What to Buy: It Cosmetics *And What Not to Buy!*

Today I wanted to dive in on what is worth buying from the “It Cosmetics” line. Over the years I’ve been testing many of their products and noticed some major hits while others aren't reaching the “you must own this” mark. Here are the products I feel everyone needs in their makeup and skincare bag.

Continue below to see What to Buy: It Cosmetics!

Buy

- Confidence in a Cleanser 
I really enjoy using this product. The overall texture of this cleanser is nice and I feel for the price its totally worth it.

- Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer

Seriously this concealer is amazing. I noticed a major difference with my under eye area when I used this. I also use this concealer to touch up small areas that need extra love as well.

- Bye Bye Under Eye Cream
I’m currently using this and so far I’ve enjoyed the product. I will have to update it the future. Currently, it does do the job on some under eye wrinkles but as of now it doesn’t irritate my skin, has little to no fragrance, and leaves me feeling positive about my future results. 

- It Cosmetics Foundation

My girlfriends all use this product and all claim its worth the investment. I personally haven't tried it yet because I'm currently on foundation overload but as soon as I empty one of the foundation bottles I will hop on the 'it cosmetics foundation' bandwagon and grab me some too!




Avoid

- Brow Power Universal Eye Pencil

I honestly didn’t see much amazement in this. I felt it was like a regular eye pencil that if you wanted to make darker you just needed to press down harder. Stick with a Covergirl pencil and save your money.

- Super Hero Volumizing Mascara

I bought the full size of this hoping to do wonders. Honestly, I didn’t see much difference and noticed it had a weird odor. In a recent shopping trip, I was given a small deluxe sample which I plan to try again and see if they improved the formula.

- Confidence in a Cream:

This product is generally an okay product. But I didn't notice much of a difference compared to other drugstore face creams. 

- Bye Bye Melting 3-in-1 Cleansing Balm
Seriously this is my #1 on the worst things to get. Maybe better for someone with dry skin that needs an oily/balm-like product on their skin but for me it sat on my skin and didn’t melt the makeup off. I plan to keep trying the product but I haven’t enjoyed it at all. And super scared to use my Clarisonic with it. 

I hope this post gave some insight into what I feel is the hits and fails of the It Cosmetics collection! Now I would like to ask everyone; What to Buy from It Cosmetics that I didn't mention! I love trying new makeup so drop me some suggestions! 

Also don't forget to follow the Instagram: @brittmcadenmills! I post daily fashion, beauty, and lifestyle! I appreciate all the love and support as I try to grow this side hustle.

- Brittney 

Go to Product to Repair Nails

Do your nails sometimes get discolored? Have a chalky like color to them? Feel weak, dry, or just ‘unhealthy’? I struggle with this. Every time I take my nail polish off the nails just lack the clean and healthy look. To resolve the issue tried countless different nail treatments and none did the trick (some even made my nails look worse). But one day, I found the 'go to' product to repair nails!

Read below to hear what my Go to Product to Repair Nails is!

I had a Nail Technician give me some advice, she said: “Go to a store that sells nail products and purchase a treatment that has Kerien Oil in it”. I went to Ulta Beauty and found this treatment: Nail Tek Nail Nutritionist 'Keratin Nail Treatment'. I noticed it was more costly than the other nail treatments but I was ashamed of my nails and worried my nails might be getting ‘sick’. The fear of a costly medical issue developing if I don’t reverse this problem sunk in... So I purchased the product and after 2-3 uses, my nails did a 180! 

How I use this 'go to' product to repair nails:
I typically remove my nail polish at night before I hop in the shower. So once I remove my polish I use some mild soap with no fragrance and a nail brush to scrub my nails clean. Then I apply the Keratin Nail Treatment by Nail Tek on my nails - once it's dry I go to bed. The next morning the first thing I do is apply another coat - let it dry and then my nails are ready to be painted whenever! I like to give my nails a good night to breathe without the new polish color so the Kerien Oil can do its job in recovering my nails from the polish. Also never forget a good base coat! This helps your nails too! 

Okay! I hope this post helps anyone who needs a go-to product to repair nails! And if you’re not following the Instagram please click this link and follow along! I post daily fashion, beauty and lifestyle posts! Thanks again for all the support as I grow this blog!

- Brittney 

Newest Spring Break Swimsuits

Today’s post is all about the newest swim that has hit the shops in time for Spring Break destinations! As a stay at home mom, I no longer get to indulge in the “Spring Break” trips but that doesn’t mean I don’t know my way around some swimmies! (Living at the Gulf Coast has given me tons of "swim attire" experience).

As a casual reminder before you scroll down the see what the new swim trends are PLEASE follow the Instagram page! I post daily on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. I also give some peeks into my daily life living in the Gulf Coast.

