Spring VoxBox by Influenster is here!

So I received my box of beauty samples from Infuenster and already tried out a couple things.  Rimmel's Scandalous lash mascara adds a length and coats each lash without clumping.  It's a must for your beauty bash essentials.  

The only downside? I washed my face and came out of the shower looking like a racoon.  It took a bit of eye remover to take it all off ...its long lasting but not water proof so keep that in mind.  As I use more of the products, I"ll be sure to update you here! 

Schwarzkopf products - MUST...GET..MORE

So I tried this product last week on already dry hair and it gave me some volume and made it easier to texturizing, puff, and curl.  

Well today after a 7am boot camp I sprinkled some into my limp hair, rubbed it in and I've got the best post-gym hair ever.  I've never been able to get any volume into my hair after it ring sweaty, wet, and limp.  Not to mention I'm way over due for a haircut so my hair weighs about 10lbs right now!  

Miracle in a little red bottle? Yes! I can't wait to try more of their products!!  This stuff is a must have...had my hair not been a little wet....I could have really had some big fabulous hair. 

Manicure in a flash

So we all love the look of a unique nail for a night on the town right?  But who has one to DIY or spend a ton of time waiting in the salon?  

Well Impress Mani had the perfect solution.  In a variety of colors an even some wild animal prints, you can have fabulous nails in 10-15 minutes.  It took me about a minute to just do two nails!!! And they'll last through the night and you'll get plenty of compliments on your trendy fingernails :) 

Magnetic pedi

Sally Hansen's magnetic nail polish is fun and easy to use.  I did this polish change in about 10 minutes, toe by toe.  

Follow the instructions exactly - one toe at a time.  Don't use a base coat or the magnet won't work as it should.  The only con - these polishes are a pretty penny and will set you back about 10.00 a bottle. There aren't that many colors to choose from but I'm sure you will find one that suits you :) 

Summer is upon us....

Happy Friday! Today I thought I would douse myself in color....so I opted for my turquoise Kut pants and my red leather wrap Stella bracelet with some layering. Needless to say - all this color had really pepped up my day!

I recently tried a few new products....so I'm back to offer you my two cents.

In CVS last weekend I saw an Essie magnet polish that leaves your nails with a python look. At 12.00 a bottle, I thought this better look good! Well, it looked great and I even got some comments on my nails. A tip to make this work better for you, no base coat! Just apply the polish to your natural nail and ONLY DO ONE NAIL at a time....

I also threw revolution organically freedom glow beauty balm in my bag. I've used a lot of blush sticks in the paste...my preference for on the go since you need have to worry about broken powder. Well this one was underwhelming. The coverage is very light, almost too light I have to add bronzed to my face just for additional highlighting. I still prefer stainiacs and smashbox much more.

Until my next post, adieu.

Put a lid on it (eye primer)

I recently received this product as part of my #birchbox and the results were great.

I wore eye makeup two days in a row to test and give a fair review. The results were amazing. With the primer my eye makeup lasted over 10hrs and two workouts (one of those workouts being a pretty intense crossfit session).

The next day I wore eye makeup and again after 10 hours and a dance class (where i did little to no sweating) - there were creases in my eye lids and the shadow had noticeably faded.

So the pictures speak for themselves. Just a dab on the lids will keep your eyeshadow in place for many hours.

Juice Beauty

So I tried my sample of Juice Beauty - organics to go which is a 3 part face cleansing system.The picture shows additional items that you get if you purchase it - but I sampled the cleansing milk, serum, and nourishing moisturizer.

The cleansing milk was nice but seemed to leave a layer of film no matter how much water I put on my face. I used my clarisonic so I'm not sure if it would have been different had I just rubbed it on with my hands.  So I used a toner before I applied the serum.  The serum is GREAT.  I liked the way it made my skin look and feel. The serum was thick so I was afraid it was going to be heavy on my face but it wasn't.  The website states the serum is an antioxidant that helps prevent free radical cell damage and is 45.00 for 2oz. 

 The nourishing cream though was a bit heavy and thick. It also left my face feeling a little sticky.  May buy the serum separately...but for now I'm still on the fence. 

Things I've tried...

So I've been hacking away at all my samples because what's the use in hoarding tons of product?

So for the past couple weeks I've tried Klorane' dry shampoo. In the winter I'm able to go without washing my hair 2-3 days. So I thought I'd try a little dry shampoo during my in between days. The verdict?? It seems as though the shampoo works in the interim. It soaks up all the oil and leaves you looking less greasy but by days end my hair looks as thought it could use a wash. So this is definitely a temporary solution. I also used it a couple times after the gym and that worked well too.

