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Physician’s Formula BB Powder review

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Last month I received that free Physician’s Formula BB Powder and I’ve gotten a chance to try it out a couple of times now. I like the powder concept since I don’t have to worry about leaks or my carry-on liquid limit when flying.

collage of physician's formula bb powder in box, out of box, and bottom

It comes in super shiny packaging and the underside has a bunch of ventilation holes. I wasn’t sure what that was for until I opened up the compact!

collage of physician's formula bb powder open showing powder, mirror, and brush

Turns out there’s a secret compartment underneath for the brush and mirror! Maybe this is standard with all powder makeup items, but I never use them so it was a nice surprise for me. Everything is a nice quality and the compact feels sturdy. The mirror is sometimes hard to get to, since you need to release the clasp but not let it fall back down on its own weight. I’ve found that opening it upside down does the trick.

collage of physician's formula bb powder brush with bb powder

I’ve never used a long flat brush like this, so that was interesting to see. I like how I can get a large area of my face in one swipe, but the edges need to be blurred out so there aren’t lines on my face where the powder was more concentrated. I’ll need to track down a round brush to try in comparison, which I think will help achieve a much more even finish. Still, this little brush gets the job done when you’re out or in a pinch.

As for the coverage, it’s a nice matte evening effect. Not full coverage if you’ve got giant blemishes like me, but it does help minimize the look of them. The powder is great for toning down your oily face with light, natural-looking coverage. Some of the BB creams I’ve tried are not meant for oily faces, so pairing that with the BB powder helps create a more covered look with a matte finish. Shine be gone! It also has SPF 30 coverage, which is pretty high for a beauty product! Definitely great in protecting your face from sun damage AND beautifying the overall look of your skin.

This is going to last me a very long time and I’d definitely consider buying it again when I use it up. I like the convenience and less messy application than a wet cream. The built-in mirror comes in handy at times when you don’t have a mirror to use and I’ve yet to see a cream come with a mirror. If you want full coverage though, I’d recommend pairing this with something else like a foundation or a BB cream. I’m so glad I got to try this for free! Thanks Physician’s Formula for your cool giveaways. 🙂

June Favorites 2013

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I’ve been meaning to put together my June favorites for quite some time, but I kept putting it off because I wanted to try creating a cool professional-looking collage with Polyvore. Alas, many of the items didn’t come with pictures or had ones I didn’t like, so I decided to just make my own collage with Picasa. I can always try again next month, right? So anyway, here are some of the things that I really loved using/doing throughout the month of June.

collage of june 2013 favorites including nyc new york color glossy lip balm, trade/swap, spring sing tank top, juice beauty lip gloss and hydrating mist, seabuck wonders facial cleanser and cream, cat it senses feeding maze and play circuit, and graze snack container

1. NYC New York Color Glossy Lip Balm – This came in my Influenster Spring VoxBox and I’ve been using it frequently! I love the light apple scent, the slanted design, and the cute apple design creating a two-toned lip balm. It’s my go-to lip product now and I’ll definitely look out for another one when I finish this one. I’ll probably go for a slightly more subtle color though, since every time I put this on, Panda can tell and I don’t want it to be that obvious!

2. swaps/trades – My newest addiction, thanks to Ipsy, is trading or swapping products. It all started when I decided to subscribe to Ipsy, but found that they sent me my least favorite color nail polish. In the hopes of trading it for the purple one I so desired, I began to explore trade forums and groups. I also had a ton of things from other subscription boxes as well as items I’ve accumulated that I didn’t plan on using, so I decided to create a trade list. Now I’ve done over a dozen swaps and I’m loving all the products I get to try!

3. Spring Sing tank top – When I heard that there was going to be Spring Sing apparel, I got pretty excited. I’m a sucker for anything branded with UCLA-related stuff (<3 my alma mater!) and I didn’t have a Spring Sing item. Then I saw it and fell in love even more! I love the design and that it’s a tank top. It didn’t look so great on the racks, but gosh once you put it on it’s perfect! I just had to get it when I was at UCLA for Alumni Day and I have been wearing it all the time. It’s exactly what I needed for lounging around on the hot summer days. I hope they keep making more designs each year so I can start up a collection. 😉

4. Juice Beauty lip gloss & hydrating mist – I believe it was through subscription box bloggers that I first learned about Juice Beauty. Something about the brand caught my eye and they quickly made it on to my wishlist. When I found out that Juice Beauty lip gloss was being offered in the May Ipsy bag, I really hoped I would get it! Unfortunately that didn’t happen, but I did manage to get it in a trade. It smells wonderful and goes on well. It’s not too gooey and just the right amount of glossy. Then there’s the hydrating mist, which I thought would be nice to have whenever my skin needed a little freshening boost. There’s something very relaxing about spraying yourself (particularly your face) with a gentle, soothing mist.

