empties #6

Nail Polish Remover // This was a spur of the moment purchase at Five Below quite a while ago. I don't think I'd buy it again.

Suave Invisible Solid Deodorant // This was my purse deodorant, so it took a while to use up. This did a really good job for me, but sadly it's not cruelty free.

Bath & Body Works Rainforest Leaves Shampoo // I found this in a bin after having it for years. It was a hotel snag. It worked pretty well, but B&BW isn't cruelty free.

Deep Steep Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub in Pineapple Coconut // cruelty free & vegan // I LOVE Deep Steep! This scrub was great and my skin felt moisturized afterward. If you use my link to order, use the code TNZ430 for $5 off!



Juice Organics Pompeptide Facial Moisturizer // cruelty free & vegan // I love this moisturizer. This is my third tube and I have one waiting to be used. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find it anywhere and I think it's been discontinued, which is so sad. I'll definitely keep searching, though.

Forever Red Shower Gel // When Bath & Body Works first released the Forever Red line in 2012ish, I fell in love with the smell (at that time I had a smidgen left). I bought this and used it for special occasions. I finally finished it. Phew. Sadly, though, as above, B&BW isn't cruelty free.

Oxy Face Wash // Boooo. I didn't like this facewash and couldn't bring myself to finish it. It bleached my towels even after a thorough rinse, and I just couldn't stand to use it anymore. Definitely won't be buying again.

Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub // Simple fooled me a while back and I thought they were cruelty free. Nope. This scrub was weird, too. Not a lot of exfoliating to be had, and it was hard to wash off. I ended up using it as a hand scrub. I will not be repurchasing.



Lancome La Vie est Belle sample// I'd totally buy it again if Lancome was cruelty free. :(

e.l.f. Poreless Face Primer // cruelty free & vegan // For the price, it's a decent primer. I like the way it applies. I'd buy this again. If you use my link, use the code TNZ430 for $5 off!

What have you tried lately?

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fashion friday: life is

I was provided the "Life is Tough" shirt from Cents of Style in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are included.

When Cents of Style contacted me to write a post about life, I wasn't super sure about it. I am generally a pessimist, but thought "hey, I can do this, I have a pretty decent life!" So I chose the "Life is tough, but so are you" tee.

Everyone's had some tough spots in life, and I'm no different. Sometimes a little reminder can make all the difference - that you're tough, too!



This shirt, though? So soft and the fit is fantastic. The best part? They're only $15.95 and they ship free with code LIFEIS1! ♥




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tarte rainforest of the sea samples review

Back in April, I sent out an order to Sephora for a couple items. The Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Make A Splash Skin Savers collection was one of them. Honestly, I just ordered this because it was cruelty free and vegan and I needed something to get my birthday gift and samples, but I had no idea I'd end up loving the products inside!



The kit came with the Deep Dive Cleansing Gel, Marine Boosting 4-in-1 Mist, and the Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer. It took me a while to finish them, but I don't like to review something until I've used most of it. One use isn't going to tell me a lot, is it?

I'm still perplexed by the name. Rainforest of the Sea? What? But the packaging and color scheme of this collection is on point. It's relaxing, but eye catching.



Now, onto the products!

The Deep Dive Cleansing Gel was nice. My skin felt fresh when I'd finished using it, but not dried out. It wasn't sticky, felt smooth on my face, and generated a little lather.

Now the Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer? It's got a long name but this stuff is fantastic. A lot of moisturizers I've tried felt like they were just sitting on my skin until they dried, but Drink of H2O soaked in well and my skin felt hydrated. There also weren't any shiny after effects!

The Marine Boosting 4-in-1 Mist was a new product type for me. It's supposed to be a moisturizer/primer/setting mist all in one. I was really unsure of how to use this, but I settled with spritzing it on after my toner and before my makeup. It worked well as a primer, and my skin didn't feel dried out. I don't think it'd keep anything in place if I was sweating, but for an average day I was happy with it.



All three of these items are cruelty free and listed as vegan friendly on Tarte's website. Win!

Overall? I'd definitely buy each of these individually in full sizes. They're all pretty solid products. I'm definitely interested in trying out other items from the Rainforest of the Sea collection.

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new friends - frogs & toads

My workplace is truly amazing. Sure, it's retail, but we have some great products and regulars that come in. But this post isn't about that - it's about critters! My bosses have a fascinating menagerie. There are toads and a giant bullfrog and recently some babies came in. Frog and toad babies! Even if you're not a fan of the scaly and slimy, you'll have to admit these guys are adorable.



Growing up I preferred the furry pets - dogs, cats, hamsters. I didn't like bugs and I didn't like anything that hopped or slithered. I had respect for them, but I didn't want them to touch me. (And sometimes I still won't touch some of the creatures that I encounter...I'm looking at you, millipedes.)



These guys are so tiny - a couple are smaller than a dime. Check out those little speckles. They hop around and when they eat their tiny pink tongues are so fast you have to really focus to see them.



Look at this little guy! He's the prettiest green and when the light is right, his skin is translucent and you can see all his insides. It's really fascinating. He was active that day, so he was a bit tuckered out in this photo.

I'm excited to watch these guys grow up!

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what a great day

Last night, we redecorated the display windows at the store. We had a great time and it looks super spooky for Halloween. We're talking fake blood and a giant spider and some glass eyeballs in a vintage bed pan along with a generous helping of dry straw. Insert gleeful Halloween dance here.

Sounds great, huh? Well, it was until I woke up this morning with hay fever and a stye the size of Texas on my eye. I can't blame the stye on the straw, though. That's from not being more careful when I remove my eye makeup. Sigh. Honestly, I can't really even blame the straw for being sick because we should've been wearing masks since we weren't working outside with ventilation. It's my own fault, but I had never reacted to it before so I wasn't careful.

So I've been laid up in bed all day having a pity party like I always do when I'm sick and snuggling with my puppies and basically being a snotty, whiny mess. The hay fever makes me sneeze and that makes me cry out in pain because I have to squeeze my eye shut on the stye and I'm just not pleasant to be around right now.

The moral of this story? Always wear a mask if you're not accustomed to working with common allergens. Even if you've never been allergic to them before! Trust me on this one.

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