Ho, Ho, Ho! And all of that holiday jazz. Yesterday was an amazing day and really gets me excited for all the goodies that are heading my way!
I really feel a little like crap today, but i'm sure that it has to do with the overload of AWESOME from yesterday. ^_^ Lets get into it...shall we?
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
It's a 10 noir!
Finally, the last two items left in my November Birchox!
First we have the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product. Right off the bat, I'm not big on the smell. I guess to me it smells like hairspray, and sometimes that can be a little ugh. I'm not saying that it is repulsive, but it smells like a hair product, if you get what I'm saying. After all of the bleaching and heat tools that I use on my hair I am constantly looking for something that will give me an extra boost to it's health. I need a product to condition, help frizz, help repair, to make my hair bouncy and soft. This does all of these things! I'm fresh out of the shower, towel dried my hair and pumped this in. I am really surprised with how well it sprays, inside the container it is pretty thick but the product is pumped out it is thin and really easy to work with. After my hair dried, it was left bouncy and sooooooo soft! The smell didn't linger so that is a big plus.
I am really pleased with this product and would love to get my hands on more products to try to out! This sample is pretty big, so it should last me a while. A full size product is $19.99 for 4fl. oz at the Birchbox shop.
I am really pleased with this product and would love to get my hands on more products to try to out! This sample is pretty big, so it should last me a while. A full size product is $19.99 for 4fl. oz at the Birchbox shop.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
November Favs!
Tis the season to share what I have been loving for the month of November. Personally I cannot wait for December, I know of a few things that are heading my way shortly and it will be a stellar month!
Lets get on to the good stuff!
The most wonderful thing about the month of November was getting a little package containing delicious smelling goodies from the Black Phoenix Trading Post! This is the sister company to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab that I have talked about briefly before, I know I owe them a full post...maybe after the yules get here. They do some perfume oils, but they also do hair gloss, atmosphere sprays, candles, bath oils, and other wonderful delights. Out of all the great things I picked out this month I am loving two of them the most. The first is the SILKYBAT Hair Gloss, the scent is 'Sentual Sugared Patchouli'. Oh man the amazing things that happened in my nose! I know my first thought when I hear patchouli is dirty hippy, but that is not the case. This is still has that patchouli body, but with a sweet twist to it. I do a couple sprays in my hair, tossel it around and I'm good to go. The scent has a great throw, and isn't too over powering. I wouldn't wear this with another scent, unless it really matched up well. This is something that I need to have year round, sadly this is a limited edition 'Weenie and they hair gloss does have a shelf life of 6 months. A full size is 4oz and this goes for $28.
Another smelly item that I picked up this month from BPTP was their perfume to commemorate All Hallow's Read 2013. If you would like to know more about what All Hallow's Read is, look HERE and let Neil Gaiman share with you. This scent is called All Hallow's Apple, this is fallen apples, grave moss, autumn leaves, and upturned earth. When I close my eyes and take a sniff, I can picture myself walking through an apple orchard, in october, fallen leaves and maybe a little mud from last nights rain. From the bottle to my skin there is not much change, it is so delicious and fresh and amazing! The apple isn't too sweet, and the leaves aren't too strong. This is definitely one of my top perfumes from BPTP or BPAL. Standard full size for all perfumes is 5ml in an amber apothicary bottle, and this scent will run you $23. Another thing to mention is that all proceeds of the sales for this perfume will benefit the CBLDF.
Lets get on to the good stuff!
The most wonderful thing about the month of November was getting a little package containing delicious smelling goodies from the Black Phoenix Trading Post! This is the sister company to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab that I have talked about briefly before, I know I owe them a full post...maybe after the yules get here. They do some perfume oils, but they also do hair gloss, atmosphere sprays, candles, bath oils, and other wonderful delights. Out of all the great things I picked out this month I am loving two of them the most. The first is the SILKYBAT Hair Gloss, the scent is 'Sentual Sugared Patchouli'. Oh man the amazing things that happened in my nose! I know my first thought when I hear patchouli is dirty hippy, but that is not the case. This is still has that patchouli body, but with a sweet twist to it. I do a couple sprays in my hair, tossel it around and I'm good to go. The scent has a great throw, and isn't too over powering. I wouldn't wear this with another scent, unless it really matched up well. This is something that I need to have year round, sadly this is a limited edition 'Weenie and they hair gloss does have a shelf life of 6 months. A full size is 4oz and this goes for $28.
Another smelly item that I picked up this month from BPTP was their perfume to commemorate All Hallow's Read 2013. If you would like to know more about what All Hallow's Read is, look HERE and let Neil Gaiman share with you. This scent is called All Hallow's Apple, this is fallen apples, grave moss, autumn leaves, and upturned earth. When I close my eyes and take a sniff, I can picture myself walking through an apple orchard, in october, fallen leaves and maybe a little mud from last nights rain. From the bottle to my skin there is not much change, it is so delicious and fresh and amazing! The apple isn't too sweet, and the leaves aren't too strong. This is definitely one of my top perfumes from BPTP or BPAL. Standard full size for all perfumes is 5ml in an amber apothicary bottle, and this scent will run you $23. Another thing to mention is that all proceeds of the sales for this perfume will benefit the CBLDF.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Supergoop!
The first time that I was introduced to this brand was in a Birchbox last summer. The last product I had the pleasure to sample was the Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum. It is a great product to wear under your makeup to add that layer of amazing sun protection.
