Ulta Haul & Review

Hi pretty ladies!

Today I thought I'd share some of my recent purchases from Ulta and a review of the company.

Heres a list of what I bought:

1. Ulta brand 80 Exfoliation Round Cotton Pads

2. ecoTools Tapered Blush Brush 

3. Montagne jeunesse Chocolate Masque

4. Essie Angora Cardi Nail Polish 

5. Butter London Pistol Pink Nail Polish

6. Butter London The Black Knight Nail Polish

7. Butter London Tart With A Heart Nail Polish 

8. Butter London Aston Nail Polish 

Now onto the review....

I've been to Ulta multiple times now and I was excited to hear from a friend, that there was some sort of discount on Butter London nail polishes. I had already been out running errands so I decided to stop in and see if there were any colors that I liked. Well of course, I ended up buying more than I expected but I thought, it's okay, these nail polishes are buy 1 get 1 free. So I go up to the checkout and while I'm checking out, the lady working the register asked if I wanted to donate money to breast cancer awareness and I said sure, so then while she's ringing me up, I'm having to sign two different things and I didn't even pay attention to how much each item cost or that nothing had been discounted. When I get home, I studied my receipt and found NO DISCOUNT. I bought 4 nail polishes that are $15 each. So I texted my friend and asked her if she got the discount and she did. Now she said that she thought it was buy 2 get 1 free, so she only bought 3 nail polishes but I would've been okay with doing that too. My gripe with the company or my individual store is that it was posted. I was in the Butter London nail polish section and they had a sign saying that it was either buy 1 get 1 free or buy 2 get 1 free (I don't know which it actually said because I saw the sign but didn't really read it since my friend had told me and I read her text as buy 1 get 1 free). I'm not sure if I want to cut my loses and just deal with the fact that I spent a lot more money than I wanted to or expected there OR go in and speak with a manager. 

This isn't the first time I've gone into Ulta and walked out spending a lot more than expected. Once I bought a $20 headband thinking that it couldn't be more than $10 because the price wasn't marked on it. I loved the headband so I kept it but I was disappointed to spend that much on just a headband. 

I used to like Ulta but I think I will take my business elsewhere. I don't know why I ended up having to pay full price for 4 nail polishes when there was some deal going on when my friend did not (she had been in just an hour earlier). I wonder if the cashier is supposed to type the deal into the register or if it was a flaw in the computer system, but either way, I don't think that's acceptable and I know this wouldn't happen at Sephora.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

Hi girlies!

I don't know about you ladies, but I love Pinterest, especially for finding recipes. I found this recipe for Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti and finally made it today. Here is the recipe that I used with the changes that I made. The original recipe called for green chiles and onion but I didn't want to include either item.

Serves – 12 (1 cup each)

16 oz. dry spaghetti

1 lb. Velveeta Light cheese
12 oz. cooked boneless skinless chicken breast
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
10 oz. can diced tomatoes (Rotel)
1/2 cup water
Salt & pepper, to taste

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine chicken and soups in slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 5 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the spaghetti) and cook 1-2 hours. I cooked my noodles separately and only cooked it to al dente. I then added the noodles to the crockpot (about an hour and half after I added the rest of the ingredients). Then I served the meal about 15-20 minutes after that and my noodles were not soggy, which was my biggest concern and the reason for cooking them al dente. 

I thought that the recipe turned out great! Maybe next time I will add more veggies like broccoli and not add quite as much cheese. Let me know if you guys try out this recipe and what you think of it if you do!

Liebster Blog Award Take 2

Hi girlies!

So I was nominated for the Liebster Blog Award again and so I have decided to answer the questions (since they are different) and promote the blog that nominated me. That's only fair right?

I was nominated by:
http://theprettylilthingsblog.blogspot.com/

Here are the questions:

What inspired you to start your own blog? 
I was inspired to start my own blog because I have been following blogs whether it be on tumblr, blogger, or other sites for years. I have always been somewhat fascinated with the idea and decided why not start my own? I think it is a great way to connect with people and to share ideas (fashion, cooking, places to travel, etc.)

Who is your biggest inspiration of all time?
Hmm. Well I don't have just one biggest inspiration but one of them are definitely the Shaytards on YouTube.

What do you fear the most?
Fear itself.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go to Greece because I've never been there.

