Target Beauty Box Review

Target box

For the past few weeks, I have been seeing a lot of talk about the limited edition Target Beauty boxes that hit stores. Everytime I would go and check for them by me, they wouldn’t be on the shelves yet. Yesterday while picking up a few groceries for the week, I FINALLY saw them on the shelves! They are also listed in the weekly ad this week, and can even be purchased online at Target.com! They came out with a total of four boxes, including: Wakeup and Makeup, Be You(tiful), Treat Yourself, and All The Masks. Each box is $7, and includes a mix of full size and travel size items, and coupons for almost every product in the box.

I decided to pick two boxes that caught my eye: Wakeup and Makeup and Be You(tiful).

First, Wakeup and Makeup:

Target box makeup

Contents: Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaning Wipes (travel size), e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Blending Brush (full size), e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Face Palette (full size), Dove Dry Spray Invisible Deodorant (full size), Dove Dry Shampoo (travel size), Covergirl Peacock Flare Mascara (full size), Honest Beauty Makeup Remover Wipes (travel).

Review: This was my favorite box. It included FOUR full size items and even a blush palette! The travel size items are prefect for my gym bag. I just wish this box contained more makeup items. The name of the box makes you think it would be all makeup items. But either way, this box is way worth the price!

Next, Be You(tiful):

Target box beauty

Contents: e.l.f. Gotta Glow Lip Tint in Perfect Pink (full size), Simple Water Boost Micellar Makeup Remover Eye Pads (travel size), Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo & Conditioner (travel size), L’Oreal Pure Clay Cleanser – Detoxify and Brighten (travel size), Olly Undeniable Beauty Gummy (sample), Sinful Nail Color (full size), Honest Beauty The Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream (travel size).

Review: This was more of a beauty box. While this box only contains two full size items, it does contain a lot of great brands that I have been wanting to try. It also contains more coupons than the other box that I will most likely use very soon! I would also say this box is worth the $7, especially with the coupons included.

If you want to see the contents of the other two boxes, click HERE! I think I want to eventually get the other two boxes, just to try them out. Don’t forget these are limited edition, so once they sell out they won’t be back in stock. Kind of like the Hunter for Target collab, but don’t get me started on that! Haha. I just wanted the tall boots, and they didn’t even get released! Anyways, Don’t forget to use your Target RedCard to get an extra 5% off your purchase and free shipping.

Are there any specific products in these boxes that you would like a review of? Let me know in the comments, or send me an email or DM on Insta. Also, let me know if there are any posts you would like to see on the blog soon!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

Valerie

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My Picks From Ulta’s 21 Days Of Beauty

21 Days of Beauty

You guys, Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty is here! I wait for the sale every year and create a list of all the items I plan on getting. Each day, 2 or 3 different items will be on sale for that day only! Most of these items are 50% or more off their original price! This is the only time of the year some of these items will be on sale, so grab them while you can! Set an alarm on your phone for each day so you can order it as soon as you wake up and not worry about items selling out. To save on shipping, order with a friend and split the cost! Here are some of the best deals and items I plan on buying myself! Click the name below, and it will take you directly to the item!

3/18: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara ($10)
3/19: Benefit Brow Setter ($12); IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pressed Powder ($14.50)
3/22: Clarisonic Mia 2 ($119)
3/23: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Singles ($10) **Not sure if it’s specific colors!
3/25: IT Cosmetics Brush for Ulta Foundation Brush #102 ($11)
3/27: Lorac Pro Contour Palette ($20)
3/29: Benefit Cosmetics Roller Mascara ($12)
3/30: Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick ($10.50) **Not sure if it’s specific colors!
3/31: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz ($10.50)
4/3: Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten ($14)
4/5: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($10)
4/6: Tarte Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint ($10) **Not sure if it’s specific colors!
4/7: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara ($11.50) 

Items on sale every day:
Buy 3 Get 1 Free Minis (perfect time to buy products you want to try out without splurging on the full size! And traveling, of course!)
Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant Skin Mist ($15)
Bareminerals Liquid Lipstick ($13)
Smashbox Eyeliner ($12)

I know this isn’t included in the sale, but I just purchased the Becca Cosmetics Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder when I placed my order for the Tarte mascara. I have heard so many good things about it and decided to use some of my rewards points and get it! They were also having a deal on it, if you spend $38 on Becca Cosmetics, you get a free primer! So I will be giving a review of both of them as soon as I get them!

