My Glam Bag Unboxing

August My Glam Bag

This month's theme: Endless Summer

Reminder: Glam Bag is a subscription service, for $10 a month you receive 4-5 deluxe samples. 

Demeter Roll on Perfume in Clean Skin

I really liked this, it does smell light and clean and mildly soapy.

SALTY cosmetics Glamazoid eyeshadow.

This came in a beige type color I plan to use as a highlight.

Eclos Anti-aging face serum

Eclos Moisture Therapy face Cream

Circus By Andrea's Choice in Ringmaster

Andrea's Choice is a youtube channel. Andrea is a beauty guru connected with MyGlam who now has her own line of nail polishes.

My Glam's Own Lip Gloss

I have been a subscriber to MyGlam since January (I missed the much talked about December Bag), but have been less than impressed with the bags. This is the first month I have really LOVED my bag and feel like I got my money's worth from it.

Do you get MyGlam? What did you think?

BirchBox Unboxing

This month's theme is Beauty School!

Reminder: Birchbox is a subscription service, for $10 a month you receive 4-5 deluxe samples. 

Schick Hydro Razor

Miss Jessie's Creme De La Creme Conditioner

Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue

I am so excited by these Miss Jessie's products. I am a natural curly girl and I have been wanting to try Miss Jessie's for a long time, but the products are pricey.

Talika Lipocils

This is one of those eyelash growth formulas. I am intrigued.

Juicy La Fleur Fragrance Sample

Sabon Foot Cream

I'm loving this month for the Miss Jessie's alone.

What do you think?

Beauty on my Budget #2

August 2012 - The Budget

Budget Goal: $50-$100. $50 would be great, $100 I can live with, more than $100 and I lost my reason.

The Purchases: 

$10 Glam Bag Subscription

$10 Birch Box Subscription

$25 Sephora Give Me Some Lip

Look at it, isn't it beautiful? A sampler of 6 lip products, including 2 full size products all in pretty pinks and nudes. How could I resist? Something so beautiful is bound to make me beautiful too (<-- There in lies the root of my cosmetics spending problem). 

2 - Toki Doki Roulette Gloss Trio $7 each

I LOVE the Toki Doki brand, I think it's adorable, and I have wanted some of the TD stuff from Sephora for awhile but it was always pretty pricey. However, Sephora is currently phasing out the TD stuff so it is all on clearance. When I saw that these were marked down to $7 I couldn't resist. They each have 3 mini glosses clipped on to a central black plastic piece. The glosses snap in and out so they are removable but they also just slide up so you can remove the cap of the one you want and use it without removing it fro the center piece. Each gloss case has a TD character pictured on it. It is so cute. I got the pinks and nudes.

FREE - Peter Thomas Roth Cleansing Gel and Bare Minerals Foundation with mini Kabuki Brush

Sephora gives you samples if you make a purchase.

BH Cosmetics Contour & Blush Palette $18.02

I have contour powders but have had a hard time finding an inexpensive highlighter so I picked up this.

FREE - Keranique

This stuff just started turning up at my door. It is addressed to me, but I didn't buy it and it didn't come with any type of letter so.... I also have no idea what I am going to do with it. It is a serum for women with thinning hair and anyone who knows me knows that my hair is far from thinning. I have a ton of hair and don't need this, so I am not sure what I am going to do with it.

FREE - Crest Complete and Cover Girl Queen Eyeliner

Proctor and Gamble were kind enough to send me these products, so expect reviews later.

Revlon Color Burst Lipstick in Soft Nude $6.99 & Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Peach Petal $5.79.

If you are an avid Pinterest user like me then you will recognize this photo as the combo touted as the perfect nude. Well I couldn't resist that line so I bought it. It some ways it is the perfect nude and in others it isn't. Stay tuned for a review.

Physician's Formula Nude Matte Eye Quads in Canyon & Classic Nude $3.34 each

I love nudes, I very rarely wear bold colors it's just my style. I also love mattes, when I am in a hurry or don't want to work hard at applying my make-up I find a matte shadow is most flattering. You can just throw some matte shadow at your eyes and still look good in a way you can't with shimmers. What all that means is that when I saw these I couldn't resist, that added to the fact that PF was buy 1, get 1 50% off at Ulta and I had a coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase and I couldn't leave them in the store.

Charming Charlie Handbag $35

I had no intention of buying a handbag, but I was in the mall alone and stumbled into Charming Charlie's for the first time. I was immediately sucked in by it's charm and beautiful displays, the next thing I knew I was walking out of the door with this. Practical, pretty, and inexpensive I couldn't resist. Plus I had just gotten paid and you know how that goes.

Lush CACA NOIR Henna Hair Dye $24.95

I have used drugstore dyes to cover my grays in the past but having been natural for 6 years now I am always looking for new, natural, healthier things to use in my hair. I want to try this to cover my grays but I have also heard online that for women with natural hair using henna can help condition the hair, as well as loosen the natural curl pattern. I will let you know how it goes.

