latest book haul - secondhand buying

I've been trying to really up my time reading, so naturally, I placed an order on Thriftbooks* and visited 2nd & Charles as the stacks of books I already own look on. While Thriftbooks isn't exactly a small online bookstore, I feel better buying from them than I do Amazon.

These were all impulse buys and I wandered the site and store, but I've had Amy, My Daughter, Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell?, and Invisible Monsters on my wishlist for a while now. I've been eliminating animal products from my diet, so I was happy to find The Happy Herbivore Cookbook! Snuff, Gangster Women, and Ham on Rye were some I'd heard of but hadn't thought to pick up. And lastly, I've been picking up some of my childhood favorites when I see them, so I ordered Catwings to build up my new collection.

I'm slowly plugging away at my ambitious reading goal for the year. I'm over a dozen books behind, so hopefully I can catch up soon. I've actually already finished Snuff, and was a little disappointed.

*If you use the asterisked Thriftbooks link and spend $30, we both get a free book credit.

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

empties #22

It's been a literal year since my last empties post, but here it is! I've used very few products over the last pandemic year since I've almost entirely stopped wearing makeup. As usual, the non cruelty free products are labeled, but I'm human and please check for yourself!

Batiste Dry Shampoo* // This is a good go to and a solid choice in dry shampoo. I'd buy this again.

Pacifica Cactus & Kale Oil Free Renewal Lotion // The one thing I did seem to go through over the last year was moisturizer! My mama taught me well. I particularly like this one from Pacifica, which is one of my favorite brands.

Burt's Bees Peach & Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub // I liked this at first, but then I got tired of the residue it left on my face. It does clean grout well, though?

Hempz White Peach Rose & Peony Herbal Shave Gel* // This smelled divine and I love the Hempz brand. I just don't like shaving creams/gels that don't foam. I'd definitely buy other products in this scent, though.

Burt's Bees Overnight Intensive Lip Treatment* // I've gone through maybe three of these and I love, love, love this.

Desert Essence Lip Rescue Balm* // I developed chronic dry lips over a year ago and it's been tragic. This worked for me in the beginning and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone with moderately chapped lips.

111Skin Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel // I got this in an Ipsy box, I think. I didn't really see a huge difference using it. I wouldn't buy it.

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser* // I did like this cleanser, but I didn't like having to store it because of the packaging. It was a twist bottom and the product came out once twisted. Even though I got this as a Sephora birthday gift for free, I was always worried I'd leave it open and all of the cleanser would leak out so I  kept it upside down in my showerhead organizer. It looks like the full size version isn't made that way, so I'd consider buying it.

Pacifica Crystal Melon Makeup Removing Wipes // These worked fine, and Pacifica is a favorite brand, but I'm trying to use up my stock of wipes and not buy them again. There's just too much waste. I'll 100% use them if they're given to me, but I won't buy them.

Ulta Sweet Pecan Cupcake 3-in-1 Smoothie // This was an okay body wash, that's all I used it for. I found the scent cloying. I believe I got it on at a great discount. I'd buy the the 3-in-1 smoothie again, but in a fruity scent.

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter // I love Pacifica's body butter and I always try to keep one at my desk. Highly recommend!

Cala Green Tea Deep Cleansing Foam // I liked this cleanser and I'd definitely buy it again. I also find Cala's post about animal testing to be invigorating in the fight against animal testing.

Drunk Elephant Protin Polypeptide Moisturizer* // This was a nice moisturizer. I liked the coordinating cleanser. I'd be much more inclined to buy the $32 cleanser than the $68 moisturizer.

Lacura Q10 Night Face Cream // This is from Aldi and it was a good moisturizer! I'd definitely buy again.

elf  Holy Hydration! Face Cream* // I really liked this. Would definitely buy again at $12.

Vaseline Lip Therapy with Cocoa Butter // not cruelty free // I've used several of these up. They are not cruelty free, but my chronic dry lip became borderline a medical issue, so I bought what worked for me.

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara* // I got this in a sample size with a palette, I think. It's a nice, buildable mascara. I'd get it again.

Pacifica Berry Preserve Color Protect Conditioner // I believe this has been discontinued. I don't have colored hair, but I got it on sale for like $2.50, so I snagged a bottled. I'd buy Pacifica conditioners again!

