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. 

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!!!

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.

Accessorize or die....

Mornings are cool and crisp while afternoons swelter back up to the 80's...I know that 80 isn't that how but for mid-Novmeber that's a bit too warm.

So dressing for the day can be a challenge, I try to layer it up and keep the toes covered. I put a lot of stuff on today and as Chanel would say...took one thing off and it made all the difference. Accessories make our outfits and highlight our personality.

So add a lil blush to your face and a few bangles and baubles to your person. There are days to be a wall flower and days to work it LOL.

On another note I've been using French cream benta berry g-1 (not previously available in the states) and adding a little Vasanti liquid cover up to it each morning. It offers light coverage that hasn't made me shiny at all!! I think ive used an Oil blotter once this week. Downside there's no SPF in any if the product so I have to add that too - neutrogena anti age 110 SPF.

All these items can be found at birchbox!

Another sample tried and tested

Just busted out my mighty leaf green tea tropical for an afternoon pick me up. By just opening the pouch my senses were full of a bouquet....it almost smells like some exotic candy!!

The package makes reference to guava and pineapple and I can definitely smell those notes.

The taste is a light green with no after bitter taste. Smooth and a but fruity. This is some yummy tea.

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. 

More samples tried and tested

So I tried out the Shadow Duo concealer from my Influenster box and loved it. I got the medium shade which has two different colors you can blend together based on skin tone. 

I applied it with a concealer brush but got the best results after I used my finger to dab it in.  The color was perfect, light, and natural.

It's 3:23pm, I've worked out and still no creases...I believe it retails for 29.99.  And since you can mix the color yourself I'll have no trouble using it as the summer continues and I get slightly darker from all that running in the sun!!

I also tried the Le Palais Des Thes tea..you can get it at birchbox.com for 15 a box...and its so worth it. I had the Thé du Hammam and Thé des Alizés.  Both were smelled incredible - delicate and flowery.  They tasted even better than they smelled.  Very refreshing without any bitterness that you get with some green teas.  TRY IT, BUY IT...it's so good.

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/lifestyle?limit=all