If we could sneap a peak into Rosie’s wildest dreams, they would be dreams of crunchies falling from Heaven…
Or perhaps plump chickens spiraling within a vortex in a colorful nebula.
Tabs, on the other hand, lived his dreams in real life…
He achieved greatness in all areas.
As foretold in the prophesies, he was the chosen one…
Marnie has dreams as well… 😂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
February 13, 2025
Ok, Ulta this is unexpected. I didn’t really think we’d see a sale at Ulta till end of month at least but here we are with not one but two coupons! Get $10 off $50 with code UBLOVE10 or $20 off $100 with code UBLOVE20. It works on prestige and fragrance yay!
Also, don’t forget you can buy 1 beauty mini and get 1 free! There are literally hundreds to choose from! Plus spend $70 and choose from three different 15 Piece Valentine’s Day Beauty Bags!
Enjoy!
Nordstrom
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February 12, 2025
Wakey, wakey if you’ve been waiting for a deal on KVD Beauty Good Apple Lightweight Full-Coverage Cream Foundation Balm here’s your chance to grab it! The normal retail is $42 but it’s now $10 bucks and a little change at kohls.com!
Enjoy!
Kohl’s
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Treat your skin to much needed pampering and at an affordable price! Select Dr Jart Rubber Masks are $11 each at Kohl’s! Choose from the Dr. Jart Cryo Rubber Soothing Face Mask for moisture and reduce the look of redness, the Rubber Face Mask with Hyaluronic Acid to plump, hydrate, and retain moisture, or the Cryo Rubber Firming Face Mask that plumps skin with moisture to reduce the look of dry lines while cooling skin.
Enjoy!
Kohl’s
Being Frenshe Moisture Leave-in Conditioner Spray in Cashmere Vanilla ($14.99) is one of several new haircare products launched to the permanent line of Frenshe products available at Target for Spring 2025. On the original launch Being Frenshe was solely a body collection of products that included lotion, body mists, and other bath and body items. But for Spring 2025, the brand has launched an entire array of haircare items that includes shampoos, hair masks, conditioners, hair oils, and more. The best part of the collection is the fact they are scented like some of the original fragrances from the bath and body collection like Cashmere Vanilla and Lavender Cloud!
I haven’t had time for a Target run lately but I did manage to score the Being Frenshe Moisture Leave-in Conditioner Spray during a recent order I placed online for home delivery. I was actually shopping for some storage boxes and I needed something to tip me into the free shipping zone which is how this ended up in my cart. It was $14.99 for a 6 oz bottle which was the perfect way to get me my free shipping. That and the fact I really love the Being Frenshe Vanilla Cashmere fragrance made the purchase a no brainer!
This was formula was fantastic but the fragrance was disappointing as hell. According to Frenshe the Vanilla Cashhere scent has notes of jasmine rice, warm amber, creamy musk and vanilla. I wouldn’t call it a vanilla gourmand and to my nose I get a warm creamy vanilla with some woodsy in the background. It’s a very soothing, comforting scent. However, the scent didn’t translate well to the leave-in conditioner in my opinion. I actually didn’t smell much of anything at all. I’ve used this a few times since purchasing it and I fail to pick up much of a scent. It’s very, very faint. I’ve read several reviews and the main compliant was the nozzle on the bottle but outside of that everyone really liked it. I guess it’s just me? But I honestly couldn’t smell much of anything.
That being said I loved the formula and the nozzle didn’t bother me. Why is everyone ranting about the nozzle? This comes in a major stream of spray. It really shoots out with a lot of force. It’s not a fine mist at all! I didn’t mind this at all but I can see how some folks wouldn’t like it.
The formula itself is awesome particularly if you have drier, longer, wavy, or curly hair. It let’s you slice through tangles and knots like butter! It really does a great job taming tangles and makes my hair quite soft not to mention seems to tame a little of my fizziness as well.
Leave-In Conditioner is part of my daily hair routine and I really enjoyed this formula. I can see myself repurchasing it in the future. I’m pretty sad it wasn’t as scented as I had hoped but formula-wise it did a great job taming my hair!
Being Frenshe Moisture Leave-in Conditioner Spray is available now at Target.
Target
Time for a review and swatches of the new Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duo ($42). Anyone try these yet? Natasha Hy-Blush is a new Spring 2025 hybrid blush formula that’s available in six shade selections. This formula contains two thin cream blushes one of which is a highlighter shade that promise a natural flush of color in a weightless formula that has a second skin feel. The formula contains moisturizing ingreidents like vegan squalene and sunflower wax which act to provide natural hydration.