Curel Hydratherapy Wet Skin Moisturizer // not cruelty free // I think I got this in some subscription box. I can't stand slathering on lotion while my skin is still wet, so I used this as regular lotion. It's not cruelty free so I wouldn't buy it again.

Nip + Fab No Needle Fix Moisturiser // I like the Nip + Fab brand, but I did not like the texture of this moisturizer. It was cakey and didn't soak in well.

These are just some declutter items that I've had for forever and I'm just tired of looking at them.

Ulta Banana Lip Scrub // This one is just too greasy to use.

elf Cream Eyeliner // This dried out on me and I just don't use eyeliner that isn't in pencil form.

Julep Mighty Nail and Cuticle Cream  // I tried so hard to use this up but got tired of it. It was easy to apply, but took a while to dry. I now use Burt's Bee's cuticle cream.

Jane Iredale mini brush // I got this in a palette I was sent via Influenster. The palette was great, but I don't need this brush.

That's it for now!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

2021 Book Haul and Reading Challenge

2020 was a shit show. We all know it. I took a hiatus, but black lives matter and we need to fight for what is right, always. I don't honestly have a reasonable transition back into blogging, but please refer to my last post for how to help minorities gain and keep equal rights, as it always should have been. I'd like to start out 2021 with my own reading goals, which in the light of everything sounds incredibly selfish. Human rights are the forefront!

These are my book hauls recently. In an effort to help someone other than Bezos, I'm linking to Thriftbooks instead, and while they're still a large company, it is hard to find an independent book seller to link to that keeps a large stock. However, I encourage everyone to support their local independent bookstores.

You've Got to Have Balls to Make it in this League: My Life as an Umpire by Pam Postema and Gene Wojciechowski // Of course I bought Pam's book, as she's a baseball umpire.

Lost Ballparks: A Celebration of Baseball's Legendary Fields by Lawrence S. Ritter // I love reading about baseball history and snagged this at 2nd & Charles for a song.

Why is the Foul Pole Fair? by Vince Staten // Also as an umpire, I like anything to do with the game of baseball itself.

1941: The Greatest Year in Sports by Mike Vaccaro // This has a few stories in it that I thought sounded really interesting.

Death Row All Stars : A Story of Baseball, Corruption, and Murder by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss // True crime and baseball?? Immediately grabbed this when I saw it.

Center Field on Fire: An Umpire's Life with Pine Tar Bats, Spitballs, and Corked Personalities by Dave Phillips // Another umpire book. I can't stop.

Pitching Around Fidel: A Journey into the Heart of Cuban Sports by S. L. Price // This looked like a really interesting read.

As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires by Bruce Weber // Do I even need to explain? Haha.

The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci // I'm a huge Yankees fan and was excited to see this!

Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About Baseball is Wrong by The Baseball Prospectus Team of Experts // Again, I love everything to do with the game of baseball.

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King // I liked this movie and finally got around to ordering the book. It's rare for me to find some of King's work I haven't read, but I'm excited to start this one.

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer // I've come across this child abuse case several time in my Wikipedia rabbit holes and ordered the book.

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo // Educating yourself is an important step in making the world equal for all.

Most Wanted: A History of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List by Mark Sabljak and Martin H. Greenberg // True crime junkie over here.

Melissa Explains It All by Melissa Joan Hart // Last summer during my brief unemployment stint, I rewatched the 90s Sabrina the Teenage Witch and ordered this one.

The last several years I have failed to meet my reading goal on Goodreads. I've read a lot of books, but fell short of my goals. This year, I fully intend to meet my goal of 50 books! If we're not friends on GR, add me!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

Absolutely Massive List of Anti-racist Resources for Black Lives Matter Allies

empties #21

Another post about my trash! It's been a while, so I've used up a lot. I recycled all I can through Terracycle. I've labeled what I can find that isn't cruelty free, but always do your own research!

Murad Essentials-C Cleanser* // This was a good cleanser! Light and refreshing. I'd buy it again.

Pacifica Cactus Water Micellar Cleanser // I love Pacifica products and this one didn't disappoint. If I hadn't had some makeup removers given to me by my mom, I'd definitely buy this one again.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion* // This is the best eyeshadow primer I've tried thus far. I'll keep buying this.

NYX XXL Lush Lashes Mascara // I liked this mascara. It didn't flake and I could build it nicely. I'd repurchase!

Nourish California Mango Extreme Body Creme // cruelty free status unknown // When I bought this I could find the brand and verify, but I can't any longer. It was a very hydrating lotion!

