Translate

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Ipsy for June!!

I have been anxiously awaiting my first Ipsy bag since the beginning of May!! It felt like eons, but it finally arrived and I have to tell you guys, I am tickled silly. I love pretty much everything that came in my bag. There were only a couple mishaps and 50% of that was my own doing.

Want your own Ipsy bag?

So for starters, the bag this month is by Rebecca Minkoff. It's a sort of abstract tropical print. The material is very nice quality. It doesn't stink like a lot of people have complained about past Ipsy bags (like that chemically processed smell), It's sort of a navy base with blues, greens, and oranges in the shapes of pineapple's and flowers. Sounds gaudy, but it's actually quite cute. Unfortunately I ACCIDENTALLY snipped the label when I was cutting open the mailer envelope so I am a bit bummed about that.


Can you see where I murdered the tag? Of course you can. :(





Before I even open the bag, I notice I have a pack of Truth To Go wipes, which are "gentle, moisturizing, age defying cleansing wipes". I tried one out this morning and I quite like the way they smell. Kind of fruity. Makes sense because there are a lot of fruity ingredients in it. I will definitely buy more of them in the future.

Inside the bag, I have a Be A Bombshell mascara. Black. It smells awful. Almost like old garlic. Phew. I don't know what to think about this and I have heard an awful lot of mixed reviews on the brand. I am not sure I'm brave enough to try it? The packaging is cute. Sort of a thick, matte-black metal tube. Pleasingly round in the right places.

I also got a liquid liner in black by Jessie's Girl. Normally I would be thrilled but the damned thing skooged all over me when I took the cap off it have a look at it. I am STILL trying to scrub eyeliner from under my nail bed. Ugh. I have cleaned it up and it now seems to be ok and workable though. All I can imagine is that the heat during shipment got to it.

There is a Beach Spray by Marc Anthony. Dream Waves. It smells great but I haven't used it yet so I don't really have a valid opinion on it. I will need to make a review post where I review ALL THE THINGS I've used from prior boxes so you folks have a good idea of what is good and what isn't.

Last and most certainly NOT least I got a Nyx Buttergloss in Eclair. It's so soft and pink and it smells like vanilla cupcakes. I would be afraid to wear it for anyone to kiss me out of fear they would eat my face. Seriously, it's a great product and adorable. I just love anything from Nyx. They're one of my favorite cosmetic brands today.

Here is all the other stuff!
All in all, this bag was pretty great! For 10 bucks a month you really can't argue with it at all. I highly recommend it.

Loot Crate for June 2014

This months theme is "TRANSFORM" so I am pretty sure we can all figure out what's in the box. ;) As of today, there is still ONE DAY LEFT to get in on this particular Loot Crate



For the second month in a row, we're lucky enough to get a shirt! Unfortunately it was only available in boy style, but that's not terrible. The shirt is fun.


There's also the MLG gamer band. 


See? Super-cute. Back to the Future meets Transformers. I love it!



Also in the box, a Hexbug nano. Bumblebee! And Warheads. Mmm.

Sweet Decepticon decal that I'm going to attach to my cripple person vehicle. Other stickers I don't care about, but sponsored the box this month. 

  The booklet that came inside the box.

Below is a vinyl blindbox. You get to see what you "MAY" get and then what I actually got underneath.





I got Soundwave. Aww. Vinyls are cute. 

That was it for Loot Crate this month. Overall, it was pretty fun. I have yet to open and play with the Hexbug. I may or may not. I may just sell it. I haven't decided just yet. I hope for more shirts in the future. The shirt is really the most exciting part of this box for me. 




















Graze

Want the first box free? Try Graze



With all the subbing I've been experimenting I'd realized I haven't done one for food. A friend of mine was trying this out, so I decided I would give it a shot as well (and get her a buck off her next box, too!), My first box was pretty good. They have SO many different items they can send, so you really just never know what you're going to get. What I really like about these guys, so far, is that as you go along and try different items you can rate what you like and what you don't and if you HATE something they will never send it again.




I got Fruit and Seed Flapjack, which is a soft sort of granola bar-type item. I thought it was pretty good. I typically prefer a harder kind of granola but this made for an excellent snack. I enjoyed it.

