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Posts Tagged ‘beauty’

Juice Beauty deal

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: beauty, deals, products, shopping, skincare

31 August 2014

When I saw an email from Juice Beauty about their new brightening pads, I was immediately intrigued. I love wiping my face with cleansing products and lately I’ve started to take note of the dark spots and unevenness I have. At their original price point, I wasn’t so sure about getting them. So, I do what I always do. I waited.

Lo and behold, come Labor Day weekend, I see an offer for 15% off and free shipping (use code LABORDAY through tomorrow!). While I would have already gotten free shipping with this pre-order offer, that 15% is what made all the difference. While still pricier than I would prefer, I was convinced that I should at least try one jar. I’m waiting on a new credit card to arrive and I was hoping it would make it to me by Saturday so I could use it for this transaction, but the mail came and went with no card.

Today, I went to place my order and found that it was no longer pre-order status for this product. Not a huge deal, since the price is the same. The only thing I lose out on is the deluxe sample of the Green Apple Peel Sensitive – no worries, I’ve gotten plenty of samples of that from Yuzen! Instead, I got the normal sample set with my order (a trio of cleanser, serum, and moisturizer). I much prefer saving $6.75 to getting more product I won’t get a chance to use up.

I can’t wait to get these pads and try them out! If there are any Juice Beauty products you’re interested in, definitely take advantage of their Labor Day sale too. 🙂

Ipsy Mystery Glam Bag review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, body butters, boxes, brushes, eye pencils, eye shadows, ipsy, lotions, pictures, prizes, products, reviews, rewards, skincare, subscriptions

29 August 2014

The Ipsy mystery bag I got with my ipsyPoints finally arrived and it was ok for me. I’m not super impressed, but I definitely appreciate what I got and the value for the points.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products like this bag!

Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush – As a fan of tools, this was a nice item to receive, even if I don’t know how/when to use it. I’ll try it out with some different products and see how I prefer to use it. I would have given this choice an A+ had it not been for the fact that the info card it comes with is clearly meant for when this was sent out to some folks earlier this year. The discount code on the back expired May 6th, though I wonder if they kept it active?

Pop Beauty Eye Shadow Trio in Naturally Bare – Totally going up for trade. Eye shadow palettes will never get used up in this girl’s stash, so I’ll see if anybody else out there would like to get it. The colors are nude enough that it wouldn’t look super obvious if I did use them, but why go through the effort when I’d rather not put stuff on my eyes?

Klorane Smoothing and relaxing eye patches – I like this brand for its gentleness. I just know these will not cause irritation and I can trust them on my eyes no matter how sensitive. The next time I am not well-rested, these will be put to the test. I look forward to it!

Starlooks eyeliner in Amethyst – I’m not surprised that there’s a repeat item for me here, but I’m glad it’s just one. I wasn’t sure I’d even use the first one I got, but I ended up caving because I love purple and amethyst so much. Every now and then I’ll add a little sparkle to my eyes with this eye pencil, using it like a very sheer eye shadow. It’s going to take me a lifetime to use up just one though, so this shall go up for trade eventually.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter – Yes! I have a mild obsession with Pacifica, but I also refuse to buy their stuff just yet, so anything I get from subscriptions is appreciated. While there are plenty of other scents I would like to try more, I love how this one reminds me of summer, vacation, and relaxation. Who wouldn’t want that in a bottle? The mailbox got really hot the day this bag arrived and the bottle was super pliable, but it’s ok now and I hope the formula wasn’t affected.

I certainly wasn’t thrilled about the bag they chose to use, so that’ll go up for trade. I like the one I have enough to use it, but I really don’t care for a second. Overall I’m pleased with the value from the bag but I’m glad to have unsubscribed. One thing I didn’t like is that they made me confirm I wanted to unsubscribe no less than 4 times! And was it the fourth or fifth time that they made me receive an email and click a link in there to confirm again?! What an awful experience to end on. Irregardless, they just haven’t been hitting the mark enough, so it’s time to let other brands divert my attention. Stay tuned to my eDivv shop for these trades to eventually get added.

