My Glam: April "Girls' Night Out"

In the mailbox the other day, I found my first My Glam bag. I was so excited! The packaging was my favorite, I think, of all the subscription services. I didn't take a picture, but it's hot pick shipping bag. While I love seeing Birchbox pink sitting inside my mailbox, My Glam proved to be different and unique with its packaging.

I've wavered on purchasing a subscription to this service because of all the negative reviews I've read on the internet, but I have to say, I was not let down. In fact, aside from the bag, I loved everything I got.

Check out My Glam, a monthly beauty subscription service that brings four to five beauty samples right to your door. Plus, it comes with a new neat makeup bag every month.

The Breakdown:

All-Belle Eyelashes - I'm unsure of the price of these. I couldn't find anywhere to purchase them. I received Blue Extreme, and I'm sorry I forgot to take a picture of what the actual fake eyelashes look like! They look natural, I guess. I've never worn fake eyelashes, so it will be really neat to try these out. My first My Glam bag was definitely worth it just to get these, although I can't imagine I would have paid $10 for these alone. Can't wait to head out of the town and test these eyelashes out. I have short eyelashes myself, so I'm always looking for something to add just a little length.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on eye pencil (junkie)  - Really excited about this product! I've never tried Urban Decay, though I've heard great things and stared longingly at almost every Urban Decay product at my local Sephora store. So, I'm glad to finally have something of my own! Junkie shines as an iridescent emerald green. I love the color. I'm estimating the cost of my eye pencil at $6.20. A set of five normally sells for $32 on the Urban Decay website. However, they are currently on sale for $19. The "Naked" set is already sold out! The "Electric" set, which is the set Junkie comes from, is still on sale.

DERMSTORE Lip Quench - I received a full-size product, which retails for $12. I was excited to try this out because I actually just purchased Jouer Lip Enhancer, so I wanted to compare the two. I feel like I got more with Jouer, but it was also $14. On the other hand, I really do love the smell and the shimmer that comes with the DERMSTORE version. They both contain Maxi-Lip, which is supposed to give thin, dry lips a fuller, smoother appearance. My lips have always been pretty big, but I suffer from extreme dryness. I feel like that can make them look shriveled and nasty, so I'm in love with these lip enhancers! They make my lips feel full and beautiful. Anyway, I really can't pick a favorite between the two. I think I would probably stick with Jouer because I love the way it glides on and the feel of it. DERMSTORE's seems to me a little hard to get out of the container.

I also received two My Glam brushes. I wasn't excited about getting these as I already have a very nice Sephora brush collection. The eyeshadow brush may be dropped in my giveaway box, along with the pink, shiny glam bag. I plan on doing a giveaway when I reach 15-20 followers. So keep reading and be on the lookout! 

Also, I'd love to know what you got in your Glam Bag. What products were your favorites?

xoxo,
Amanda

Best Sunglasses for your Face Shape

With summer approaching fast, I've been on the lookout for the perfect pair of sunglasses. I haven't found them yet. But with temperatures in the high 80's, I'm looking forward to some beach days and that means sunglasses are a must. But I tend to have trouble finding a pair that fits my face the way I want them to. Luckily, this year I will have this excellent graphic to guide my way.

Shopbop.com, a blog I recently discovered, describes how you can find the perfect pair for your face. I thought I had an oval face, but the blog states that oval faces are the easiest to shop for. They suggest having fun with unique shapes and oversized frames. I've never had much luck with that, but I will definitely start trying to add a little flare to my sunglasses this summer. I really decided I want a pair with some color to them, instead of the traditional brown or black. When I find my perfect pair, I'll definitely share a picture!




Source: blog.shopbop.com

Life Happens

After a long hiatus, I've found my way back. Life has been super crazy for me the past week or so. First, I stopped posting so that I could cram-study for my GRE, which I passed. Yay! I'm really excited about that. I'm looking at a Master's program at the local University, UF.