Next was Smoky BBQ Corn which was a mix of cashews and corn nuts with a BBQ seasoning. THAT was addictive. I haven't had corn nuts since the late 90's and man, I forgot how much I loved them. I look forward to getting more of this in the future. Easily the best thing in the box!

Jalapeno Fiesta was a mix of nuts and seeds with a "spicy" seasoning. It could have been spicier. I really kind of hated this. If it had been hotter or even just more interesting on a flavor level I would have probably liked it better. I chose the "Trash" option for that one.

Lastly there was the Toffee Apple which was dried (but still soft and chewy) apple with a toffee dipping sauce. Very tasty. I am always a fan of anything caramel or apple or both. 

Overall, this box is fun and a great deal. My first and fifth boxes are free and the others are just six bucks a pop. I currently have it set to ship every two weeks but I have heard that if you unsub and resub there is an option to only do it once a month. 

Rainbow Honey Mystery Mini Bag for June

So I ordered another mini mystery bag from Rainbow Honey for the month of June and they sent me three mini polishes.
Rose Macaron which is defined as: Another sweet treat waiting to coat your nails in pink and glitter.

Pikake: Take your nails to a tropical paradise with this glitter topper

Ichigo: This bright fuchsia jelly glows with blue and purple iridescent flakes







I haven't tried any of them out yet, but I can already tell you that Ichigo is my favorite. I'm going to paint my nails with it a little later today.

They also sent a sample roller perfume in "Nucifera" It claims it's reminiscent of the tropics and sitting on the beach but I am not a fan. To me it smells like rum and old pineapple. Meh.

There was another cuticle balm in the scent Tea Biscuit. I am going to pass this to my mother because I don't need another balm at the moment. It smells ok. They also gave an exfoliating sugar scrub soap in the same scent. I will try it out and report what I think at a later time.

There were also more nail doodads and a handful of orange sticks (cuticle pushers).

I really do this just for the polishes. Everything else is just a nice bonus. For ten bucks, I have no complaints. I love this company!

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Boxycharm June 2014

Another fantastic box for the month of June from Boxycharm!! The theme is Bridal Beauty since it is June and prime wedding season. There were a lot of nice items in this box.


THE GOODIES!!! :O
First up we have two products from Tarina Tarantino! We have an Eye Dream Hyperlight applicator which is basically a concealer/highlighter for your eyes. I LOVE the applicator. It's one of those kind that you twist up and the concealer pushes up into a soft brush. The design on the tube is lovely. See? 

The HyperLight. 22 dollars!

Here you can see the product inside and the brush.

The other Tarina Tarantino product is the HyperLiner in "Cute Robot" (I LOVE THAT NAME!!!!) It's a beautiful navy blue eye liner. I can't wait to find an occasion to wear it! It's a 15.00 value

Swatch of Cute Robot

Next up was a nail polish duo by STRANGEBEAUTIFUL in the colors "Something Blue" and "You Gold Girl". The brushes inside the bottle seemed splayed/frayed. Almost like a child had taken them out of their tubes and just smashed the hell out of them and then put them back. It's a minor issue. I think it's just a poor quality brush they use for their polishes. The formula itself isn't bad. I managed a decent look from just a single coat from either color. The value of this duo is 18.00 What do you guys think of my mani job? 



It needs some clean-up but not bad for an amateur

There was also another new mascara by Revlon. Bold Lacquer by Grow Luscious. 7.99 drug store stuff. They did send me a coupon for a dollar off another one, so if anyone wants it, it's all yours. It doesn't expire until New Years. Just hit me up and I'll mail it to you.

The mascara



The absolute BEST thing in the whole box, I saved for last. It's a cream blush from Tarte in Blushing Bride. Tarte's 12 hour cheek stain claims it has restorative benefits as well as beautiful color for your cheeks. It has a 30.00 value! They also included a coupon code for 20% my purchase on Tarte.com during 7/7/14-7/18/14 Woot! This stuff smells like lemon tart. 






Just a basic swatch, not blended.




This is my box for the month of June. I really LOVE everything. Boxycharm is by far my favorite sub, so far. I have been thrilled two months in a row and cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for July already! If you were thinking about doing ANY beauty sub, this is the one I recommend the most.








Beauty Box 5 June (and April!)

I decided to give BB5 a try and I have to say I am pretty pleased with them. I ordered a sub for month to month and they also gave me the opportunity to buy a past mystery box from them for ten bucks. I took the deal and they sent me April's subscription box as well as the June box.