This time I got a little tube of their Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream in Light/Medium.
This time I got a little tube of their Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream in Light/Medium.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Nipple Lips?
Yeah, nipple lips. I said it, and you'll want them too. Okay not really nipples on your lips, but the Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips is something that you will want!
I'll throw it out there up front, I was a little weary about this product. Like really? What is Birchbox sending me. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The product is pretty thick and a little goes a long way so keep that in mind, the sample size that I got will last me quite a while. Once it's on, it is the perfect lip balm. Not too sticky and super moisturizing. It makes a great base for any color I add on top.
This miracle salve is made from 100% medical grade Lanolin. No alcohol, no parabens, no color and no perfumes. Poking around I'm seeing all sorts of other things to use this product for, including but not limited to:
I'll throw it out there up front, I was a little weary about this product. Like really? What is Birchbox sending me. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The product is pretty thick and a little goes a long way so keep that in mind, the sample size that I got will last me quite a while. Once it's on, it is the perfect lip balm. Not too sticky and super moisturizing. It makes a great base for any color I add on top.
This miracle salve is made from 100% medical grade Lanolin. No alcohol, no parabens, no color and no perfumes. Poking around I'm seeing all sorts of other things to use this product for, including but not limited to:
- Prep dry skin before applying foundation for a more even look.
- Shaping eyebrows
- Perfect to get glitter to stay in place
- Help prevent dry cuticles
- Helps with small cuts, burns and abrasions
- Helps sore noses from blowing
- And of course, helps soothe sore nipples from breastfeeding
- Plus many, many other uses...
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Dark N' Stormy Chocolate
Man I would love to see what that would taste like! Today I have two November Birchbox items to share.
I'm going to jump right into the samples. My favorite thing to get in any sort of box is of course, the nail polish! This time it was Dark N' Stormy from the Color Club's Cocktail Hour collection. It is a gunmetal gray, with a nice metallic finish to it. The formula with Color Club is pretty consistent, there is good coverage with one coat, two smooths it out and you're good to go. I recently have been purchasing a lot of grays and navy colors so this fits right into the gap that I had left for my fall colors.
The Cocktail Hour collection also includes On The Rocks, a bright and shiny silver, and Top Shelf, a shimmery peach-copper. All are perfect shades for the holiday season!
Full size for Color Club shades on Birchbox are, $8.00
Time for the CHOCOLATE! Running a close second to nail polish are delicious sweets. This time it was a FULL size Ghirardelli chocolate bar is the flavor, Mint Cookie. Now think about that....yup, that is exactly what it is. This is a bar of delicious chocolate wrapped around a mint cookie, yes like Thin Mint cookies dipped in chocolate! It has that rich milk chocolate that everyone is familiar with from the Ghirardelli brand, and then on top of the minty goodness inside there is a cookie crunch! It's a texture thing, and I like it. There was another flavor that they were sampling this month and it was Toffee Crunch, the roommate got it in her box and they ate it right up!
I wanted to share at work so I kind of felt like a chocolate dealer with the foil package asking people if they wanted a hit of the mint cookie chocolate. Of course now they all want it, lol.
A full size will put you back between $3 and $5? I'm not actually sure what a chocolate bar goes for, but I'm sure that it depends on your area and availability and all that.
This is the Week of the Doctor! So I have been doing a set of Doctor Who inspired nails in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the show. I cannot wait to sit back and relax and watch on Saturday. I'll post a collective of what I came up with over the weekend. Keep and eye out for the rest of my November Birchbox goodies and ALLON-SY! ^_~
I'm going to jump right into the samples. My favorite thing to get in any sort of box is of course, the nail polish! This time it was Dark N' Stormy from the Color Club's Cocktail Hour collection. It is a gunmetal gray, with a nice metallic finish to it. The formula with Color Club is pretty consistent, there is good coverage with one coat, two smooths it out and you're good to go. I recently have been purchasing a lot of grays and navy colors so this fits right into the gap that I had left for my fall colors.
The Cocktail Hour collection also includes On The Rocks, a bright and shiny silver, and Top Shelf, a shimmery peach-copper. All are perfect shades for the holiday season!
Full size for Color Club shades on Birchbox are, $8.00
Time for the CHOCOLATE! Running a close second to nail polish are delicious sweets. This time it was a FULL size Ghirardelli chocolate bar is the flavor, Mint Cookie. Now think about that....yup, that is exactly what it is. This is a bar of delicious chocolate wrapped around a mint cookie, yes like Thin Mint cookies dipped in chocolate! It has that rich milk chocolate that everyone is familiar with from the Ghirardelli brand, and then on top of the minty goodness inside there is a cookie crunch! It's a texture thing, and I like it. There was another flavor that they were sampling this month and it was Toffee Crunch, the roommate got it in her box and they ate it right up!
I wanted to share at work so I kind of felt like a chocolate dealer with the foil package asking people if they wanted a hit of the mint cookie chocolate. Of course now they all want it, lol.
A full size will put you back between $3 and $5? I'm not actually sure what a chocolate bar goes for, but I'm sure that it depends on your area and availability and all that.
This is the Week of the Doctor! So I have been doing a set of Doctor Who inspired nails in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the show. I cannot wait to sit back and relax and watch on Saturday. I'll post a collective of what I came up with over the weekend. Keep and eye out for the rest of my November Birchbox goodies and ALLON-SY! ^_~
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Birchbox Time!
