Sampley, Samples....

 

Klout... I have raved and raved about that site. Seriously, you have a fb, ig, twitter, or any social media page- you should have signed up by now.

McDonald's Arch Card- I feel like they send one out every month :)

Garnier Clean Balancing Daily Exfoliator- This was either a Walmart or Target freebie.

Jergens BB Body- This product confuses me bc the color goes away...so what is it? A lotion that does nothing but seems like it isn't sinking in and could stain like tanning lotion? Or is it a BB cream that makes your skin look good for one day?

 

Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin, Nails Gummies With Biotin- I have been looking for a Biotin product, so if these are good then I will be using that dollar off coup :)

Sundown Naturals Adult Multivitamin, Gluten-Free Gummies- I'll try them, but probably wont buy.

My first ipsy!!!! I am in love!!

Let's start with a quick subscription box update.... I cancelled sample society. I had to. I ended up getting a Murad cleanser with my final box, and I was excited. I took it to use in the shower and when squeezed it out, it was barely coming our/smelled funny/looked yellow. I used it, because I know that many cleansers have an odor due to the ingredients. When I put it on my face, my face started burning. After rinsing it off, I tried to squeeze more out to look at it and it was still barely coming out. Once I unscrewed the lid, I discovered that there was a faulty seal on the product. This seal had a rust colored growth on it. I was disgusted. I know that I just got a bad product, but it icked me out sooo much that I cancelled. I would still recommend the subscription bc the value is there.

After that bad time, I decided to give ipsy try. Well, that was a home run. When I first began to look for a subscription box a little over a year ago- ipsy was under a different name, and all of the reviews were negative. Even though I was still nervous about the bag quality when I signed up last month, I did it. The unboxings on youtube def swayed that decision. I am glad I through caution to the went and subscribed.

For you that dont know, to subscribe you take part in a pyramid scheme like program. You sign up, hop in queue....to progress on that queue and receive a bag subscription, you need to get another friend to sign up. Once they have, they get in the queue and have to get another person to sign up. After typing that out, it seems more like the plot to the ring....

Anywas, I lucked out and two people used my code ( CLICK HERE FOR IPSY! ) within an hour of me signing up...Which meant---- I GOT THIS FUCKING AMAZEBALLS BAG O' MINIS SWAG

This is the bag I received, and it was the only downer in the whole subscription... it stunk. Like cheap, nonrated plastic and rubber. :(

ANNNNDDDD this is what I received inside.... A Cailyn lip balm, Benefit's Loli Tint, Kiss Lashes, City Color White Gold Shadow & Highlight Mousse, and Urban Decay's 24/7 Velvet eyeliner.


I love it all.

Loli Tint.... it reminds me of the color of the year- radiant orchid
Cailyn... this is ok, though I wish it wasnt hot pink. I do like the color and it will be great for hombre lips, but it stains your skin and lips quickly, which means hot pink around your mouth.
Kiss Lashes.... I am not sure about these. Comfy and soft with great shape- but too sparse.
City Color Shadow & Highlight Mousse... I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS. It will be a great base and a great highlighter. Long lasting, and a wonderfully nonobnoxious metallic sheen.
Urban Decay Liner- I have one of the regular 24/7s- and they last forever! My zero pencil is almost gone, so I am excited to not need to buy a replacement.

Indoor Lighting

Natural Lighting

Influenster UniVoxBox

Another VoxBox, another set of things to try. Here is a glimpse into the UniVoxBox and a review of a few of the items.....

 This box included a pen, press on nails, tea drops, tampons, foundation, and lipstick.

 The Acroball pen by Pilot writes very smooth and reminds me of the uniball gel pens.

I am very glad that I got the Earl Grey flavor of Red Rose Real Tea Drops. I haven't tried this yet, but I am an avid tea drinker and am excited to use them. It can be used with cold or hot water.

Per usual with VoxBoxes, I got a set of ImPress stick on nails. I have yet to try any of the ones I have received (I believe this is my third or fourth set), but I do like the length and color.

 Playtex Sport Tampons (Fresh Balance). Hmmm. I am a pearl girl myself, but always willing to try new things. The packaging is ok- it reminds me of Tampax Pearls, but with a more awkward tab system (they are very small). The smell of 'freshness' is also off putting. Thankfully, once unpackaged it subsides a lot. This would be a great tampon for someone who is either a virgin or is new to their periods. Why? because of the shape, it is definatley user friendly.