Ready to see the Newest Spring Break Swimsuits -


American Eagle - This store has swim for all body types. From one piece, bikinis, to cheeky and Brazilian cut. Size range is amazing and if you can’t find your size in store have an associate order one for you with free shipping to store! I noticed a big trend is bold colors.

Abercrombie & Fitch - This store is a personal favorite of mine (not because I worked there for a decade) but because their swim is high quality and the styles are always on-trend yet preppy. My local A&F was stocked with tons of sizes and they do free shipping when ordered in store. The associates at my local store was super friendly and gave me tons of swim to try on.

Red Dress Boutique- This shop I’ve recently became a fan of. I noticed their swim is very boho and also super girly. The sizes are a bit odd (only small, medium, and large) so look closely at a size chart.

Everything But Water - This store is literally all swim. So the associates know what the trends are and how to direct you to the best fit. Their swim is of nice higher quality brands and a lot of their pieces have a classic feel.

Forever21- One of my favorite cheap thrills places. I would grab swim from here if its for a quick and carefree trip. Never expect a F21 swimsuit to last ages. This is a fast fashion store so its garments are made to be worn only a few times. They do keep up with the newest trends and they have some bold ’show stopper’ pieces.

H&M- This store is also known as a fast fashion store. So the swim isn’t going to be the quality of a store that invests more in their products. This year I noticed a lot of banded detailing and unique cuts in their swim (look below).

Beauty EMPTIES!

Today's a quick post on some beauty products I emptied. When I’m bored I’ll check up on my favorite bloggers when they make this style of post because I always love reading about products and getting new recommendations! So today I thought I’d do the same.
This post is going to be simple and sweet. I’ll list where I purchased each item as well in case anyone wants to try these!
 As always follow the Instagram for daily posts on fashion, beauty and lifestyle!

1. Bastiste Dry Shampoo - This worked well when my hair felt oily or sweaty (especially in the summer time!). Love the scent and the packing is super cute. I’ll be mentioning in more details about this in a future post. Purchase anywhere beauty items are sold!

2. HUM Collagen Pop - At first I didn’t enjoy this. In fact I wrote a negative review about this because of the taste. After day 6, I was able to handle the taste and plan to get more. Its a 10 day drink mix tablet. I’ll be mentioning more on this in a future post! Purchased at Sephora.

3. Clarins Hydra-Essential Eye Mask - This lil’ guy was a sample from a Nordstrom purchase. I actually got 5 solid uses from it! Overall it's nice. I feel if I purchased a full size I would see more results on my under eye area. Considering purchasing again soon at Nordstrom.

4. 14 Karat Gold Rush Tanning Lotion - This is my go-to tanning lotion. The smell is heavenly and the amount of bronze color you get is amazing! Purchased at Amazon.

5. Sexy Little Things Perfume - This was my signature scent throughout college! Once I got married I felt I needed a ’signature scent’ change (but wanted to finish using my stash of S.L.T. Perfumes I built up in my closet!) This is now Discontinued.

6. MakeUpForEver HD Primer - The quality this primer gives is 100%. I’m definitely going to restock on this one soon! Purchased at Sephora.

7. Clinique Mascara - This mascara is surprisingly a good one. It doesn’t do a lot of volume but it's a great lengthening mascara. I’ll most likely get another small size with my Sephora points; but probably won’t purchase a full size. Purchased at Sephora.

8. Pacifica Kale Detox Face Wash - I really enjoyed this face wash! I even made my husband use it! The only downside is I couldn’t stand the smell (its the least pleasing smell in the Pacifica Collection) but the product WORKS wonders! Purchased at ULTA.

Get the MOST out of your Lush Cosmetics Experience

Like most people, I love treating myself with some skincare/bath items and a store I can’t avoid is LUSH Cosmetics. First of all, the smell! Ya’ll complained about smelling Abercrombie and Fitch a mile away, oh LUSH has that same effect. And like most, I notice the prices of these bath bombs and bubble bars... These things aren’t cheap! 

Today I’m giving out my tips on getting the MOST out of your Lush! So you too can enjoy LUSH the way I do.

1: Check the web-shop beforehand
This tip is major. If you walk into a LUSH without an idea on what you want - the associates will take you for a spin and your shopping basket will be packed to the top. What I do is browse the site to see what is new, the prices, and create a list on what I really want and what I just want to ‘look’ at.

2: Pick a side and shop in a circle
If you run around in circles the associates quick thinking is “oh she’s lost. Let me guide her to products” and that is where you can feel pressured or overwhelmed. Pick one side (left or right) and work your way around until you make a full circle of the store.

3: If you need help, ask the associates 
These workers are TRAINED to know everything about every product. So if you are confused or curious about a product - ask.