So after taking that on March 28, I thought I would relax the next day by taking my dogs to the park. I met a couple people and started talking...a couple hours later (by that I mean three), I realized I really should get my dogs out of the park. Bill, a 12-year-old lab, was really getting tired. By the time I got home, he was shaking and acting really weird. I immediately called the vet. They suggested bringing him in. I'm glad I listened. Bill had overheated. I didn't even know dogs could overheat. My dad leaves his dogs out all the time! Bill's temperature was at 107, when a normal temperature for dogs is around 101 to 102. I felt like a terrible pet owner. I thought he was having fun and running with the pups at the dog park, not internally overheating.

Anyway, they had to cool him down by IV drip, cool bath and lots and lots of fluids. He could have suffered brain damage and never been the same dog again. Thankfully, that didn't happen. But I've monitored him carefully over the last couple days. He's on a medicine regiment of five different pills a day! I told him he was finally showing his old age.

He's back to all his "Bill-ness," and I'm indescribably happy. He's my baby, after all. I thought I was going to lose him.

But, I'm back and I hope to get some more posts out there as soon as possible.

Organic cleanser vs. the pimple

The pimple: I've been battling it for the entire month of March. I don't mean lightly playing around. I've been trying to take these things down Gladiator-style. I've tried every single product in the book and at my local pharmacy. I've had no luck. Forget Clean & Clear, my onslaught of pimples aren't going away easily. I've decided my new pre-puberty look is due to stress. I've studied like a mad man for the entire month, finally taking the GRE yesterday. Good news: I passed!!! But now, I have to conquer my other enemy. Without makeup, my face is starting to look crazy. I've never had to deal with this kind of problem before. In high school, I hardly ever had one. 

But luckily, Birchbox saved the day this month with their March samples. March brought me a new product that I had never heard of: Juice Beauty - the organic solution. I love it. It blends organic cherry, lemon and aloe to help cleanse your face and remove blemishes. It's is exactly what I needed at the right time. By applying it in the morning and in the evening, I used my sample up in no time. In only a couple uses, it helped to reduce the appearance of my old acne scars. It left my skin hydrated - some cleansers make my skin dry and rough - and it helped to clear my skin. Plus, I love the idea that it's organic. However, I'm still facing a problem with my skin. I've woken up every day to a new pimple. So I decided to purchase the full-size product of the Juice Beauty Cleanser, but when I got on the shop site....I couldn't stop at just the cleanser, especially since Birchbox currently has such a great deal - $39 -  on the whole set. 

It arrived today! I'm so excited to try everything out. I love the fact that it came with its own washcloth, which smells great by the way. I received a 120 ml pump container of the cleanser, while a full-size it 200 ml for $22. I also got the Green Apple Peel for Sensitive Skin, which combines organic fruit acid complex with raw cane sugar to exfoliate, reduce fine lines, breakouts and discolorations. It was a tiny sample (.25 fl oz), but the full-size is $39 for 2 fl oz. It gives me a chance to try it out. I also received a 30 ml container of the Blemish Clearing Serum, which combines apple, lemon and willow bark to unclog pores and reduce breakouts. Finally, I got the oil-free moisturizer, which blends organic grape and aloe to moisturize, soothe redness and restore the skin's natural balance, so says Juice Beauty. 

I'm excited to try out this skin-clearing set. Now that the GRE is behind me, and my stress as well, I'm ready to clear up my skin and get back to normal. I'm tired of having to apply extra concealer just to keep the redness from showing through. 

Plus, the box came with a neat tip sheet for having clear skin. A couple tips from me, and Juice Beauty, to you: 

Always go to bed with a clean face. 

Laugh, laugh, laugh

Regular exercise reduces stress and will increase circulation and oxygen flow for a healthy, radiant glow. 

Drink plenty of water. 

Remember to relax and breathe. 

Smoking harms you and your skin cells too! 

For the rest, check out Juicebeauty.com. Also, check out birchbox, a monthly subscription service that let's you try four to five samples for only $10 a month. It's a great idea and I've already gained a couple daily beauty essentials.

red, purple, yellow - oh my!

I stopped recently for some dog food at my local Walgreens, and I was completely distracted by all the pretty colors at the nail polish counter! As a nail-polish addict, I knew I had to pick up a couple lively colors for spring. 