A long time ago in a land not so far away we used to have the stunning Natasha Denona Diamond & Blush Palettes and later on launches like the Bloom Blush & Glow Palette. I feel like the idea of these new Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duos are pretty much identical to the cream blushes in those palettes. The main difference is we aren’t getting a powder in this new duo. Natasha loves pairing up a cream highlighter-like blush and powder together in a lot of her face and cheek palettes. This time around we’re getting two cream blushes. I realize at $42 each these weren’t exactly a cheap thrill and I didn’t technically need them as I do have my beloved Bloom Blush & Glow Palette which I can essentially produce the same look using as I could with this duo. But I was tempted anyway to grab one shade. I can see myself purchasing more of them if they go on sale but not at full-price only because they can be a little difficult to work with.
Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duo arrived in a small hot pink metallic plastic case with a nicely sized mirror inside. The total size of the palette is 0.35 oz in size and $42 each shade. Each shade has its own well well but there is no protective plastic over each shade. Normally she does double seal the cream blushes but that’s only because they are housed with powders. In this case, there is no need for that extra protection.
I selected the shade Flirty Flush which contains a gold coral highlighter shade and a golden candy pink blush. This is such a me shade! I absolutely love this color duo! It’s stunning and it looks so fresh and pretty on cheeks. I will say it’s pigmented as hell so a little goes a very long way!
According to Natasha’s website these can be applied in two ways. They recommend a dense face brush (I don’t but I’ll explain more below), makeup sponge, or finger to apply the cream blush onto the apples of the cheeks. For the lift you’ll want to use the lighter highlighter shades on the points of your cheeks. They have another application recommendation which is the one I use and that’s blending the two shades together and sweeping onto cheeks. I also, use the shades individually on the apples of my cheeks as both are very pigmented so either will work alone as a blush.
The formula is cream and has a very thin texture. I do appreciate how thin they are as if they were super creamy and thicker you’d likely end up with major clown cheeks. But the thinness is also an issue as they feel almost dry and are super difficult to blend. I wanna say I’m really dry right now and that’s what’s causing the issue but nope, they are just a very frustrating formula to blend. I wouldn’t recommend a dense brush nor fingers for application. I’d go for a softer brush, something fiber with longer bristles. I feel like I can sweep the blush on when using a softer brush and I can build up easily without overdoing things. If I use a dense brush it feels like they set too quickly and I ended up with a blotchy, patchy finish. As soon as they hit skin it feels like they just settle on that area and refuse to move. There is a rather steep learning curve for application. I’ve heard them described as “ultra creamy” by Wayne Goss and I was shocked to hear him say that as I felt they were drier almost like a cream-to-powder formula with an instant set and no blending time.
Yes, the application is a pain in the ass. But after learning how to apply it correctly I can’t deny it looks super pretty on my cheeks not to mention very smooth and skin-like. It just melts right in so it isn’t clinging to drier areas or looking cakey. It lays completely flat and smooth on skin and almost airbrushed-like. And the wear? Crazy! It doesn’t budge, move, or fade. Even the beautiful glow lasts for hours and hours.
Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Swatches (Flirty Flush)
As much I loved the look I could get from the Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duo I couldn’t truthfully recommend you run out and buy them. I think they may be nice item to have if you can get them on sale but not at full-price. The application and blending is a chore which makes me give them a lower rating. Beautiful, yes but easy to use? No.
Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duos are a blush you really have to swatch and play with in stores before you commit to purchasing one. I can see myself getting more shades but only if I get some sort of great coupon or sale price.
Anyone try Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duos?
Sephora Ulta
Natasha Denona Hy-Blush ($42) is a new six shade cream blush and highlighter available in six shades for $42 each. These blushes are a thin cream formula that are best applied using a fiber blush brush with softer bristles. They can be very challenging to apply and I find they set almost instantly on my skin making for patchy application. Both shades are very pigmented and a little goes a very long way. Once you do finally master application the blush gives a very beautiful second-skin finish with a gorgeous glow. They wear incredibly long without losing intensity or the glow. Unfortunately, the challenging application made them a little bit of a fail.
Natasha Denona Hy-Blush is a great pick for true makeup artists as they’ll know the best way to apply this.
April is around the corner and that means the Sephora Spring Savings Event 2025 should be coming shortly. I’m happy to report that there are tons of new makeup and beauty items I’d like to try but none are tempting enough to not wait for a sale. I can be patient and wait for the next good sale. I have an Ulta $20 off $100 but nothing has caught my eye enough to use it.
I will say I did buy FOUR things at Sephora this week which I wasn’t willing to wait for and that sadly, Ulta doesn’t carry! I wish Ulta had them as I have a slew of points to use up. That being said, I really wanted these items. Did I need them? No. Did I want them? Yes.
Here’s what’s in my latest haul!
I’m gonna say it. I have to say it. The 100% skincare claims are killing me! KILLING ME! It’s the buzz sentence of the moment on Tiktok about the new Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush Brightening Serum Blush! Do I believe blush has skincare benefits? Not really. But I still wanted to try these out not because of the “skincare” claims but because they actually look really nice and the idea of a moisturizing, natural flush of color when my skin is so dry from the harsh Winter sounds like a great plan to me! Their surprisingly priced as well at $25. With the way things are going up lately you’d think these would have a $45 ticket price!