What is your most favorite beauty product ever?
This is a tough one...I'd say mascara but there are a few that I really like.

Who are some of your favorite YouTube beauty gurus?
I'll say their usernames: Fleurdeforce, Missglammorazzi, sarahbelle93x, glamourista16, kandee johnson, and DaniAustin2.

What are your favorite drugstore and high-end makeup brands?
Covergirl, Revlon, Mary Kay, and Nars.

What is your favorite fashion brand?
Recently I have really been into J. Crew and Ralph Lauren.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wouldn't overanalyze/stress about things as much as I do. I would live in the moment more and be happier. But don't worry, it's something I'm trying to teach myself how to do!

Who was your first celebrity crush?
I guess it was probably Justin Timberlake, although I didn't have pictures of him all over my room or anything, I thought he was cute back in the 'NSYNC days (and he still is now).

x, nicole

Some recent purchases

Hi lovelys!

I'm in the process of lots of cleaning and organizing but I wanted to get a post up because it's been a few days. I'm still working on a few posts from my vacation a month ago and hope to have those up within the next week or so too! I also have a DIY coming up. Now without further ado, here are my recent purchases.

1. Love Does by Bob Goff

2. Moroccan argan oil shampoo 

3. Moroccan argan oil conditioner

4. Carmex (I had to get 3 tubes because I'm obsessed and I go through them so quickly!)

5. Red EOS lip balm 

6. Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Facial Mask

7. Kensington Garden Perfume

8. Lilly Pulitzer Sunglass Strap

9. Ralph Lauren Polo White Slim-Fit Oxford

10. Ralph Lauren Polo Green and White Slim-Fit Oxford

11. Lilly Pulitzer Jumbo Agenda

                        x, nicole

First Impression: Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Facial Mask

Hi ladies!

Today I thought I would share my first impression or an initial review of the Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Facial Mask. Below is a photo of the product in the packaging (I did not take this photo).

The consistency is like a gel and I used my fingers to put it on, but I read some reviews that used a tongue depressor or substitute. I put it on for about 5 minutes and the product was starting to dry (but it isn't supposed to get fully dry and peel like another mask). After 5 minutes, rinse the mask off. I really liked hawaiian facial mask. I feel like it cleaned my face and helped clean out my pores more than anything else I've tried. The only thing I don't love about it is the smell. It doesn't smell awful but I don't love the smell either. I love it so much, that I wish I could use it again tonight!

x, nicole

American Eagle: Live Your Life

Hi Ladies!

I just wanted to let you guys know that the American Eagle Live Your Life campaign is back again this year. I have decided to post an entry and was wondering if you'd maybe vote for me? You can even sign in through facebook!

Here is the link to my profile on the AE website: https://live.ae.com/?cid=AE_Social_130725_01#/entries/8EzaCQzxf26wSmhq4Z3d

x,

nicole

I've Been A Little Chef Recently

Hi lovelies,

Since I'm not yet ready to post about my vacation (I know it's going to be a longer post or broken up into a few posts) I decided to share some of the things I cooked earlier this week and just what I've been up to the last few days.

On Sunday, I made stuffed zucchini. I've made it once before and this time it was much better. I found the recipe that I used on pinterest and the only adjustment that I made was adding sausage to it. Therefore, I did some of the steps slightly different from the recipe. Speaking of the recipe, here it is. Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
Now I'll insert the few pictures that I took.

Some of the ingredients. I'd recommend going to a farmer's market and getting fresh veggies. 

This last picture shows what else I ate with the stuffed zucchini. Just a salad with ranch dressing, some mashed potatoes, and bread with butter. 

That same night, I ended up hanging out with a few friends for a little bit. They came over to my house and we had a bonfire and made s'mores.

The next day, I went on a little hike with one of my friends and later did some cooking. 

Then later that day, I made a Nutella Mug Cake from another recipe that I found on pinterest. Nutella Mug Cake Recipe

I thought the mug cake turned out pretty good. I added some vanilla ice cream and a little chocolate syrup to mine. I actually thought that the amount made in one mug could be shared as I ate about half or less of mine.

I'm actually looking up some recipes on pinterest now to make this evening with some girl friends. If we end up making anything, I will definitely make a post on what I make and how we made it. 

Have a wonderful day!

x, nicole