Shea Moisture Coconut Water Vegan Lip Balm // You'll see two different tubes of this in this post. BOTH tubes stopped distributing lip balm! After a couple uses it just clogged up and no more would come out, so I bought the second tube shown. Same thing. I liked what I could actually use, but I'll skip this from now on due to the packaging.

Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel // not cruelty free // I bought this on a whim and it worked really well, though not only is it discontinued, it's also not cf. Luckily, I found the elf Gentle Peeling Exfoliant and it works just as well and it's cheaper.

Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cocoa Butter // not cruelty free // My lips have been chronically chapped for a few months and I tried almost every lip balm I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, this was the one that actually helped. Even though it's not cf, I'm going to keep buying it because my lips are so bad.

Tresemme Volumizing Dry Shampoo // not cruelty free // I got this in a Christmas basket. It wasn't a bad dry shampoo! I'd buy it again if Tresemme went cf.

Desert Essence Lip Rescue Ultra Rescue Shea Butter* // This lip balm helped for a while and I'd definitely suggest this for mildly chapped lips. I had an extreme case, but it helped me in the beginning! I'd buy it again.

Pacifica Cactus Revive Face Wash // Slightly drying, but I still liked it. I'd try it again on sale, but I'd opt for a different Pacifica face wash next time.

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter // This came in a set that my mom gave me. This is my favorite body butter scent and I'd 100% get it again!

Mary Kay Satin Body Wash // not cruelty free // This lathered really well and smelled nice, but I don't buy from MLMs.

Nip+Fab Smooth Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix // I'm so, so, so sad this was discontinued. I've had this tube for a couple years now and I used it almost daily as a primer. It was AMAZING as a primer. Controlled oil, makeup didn't budge. I've sadly run out and I can't find it anywhere.

elf Acne Fighting Gel // I tried valiantly to use this up, but it just didn't work well enough for me to keep using it.

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Toothpaste* // I liked this! I grabbed it for a trip. It was minty and my teeth felt clean. I'd repurchase.

Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream* in Light/Medium // Covergirl finally went cruelty free. This is my second tube of this. This is very close to my color and it's worked very well for me. I'd definitely rebuy!

Clean & Clear Lemon Zesty Scrub // not cruelty free // I got this for Christmas and I love getting scrubs! It's not cf but it did it's job!

Biore Charcoal Micellar Water // not cruelty free // This came in a subscription box. It was okay. It was less micellar water and more just makeup remover, but it worked. I wouldn't buy it.

elf Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter Duo // Good grief, I've had this for what feels like ten years. It didn't blend well and I never used the highlighter because it was like spreading glitter on my face. I wouldn't repurchase.

LA Girl Pro Face Powder* in Classic Ivory GPP60Z // This powder was great, blended well, covered well, until it fell down the sink side four inches and decided to shatter. I'd buy this again! I just wish it came without the pouf, which was added waste for me.

 None of these samples are cruelty free, so I wouldn't repurchase any or really go into detail.

Some more samples! I don't think I'd repurchase any of these, either. I do want to note that the Clinique sample could possibly be the worst packaged sample of all time.

I've already cleaned these wands to be sent for Wands for Wildlife in October!

Doucce Mascara // cruelty free status unknown // I got this in an Ipsy box and I literally spent the entire time I used this thinking I had Marc Jacobs mascara for some reason?? I have no idea why. It was a decent mascara and I'd buy it again if I could verify if it was cruelty free.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara* // This is my favorite mascara, hands down. Would definitely repurchase.

Makeup Wipe Haul //  LA Fresh* (the wipes on the right) ARE cruelty free!

So there's another few months! I've decided that 2020 is the year I pare down my products, so I only buy after I've used something up. We'll see how it goes.


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

three flowers bath co // lip balm haul

While out visiting my mom for Christmas, we went out to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I had never been and honestly it was waaaay too crowded for my taste. I'd give it a shot in the offseason, though. We stopped by Three Flowers Bath Co. and I snagged some lip balm! I have approximately 25,000 lip balms, but I picked these up because the first ingredient is shea butter. I have perpetually chapped lips it seems like, but shea butter helps tremendously. I snagged the Cupcake Frosting, Banana, and Vanilla Mint flavors.

I'm excited to start using these!


