Aloha, amiga! We’re back from Hawaii. Today was the first day I haven’t been surrounded by my family in almost two weeks, and ya know…’twas a little weird. Maybe even a little lonely.
So, naturally, the first place I went for emotional comfort was Ulta. ?
Girl, I know you do the same thing. ? Some days it’s just nice to browse and be out around other beauty lovers.
Some good sales going on right now, like this one on Sun Bum, one of my favorite sunscreens at the moment. The entire line is buy one, get one for 40% off. I was sorely tempted to get backup bottles of my favorite SPF 70 lotion and spray, but I’m well-stocked up at the moment, so I passed.
By the way, I used both the Sun Bum 70 lotion and spray in Hawaii all last week, and they rocked once again. I usually tan merely by walking to/from my car to the house on a sunny day, but I barely picked up any color on this trip, which NEVER happens, ever.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I’m really, really happy with this line. If you decide to try it, definitely wait for a sale, because it seems to go on sale a lot, at least at Ulta.
Neutrogena skin and sun care items are also on sale (also buy one, get one 40% off). If you like quickly absorbing sunscreens that don’t leave a behind a sticky film, Invisible Defense Lotion SPF 60+ is the way to go. Totally worth buying two bottles.
Interestingly…while I was browsing, I also ran into a new-to-me brand called Peach Slices with three products called Snail Rescue…
Yes, each item contains 95% snail concentrate. ? Um…gross, and wow?
It caught my eye because, I mean, Snail Rescue? Also, while we were in Hawaii, I saw this ginormous snail on one of my morning walks.
That’s my slipper next to it for scale, and I wear a size 7, so it was a fairly massive snail. So crazy!
I’ve never used any skin care products with snail ingredients in them (that sounds so weird)… I like to keep an open mind, but I don’t know if I’ll “go there,” especially not while that giant Hawaiian snail I saw on the side of the road is still fresh in my mind.
I mean, it was almost as big as my foot! ?
Also on the walk with the snail sighting, I ran into another interesting item — a patrol car celebrating the female rear end.
Say hello to The Booty Patrol Car. Side note: Hawaii has the weirdest cars, man.
It has a siren on it and everything!
Goodness gracious, I have so many questions… First of all, who is the driver, and do they ever turn on the siren? Assuming they do, is it only used when they spot “booties of note” passing them by? Also, when they turn on the siren, what exactly do they expect to happen? Because if I had a big, juicy butt, I would NOT get into a car marked “Booty Patrol.” NO WAY. ?
Everything about this car cracks me up, but the oversized peach stickers are particularly amusing to me.
Oh, and speaking of peaches, I’m deeply intrigued by this Peach Pudding Makeup Cleanser, which is also from the same brand that makes the snail stuff.
I may have to buy it eventually just to touch it.
Additional sales of note: there’s a free two-piece gift with any $28 Briogeo purchase (I highly recommend the Don’t Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Mask because it deeply moisturizes without weighing strands down), and Real Techniques is BOGO at 50% off (I bought the brush set years ago and still use and love it).
When you get a chance, please pop in and say hi. I’d love to hear from you. Let me know how you’re doing.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Welcome home! It sounds like you had a wonderful time.
I just ran into Ulta yesterday and picked up one of the new Laura Mercier Rose Glow Collection Caviar Sticks in Wild Rose. I believe it is the palest one with a bot of shimmer. It is very light on my lids but I like that and it would be a great topper shade with Au Naturel. I also got the Neutrogena Invisible Defense Lotion. The color and the scent remind me of canteloupe. It is my second tube. Going to spend the afternoon through tomorrow at the Jersey Shore.
Be well!
HI! I have a few sticks from that collection and plan to wear them this week! Did you get the chance to look at any of the LM blushes? They are SO good!
Have fun at the Jersey Shore and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen. 🙂
? that snail is awesome! I’ve used products with snail mucin before and if you can get past the ick factor they are really good for dry skin and acne prone skin 🙂 peach slices I think is the brand from peach and lily the k beauty site? I think they’re pretty good for what it’s worth 🙂
Hi Laura,
I have both dry and acne-prone skin! I’m so curious, but I don’t know if I could deal with anything too slimy. What brand/product did you use and like?
Re: snails. We went to a beach last week and Connor found an empty shell near some plants. She assumed the shell was from the ocean, so she picked it up and we brought it home to California. Thing is, it looks EXACTLY like the giant snail’s shell, and so I’m pretty sure it once housed a monster snail! El Hub and I have sworn to keep the beautiful snail shell secret until she figures it out for herself, LOL!