I found the orange-red below from essie. I've never used an essie polish before. But after birchbox sent them out in the March box, I knew I wanted to try it. (I unfortunately didn't get one in my box.) This polish was $8. It's a pretty good size. I'm wearing it already on my nails, as you can kind of see in the picture below. I love it! It's red, but not an overwhelming cherry red. It's a playful red - for beaches and nights out. I can already see my toes - painted with ole caliente, of course! -  shifting through the beach sand. 

Its name even echoes its playfulness: ole caliente. Makes me ready to pull out my bikini and head for the coast. 

I haven't tried this on yet, but I'm loving yellow for spring. Neon colors are in, especially paired with neutrals.  From the look of the polish, I imagine I will end up needing to do several coats. I've wanted a yellow for a while. I didn't want to order another expensive nail polish from some of my favorite online nail polish retailers (Julep and birchbox), so I picked up this relatively inexpensive polish (about $5.99). Plus, the name was too cute to pass up. 

Tweet me!

Purple is my favorite color. I've been looking for a great purple polish, and I've been disappointed in the past by some other brands. I'm hoping this Sinful Colors Professional Polish lives up to my expectations. I will let you know later! It was the cheapest of the three at $1.99. This purple probably won't fall into my spring colors, but maybe for a night out. A friend of mine recently had a party where purple was the theme color. This would have been good to have then!!

What colors will you be wearing on your nails this spring?

The Look Bag: March 2012

I'm a little late on posting about my March Look Bag. My Look Bag was actually delivered to my neighbor! You would think with all the boxes that I've been getting lately my mail lady would have picked up on which mail box it should be in, but I'm guessing they don't really pay much attention to all the packages coming and going.

Anyway, I was a little surprised this month by the packaging of the Look Bag. Last month, it was so pretty, and there was such attention to detail. I will agree that a card for each product was a little excessive, but this month there were no product details at all! There was no box either. It came in a plastic package. Inside the shipping package, there was a gauzy pink bag with all the samples tucked inside. They claimed that they were the only beauty subscription sending its samples out in reusable bags. I got my Beauty Box 5 today, and I got the exact same kind of bag. Unfortunately, I don't really like these bags. I can't see myself using them for anything else. I find them a little tacky. But, I'm donating them (along with a gazillon handbags and such) to a local humane society thrift store. So, they will be going to a good cause.

 

So... Compared to last month, I was a little disappointed. I mean, what can compare to the full size gel eyeliner?? But, I am excited to try the Sheaterra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap. I've heard so much about it. 

The Breakdown: 

SHEATERRA Organics Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Facial Cleanser: full-size - 4 oz., $18

  I received a 1 oz. sample, so it was worth approximately $4.50 if I did the math right. Like I said earlier, I'm really excited about trying this product. The website says: "...wash works like microdermabrasion to get rid of dead skin, even skin tone, firm skin and fight acne. Look younger in just minutes of using." I haven't had a chance to use it because I'm currently using my a cleanser I received in my birchbox. I am looking for a cleanser that will keep my face pimple-free and help to reduce the visibility of the acne scars. 

Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil: full-size - unknown, $24

  Loving the oils. I've gotten so many different ones to text out the past month. I would love (and I plan to) do a comparison post. I think I already have a favorite in mind, but I will leave you guys in suspense. Anyway, this was a small sample, but I think it is plenty to get the feel for the product. Look Store says: "A naturally occurring oil that promotes elasticity in the skin. As we age, its production diminishes. This key component of our sebum helps boost cell regeneration and oxygenation, leaving your face looking healthy and radiant." 

Cattiva waterproof automatic lip pencil: full-size - unknown, $20

I got a full-size product with the lip pencil, so it paid for the bag in itself. However, I'm not a lip pencil user. I do love the color (nude), but I can't really see myself using this. I plan on getting photos of swatches up later. After that, this pencil may become a gift to one of my sisters. 

GLAMGLOW Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask: full-size - unknown, $69

I'm excited to try this product, but at the same time, scared to use up the little bit they gave me. The full-size GLAMGLOW Mask is way more than I would spend on one product. I give myself a $100 beauty budget for the month, and this one item eats up more than half of that. Member price is $55, but that's still more than I would spend. I'm excited to get reviews out about this one, but that will have to wait until my life slows down a bit. GRE next week. No time for face masks. Look Store says: "GLAMGLOW is an amazing rapid gentle exfoliant mud mask for men and women, high in ancient volcanic pumice rock, super antioxidants and minerals. GLAMGLOW's moisturizing collagen synthesis for the face, neck and decollete."