[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. I just earned this bag with points and wanted to share what I got!]

Petit Vour August 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, body butters, boxes, cleansers, eye pencils, face masks, fragrances, lip butters, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

27 August 2014

Time for Beauty 101 this month. I could have used a bit of help with the eye pencil and face cleanser/mask. The tips that were included on the card were nice!

Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).

Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Mineral Eye Defining Pencil in Black – I don’t really know how to use this. It applies well on my hand, but when I try to use it on my eyes, I can’t seem to get it to make a mark. Perhaps it’s that outer layer being all new and stuff? The point was super sharp and now that I’ve dulled it a little, it’s a bit softer but still not coming off easily.

Earth Body Brighten Cleanser & Mask for Age Defense – This is cool! I like the powder form that allows you to get more bang for the amount. In that sense, it’s a really generous sample. It smells earthy, a bit like clay and herbs. I tried mixing it with water in my palm, but found applying it to my face after wasn’t so easy. Next time I’ll try wetting my face and rubbing a bit of the powder on. It feels nice and my skin is so soft after that!

Harvey Prince fragrance in Journey – Wow, they sure like this brand. This is already the third time they’ve been included. I’m not a fan of this scent – it’s too strong for my preferences. It does smell rather exotic and is a great blend of spices and flowery tones. I wouldn’t wear this kind of fragrance so I’ll be trading it.

Mi-Me Tangerine Hydrating Lip Butter – What adorable packaging. The lip balm tube fits perfectly into a little test tube. This is truly a lip butter that just melts onto your lips and is so soft and hydrating like no other. The tangerine scent is wonderful and I like that this is just the kind of item I can keep with me to always save me from chapped lips.

Rosemira Organics Sweet Coconut Body Butter – Hmm, this is a really small sample size, especially for a body butter. I could understand if it was for the face, but this would not really give me more than a use or two for my body. It’s super buttery and a little does go a long way, but what a tiny container! It’s funny, I don’t smell the coconut part but the sweetness and citrus-y scent makes it through. I do enjoy the scent a lot.

I only plan on trading one item this time and I’m glad to see five items again, even if one sample was way small. The variety of items is always nice. What items do you find most intriguing?

[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep August 2014: The Wanderlust Collection review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, cuticle serum, iphone app, julep maven, nail polishes, nail serum, nailcare, pictures, products, reviews, serums, subscriptions, tools

22 August 2014

I skipped July’s box, so this was the next one I received after the Memorial Day mystery box I got about two months ago. This review is a long time coming – I’ve been sitting on the box for two weeks, but when I got it, an item was missing. I emailed them about it and got a replacement sent out – and then I saw they’d sent to the wrong address (the billing one that I haven’t used for months!). So I emailed again and they sent me another one, this one to the correct location. So finally, I have the full box to share.

While I liked the colors of this collection for their vibrance, when I saw the Happy Mani-versary special edition being offered for Julep’s 3rd birthday, I couldn’t resist. It offered this cool cleaning tool that will really help with my polishing efforts (I’m a big sucker for tools) and the Ta Da! Quick Drops I’ve had on my wishlist, PLUS a bonus polish shade that is just purple enough for me to want. The nail and cuticle serum is a nice extra to have along with everything else, though I already have one.

Julep is just under $20 per box and comes with 2 nail polish colors and a beauty product, 3 nail polish colors, or 2 beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (skips are earned every six months for subscribers Dec 18th, 2013 and later). You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes.

julep maven anniversary exclusive august 2014 wanderlust collection box contents

August’s Anniversary Exclusive Happy Mani-versary Wanderlust Collection box

julep mighty nail & cuticle serum, queen anne polish, ta da quick dry drops, and cleanup tool

Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum
Queen Anne polish
Ta Da! Quick Dry Drops
cleanup tool

Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum: I’ve tested this before so I might just trade it. I still have a lot of the original left, but maybe it’ll be good to have the next one ready.