Hi! If it’s a good formulation it will feel just like a moisturizer. I used the missha products. The super aqua cel renew snail cream was nice. But you can ease in with snail gel eye patches which are under eye masks. I used to get some at cvs which were really good but I can’t find them on their site right now. I’ll post if I see them in store! Good idea about the snail shell. That is adorable tho!!’
I’ve used a couple Missa items in the past and liked them. The under-eye patches sound like a GREAT idea! I’m going to try to build up my courage, hahaha.
Hope you’re having a wonderful Wednesday. Today is my wedding anniversary (15 years), so I’m looking forward to going out to an anniversary dinner tonight with the hubs and Connor!
Lol! I’m curious to know what you think! Happy anniversary!! I hope you have a wonderful celebration! ?
Thank you, Laura! Have a great rest of your week!
I’ve used a snail product from CosRX before, but did not really notice any benefits from it.
Hi Ash,
Ooh, thanks for weighing in (I know a lot of people love CosRX).
I’m curious to know if it felt slimy? That’s one major thing that keeps me away from snail-related products.
Of course I had to look up Booty Patrol’s insta because your pics cracked me up! I still have a few questions but it looks all in good fun LOL.
Oh, totally! They look like a fun crew. Coincidentally I have good friend from a previous job who 1) loves old police cars and 2) booties, so of course I had to send him the pics. He said that the booty patrol car is his spirit animal.
P.S. I really do wonder if they ever turn on the siren, HAHAHA!
So, I’m wondering if the siren for the Booty Patrol car is actually a clip of the Sir Mix A Lot song? It would be fitting!
Yeah, if they did the opening bars of the song?! That would actually be pretty dope. I might even let them pull me over, HA HA HA!
I’m sorry you’re missing your family already. It must have been so nice to visit with them. And in Hawaii no less!
Dear Husband and I have saying between us. The hardware store is his Sephora and Sephora is my hardware store. Lol. No Ulta’s nearby.
I need to try to find that new Neutrogena SPF. It looks intriguing. That is, if it dries down non-sticky and non-shiny. And behaves well under makeup, should I decide I’m in the mood for it.
I have a set of travel size Real Technique brushes that I just use when I’m on trips. Saves room in my makeup bag and luggage. And I don’t feel guilty or deeply pained it one gets lost or trashed, like I know I would if something happened to one of my handmade, Japanese brushes.
Welcome home. Thanks for posting all the beautiful photos of Hawaii. It was nice living vicariously through your photos for a while.
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked seeing the pictures. My parents have another trip planned in September, and if it works out, we’ll be back for a few days and I’ll take even more pics! I miss so much about it already — how the air feels on my skin, the vibe and most of all the ocean. El Hub has been trying to get me to move there for the last 15 years, and I think I might just be ready to give in.
How has your day been? The weather has been AMAZING up here, by the way. Not too hot but still nice enough to go outside in shorts and a tee.
I went to Ulta over the weekend to get my birthday gift. I picked up the Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion spray, a mini of a Ouidad Climate Control hair gel (seems good so far, better than what I was using!), Cetaphil eye makeup remover, a new bottle of my Aveeno Calm and Restore Oat cleanser, and cotton pads. The birthday gift was a Living Proof anti frizz styling cream, which is definitely seasonally appropriate. I havent done my Sephora birthday gift yet because nothing really is striking my fancy.
That’s awesome that the Sun Bum sunscreen worked so well! I remember getting that Briogeo hair mask as a Sephora birthday gift last year and liking it. I liked that it wasn’t super heavy. My hair is wavy but it’s really fine and gets weighed down easily.
I also got my hair cut and a demipermanent gloss put on my hair yesterday, which feels great, and I bought a hair product she used on me by a brand called Cult and King called Jelly – it’s kind of like a salt spray and a gel in one? She blew my hair out to cut it so I haven’t tried it on my natural waves, but it had a nice herbal smell. The packaging is beautiful, glass with refills available to be less wasteful.
Happy, happy birthday Chelsea! I hope you had an amazing day!
P.S. I have to check out that Jelly!
Thank you! I had my aerial class tonight, so we celebrated yesterday. My husband took me out for bubble tea and we bought a bunch of different desserts.
That sounds like the perfect birthday celebration. 🙂
I have never tried Snail Mucin in skincare either. It is supposed to be a great humectant, but I stick to my Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin for now.