When it comes to Laneige lip anything I’m weak! I ended up hauling one of the new Laneige Glaze Craze Tinted Polypeptide Lip Serum because they look delightful! It looks like the formula is a lot more creamier and glossy than the Glow Balm. I’m pretty sure they want to capture the success of Summer Fridays Lip Butter. My dry lips are going to love these I think!
It’s not secret I love light, natural coverage. I’m really into all these skin tints that are dropping lately. We seem to be headed deeper and deeper into the clean girl makeup era and I’m here for it. MAKE UP FOR EVER Super Boost Lightweight Moisturizing Skin Tint with Hyaluronic and Polyglutamic Acids had me at hello! This new hydrating can be applied sheer or built up to medium coverage that leaves a radiant.
Judge me if you must be I did end up picking up Yves Saint Laurent Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush in Restless Rose! I saw some Tiktoks of the shade and it’s more gorgeous than the promo images! I think I’m going to really, really love this shade!
What’s your latest beauty haul looking like or are you on a shopping ban? Do share!
Heads up! KVD Beauty is starting to pop at physical Ulta stores for 75% off! What’s going on? Is KVD Beauty leaving Ulta? Is KVD Beauty going out of business? I doubt they’re going out of business (they still have a little life left in them I think) but there is a possibility they are leaving Ulta or perhaps just Ulta stores.
As you know the company was founded by Kat Von D in 2009 and the star product of the brand was the Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer. Kat even did an entire spread with Sephora showing how Tattoo Concealer easily concealed her tattoos. This was before Tarte Shape Tape Concealer and all the other super pigmented concealers we had. The brand is a pioneer when it comes to create super pigmented foundation and concealer products.
Since that time the Kat Von D sold the brand to Kendo in beauty. Believe it or not this was a rather short time ago in 2020. The rebrand dropped Kat’s name but kept her initials which stands for “Kindness, Vegan Beauty, and Discovery (and Doing Good)”.
I personally don’t think the brand did as well as when Kat’s name was attached to it. They had some viral moments with some of the products like the Good Apple Foundation. It did so well many of the shades sold out and were out of stock for a month or so!
I’m wondering how much life KVD Beauty has left in it. They haven’t really released anything in a while. I do think they have some life left in them but who knows for how long and now with Ulta discounting products one wonders where things are headed.
As of now all products are showing in stock and full-price at Ulta but keep an eye as maybe, like stores, they’ll go on sale too. If KVD Beauty disappears will you miss the brand?
Ulta
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So…what is the Monday Poll?
Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).
Crab, but it can’t be imitation, and it has to be fresh.
Both are equally as challenging for this very out-of-shape lady at the moment. LOL! (Been a rough 12 months.) I’ll pick yoga; I could use a good stretch.
When my phone brings up baby photos of Connor or old photos of Tabs before he got sick. My heart swells up every single time.
Nothing at the moment, boo. I need a good one. Got anything to suggest? I would like something not too heavy or scary.
I wish I would’ve said no to almost everyone who asked me out when I was a teenager and in my early 20s. I realize now that when I was that age, I didn’t know how to say no to people when they asked me things which made me uncomfortable, so I often ended up in relationships which I didn’t want to be in. I was very much a people pleaser until recently. Better late than never, I guess.
I know spring’s just around the corner when the white cherry blossoms in my neighborhood bloom. Can’t wait! I love spring much more than I used to when I was younger. I think it’s the sense of rebirth and the world coming to life again.
An air fryer that doesn’t take up a lot of space on my kitchen counter that’s easy to use and not hideous to look at.
I bought a beautiful bronze pencil from MAC a couple weeks ago, Skip the Waitlist. It’s a twist-up gel liner, aka my favorite thing in the whole wide world.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.
1. Shrimp or crab?
2. Yoga or pilates?
3. Something that makes you feel sentimental?
4. What book are you reading at the moment?
5. Something you wish you said no to sooner?
6. What’s one of the first signs of spring where you live?
7. A gadget that you’d like?
8. What liner are you wearing these days?
It’s the Super Bowl!
As you know, before Tabs rocked the world by reinventing kitty supermodeling, he entertained millions as a professional cat football player. In fact, he won the Kitty Bowl a record eight times, making him more accomplished than even Tom Brady.
Yes, Tabs was quite the cat athlete.
Today’s game starts in a few minutes, and while Tabs is no longer here to watch the game with me, I’m sure he’ll be watching from up above.
This happens to also be the last Sunday before Valentine’s.
Marnie and Rosie are both more interested in that aspect of the day than the football.
I can appreciate that. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S.