Queen Anne polish: I probably don’t need any more purple polishes, but I can’t help it! This is a festive, sparkly polish that is very befitting a birthday.

Ta Da! Quick Dry Drops: This smells a bit like aromatherapy and it’s so fun to drop them on your nails. I think it works quite well! It’s not instant, but it’s pretty fast.

cleanup tool: One of the main reasons for getting this box and now I’ll have two due to the shipping fluke! It was smaller than I expected, but a nice sturdy metal and perfect size for handling.

julep wanderlust collection card and quote card

The Wanderlust Collection and quote cards.

julep gel eye glider eyeliner info card, discount offer card, refer friends card, and julep app info card

The info cards.

I’m very happy with the items in the box and the value of the combination. It’s even better that I ended up getting an extra cleanup tool out of it, which I might gift or trade. I kind of wish I’d gotten some of the polishes, but I really can’t use up that much nail polish so I’ll console myself by painting my nails with that I do have. The bonus item is a nice screen cleaner that I’ll totally have to use. I’ve already downloaded the Julep app for use and I’m glad I have an easier way to making sure I don’t forget to skip a month.

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes and/or beauty products sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[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. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Ipsy August 2014: Beauty Schooled review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, blushes, boxes, eye liners, eye pencils, glam bag, ipsy, lip balms, mascaras, pictures, pore refiners, products, reviews, samples, skincare, subscriptions

18 August 2014

Ipsy can be so unpredictable with its hits and misses. This month I really enjoyed it, just as I’ve been contemplating cancelling. I’m still going to unsubscribe as soon as I get the free product I redeemed with my points. It turned out perfectly because I had nearly 1500 points and felt bad wasting 500 of them since most products are 1000 points. Luckily, when I went to check this time, there was a free mystery bag available for 1500 points! I just had to earn some more to get me to 1500 and I was able to claim it. I’m excited to see what it offers.

screenshot of ipsy mystery bag offer for 1500 points and account with 1500 points

Boom. Redeem that!

Absolute New York You’re the Balm lip balm in Grape – This is quite a large tin that will last for ages. The purple color is fantastic and there’s a little bit of glitter in there too. I like the lightness of the grape scent, though I wish I could smell or taste it more when it was on my lips. This responds well to body heat and begins to melt into a hydrating sort of gloss. A little dab was enough to spread on my lips.

Coastal Scents Forever Blush duo samples in Fresh & Elegant – Again, why do I ever get blush when I indicated NO interest? And these are pretty small samples. Oh well, going in my trade bucket.

Dr. Brandt pores no more pore refiner primer – I totally expected this to be clear, but it has a nude tint to it. It applies well and certainly does the job of mattifying. I’m not sure if the pore refining is supposed to help heal my skin over time or if it’s just to reduce the appearance of pores when it’s on. If it’s the latter, then it did a good job. I’d consider getting this if I ever run out of the current primer tubes I have.

Lord & Berry kajal kohl eye pencil – Oh, this is fabulous. I just used a little on my lower lid to help make it look like I actually had some sort of lash action going there. It was so easy to apply and felt great. Certainly didn’t irritate my inner eye and felt perfectly fine. I’m a fan and I’d totally get this again if I ever find I actually manage to use up the endless supply of eye liners I have already.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara – For statement lashes, this will be my choice. Sometimes I want my lashes to stand out more and this one gets the job done. It does get dry after a day of use though, and I’m forgetful and rub my face a lot, so I kind of ended up with raccoon eyes later in the day. Got to be careful with that. The packaging on this is sick too. Totally slick, elegant, and cool.

This almost makes me consider keeping my subscription, but I really don’t need to keep accumulating products. I’d like to focus on actually using them for awhile. One day I’ll update my eDivv shop and put in the blush samples.