Not featured: Frownies Face Pads or something like that. It was something that you stuck on to your face to decrease wrinkles. I gave them to my mom the moment I saw them. She stuffed them in a drawer somewhere because she said there's nothing natural about sleeping all night with all that tape on your face. I thought that was a bad choice on samples, especially if they are trying to cater to my beauty needs. I'm not looking for wrinkle reducers just yet. Maybe in a couple years! I'm only 22 here. 

Sorry I don't have individual photos. I was busy taking photos of these products and another sample box at the same time. I completely forgot to separate them. I hope you can get a good look at everything from the photo I provided and the close-ups on the website.

XOXO, 

Amanda

Edit (3.27.12): I recently thought of a way to reuse the bags from the Look Bag! I will be using them inside gift bags. I recently gave away some makeup. When I did, I placed all the items into the pink organza bag. My friend loved it!

Birchbox: March 2012

I love getting mail, especially my monthly subscription of Birchbox. If you haven't heard of it, Birchbox is an awesome company that lets you try products before you buy. They send out a box each month, which is the cutest shade of pink, and inside there will be four to five beauty products! They also tend to include a lifestyle product, which is something that will make your day-to-day beauty routine (or just your life) easier. Best of all, it's only $10.

Check them out here.

After saying all that...I should also say that this month was kind of a let down for me. I've only had them three months, and I know everyone deserves a break. So I'm not giving up on them yet. But other subscribers got a chance to opt out of the regular Birchbox for a special edition Teen Vogue box. I wasn't keen on everything those members received, but I could have gotten excited about the Essie Luxe Effects nail polish (I love nail polish!) and the Tarte Lipsurgence lip tint.
 

This month was all about Spring Training and getting your beauty routine in shape. I have to say that lately I've been lagging behind. Working six says a week for insane hours tends to leave my brain tired. During times like this, I really don't even want to think about washing my makeup off or what color blush I may wear.

So this month's promise to eliminate all my "lingering beauty annoyances" had me pumped. When I got the box in the mail, however, I was let down. The only product I can see myself using will be the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing product.

What I recieved:

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser: full-size, $22

     If you read my last post, you should know this is actually the one thing I was really really excited about. I had this major breakout the other day, and my Murad Acne and Wrinkle Reducer just isn't doing the trick. I've already opened this cleanser and washed off my makeup. I have to say that my face does feel really clean. I wasn't a big fan of the smell, but that fact that it claims to be 100 percent certified organic products is pretty cool. I hope it gets rid of these ugly red marks on my face the way it promises. If it does, I wouldn't mind buying the full-size container. 

EYE ROCK Designer Liner: 2 packs of 4, $13

I wasn't super excited about this product. Last month when I got lip tattoos, I said I would have rather gotten the stick-on eyeliner. I didn't know I was going to end up with both. I will probably give these to my sister (like I did with the lip tattoos). She loves thick eyeliner. I tend to go with a more natural look when applying my makeup.  

Orofluido Beauty Elixir: full-size, $29.99

I'm definitely getting into the oils. I just got some roll-on nourishing oil for my cuticles. I haven't had a chance to try this product out yet. Once I do, I will definitely give you an update to how wonderful the trio of essential oils - argan, linseed and cyperus -  makes my hair feel. 

Annick Goutal Eau d' Hadrien: full-size, $85

I do not like the way this smells in the bottle. I haven't tried it on yet, but I can bet I will never pay $85. I just love Lacome's Miracle. Birchbox says: Inspired by Tuscan citrus groves, this bright scent features a winning combo of lemon, grapefruit and green mandarin notes.

Love lemon, but I don't think I want to walk around smelling like a grove of them.

LIFESTYLE EXTRA Hollywood Fashion Tape: full-size, $4.99-$8.99 

I don't know when I will ever use this. When I do, I will let you know how it holds up. Birchbox says: These double-sided sticky strips help conquer wandering bra straps and unruly hems.