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

how to stay on top of your book collection

Being a bookworm is usually a positive thing - well-read, vocabulary is expanded, get to go on adventures while sitting on the couch... However, I am also a clutter bug. This is the current state of my coffee table - packed with books, magazines, and catalogs.

I tend to buy books secondhand, bring them home, then let them sit where they get put down until I'm ready to read them. Now that we live in a one-bedroom apartment, this isn't acceptable. Here are some ways to tackle and stay on top of your reading material!

Control what you do have // Assign a designated spot for magazines, catalogs, and books and only keep them in that spot without expanding it. Put away the new books you bring in, whether it's a bookshelf, a corner of the closet, or in a decorative box. I have some stacked and holding cosmetic organizers on my vanity.

Switch to eBooks // I know, I know. The feel of a physical book can't beat an eBook. But they take up so much less space and it's easy to always have a book on hand (especially when it's dark and you can't read via light!).

Avoid the book section // I'm always afraid of missing out on a book on my TBR for cheap at the thrift store, so I tend to buy more than I can feasibly read for our space constraints. I remedy this by not even looking at the book section when I thrift, and avoiding pricey retail bookstores.

Institute a 'read 2 before buying 1' rule // Instead of just not buying anything, vow to finish and get rid of two books before buying one. Drop off those books at the thrift store, sell them, or gift them to someone and then go get only one to replace them.

Read, read, read // Not carving out time to read can make those books sit there. I sometimes feel that reading isn't "productive" enough, so I bypass it. Reading is productive, as long as you aren't ignoring glaring tasks that need to be done. Take the time to sit and enjoy a book for a while!

How do you handle your books?

my currently-reading shelf:

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

recipe // ranch tortelloni salad

This is a quick and easy pasta salad recipe that I whipped up for Thanksgiving. Most of the ingredients were things I already had in my pantry and it's got a lot of flavor! I altered a pasta salad recipe I'd tasted at work and this was the result! I don't tend to measure accurately when I cook, so it's a lot of guesswork and working to your own tastes, but this is the gist!

Ingredients:
1 family size package of tortelloni or tortellini
1 packet of ranch dressing seasoning
1 package of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Large spoonful of mayo
Handful of shredded parmesan cheese
Splashes of red wine vinegar and lemon juice
Parsley, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
-----
Cook the tortelloni as the package suggests, then drain the water and toss the pasta with some olive oil so it doesn't stick to itself. I then spread mine on a cookie sheet and put it in the fridge to cool completely.

Once it was cool, I put it in a bowl and added the spoonful of mayo and mixed it all together. I added the ranch in stages - some seasoning, stir, more seasoning - until the package was empty. I didn't want it clumping into the crevices of the pasta. At this point I stirred in the parsley and black pepper, too.

I added the tomatoes next, along with the red wine vinegar and lemon juice. Use these sparingly at first - it's mainly to cut the salt of the seasoning packet! You can always add more to taste later.

The parmesan was the last thing I added, sprinkling it in and stirring for adequate distribution.

Store it in the fridge and enjoy!

This is super easy to customize - you can add cucumber, olives, different cheese, more spices, anything you want!


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

review // e.l.f. gentle peeling exfoliant

I recently used up all of my Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel and I was looking for something I could pick up locally. I had a 20% off Ulta coupon so I stopped in one day while running errands. I came across the Gentle Peeling Exfoliant from e.l.f. and thought I'd give it a try. At a $10 pricepoint with 20% off I snagged this for a song.

It has a nice creamy texture and it works great! I don't particularly like the residue and bits that seem to always be left behind with scrubs so this works perfectly for me. It takes almost no time at all. I just use it in the shower after I clean my face and it sloughs off dead skin almost instantly. I haven't encountered any redness or irritation and was quite surprised at how much dead skin it removed!

If you're looking for a cheap, easy to find chemical exfoliant, this one is a good bet.


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

richmond veg fest 2019 // #rvavegfest

Saturday I volunteered with my two best friends at the Richmond Vegetarian Festival! We helped with parking and then walked around the festival and had some amazing vegan food and petted a bunch of adorable puppers (most notably a tiny little nine pound pup who was the cuuuutest).

I was starving by the time our volunteer shift ended, so I started with a sides sampler from Khepra's Raw Food Juice Bar! I loved their kale and one other side, but I have no idea what it was, haha. While I didn't try any juice, definitely check them out if you're in DC! The food is worth it.