This month as another amazing box, with a whopping six items to enjoy! The format that I used last month worked really well for me that I think I'm going to stick with it. So, on with the good stuff!
November 2013 holds:
November 2013 holds:
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Bar - Mint Cookie
- Dr. Lipp - Original Nipple Balm for Lips
- Supergoop! - Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream
- It's a 10 - Miracle Leave-In-Product
- Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy Noir
- Color Club - Cocktail Hour Dark N' Stormy
There isn't too much to the post but I did want to touch base and let you know what was coming!
I feel like I'm behind a bit, I was tied up for a week in court for jury duty selection so I was absent from a lot of media. Right now I'm fighting a chest cold, and fingers crossed relaxing this weekend will help shake that.
As you can see I am excited to jump into this month's box, and to be honest that chocolate bar was gone the other night when I opened it up ^_~
Saturday, November 9, 2013
A Girl's Best Friend...
...a sale!
Let me start by saying that I am an Urban Decay junkie! I have an entire drawer dedicated to their products. I still remember my first eye shadow pot I got from them. From the moment that I started to get into makeup they were always there for me ^_^
They recently updated the sale/clearance page and I was able to pick up some things that I had my eye on for quite some time. The big catch I got was (and it is still available) the Wizard of OZ Glenda Palette. Before there was also a Thoedora Palette, it was more greens and browns with a bright red Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color. Even at $49 it is a great value for what you get. But now it is marked down half off, that is right...only $24! If you are not familiar with the Glenda palette this is what it looks like. One of these days I will get my camera working and post my own photo, but for now...here is a lovely stock photo from Urbandecay.com
Let me start by saying that I am an Urban Decay junkie! I have an entire drawer dedicated to their products. I still remember my first eye shadow pot I got from them. From the moment that I started to get into makeup they were always there for me ^_^
They recently updated the sale/clearance page and I was able to pick up some things that I had my eye on for quite some time. The big catch I got was (and it is still available) the Wizard of OZ Glenda Palette. Before there was also a Thoedora Palette, it was more greens and browns with a bright red Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color. Even at $49 it is a great value for what you get. But now it is marked down half off, that is right...only $24! If you are not familiar with the Glenda palette this is what it looks like. One of these days I will get my camera working and post my own photo, but for now...here is a lovely stock photo from Urbandecay.com
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
ChapStick & Joie!
The last two items that were hidden in my Birchbox, was the perfume & the find of the month; ChapStick.
Let's start with the perfume. The name is Folle de Joie eau de Parfume, meaning crazy with joy, by Joie. This is really a great, light woodsy perfume. It is something right up my ally in terms of something that I could wear all day, or even out for a date. The scent profile looks like this, on top there are citrus and light woodsy floral notes. The middle notes are of jasmine and rose. To round it out, there is leather and deep wood notes. Minus the jasmine and rose, everything I just wrote makes me a little excited. Since finding my current perfume oil company I have been a little more picky about what I wear, and this will go into the mix. At the moment I have so much perfume to go through so I will not be purchasing a full size right now, but it will definitely be an option in the future. The price is on par with any fancy perfume, but I say it's worth it!
Full size is 3.4 fl oz for $98.00
The Birchbox find this month was the ChapStick Hydration Lock. This comes from a brand that everyone is familiar with, from young to old everyone has some stashed away somewhere. This boasts a new formula that gives up to 8 hours of hydrating protection! The formula includes CoQ10 & vitamin E, for a super rich texture and protection from the harsh colder seasons. The scent/flavor is Vanilla Creme, and it is rather lovely. I can be a little picky about what I put on my lips, I usually go for mint, or vanilla. This was tossed in the box for an added extra, the good thing about the "Finds" is that it does not count against your original samples. The better part is...it is like a bonus 10 points once you give a quick review.
Full size of this will throw you back somewhere between $3 & $5, and you can find it in your local pharmacy or most places you shop for makeup.
Let's start with the perfume. The name is Folle de Joie eau de Parfume, meaning crazy with joy, by Joie. This is really a great, light woodsy perfume. It is something right up my ally in terms of something that I could wear all day, or even out for a date. The scent profile looks like this, on top there are citrus and light woodsy floral notes. The middle notes are of jasmine and rose. To round it out, there is leather and deep wood notes. Minus the jasmine and rose, everything I just wrote makes me a little excited. Since finding my current perfume oil company I have been a little more picky about what I wear, and this will go into the mix. At the moment I have so much perfume to go through so I will not be purchasing a full size right now, but it will definitely be an option in the future. The price is on par with any fancy perfume, but I say it's worth it!
Full size is 3.4 fl oz for $98.00
The Birchbox find this month was the ChapStick Hydration Lock. This comes from a brand that everyone is familiar with, from young to old everyone has some stashed away somewhere. This boasts a new formula that gives up to 8 hours of hydrating protection! The formula includes CoQ10 & vitamin E, for a super rich texture and protection from the harsh colder seasons. The scent/flavor is Vanilla Creme, and it is rather lovely. I can be a little picky about what I put on my lips, I usually go for mint, or vanilla. This was tossed in the box for an added extra, the good thing about the "Finds" is that it does not count against your original samples. The better part is...it is like a bonus 10 points once you give a quick review.
Full size of this will throw you back somewhere between $3 & $5, and you can find it in your local pharmacy or most places you shop for makeup.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Liz Earle Cleanser and Cloth
Two totally new products I had a chance to sample in my October Birchbox was the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and the Pure Muslin Cloth.
