A few fun reviews from some little things I bought in the last week.

Hi everyone! Today I am going to review a few products that I picked up to try out because they looked interesting or I heard about them through the grapevine.

First up is Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten. I heard about these through SuperFreaky1RU on youtube. Here is the link to her chanel http://www.youtube.com/user/Superfreaky1RU They are comparable to Tarte's LipSurgence line, but a fraction of the cost. Tarte's cost 24.00 for one tube and Revlon's is about 9.00, I can't remember exactly how much I paid. I like them! It lasts around 3 to 4 hours with nothing over them and keeping the shine, around 2 with a lip gloss over the top. Even when the shine is gone because it is a balm stain the color remains much longer than the 4 hour top, but it is pretty easy to totally wash off. The color I bought I love!!!! It looks really good with my skin tone! Oh and it has a minty smell to it which I really like, no flavor though.

Second is Rimmel's Stay Glossy in Infinitely Pretty. I like this gloss, but I don't love it. Usually I love Rimmel London products, so this is odd. What I like about it is that it is shimmery without being sparkly, sparkle is fine and dandy on my fingernails, not so much on my lips. I also like that it isn't colored. What I am not a big fan of is that the doe foot applicator is odd, it's kind of supposed to be lip shaped, but it missed the mark. It also really doesn't last that long. The packaging says it should last up to 6 hours, it may last 2 hours tops if I don't drink anything. 

Here are the swatches of both.

The bottom is just the balm stain, above that is the gloss, and above that is the balm stain with the gloss over the top of it.

Next are a couple of masks I tried out because I knew I would be all alone. Little did I know I would lose power while one was on my face more about that in a moment.

Ok, I am going to start with the one on the right. The Passion Peel Off Peel Off Passion in Pomegranate and Passion Flower. My feelings were pretty Meh on this one. I mean, anytime you can do a peel off mask it is fun, but my face felt no different afterwards. Then something crappy happened, an hour after I peeled it off my face got incredibly oily, it was horrible! I will never ever use this line of products again!!!! It was 1.37 that I will never get back.

Onto my last review of this evening the Freeman Facial Anti-Stress Mask with Dead Sea Minerals. I decided to put this mask on Saturday night. Saturday night is also when Tropical Storm Beryl decided it was going to show up and terrorize us here in the bottom corner of GA, it came on land about 30 minutes south of us, but as many people know its not where the direct hit is that is the worst effected in most cases, though that is always what news people concentrate on... <-----My little rant about what I dealt with Saturday night. Anyhoo, I took my shower with no problem and my power going strong, so I thought I was in the clear to try the mask out since it is a clay wait and wash type mask. About 25 minutes after I slathered this mask on wouldn't you know I lost all power, for around 1.5 hours... (BTW Shout out to OREMC for getting our power back to us way before most GA Power customers got theirs) So it had plenty of time to dry and harden, it did get really really tight on my face. I ended up using what little water that was left in the pipes to wash it off after about 50 minutes of waiting for the power to come back on. I must say I love this mask!!!! My face felt soooo good and soft and still is soft! I highly reccomend it! 1.37 well spent! Oh and it Blue so that just makes it even cooler!!! Here is a picture of me right after I got it on before the power went out , and I have a visitor behind me! Sorry I wasn't able to get the pic of it dry, it was kind of dark... My eyes look so blue with this mask on! Usually they are green or grey or yellowy or dark blue, they change with my mood.

 Finally if your haven't joined http://www.influenster.com/ you should! It is a site where you collect badges for the different things you do daily. Like, some of my badges are Mom, Blogger, Outdoors, Green, Foodie, etc. Well, with these badges you get the chance to get Vox Boxes, these are boxes of products sent to you for free. All you have to give back is a review of the products, I love free!!! The reason I bring this up is because I was chosen to receive the Mom VoxBox, I am excited!!!! It will be my first one!!! So, look out for the review of that. See you soon readers! Sooner than you know!

Quick Note- Summer Target Beauty Bag

I know I just posted my Birchbox post, but I have something awesome to share!!!! Target is bringing out a Summer Beauty Bag!!!! I am thrilled that they are doing these more often, if you remember I started this blog by reviewing the Spring Beauty Bag. Here is the link, use it, love it. Tell me what you think when and if you get it. http://tgt.bz/summerbb 

*I am not a spokesperson. I review products that I receive honestly.*

Birchbox May 2012

Hey there, I received my first Birchbox in the mail today!!! For those of you who don't know Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that sends out beauty, skincare, and lifestyle related samples. The samples you receive for the most part are deluxe sized or from time to time full sized. The box costs $10.00 a month and that price includes shipping. Oh, and they have a points program that you can use towards purchasing full sized products from their store. For every 100 points you earn through referrals, product reviews,or purchases you earn $10.00 credit. These credits are stack-able so if say you have 500 points you have $50.00 to use towards your Birchbox purchase, pretty cool really! If you are interested in joining please feel free to use my referral link https://www.birchbox.com?raf=x2rl5 for every referral I get I get 50 points to use toward full sized products.

