How to Get High End Makeup For Cheap! (or even free!)

Hey guys, I am so excited to share three tips that have gotten me some very expensive makeup for cheap or free.  I am talking about brands like Too Faced, Tarte, and Urban Decay.  I have gotten a lot of these for $10 or less so I have paid less for this makeup than for similar makeup at the drugstore!
My first tip is to shop Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Ulta Beauty Steals sales on Ulta and Sephora.  I love checking out the Black Friday deals in particular because I can get kits with 3 products for $10.
My second tip is to shop at Nordstrom Rack.  I know that others have amazing luck at TJ Maxx and Marshall's as well but I always have the best luck at Nordstrom Rack.  They always have tons of high end makeup items marked way down.
My third tip is to get on brand's email lists.  They will occaisionally run campaigns where they will send out samples for free to promote a new product.  I recently got a new Urban Decay mascara sample for free! 
See everything I have gotten in the past and more information by watching my video on this on YouTube here.
Thanks so much for reading!

What is Self Care and Why is it so Important?

Welcome back to my blog!  I am excited to share something that is super important today.  Self Care is something that I think most of us don't fully understand and that we probably don't spend enough time on.
For years I thought self care was skincare and bubble baths and exercizing.  I recently learned and realized how much more it is and can be and how personal it is.  Self Care activities that help me feel my best might make you feel horrible and vice versa.
For me I have found that Self Care is things that fill my bucket and that make me fill happy and fulfilled and also activities that let me recharge my batteries.
Some of my favorite Self Care activities:

• spending time with a friend (preferably without a million interruptions from our children)
• going to a new restaraunt
• going out to a community event
• going on a hike or getting out in nature
• having some time to run errands by myself
• having nights off without an endless list of to-do's
• taking a long bubble bath and reading a book
• watching YouTube videos while folding laundry (without a million interruptions)

I have realized doing these types of activities help me feel happy, in control of my life and recharge me.

I'd love to hear about some of your favorite self care activities in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Head to Head Review: Dr. Brandt's Microdermabrasion vs. Perfectly Posh Whole Lava Love

Hey guys!  Welcome back to my blog!  I am super excited to share this head to head review with you today!  I am going to be comparing two face scrub products today.  
The first product is Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator and the second is Perfectly Posh's Whole Lava Love Volcanic Ash Exfoliator.  First of all I wanted to say that I really love both of these products!  But that being said I do have a favorite between the two of them.

The Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion product is a light yellow color with a super gritty consistency.  It scrubs so well and is perfect for a microdermabrasion product.  It also has a light lemongrass scent that I love.  This product scrubs well and leaves your skin baby soft.  It retails for $79 for 2 ounces at Sephora.
The Perfectly Posh Whole Lava Love is a black color and also a super gritty consistency.  It also scrubs super well and is also perfect for a microdermabrasion product.  It has a peppermint scent that I also love.  This product scrubs super well but it goes beyond that.  Whole Lava Love also contains charcoal and volcanic ash which help to remove dead skin cells, oil, bacteria, and impurities from your skin.  It retails for $19 for 2 ounces at Perfectly Posh.
I personally see more benefits for my skin after using Whole Lava Love.  The ingredients in it leave my skin absolutely glowing!  The Dr. Brandt's is still an amazing scrub that leaves my skin baby soft but something about it just doesn't clean or moisturize quite the way the Whole Lava Love scrub does.
I included a little bit more info and you can see the products side by side in my YouTube video linked here. Thanks for reading!

Deal Alert: Get Essie Nail Polish for $2!

Who is the Boss / Source 

Magnetic Collection / Source

Bell Bottom Blues / Source

Essie nail polish for $2!?  Yes, sign me up!!

I am so excited to share this deal with you!  This site also has lots of other makeup/beauty steals and their customer service is great!  

I ordered with them the first time a few months ago and had one item come broken (it was a small speaker in a set and I am sure it got to them broken too) and they were great about it.

They also offer free shipping when your purchase is over $25 and I have a $2 off for anyone who wants to get some awesome stuff!  You can use my referral link and get your $2 off and then share with friends and get another $2 off too.

If you are sitting there thinking, "okay, Jessica, give me the link already!  I'm in!"  Here it is :)  Just click here and you can get going.  They have so many other amazing things too!  

All nail swatches are from the amazing ThePolishAholic.com :)

Thanks so much for reading!  Happy Shopping!

D.I.Y. Shellac / Gel Nails Hack!

Sorry for my super long absence!  But I am back at it today with an amazing hack for you :)  I am so bad with my nails, my polish always chips off in the first day or 2.
If you are like me and you love having your nails painted but hate how quickly they chip then you have got to try this!
This doesn't take too long, the trick is thin layers and painting all nails with each coat then waiting a few minutes and doing all nails with the next coat.
Ready for the steps?
1 coat of base coat (I use Seche Vite) 1 coat of color 1 coat of Gelous 1 coat of color 1 coat of Gelous 1 coat Seche Vite Top Coat
I got all of my stuff from Sally Beauty Supply to do this and it has lasted me quite a while!  I use any color that I want to with the base, gel and top coat and it works so much better than regular polish and top coat. :) P.S.  Check out my Posh blog for a super easy one step pedicure!!  Seriously this is the ultimate lazy girl summer hack! P.P.S. Taking foot photos is so awkward!!  Sorry if these pics are super weird I just couldn't figure out how to take good ones. Thanks so much for reading!!