THE TOTAL: $156.43 EEK! I had a bad month, a lot of down moments and boredom that led to too much money being spent. I love everything I got but $156 in a month on stuff I don't NEED is ridiculous. =(

What was your month like?

Lip Balm Face Off Week 6

Round 1 Recap:

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch- It sells for $3.99, has a really nice fruity scent, good color that isn't too harsh, and lasts 4-6 hours. 

ELF Moisturizing Lip Tint in Nude- Sells for $3.00, it's minty, has a beautiful natural color, and lasts about 4 hours.

Choosing between these two brands is difficult. They sell for about the same price provided you buy the ELF in Target, if you have it shipped it will cost more.  They each deliver beautiful flattering color and each come in a wide varieties of colors so you are likely to find something that suits you. The ELF has a nicer texture going on, it's creamy a lot more like a lipstick than a lip balm. I prefer the scent of the Maybelline to the scent of the ELF, for me fruit punch trumps mint every time. The conditioning effect of the Maybelline is better. My lips felt softer and conditioned for longer with the Baby Lips than with the ELF. Honestly though no matter which of these you purchase I think you'll be happy. That being said I have to choose one so here it goes: 

So why did I choose this one? Fruit punch over mint, the longer lasting conditioning, and the availability. ELF is only sold online or in Target, but the Maybelline is available at any drugstore and even some super markets. 

Next Week: The Final Round Maybelline Baby Lips vs. Bonne Bell Lip Blush

Have you tried either? What do you think?

Lip Balm Face Off Week 5

This week starts round 2. Each of these tinted lip balms won their first rounds so here is a little recap about the details of each:

NYX - Retails for $3.00 and has a sweet strong fruit punch like scent. It is extremely pigmented and glossy more like a full on lip gloss than a tinted balm, it was a little heavy for my taste but the stain left behind is quite pretty and lasts a long time. Here is a link to the round one review for more detail if you'd like.

Bonne Bell - Retails for $2.69 and smells of sweet peaches. Has a soft but noticeable color that is really pretty and isn't overly shiny. It also leaves my lips soft and moisturized for hours. Here is the link to it's round one review for more information.

I have to go with Bonne Bell again! The NYX was too pigmented for my taste. When I wear a tinted balm instead of lipstick or gloss it's because I am looking for subtly and the Bonne Bell delivers that gentle hint of color. The NYX was also way too glossy, again a tinted lip balm should be subtle in my opinion and the NYX doesn't deliver that. Also the Bonne Bell is a great moisturizer. I hate the feeling of dry lips and will apply most lip balms frequently throughout the day, I didn't need to do that with the Bonne Bell. The moisturizing effect of the Bonne Bell lip blush lasted for hours my lips felt great the whole day. One thing that is disappointing is that neither the NYX or the Bonne Bell is labeled as containing an SPF which is something I do look for in a balm. For the purposes of testing I wore each balm alone, but normally when wearing a tinted balm that doesn't mention SPF I will also wear an un-tinted one that does contain SPF. Overall I am loving the Bonne Bell though.

Next week it's ELF vs. Maybelline.

Do you have a favorite tinted lip balm? Let me know in the comments below.

Lip Balm Face Off Week 4

The * by the MAC - My MAC lip conditioner is quite a few years old and is the one pictured. The review I will give is for that one. I do not know if the formula has changed at all. However, the price of $15 is for the current price for MAC lip conditioner which is smaller than the one pictured. I do not remember how much I paid for the one I have and it would have been in the old Irish punts anyway (I purchased it in Limerick). Here is what the newer one looks like:

The MAC: The texture of this is very greasy. It smears easily and has a tendency to get all over my face. It is very pigmented which would be great if it was only on my lips, not so good on my chin and in my philtrum. This is so greasy and shiny, as well as so heavily pigmented, I feel like I would like it more if I wore it with a lip liner like a conditioning lip gloss rather than a tinted balm. Then of course there is the price. MAC is not a drugstore brand. $15 is a lot for a tinted lip balm. I wouldn't have a problem with the price tag if I believed I was getting something special for the price, but honestly it is comparable to the Neutrogena I already reviewed for $8.99. Also, it lacks a sweet scent. There is something in the smells that reminds me of chocolate but it isn't a delicious smell. 

The MAYBELLINE: I love this lip balm. I wear it a lot. It is conditioning and adds moisture without being too oily. The pink punch is, obviously, a pink color and it is really nice. It has nice pigmentation noticeable but really natural looking. The fruity smell is incredible. This balm is a great for when you want just a little bit of color, but aren't wearing full make-up. 

OVERALL: Even though the MAC is an upscale brand I have to go with the Maybelline. The Maybelline offers a great product at a much more reasonable price, it's that simple.

Next Week Starts Round 2!!!

