Sensible Mode Living

A couple years ago I decided to try more lipsticks instead of the usual lipglosses and tinted lip balms I prefer. A lot of drugstore lipsticks were being hyped by influencers so I decided to trust strangers on the internet and waste some of my money. Like anyone's guess here, it was a mixed bag. You might find something good if you're lucky. To understand why it was not my best decision I'll talk about the experience I had with lipsticks/lipglosses from various drugstore brands, as follows: Maybelline : It is the first brand that is always recommended for lipsticks from the drugstore. The color sensational line is quite famous. Unfortunately for me, these are some of the most expensive and worst lipsticks I ever tried from the drugstore. Their shade range doesn't suit my skin tone at all, and their formulas are mediocre. I got about 4 shades from this brand that looked like the best-suited ones for my skin tone and they still looked bad on me. I had to trash them all an...

We live in Chicago and winters can be quite harsh here. As a result, my husband has very dry, chapped, and cracked hands. I bought the Jergens Overnight Repair moisturizer, especially for him. It's hard to get him to take care of his skin because he doesn't like to use anything on his body except for soap. But his hands got to a point where he felt like he needed to do something. They were super dry, cracked, and started bleeding. He's been using it for a week now and we definitely saw some change. His hands look and feel smoother, and hydrated. Jergens has a lot of moisturizers aimed at different needs of people and Overnight Repair was launched 3 years back for really damaged wintertime skin repair. They claim to repair a week's worth of damage in a night, and the product does seem to be working like they say.  The cream is a little thick but not as thick as body butter and neither as runny as lotion. Its consistency is somewhere in between. The pumping system works g...

This is my latest drugstore haul from CVS. I had some extra bucks, and red box coupons so I decided to shop. I might have a shopping problem and you might be right. I heard Eucerin is a good skincare brand for people with dry and sensitive skin so I decided to try the Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion . It is a moisturizer plus sunscreen and has broad-spectrum SPF 30. I've used it a few times now and I just love this product. It is lightweight, glides on smoothly, sinks in very fast, hydrates my skin, does not cause any irritation, and does not leave any noticeable white cast (not on my medium brown skin at least). So far so good, but I will have to use it long-term to see if it is worth a repurchase. I might do a detailed review in a later post. The Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Total Care Shampoo is a new product and I've been seeing it everywhere, so I decided to give it a try and see if it cures my dry, itchy, sensitive, and acne-prone scalp in any way. ...

In my opinion, it's not ethical blogging if we're only featuring the good and not talking about some bad products because let's face it, there are a lot of crappy products out there. And when we're not talking about them we're withholding important information and we're not being fair to our readers. In fact, it means we're being fairer to brands. It's fine if people want to earn some money through brand deals but it's really not worth it to become a sell-out. Some might say why bother writing about bad products, why not just let them be, but I want to put the word out there about bad products too because I want to help people like me save some money. Please note that when I say "bad products" it means "products that have not worked for me". However, these products might have worked very well for some others because each of us has different skin types and tolerance for products and it's totally OK. In the past few months, I t...

I'm going to get straight to the point by saying that I love this shampoo. This shampoo is cheap and performs true to its claims. What more can one ask for from a drugstore shampoo? It comes in purple packaging like all Aussie products. The back clearly shows the list of ingredients along with directions for use. The reason I got this shampoo is because I have a dehydrated/oily scalp with dry ends. What I need is a shampoo that can get rid of the grease, dirt etc., while still keeping my scalp hydrated, and hair friz-free. The shampoo claims to cease the grease and quench the frazzled ends so obviously it sounded like a good fit for me. The shampoo is a creamy liquid that has a pearly shine to it. It smells sweet and fruity, with citrusy notes. After using it a few times I've noticed that my scalp doesn't feel dry or itchy and I saw a reduction in my scalp acne. It also leaves my hair smelling good until the next time I shampoo (which is usually 4-5 days). My scalp doesn...

