My February Purchases – A Haul: Journaling, Beauty and More

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all having a great weekend!

It’s rainy and cold here so we’re pretty much just chilling at home.

I’m crazy about a good haul post, so I thought I might as well write one myself. I’ve compiled all the little things I bought back in February and came up with a list of purchases plus reviews to share with you.

These are the things I bought in February.

My Bucket List: Journal – If you’ve been following for a while or if you happen to know me in person, you know how fond I am of lists in general. I love having a bucket list because it helps keeping my goals in perspective. I feel like if I write down my goals they’re more likely to happen. This bucket list journal couldn’t be more perfect. I love that it is divided in categories. It cost 5€ at Flying Tiger.

Knitting Journal – This will double as a crochet journal because I’m more into crochet than knitting. I forgot to take pictures but I love how it has space to catalog your yarn and all your projects (including pictures as well as a few helpful guides such as stich abbreviations in different countries. It cost 5€ at Flying Tiger.

The cutest plant – I don’t really know what kind of plant she is but I absolutely love her and her beautiful flowers. She’s currently at my home office where she’s happy and thriving.

Belei Rich Eye Cream – I was in the market for an anti-ageing eye cream and decided to try this one. It’s Amazon’s own brand and very affordable (I paid around 6€ for it). It’s supposed to “improve elasticity and plump skin”, which I’m not yet sure it does. I like that it is pretty fluid and not greasy at all and that you only need a couple of drops.

What the Fake: Plumping lip filler by Essence – I have to say I’m very happy with this product. It does actually make your lips look fuller and plumper and I’ve even gotten compliments while wearing it. I’ve been wearing it as a lip gloss but I might start wearing it as a lip primer, under regular lipstick too. It does sting your lips a little bit because it contains chili extract. Just like every other Essence product, it is super affordable at less than 4€.

Strong Hardener: Nail Advanced Treatment by Essence – My nails have always been extremely weak, soft and breakable and, even though they’ve gotten much better with pregnancy, they’re still quite pitiful. I decided to try this hardener, which I’ve been using as a base coat. To be honest, I haven’t worn it enough to tell you if it actually works, but for 2,50€ it is definitely worth a try.

Lip Care Booster: Lip Peeling by Essence – This might be my favorite beauty purchase of the month. It is said to “moisturize, condition, renew and smooth” and I can confirm it does all those things, while also lightly exfoliating. My lips are super dry and so I have to exfoliate them quite often, otherwise they become flaky. I’ve been applying this every night before bed and I can tell a difference. My lips are less chapped and much softer. Priced at about 2€, it costs like nothing and it works so well. Will definitely be buying again.

Ink Liner: Intense Black by Essence – It is my dream to be able to draw a perfect winged liner though I don’t think I ever will. I still bought this and intend on practicing my eyeliner skills. Have yet to try it as I haven’t been wearing much makeup at all. Will report on it later. Like every other Essence product, it’s rather cheap at less than 3€.

Read Harder: Reading Journal – I’m very into journals and keeping track of all activities lately so I’ve been looking for a reading/book journal for a while. I do track all my reading on both Goodreads and The StoryGraph and they’re great apps but I like having something I can actually write on. Besides a reading log it comes with many reading challenges which I plan on taking on. It cost about 12,50€ on Amazon.

Moisture Meter – An absolute lifesaver for a convicted plant killer, either by drowning or extreme dehydration. All I need to do is stuck this in the soil and it will tell me if it is too wet, moist enough or too dry and then water accordingly. I’m pretty sure some of my plants are only alive because of this purchase. I bought it on Amazon for about 12€ and it is worth every cent.

Even though most of my purchases have been baby items, I still like to treat myself to a couple of things each month, nothing fancy or expensive, just a few cute items that bring me joy.

I’ll be back tomorrow with my Pregnancy Update for weeks 29 and 30!

