Birthday Week WINS

Overall, last week went swimmingly, and I scooped up a bunch of new things {mostly birthday gifts to myself, but a few from others}. I also placed orders for a lot of additional things, which means I have a lot of product reviews to look forward to! Some things I've ordered within the last week and will be receiving soon {or have received in the last few days}:

::: Eyeshadows from Sweet Pea and Fay {used a Heartsy voucher}
::: Makeup and other items from Ulta {post coming shortly}
::: Eyeshadows from Scaredy Cat Cosmetics {more sample vials!}
::: August Birchbox {post coming shortly}
::: Zoya nail polishes from Art of Beauty {there was a buy one, get two free deal!}
::: Makeup and brushes in a special set from Moi Minerals

I'm thinking... I'm spoiled! *smile*

As for things I picked up over my four-day weekend in my hometown last weekend {sorry it took a week to finally write this!}, here are some specifics.

:::  Coach  :::

The one I purchased {pictured below} is the Coach Ashley Signature Lurex Carryall, and I won't say it was an easy decision to pick this one from all of the great bags they had in the store. I wanted something that wasn't the typical black, tan or brown that Coach's signature collection often features. But I also wanted something that would complement any number of different colors/styles, so I didn't go for a bright stand-out color or mix of colors. Alas, my metallic silver/Lurex bag is perfect. And to top it off, they offered a 30% coupon at the door, good for that particular day only, so I really lucked out with my timing considering the Coach store is a 4-hour drive from where I currently live, and I just happened to be in town on the one day they had the sale going on {which is usually only once every few months}. I felt pretty lucky! They don't have to know that I would've purchased this bag with or without the coupon. :}

{click on pic to enlarge}

:::  Walgreens Miscellany  :::

While waiting around at the pharmacy, I picked up some random things that I didn't need in the least, but I'm glad I picked them up anyway. The light pink Sinful Colors nail polish is Pinky Glitter and did not wear well. I put on two coats, and because of the large glitter and particles, it made the finish on my nails very gritty, almost like sandpaper. Not a fan. I removed it right away and then painted my toenails with the darker pink color, which is Sinful Colors' Forget Now. This turned out very nice {see the picture below for the swatch I did on my fingernail}. I also used the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen to doodle a bit, but I plan to use the nail pen more and practice some better designs before posting any pics. Then I topped it off with the new topcoat that I bought, which is Sally Hansen's Mega Shine clear topcoat. This was supposed to have a "mirror shine" to it, but it wasn't nearly as shiny as I thought it would be. I have a cheap topcoat that I've used in the past that offers a super-shiny finish and dries your nails in 60 seconds. I'll probably go back to that one. However, so far the polish is holding up well — I've had it on for 6 days now, and I don't have any chips whatsoever. I also wear sandals every day, so any nail polish that holds up during sandal season is awesome.

:::  Yankee Candle  :::

I stopped at the Yankee Candle Factory store last weekend and picked up some big candles that should last me a long while. I got two large 3-wick candles in Coconut Bay and Sparkling Lemon, along with a travel set that contained two Coconut Bay votives and a Coconut Bay hand sanitizer {which fits nicely in my new Coach purse *smile*}. I topped it off with some car jars, which were buy two, get one free, in Lemon Lavender {I love lavender}, Coconut Bay {see a trend here?} and then gave the free one to my mom, so I don't recall which scent she chose. Something food-ish, like caramel toffee, which isn't my kind of thing. I love Yankee Candles because they tend to give off a subtle scent even when they're not lit, so they last a lot longer than most candles. Plus, their scents are always very smooth, well-blended and spread throughout large areas.

That's all for now! I'll be back later to post some reviews for my Ulta purchase that I just received on Wednesday, my Zoya nail polishes and August Birchbox, along with August Fashion/Beauty Picks, a product highlight, shop spotlight and some other random things along the way. *Whew* lots to work on!

Stay Fabulous!