5. SeabuckWonders facial cleanser & cream – I won these from a blogger’s giveaway and I’m really glad I got to try them! I love a nice scrub and you need so little of this one to cleanse your face that this will last me a long time. I’m also fascinated by design and the spout of the facial cream is so cool! I love the way it pumps out the cream and you barely need to press it to get plenty for your entire face. I was already obsessed with sea buckthorn products and this has just fueled the interest.

6. & 7. Cat It Design Senses feeding maze & play circuit – Once I got my Amazon gift card for participating in a focus group, I immediately ordered these two cat toys for my furries. The feeding maze is fun because it makes your cat work for their dry food and you can change the difficulty to help control portions. Unfortunately it seems that their overall laziness is not enough to overcome their hunger so they stopped using it after a few days. The play circuit can be assembled into a circle or other squiggly shapes and Missy has really enjoyed playing with it. It’s nice for her to have something to be active with indoors so hopefully she doesn’t go out as much.

8. reusing Graze containers – For a long time, I’ve needed something I could place tea bags on (or in) in between steeps. Once I started getting Graze boxes, I found that they made the perfect little container! I could place my tea bag there without worrying about it staining something, drink my cup of tea, then reuse the bag for more steeps! It was just the right size to hold the tea bag without being too large. Then I started to use some of them for my solid shampoo and conditioner bars, as well as soaps. Once my bars start breaking into little pieces, I keep them all in a Graze container so they don’t go to waste. I love it!

So those are some of the things I’ve enjoyed most in June. Stay tuned for a new July list once the month is over! Have you tried any of my favorites too? What would your June list consist of?

In the mail: a prize, skincare, and a ton of trades

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Yesterday was an excellent day for my mailbox. I received my July Ipsy bag, a reimbursement check, and two trades I set up last week! Before I started sending and receiving packages, I never knew how good a Monday could feel. Let me recap the items I’ve gotten in the past few weeks:

a magicalmom box giveaway collage

Even Missy wanted in on the box!

This box I won from Leigh of Whimsical Adventures of a Magical Mom. It was originally supposed to be a CraveBox, but then they shut down! Leigh was kind enough to put together a nice box for me anyway, one that is similar to what I might have gotten from CraveBox. Thanks lady! I absolutely LOVE that card – it is so beautiful. As you can see, the box is filled with some great items in the bath, body, and beauty departments. It’s so nicely packaged too!

origins skincare samples collage

I think I saw an ad for the Origins Top 10 Skincare Sample Pack, or maybe I came across when I was just browsing their site. I’ve always been interested in the Origins brand and got to try their A Perfect World face wash for an Earth Day trade a few years back. I also purchased a face moisturizer and used that all up. When I came across this sample pack, I decided it was a good deal because I get to try a bunch of their products to see which I might want full sizes of AND I get a code to use for $10 towards my next purchase, so I basically get to test these for the $0.50 in tax that I paid. That’s a pretty awesome deal! I’d share a link with you, but apparently they are no longer offering it. Sad times.

juice beauty 30-day skin-clearing kit collage

Another brand I’m super interested in is Juice Beauty. I learned of them sometime in the past year, from all the bloggers sharing their subscription boxes. When I got a chance, I did a trade for the Juice Beauty lip gloss and hydrating mist. Still, I coveted the Green Apple Blemish Clearing Peel so when I found the 30-day skin clearing kit I sprang for it. Major bonus that the kit includes a super soft bamboo washcloth – face towels are awesome! I didn’t realize at first that this signs you up for a subscription to get it sent monthly, so I’m going to have to cancel that until I’ve tried out this set and seen what it does for me.

collage of various trades including zoya polish, earth therapeutics foot scrub and lotion, butter london lacquer, lash food, cailyn eye liner, julep dd creme, lip gloss, nail polish, bliss and korres samples

What I got from the trades.

Finally, trades 5 through 9 that I haven’t shown before. A Zoya polish in Neely (from a previous trade) for the one in Julie (purple) that I really wanted. The Cailyn gel eyeliner in Iron for the one in Purple (from Ipsy June). Jane Iredale lippies (from Yuzen spring box) and the J.cat glitter palette (from Ipsy June) for Butter London nail polish and Lash Food. A Bath & Body Works lotion and Nivea lip balm for the Earth Therapeutics foot scrub and lotion. L’Occitane Hand Cream, Island Girl Hawaii cuticle oil, Pangea Face Mask, Bath & Body Works medium candle, and three Bath & Body Works small candles for Julep DD Creme, lip gloss, nail polish, and samples of bliss incredi-peel & Korres yoghurt facial.

collage of items traded for swaps including island girl hawaii cuticle oil, bath & body works candles in small and medium, pangea face mask, jane iredale lippies, bath & body works lotion, and l'occitane hand cream

Some of the items I traded out.