What items do you plan on getting in the sale? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

Valerie

The Best Gifts For Everyone

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Only SIX DAYS until Christmas! Can anyone else believe that? If you are a last minute shopper (like myself), I’m rounding up some of my favorite gifts for everyone on your list. A lot of these can be delivered before Christmas, you just have to pay for expedited shipping! But, if you love something yourself, just use those gift cards you receive in your stockings ;). Also, make sure you enter for a chance to win a Soapbox bundle! (details are at the end of this post).

Soapbox Soaps:
I know I rave about this company all the time (they truly are the best, and the only products I have in my bathroom right now), but you really can’t pass up giving a gift that gives back. For each item you purchase, they donate a bar of soap to those in need. The bundles can get gifted to anyone on your list, including men! Use code bestgift17styledmuse to get 10% off your entire purchase!

Maria Shireen:
My favorite bracelet that hides your hair tie! There are so many designs and hair tie colors to choose from. Perfect for your mom, sister, or bestie. Use code FTW20 for 20% off your entire purchase!

Rachel’s Grove:
This is seriously the cutest boutique in St. Louis (but they also have a website)! I visited them for the first time at the beginning of this year, and found this wristlet that I use everytime I go out! They are sold out of it, but I’m in love with this velvet crossbody! 

Boho Betty:
I have a few of these wrap bracelets and I wear them all the time. This one is my favorite and is currently on my wish list! Use code STYLEDMUSE to get 20% off your entire purchase!

JustFab:
Lately, this is the only place I have been buying shoes from. Your first style is only $10 when you sign up!

Mala Prayer:
Mala Prayer has gorgeous handmade necklaces! You can see me wearing mine in this post HERE. Also, each purchase you make goes towards women entrepreneurs to help invest in their businesses! Use code VALERIEHELTON20 for 20% off your entire purchase!

WallsNeedLove:
For the person who loves decorating their home! WallsNeedLove is a company that makes removable wallpaper! I have the cutest banana leaf wallpaper by them, and I’m so excited to put it above my vanity!

Young Living Essential Oils:
I use essential oils for everything. Not only do they smell amazing, but they are free of harmful chemicals. You can use them for everything from stress and headaches to beauty and cleaning products! You can order your own essential oils by using the link above! I will have a lot of essential oil tutorials in the new year, so keep an eye out!

Ruth & Philomena:
The sweatshirt I’m wearing in the photos above are from this boutique! They have gifts for anyone on your christmas list! You can use code NEWFREE to get free shipping on your order!

Kohl’s & Ulta:
When I’m not sure what to get my sister or bestites, my fall back is always makeup gift sets you can find at Ulta and Kohl’s. This Lorac lipstick gift set is my favorite, and is currently on sale for under $22!

3GIVEAWAY! Win this Soapbox Coconut Oil bundle! To win:

  1. Comment on this post telling me what the best gift you have ever received for Christmas was.
  2. Sign up for the Styled Muse newsletters! Click HERE to subscribe to new posts and giveaway updates via email!

***CONGRATS TO REBECCA NILES! YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY! Please send an email to styledmuse@gmail.com with your shipping information!***

Thanks for reading, and happy shopping!

Valerie

The Best Black Friday Sales

Black Friday

Like every Thanksgiving, I’m starting to plan out my Black Friday shopping list. There are SO many good deals this year! If you want tips on shopping Black Friday sales, check out my post from last year where I talk about everything I do to get ready! I like to get a lot of my Christmas shopping done on Black Friday, but you also can’t get away from treating yo-self. Why not pass up these good deals!?

According to my Insta-stories poll, most of you shop online, so I am going to include a lot of online sales! But there are a few who go in stores (like myself), so I will include those as well! I’m going to round up some of my favorite stores to shop at on Black Friday (and Gray Thursday?), along with links to their websites and my favorite deals they will have going on! I’m also sharing coupon codes to some of your favorite stores that you won’t find anywhere else! Everything starts now, unless otherwise noted. I will update this as more sales are released.