I have a very bad case of cuticle picking as they are always dry, flaky, and keep giving up on me. More than that it's like an addiction to me, I pick my cuticles whenever I'm bored, happy, nervous, you name it! I know it's a bad habit but I can't help it. So to solve this problem of mine I thought I'd give my cuticles some nourishment. I saw this cuticle pen on the ELF website and I had to give it a try. It came in this clear packaging like most products from the ELF Essential line. And like all ELF products the directions, claims, ingredients, etc., are clearly given on the back. I must say the cuticle oil in a pen idea is very creative and unique. It looks like a marker and has a felt tip like a marker. At first, when I saw it, I didn't feel like it would do much, and frankly, I wasn't really sold on the whole felt tip cuticle pen thing but still, it was a $, and I wanted to give it a try. The felt tip, however, is what makes the application easy and pr...

This is my first Sally Hansen nail polish and normally I wouldn't have gotten it either except for the fact that the color of this particular shade is something quite unique and it's under $3. The color is such a beautiful bright blue and just perfect for summer. I love the bottle shape, looks cute, except that the metal cap gets all smudgy with fingerprints. The back clearly shows the ingredients and it is always good to know that what you're buying is toxin-free. The brush is nothing great, just your average regular nail polish brush. The swatches, just look at that amazing color, OMG! The first one is in natural light and the second in flashlight. Can I say again that the color is OOMPH! OK I'll stop now. The color looks like a cornflower blue. In certain lights, it looks bluer and in certain lights, it looks like a purple-blue. The formula however is not like I expected it to be. Sally Hansen nail polishes are really famous so I kind of had high expectations. Firs...

I used this moisturizer last fall when I was looking for something that suits sensitive/combination skin without making me look too shiny, especially on my oily t-zone while also moisturizing my dry areas well. I thought this might be a good one since it is a brand recommended by dermatologists. It is also fragrance-free and allergy-tested. The packaging looks simple. It comes in a box that I couldn't wait to throw away coz back then I didn't have my blog and didn't understand its importance for reviewing. The directions and claims are however given at the back of the bottle. I, unfortunately, couldn't find the ingredient list anywhere else. The product comes out via a pump that can be locked and unlocked by twisting it. You then press the pump down to get the product out of a tiny hole. It is a typical lotion like consistency, not too thick or runny, somewhere in between. As far as my experience with this, I have mixed feelings. This product does not really have any ar...

In this post, I'll share some tips to keep in mind while buying nail polishes and building a collection when you're on a budget. I have always loved nail polish since I was a kid, and all these tips come from lots of experience, trials, and errors I've made over the years. Important : When trying to build a collection you can get carried away sometimes and end up in a mess looking like you have a serious shopping problem. A collection cannot be built in a day, it definitely takes time so no rush, be patient and try to build one slowly; one which you can be proud of. Here are some tips that can help you do just that. Take Inventory : What use is buying 10 bottles of taupe-colored nail polish again and again from different brands just because you like the color. I know it's a great shade, it looks great on you, and you get compliments when you wear it, but, how many bottles of the same shade do you need at a time? So make sure you take an inventory of your nail polish ...

Today I'm gonna share my top summer essentials and must-haves with you guys.  In no particular order, these are what I consider a must during the summer months: Sunscreen : When I think of summer, the first thing that comes to mind is sunscreen. I think by now we all know the importance of wearing sunscreen with at least SPF 30 in order to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays. Just look for a sunscreen that is water-resistant/water-proof, non-greasy, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic. Re-apply it every 2-4 hours. I would also suggest chemical sunscreen for brown girlies so there is no white cast. Sunglasses : Nothing like those sunshades during the summer months. You don't want your eyes to start burning due to the excess heat/temperature so it's always good to grab your sunglasses before you head out. Always remember, the larger the sunglasses, the more area around your eyes they will protect and that is always good. Don't be afraid to try large frames, they are ...

Before I say anything, this is not one of those beauty bags which you have to subscribe to by paying every month and then get worthless samples that you cannot even use (what a rip-off!). I'm not saying all of them are bad but there are quite a few which I find are not worth the money. The Target beauty bag however is a free bag (Yes you heard it right, its totally FREE, no conditions). At the beginning of every season, Target gives away these bags full of generously sized samples in a cute makeup bag to thousands of fans who send in a request. This year they posted a link to it on their Facebook page and they had more than 400, 000 of these bags to give away for free. I was lucky enough to know about it on time and I ordered mine immediately. It takes about 6-8 weeks according to them but I got mine in 4 weeks. I loved the pouch. It's a decent-sized makeup bag that you can fit in your handbag. And boy was I surprised to see all these samples. They are a lot for something ...