Love,

Cheila

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If We Were Having Coffee – Part I

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you that I wear glasses now. Not always, but I need them to watch TV, go to the movies, drive (I don’t drive but if I did), etc. I’m short sighted and it’s not that bad but the glasses make a huge difference. First couple of times I wore them I keep taking them off and putting them on to see the difference. Literally. I think I began to see there was an issue, again literally, about 6 months ago. I could have been before that. I was at the movies and kept asking Rui if the screen was blurry or unfocused. It looked fine to him. Then it started to get worse while watching a movie or a TV show at home. Everything was blurry, even faces. And God help me if any letters or signs came on the screen. Then I was at work and it was hard to focus someone’s face at a distance. I could see them but their face was a blur. Same for street signs. I could go on. A couple of weeks ago I finally got tested and they confirmed I needed glasses. What a HUGE difference it makes. Do I think I look good wearing glasses? I mean, I don’t know yet. It’s weird. They keep getting dirty and I’m kind of obsessed with them being spotless. Rui thinks I’m crazy and that I’m going to end up scratching them from cleaning them too much.

Yes, I’m wearing pajamas. Don’t judge

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you that I quit sugar. I won’t eat anything with added sugar or add sugar to my coffee or tea. I do eat sweeteners because I’m not that good. I have a major sweet tooth. I’ve had a slip up or two but one of them was accidental. I had no idea my stevia had added sugar. WTF? It’s very hard to be sugar free, honestly. Not in the sense that I’m constantly craving it because it has been easier than I thought but it’s definitely harder to find food you can eat. Your options get pretty limited. EVERYTHING has sugar. Why does BREAD need sugar? We are lucky that our bread, Portuguese bread, is not that sweet so we can find a few varieties with no sugar added but in general, most bread contains sugar. I’ve been getting creative and trying to come up with sweets and desserts with no sugar, using vanilla extract, applesauce, ripe bananas, coconut milk and cinnamon to add flavor. Sometimes I do use some sweetener as a substitute for sugar because again, most recipes ask for sugar. I’ve actually been trying to cook a lot more lately. Would you like a list of recipes? Some of them I find online and adapt, others I kind of make up myself. I’ve discovered this very easy 2 ingredient pizza dough: Flour and plain Greek yogurt. The pizza (I made the sauce too) turned out pretty yummy.

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you that I began having my eyebrows threaded and I’m never going back! It’s the perfect method for me. It’s relatively painless (definitely less painful than wax or tweezers), natural and they look so perfect and well defined. The lady I go to is awesome! She has being doing this for 10 years and she only charges 8€. I had never tried it before because I thought it would be too expensive but I’m so glad I did.

Awkward photo so I can show you my eyebrows…

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you I’ve been getting gel nails and it’s great. I bite my nails to the bone and they look so miserable all the time. Even when I paint them they still end up in my mouth. It’s a horrible habit and this seems to be the perfect solution for me. They last 3-4 weeks, they’re not terribly expensive and my hands look so much better. I instantly feel like a lady and more put together. I feel way more confident if my nails are done. It’s the third time I’ve got them done and they look more natural each time because my nails can grow freely since I’m not munching on them.

First time – I may or may not be sitting on the toilet here.

Second time – Looks kind of black but it is dark blue

Now – That’s my driver’s hand. I’m marrying him.

Now – The red is slightly sparkly but my shitty iPhone SE didn’t pick that up

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you that we got our wedding bands last week. I absolutely love them!! I can’t wait to marry the love of my life so we can wear them together, even tough Rui has this phobia of getting a ring stuck on his finger and having to get his whole arm amputated. Or both arms. I’m serious, the guy can’t even try on a ring without asking “what if it doesn’t come off????” Now he’s gonna kill me because I’m sharing too much. Or maybe he won’t because if he tries I’ll put a very tight ring on each one of his fingers and watch him cry and call emergency services. Phobias are weird, aren’t they? I’m always afraid I’m gonna fall in the shower and die. I’m not 80 years old, but still. Don’t like to shower when I’m home alone.