I’m about to set up trades 10 & 11 now so I have even more to look forward to! So now that you’ve seen what I’m getting, tell me: what have you been getting in the mail?

Yuzen December 2012 edition

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I’ve been putting off this post because I didn’t have adequate pictures, but I managed to get some of all but one product so I’ll go ahead now. I know it’s super late but sometimes you’ll get a different item from the same brand so if you subscribe to Yuzen, you can become more familiar with these brands. Even if you don’t subscribe, perhaps you’re curious about one of these products before you purchase!

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

items in yuzen december 2012 box laid out

I got so carried away with the products that I didn’t even take proper unboxing photos!

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of sibu beauty cleansing face and body bar included in the december 2012 yuzen boxSibu Beauty – Sea Buckthorn Cleansing Face and Body Bar: One of my absolute favorite products has been this Sibu cleansing face & body bar. It smells AMAZING and feels so good on your skin. It’s gentle enough for your face, but effective for use on your entire body. Sea buckthorn is an up-and-coming superfruit that has rare Omega-7s, which are apparently good for you. This brand in general is pretty great – their products are cruelty-free and contain no parabens, preservatives, etc. They also source their sea buckthorn through fair trade agreements. Love it!

collage of red flower candle in ocean included in the december 2012 yuzen boxred flower – ocean little flower candle: This is a cute little candle with unexpected burning power! You probably wouldn’t guess that it can burn for about 15 hours! When I first read that, I thought it was supposed to be 1.5 hours. But true to its word, I started burning one and it lasted hours upon hours. I didn’t track exactly how many hours it burned for, but I logged at least 12 before I lost track. I didn’t actually burn this scent yet so I don’t know how it fills the room, but it has a subtle scent that I think I’ll enjoy. One thing to note – due to the small size, the glass can get quite hot so be careful when handling.

collage of tara bath therapy bath salts included in the december 2012 yuzen boxTARA Bath Therapy – stress relieving bath salts: This pouch of bath salts is very fine-grained. It’s practically powder, which I imagine would dissolve well in water. It smells nice and relaxing – a sweet but not overpowering scent. I rarely take baths, so I’ve actually yet to try this, but I’m really looking forward to when I do. I’ve been bringing it with me on my travels just in case I happen to get an opportunity for a bath.

collage of spa technologies hydrating laminaria oil included in the december 2012 yuzen boxSpa Technologies – Hydrating Laminaria Oil: This oil has a lovely faint scent that I guess is the laminaria? I’ve never heard of that before and apparently it’s a type of brown algae. Actually, I don’t think algae really has a scent, so it must be the essential oils they used. There’s a hint of citrus that makes this oil refreshing. I’ve been massaging it in after my showers and it makes my skin feel great. I never really tried oil before this, but now I’m hooked.

collage of ambre blends essences included in the december 2012 yuzen boxAmbre Blends – essences sample pack: These are small samples that I wish came with little spritzers so I could mist them over myself. The names of the scents don’t tell me much – ambre, solace, invoke, and unmasque essences. They are very faint scents that I could barely pick out. Solace is my favorite because it has a fresh yet warm sort of scent. Invoke reminded me of the outdoors, like grass and water and other greenery. Unmasque was a warmer scent and I really couldn’t pick out a scent for ambre. They certainly meant it when they said their scents are delicate! I love that they’re vegan and I think you’d get a far better sense once you start rubbing it in your skin and letting your body heat bring out the scent more.

collage of sparitual nail polish in hunk of burnin' love and multi-tasker base & topcoat in one included in the december 2012 yuzen boxSpaRitual – nail lacquers in Hunk of Burnin’ Love and Multi-Tasker Base & Topcoat in One: These nail polishes are so cute and apply really well. I love the bright red color, which was fitting for the holiday months when I got it. SpaRitual makes vegan polishes that are at least 3-free, if not 5-free (aka they don’t use some of the harmful chemicals in older formulas). You can feel great about your nail polish and look great too!

Missy J’sMint, Lime, Sea Salt Truffley Treats: This is the one item I can’t photograph since the remaining pack I have is at my parents’ house. It’s crazy that these chocolates are vegan, with no dairy in addition to no caffeine, refined sugar, or wheat. It’s slightly more crumbly than chocolate I’m used to and perhaps it’s the mint+lime+sea salt combo, but I wasn’t a huge fan. For those who like that flavor combination and/or are looking for a vegan chocolate, this is a great alternative. I’ve seen plenty of other people who enjoy the taste and are very grateful for all the ingredients it manages to keep out. Perfect for those with dietary restrictions!