Last week I received juicy's perfume spray sample. I tried it out this morning and though the sent smells great, it's simply not for me. It was very floral but youthful - if that's makes any sense to you. We've all smelled those perfumes that smell like a bouquet and would be spritzed on some 60 and older.

Next up is the aveeno bath wash. I tend to change between bath wash and dove beauty bar soap as I'm not particular to one version of soap over another. I will say I do like aveeno products and this one did not disappoint. The later was great without having to use too much body wash. It smelled nice and fresh and didn't leave me feeling flakey or dry afterwards.

And I've been using this eye makeup remover for years but I had to post my love for clean and clear's soothing eye makeup remover. It doesn't take too much to get your makeup off, it's gentle and best of all CHEAP and result available at all major stores!

And then we have the Clark's Botanicals smoothing marine cream. For some reason you can't apply this product to red or peeling skin- couldn't tell you why. I do like the cream but not enough to purchase. It has a very oceanic smell...that's almost a bit manly. This product actually reminds me of some male hair product Or something but I can place my finger on it. On this one too I shall pass...
And last but not least I've been using Merle Normans percentage forming eye cream and I am neither here nor there about it....it seems to work well. It goes on lightly and makeup doesn't tend to crease under it but there are others I like better. I like an eye cream that feels cool and makes your eyes feel like thy just drank a tall cup of coffee. But it does have spf15 so that's a nice plus. This is another I won't buy but it's actually a really good product.

So I bid you adieu until I either finish a book or try more products :)
Stay hydrated and moisturized!!!!

I tried it...

I tried this the past two nights. I got this from #birchbox and I'm on the fence.  The smell of the product is a bit "strange" - I think as you work it through your hair it starts to smell better but maybe that is just my imagination.

I read another person's review on this same product and they were overwhelmed with the smell. I compare it to a 90's salon where they're putting perms in people's hair.  But smell aside, the product is great.  My hair has had 2x the volume after each use.  I didn't do much to my hair but blow dry and go to bed. I woke up to fabulous big bed hair....will I buy it. Well that's debatable. I saw sites selling the product for about 40.00+, might be skipping on this one.  I'll have to see.

Friday is full of....

What is your Friday full of? Mine...possibility, promise, sadness, happiness, life, love, beauty, fashion...but no need to get into all of that this post. Lets just focus on the good stuff - makeup and fashion ;)

I received my Birchbox - lots of great things to sample this month.  I received some "dry" shampoo and I can't wait to try it out. I've always seen this stuff but never bothered to use it.  Will it work, will I like it?

I also received the fragrance "Hello" which smells great but just isn't my type of perfume. I handed it over to a friend and she loves the stuff. 

Also got an atonomizer which I'm stoked about as it was on my holiday gift list!!! LOVE IT. Benefits eye crea, and a credit towards rent the runway.  Rent the Runway is a site that lets you rent great designer looks for an event, and then return it..they take care of the dry cleaning.  HOW AWESOME IS THAT? I have yet to find an event where I need a designer dress, but I do have some weddings in 2013 so maybe.....


It's finally chilly in So Cal.  And I mean feet hurt kind of chilly so I'm back in my scarves, boots, sweater dresses, leggings, and LEG WARMERS.  I got these in New York earlier this year and haven't been able to use them until now.  I LOVE THEM....it's so 80's and yet so 2012. 

Is that a red leopard print scarf I see? Why, yes it is.  So as I bid you adieu for now...watch for my next post as I update you on all those life things I have going on.  I don't have a book on tap to read though the book club may be looking to read Divergent this coming January.  Stay tuned!!!

Obsessions don't have to be bad

I used my modelco fibre lash mascara and took a couple pics. The first shows the left side of the photo with the mascara and the right side without....and then both with the mascara.

I swear I love this stuff!!!

Lashes, hair, and perfume

I tried on MCMC's Phoenix which boasts of peach and cherry blossom, gradually giving way to sturdy Tunisian neroli.  At 95.00 a bottle - this one is a BUST!  I put a few dabs on my wrist and though there is a hint of fruit it smells strongly of honeysuckle.  I have no idea what Tunisian neroli smells like but this fragrance did not smell very nice on me at all.  It looks like others have left similar reviews for the product.  I hope some of the other MCMC fragrances will suit me better. 

