrink actual pore size.
When Should I Use It? Apply as the last step in your skincare regimen, AM and PM. Can be used alone or under makeup.
Formula Essentials For all Skin Tones Universal Tint Suitable For Sensitive Skin Non-Comedogenic Now, what I have to say about Youth Code Pore Vanisher: I previously sampled L'oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur. (You can see my review for that here.) And I find this product to be VERY similar to Miracle Blur. L'Oreal Pore Vanisher and Miracle Blur are also similar to many of the other pore-minimizing creams out there, such as Benefit's Pore-fessional. I used the Pore Vanisher after my usual skincare routine of Missha Chocolate Latte face wash, and Missha Super Aqua toner and lotion. The texture of the Pore Vanisher cream is light and fluffy like a thick mousse. It is lightly tinted and goes on smooth, creamy, and transparent. The texture is really smooth and slightly moist. Because it is a bit moisturizing, Pore Vanisher is more suited for normal to dry skin. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with oily skin. So, on to the pore vanishing claims... I only used the Pore Vanisher twice, so I can't speak on the long-term pore minimizing claims that they make, but as far as pore coverage, this stuff is awesome! It reminded me very much of Miracle Blur, as it gave my skin the same soft and diffused look. It just really smoothed over any imperfections, and it looked almost like my skin had been Photoshopped! It also worked perfectly as a base for my usual BB cream. Overall, I loved this product and would highly recommend it! I use Benefit's Pore-fessional, and this might sound like blasphemy to the beauty gurus out there...but I would say that L'Oreal's Pore Vanisher and Miracle Blur are actually superior to Pore-fessional! They go on much smoother, in my opinion, and give a more obvious result. So, if you have normal to dry skin and are looking for a pore-minimizing cream, L'Oreal's Pore Vanisher is a really great product and a less expensive (and in my opinion, BETTER) alternative to Benefit's very popular Pore-fessional. So, have you tried any pore-minimizing products? If so, which did you try, and what did you think? ***UPDATE: I have been using a full-sized bottle of this product since about July and I still love it. However, I began to notice this week that the product is separating. There is a clear liquid that comes out with the makeup and the texture is just not the same. I feel it still works, so I haven't stopped using it. I checked it out online, and other women have reported similar experiences in blogs and reviews. So, while I still think Youth Code Pore Vanisher is a great product, you might want to consider the fact that it does not age well when deciding whether or not to invest in this product. ***Update #2: I continued to try to use this product for a few days after I noticed it was separating. However, each day, more and more clear liquid began pouring out when the tube was squeezed. Shaking the bottle made no difference. The water gushing out was really gross, the makeup's texture was totally different, and the product lost all its effectiveness. I finally just tossed it. I was bummed because I had gotten used to using a base with my BB. But since I received this product for free from L'Oreal via Cosmo magazine, it was no big loss. What bothers me is the fact that someone out there paid for Pore Vanisher and had to throw it away! And this product is not cheap as far as drugstore makeup goes. I no longer recommend this product! Most internet sources say face products can keep for about a year, so why is this stuff turning to disgusting watery mush after only about 6 months? Furthermore, who's to say if you buy this product it hasn't already turned bad before you even open it? I actually saw numerous reviews where women had that experience. I had some Benefit Porefessional for about 6 months with no problems. Moral of the story? You get what you pay for... Don't waste your money on this one.
