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Contigo Chill

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Contigo Grace

Hydration is important. After about a year of using a Camelbak Eddy which was hard to clean, I switched to a Contigo Grace water bottle. I love that I can drink from it one handed; the Grace is designed such that you don’t have to fumble with unscrewing and re-securing a cap. It is lightweight yet sturdy and inexpensive to boot.

The Contigo Grace is great, but it isn’t insulated. Generally, I like my water cool (not cold – somewhere between room temperature and cold) but it is difficult to keep it that way if you’re carrying the bottle around by hand. It ends up warming up a bit more than I love when I’m running between meetings at work. Solution: Buy an insulated one.

Enter the Contigo Chill

Contigo Chill

The Chill features a similar one-handed, push-button dispensing design as the Grace, but it’s stainless steel and maintains temperature for about 12 hours. I’m really enjoying it so far.

So far, so good. I’m happy with it; I got the Scuba Blue one, but if my Target would have had the Matte Black/Berry one, I would have gotten it.

If you’re partial to one-handed use with sip-valves and straws, the Contigo Ashland Chill is your guy; my husband has the non-insulated version and it’s just as sturdy and excellent as the Grace. The straw

The Bottom Line

The opportunity to test the Contigo Chill in the heat of summer has not yet manifested because I’ve only had it for about two months. Do I think it will maintain cold or cool in 90+ degree heat for twelve hours? No, realistically – but even four hours would be awesome in those conditions. I convinced my husband to get a Contigo Chill in addition to his uninsulated bottle from them and we haven’t looked back.

Back on a No Buy / March Haul

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no buy

I’ve accomplished and purchased the things I wanted to do and more without going overboard. My rules are a little different this time, though, based on what I reasonably expect to need to restock.

The Rules

No…

  • Makeup, brushes, storage, or tools
  • Hair products or tools
  • Nail products or tools
  • Fragrance purchases
  • Skincare
  • Beauty services (hair, nails, brows)

E-mail won’t be auto-deleted, but I won’t go browsing just for mindless amusement.

Exceptions to the No Buy

  • If MUJI drawers go on sale for $10 again, I’m going for it.
  • If I break a jaw clip (lazy hair days), I will replace it.
  • Obviously if I run out of my facial cleanser, I will repurchase. To me, this is more of a hygiene non-negotiable; plus, my cleanser is drugstore.

My March Haul

  • Replacement Gimme Brow.
  • Essence Make Me Brow – a <$5 alternative to Gimme Brow…for science.
  • Sally Beauty’s GVP version of Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo. I’m almost out of my Blond Brilliance purple conditioner, and I read shampoo is better-suited to this task.
  • Tarte’s Airbuki brush to use with my Amazonian Clay powder foundation (reviews on both coming soon) during Macy’s VIP Sale, man. Got it cheap!
  • Tarte Shape Tape Concealer.
  • Radiance brush heads for my Clarisonic…also 20% off at Ulta.

I’m Stocked Up On…

  • Concealer. I have concealer FOR. DAYS. Between my drugstore holy grail, MAC Pro Longwear, NARS Radiant Creamy, and now Tarte Shape Tape…yeah. I’m good. I probably need to extend a concealer No Buy past the duration of this one.
  • Missha Perfect Cover – when I realized I liked it, I bought a backup tube, so I have enough to last me quite a while. Even a shade that I can mix when I start self tanning/accidentally get natural color in spite of my sunscreen.
  • Mascara is good, too – I just opened a new L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black, and I have an unopened one.
  • Brow products.

Are you considering a no buy soon?

Clinique Dramatically Different Dupes

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I’m still slowly working my way through a bottle of Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I use less of it these days since I’m having good luck with my Mountain Rose Herbs argan oil, but it’s still a good lightweight moisturizer for those with combination to oily skin. At this point, I don’t think I would repurchase unless I bought it from the CCO at less-than-retail or managed to catch it on a rare sale like Macy’s recent VIP sale.

Generic Price, Perhaps Prestige Quality?

In my internet wanderings, though, I’ve come across TWO Clinique Dramatically Different dupes or generics. Until now, I’ve never seen Clinique Dramatically Different dupes, or any other Clinique dupes for that matter. They are both generics of the lotion version of Dramatically Different.

One, from Sally Beauty’s GVP (Generic Value Products) line:

Clinique Dramatically Different DupesGVP Distinctively Unique Moisturizing Lotion

With a Sally’s card, it’s $9.69 and they frequently offer B1G1 50% off on the GVP line. It only has one review, which is glowing, but still. For less than half the cost of the, “real deal,” I’d probably venture the money and give it a shot if I were in the market.

Two, from Wal-Mart’s Equate line:

Equate Strikingly Unique Moisturizing Lotion

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A Little Behind

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Between my cat’s illness over the weekend, dealing with Jury Duty, and catching up on my day job, I was unable to meet my goal of having proper content prepared today.

I apologize for that, and appreciate you bearing with me. Regular content will return Monday.

Meanwhile, here are some neat tidbits from across the internet:

  • These matches are adorable. My use of a grill lighter is a distinctly less adorable way to light candles.
  • My local JcPenney isn’t on the chopping block – is yours?
  • The Macy’s VIP Sale is pretty legit, and includes BEAUTY items – whaaat?! Pick up this Tartelette in Bloom Palette (review coming soon), some new Beautyblenders, or a spring fragrance like Daisy Eau so Fresh (I still have, and love, my rollerball!) for less than retail.
  • Frozen pizza fan? No judgment. That said, some sold at Wal-Mart have been recalled.

I’ll leave you with this thought – Virtual Makeover tools, such as Sephora’s, are a waste of time. Do you agree? More on that next week.

I Wear Old Spice Deodorant

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Old Spice BeargloveOld Spice Bearglove, $4 at Target

Fun Fact: I’m a twenty-something woman, and I wear Old Spice deodorant. Bearglove, to be precise – and just the deodorant, not the antiperspirant. I like girly things and I have more dresses in my wardrobe than anything else.

I’m not:

  • Conducting some strange social experiment
  • Making a statement to society
  • Stealing my husband’s grooming items
    (He does wear Old Spice, but a different variety that smells way more masculine to us.)

There are plenty of reasons why many ladies like myself have ditched the feminine deodorants.

My top reasons:

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No Buy Check In

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There’s strength in numbers – so I thought I’d share my, “progress,” in case anyone else is on a No Buy. My No Buy ran from Christmas to February 25. I am granting myself a brief reprieve, then resuming.

Incredibly, I’ve managed to not buy a single beauty product during that window. It hasn’t been without temptation.

The Rules

  • No new makeup, brushes, storage, or other tools
  • No new hair products or tools
  • No new nail products or tools
  • No fragrance purchases
  • No new skincare (but replenishment of facial cleanser and body lotion OK as realistically needed)
  • No purchases of beauty services (nail, hair, etc)

During my no buy, I setup rules to auto-delete my e-mails from Sephora, Ulta, Tarte, and MAC (that’s all I’m subscribed to) without reading them. I avoided the beauty section of YouTube for the most part. If I didn’t have something, I had to do without.

What Almost Got Me

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