I won’t show you our wedding rings yet so here, take a photo of our pupper begging for the hamburgers I was making for dinner.

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you that between November 27th and today, I’ve read 41 books. I’m currently reading book 42 and 43 (yes, at the same time). I’m so in love with reading right now. My goal for 2019 is 100 books and I’ve only read 24 so far. Better hurry. Do you follow me on Goodreads? https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/25856029-cheila-cruz 

A few favorites from the past couple of weeks:

If we were having coffee…

I’d tell you about the movies I’ve watched lately and ask if  you’d seen any of them. If you’d like to check how I rated them you can follow me on Letterboxd: Chey23

Finally,

If we were having coffee…

I’d ask you to tell me all about you. What’s happening, what you’ve been doing, how’s life, what’s making you happy or sad. I’d ask all the things. I’d love it if you’d share what you’ve been up to in the comments.

This post is now longer than I intended. Anyways, if you do get to finish it, thank you for coming by and putting up with my randomness.

Love,

Chey

***All book and movie covers were stolen from google images***

***Spelling mistakes may be present because I don’t have glasses for my brain***

 

My beauty routines and products

I’ve been wanting to do this post for a while now, because it is one of my favorite posts to read on other blogs. Do you enjoy reading beauty routine post?

I think I’ve mentioned how simple I am when it comes to my beauty products. I don’t try any new things unless I’ve run out of something. I don’t have doubles of most things, especially when it comes to makeup. I don’t spend much money on it either.

I would like to start with my perfumes and body sprays:

As you can probably tell, I like floral scents. The two perfumes are by Yves Rocher and were both a present from my mother. One is “flower Party By Night” and it is exactly what they say, a floral perfume. My sister wears “Flower Party” and I actually prefer it. The other one is a simple rose perfume, from a collection they have. I would like to own them all. There’s lilac mauve, cherry blossom, lily of the valley, green tea and verbena. They sell for 15,99€ for 100 ml, which is not bad at all. We get them with a 30% discount, so they cost us a little over 11,00€, which is really cheap, considering that they last a long time. “Flower Party By Night” costs 23,95 per 50 ml, being a little more expensive, even with the 30% discount. They are both really fresh and soft and even if you don’t apply much, they lastw all day.

The body sprays are both from H&M, probably from 2 years ago. One is melon, so it’s actually too sweet for me. Rui says it smells like bug spray. The other ones is mauve and I love it because it’s very very soft. I use them both on my body and to refresh the house sometimes. They are great for that too. I have no idea how they cost but I would bet they were about 3€ each, plus staff discount.

I have been, for the past few years, wearing men’s deodorant. Sometimes I share with Rui (we buy whatever spray deodorant that is on sale for him) but now I have my own, as I prefer roll-on and they last longer than spray. Why do I wear men’s deodorant? Because it smells better and it lasts longer because it’s stronger. I hate having to reapply deodorant during the day when I have already sweat. With men’s deodorant, I don’t have to. I apply in the morning and it lasts all day, but not the 48 hours that they advertise. My favorite deodorant is actually Dove’s in stick and not roll-on or spray, but they have stopped selling those here. I rarely seem them on the store and when I do, they’re extremely expensive. I have heard many women saying that they actually wear men’s deodorant too. Have you ever tried? What’s your favorite, most effective deodorant? What’s the worst you have tried?

I buy whatever shower gel I can find on sale (and the bigger the better) but, for body exfoliant, I prefer the ones by Yves Rocher. They smell delicious and they are strong enough for my super dry skin, but not too strong to actually heart my sensitive skin. They are not made with plastic beads, but with fruit seeds or crushed apricot kernel. Beads from exfoliating products are very pollutant, as they are too small to filter and get to rivers, lakes and oceans. I love that these are not bad for the environment. Also, they’re not expensive at 4,75€.