[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. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Petit Vour July 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, eco-friendly, environmental, green, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions, vegan

01 August 2014

Ready to Set Sail with some Summer Loves? I think both of those are the theme this month and they coordinated with a blogger to choose these items.

LVX 5-free Nail Lacquer in Lolli – I’ve heard about this brand a lot and I’d love to try it, but this just not my shade. Way too light pink for me. I’ll have to trade it and hopefully I get a chance to try a different shade. The lid on mine is loose so I wonder if this is an issue with the design of the cap for this brand. I guess we’ll see when I try another one!

Modern Minerals Shimmer Eye Shadow in ANJU – This is a fun metallic shade that I might have tried if it weren’t for another eye shadow I play around with. Since I use so little and rarely apply any at all, it’s just not practical to open this too. I’m not sure how I’d apply it though – do I need a brush? Do I just use my finger? This could be a nice shimmer to use on my chest for added effect. Holiday party, anyone?

Pelle Beauty Facial Oil in Nourish – Whoa, applying an oil to my face before makeup? Now that sounds interesting. I’ve been using a cleansing oil to clean my face, but I rinse it off and pat dry before putting on toner, BB cream, etc. At first I was disappointed with the tiny bottle (cute as it is), but now that I read more about it, the highly concentrated formula isn’t diluted with water like many other products. That makes total sense and a drop on each cheek is enough. I think I smell rose in there, or something nice and soothing.

Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant in Lavender + Sage – This is so perfect. It’s the first time I’m getting a product like this from a box, so I could certainly use a deodorant! I’m skeptical of most because of the crazy chemicals and I don’t really sweat so I find I don’t need it. However, this makes me feel good about applying deodorant, so I’ve been enjoying using it. It’s pretty solid, so it does take some rubbing to start melting it enough to get it on my fingers. The scent is amazing and it absorbs so well. I spend the day with a happy secret protecting my underarms and I love it.

I am always impressed with the quality of the products that Petit Vour includes. While this time I won’t be using all the items, I can still appreciate what they chose for us. Which product would you want to try most?

Ipsy July 2014: Sensationally Sunkissed review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, cheek stains, creams, eye shadows, gels, lip stains, mascaras, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions, tanning oils, tints

17 July 2014

Ick, what a strange-looking Ipsy bag this month. I will try to give it to someone or use it to package off some items next time I do a trade. Product-wise it was also very meh for me this time. I’m debating whether I should just unsubscribe and redeem a free product that I don’t really want with the points I’ve earned or try to wait around for one I do like.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil – I have no idea how to use tanning oil, nor do I feel any need to try. If I want to tan, I just go outside for a bit. Otherwise, I’m perfectly happy with my skin tone, whatever shade it might be! This is definitely an item I’m not opening and putting up for trade.

Lavilin Jojoba Skin Soother Gel Cream – For something with gel in the name, I did not expect the consistency that was more like sunscreen. Looked like sunscreen, felt like sunscreen a bit, and is it just my imagination? Smelled like sunscreen too? It didn’t mention any SPF properties so I have no idea, but I guess I’ll use this up sort of as a normal lotion.

Benefit they’re Real! beyond mascara – Mascaras must be super popular since we keep getting them. I better start applying daily if I want to ever get close to using up my supply. These bristles looked scary because they are so pokey, but application was just fine and they help my lashes pop well, without giving my raccoon eyes. I’ll keep using this for sure!

Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass fabulous lip & cheek stain in cherry – I don’t plan on staining my cheeks anytime soon, but the lip staining aspect of this intrigued me. I’ve been getting bolder with my choice of lip color, so I’ll play around with this one too. The application was less staining that I thought, thankfully – I was afraid it’d super stain my lips the instant anything touched them! But it took a little rubbing to get a nice shade on and I like the look and feel of it.

bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB advanced performance cream eyeshadow in Divine Wine – This is pretty boring to me. I don’t like to use eye products, so what’s the point of putting something on that is basically nude? If I’m going to that trouble, might as well be something fun and interesting. I guess it’s supposed to be like sunscreen for the eyes? I don’t know, I’m not really into it. I’ll try trading but if it doesn’t go I might consider trying it.