Liz Earle is a UK brand that Birchbox welcomed into their family in October. Other than online, I think there is only one other place that is currently selling the Liz Earle line in the US, so that is pretty exciting!
Usually the first thing I do when I get a new face product is smell it, I know it sounds weird but I'm rubbing this stuff into my face and near my nose so I have to like it at least a little. The fragrance mostly comes from the blend of rosemary and eucalyptus essential oil. There is a very herbal smell to it, not super strong and pretty pleasant.
I also received one of the muslin cloths to go with the cleanser. At first I was skeptical, I took the cloth out of the box and it was hard. Luckily when it got down to business, and into some hot water, it loosened up and was perfect.
The one thing I really like about the face cleanser is that it doesn't act like a normal face wash. You apply the product like a face cream, rub into your skin in a circular motion. Follow this up with the muslin cloth, run it through hot water and wipe away the cleanser. This two step process not only cleans all of the dirt and grime, but using the cloth will exfoliate the skin.
A full size of the face cleanser is 3.3 fl oz for $21.50 & for 2 of the Pure Muslin Cloths it is $6.00. I will throw this out there that there is a starter kit with the cleanser and 2 cloths for $24.50, so it will save you a little money.
I love that I had a chance to try this great new product, and brand, but right now I am pretty content with my face wash/exfoliating routine. I will not be currently adding this to bathroom collection, but who knows...I may change my mind ^_~
Liz Earle is a UK brand that Birchbox welcomed into their family in October. Other than online, I think there is only one other place that is currently selling the Liz Earle line in the US, so that is pretty exciting!
Usually the first thing I do when I get a new face product is smell it, I know it sounds weird but I'm rubbing this stuff into my face and near my nose so I have to like it at least a little. The fragrance mostly comes from the blend of rosemary and eucalyptus essential oil. There is a very herbal smell to it, not super strong and pretty pleasant.
I also received one of the muslin cloths to go with the cleanser. At first I was skeptical, I took the cloth out of the box and it was hard. Luckily when it got down to business, and into some hot water, it loosened up and was perfect.
The one thing I really like about the face cleanser is that it doesn't act like a normal face wash. You apply the product like a face cream, rub into your skin in a circular motion. Follow this up with the muslin cloth, run it through hot water and wipe away the cleanser. This two step process not only cleans all of the dirt and grime, but using the cloth will exfoliate the skin.
A full size of the face cleanser is 3.3 fl oz for $21.50 & for 2 of the Pure Muslin Cloths it is $6.00. I will throw this out there that there is a starter kit with the cleanser and 2 cloths for $24.50, so it will save you a little money.
I love that I had a chance to try this great new product, and brand, but right now I am pretty content with my face wash/exfoliating routine. I will not be currently adding this to bathroom collection, but who knows...I may change my mind ^_~
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Pillow soft curls!
One of my other favorite things I got in my October Bitchbox is the Miss Jessie's Original Pillow Soft Curls cream.
I do not have super curly hair, well not anymore at least, now I have (on my best day) super wavy hair. I tried this stuff out abut a week ago, and I was surprised at how soft my hair was after I used it! With all air the bleaching and processing I have put my hair through recently, it made my hair super soft. As for the curl part...it was okay. It definitely made the waves more bouncy and defined than they usually are, which is nice considering how damaged my hair is.
After a shower towel dry your hair, and while it is still damp put in about a nickel/quarter size amount all through your hair. Scrunch it up with your hands and let it air dry, or use a blow dryer, and you are ready to go. You can also use this to refresh your curls if your hair is already dry too. Just dampen your hair a bit and massage in some more product, let it air dry and you're good!
The only downside I found was the smell. I really felt that I smelled like my grandma >.< While I love my grandmas, I dont necessarily want to smell like them. I worry that it would effect any perfume that I was wearing for the day.
On a scale of 1 - 10, I would give this a 7. It is something that I would recommend to someone with curly hair, but the smell really kills it for me. Maybe I could find the right fragrance to layer with it and it wouldn't stand out so much.
A full size is 8.5 fl oz for $22.00 in the Birchbox shop.
I do not have super curly hair, well not anymore at least, now I have (on my best day) super wavy hair. I tried this stuff out abut a week ago, and I was surprised at how soft my hair was after I used it! With all air the bleaching and processing I have put my hair through recently, it made my hair super soft. As for the curl part...it was okay. It definitely made the waves more bouncy and defined than they usually are, which is nice considering how damaged my hair is.
After a shower towel dry your hair, and while it is still damp put in about a nickel/quarter size amount all through your hair. Scrunch it up with your hands and let it air dry, or use a blow dryer, and you are ready to go. You can also use this to refresh your curls if your hair is already dry too. Just dampen your hair a bit and massage in some more product, let it air dry and you're good!
The only downside I found was the smell. I really felt that I smelled like my grandma >.< While I love my grandmas, I dont necessarily want to smell like them. I worry that it would effect any perfume that I was wearing for the day.
On a scale of 1 - 10, I would give this a 7. It is something that I would recommend to someone with curly hair, but the smell really kills it for me. Maybe I could find the right fragrance to layer with it and it wouldn't stand out so much.
A full size is 8.5 fl oz for $22.00 in the Birchbox shop.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Aqua Gloss - POP Beauty
In this month's Birchbox I was very lucky to get a full size product from POP
Beauty.