I’m not too picky when it comes to body milk or body cream, as long as they’re not too thick or too sticky. I like the ones that are easy to apply and fluid, as they dry faster and are more comfortable under clothes. The olive one is a store brand from a local supermarket chain and it’s pretty cheap (about 4€) but really good according to my preferences. The other one is my favorite because I LOVE Yves Rocher moisturizers. They check everything in my box and smell amazingly. They sell for 6,95€. They are both about 400 ml and so they last a long time. I might get something a little thicker for winter, though.

Having wavy hair and super dry hair, I always need to apply some sort of wave or curl cream. I have first bought the Garnier Fructis one, which I’m almost done with. To be honest, I smells really good but does nothing for me. It’s like it’s not even there. Then I bought (I actually stole it from my mother because she had stolen one I had before) the pink which is from a brand I don’t know much about. I think it costs about 6€ and it’s much better than the green one. But, I hate the smell and it’s too sticky. The best one I’ve ever tried is actually the purple one, which is from a local supermarket chain (E.Leclerc), it’s really cheap and it holds my waves so well. Plus, I do love the smell which is a bonus. I will finish all of them before I buy a new one, for sure. I don’t like to be wasteful. But when I buy my next one, I’ll go with the purple one.

Then I always use a hair mask, about twice a week (if I even wash my hair twice a week) because my hair is super dry. I used to get the ones by Yves Rocher but they are not very effective and are quite pricey for the amount of product. This one is by the same store as my purple hair cream (so, store brand) and really cheap too, for a good amount. It lasts a long time. The other product is a nutrition cream for your ends and I have yet to try it. I used to buy one which is an oil but I dislike oils so I though I might try this one, when I finished the other. You know I cut my own hair and I try to trim my ends every month or so to keep them healthy and not split. I follow the technique used on this video:

For my face, I alternate between this masks:

The green one is a green clay mask by Le Petit Olivier. It’s the best I’ve ever tried. It’s not very expensive (about 5€) and you get a good amount of product and it works so well. It kind of smells like freshly cut grass and dirt, but it does wonders to my face. It’s purifying and it really does the job. I apply it all over my face, leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash it off with a wet washcloth. It leaves my face looking so clean and tight and fresh. I love it. I wear it about once or twice a week. The middle one is a nourishing or hydration mask that I wear about once or twice a week, because the skin on my face is very dry and extremely sensitive. I just leave it on my (non-wet) face for about 10 minutes and wash it off with a washcloth. I try not to use the exfoliant (the blue one) too often because it’s kind of harsh and, like I sad, I have extremely sensitive skin that gets red very easily.

To wash my face I use the clean&Clear face wash, which is the best I ever tried. It’s very effective but not too harsh on my face. It helps with blackheads, as I used to get a ton of them, especially on my nose and chin. Then I apply my Yves Rocher toner/micelar water and wait until it’s dry to apply my face cream. It’s really good because it lasts a long time and leaves my face feeling tight, as well as being a second cleaner.

Then, there’s my face creams. I have the one by Yves Rocher (the white and pink one) from their sensitive skin line. It has a SPF of 20, which I think it’s kind of low, but at least I’m wearing some. To go with it, I apply my eye cream, twice a day, morning and night. I love both as they are really moisturizing and not greasy. The baby face cream, I use on my face when I’m not going anywhere, because it’s gentle and moisturizing and really cheap. Finally, I’m in love with my night cream (blue lid). It’s really greasy and sticky but it’s also extremely good for my skin. It leaves my face so moisturized and glowing. The only problem is that it sits on the skin, so you cannot touch your face for a few hours and you need to be careful not to get your hair all greasy. I don’t care, my face loves it. Besides, it’s a drugstore brand (Aldi) and it’s really cheap. I’m really happy about it and have gotten compliments on my skin (always dry) since I’ve been applying it.