In the mail: a sample, a splurge, and some winnings

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Just like my first “in the mail” post, these are all items I received in the past month or so. Most were free, but some I paid for and each package was just as exciting as the next. I especially love when I’m not sure what is in a box because I wasn’t expecting it. It’s like a mini celebration each time. 🙂

cat eating purina one smartblend healthy metabolism out of bagI received this very generous size sample of Purina One SmartBlend in Healthy Metabolism (a new variety that just came out) from Walmart. They were offering it for awhile but have since moved on to promoting dog food. Missy, as you can see, loved it. Molly, the other cat, doesn’t eat it though. I doled it out to Missy slowly and only as a snack aside from her normal dry food and made it last about a month! I have since bought a bag of it because she enjoyed it so much and maybe it’s my imagination, or is her little belly less flabby? Maybe her metabolism is healthier now.

zoya nail polishes in harley, zuza, crystal, pandora, skylar, ziv, sienna, and bottle of nail polish removerThese are the polishes I chose for the Earth Day exchange (missing: Penny, a coppery shade – it was sent later since it was backordered). In order, they are Harley, Zuza, Crystal, Pandora, Skylar, Ziv, and Sienna. Since my order was over $30, I got a cute little bottle of nail polish remover as well. The box included some brochures and “spoons” with samples of some of their other colors. I have never bought this much nail polish at once, but I figured since I’m swapping out my old ones I’d do a few more.

lumnique deluxe candle set with candle, card, matches, and fancy boxI won this really cool Lumnique deluxe candle set from Monica of Creative Me. This is a very unique brand that allows you to customize your own candle creation – check them out! It was really fun going through and picking out an intention (something to be mindful of every time I light it), a color (my favorite), and a scent (this was hard with so many great choices!). I ultimately went with the Good Luck intention “to remind you that impossible situations can become attainable miracles,” the Royal color “representative of intuition, idealism, honor, royalty, spirituality, nobility, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment,” and the Green Tea Lemongrass scent “like savoring a cup of relaxing green tea with invigorating lemongrass, this citrusy scent renews, refreshes and restores balance and harmony.” I love that it came with a cute box of matches too!

klorane bag with dry shampoo bottle and facial wipesThis set of Klorane products was a SheKnows giveaway that I won… except that I won the Citrus Pulp Giveaway offering the Klorane Citrus Pulp Shampoo and Leave-In Spray. But what they sent me was the prize pack for their other Klorane giveaway offering the Klorane Eco-Friendly Essentials Earth Day Kit with a reusable pouch, dry shampoo with oat milk, and biodegradable make-up remover wipes with cornflower water. While this kit is cool, I was really looking forward to trying the leave-in spray so I was a bit disappointed. When I emailed them to say they sent me the wrong items, they got back to me with the reply I predicted: they substituted my prize. I wish they had at least thrown in something else to make the value  of the prizes the same – my original prize was worth $30 but this one is only worth $20. Oh well, winning is still better than nothing!

seabuck wonders himalayan sea buckthorn exfoliating facial cleanser and himalayan sea buckthorn facial creamAnother great win from Creative Me! This set of SeabuckWonders products is my current skincare routine and I’m loving it. If you’re not familiar with sea buckthorn, it’s a bright orange “superfruit” found in the Himalayans (so exotic) and because of the harsh environment it grows in, it has a ton of defensive mechanisms that translate to all kinds of health benefits of us humans. You can consume things made with it (and presumably eat the fruit directly if you’re lucky enough to have access) or use products made with it to get some of those benefits. One of the most unique things about it is its Omega-7 property, which is rare, though I have no idea what Omega-7s are good for. I love how both these products feel and that they will last me a long time since such a little amount is needed each time.

sibu beauty sea buckthorn balancing facial cleanser with box and brochureWhat great luck that I was also able to win this Sibu Sea Buckthorn Balancing Facial Cleanser! I will have to try this out to compare with the SeabuckWonders one. I could see myself using both since one is exfoliating and one is not. I like to switch it up! I previously got Sibu soap in a Yuzen box and it was the first time I’d heard of sea buckthorn. I am now obsessed with that special berry so I love it when any of my beauty products incorporate it.

Sunday Social: blogging beginnings

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Sunday Social
1. How did you come up with your blog name?

back of worn mead five star fat lil notebook

A well-worn notebook I’m currently using.