I have now added the POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer in the color Flowering Fuchsia to my collection of lip glosses. I am happy to have a chance to try this brand & product, I see it when I walk into Ulta and I want to buy something from them every time I'm in there. The colors are fun and it seems like a neat brand.
The size of the product is great, and the color is sheer, so don't let the word Fuchsia throw you off too much. It is really the perfect glossy shade for me, not too much color but not clear.
As excited as I was to try the Aqua Lacquer...it is something that I actually was very underwhelmed by.
There were a few things that I found I did not like, the first being right on the Birchbox product page it says, "Sticky lip gloss is high up on our list of beauty pet peeves, right next to cakey concealer and smudgy mascara. One gust of wind, and your hair is stuck all over your lips", this is seriously some of the stickiest lip gloss that has ever graced these lips.
I tried it out a few times and I could not keep it on for more than an hour without driving myself insane. The next issue I had was with the applicator, it is not your typical flocked wand this is a paddle. A very flexible, almost to the point that when the lip gloss was too sticky to apply I thought it was going to break off. Now I like different things, but for the thickness that the product is I don't think that this was the right applicator for it.
For a full size this product is 0.34 fl oz for $14.00
Will I buy this product? No. Will this keep me away from trying other POP Beauty products? No, there are so many other things they make that I would love to try. Nail polish and lip stains are on my list.
One down, and five more to go! ^_~
I have now added the POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer in the color Flowering Fuchsia to my collection of lip glosses. I am happy to have a chance to try this brand & product, I see it when I walk into Ulta and I want to buy something from them every time I'm in there. The colors are fun and it seems like a neat brand.
The size of the product is great, and the color is sheer, so don't let the word Fuchsia throw you off too much. It is really the perfect glossy shade for me, not too much color but not clear.
As excited as I was to try the Aqua Lacquer...it is something that I actually was very underwhelmed by.
There were a few things that I found I did not like, the first being right on the Birchbox product page it says, "Sticky lip gloss is high up on our list of beauty pet peeves, right next to cakey concealer and smudgy mascara. One gust of wind, and your hair is stuck all over your lips", this is seriously some of the stickiest lip gloss that has ever graced these lips.
I tried it out a few times and I could not keep it on for more than an hour without driving myself insane. The next issue I had was with the applicator, it is not your typical flocked wand this is a paddle. A very flexible, almost to the point that when the lip gloss was too sticky to apply I thought it was going to break off. Now I like different things, but for the thickness that the product is I don't think that this was the right applicator for it.
For a full size this product is 0.34 fl oz for $14.00
Will I buy this product? No. Will this keep me away from trying other POP Beauty products? No, there are so many other things they make that I would love to try. Nail polish and lip stains are on my list.
One down, and five more to go! ^_~
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Birchbox - October!
My second month back and I already am reminded of why I loved getting these boxes! I was graced with some amazing samples this month and I cannot wait to share.
A quick run through of what I got in my box, and then I will follow that up with individual posts for each item as I try it out.
This month included:
See! Awesome huh? And two of those are full sized ^_^
Take a look at my crappy quality instagram flick
Another bonus I didn't mention last month is, with Birchbox if you go and review the products you receive on their site, you get 10 points for each item. Every 100 points you earn you get $10 in the Birchbox store. Every dollar you spend is equal to 1 point too. Basically you can rack up 100 points every 2 or 3 months if you keep up with it! And if you forget, which I have been known to do, I have emailed customer service my review and they have given me credit after. You have a year to spend your points, so really you could end up with $50+ to spend, just for answering a few questions about the items you got.
I do have to say that the customer service at Birchbox is really some of the most amazing that I have dealt with. They are super accommodating, if something gets mixed up they fix it and then some! I have had items come in broken, and if they can they will replace it. In one case it was out of stock and they gave me 100 points, that's $10 for a sample that broke! They are super nice, and awesome to talk to at any time.
Stay tuned...same Looney channel, same Looney time! ^_~
A quick run through of what I got in my box, and then I will follow that up with individual posts for each item as I try it out.
This month included:
- Miss Jessie's Original Pillow Soft Curls
- Folle de Joie eau de parfum
- POP Beauty Aqua Laquer - Flowering Fuchsia
- ChapStick Hydration Lock - Vanilla Creme
- Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
- Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloths
See! Awesome huh? And two of those are full sized ^_^
Take a look at my crappy quality instagram flick
Another bonus I didn't mention last month is, with Birchbox if you go and review the products you receive on their site, you get 10 points for each item. Every 100 points you earn you get $10 in the Birchbox store. Every dollar you spend is equal to 1 point too. Basically you can rack up 100 points every 2 or 3 months if you keep up with it! And if you forget, which I have been known to do, I have emailed customer service my review and they have given me credit after. You have a year to spend your points, so really you could end up with $50+ to spend, just for answering a few questions about the items you got.
I do have to say that the customer service at Birchbox is really some of the most amazing that I have dealt with. They are super accommodating, if something gets mixed up they fix it and then some! I have had items come in broken, and if they can they will replace it. In one case it was out of stock and they gave me 100 points, that's $10 for a sample that broke! They are super nice, and awesome to talk to at any time.
Stay tuned...same Looney channel, same Looney time! ^_~
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The Fifth Estate
I have been getting very lucky lately. The Orlando Weekly was running a drawing for tickets to an advanced screening of The Fifth Estate. The movie is, "A dramatic thriller based on real events that reveals the quest to
expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet
upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization." (-imdb)
This movie intrigued me from the start, but I'm not going to lie...Cumberbatch is one of the reasons I went to see it too.