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish

I tried this out in the color Polar Purple. I LOVE IT. First, the polar purple is such a pretty shade of purple that even if it didn't do the magnetic thing I would wear it. Second, it is really easy to use. The cap of the polish is in two parts. The large cap you see in the picture is actually the magnet, the large part comes off of the top and under it is a normal polish cap. All you have to do is brush on the polish like normal and while it's still wet hold the magnet over it to create the design, the magnet lid has a small lip on it to prevent you from accidentally touching the magnet to your wet nail. I recommend doing one nail at a time otherwise the polish gets too dry to create the magnetic effect. Overall, it is a really quick way to get a nice design on your nail if you like nail art but are short on time. Finally, the quality is everything you would expect from Sally Hansen. It is a high quality product with a thick consistency and nicely shaped brush that makes the polish easy to apply. I will definitely buy other colors. If you have thought about purchasing this it is completely worth the $8.99.

I just want to mention that I received  this for the purpose of review from Sally Hansen and Influenster. 

Have you tried magnetic nail polish? Do you want to?

Lip Balm Face Off Week 3

THE NEUTROGENA - Right off I didn't care for the texture of this. It has a really greasy texture that smudges easily like it needs a lip liner. The texture also means that when I ate or drank something it got all over my face, straws, napkins, whatever came near it. The scent and the tint can be described in a similar way; it's there and it's noticable but very light and subtle. This is a decent nice quality lip balm, but for $8.99 I would expect more. Similar quality stuff can be purchased for much less.

THE ELF - Mint isn't my favorite scent for a lip balm but a lot of them are doing the mint thing now. Other than that I really like this lip tint. The texture is very creamy and applies a lot more like lipstick than lip balm and this shade of nude is the perfect one for me (which I know doesn't really mean it will be a great color for you, but if you know how hard it is to find a flattering shade of nude you will know why I had to mention it). This comes in 5 colors plus clear so hopefully they will have a cute shade for you.

THE OVERALL - I'm picking ELF this week because while I like the Neutrogena it is not a $9 lip balm. ELF is a quality product for a reasonable price. The only drawback to the ELF is that the company is mainly online, which means that you can't just decide "Hey I want to try that $3 lip balm" because it would still cost $6 to ship it. Ordering from the only makes sense if you want to order enough stuff to justify shipping charges. On the upside Target does carry a limited range of ELF products and this just happens to be one of the items you can get there.

NEXT WEEK MAC VS. MAYBELLINE

Have you ever tried ELF? What do you think?

True Blood Cosmetics on HSN

Thursday August 9th Deborah Lippmann is launching a True Blood inspired line of cosmetics at 8pm on HSN. I love True Blood and I love a good tie-in product, I spent most of the summer in Ulta staring  longingly at NYX's Dark Shadows palette and China Glaze's Hunger Games polishes. I am interested in the polish collection, and will definitely watch the presentation but don't know if I will make a purchase. Deborah Lippmann's other polishes cost about $16 a bottle which is a little steep for my drugstore tastes. Here's a peek at the collection:

Whether you are going to buy or not you should have a look at these hysterical trailers HSN has put out to promote the line. I'll put up links because for whatever reason the videos won't let me embed them. 

Scratch and Bite

Embrace

Are you a True Blood fan? Will you buy?

Guilty Pleasures Book Review

Guilty Pleasures is the first of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The books in this series are NewYork Times bestsellers and this book has been adapted into a graphic novel. 

Here is the dust jacket description: Anita Blake may be small and young, but vampires call her the Executioner. Anita is a necromancer and vampire hunter in a time when vampires are protected by law--as long as they don't get too nasty. Now someone's killing innocent vampires and Anita agrees--with a bit of vampiric arm-twisting--to help figure out who and why.

Trust is a luxury Anita can't afford when her allies aren't human. The city's most powerful vampire, Nikolaos, is 1,000 years old and looks like a 10-year-old girl. The second most powerful vampire, Jean-Claude, is interested in more than just Anita's professional talents, but the feisty necromancer isn't playing along--yet. This popular series has a wild energy and humor, and some very appealing characters--both dead and alive.

So why did I choose this book? I love paranormal books and stories and most importantly I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and really miss it. This seemed very Buffy to me so I was excited to try it. It's not Buffy. Full disclosure, I didn't even finish this book. I couldn't finish this book. Out of fairness to it I made the mistake of thinking this was paranormal fiction and it's not it's paranormal romance and there is a difference. If you read and enjoyed the True blood novels or Twilight, also best sellers, then you will also probably enjoy this (I hated those books too) but it just isn't for me. 

I couldn't get into the Anita character she is the main character, the one that carries the series and I just didn't care if she lived or died from scene to scene. Her bravado is over the top and comes off cartoonish, as a character she just never came alive for me.  to keep me moving forward. I didn't find the vampires menacing at all. The plot was boring so boring getting through each of the chapters (which aren't very long) seemed like a chore, and there were no moments of "What will happen next?" I so don't care what will happen next I'm not even finishing the book.

Anyway, I hate to trash something that someone has created and worked hard on so I will just leave it at this was clearly not my cup of tea, and I made a mistake choosing it.

Have you read it? What's your impression?