Darphynia's Diary

I love, love, love Ursa Major VT .  They have amazing skincare (read my first review here ) that reminds me of being in the woods.  Many of their products have a pine-y note.  Even if woodsy scents aren't your thing, you will love their face wash, body wash, and my personal favorite-- face wipes.  The face wipes are cooling, hydrating, exfoliating, and make perfect travel buddies.  I used them while I was away, and they were the best.  If you need to freshen up, no matter where you are, the little wipe will meet your needs. Anyway, I had a promo code and knew that I wanted to get some things.  This mini haul, I purchased a shirt, citrus body wash, and a bag of wipes.  Since you can choose samples at checkout, I picked:  A wipe, sticker, and bob of matches.  They also had an awesome promo for a free travel deodorant, so I got that as well.  I am really excited to try the deodorant as it smells so fresh!  The shirt (Amer...

This little box o' happiness  came sooner than I expected. A look inside the box. I recently made a purchase through the Lush UK site.  Even with shipping the products can be cheaper.  Things have changed, so the difference isn't as good as it used to be, but I digress.  About a week ago I bought a few things, and the parcel arrived exactly 7 days after it was dispatched. I'm not sure if every product is unwrapped when it ships, but everything was this time (except for the soap).  When I have placed orders in the past, products were usually wrapped in a cellulose film with an ingredient list sticker.  I digress...  What's in the box?  Well, let's take a look!

Since there is a Sprouts, Mother's Market, Trader Joe's, and (now) a Whole Foods within about a 3-mile span, I decided to hit up just about all of them.  The only reason I didn't go to Trader Joe's is because I was just there.      So Whole Foods finally opened up near me, and I must say that I was ecstatic.   They have recently been in some pretty hot water, but they offer things other markets don't.   Yes, it can be pricey.  You just have to know what you want and how much other places charge.   Anyway, I've been having some GI issues, so there are things I've been cutting out to see if it makes a difference.   There hasn't been a change, but I've fallen in love with some alternative food products, so I continue to get them.  This Whole Foods is located in a new center at the corner of Valencia and Imperial Hwy.  The shopping center looks like they pulled it out of Newport Beach.  It's beautiful, with several shops an...

Chuao is one of my favorite brands.  At one time there was a shop near me, but it has since closed.  My dad was the one to tell me about it, so every time we went to the Irvine Spectrum, I would grab a strawberry balsamic bonbon (or two) as well as something different.  On a side note, if you have a positive relationship with your parents, you are never too old to hang out with them.  I have great memories associated with this wonderful brand.  Anyway, this is the first online order I placed with them, and it did not go quite as I had planned. My order consisted of two 16-piece bonbon/truffle custom boxes, one 5-piece custom box, two Share the Love gift sets, four S'Mores bars and one Caramel Apple bar.  There were some great promotions happening, so I got some things for my friends in Australia and some things for my household.  After placing the order I assumed it would be shipped within a couple of days (giving extra time because of the holida...

Hair Mini Haul I just received a package from Sephora, and it only took a couple of days to receive, which was nice.  Since I was running out of dry shampoo, I decided to purchase a set since it was actually worth the money.  I also purchased a set by VERB, a company based in Austin (all products are made in the USA). 1.  Sephora Favorites:  Extend Your Style , $32.00 Image courtesy of sephora.com If you like to try different types of dry shampoo collection, or are looking for one you will love, this set is perfect.  Currently, I'm really into trying different hair products.  I don't know about you, but I go through these phases of wanting to use hair products, then not.  Anyway, on with the set.  This favorites set comes with the following (list courtesy of sephora.com ): - 1.25 oz Alterna Bamboo Style Translucent Dry Shampoo - 0.75 oz Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo - 0.5 oz Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder - 1.4 oz Drybar Detox D...

When I say it's an ultra mini haul, I mean it.  My cousin's wedding is this weekend, and I really needed a dress.  I'm not all that into dresses, and the few I have are tucked away.  Since I have the Nordstrom debit card , I thought, "Why not spend where I can get some points?"  I did a search, filtering for black dresses only.  This sounds morbid, but since I go to far more funerals than weddings, I wanted something multi-functional.  There were so many cute dresses to choose from, and I came upon the Topshop's Drape Tunic Dress ($75.00, but some of the colors are on sale for $40.00).  It comes in a few colors:  light blue, cranberry, olive, black, and white (I think).  Originally I was going to get the olive color, but that limits the occasions where it would be useful. Image courtesy of nordstrom.com After I placed the order, I figured it would go one of two ways: 1) I would love it, or 2) It would make me look like a whale in a ...

So I thought I would be productive and get a head-start on Christmas shopping.  Since Halloween and fall have been taking over stores since August, you know the holiday items will soon follow.  I try to get most of my shopping done over summer, unless there are holiday sets I can't pass up.  ULTA had some good promotions, a couple of which may still be available, and BOOM, half my Christmas list is complete (okay, not half, but nearly).  Anyway, here is what I purchased: Sorry!  The picture isn't the greatest. 1.  ULTA Brand Eyeshadow Palette:  Gilded Gold Image courtesy of ulta.com For a store brand, ULTA has good-quality pigments.  Both this and the Gilded Rose palette are great for anyone who is looking for something to travel with, or someone who is just starting to wear eyeshadow.  There are several finishes (i.e matte, shimmer, etc.) and colors from across the more neutral spectrum.  You can go from a fresh, no-makeup...