Well, for the first time I guess I have to say I was a bit disappointed with my Birchbox. Why? Three of my samples were either something I have already received or something extremely similar.

What was inside;

1. A third Sample of a perfume by Juicy Couture….Can I just check a box that says “Send no Perfumes…ever?” I guess am the only strange person that avoids fragrances. 

2-3 Though it was GlossyBox & Allure who sent me the following hair samples, it did kill my excitement for these two products by Karatase: Oil and Shampoo 

4-5 What I did like though was the pore minimizer by DDF and this blush by the Balm…

Oh well, you win some, you lose some I guess…

Until Next Time…

Here is what was used up last month….

All the usual suspects in the hair/body department. I did try out philosophy’s Sherbet Shower gel and enjoyed it very much. I might consider buying it in the near future. 

Not many empties in the M-U department; I did finally finish my tarte smooth operator, an elf powder I keep in my purse for touch ups, and this tiny tiny bottle of OPI..trust me, its empty.

Here are some misc. items…..I am glad gummy vitamins are finally available for adults so in October I jumped in and started purchasing my vitamins in gummy format. Taking vitamins just got easier…

Finally, in the skin care department  I finished a few samples and a gigantic Professional size bottle of the Dermalogica Toner. That seriously lasted me a good year, maybe a bit more. 

Until Next Time…

The Product: This debut product is from the company ModelCoCosmetics, which is based off Sydney, Australia. The full size product is $24, it comes in a black tube casing, and it includes an attached mirror on the back. The product is currently only available in black, and it is intended to lengthen lashes with its tiny little fibres.  

For those of you that have never used a fibre mascara and wonder how it works, its pretty simple. The fibres in such mascaras include what we can call tiny individual “lashes” that will adhere to your own lashes when applied. They therefore act like false lashes that can both thicken and lengthen the appearance of your lashes with out the need to apply actual falsies. 

The Pros: Once you learn the best way to use and apply your fibre mascara I think you will be pretty impressed with the result. No clumps, with a natural result. It naturally makes your lashes look thicker and bigger with out that “I have mascara on” look. Since I am all about tricking people into thinking I naturally look amazing I love this product. I personally don’t like make-up [ on myself] that is overdone, looks drawn on, or even flawless and perfect. I like looking like me with just a little extra pizzazz! It is a lovely extra bonus that the product comes with an attached mirror because it is perfect for not only travel, but that close up look upon application.

How to use:  I found that for a thickening effect the best application includes some horizontal back and forth motion, starting at the base of the lash line up to the tips of the lashes. I do this about 2-3 times. For extension, some detailed up and down application at the tips of the lashes will help built up of the fibres, giving you length. 

The Cons: What I didn’t like about this Mascara is what I don’t like about most, if not all fibre mascaras. That is, they can flake if you are not careful with your eye area. I personally tend to rub my eyes when am stressed, or touch them through out the day, scratch them, etc. This can lead to some nasty mess because the little fibers, when bothered, can also attach to the skin, and clean up can get tricky. Also, I personally feel that these type of mascara’s can be a little harder to remove than traditional mascaras. The fibres are intend to stick on pretty well, thus they can be stubborn upon removal. Traditional make-up removers just do a bit when removing this mascara, you really need to soak the eye in warm water for a decent amount of time in order to truly get it all out. 

The Bottom Line: Though the clean up can be a bit tricky, once you have it figured out it will be an easier & more enjoyable product to use. Despite the clean up hiccup, I love the over look of a fibre mascara and thus would recommend it. I think it is best for users that like natural looks or that have small, thinner lashes but who don’t want to go the falsies route.

The Rating: 4/5

Until Next Time…

After days and day of having this box, I finally got around to opening it…

I got…. a cute little tag which was used for my sister-in-laws gift…

…Clarifying Shampoo…

La Fresh Nail Polish remover & Fibre LashXtend…

…29 Anti Aging Kit…

…not one but two Nicole Samples…

…and a gift card for a rental on renttherunway.com

As I am not interested in the gift card, if you or someone you know might want it, let me know. I’ll send it your way. It’s good until February and can be used to reserve a dress or accessory for up to 6 months in advanced. 

Until Next Time…

In the past couple of months I have received a few different items for sampling that I have really enjoyed. 