So, it’s time for my makeup. I don’t have much, as I’ve said before. One foundation by Yves Rocher, which is actually a little dark or orangy for me, but I’ve got to wear it (making it lighter) because I hate throwing money away. Then I have my store brand (Aldi) powder, that I use on top of my foundation or instead of. It’s one of the best I’ve ever tried and it’s extremely cheap. My concealer stick is a mistake, as I think I need a something more liquid and fluid because of my dry skin. But I make do with it. It’s also by Yves Rocher. Then I have my blusher, by H&M. It was very very cheap, on sale, and I love the color, but I need to be careful not to overdo it, or I get really red and it looks like I’ve put on my makeup in the dark.

So, you know that mascara is my favorite makeup product, right? I have really light and short lashes, as well as eyebrows, and they look so much better with some mascara. I mean, they look like they exist with mascara. I’m currently wearing “Scandaleyes” by Rimmel, which is not so bad but it’s also not wow. It does the job well if I apply a layer, let it dry, use my eyelash curler and apply a second layer. My eye makeup remover (again, by Yves Rocher) is really good and not harsh at all. It’s a mix of cleaner and oil and so it doesn’t leave my eyes burning, because it moisturizes at the same time as it’s cleaning. I hate oils, but I do like these eye makeup remover. Then I have cheap, Primark eye pencils, a black one and a dark brown one, for when I want to apply some but not get a really black and strong look. It’s great with brown and neutral eye shadow.

So, this is the only palette I actually use. I have another which comes with all sorts of crazy colors, like yellow, but it’s not my thing. I’m all about neutrals or maybe a little color but pastel and soft looking.

Just basic eyebrow tools. A brush and a pencil to fill in, by H&M. I try to use as little as possible to look natural and not, well, painted.

These are all the makeup brushes I own and they’re more than enough. The small ones I in my to-go makeup bag or to travel. The other ones are for regular every day use.

And finally, my very small lipstick and lip gloss collection. I used to have a few more but I gave them to my sister because I didn’t wear them and I don’t like to keep things I don’t wear. I recently broke one that I loved. Such is life. They’re from different brands: Yves Rocher, Wycon, Essence and H&M. The cherry one is a tinted lip balm. It smells amazing and while it gives you a bit of color. I have just the one lip liner, skin colored. The Vaseline I use on my lips (or feet or elbows) when they are really dry. It’s really good.

Now I’m going to show you the colors, by the order the tubes are placed:

My red pencil lipstick looks a bit orange in pictures, but it’s just actually bright red, comparing to my other red, 5th one from the top, which is a darker red. As you can see, I tend to wear reds or pinks. I’m currently looking for something burgundy or maybe closer to purple. Any darker colors. Do you have a favorite from my collection?

And I guess I’m done. I just wanted to share this with you guys.

• I’m sorry because the post is long;
• I’m sorry because I don’t know how to do beauty posts;
• I’m sorry because my pictures are bad because the phones is not so good, I am not so good and my hands shake;

Thank you for reading.

Love,

Cheila

Saturday – Sister is visiting and Yves Rocher haul edition

Good evening friends,

I hope you had/are having an amazing Saturday!

I’m feeling better, thank God!

Today we went to visit my mom and pick up my sister so she stay with us until Monday. I’m really happy to have her here because I don’t get to see her as often as before, when I moved closer. We go to the same university but I don’t attend classes, so that’s not an option anymore. Last semester we used to have lunch or coffee often. Went shared rooms and things most of our lives and we are pretty close, so I always miss her. She’s my baby and I love her more than anything. So today, I have her all to myself, and Rosa lol She just loves her auntie Neide (pronounced Nayd) and gets so excited when she’s here.