In middle school, I was looking for a small notebook that could fit in a purse, yet hold a ton of information. When I found Mead’s Five Star Fat Lil’ Notebook, it was perfect. The size of the pages is just right, it has a TON of sheets (200 to be exact), and the pages are perforated so I can tear them out when I’m done. I had one with me everywhere so I could write down things I wanted to remember. When I started blogging, I had pages filled with potential blog post ideas – the ‘fat lil notebook’ was vital to my blogging! I didn’t want to take the name exactly, so I changed it to “little fat notebook” and decided to add the double parentheses to make it visually a bit “fat.” I like to be different and I’ve never seen another blog with double parentheses. This also doesn’t limit me to any topic or type of blogging so I can write as I please. 🙂

2. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
I love sharing! Whether it’s a how-to (my most popular post to date is about setting up a Facebook page), a review/product feature, or just random thoughts, I like to share it with others. I think people like to know they’re not alone in things, so if you write about it, they’ll know at least one other person agrees/has experienced that too. I wish more people commented so I could get feedback on what they like to see on the blog.

3. What is one thing you have discovered because of blogging and now can’t live without?
It’s gotta be a tie between subscription boxes (which I learned from other bloggers) and getting free stuff to try (which I get to do partly because I have a blog). I absolutely love subscription boxes and I have quite a list of ones I want to try in the coming years. Right now a lot of it is focused on beauty and personal items, but I see my preferences changing towards household stuff once we get a place, then towards pampering again come wedding prep time, then a shift to baby and kid-oriented things as we start a family. Also, I’ve only recently discovered BzzAgent, Influenster, Pink Panel, and other similar sites that send me free things to test! It’s great and I definitely want to keep it going indefinitely (as long as I qualify for the stuff).

4. Facebook or Twitter? And why?
Facebook. I’m never on Twitter and pretty much only use it to promote my blog posts and enter giveaways. That’s it. Facebook, on the other hand, is where I can share pictures with my friends, get invited to events, interact with brands, etc. It feels less “busy” on that site because I can control the level of interaction. Twitter has way too many strangers trying to sell things or get followers or whatever. I pretty much just ignore it.

5. If one celeb read your blog who would you want it to be?
Umm… I don’t really know or care for celebrities, but maybe Ellen or Oprah since they could talk about my blog and hopefully that would bring more readers! Yeah, I know, totally selfish, but celebrities just aren’t my thing so if one did read my blog, might as well be one who can help me grow! I’d love to be able to share more things with more people and learn from them too, but it’s hard to do that when there aren’t many readers connecting. *hint* 😉

6. What is something you want people to know about your blog?
It is constantly evolving and I’m always looking for feedback on what you want to see! I seem to get a lot of lurkers and I’d really love to hear from you. 🙂 I mean, yeah I blog about what I want, but I want to also make sure I’m covering what YOU want! Please do share. It would make my day!

Yuzen November 2012 edition

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Let’s go back in time to the fall, when I got this AMAZING smelling Yuzen box.

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

collage of unwrapping of november 2012 yuzen box

The conversion to organza bags instead of shredded paper is official. Looks great!

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of shea radiance kalahari melon whipped shea butter included in the november 2012 yuzen boxShea Radiance – Kalahari Melon Whipped Shea Butter: The first thing that I pulled out was this tub of very thick whipped shea butter. I liked the idea and the texture, but I am not a fan of the smell. For some reason the smell of shea butter doesn’t appeal to me, though I love the product. I can’t quick pick out the melon scent, or possibly I’m mistaking it for the shea’s natural scent. The butter is also not as soft as I expected – it’s actually pretty solid, though it is fluffy. I’m going to pass this on to someone else to use because I think it’s a good product.

collage of zents bath salts in mandarin and earth included in the november 2012 yuzen boxZents – Mandarin & Earth bath salts: As soon as I could get these out of the bag, I reached for them! They smell fabulous! I didn’t even want to use them at first because I loved getting a whiff of them just by putting them in the room. It was a great way to scent my room and promote a relaxing atmosphere. When I finally did get around to using them, I was enjoying the aroma so much I hardly even paid attention to how it made my skin feel. It was definitely a very pleasant experience to bathe with these salts and I actually liked the combination of their scents a lot so I mixed them. There’s a sweetness and earthiness that make a lovely blend.

collage of savane protective moisturizer with baobab, manketti, and yangu included in the november 2012 yuzen boxSavane Organic Skincare – Protective Moisturizer: This is a brown-colored lotion that is more runny than most I’m used to. It comes come in an elegant stainless steel bottle and incorporates exotic ingredients I haven’t heard much of, like baobab, manketti, and yangu. It has a scent I can’t quite place that is very unique. It goes on smooth and doesn’t leave any greasy residue and the small bottle and pump are great for putting on your desk, keeping in the car, or even in your bag if you are careful the pump doesn’t get pushed.