Next I tried the vegan mac & cheeze from In the Raw with Soul and GUYS, this stuff was amaaaaaaaaazing. I wish I had tried more from them! They had a surf and turf burger that looked really good, but I didn't see a photo until after I was home! I hope I run into them again sometime.

I had a great time and great food. ♥


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

diy climbing pole for plants

I love Monsteras. They're also climbers, so I decided to make my own climbing pole! I had initially made this for my deliciosa, but I think I'm going to let my recently acquired adansonii get a little bigger and use this for it instead and just make (or buy) a larger pole for the former. While it was cost effective to make my own smaller pole, the larger ones can get pricey. But here's how I made this one!

Here's the supplies I used:

1" wooden dowel, burlap trough liner, twine, scissors. I picked everything up at Lowe's for less than $12. I did already own the scissors. I completed this activity outside on my crappy balcony so I didn't get twine dust all over my apartment and dog hair all over my new pole.

I doctored the liner a little so it fit better on the pole. I tied the twine around the top and tightly wove it down the burlap around the pole. I left the bottom bare so moisture wasn't hugged against the wood.

And here it is! Just waiting to be climbed up by some plant babies.

How have you made your climbing pole?

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

link love

Elk are back at Maymont for the first time in 17 years! 

The FBI has released an official file on Bigfoot. I've always said to just leave Bigfoot be!

Oh my goodness...this recipe for vegan gyros with mushrooms and tzatziki looks delicious.

In the book world, there's going to be a Hunger Games prequel released next year!

These house plant bookmarks are soooo cute.

June 18th's Google Doodle celebrating falafel is adorable.

The giant agave at the Garfield Park Conservatory has grown out of the building!

 I love the Richmond Mural Project.

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

Han Lahandoe

wine tour saturday

Saturday I was invited to go on a wine tour with Jess and a fabulous group of ladies. We all met at the cabin and loaded up the bus and set off! We had an absolutely amazing lunch at Early Mountain Vineyards. I had the pimento grilled cheese and it was to die for.

We tried several amazing local wines spread out over four wineries. The venues were gorgeous as well as the area.We all came back to the cabin and had a fantastic potluck! I brought a greek tortellini salad that turned out quite nice.

♥

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

empties #20

Another post about my trash! I've (thankfully) used up a lot of products! I have way too many floating around and I'm happy to get these out of here. I've labeled what I can find that isn't cruelty free, but always do your own research!

Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer // This just seemed like a kind of average moisturizer to me, but I'd likely buy it if I caught it on sale.

Hempz Original Herbal Body Wash LE* // I love love love this product. This packaging is limited edition, but without it I would never have known that their original scent is BANANA! My favorite!

Pacifica Hawaiian Banana Lip Balm* // Y'all, this stuff melts so fast. Since it's not in a traditional balm tube, it'll melt to the sides of the container and quickly become ruined. Not o fear, I had a spare.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Dry Shampoo* // I enjoyed this dry shampoo and would definitely buy it again. No white residue, and it lasted forever! 

Lacura Hydrating Facial Cleanser // I picked this up at Aldi. I really liked it and would definitely buy it again.

Sun Bum Cocobalm* // This died a hot car death. We LOVE Sun Bum, so I'll definitely repurchase.

Sugar and Spruce (formerly Ladyburg) Charcoal Mask // I got this years ago from a local shop in the city where I used to work. It was a nice mask, but it stung my eyes a bit.

Pixi Glow Tonic* // I received this in an ipsy* bag. I'm terrible about using toner regularly, so I didn't feel like I got the most out of this. I'd pick it up if I found it on sale.

B&BW Creamy Pumpkin Hand Sanitizer // not cruelty free // I've had this for a while, if you couldn't tell by the old packaging.

Templespa Quietude Calming Mist // cruelty free status unknown // I just sprayed this when he was gone to use it up, haha.

Mary Kay Paint the Sky Body Wash // not cruelty free // I received this as a Christmas gift. It lathered nicely and didn't dry my skin out, but isn't cruelty free.

B&BW White Citrus Oil Mist // not cruelty free // I worked so hard to use this up. I've had it for years. It was okay, I just don't like how oil feels on my skin.

Hello Activated Charcoal Toothpaste // I got this in a Walmart Beauty Box. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. I got SO TIRED of wiping down my sink twice a day because this toothpaste was black. It did it's job as a toothpaste, but I don't need to see it all over the sink every day. And then DAMN if I didn't get ANOTHER in a later box.