I promise this will be a better review than the last one.
**Possible Spoilers Behind the Cut**
This movie intrigued me from the start, but I'm not going to lie...Cumberbatch is one of the reasons I went to see it too.
I promise this will be a better review than the last one.
**Possible Spoilers Behind the Cut**
Friday, October 11, 2013
Let's go to the movies!
Let's go see a show!
Who doesn't like to go out to check out what is at the theaters. We see all of these great trailers and it looks like a great escape from reality for a few hours.
I had the opportunity to catch an early screening of Captain Phillips. Keep in mind...I am not a movie guru, or someone who is looking to meet the Siskel to my Ebert, but I do enjoy movies. Now that movies are like $13+ dollars, I'm definitely more critical of what I see.
Who doesn't like to go out to check out what is at the theaters. We see all of these great trailers and it looks like a great escape from reality for a few hours.
I had the opportunity to catch an early screening of Captain Phillips. Keep in mind...I am not a movie guru, or someone who is looking to meet the Siskel to my Ebert, but I do enjoy movies. Now that movies are like $13+ dollars, I'm definitely more critical of what I see.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The return of BIRCHBOX!
Let me tell you how excited that I was when I finally decided to return to regular shipments with my BirchBox! Ok...I was REALLY excited! ^_^
I convinced my roommate to get one last summer, and a few months later I stopped getting mine. It was a way to save a little money and cut back on some of the luxury items that I didn't necessarily need. Well with my new job, I have a little more wiggle room and I thought this would be a lovely little gift to myself for getting a 'Big Girl' job.
I convinced my roommate to get one last summer, and a few months later I stopped getting mine. It was a way to save a little money and cut back on some of the luxury items that I didn't necessarily need. Well with my new job, I have a little more wiggle room and I thought this would be a lovely little gift to myself for getting a 'Big Girl' job.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
My hair story...I'm PURPLE!
...Well it is more of a lilac/silver/blonde mix, but NEW HAIR! This made me so excited to have something new upon my head.
My hair story is a long, but fun one. It all started with a streak. lol
My hair story is a long, but fun one. It all started with a streak. lol
Monday, September 23, 2013
Soap!
The other big thing in my life right now is soap!
I know I mentioned it before really quick but let me go more into what I am working on.
Years ago a friend and I were playing with M&P soap, and so off an on for about 10 years I would pick it up and make stuff and not really do anything with it. A few weeks ago I was gifted a bunch of samples from a perfume oil company, The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I used some of those doubles, or triple, samples to fragrance some soap and to play with it more. But this time I went more into it. actually figuring out how many ounces of soap are in each mini bar, taking notes of quantitiy of fragrance to soap and the proper ratios to make sure the smells came out just right, not too strong not too weak. The real fun math part came last week when I was figuing out cost to make v. how much to retail. I even went into how much it would cost for color per .75oz mini bar would be. I like math, and as long as I am awake I can do the math too.
Inspired by a chat with the LadyWench and Manwench, I think that I'm going to gather things and put together a Kickstarter.
I have everything layed out, the only 2 things I'm missing. Those are the proper sccent profiles for each soap, and a brand name. >.< I really didn't think that coming up with a name for my storefront would be so difficult but it is! So I'm working on it, and anything that I come accross I double check to make sure that it isn't already being used at some other e-commerce location.
I think that my concept for the soaps is amazing and I'm really looking forward to getting the ball rolling. There are a few places out there that sell some of the same things, but not on the scale or exclusivity that I want to target at a certain demo. See I'm using big words too ^_^
As soon as I get things moving with that YOU will be the first to know! I think I'm more excited at the idea of doing hot and cold process soaps too. The chemical and dangerous side of it really intreague me and the more I research it the more I want to do ^_~
I know I mentioned it before really quick but let me go more into what I am working on.
Years ago a friend and I were playing with M&P soap, and so off an on for about 10 years I would pick it up and make stuff and not really do anything with it. A few weeks ago I was gifted a bunch of samples from a perfume oil company, The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I used some of those doubles, or triple, samples to fragrance some soap and to play with it more. But this time I went more into it. actually figuring out how many ounces of soap are in each mini bar, taking notes of quantitiy of fragrance to soap and the proper ratios to make sure the smells came out just right, not too strong not too weak. The real fun math part came last week when I was figuing out cost to make v. how much to retail. I even went into how much it would cost for color per .75oz mini bar would be. I like math, and as long as I am awake I can do the math too.
Inspired by a chat with the LadyWench and Manwench, I think that I'm going to gather things and put together a Kickstarter.
I have everything layed out, the only 2 things I'm missing. Those are the proper sccent profiles for each soap, and a brand name. >.< I really didn't think that coming up with a name for my storefront would be so difficult but it is! So I'm working on it, and anything that I come accross I double check to make sure that it isn't already being used at some other e-commerce location.
I think that my concept for the soaps is amazing and I'm really looking forward to getting the ball rolling. There are a few places out there that sell some of the same things, but not on the scale or exclusivity that I want to target at a certain demo. See I'm using big words too ^_^
As soon as I get things moving with that YOU will be the first to know! I think I'm more excited at the idea of doing hot and cold process soaps too. The chemical and dangerous side of it really intreague me and the more I research it the more I want to do ^_~
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Disney fun
Fancy meeting you here!
Since my last update I have done a lot!