I think everybody and their cat knows by now that Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works are having their semi-annual sales going on. I'm not sure how long they're going on as there is no mention of the end date on either of the websites or the stores. For now, it is still on. There is no way I can miss a good sale when I see one. And 50% to 75% off is THE sale that no bargain lover would miss. But I also want to stress here that just because it is on sale I did not just mindlessly go and buy a bunch of stuff I do not need. I only got stuff that I really did need to re-stock. Here's everything I got from these sales in-store. I have to admit that not all the stuff I got is for me alone so you might not find this haul interesting. I got 8 items in total from both stores; 4 for me, 2 for my husband, 1 to gift someone, and 1 was free. So the list of things I got for me: - Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist Be Enchanted (75% off, original $12.50): I love th...

This post has been long overdue; I wanted to post it last month but somehow I just wasn't up to it and kept postponing it. Anywho, am glad I'm finally doing it and letting you know how this affordable cracked nail polish by 20I2 Cherimoya has been working for me.  It's really nice when cracked nail polish bottles come with the cracked design on them, easier to identify when you're browsing through tons of beauty aisles. Usually, with other polishes, the caps show the cracked design but with this brand it's different and though I don't really mind, it would have been better if they'd gone with the flow. The brush is pretty much your average nail polish brush, nothing fancy. The nail polish is an oil-based formula, as shown on the bottle, and hence looks a little goopy and thick but while applying it, it goes on smoothly. All you need is a little amount of polish and a single coat to get a good cracked effect. I applied it on top of my Wet n Wild MegaLast...

Although I like doing single product reviews, it is exhausting and time consuming to come up with such detailed posts for just one product. I mean how much can I go on and on about just one product. So I'm liking these monthly faves posts where I can talk about a lot of products altogether in one single post.  This month, I do not have any new favorites in other categories like tv/movies, etc. If I did have any, they were repeats from the previous month so I did not include them again here. The products I have reviewed previously are all linked, and for those I didn't, I've written a short review of why I did or didn't like them. Beauty and makeup favorites this month:  Avon Imari Seduction Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle Nivea A Kiss of Moisture lip balm : A very basic and boring lip balm but it works. Does anyone really not like the Nivea lip balms? Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color 906D Wine Room NYC Matte Me Crazy Mattif...

I found this baby at Target the other day, it was the only one left, and I'm glad I got it. I'm in a matte phase right now, matte face powder, matte blush, and matte nails of course.  The back of the bottle shows the shade number and name along with a peel me sticker which opens to show the ingredients and directions of use. The brush is your average nail polish brush, nothing fancy, and the polish looks like a thick transparent gel. Finger with just the original nail polish Finger with NYC Matte me Crazy applied The application was easy and not messy.  It dries pretty fast. This is just one coat and that is more than enough. Doesn't it look awesome? I thought so. Now I can make all my nail polishes look matte for under $2. It also lasts as long as the original nail polish lasts. So the lasting power depends on the formula and staying power of the original nail polish you have before applying this. I think this is pretty great for such a low price. You get an amou...

I have wayy/curly hair and I needed a product that can be used as both a leave-in and as a protectant for when I am heat styling. A sales lady at CVS recommended this so I got it and have been using it for about 3 months now. I love the shape and color of this bottle, smooth and chic. Other variants come with cute charms hanging at the top but mine didn't. The claims and ingredients are clearly given on the back. The product is a white creamy lotion that feels smooth and sticky. It has an amazing floral scent that lasts very long. I love the pump on this, very convenient and easy to get the product onto the hand except you might want to be careful and not pump it all the way down as this would squirt a lot of product onto your hand. As a leave-in cream, it can be used on both wet and dry hair. I apply it on air-dried hair. It takes a few minutes to settle in but after that it makes your hair look great. My hair is nicely smoothed out but it doesn't feel heavy, greasy,...