B&BW Forever Red Fine Fragrance Mist // not cruelty free // Another product I've had for years. This lived in my car as a refresher. I'm glad to see it go and will not be replacing it.

Suave Deodorant in Tropical Paradise // not cruelty free // This may be the one item that I routinely buy that's not cruelty free. It's the only deodorant that seems to work for me, and my mom has used it for years as well.

Difeel Hand Moisturizer in Jasmine // This was a nice hand cream, but the container broke near the threading and would leak lotion out of the side. I probably won't pick up another.

Essence All About Matt! Powder // I've purchased two of these over time and both have had the lid of the container separate from the pan. I will not buy another for this reason. It's decent powder, though!

Sally Beauty Eyeshadow Single in Espresso // not cruelty free // This is another item I've had for years. I picked it up really cheaply before I went CF, and it was a nice color. I won't be replacing, though.

Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eye Pencil in Espresso // I believe I received this in a box or something before Covergirl went CF, but of course now they are, so I would likely purchase this again. This one just fell apart on me.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume Sample // not cruelty free // It's perfume. Meh.

Guerlain Perfume Sample // not cruelty free // I'm really not a fan of getting perfume samples.

 

Samples! I liked the Burt's Bees towelettes* and the Moisturizing Lip Mask*. They were refreshing. The 100% Pure Kelp & Mint Shampoo* was a great sample and left a nice tingle on my scalp. I won't be repurchasing the Aromatherapy Shower Tablets* as they didn't really do much, and the it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser* didn't wow me. The Olay Daily Facials (not cruelty free) is a nice concept, but messy, and the Olay Deep Hydrating Eye Gel (not cruelty free) wasn't impressive. I liked the Farmacy Green Clean Cleanser*, but the packaging of the sample wasn't great and it's kind of pricey for me. The worst thing in this photo, though, was the Clinique Fresh Pressed Overnight Booster (not cruelty free). The packaging required you to break it and mix the product similarly to a freaking glowstick, and I didn't have the hand strength to get enough product out of the stupid pod to put on my face.

LA Fresh is cruelty free, but the four packets in front are not cruelty free.

I love reading empties posts, so send me yours! ♥

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

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county fair 2019

My mom and stepdad were in town one weekend and we went to the county fair in my hometown to see my brother work his antique sawmill. It was a lot of fun! It's a small little fair but I had a nice crabcake and got to see some cute animals.

I picked up a free basil plant from the 4H booth and checked out the homegoods and had an overall great day visiting with family.


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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

link love

There's a flamingo in Texas! You go, No. 492!

Here's a list of some common plant myths debunked.

This is an interesting article about why we don't have pay-toilets in America.

I am in love with these strappy snakeskin heels and this tiger sweater, both over at Dolls Kill.

George Costanza pin!

These earrings are gorgeous!

Carnivorous pitcher plants are regularly eating vertebrates!


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frugal bandit blog | my poshmark closet | shop leggings | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

Zdeněk Macháček

my little balcony garden

When we first moved in last year I'd been contemplating a garden. We have a tiny 5 x 8' balcony that I thought would work nicely for some outdoor plants. The balcony is south facing so it gets a fair amount of sun, though it was too much for my lettuce, but these guys have taken off!

My little pole beans all germinated and have taken off! I created this little bamboo trellis for them and they've started climbing! I can't wait for them to get big enough to produce beans.

My beloved tomato plants. ♥ I picked them up really cheaply at Walmart off the clearance rack and they're producing! Fresh tomatoes are my favorite.

My little purple pepper plant! So proud of this guy. I picked him up at the Lewis Ginter PlantFest and he's done well!

Hopefully I'll have some yummy vegetables here soon!


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frugal bandit blog | my poshmark closet | shop leggings | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

local haunts // city dogs

One evening I met up with my friends Carrie and Kelly at City Dogs for dinner. They both eat vegan as much as possible and I don't eat traditional hot dogs, but luckily City Dogs has a soy dog option that is so good. They have 15 different hot dog varieties and any of them can be made with a soy dog.

I chose the Tennessee Slaw Dog which came with chili, mustard, onion (I nixed these), and cole slaw. If you're looking to go fully vegan at City Dogs, make sure you get the vegan chili that's made with cauliflower and ask for Texas toast as their buns aren't vegan. The chili was really good and I'm definitely looking forward to our next visit.

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frugal bandit blog | my poshmark closet | shop leggings | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*