Kohls:
Deals start online now!
Stores open 5pm Thursday.
– $15 Kohls Cash for every $50 you spend
– Instax Mini 9 camera with 20 pack film ($69.99). On my Christmas list this year!
-Victrola Vintage Bluetooth Turntable ($39.99). I’ve always wanted one of these!
-LC Lauren Conrad jewelry organizers and gifts (under $10). She always designs the cutest stuff. These would be perfect stocking stuffers.
-Select luggage 60-75% off. Perfect if you have trips planned next year!
-All fragrances 20-25% off.
-Select beauty products (including Cargo eyeshadow palettes and LORAC mascara!) 50% off!
-CHI hair straightener with curling iron ($79.99)
-Croft & Barrow Woven Vests $12.99!

Target:
Doors open 6pm Thursday
-Instax Mini 9 Camera with 10ct film ($59.99)
-Women’s sweaters starting at $10
-Chi flat iron with bonus brush and mini dryer ($74.99)
-All beauty gift sets buy 1 get 1 50% off

Old Navy:
Sales start online Wednesday, and stores open 3pm Thursday
-50% your entire purchase

Nordstrom:
Online Thursday, in store Friday
-Deals not released yet, will update as soon as they are!

Macy’s:
Online Now.
In stores 5pm Thursday.
-Take 20% off with code HURRY
-If you have a Macy’s card, you get $10 off $25 or more, or $20 off $50 or more on select purchases.
-Luggage 60-75% off
-Select boots 40% off
-Select designer handbags 40-60% off
-Sequined graphic sweatshirt $39.99 (super cute!)
-Beauty gift sets under $25

Bath & Body Works:
Online now
-All 3 wick candles $12.50
-Body care buy 3 get 2 free
*deals might change, will update once Thursday gets here.

Ulta (my favorite sale!):
Online at 5pm Thursday, in store 6pm Thursday
-Free 9 piece beauty bag with any $50 online purchase.
-Urban Decay Nocturnal eyeshadow palette ($14.50)
-NYX Lippie Countdown Advent Calendar ($29.99)
-Chi straighteners and dryers ($69.99 each)
-Select mascaras $10 each.
-OPI select nail polish $5 each
-Urban Decay Vice liquid lipstick ($9)
-Anastasia Beverly Hills select glow kits 40% off
-20% off Clarisonic holiday gift sets
-Buy 1 get 1 free Batiste and Not Your Mother’s products

Sephora:
Great deals online already, but will update once more is released! Only preview is available.
-Too Faced Boss Lady Beauty Agenda (new palette!) $58

Charlotte Russe:
Online now (will update if any changes are made on Thursday)
-Everything $20 or less online
-Free shipping, no minimum

Nike:
-Take an extra 25% off sale styles with code EPIC25

Shopbob:
-Take up to 75% off sales items and 30% off full-priced styles with code MORE17

J. Crew:
-Take 40% off everything with code THANKU

Topshop:
-Get up to 50% off and free shipping

Urban Outfitters:
-Buy one get one 50% off everything

Boohoo:
-Take 30% off everything with code GOGOGO

Boho Betty:
-Take 60% off with code BLACK60

Mala Prayer:
-50% off with code PREVIEW

Express:
-50% off everything and free shipping on every order

Tarte Cosmetics:
-25% off almost everything with code PREVIEW

Baublebar:
-30% off gift sets and holiday collections with code YAY30

I will update as more sales are released. HAPPY SHOPPING!

Valerie

Body Care That Gives Back

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Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week. Tonight I am attending a Fashion Show in St. Louis called Romancing the Runway! I’m SO excited to be attending. If you live in the area, you can still buy tickets HERE!

With all the bad things happening in the world right now, I seem to find myself wanting to help out in some way. Whether it be donating money or old clothes. When SoapBox contacted me and wanted to collaborate, I knew I had to jump on board!

