How has your week been? Hopefully your week has been great! My week has been crazy! Not only have I been handling Glam Budget Beauty business, I also have done a soft re-launch of my e-Store. But before I get into talking about my re-launched e-Store, let me take care of some Glam Budget Beauty “housekeeping” first. I have been posting two blog posts a week (Mondays & Wednesdays) for quite a while now and coming up with new topics to write about can be hard sometimes. So, I want to ask all of you what kind of blog content would like to see in the future? I would greatly appreciate it if you, my subscribers, would send me suggestions on topics that are of interest to you and you would like me to research and write about. Please leave your suggestions by clicking the “REPLY TO ME” button in the “LET'S TALK ABOUT IT” section down below and thank you for your help! Now on to my e-Store…
The soft re-launch of Glam Budget Boutique was last week. There are 9 oz. and 13.75 oz. candles and 11 oz. coffee mugs (15 oz. coffee mugs coming soon). However, there is some technical issues with the shipping rates on the 13.75 oz. candles and the 11 oz. coffee mugs. So, at this time you can only purchase the 9 oz. candles. I hope the shipping rate issues will be resolved soon so I can have the grand reopening of my e-Store. So until then, please check out my custom made 9 oz. candles. There are six scents to choose from: Clean Cotton, Comfort Spice, Sea Salt & Orchid, Sea Breeze, White Sage & Lavender & Vanilla Bean (2 more scents are coming soon to my 9 oz. candle collection). The shipping rate for the 9 oz. candles is working correctly so there should be no problems placing your orders and as soon as the shipping rate issues for the 13.75 candles and 11 oz. coffee mugs has been resolved, I will be announcing the grand reopening of Glam Budget Boutique with a special something just for you, my subscribers. So be on the lookout for that announcement soon!
Well, that's all I have for you this week. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I will talk with you all next week! Now on to the recap of what was published this week on the blog, my Friday faves and fails and a few other goodies to share too, so on to this week's update!
~Here's What I Have Been Loving This Week~
Acne Free Adapalene Gel 0.1%($9.97 for 0.5 oz.) – For years I have been switching between Alpha Skin Care 12% Enhanced Renewal Glycolic Acid Cream (in winter & spring) and Alpha Skin Care 14% Intensive Renewal Glycolic Acid Serum (in summer & fall). I love these products and are great to use at night for exfoliating the skin, however, I felt it was time for me to up my skincare game with trying a retinoid. So, I decided to try an adapalene product (which is controlled by the FDA because this is a prescription strength retinoid sold over the counter for acne), so I decided to try Acne Free Adapalene Gel 0.1%. The cost fit into my budget and the ingredients are pretty much the same as the other more expensive brands. I have been using this every night since I bought it for a few weeks now and I have noticed my skin starting to look a little more clear (meaning some of the sun spots, post acne marks and hyperpigmentation is starting to fade) and my skin is starting to feel less textured too. As for my facial expression lines, I haven't noticed any significant changes as of yet, but I will continue to use this to see if this product will lessen the appearance of my lines (I know I will have to use this for a long period of time to see any significant changes overall). If you are looking to start using a retinoid and before consulting with your doctor for tretinoin (or Retin A), I do recommend starting with this product first, to see how your skin reacts to using a retinoid product. Now I started using this every night without much irritation, however, if you have more sensitive or dry skin, I recommend starting with once or twice a week and build up from there. Also, if this is just to strong for you, make sure you keep your receipt so you can return it and get your money back.
~Here's What I Have NOT Been Loving This Week~
e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer in shade Medium Neutral($7) - This concealer has been a hit or miss (more miss than hit) for quite some time now. Don't get me wrong, this is a great concealer! Covers very well, is really hydrating and lasts most of the day. However, the formulation is thicker than other concealers I have used. This concealer does settle into my fine lines around my eyes if I use to much (a little goes a long way) and takes much longer to blend into the skin. So, I will no longer be using this under my eyes (I am back to using Garnier SkinActive Clearly Brighter Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller Concealer, $14.99 around my eyes which I really love). I will, however, continue to use the e.l.f. concealer to hide imperfections on my face until it is gone and I will not repurchase because the formulation is not for me.