The 3 day weekend ended up being pretty awesome. I relaxed the first day at home, in my pool, and on the next 2 days I took a little stay-cation to Disney World. I did not end up staying on property but I was able to snag an amazing deal on Priceline for $40 for a suite. That also included free drinks & snacks at the Managers Reception in the evening and a super awesome breakfast buffet in the morning. I invited a friend and her daughter along to enjoy the pool, just to get out of the in-laws house, and I couldn't leave out the hubby so he joined us. It was nice, we put the kid to bed in the room closed it off and the adults watched bad hotel tv, with a drink or two. The next day we all went to the Magic Kingdom, met up with some friends and had fun with the littles.
The 3 day weekend ended up being pretty awesome. I relaxed the first day at home, in my pool, and on the next 2 days I took a little stay-cation to Disney World. I did not end up staying on property but I was able to snag an amazing deal on Priceline for $40 for a suite. That also included free drinks & snacks at the Managers Reception in the evening and a super awesome breakfast buffet in the morning. I invited a friend and her daughter along to enjoy the pool, just to get out of the in-laws house, and I couldn't leave out the hubby so he joined us. It was nice, we put the kid to bed in the room closed it off and the adults watched bad hotel tv, with a drink or two. The next day we all went to the Magic Kingdom, met up with some friends and had fun with the littles.
Friday, August 30, 2013
3 day weekend!
The upside to having a standard job, the holiday weekend. If the banks are closed, so are we!
For me, that means I can wind down and relax. The last 5 weeks of training and new information has been seeping into every pore, it is all i think about when I'm at home.
Last night I laid down after getting home and passed out. I ended up sleeping all the way through the night. I slept from 7pm to 6am, only waking up once to realize I had fallen asleep for so long, I turned my alarms on and then passed back out. Not a single fuck was given at that point.
So this weekend I am going to actually go to the grocery store for the first time in weeks. I am going to pick up more soap and smells to play with, and hopefully I will have some pictures to show you on Tuesday.
And I want to get in the pool! I had that on my agenda last weekend, but the weather sucked and if I didn’t make it out there by 10am the day was shot. In Florida, in the summer, I expect the daily rain storms but this was just bad cloudy weather all day. If I don’t get to play this weekend I’ll be bummed but the pool will be there next weekend. Fingers crossed! ^_~
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
soap!
So I mentioned that I was getting into soap. Let us chat about that some more.
Looking at ETSY over the last few years, and all the fun things that are there to explore and buy, I have been inspired to do many things. My aspirations to do art, crafts, geeky stuff, nail polish, and now soap.
Yeah I know that sounds like it's just going to be something that passes quickly and I lose interest in it, but really...I'm curious. Curious to find out more. *I am not an expert, this is all the information that I have learned the last few weeks or reading and tutorials and other research*
Years and years ago a friend and I experimented with Melt & Pour (MP). This is a really simple process of cutting up the soap, melting, and well...pouring. Somewhere in the middle you add color and fragrance and any additives. You let it sit up for 30 mins and you're good to go. It gives you a lot of freedom to learn your scents, and other things in the middle. Get a good process and have a chance to practice. This is very family friendly, with parental guidance kids would love creating their own soaps!
After MP , you can venture out into Cold Process (CP), which is more involved. This is where you add the lye to your fats and you actually work with the chemicals to create soap. After you melt and add everything, you will mold your soap and allow this to set up for a day or so. After removing the soap from the molding, cut and place the soap on a drying rack for 4-6 weeks for it to cure.
another process I have come across that looks like it would be interesting is Hot Process (HP). It is the same as CP but before you mold the soap you cook it. This speeds up the curing process and give a few days, maybe a week at most, the soap is ready to use.
So as you can see, when I want to get into something I get WAY into it. Like I said I am no way an expert but I really do enjoy learning about things and there is a bug inside of me that wants to create on a level that I can share with EVERYONE!
More on what I made the other day and the awesome scents that I used tomorrow! ^_~
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
New Job!
I know I have a habit of saying, "Hey! I'm coming back!", and then never coming back. This time is more ligit than I was just bored and never wanted to turn on my computer.
I got a new job! It is very exciting and it is slowing dawning on me that I have such a sweet gig. A major move from working circulation at a library. It is actually a career move, and puts me into a stable pstition to start school again. Stable schedule and money wise ^_^
What else has been new with me...
I finished playing with that VoxBox. I'm always so bad at doing their reviews in the time crunch they give you but I promise I'll be better. Even though I won't get credit on their end I will still post in about those products. Most of them were pretty alright, it just was not really the right VoxBox for me. I didn't have anything to do with a wedding this year, this year with all my friends is BABY TIME. My cousin just had the first grandkid. The LadyWench is about to burst at any moment, I'm still thinking the babes will go til the 8th, but I got a feeling she is going to give mom a rough ride all the way through, lots of surprises with that one. Then Becs is about 4 months in and just found out she is having a boy! (totally called that one!) So baby fever is going around, and no before anyone asks - I have no baby fever! One day, just not right now. Let me get settled into this job and then find the hubs and then the babes. Take it one step at a time.
Another thing I have found myself into is soap. I know, 'ugh another crafty hoe makin her crap and trying to sell it to us' but really it is kind of cool. Even if it is something on the side to use up spare smells I have around the house it'll be something nice and on the creative side of things. Outside of my phone/iPad, I don't get on the computer much at home so it is another outlet I have other than just sitting around the house watching bad reality tv (which I am very guilty of doing - a lot).