 My April box was pretty nice. I got a lot of interesting and useful things inside and now I'm gonna let ya know what they gave me!

First up was a sample eye shadow palette from BH cosmetics. It had sample colors from three of their new palettes. Malibu, which was a beautiful golden pigment. San Francisco which is a bronzy-brown and Hollywood which is a deep plum color. BH cosmetics is having a MASSIVE sale right now on their site and you can pick up EACH of these palettes for 6.95 which is an amazing deal. If you buy 30.00 worth of stuff you can get the Malibu for free by entering the code: MALIBU




Next I got a Nicka K New York lipstick in Concerto, which is sort of a coppery nude color. I actually quite like it. The texture is nice and smooth and doesn't feel incredibly heavy on the lip.
It's a nice color.




I also got a lip liner (they call it a lip definer) from Bonne Bell in the shade "Ash Rose", which actually goes nicely with the Nicka K lipstick. I'm not sure if that was on purpose or a happy accident. It's not the greatest product, but at least it matches and I can actually use it.



They also gave me a cute, tiny little container of Blum Naturals All-purpose cleaning wipes. There are 30 wipes and it's the peppermint oil kind. I was hoping to get the grapefruit ones, but these are pretty nice too. Very handy and they work well. I have used them to both clean my hands AND to remove make up and it works great on both tasks. Smells nice. I will definitely buy more. The container is adorable!



Lastly, I also got sample packet of Jergens Natural glow tanning lotion. Just a 3 pack self-tanner. I don't use this sort of a thing. I'm not a person who tans or fake-tans. Maybe I'll try it, but it's more likely it will either just sit in a bathroom drawer until the end of time or I will give it to someone who would actually use it.



That was the end of the April box.

Now on to the June!

First up in the box was another Nicka K New York product. This time it was a nail polish. A deep red color that didn't seem to have an actual name. I haven't used it yet. I have many more EXCITING colors of polish to try but I will get around to trying it eventually.


Next I got a sample pack of Organix Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner. I actually buy and use Organix products all the time because they are sulfate-free and they always work real nice. They typically smell good too. I have both the Cherry Blossom AND the Argan oil varieties that I use all the time. I'm happy to have these samples. I'm sure they will be great.

I also received a sample of Glam Natural mascara which is a hypoallergenic and vegan mascara. I haven't tried it out yet, but I am definitely intrigued.



There was an Eslor "Introductory Collection Calming Kit" which is basically a sampler of their cleaner, face scrub, calming mask, and lotion. I used it once back on Thursday evening and I really liked it. It left my skin feeling smooth and fresh. I will look into getting the full size versions of their stuff.



Lastly, they also included a bottle of Vitabath body wash in Wild Red Cherry. It smells great and is also sulfate and paraben free and I can't wait to give it a try. 

Ultimately it's a great sub box and for 12 bucks a month you really can't beat it. They gave me a handful of cards to share with friends that includes a code for a free box (or you can save 12 bucks on a quarterly or yearly subscription). Just use the code FREE614 at the checkout and get yourself a FREE BOX!



Saturday, June 7, 2014

Wantable Intimates June 2014

Today I also received my Wantable Intimates box, which I have decided to subscribe to. I have to say this was a great box! I am thoroughly happy with everything I got. The shirt is soft and comfortable. It's a nice color and I am sure it will be difficult to pry me out of it on the days I get to just lounge around my apartment. The bra is the perfect size and TOTALLY adorable. I have a thing for polka dots right now, so this was completely up my alley. I am wearing it at the moment and it fits like a DREAM! I have yet to try on the panties or the socks but I think I may sleep in them tonight to see what I think. I am kind of weird about sleeping with things on my feet, but I will give it a shot to try these socks out for size AND to moisturize with a good lotion. 

Details about the products are as follows:

Pima Apparel: Pima Dolman Tshirt in pink

Puma 3-pack Women's low cut socks (bright)

Coobie soft bra in black with white polka dots adjustable straps and removable cups

Honeydew Scarlette Rayon Hipster Jinx/Voodoo

This was a really fun and exciting box and I already CANNOT WAIT until next month arrives! Highly recommend! Click here if you want your own Wantable box!!