1. First up are these “weird” but super cool and easy to use goody spin pins. The box instructs you on how to use them. As I might of mentioned in an earlier post I thought that there was no way that this one little pin was going to hold my mane, these curls can’t be tamed. God lord was I wrong, these little things are amazing!

2. Second is Kinky Moves Hair Cream. I am learning more and more that I am a bigger fan of the hair creams and leave in conditioner treatments for my hair over that of oils, gels, sprays, etc. With creams my curls feel define but never hard or full of product, and that is what I am looking for. I like how this particular product smells, though I wished it smelled more of jasmine over the grape seed. The product has a thinner consistency that other creams, which makes it a bit easier to spread & distribute. This simply helps shape my curls for hours.

3. When I got this particular product from Birchbox I didn’t know how I was going to feel about it because I have read a lot of mixed reviews, however I actually ended up loving it. A little bit of this goes a long way, these two packets lasted me a month!! It was perfect for after shower application and I swear I heard angels sing once my hair dried. I really did. 

What do you love for your hair?

Until Next Time…

People….I am currently extremely obsessed with Empties Videos and posts. Has that ever happen to you? You just become mesmerized by a topic? Well, once again I needed to join in.  This month I had tons of empties, half of which were thrown out before I remembered I wanted to do this post, so here is what I remembered to save.

• St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea butter Shower Gel- This gel is so soft & perfect for itchy bodies created by fall.
• NYC Smooth Skin Primer- Hated it!
• Rembrandt teeth whitening paste- This paste has a great flavor, but I don’t think it did much to whiten, which is a shame because this brand is very pricey.
• Optic White Paste-  I got this paste because I had a 50% coupon. Horrible taste, I mean horrible but it does whiten, so I suppose there is a bright side to it.
• A&H Advance White- I don’t know if it does much to whiten but I love how clean my mouth feels every time I use this paste. Its one of my favorites and I always have a little pack like this one for my purse and gym bag.
• China Glaze Cuticle Oil- This is not a favorite but it is okay.
• Oscar Blandi dry hair spray-…not my thing, not my thing at all.
• Vitamin E Cream- This is for wrinkles…. mom gave me this one, I have no idea where she got it but I hated it, it made my face feel gross.
• John Frieda Frizz Ease Conditioner- I am a bit ashamed to admit that I go through 3-4 bottles per month. I love this stuff!!
• Clean and Clear Oil Sheets-Love them!
• Target Brand Pomegranate Exfoliating Shower Gel- I usually buy the same “flavor” of this but from Caress, which they didn’t have in stock, this is just as good and about $1.50 cheaper. However the Caress brand does leave you feeling a bit softer, which is what will make me go back to them….love soft skin after showers!!!
• Dermalogica Sebum clearing mask- love it!
• Pond’s Towelettes- These are my favorite make up wipes of all times. Trust me, I have tried many, though there is still more I want to try.

Now, perfume has never really been my thing but I really like these three and I think I am going to buy full sizes of them;

• Wonderstuck by Taylor Swift, which is nice and sweet but not too sweet.
• Poppy by Coach
• Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture, a lovely floral scent.

Some little samples I finished included:

• OribeShampoo and Conditioner
• Clean Well hand sanitizing wipes
• Stay, don’t Stay primer
• Jurlique Day Moisturizer, which am tossing because I hated it
• Rocca body cream, also being tossed because its passed expiration date but I did use 2/3 of it, and I liked it.
• Curel & Eucerin Cream, which I went out to buy after these samples.
• Fresh, Feel so Good Beauty’s Sugar Balm

For many years I had a love-hate, mostly hate, relationship with my hair. My hair was long, very long, down to my butt long because my mother wouldn’t let me cut it, frizzy, somewhat crazy in the layer department, and thick… I broke so many brushes thick. Not to mention, boy is it hot in my head, maybe 15 degrees hotter…honestly, it really is. You know Merida? Yeah, thats me, minus the cute because I just didn’t have the time to tame it, to define each curl or to like my hair enough to even bother.

So instead of this

I had this

I wont lie, there are still days when I battle with my hair, on special occasions it insist of being extra difficult. I swear, it knows I need to go somewhere and thus chooses to rebel! At work I keep it in a very specific style, in a rush it goes up in a pony tail, and in the summer I cut, cut, cut. Having a portable oven as a head just isn’t fun. I decided this week I wanted to share some of my hair misadventures and  maybe share a few tips too?