Right now I am not selling any, just playing with strength of scents and how much soap and ingredients I need/want. For smells right now I am using spare Imps I have from BPAL - Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. This place deserves it's own post, really it would take multiple posts to get everything out about this company, it is just that amazing! I was introduced to it years ago by the LadyWench and I haven't looked back. If you can think or hope to have a certain scent...they have it! From dirt to candy to the smell of a midway at a carnival to cthulu, they have it. Friendly to box sexes and they also have two other sister companies BPTP, home scents/soaps/accessories/tshirts, and TAL, more on the magical side/charged/ritual oils. But like I said they all deserve single posts and I think that may be in the near future!
So back to what I was rambling about before. I'm playing with soaps and using spare smells that I have. I'm giving them away to anyone who will give me feedback. not really about what they smell like but how they smell, if that makes sense. lol. I'm looking at if you like the strength of the soap, is it too strong do I need to add more? so those are up for grabs and I can send them out as requested. I'm possibly looking into a kickstarter to get things going but that again is another post.
To keep me on the right track with getting this thing up and running, I'm going to purge any old nonsensical stuffs and freshen up the look. I am also going to get in the habit of getting to work a little earlier so I can post and work on this most days of the week. That making this a monday - friday blog but you may get some good nuggets in on the weekend too ^_~
I got a new job! It is very exciting and it is slowing dawning on me that I have such a sweet gig. A major move from working circulation at a library. It is actually a career move, and puts me into a stable pstition to start school again. Stable schedule and money wise ^_^
What else has been new with me...
I finished playing with that VoxBox. I'm always so bad at doing their reviews in the time crunch they give you but I promise I'll be better. Even though I won't get credit on their end I will still post in about those products. Most of them were pretty alright, it just was not really the right VoxBox for me. I didn't have anything to do with a wedding this year, this year with all my friends is BABY TIME. My cousin just had the first grandkid. The LadyWench is about to burst at any moment, I'm still thinking the babes will go til the 8th, but I got a feeling she is going to give mom a rough ride all the way through, lots of surprises with that one. Then Becs is about 4 months in and just found out she is having a boy! (totally called that one!) So baby fever is going around, and no before anyone asks - I have no baby fever! One day, just not right now. Let me get settled into this job and then find the hubs and then the babes. Take it one step at a time.
Another thing I have found myself into is soap. I know, 'ugh another crafty hoe makin her crap and trying to sell it to us' but really it is kind of cool. Even if it is something on the side to use up spare smells I have around the house it'll be something nice and on the creative side of things. Outside of my phone/iPad, I don't get on the computer much at home so it is another outlet I have other than just sitting around the house watching bad reality tv (which I am very guilty of doing - a lot).
Right now I am not selling any, just playing with strength of scents and how much soap and ingredients I need/want. For smells right now I am using spare Imps I have from BPAL - Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. This place deserves it's own post, really it would take multiple posts to get everything out about this company, it is just that amazing! I was introduced to it years ago by the LadyWench and I haven't looked back. If you can think or hope to have a certain scent...they have it! From dirt to candy to the smell of a midway at a carnival to cthulu, they have it. Friendly to box sexes and they also have two other sister companies BPTP, home scents/soaps/accessories/tshirts, and TAL, more on the magical side/charged/ritual oils. But like I said they all deserve single posts and I think that may be in the near future!
So back to what I was rambling about before. I'm playing with soaps and using spare smells that I have. I'm giving them away to anyone who will give me feedback. not really about what they smell like but how they smell, if that makes sense. lol. I'm looking at if you like the strength of the soap, is it too strong do I need to add more? so those are up for grabs and I can send them out as requested. I'm possibly looking into a kickstarter to get things going but that again is another post.
To keep me on the right track with getting this thing up and running, I'm going to purge any old nonsensical stuffs and freshen up the look. I am also going to get in the habit of getting to work a little earlier so I can post and work on this most days of the week. That making this a monday - friday blog but you may get some good nuggets in on the weekend too ^_~
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Something Blue - Summer 2013
Well I'm not getting married, at least not that I know of, lol. This is just a sneak peek of what I got in my Influenster Something Blue VoxBox.
I have already had a chance to try out the Urgent Rx Ache & Pain Relief To-Go, and the Kiss everEZlashes. I'm looking forward to try the rest and check out the MyTrio Rings.
Check back soon for more updates about single products ^_~
**All products above were sent for me to review from Influenster and each respective company, all opinions are my own**
Friday, June 21, 2013
Ivory® 2-IN-1 Hair & Body Wash
A few weeks ago I was picked to try out Ivory® 2-IN-1 Hair & Body Wash by Influenster.
The product is marketed as a 2 in 1, hair and body wash. Now, I have never been a big fan of 2 in 1 washes but this was above average. The scent is very pleasant, as a body wash it is great! But as a shampoo/conditioner...eh, it is okay. It worked great as a clarifying shampoo but it really lacked on the conditioning part.
Check out this cute little video that helps to show the ease and space that the Ivory® 2-IN-1 Hair & Body Wash can give in your shower. HERE!
I have worked through 90% of the bottle. Here is what I would rate this product at, as a body wash - 10, as a shampoo/conditioner - 7. Would I buy it again? Maybe, sure. I would just get a good conditioner to go with it.
You can check out more Ivory® products here at their facebook page.
The product I sampled above was sent to me by Influenster at no cost, and all opinions are my own.
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