melissa-ing

Do we still read blog posts anymore? Was just wrapping up the beauty empties for this month, and thought maybe I should do a new blog post. I really missed these old school content. It Cosmetics - Confidence in an Eye Cream -  a light souffle-like texture eye cream. It came from one of those Ulta gwps. Nothing special to call out but I won't mind trying again in any gift with purchase. Mediheal Madecasson Blemish Repair Serum -  this I actually purchase from Olive Young. Has a light herbal medicine scent and was highly raved by some content creators. Not exactly sure how I feel about it yet. Don't think I see much difference when my breakouts happen. Emborian BB crayon - discontinued now, but I purchased originally hoping to try more BB cream concealer. This was a bit disappointing and cakey. Laura Mercier Mascara -  another freebie gap, but I did like how lightweight and invisible it merges with my lashes, though doesn't hold a curl/length for that long. Mayb...

Finally getting around to sharing my January empties.  I've been creating these "project pan" spreads in my bullet journal for some time now. I find that it helps me organize and use up products as well as keep track of things i love and how long each product can last me. Most of the products that end up in these monthly empties are deluxe sized samples that come from gift with purchases and Sephora Play (i do love this subscription, I think its good value, but 2020 is all about conscious buying and decluttering so I've canceled my subscription for now.)

2020 is only 2 days away! A brand new decade is about to start. Not going to bore you with a past 10 year reflection (maybe something for the future) but I do want to share a new life update. We have a new Baby C in town! Nothing more peaceful than watching a baby sleep (baby swaddle from Uniqlo and no longer available) Little C and Baby C are definitely keeping me busy. But I'm also hoping that being on maternity leave now, I'll have some more time for blogging as well. Follow me on Instagram @melissaingblog for updates! Also popping on here with a Space NK Advent Calendar for 2019 on sale for $175 at Bloomingdales right now! This set is not exactly $800 value as claimed, but I went ahead and did a value breakdown to convince myself to purchase when it was selling for $265. Space NK Advent Calendar 2019 Value Breakdown Here's a quick breakdown of all the items included and their size and retail value. Total for this set comes out to be $733! Incl...

This might sound a little vain (#firstworldproblems) but one of the scariest things about pregnancy for me was the no-going back body changes that occur. Not that I have a super model body but knowing that I will never see the belly that I've known for my lifetime after this 9 month period was disheartening. These were the skincare products I added for my pregnancy after some research. What works for you might not work for me, sadly none of these worked well for me, but maybe you'll be able to enjoy ( or save some $$$). Clarins Stretch Mark Minimizer $56  |  Bio-Oil $15  |  Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil $64 I've heard of Bio-Oil forever - to me it's always been known as the "maternity" oil. So I immediately ordered a bottle once my first trimester was coming to an end. Bio Oil is meant as a PREVENTIVE product - exactly what I was hoping for and they expect you to use it as soon as second trimester starts. I went through about 6 oz of this pr...