I picked up some things that my mother got for me from Yves Rocher. If you don’t leave in Europe, it’s possible that you don’t know this brand. It’s a French brand and, in Portugal, you can only buy things through a catalog. It’s similar to Avon, but focusing natural products. Not entirely natural, unfortunately, but focused on using as much of nature in their formulas as possible. I always buy this brand, I love it and some things are quite inexpensive. I also get a 30% discount because I’m registered as a representative, although I don’t actually sell anything. My mother and sister use many products by this brand and so my mother, when she makes an order, always asks me what I need and then doesn’t let me pay for it. She’s so awesome. I needed a few things this time, and I though I would show you what I got. Is this interesting? Are you interested on a post about my beauty routines? Tell me and I’ll deliver.

So, this is what I got:

This is an intense hydrating mask, that I like to use about once or twice a week. It’s the best mask that I have found, in terms of leaving my skin hydrated and moisturized. I have seen and tried plenty of purifying and cleansing but never a good moisturizing one. I usually put it on while showering and washing my hair, because it needs to stay on for 15 minutes and I like to multitask. The price is 8,90€ for a tube of 75 ml (2.5 fl. oz.) which I think is quite cheap for such a good product. I get the 30% discount, so I actually pay 6,23€. It lasts me a few months as you don’t need to use a big amount each time. I just love it and always buy it.

This product is actually a new purchase, and I have never tried it before. I used to have an oil for my ends but I didn’t like it that much so I looked for another product and thought this one might be a better option for me. My hair is quite dry in general so I get dry ends very often, although I try to trim them (I cut my own hair) every two months or so. This is a repair balm for dry ends and I hope it will help in making my ends stay soft and healthy for a longer period. I will try it out soon and see if it works and if I like it. I love that it’s paraben and silicone free. It costs 5,95€ for 50 ml of product which is think is not that much but we’ll see, depending on the amount you need to use each time. Final price for me was 4,16€, so incredibly cheap.

This is my face cream, that I always use. This is the brand’s sensitive skin line and that makes it perfect for my sensitive, dry, skin and my problems with rosacea. I also use this lines eye cream and micelar water and I love both. The cream is also very good, extremely moisturizing and I love that it is SPF 20. I’m not sure it helps with redness (which they claim it does), but I use a green primer to deal with that issue so I don’t expect this to do so. It’s thick but fluid at the same time and you only need a small amount for your whole face. You pay 11,90€ for a 50 ml tube, which is okay with me. Plus my 30% discount I pay only 8,05€.

This one is a very nice and fresh eau de toilette. It smells of roses and I just love it. I think it’s perfect for Spring. They have a few different options such as purple lilac, lily of the valley, cherry blossom, green tea and verbena leaves. I think I want to collect them all and at 14,90€ (plus discount – 10,43€) for 100 ml, I just might.

I’ve been looking for a new, good foundation for some time. I’m on trial mode with this one, so far I have only tried it on my hand and I love the texture. Tomorrow I’ll try it on my face and see how it looks. It needs to have enough pigmentation to cover my redness, which my green correction primer doesn’t cover completely. They refer to it as “zero flaws” so I hope it can help in hiding my redness which is my only issue, since I don’t get blemishes at all. I’ll try it and get back to you, if you’re interested in knowing how I like it. The price is 9,80€, so very cheap when you add the discount (6,86€) and since it will probably last a long time. I hope it’s the one for me.

Finally, I have bought a body moisturizer. I absolutely love their body creams. They smell amazing and they have a few different scents and combinations. I chose lavender-blackberry this time and it’s heaven!! They’re super fluid, which means they are easy to apply and they dry super fast as well. They leave you with super soft skin and smelling beautifully. I always go back to their line of body lotions and they are definitely my favorite! The price for 390 ml was 4,49€ as they were having a sale and I got it with a 40% discount, adding to my 30%, which means I paid 3,84€. Quite the bargain, huh?

So this is my Yves Rocher haul, guys.

I need to thank my lovely mother for paying for it, she’s the best.

Do you know this brand?

Do you have this brand where you live?

Would you buy these products?

Tell me in the comment sections!!

See you soon!!

Love and hugs.

Cheila