 Ok now to the good stuff.

This is how the box comes packaged, the box itself is really sturdy so I will be able to reuse it! Clockwise from top left. The outer shipping box, The inner box (this month was a theme month the theme was Gossip Girl so the sleeve was all pretty looking, not a show I watch), The actual Birchbox, What the inside of the box looks like when you open it (you get a card which is right on top describing the theme, mine was Chic Sunday Brunch, the other side of the card has product descriptions and full size prices), and Finally what the inside looks like (how cute are the products wrapped like a present!!).

 

All the products out of the packaging! How fun!!! I love the postcard that came with the perfume sample! I am so going to use it!!!

Now I will go through each individual product, a couple I can already review a little bit, the one's I can't I will update as I use them.

This is the Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment in Sugar Rose . Confession, I am a lip gloss and lip balm freak normally if the packaging looks interesting I buy it. I put this on as soon as I lifted it out. I love love love it!!! It smells citrusy when you put it on, its super smooth, there isn't a ton of color but the barely there red that it is makes a pretty tint. It has lasted the 2 hours or so since I opened my box so it pretty good. Now the price... For the full size its 22.50, ouch. The sample value is 12.00, its a pretty large type sample, good thing for me, because I would be really tempted to buy the full size if it ran out to quickly, maybe if I wait long enough I can have points saved up to buy it.

 

Next up is Atelier Cologne in Vanille Insensee. This is another product I can review right now. For me this was not the greatest. I am not a vanilla person at all!! There are suppose to be notes of lime and coriander with it, but on my skin all I can detect is vanilla. This sample, though not for me is right up my Momma's alley. She likes vanilla, a lot, so off to her collection this goes. The postcard that is at the bottom of the Birchbox in the picture of all the products came with it. It is so cute! Hmmmm, who to send a postcard to...  The price on a full size bottle is $65.00 the sample value is $2.16.

 This is Dr. Jart+ Waterfuse BB Cream. I was really really looking forward to this sample. When I opened it there was hardly anything in the bottle, not even enough to be able to use it on my whole face! I am disappointed in you Dr. Jart+!!!! Why would you put out a sample in a tube this size and not fill it!!!! How dumb is that! I contacted Birchbox via email, I am waiting to see if they can do anything about it. The full size bottle is $32.00 according to the packaging there is .06 oz. in the tube so the sample value is $1.12, personally I value it at less because you can't get any out to use it. So, maybe $.50...

-Update Review. I put the little tube upside down in my train case over night to get all of the contents to the bottom, I was able to get enough to actually use it on my face!!! I really like this stuff!!!! It definitely has the hydrating feel of a moisturizer, but the foundation part of it really has good coverage. I really wish there was more of it!!! Hopefully Birchbox will find a way. 

Next up is Color Club Nail Lacquer in Disco Nap. This is the one thing I really will not be able to use myself to review. I get my nails done at a salon so unless I bring this with me to have them use on me. But, I do have a 6 year old DIVA child who will be more than happy to let me paint her nails with this color so that I can get a review. Oh the things she hassss to do for her Momma. LOL! Sorry for the yucky looking pictures, my camera was refusing to cooperate with the sparkles! All in all, I like the color, it went on pretty well, fully covered in 2 coats, and dried super fast. The fast drying is awesome when working on a 6 year old! Color Club is a good product, I actually have it on in Pucci-licious for my base coat with OPI's Mad As A Hatter Glitter over it. My nails look amazing!!! But, as I was saying, Color Club is good stuff, has great staying power! I usually get my nails done once a month and my polish is always still as nice looking as it was day one, as long as I keep up with the top coat, but I have to do that with any polish brand. The full size polish is $8.00, I personally think that Color Club is worth that price, many would say I am wrong though. The sample value of it is $4.00.

This is a Twistband Hair Tie. I have to say I am kind of excited to try this thing out. I have tried probably every hair tie known to man, even the silicone ties trying to find that one tie that looks cute and keeps my hair tight without breaking my hair. Maybe this is my miracle product, maybe not, we will see. I will try it out tomorrow and let you know. The price for a 12 pack of these is $18.00, ouch for the second time. The sample value is $1.50.