collage of keeki lip shimmer balm in ooh lala included in the november 2012 yuzen boxKeeki Pure & Simple – Ooh La La Organic Lip Shimmer Stick: What a cute little lip shimmer! It’s a fun oval shape, which I’ve never seen before and I’m a sucker for unique packaging. It reminds me a lot of the Burt’s Bees lip shimmers – almost the same color and “shimmeriness” to it. There’s even a hint of minty freshness as well. It goes on well and is very smooth. I’ve been using it a lot whenever I need a lip balm or want to spruce up my lips.

simple squares cinnamon clove whole food snack bar included in the november 2012 yuzen boxSimple Squares – Cinnamon Clove Whole Food Snack Bar: I ate this up so fast I forgot to take pictures of the actual bar! That’s a good sign for its taste. It has a chunky sort of texture so when you bit in it wasn’t just some mushy bar. I liked that, as well as the flavor. Great little snack to have whenever you need a sweet boost that won’t leave you thirsty. I would get more if I ever ran into them.

collage of gaiam tv free trial offer info card included in the november 2012 yuzen boxGaiam TV – Free Trial Offer & Info Card: Gaiam TV (.com) provides all kinds of streaming videos to promote wellness, whether it’s exercising, eating well, meditating, or taking supplements. It’s a great place to find videos to inspire, motivate, guide, and teach anyone who wants to live healthier. I actually haven’t tried this trial, but I had tried a different one previously and if I watched TV I might get it, but I just wouldn’t use this site fully.

Another great box that provided a diverse selection of products! I love how everything had a warm feeling and really set the mood for the fall.

In the mail: a trade, a Kickstarter backing, a bonus gift, and more!

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You know, I love mail (mostly when it’s packages, but free samples are good too) and I think there are a lot of people who love getting mail too, right? And I don’t know if you’d care to see what I’ve been receiving, but that seems like a fun way to share some of the random things that don’t make it into blog posts. I’ll skip some things I’ve already mentioned so it’s not too repetitive. Everything here arrived within the past month or so!

trade items including juice beauty lip gloss, juice beauty hydrating mist, zoya nail polish, la fresh oil-free face cleanser sample wipe, benefit the porefessional sample, and urban decay moondust eyeshadow sample with sephora baggieI got some items in my May Ipsy bag that I mentioned I wanted to trade and I was able to complete my very first successful trade recently! I sent the Pacifica perfume roller that I had not intended on trading, but since the girl wanted it and she had other things I wanted, I happily parted ways with it. The other item I sent her was the Mirabella lipstick that I knew I would get out of my hands one way or another! Lipstick is just not my thing. In exchange, I got the Juice Beauty lip gloss in Fig, Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist, and Zoya nail polish in Neely (mint greenish). She even added a few bonus samples! There was a La Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser wipe, a small sample of Benefit’s “the POREfessional” balm, and an Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow sample. Oh, and a cute little plastic Sephora baggie. 🙂 I’ve already got trade #2 underway with another girl! If you’re interested, maybe we can trade too.

kate funk the world's most super amazing 100% awesome cat calendar and cards from kickstarter backingI don’t quite remember how I stumbled across this Kickstarter for The World’s Most Super-Amazing 100% Awesome Cat Calendar, but I’m sure glad I did. As a major cat fan, I couldn’t help myself. The scenes and costumes created for the photo shoots are really amazing and I had to support Kate Funk as an artist and businesswoman and AC as a hard-working, ever-patient model. I mean, my cat would never sit so nicely! I chose to get the calendar and 5-card combo. I let my cousin choose a design she liked, which happened to be one I had chosen for myself so that’s why one of the designs is hidden here – it’s just a repeat. I love how much care everything was created, packaged, and sent in. This is quality stuff that I will really enjoy using!

welch's purple nalgene bottleWelch’s is offering these cute 12-oz Nalgene water bottles for free if you bought three of their Refrigerated Juice Cocktails (59 oz size in any flavor). You have to buy them between March 18-July 31 of this year and send in your receipts for the purchases to redeem. Then you just print and fill out this form and mail it in by August 30. A few weeks later, you’ll get a bottle like mine! Totally adorable, very high quality, and a great size for kids or those who want a smaller bottle to keep around. If you’re interested, hurry up before the offer ends! You’ve got less than two months now, which should be ample time to drink three cartons of juice, don’t you think?

brand new google nexus 7 in box with exterior boxWhen I decided to bundle our home internet and phone into one while adding on TV service for a total package from AT&T Uverse, they were offering a bonus product. I got to choose between a Nexus 7, an Xbox, and some other electronic product. As you can see, I opted for the Nexus 7. I figure it’d be perfect since my mom’s the only one who doesn’t have a tablet. It’ll be good for her to learn and have something portable to use on the go! I think it would be cool to use both it and my iPad, but that’s completely unnecessary. Besides, Panda has a Nexus 7 so whenever I move in with him I can just use his as I please. 😉

Have you gotten anything cool in the mail recently? Do share!