Stay Matte foundation by Rimmel in 010 Light Porcelain. This image is with flash and the color is a good match....HOWEVER.... it is hard to blend and sinks in/goes away quickly. This leaves you with splotchy makeup.

NYC Lipstick. Wow, the quality is pretty fucking good. I was surprised. Moisturizing, long wearing, and amazingly pigmented. I will be
buying other shades.





Well, there you go. The Influenster UniVoxBox 2014....oh and sorry about the sideways images :)

Meet Magdelena (Maggie Mayhem)

Yes folks, we have gotten a new kitten..... and she is a cuddler :)

Sample Society- March 2014

Again, this is a pretty good box. It is one that has a couple of items that I will not use, but the value is still in the items that I will try.

PRODUCT LIST:

*Oscar Blandi Texture and Volume Spray-No real smell, not sticky, and not powdery. I am excited to give this a go. This is worth $5.25
*Alterna Caviar CC Cream 10 in 1- This is a leave in hair cream from a great brand. Another item that I look forward to. This product is worth 12.95
*Jane Iredale Tantasia- This product is $7.14/oz, it has no size on it. I would say this is worth about $3. I gave this a go on the back of my hand and it seems a bit useless. I have not liked any products that I have from this brand.
*Murad Clarifying Cleanser- This is worth $2.68/oz and is two ounces. Making this worth $5.36
*Jane Tran Clips- I may use one of them. Price is $12.50/six pack- making this worth $4


This box was worth $30.56....and I cant wait until next month!

Samples.....

 Freebies! Muah ha ha.

These all came from www.pinchme.com When you sign up for that site, they will send you an email about once a month saying their freebie store is open. It is first come first serve, so they run out quickly. You get to pick up to three items (if there are enough) and they take about a month to reach you.

Pretty self explanatory--- Gevalia Sample, two Suave lotions, and a shampoo sample.

Blush Mystery Beauty Box- March 2014....and why I am cancelling

Let me start by saying that their customer service is amazing. Anytime I have had an issue and called- I have had a full sized item shipped to me practically overnight. Once I commented on a video of theirs- and they called me the next day. Their CSRs are bright and genuine.

Now, the reason I am cancelling.... I have had this subscription for a year now. As it has become more popular- the products have become blah and also have gotten smaller. This box used to have almost all full size products with a couple of deluxe travel sizes and then two extra samples (that come with all orders from their site). Blush has also overloaded their customers with skincare. This box was supposed to be a mix of skin, hair, and makeup. I use at least one of their skincare products  every night- and have still managed to fill a drawer in my fridge with more masks, lotions, and exfoliators that I received in the box. Last months box was great, I thought that it was getting better and that I wouldn't cancel. I was hoping they were transitioning back to the days of nail polish and baublebar...of shampoos and full size soaps. Nope, this month was the worst yet. This box had the lowest value in the past year, and was a bunch of small samples. The two full sized items? A washcloth (which, after doing research, comes free with a set from a skincare line---- which btw is another issue with the box, many items are not supposed to be sold outside of their gift packs) and a face lotion (never would have guessed lol). Oh, and people got different sized samples this month also!

 

In the box:

*Suki Washcloth- no value, free gift with purchase- and it came with a shiny gold 'made in china' sticker the size of that logo...lol

*Talika  Eye Therapy Patches, One Set- Apparently you can use these 2-3 times, interesting. Three sets are $44....Which values this at about 14.50.

*Strivectin SD- This is something I have always wanted to try. I received the .75 oz sample and it says it should be good for 3 weeks of usage. A full size is worth $130 dollars  and is 5 oz. Making this worth $19.50.

* DCL UltraLight Hydrator- Full size, $25

*Sarah McNamera Microdermabrahsion- This is $22 for a 2oz bottle. This sample is worth $5.50

*Paula's Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant- A full size is 4oz and $23. This sample is worth $5.75.

*Laura Geller Primer- This is the same size as the free ones from Sephora. A full size is $25 and 1.6 oz. This sample has a value of $8.

*Skinceutcals Hydrating B5 Gel- No size marked. It seems to be a consensus that it is worth $5.

Keep in mind that my prices are based on the price when you buy from the company, not the marked up value off of the dermstore/blush website. One thing I am happy with, is that most of these items are sealed.


Value----- $83.25 According to the site, this box is worth over $100 and that is not the case.