Wantables Accessories June 2014

As a nice gift, my boyfriend purchased me a one-time accessories box from Wantable. It landed in my mailbox this morning and I had to force myself to wait until I finished my laundry to open it up. It was torture!

When I opened it I saw a lovely velvet envelope with the Wantable name logo printed on it. Inside I found a pair of earrings, a necklace, and a watch!

The description in the paper says this:

The Rosie Earrings - features distressed gold tone surrounding spikes of pale bubblegum pink

The Sam Necklace - a gorgeous iridescent necklace features 5 beautiful stones.

The Shelby Watch - features a round, rhinestone accented face with a mother-of-pearl inspired wristband.

I have to say I really like all three pieces. My only gripe is the metal on the necklace is kind of cheap and brassy looking. The stones are pretty, though. The weight is good on both the necklace and the earrings. They all look really great together. I am pleased. What do you guys think? Check out the pics!

Click here if you want your own Wantable box!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Birchbox for June 2014

Before I even begin to talk about the things I got, I have to express my distinct disappointment in this months box. Not a single full size product and all under the guise of travel. Things you would take with you in a carry-on or in your purse for a plane flight. Really, Birchbox? Maybe I am just expecting a lot of 10 bucks a month. Maybe I am being unreasonable. I don't happen to think so. I know, for a fact I can get a lot of sample size products like these for FREE if I write an email to the company and just ASK for some. For 10 bucks, you can afford to toss in a gloss or a liner or some shadow. ANYTHING. Ugh.

Enough of my bitterness. I will move on to the theme and then the photos and what else came in the box I didn't take photos of.

First we have a sample size of Coola Tinted Matte SPF 30 for the face. It's basically a tiny sample tube of a mineral BB cream. Interesting to see if it works ok or not. I'm to annoyed to care much right now.

Gilchrist and Soames body lotion. No smell. No nothing. Just a 1.5fl oz bottle of plain-ass lotion. Not impressed.

Folle de Joie Eau de Parfum. Just a little sample tube-sprayer of perfume. Smells ok. Full size is $98 bucks. I don't like it THAT much. It's supposed to be a "fresh blend of mandarin. rose, and sandalwood. I would maybe purchase it in a roll-on. MAYBE.

Number 4 hair hydrating shampoo (1 fl oz). This is supposed to be sulfate-free, which I appreciate, because I am allergic to sulfates. It makes the skin on my face blister and scar. I can't be mad at this sample. What I CAN be mad at is the jerks typed in the card in a highlighted blue: "Bonus! We added in the hydrating condition for the ultimate in nourishment." I am SURE that was such a hardship for you. It's a foil packet sample with .25 fl oz. Not even a bottle, like the shampoo. *scribble cloud*

Lastly, we have from Vasanti Cosmetics an enzymatic cleanser. BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator. A small 20g bottle. This is also sulfate-free, thank goodness. I am interested to try it but it was really just a very depressing box. It's hard to really feel excited about any of it.

Also in the box was some "quiz" thing from Jetblue they want you to take and then take a photo after you've taken it to submit and enter to win a free trip to somewhere. I don't really care about that unless they plan to include cost of dialysis in that trip. There is also an ad for a new liner from Benefit cosmetics.

And now, the photos.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Ulta and Birchbox mini haul!

So I bought some crap from Ulta this month. Just some BB cream to try out from Stila, some Nyx concealer and an eyeshadow pencil. From Birchbox I turned in some points and got a couple Stila lip glazes. Brett also bought me a cute polka dot Baggu bag for my things. Check it all out!




Splendies!

I have lost about 110 pounds (or so) over the last year and we all know when this happens, you always have to get rid of old clothes and you have to get new ones that actually fit your new body. Underwear falls into this category, which people seldom talk about. I have decided rather than just go buy a blah blah pack of Hanes Her Way or whatevs that I would instead join a couple underwear subs.

It adds an element of surprise and fun to something that is usually mundane. With Splendies I get 3 new pairs of undies a month for 14 bucks. That's about $4.60 a pair. My subscription is more pricey than the norm because I add two dollars so I don't get thongs. I LOATHE thong underwear. It's uncomfortable and gross! Normally it's 12 bucks a month and if you add the coupon code SPLENDIES (or VOLUPTIES if you're plus size and you go to the Volupties site) it takes four bucks off your first month.

If you're interested in getting Splendies, just follow this link!

Ok! Let's have a look at what I got this month!