Also over this long holiday weekend I tried a sample provided to me during a shopping trip to Sephora.  I've tried other Ojon products but never this rare blend oil therapy.  You add it to your wet locks after a shower to protect it from heat damage, boost moisture, and tame frizz.  At 35.00 a bottle I'm not sure I'll be purchasing this one.  I still love my Elemis Frangiapani hair oil which is definitely cheaper (50.00/bottle) when you compare the bottle sizes. 
You can find the frangiapani oil at Nordstrom, QVC, and various stores if you google the product. 

And on Thanksgiving I tried the Modelco Fibre lash mascara.  Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of my  lashes to compare but I did find another fellow blogger that took a photo of her lashes.  I didn't use the primer as she did but as you can see this mascara does work wonders.  I definitely saw my lashes thicken and lengthen with the fibers in the mascara.  It's a definite buy...I think I'm even going to purchase a couple tubes for some friends.  Share and share alike right?

And as an update to my previous post - the One Love Organics Aromatic Body Serum in rose smelled great!  Though its rather strong in the bottle, it ended up being rather light and not too overwhelming.  I wore it after applying Philosophy's Pure Grace which is a new favorite of mine.  For the One Love - at 39.00 a bottle...it might be something worth an investment down the road. So until next time, work off those turkey dinners and try some of these new products!

New samples are in!!

My November Birchbox came much faster than I expected...I was only notified Monday that it left New York. 

I opened my box last night and it was a little under whelming this go around but that's okay.  There is always a month or two where you're not gonna be 100% happy.  And either way you get to sample new stuff!

I did try the Chuao honeycomb chocolate. I thought it would be a little more "airy" for some reason but the chocolate was deep and rich.  I'm not a huge chocolate lover so my opinion is slightly tainted by that...so I let the boyfriend give it a try and he thought it was really good.  SO if you like chocolate, then I would say give this a try.  The ingredients are ALL NATURAL, even the sugars.  For this particular flavor the honey is even crystallized so it provided a bit of a crunch to the smooth chocolate. 

I also received this rose infused body serum.  The sample obviously has some issues as it leaked...the smell is INTENSE. I love the smell of roses but I'm not sure how subtle this oil will be on my body.  I'm gonna give it try anyway and will let you know how it turns out.  In the mean time I'll keep sampling...

As part of this birchbox, we're reminded to do unto to others.  So as we approach this holiday season and give thanks, I urge you to ask yourself - "What selfless act have I done lately?"  How do I improve and contribute to society.....we're all so wrapped up in our own bubbles that I think we forget we're here to make a difference and not simply live from day to day....eat, work, sleep. 

I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving.....until next time my friends.

Polish time

With a bit of free time this weekend, I managed to paint my nails and I think they turned out pretty good. Hopefully it lasts!!

I used Sally Hansen loves me not as the base, Milani blue and purple glitter polish along with Essie's silver glitter. Topped it off with a clear coat and some dry kwik.

This morning I added a little extra silver and I think my finger nails look like a starry night. Sorta lol.

Book I am going to start - the kitchen house!!

Lips - love the natural look?

I bought this Clarins lips gloss while in Paris a couple years ago. I had forgot about it since it was tucked away in my camera bag, but it has since resurfaced and I remember how much I love it.

The gloss is sheer enough to look natural while providing a nice shine and moisture to my lips. It's Clarins Paris #13 so hopefully we can find this one stateside!!

By the way this is my first mobile post - yay!! Up next....what's she reading now??

Paint your fingers..and toes

I love buying nail polish. There are so many brands and options at every store you go to.  I was in Sephora last month and happened to buy this polish on a whim (the brand/color I wanted wasn't in stock) for 9.50. 

The color went on smoothly, the brush application was perfectly shaped (what's with the weird brushes in nail polish now) and two coats was more than enough to cover the nail completely. 

The bottle top is a little "chubby" and short so it was a bit difficult to paint certain fingers since there was decreased visability but I love the polish.  Here's a look after 4 days....

New day - Fresh face

I just sampled Miracle Skin Transformer which I found to be an amazing product.  It is tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 that leaves your face with a beautiful matte look.  It's also super light on my face and looks very natural.

I don't wear powder or foundation a lot but I definitely like this stuff.  It's also full of antioxidants and it's oil/synthetic free.  I looked on a few sites and it retails for 48.00 on birchbox for 1.7 ounces or on Amazon for 35.  Sephora prices are also about the same and directly from Sara McNamara's site is also 48.00.