SoapBox is a one-for-one personal care company that sells shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bar soap and liquid hand soap. Their soaps are vegan, cruelty free, and made with thoughtfully selected ingredients. For every product sold, they donate a bar of soap to someone in need either here in the US or abroad! Their motto: Soap = Hope. BUT if you use code SBXSTYLEDMUSE317 they will give you 10% off AND donate 2 bars of soap for every product sold instead of 1! They are trying to get to their 3 millionth donation, so let’s help them exceed that! Here are a few of my favorite products they have:

Bamboo Strength and Body Shampoo and Conditioner: I LOVE the conditioner. After using it, my hair had so much body, even more than my Pantene conditioner! Also, they both smell so amazing! I can’t wait to see how strong is makes my hair after using it for about a month (it’s pretty brittle at the moment)!

Sea Minerals & Blue Iris Body Wash: My hands and elbows always get dried out once the weather starts to get a bit cooler. This body wash helped fight that! It’s a gentle moisturizer, so it’s great for sensitive skin, smells amazing, and lathers really well!

Vanilla and Lily Blossom Liquid Hand Soap: The same goes for the hand soap. It moisturizes my hands, and also smells so good! I’m the type of person that washes my hands more often than I should, so a gentle hand soap is a must.

Bar soap: I’m not really a bar soap type of person (I love my liquid body wash and loofah!), but this one smells so amazing just like the rest of the products. If I did use bar soap, this would be my go to!

If you would like to try all the products, you can buy a bundle that has 1 of everything!

My favorite thing about these products? They are all so affordable! This month, try switching out one or more of your body products, and help give back to those in need. Let’s get to 3 million donations! Just use code SBXSTYLEDMUSE317 to get 10% AND donate 2 bars to soap to those in need!

Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

This post is in collaboration with SoapBox. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

St. Louis Style Collective Meetup

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Above photos taken by Taylor Mobley of blondeandambitiousblog.com

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Above photo taken by Carmen Ramirez of frontrowstl.com

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Pictured above from left to right: Myself, April, Anna, Taylor, and Carmen. (click the names to see their blogs!)

On May 21st, the St. Louis ladies of Style Collective had our first meetup! But it wasn’t your ordinary meetup. We were celebrating the launch of Style Collective’s new podcast! Just search “Becoming Fearless” to give it a listen. I love meeting bloggers that are located in the STL area. It gives me comfort knowing that we are all doing this blogging thing together, and trying to figure it all out as we go, considering it’s kind of a new industry.

The meetup was held at Blo Blow Dry Bar in Chesterfield, MO. About 30 minutes from STL. Blo was nothing but amazing, and gave us complimentary blow outs. I decided on the style “Pillow Talk”. You can see in the photos above :). It was my first blow out, and the experience was SO relaxing. I cannot wait to go back! They were so accommodating and let us setup our snacks on a table in the back of the salon. We had cheese, crackers, grapes, cookies, and of course champagne!

We also had the opportunity to collaborate with some great local shops! They were kind enough to donate items from their shops for goodies bags for each of the girls. You can see in the photos below what they gave each of us. Thank you to all the shops who donated! I linked all of their websites and put their Instagram handles so you can check them out!

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Paperdolls Boutique @pdshopgirl: They have the cutest clothes! I’m in love with the scent of the candle they gave us. I also cannot wait to wear those bracelets!

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Christopher’s @christopherskirkwood127: This shop has the perfect gift items! Christopher’s was kind enough to give us Pink Pig Soap, and a tape measure (are you surprised I didn’t own one of these!? haha)

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CR Jewels @crjewels: Our very own Carmen Ramirez made these gorgeous jewels and was nice enough to donate a few to us!

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The Spotted Pig @thespottedpigstl: Another one of my favorite local shops for gift items! This would be a great place to go for Father’s Day gifts! They were super kind, and sent us this Lucky Penny key chain.

I had such a blast at our meetup, and I cannot wait for our next one! If you would like to join Style Collective to experience local meetups, and to pump up your blogging game, you can join HERE!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Valerie

P.S.: I have an exciting Instagram collaboration coming up with a huge clothing company, so make sure you are following me on Instagram to see it! I can’t wait to show you!

