Lip Factory

Not bad at all for $22 a month.

Italia Haul - Like Ulta and Sephora

Shower cap, Marvis toothpaste, Deborah BB Cream, Astra Concealer, Dove Invisible Dry Deodorant and Batist Dry Shampoo. Thanks for looking!

Cravebox Me Time by Harlequin Review

Cravebox describes this box as:

Me Time by Harlequin Curl up with an irresistible new romance novel from Harlequin, along with a few treats from Hain Celestial, SunRype, belVita and CocoaVia that will tickle your taste buds without guilt. What are you waiting for? I actually really enjoyed the book. The Sun Rype bars are delicious as are the Bel Vita snacks. I was able to download the Kindle version of this book for free from Amazon. This is a win for me.

Influenster

I'm an @Influenster and you can be too! Be a tastemaker for access to perks, products, and offers.
http://bit.ly/Q7ZOvM

Will you join me? 

Pureology, Influenster & Green Schools

Green Schools is offered by Pureology and according to the site they state:

GREEN SCHOOLS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

 

Every child deserves a learning environment that’s safe, healthy, free of harmful toxins and optimal for learning. Unfortunately, many schools across the country are subjecting children to unhealthy classrooms with poor lighting and inefficient energy usage, which costs most schools more money than they spend on books and computers.  When a school goes green, children benefit – as well as the environment!  Green schools lead to:

• Improved student performance as much as 25%
• More funds for student resources when water and energy costs are reduced by as much as 40%. These funds are channeled back into resources that directly benefit students, such as textbooks, computers and other essentials.
• Reduced carbon footprint

I learned about this program from influenster, one of my favorite sites to receive & leave honest reviews about products & companies. 

Influenster Lately?

I'm an @Influenster and you can be too! Be a tastemaker for access to perks, products, and offers.
http://bit.ly/Q7ZOvM

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly Review

The MAC Paint Pot in Painterly is my little miracle. I am relatively new to MAC cosmetics partly because I am shy when it comes to beauty counters. If the sales people don't acknowledge me and offer to show me what they have to offer I will move onto a counter that will. Now I believe that is just due to personalities of employees and I probably had some off days. I finally built up the nerve to tell the MAC counter to show me what they've got. Of course they said I needed an appointment and I didn't have time to make said appointment so I told her "thanks for you time but I have to go" and she said "well, what are you interested in?" and I said "I have no clue - what's good" the paint pot was the one thing (okay, one of the things) that I fell in love with. She put it on the inside corners of my eyes and immediately made me look well rested and 5 10 years younger. It really masked the blue in my skin and gave me a youthful glow. I haven't gone a day without it since I purchased it 2 months ago. It really is going to be a tough one for another company to beat. I am so satisfied with this little pot that I don't bat an eye at the $17.50 price tag. If I find a cheaper alternative, that is equally effective, I'll definitely consider swapping but right now I love this little pot of magic.

:photo source:

Rating 10/10

Julep Maven Review - Cancelled

I love how cute they package their Maven Boxes. The downfall, it just wasn't worth $20 a month to me. If you decide to join I'd love it if you'd use this link  to Julep, for every 2 people that join I'll receive a free month. Maybe a free month would make me enjoy the subscription service better. Right now I just can't justify the cost for two bottles of polish and an extra.

November Birchbox

This is the box I received for November from Birchbox

Reviews of October Birchbox

Well it finally arrived! My October Birchbox finally arrived! I blame the long wait on Hurricane Sandy. I was getting worried but it finally made it. Here is a little blu-opinion of the products in my box.

I don't normally wear perfume. The fact that this bottle had a pump rather than the typical 'pull the plastic out' piece caused me to try it. It smells wonderful! It is a very soft, girly scent. I would consider purchasing this. I wish they had it in the roller-ball size or sold a multi pack of the smaller sized sample.

I really like the way this lip butter feels on my lips. Not too greasy and not at all sticky. I just wish it came in a tube so I didn't have to use my finger to apply it.

I received one of the yellow bags in my Birchbox and this picture makes it look like it is more than a zip-loc style bag. It isn't. It is just like a slider plastic bag. I don't reuse plastic baggies so this is cute but not worth anything to me. Maybe others love them, not me.

This hair tie is nice if you want to put your hair up for a little while and take it down mid-way through the day. There was some kinking but nothing compared to a regular snag free hair tie. The price point on these, $18 for 12 at Birchbox is too steep for me.

This dry shampoo smells great. The little packet (not what is shown above) was difficult to use. I typically use Suave Dry Shampoo that costs about $3 at the drugstore so I probably won't make the switch since it is not better than the Suave I use.

And saving the best for last (aka blu's favorite):

This I will buy. It is the most impressive highlighter I have ever used. It has a very unique shimmer that is also very impressive. I will definitely keep this one in my arsenal.

All photos were taken from Birchbox and all Birchbox hyperlinks will take you via my refer a friend code. If you sign up by following one of my links I will receive 50 points. I purchased this sample box on my own - nothing was provided for free.

Back to School Cravebox

This was my 1st time being selected for a Cravebox. I am totally hooked now. The cost was $13 it included shipping. This was certainly an amazing value with so many full size products included. I love everything they sent.

I have been using the Halo at work. Every time someone comes in that has symptoms I use it. I have not been sick yet.

The pens are great, I love the colors and the way they write.