Julep hand care review

laelene Post in reviews
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Last month, I received a set of Julep hand care products to test for a focus group. While I already shared my feedback in the surveys for the company, I figured I might as well share it with you too. I was sent a bag with five products, three of which were the ones I was to test and two of which were supplements to ensure all my hand care needs could be met by Julep products.

side by side collage of julep reusable bag and julep products including hand cream, glycolic hand scrub, oxygen nail treatment, cuticle serum, and nail polish remover wipes

They came with a reusable bag. I received the hand cream, oxygen nail treatment, mighty nail and cuticle cream, glycolic hand scrub, and nail polish remover pads.

julep hand care products including hand cream, glycolic hand scrub, oxygen nail treatment, and cuticle serum

Four of the items out of their boxes.

I was only testing the three items in white boxes, but let me share my thoughts on all the products.

open packet of julep one-step polish remover pad with pad peeking out of packagingOne-Step Polish Remover Pad – The very first item I tried was one of the nail polish remover pads because I had some nail polish that I needed to remove before I could start testing. It was a pretty fibrous pad that was very wet and it almost got all of my nail polish off, but the solution evaporated a bit too fast so I couldn’t quite get all ten nails. It performed better than the La Fresh travel wipe nail polish remover (which has acetone), but nowhere near as well as the La Fresh eco-beauty nail polish remover acetone-free pad (my all-time favorite nail polish remover). Would I buy these? In a pinch, maybe, but as long as I can get my acetone-free, amazing-smelling La Fresh eco-beauty wipes then I have no need for others.

comparison of la fresh nail polish remover wipes on left, la fresh eco-beauty nail polish remover acetone-free on right

The wipe on the right is my fav.

small drop of julep glycolic hand scrub in palm of handGlycolic Hand Scrub – Every morning of testing, I got up and exfoliated my hands with the glycolic scrub. It is a thick creamy texture and you only need a small dollop. The little exfoliating beads/grains are actually from apricot seeds and the product smells fabulous! The scrub was smooth and created a slippery sensation as I scrubbed my hands. I really enjoyed this product and I definitely noticed a difference in my skin immediately after use. My hands were softer and the skin felt very supple. It was fantastic! I would definitely continue buying this product and I have actually used it for my body as well, which feels wonder as well. This was my favorite of all the products.

drop of julep oxygen nail treatment on brush hovering over bottle openingOxygen Nail Treatment – Every three or four days, I was to apply the oxygen nail treatment and keep it on until the next application. It’s very similar to nail polish, except that it is less drippy. I found that because of this thicker consistency, each layer on my nail was much thicker than nail polish would have been. You brush on two layers of the treatment and your nails have a subtle pink finish – they call it “nail makeup” – and it’s nice whether you want to feel like you have nail polish on or you want it to be practically invisible. My nails definitely looked brighter and whiter after using this, but I didn’t feel like it made them stronger. In fact, a split I had in my nail got worse so it didn’t seem to help slow down damage. I might consider repurchasing if I found my nails were really yellowing, but if I needed to strengthen them I’d try something else.

julep mighty nail cuticle serum brushMighty Nail & Cuticle Serum – Once the nail treatment dried, I could brush on the cuticle serum. Now here’s where I got confused – first, what should cuticles look like? I tried searching around but got no satisfying results. I think mine look pretty healthy, so I really didn’t know what to look for in terms of improvement. I did have one of those weird bits if skin on the side of my nail that was sticking out, so I wondered if it might help that? That seemed too ambitious though. Second, the serum is supposed to help with nail ridges and strengthening them as well, but now could I do that when I already applied the oxygen nail treatment? Alas, it’s a mystery to me. I was never sure how much I should put on (so I erred on the side of too much) and I had no idea how to determine if it was working, so I don’t know what to make of this product. The good thing is that I still have plenty, so now that I’m not using the oxygen nail treatment, I will apply it directly to my nails to see if it helps with the ridges.

drop of julep hand cream in palm of handHand Cream with SPF 30 – Once everything else was applied and dried, I finished off with the hand lotion since the scrub makes your skin more vulnerable to the sun. This hand cream has SPF 30 protection and it really minds me of a thicker version of sunblock. Luckily, it doesn’t have that weird smell but it is the same kind of white. It applies non-greasy but I felt it wasn’t as hydrating as I would like. I would probably pair this with one of my non-SPF but more moisturizing hand creams to get the best of both worlds.