4: Wanna facial? Foot Treatment? Hand Treatment? Makeup routine? Get one on demand!
The staff is trained to do any type of in-house spa treatment free of charge! They do appreciate if you are purchasing something (it can be an item they used or something else) but do indulge on some spa time if you wish!

5: They are always down to give GENEROUS free samples!
See a soap bar you want to try? Or a face wash? Maybe a lotion? They're always down to give you a product to sample. Just ask. I noticed if you have good vibes and conversations with the associate they’ll give multiple samples (I left once with 5 samples!).

6: Don’t be fooled by the gift sets
Remember when I said visit the web-shop first? Compare prices on buying the products separately VERSUS a gift set. The year round gift sets are a better deal than buying the products separately. But the Holiday gift sets are MORE EXPENSIVE than buying each item separately. I was told this by an actual associate at my local Lush. 

7: Once you’re home, break up the bars
You heard me right! Those giant bubble bars can be cut up into 3, 4, even 6 pieces to create multiple baths! Lush associates will tell you to just crumble a chunk off; but I prefer cutting mine. 
My TIP - get a sharp metal knife, cutting board, and carefully cut slices to the size you wish. Put the pieces into zip bags for easy and dry storage.

8: Bathbombs can be chopped into 2 pieces
Be VERY VERY careful but you can separate bath bombs. My biggest tip if you want to separate your bath bombs is select bath bombs in store that are already separating or have a drastic crack in the middle. Take a butter knife and carefully separate the two. *You can also find videos on Youtube for guidance!*

So there's a few of my tips to get the most out of your LUSH visit. If you have any questions please ask me! And as always follow the instagram for daily posts on fashion, beauty and lifestyle!

-Brittney 

Marshalls or TJMaxx - Which has the better selection?

Today I’m comparing my 2 favorite stores: TJMaxx and Marshalls. Both are owned by the same main hub but you’ll be surprised that each store carries different selections and price points. Below you will see my choices on which has the better selection. But first, if you’re not following the instagram please click this link and follow me!

Purses - TjMaxx
Every TJ I have went to had tons and tons of purses. They have such a large selection of luggage too. Marshalls on the other hand, I always felt like there was less to pick from.

Jewelry - TjMaxx
The jewelry bar at all the Tj’s I’ve been to is amazing. From designer jewelry to cheap thrills. The Marshalls I’ve been to actually don’t have any jewelry.

Makeup/Beauty/Skincare/Haircare - TjMaxx
If you want the best prices and the most selection I alway feel TjMaxx has more to offer than Marshalls. I do feel Marshalls carries a lot more soaps and body care items.

Shoes - Marshalls
Literally love getting shoes from Marshalls because they carry higher quality brands and all the shoes come with their original boxes.

Kids/Baby Goods (including toys) - Both
Both stores seem to have an equal stock of kids/baby goods. I do feel Marshalls is higher in cost on items but Tjmaxx seems to be more picked over. I sometimes call to see if they added more baby items out and go right when they open.

Women’s Clothing - Both
I always find a good amount at both stores. Marshalls seems to carry more higher quality goods but their price tags are ALWAYS a bit higher. I have seen the same items at both stores and seen a 2-5$ price difference.

Men’s Clothing - TjMaxx
The mens racks always seem to be more stocked and have large selections. I enjoy getting my husband his dress socks from Tj’s. But I do flock to Marshalls to get him more dress shirts (like I said before, I noticed Marshalls carry higher quality brands).

Home Items (from pots, food, decor, pictures etc) -  Both
Okay, well if you are getting home items go to their sister store HomeGoods but if you can’t make it there either of these stores will do! Their prices are amazing and the selection is great. I’ve even found Lilly Pulitzer home items at both Tj’s and Marshalls before!

Stationary Items - TjMaxx
I literally always buy my wrapping goods and cards from Tjmaxx. They have such a great selection I feel you can never ever go wrong.  My local Marshalls never carries stationary goods but I have heard of some that have a lot.

Results on which had the better selection-
Out of both stores I feel TjMaxx does win for having the best prices (lowest cost) and larger selections. My personal opinion is Marshalls is a step higher and their prices reflect that. I always feel Marshalls carries higher qualities and like I said, the shoes still have their original boxes; unlike TjMaxx (which shoes are without boxes and normally have marker marks on the bottoms).
TIPS: Always visit these stores during ’slow hours’ if you want quick checkout. Peak hours you’ll wait in longer lines. If you’re able to visit both stores to compare prices definitely do so! I have found things at one store and the other store had the exact same item but 2-5$ cheaper. 
Don’t forget to follow the instagram for daily posts on fashion, beauty and lifestyle!

- Brittney