-Update Review. I like it!!! It holds my hair tight without being really tight feeling. I think these will be a keeper, although the 18.00 price tag is pretty steep.

Last is the Lifestyle Extra that Birchbox threw in this month. Note cards, from what I have read the XOXO thing has something to do with Gossip Girl, again not a show I watch so I have no clue. They are cute, I am not sure who I am going to send a note to, but who knows, maybe one of you readers out there in the internet world would like me to drop you a line. The price for a set of 12 of these is $10.00, not bad if you like Gossip Girl I guess. The sample value is $1.20.

So, all in all a pretty good first box in my opinion. It's total sample value is $21.98, a little over double what I paid, so definitely worth keeping!!!

See Ya'll Soon Interwebz Readers!

*I am not a paid spokesperson. I paid for my Birchbox myself, all reviews are honest and my own.*

Target Beauty Bag 2012

Hey there people of the internet. I know most people who review the beauty subscriptions do it on a Vlog, but I don't look that great on camera thanks to the fact that I wear glasses. And I may kind of jump off of subject really easily. So, with that said, I am going to be blogging about the beauty samplers I receive. I am currently subscribed to BirchBox, Sample Society, and The Look Bag. If I receive other samplers or samples from other company's I will review them either on their own or when I have several to do at one time. I will probably blog about what I get first and then either edit the post with my review of the product(s) or write a totally new post to review them. Now onto the fun stuff! My first Review!

Target Beauty Bag

Every year Target puts together a beauty bag that is a giveaway from them. This is the second year I was able to get in on it. I have to say I honestly think I liked last year's bag of samples a lot better than this years. So, without further ado here is what was in the bag.

The first thing I am going to talk about is the coupon book that comes with the bag. I wasn't impressed with it at all. The total savings in it is worth $18.00, I guess that's ok, its not great by any means. There are coupons for each of the products in the bag, but they are not great at all. The total saving on the actual in bag products is $5.00.

Item 1: L'Oreal Paris Magic Lumi- Primer

          I honestly cannot put a monetary value on this because there was less than 1 use in the little tiny peel off package. I did try to use it, but I didn't really notice anything helpful going on to prime my face for putting on my makeup. I don't know if it is because there was so little, or that its really not that great. The full sized product is 10.99 on target.com

Item 2: Nivea Extended Moisture Daily Lotion - Sample value .34

          I do not like Nivea. This is the second year that the beauty bag has had a Nivea lotion product in it. I have used them both and both were blah. For me the lotion does not absorb into the skin very well at all. It just sits on top of it and makes your hands feel greasy for quite a while. It is suppose to extend the hydration of your skin for 48 hours and relieve dry tight skin. It definitely does not extend moisture unless you count my hands sweating because of the heat that builds up behind the layer of lotion as hydration. I don't. Like I said I am not a fan of this product, but there are tons of people who swear by Nivea... 

Item 3: Pantene Hair Solutions Fine Flat to Volume Conditioner - Sample value .36

          Sadly I am not a huge Pantene fan, I have tried so many different types of Pantene shampoo and conditioner and I have yet to find one that blows me away. I am for the most part a Aussie user. First the smell of Pantene is not the greatest, and they all smell the same way. Second, because I was only sent the conditioner in the beauty bag I am not sure if using both products together would make a difference or not. Next, after using the conditioner, and it drying it feels like it leaves a bit of a film on your hair, I really don't like that! Like the Nivea lotion I am not thrilled with this product. Also like the Nivea there are tons of people who swear by Pantene.

Item 4: Neutrogena Visibly Bright Daily Facial Cleanser - Sample value .52

          For a change of pace, I like this product. It's not love, but its a definite like. After using it really does make your skin look visibly brighter. It also gets rid of oils a lot better than other cleansers. I have been able to get a couple uses out of it already, and still have some in the tube, you need very very little to clean your face! I am not sure I would run out and buy it as soon as I am out, but at some point I may pick some up. 

Item 5: Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes - Sample value 1.39

          OMG I am in love with these! They are awesome for the gym! I have been using them after my workouts, before I put my makeup on to go to work. They are amazing, they make your face feel so clean even after sweating!!! And the best part, you don't have to splash water everywhere to wash or rinse! These are the one product I will be going to get more of after I run out of the sample pack.

Item 6: The Bag - Value $4.99

          The bag this year is really nice! I like it better than last year's because it is rectangle not rounded and can fit more stuff. The bag value is an estimate. I was going on other bag prices of the same size and style.

The total value of the bag is $7.60. For a free beauty sample bag that is not bad at all. I really hope they change up the lotion and hair care brands for next year. There is a rumor that there will be one coming out in October. I will be thrilled!