Dye free Aloe - oh yes!

The gummy vitamins are great too. 

Birchbox October

I finally got to start my Birchbox subscription. Their wait-list felt like it took forever! I'm waiting for my October box now. The nice thing is that they show a picture of your box on their site  once it ships.

Influenster Relaunch

Influenster is relaunching! If you are not familiar with Influenster it is a site that sends out sample boxes called Vox Boxes for people that are the most influential regarding that specific topic. You can unlock badges, write product reviews and earn free products. I can't really say much more because I  haven't yet been selected for a Vox Box but I hope my lucky day is coming soon. You can also like Influenster on facebook.com to receive more info about upcoming boxes and Influenster. They state that they use your social influence and reward you with prizes.

Little Black Bag Review

Through blog land I learned about a social shopping site called Little Black Bag - it is really a fun concept. For a subscription it is $49.95 per month for a subscription that you can cancel at anytime or $59.95 per month for a one time bag. I opted for the $49.95 option since I can cancel or skip a bag anytime I want. How it works is you choose one item, any item you want on the site! There are new items added every Monday and Thursday and you choose the 1st item and Little Black Bag stylists choose the other 2-3 items. For my 1st bag I was a little confused but I selected a purse worth $65 and they added two extra items in my bag. I traded one of the jewelry pieces for an iPhone case and selected ship my bag. Don't do that! For my second bag I selected a clutch and caught on that the trade is part of the fun. The starting bag:

The dry shampoo is a bonus item and one that everyone seems to want! I even had someone offer an iPhone cover for it. I didn't take it because I am getting an iPhone cover in my first Little Black Bag. I really need a good dry shampoo and am anxious to try it. I did trade the necklace and the bracelet for a variety of different items. My finished bag looks like this:

I have since gotten much better at trading in order to obtain larger bags. The true key is to not get too attached to any one thing that you ever have in your bag. If you decide to try it out and you use my LBB link I'd greatly appreciate it. Little Black Bag rewards you with a free item that is $25ish in value for all referrals.

Lush Haul & Review Body Shop Tea Tree Mask

I grabbed a few things that I have been seeing other bloggers talk about (and love) from Lush. I picked up 2 shampoo bars and the serum. I got the Jumping-Juniper solid shampoo and I chose this over the Seanik solely because of the smell. Both of these bars are for oily hair. I read the reviews and many people say that they suck the moisture right out of your hair. If you use either of these, I'd recommend only using it on your roots and every other day. I really like the bar especially because it works wonders when my scalp is oily. I have been alternating with a moisturizing bar Trichomania which has a nice coconut scent. I also grabbed the Full of Grace serum - please do not leave this anywhere when it is hot. Mine melted so much that I had to freeze it just to get it to resemble a solid. The salesgirl told me that the serum helped when used under a mask. I tried it and honestly, it seemed to allow the Tea Tree Face Mask from The Body Shop to open my pores more than usual. Have you tried any Lush products? What do you think of the products you have tried? I'm not a total convert just yet.


**All items were purchased by me, for me. No payment was received for this review.**

Lip Gloss War - Smashbox vs. Maybelline

Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss is nice, a little sticky which I normally hate but this is tolerable and the price is okay for a Smashbox product. The first time I used it I thought it was going to be trashed because my lips were so dry after the 1st use. I picked it up again a few weeks later and haven't had the same issue so that is nice. The tube is also a more compact size compared to drugstore brands. I actually like this because I tend to keep my lip products in the cell phone pocket of my handbag.

Maybelline Color Sensational Gloss is one I picked up on clearance at my local store for $2.57 solely based on the color and the price. To be honest I didn't expect much but for the low price it was worth a shot. This gloss is not sticky at all, comes in very nice colors and to be honest my only complaint is that the tube is too large to keep in the cell phone pocket.

The winner:  Maybelline Color Sensational Gloss based on price and formula. I will buy the Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss again in the future if the price of the Maybelline Color Sensational Gloss is not discounted so heavily.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Review

I have to say that the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is an amazing product. I normally don't care much for the feel of a primer on my skin although I know that it is a 'miracle' product. This primer has a subtle tint to it that makes my face look great. I use a little bit on my eye lids and my eye makeup actually lasts all day. This product is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

Rating 8/10 (2 pts off only for the price but it is worth it, I'm just frugal)

Julep Maven

I read a great review over at The Diniwilks about the Julep Maven monthly box. With the code COLOR2012 I was able to order it for a penny. I figured it was worth a try for that price. I can't wait to get the box and see what is inside. The profile that was selected for me based on the quiz was Boho but I opted for the Classic With a Twist since I am a working girl that needs to be professional. Stay tuned for a full review when the box arrives. If you decide to join I'd love it if you'd use this link http://www.julep.com/?r=13526630 for every 2 people that join I'll receive a free month. Thanks!

The Best

Am I the only person that finds it annoying that people call a recipe “the best ___________” ? When there are closer to 7 billion than 6 billion people in the world. Calling a recipe the best sets it up to be one of the worst. If a recipe is truly that amazing a normal name will suffice, in my opinion it may be the best to me and utter trash to you. With the amount of people in the world there is no way for any one recipe  to be the best. The amount of people that do not like brussel sprouts vs. the amount that do is surely an example that it should not have the name “the best hamburger, salad, potatoes, etc.”