All in all it was great to test these products and get a chance to find out if I’d ever want to buy them. Depending on your needs and preferences, you might want to purchase some of them to use as well.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review, though I did receive compensation for participating in the focus group and providing private feedback.]

On My Mind, episode 6

laelene Post in on my mind,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Linking up with Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for “Thursday Thoughts” aka On My Mind.

a~ I can’t believe this is my 6th one already! Where did the time go? I’ve been bumming around lately because I’m hoping my first choice in future employment pans out and I’m not that motivated to apply for other jobs just yet, plus I haven’t watched my shows since early February so I’m catching up now that all the seasons seem to be ending. I’m slowly transitioning back to working more and resting less.

b~ On the box front, I have a lot going on! I got into the Influenster Spring Voxbox (yay!) and hopefully I qualify for the summer one as well. I sprang for the May Ipsy bag and while I liked the overall value and items in the bag, I’m looking to trade two items. I’m going to cancel the subscription and wait for June spoilers before deciding if I want to get it again. I got that free Bulu box that I mentioned and I’ve suspended my subscription for now. I liked the box but I didn’t love it, so I’m reluctant to spend money on it when they’re more on the healthy scale than I’m interested in. I also received my first Conscious Box and it was packed full of goodness! Gonna take me some time to get through everything. And finally, I got Panda to get me a Treatsie box subscription because I’m a sucker for treats. Call it a very early birthday present.

c~ Every now and then I get my contacts out of place in my eye and it hurts for a bit, but then I get it back in place. Awhile back, my contact kept creating discomfort in my eye so I took it out and put it back in after washing it down with solution. Still, it didn’t feel right and the next time I took it out I discovered this:

torn/ripped contact lens

Torn contact lens. Ouch!

d~ It has been many long months since I heard from BzzAgent and I was pretty sad they weren’t including me in campaigns even though my BzzScore is pretty high. Then FINALLY I got an email from them and I am IN for the Dr. Scholl’s massaging gel insoles! Pretty excited about that since I’ve always wanted to try them but kind of never got around to figuring out which one I should get. I’m going to put them to the test on my next vacation, where I expect a whole lot of walking. My feet always hurt after standing all day and a massaging gel sounds amazing.

small brown stone owl sculpture and owl face watch

Some of the owl things I’ve gotten.


e~ Is it just me or are owls cute on/as almost any product? I mean, I love them as jewelry and decorations and sculptures and designs and even oil warmers. Something about their round, pudgy bodies and those giant eyes melt my heart. If I could find an owl bag, owl blanket, or gosh even an owl metronome, I’d probably get it. I was pretty tempted to get a felt iPad case made to look like an owl, but I don’t use cases for my iPad so I resisted. I’m that much more likely to get something if there’s an owl involved! I feel similarly about pandas and cats.

f~ I’ve made it a habit of keeping a lot of my skincare and beauty products upside-down lately. Everything from toners to shampoo to nail polish. A lot of these products tend to settle and I don’t like having to shake them up each time, so by keeping them on their heads, I don’t usually have to shake them. And for very thick things like lotion, I don’t have to struggle (as much) to get it to come out. I wonder if they have some sort of adjustable rack that I can use for this purpose?

g~ I’m obsessed with marinated mushrooms!! It was about 10 years ago that Costco stopped carrying the ones they had in their stores and I’ve been checking the pickled goods aisle ever since. In the years since, I managed to find them in the salad bar at Ralph’s a couple times, but it is very expensive to buy them by the salad bar’s weight pricing! Then I happened upon a new brand at Costco out east when I was visiting Panda a few months ago and I was joyous. I took home two jars that day and devoured them. We got some more jars and I happy ate them until I had to come back to SoCal. Unfortunately my local Costco does not carry it. I then had Panda bring me more when he came to visit. A few weeks ago he reported that there were only two more boxes of it left in the store, so I had him help me buy an entire box (8 jars). Gotta stock up in case Costco stops selling them! Yes, I am that in love with these suckers.

h~ When I got a bar of Mrs. Meyers soap in my Yuzen box many months ago, I was pretty excited to try this brand I’d been curious about. Once I started using the soap I found that the smell was too clean for my taste. I was sad and put it aside while trying to figure out what to do with it. Then I had to do some cleaning and I decided to use that soap since it was handy and seemed to cut through grease really well. I’m glad I did! For some reason, using it to clean with is perfectly fine, but using it to wash myself with feels weird. Maybe it’s a psychological thing? I associate that refreshing smell with cleaning but what I use on my body I want to feel more like I’m beautifying. Totally random, but just goes to show that you may not like something for certain reasons at first, but those very reasons can make it great for something else.

What are your random thoughts these days?

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