 

My Hair Care Routine

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It’s Monday, y’all! Did you have a relaxing weekend? Since the past few weekends have been super busy for me, I decided to spend this weekend doing absolutely nothing (which is why this post is going up today, haha). I think I left the house once, just to grab something to eat, no joke! But, I was able to try a new face mask and hair mask and watch a bunch of Gossip Girl. This is the second time I watching it by the way…

I shared with you a few weeks ago my skin care routine, and I thought this time I would share my hair care routine with you all! Before starting, I’m going to share what type of hair I have, since a lot of these products might not work for you. I have somewhat thin, wavy, very oily, hair. My hair is also somewhat colored (I have blonde on the ends). When I was younger, I had very thick, frizzy hair. But as I got older, it seemed to thin out a bit and is not as frizzy. My hairdresser told me that every 7 years your hair and skin changes, which I have totally noticed with my own. Now, onto my favorite products!

Shampoo:
When my hair is colored, I use Kerastase Reflection Bain Chroma Captive shampoo. It really keeps your hair moisturized if it has a little damage from coloring it. It also cleans my hair really well, which is a huge plus with my oily hair. Since I do have oily hair, I have to wash it every other day, which can really dry the ends of my hair out, and this shampoo helps out a lot! Once a week when I need an extra cleanse from having a lot of products in my hair, I use Pantene Pro-V Weekly Deep Cleanse Purifying Shampoo.

Conditioner:
Since my hair is somewhat thin, I like to use a volumizing conditioner. What really works for me is Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Conditioner. I apply it to the middle/ends of my hair (not my scalp), twist it up with a clip and let it sit in my hair while I wash my body, then rinse out at the end.

Hair Mask:
During the winter months I like to use a hair mask at the ends of my hair to give it a little moisture. My go to is the Kerastase Reflection Masque Chroma Captive. I use this in place of my conditioner once a week. It really adds the extra moisture my hair needs during the dry months. Once a month (usually on Sundays, see my Sunday routine here), I use coconut oil in my hair, and let it set for a few hours while doing other things around the house.

Dry Shampoo:
On the days I don’t wash my hair, I use Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo (the unscented one). This stuff not only gives your hair texture, but it gets rid of all the oil in my hair. This is a lifesaver for us ladies that have oily hair!

Styling Products:
The only styling products I use are heat protectants and texture sprays. My favorite heat protectant is the TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray. I spray it on my hair before I blow dry it and it makes my hair so soft!  If my hair is feeling flat, then I spray a little bit of the Not Your Mother’s Texture Spray. It not only add a little texture, but it also acts as a light hold for when you decide to wear your hair in a messy bun :).

Hair Tools: 
My favorite hair tool is my straightener. It’s so old (I can’t tag it since I’m pretty sure it’s not made anymore), I have had it since my freshman year of high school, and it still works perfectly! I can use it on wet or dry hair (but I never use it on the wet hair setting). On the weekends when I am going to dinner or out with friends I use my ConAir curling wand, which is also a few years old. Another one of my favorite hair tools are the ribbon hair ties. I take showers and straighten on my hair in the evenings during the week, so to keep my hair from getting super frizzy and oily while I sleep, I put it in a pony tail using these. It doesn’t leave a crease in my hair, and it’s super comfortable. And they hold really well! I found these in the dollar section at Target.

Vitamins: 
To help with my thin, volume-less hair, I decided to try out vitamins that I have seen a few other bloggers rave about. I went to Target and grabbed The Olly Undeniable Beauty gummy vitamins. They taste so good! Like grapefruit. I have been using them for a couple months now and they are seriously amazing. After my first month, I noticed my eyelashes were a lot thicker. Then the next month my hair had a lot more volume! Now, I can tell my hair is growing a lot faster. I cannot recommend them enough!

What are your favorite hair products? Let me know in the comments!

Also, I’m starting a book club with some of my other favorite bloggers! The first book we are reading is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. We will start reading on January 1st, and our first Twitter chat will be on January 15th & 31st! Sign up HERE!

Valerie

The Kerastase Reflection Line was sent complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. All opinions are my own.