Why did I want to dedicate a bunch of posts on curls? Well, though the road has been long and for the most part tough, I have come to be okay my hair. I learn how to care for it, manage it and dare I say it? I now even love it, and I most certainly defend it when people suggest I relax it, blow dry it straight or other such nonsense!!! 

Over the years I have come up with a routine that helps me very much and I will share more of those details later but for now I wanted to share a few tools I just cant live with out. Here are my tools:

• IN THE SHOWER: John Frieda has proven to my the best shampoo and conditioner set for MY curly hair. I have tried CHI, TIGI, Aveda, Salon Selectives, TreSemme, Suave, Loreal, Pureology, Kerastase, Garnier, Pantene, Herbal Essences.. [deep breath] well,you get the point. Though some of these products have been good for my hair John has really made the difference. This set brings in so much moisture to my hair, it helps define the curls with little to no efforts and it just tames all those little layers perfectly. Though there are still a few companies I want to try [Post of this later] I know I can trust this company and can come back to it again & again.
• STYLING: On a rush there is nothing like cute headbands and cute bobby pins to help change it up and control the Q’s. I just cant braid my hair all cute on a whim or leave it in a half up, half down do. I just can’t, the curls wont allow it, they don’t like to be controlled! Instead of fighting with my hair like I did in the past, I listen to my hair and go where it takes me that day. 
• TAMING: Paddle brushes are the tool of choice of course, they can handle even the most stubborn of tangles. Note, curly hair gals cant brush their hair everyday, or else we end up like my friend the redhead on top.
• TREATMENTS: When I am feeling adventurous and want to actually leave my hair down, or style it in other ways beside a pony tail/bun [ a curly gals go to hair style] I use Ouidad’s leave in conditioner or Orofluido hair oil treatment. Both items were discovered via my Birchbox subscription and good lord am I glad I did. They are both staples in my routine now. 

My August Birchbox arrived in record speed this month,  which proves my theory that the USPS in my old neighborhood was just lagging it on deliveries. 

This Month, Birchbox teamed up with Pencils of Promise to bring us all a Beauty School themed box and a great reason to shop the Birchbox store in August. Read more about that lovely organization in their website.

These are the three products I am most excited to try:

1) The above body butter, which smells delicious but one that actually has a lighter texture when compared to other body butters.

2) This DDF Brightening cleanser, anything that can even out skin tone and minimize acne scars or sun spots is alright by me!

3) As a curly haired gal I love trying any item that is going to help my mane out. 

Below you can see the complete contents of my August Box

Until Next Time…

What did you get?

This month’s favorites include

1. My Rouge in Love Lipstick…such a lovely color

2. NYX Lip Liners…this one is in Edge Pink

3. Maybelline BB Cream: This product has been perfect for those lazy summer work schedule mornings, were I seriously want to just go bare face…but then I look at this and say…nope I don’t really have to. Kudos to all those people that wake up before 6am to go to work everyday of their lives. This is the first time I have had to do that and it sucks. I usually rise at 9am to go to work…Spoiled much? 

4. All John Frieda products have won me over in these past two months, but this Dream Curl Spray is very note worthy

5. Finally a Birchbox sample  Gloss Coco Masque, which I foolishly applied as a facial mask two weeks ago lol…hey it has nice there too, but once I used it correctly I fell in love with the scent and the moisture it brought to my hair. I might end up purchasing this later.

Until Next Time…

Since the moving out, moving in, crazy mess started 2 weeks ago it’s been real slow in these parts :( I think my camera was stolen at work, we current have no monitor and we won’t have connection in our house until maybe Tuesday? For now here is a picture of my July Birchbox ;) Until Next Time… Which I hope is soon xoxo

Recently I have been seeing these minimergency kits everywhere! I have also been in love with this seller’s Ouch Pouches & Medi Pouches.  I think they are super cute and are a perfect aid for a girl! Though these products are super tempting,  I have been able to resist purchasing one because I have long been carrying my own “CC Emergency Kit.” Here are some of the things you can find inside.

I have some necessary make-up items for touch-ups, or to help to create “a day-to-night” look. I love the scent of Jasmine, it helps me calm down, so the above little sample perfume is multi-functional. I sometimes carry mini loose powder as well. 