~THIS WEEKEND'S SALES LINKS~
Old Navy - Today Only Sale (in-store & online) - ALL Old Navy Active Activewear for kids 50% off, ALL jeans for kids, toddlers & baby, 50% off, ALL dresses for girls, toddlers & baby 50% off. Also, 30% off your online order (ENDS TONIGHT)
Banana Republic - The Summer Sale - Up to 60% off sales styles (ENDS 8/8)
Charming Charlie- Olivia Miller shoes & handbags 60% off (ENDS 8/17), Fragrance 40-60% off (ENDS 8/16), full priced clothing 25% off & apparel 40% off (ENDS 8/14), Clearance, 50-70% off (ENDS 8/14)
Chantecaille - 25% off sitewide (for Les Loyales Members) & free shipping on U.S. orders $50+, use code "LOYALES25" at checkout (ENDS 8/7)
Shop Red Aspen - nail dashes, makeup, lashes, tanning, skincare, beauty tools
Glam Budget Boutique- Shop my custom made 9 oz. candles. There are six fragrances to choose from: Vanilla Bean, White Sage & Lavender, Sea Salt & Orchid, Sea Breeze, Clean Cotton & Comfort Spice! (2 new scents coming soon! Stay tuned for their release)
Flodesk – Design and send professional emails, newsletters & sales campaigns to grow your business (receive 50% off your first year's subscription)
Interserver – Great webhost and affordable (and better and way less expensive than Blue Host in my opinion)
Canva– Create beautiful designs for yourself or your business
Intellifluence – an all-in-one influencer marketing platform that enables brands and influencers to connect, collaborate and reach their goals.
Good Morning My Wonderful Friends!
Friday Is Here! Let's Do The Happy Dance!
Hello everyone! I missed all of you last week! I hope you all are doing well! In my last blog post, I posted a recipe for ice cream for your dogs, so I searched the internet for ice cream recipes for cats! I was surprised at how many different recipes there were, so I narrowed it down to this recipe using cucumbers. Here's how to make it for your kitty:
~CUCUMBER CAT ICE CREAM RECIPE~
This homemade ice cream is great for cats during the hot summer months especially, if your fluffy companion adores cold treats. Here’s how to make it for your kitty:
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 Ice Cubes
7 oz. Plain Greek Yogurt or Cat Milk (not regular cow milk)
1-2 Cucumbers
Ice Cube Tray
DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor or blender, puree cucumbers.
Add ice cubes and blend the mixture .
Add cucumbers and yogurt or cat milk and blend one more time.
Pour the mixture into the ice cube trays.
Place the ice cube trays into the freezer and freeze for at least 5-6 hours before serving your kitty.
NOTES:
This recipe can be repeated with fruit ingredients like banana and kiwi as well. Store ice cube trays with vegetable or fruit cat ice cream for no more than 2 weeks.
That's all I have for you this week! I hope you all have an awesome weekend and I will bark with you all next week and remember, adopt, don't shop!
~Easy No Churn Homemade Ice Cream~
No ice cream maker? No problem! This simple way to make homemade ice cream calls for just 3 ingredients plus any mix-ins you desire and is ready to eat in just a few hours.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks occur, be careful not to over whip. The cream will be done when you pull the beaters out and the cream stands at attention.
In another large bowl, whisk the vanilla into the sweetened condensed milk. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, slowly incorporating the two mixtures together so it stays light and aerated.
If making individual flavors, scoop the cream mixture into smaller bowls and gently fold in your desired mix-ins, or if making just one flavor, mix the ingredients directly into the cream mixture.
Transfer the mixture to an insulated tub or paper containers and freeze for 4-6 hours.
TIPS FOR MAKING NO CHURN ICE CREAM:
Get the right ingredients. Because this homemade ice cream recipe requires so few ingredients, it’s important that you buy exactly what’s listed in the recipe. Don’t try to substitute lower fat or lower sugar alternatives otherwise your ice cream won’t turn out right.
If adding additional extracts (like almond or mint) to the vanilla ice cream base, be sure to add only a little bit at a time. Vanilla extract is tough to overdo, but other extracts are much more potent.
Lastly, be sure to chop up your mix-ins. Larger nuts, chocolate chips, M&M’s, and such become rock hard when frozen, so it helps if they are chopped up first.
I have been searching for an easy ice cream recipe that does not require using an ice cream machine, and this recipe is easy, only 3 ingredients and is delicious! If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out by clicking the “REPLY TO ME” button down below!
~Legal Disclaimer Per FTC Requirements~
All of the links listed in "Friday Favorites", "Friday Fails", "Weekend Sales Links", "Discount Codes", "Referral Links", "Audriana's Corner" and "This Week's Recipe" (as well as in my newsletter intro) are affiliate links and I make a small commission from these links which is used to support my blog. You are under no obligation to use any of these links, but if you do, thank you very much and I appreciate your support of Glam Budget Beauty!
Also, ALLPR that is received that is mentioned in this or any of my newsletters was sent to me complimentary for testing purposes.