Clear nail varnish is the perfect tool to touch up and revive your manicure. The clippers and file can either cut down edges where the varnish has started to chip [in case you need to go somewhere presentable & your manicure looks atrocious] or they can help you deal with a torn nail. Also, is there anything Q-tips can’t do?

[Note: I promise the varnish is clear, but this little bottle is the one I use when wearing red lacquer] Other tools can include; safety pins, bobby pins and a hair elastic or two. 

No one likes yucky breath… so mints, gum, mini toothpaste and brush, floss or wisps are a must!  Also, I love the pictured sunscreen tube for reapplication, my cheeks can burn easily if am not careful. 

My purse first aid includes the above items. I carry the tea as first aid because I believe there is a tea out there for any ailment!  I will resort to those teas before any medication. I also carry natural energy boosters and de-stressers. When all else fails I will [reluctantly] take an aspirin. 

I currently carry all my items in my Tili Bag, which I received inside my Birchbox! It is the perfect size for all these goodies. 

What do you do to be ready?

Until Next Time…

When I saw the Birchbox June Sneak peek Video and saw the possible goodies for this month online, I was pretty pleased with what I saw. Though I secretly wished they would of made a mistake and sent me 2 extra samples [ the retro headband and sheet masque] I am super happy with my box this month! Here is what arrived….

A sample for husband, perfect! 

A Fat Eyeko Eye Stick

A tili bag…I really wanted to get this lifestyle item :D I pack a homemade lunch for work and I also have a lot of other odds & ends in my purse, so this is perfect. 

A gel Lip and Cheek Stain…intrigued by the whole gel texture, so we shall see!

A likewise Moisturizer with SPF, I love skin care items so hurray…

& last but not least, these 2 giant self tanning wipes which will most likely go to my legs….

Until Next Time…

What did you get this month?  

This months beauty favorites include;

NARS Blush in Desire: it is officially my signature cheek color from this day forward!

Dermalogica’s Clearing Mattifier: part oil control, part pore minimizer, part primer, part acne fighter this little guy does it all.  

EOS Lip balm 

NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in Coffee: So creamy and lovely

JR Watkins Hand and Cuticle Salve: Much better than any other hand salve I have ever tried for sure! It smells great, it feels so soft , its not sticky or overly dry or oily. It’s perfect & its made out of 98.90% Natural ingredients…not bad!

Other non beauty favorites: My Moleskine Journalist notepad and my amazing retractable ZEBRA pen. 

This month I have also been enjoying…

• Doodle Jump Game app for iphone
• Fine tip pen sharpies
• Tamarind Candy
• Wearing Shorts
• Avocado Smoothies
• Law & Order Criminal Intent 
• & The Rockstar Diaries Family blog

Birchbox has shed its pink tissue once again and replaced it with a Green one in honor of Earth day! Here is what was inside:

1. Jurlique Moisture Day Cream; The packaging is so very cute and I was very happy with the size!

2. An alima PURE tinted balm, to compare, the same size than elf’s balm. 

The third item is a hand and cuticle salve. I was super excited about this one since I been eyeing the Burt’s Bees one for a bit. This has green tea in it but to me it smells a bit floral.

The fourth item was a perfume sample called Wander Stuck by Miss Swift, though I am not too keen on those,  this one was rather nice! I loved my box and it would of been absolute perfection if my lifestyle item would of been the tea instead of the detergent. However, I cant complain…. I do laundry, I’ll use it. Oh how your likes change when you’re a wife. 

I saw a lot of other people boxes and they all look lovely, it looks like a lot of people got at least one makeup product too. Which is a big complaint with a lot of people. So, What did you get?

Until Next Time…

My March Birchbox was waiting for me when I returned from my mini vacation and here is what I found inside….

I was glad to get three tea forte samples a) I love tea and 2) I recently discovered their tea mints in a local teahouse,  I also received a $5 gift card inside my last Conscious box, so now I can figure out what flavor I want.

I am also glad that we have a different nail polish brand to try. Zoya has amazing colors but the drying time and poor staying power were killing me. 

I am a bit jealous of the Teen Vogue edition March box…I would of love some extra essie polish and tarte lip color.  

Oh well, Until Next Time…