Not impressed at all this month and if it weren’t for the points I accumulated, I’d be unsubscribing right now (see how rewards programs lock people in?). I’ll get these up in my eDivv shop eventually so I can trade for stuff I’d actually appreciate.

[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. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 July 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, beauty box 5, boxes, hair masks, lip balms, lip liners, lip pencils, mascaras, pictures, products, reviews, scrubs, skincare, subscriptions

15 July 2014

I’ve been testing out this box for a few months and overall I’ve liked it enough to keep it, so I’m thinking of using it to replace my Ipsy subscription. Lately it’s been up and down with Ipsy, so I want to use up my bonus points to redeem a free item and then cancel it.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

Revlon Bold Lacquer mascara: We just got a mascara in last month’s box so I’ve got plenty of this product and will probably save this for use a little later. Perhaps I should apply mascara daily, since my stash is growing far faster than I can keep up with using. I pretty much use mascara a few times a year and that’s it. Part of the problem is that some of them wear down and give me raccoon eyes. We’ll see how this one does.

HASK Argan Oil hair treatment: I’m going to treat myself to this along with a bath sometime in the near future. I don’t have many hair masks, so this is a great product to try, especially since my hair dries out pretty easily. I don’t have the silkiest hair, but it does a decent job of staying conditioned. Am I supposed to use a hair mask frequently to maintain that sort of shine? Will this really last for two weeks of shine? We shall see…

Body Drench Candy Licious lip balm in Red Licorice: I love these smaller tubes of lip balm – they’re adorable! The flavor is spot on and tastes very much like licorice. I’m not a huge fan of that flavor, but I’m fine with a little bit of it on my lips so I’ll definitely be using this up. The bright red tint is a fun color that adds a pop without being in your face.

Anna Naturals Glowing Mama scrub: First of all, this smells luscious. Kind of reminds me of my favorite facial exfoliating product, derma e’s microdermabrasion. It also feels so wonderful as I’m scrubbing it – my fingers glide around and the granules are rough enough to feel satisfying but not too large. I love it. I’m glad it wasn’t the sort of oatmeal-y or almond-y scent I thought it would have; it’s more refreshing than that!

Starlooks lip liner in Tipsy: I don’t use lip liner, so this is going in my trade pile. I have some other Starlooks items, which I like, particularly a glitter eyeliner that I use sort of like a light eyeshadow. I put a little on the corners of my eyes and smudge it in to brighten them and give a fun glittery effect.

The variety of items made for a very useful set of complementing items. I’ve got my eyes, lips, hair, and skin covered here! I won’t use all the items, but nearly all of them will get opened eventually. The “defining moments” theme was pretty vague so just about any products would have worked for it. What’s your favorite item in this box?

[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. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Petit Vour June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, cruelty-free, hair care, nail polishes, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, serums, skincare, subscriptions, vegan

30 June 2014

This month’s theme is “bon voyage” to get you travel ready. It features a bunch of items you can bring along to take care of yourself while on the go.

contents of petit vour june 2014 box removed from packaging

A closer look at some of the items.

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner – If you want to feel like you just came out of a salon, you need to try this shampoo. It lathers fantastically well and smells so luxurious! All day long I kept getting a whiff of it (a sweet sort of scent) and thinking I just stepped out of a professional haircut. Definitely one of the nicest shampoos I’ve tried. The conditioner has a more refreshing scent and it didn’t make my hair super slippery like I’m used to. Maybe it was getting absorbed into my hair? It worked pretty well, though I had a little chunk of hair that didn’t smooth out on its own without a hairbrush.

MUN No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum – I’m not sure if this sample is enough to really get a sense for how this serum performs… at first use it feels nice and smells herbal, so it’s promising. I did have trouble getting enough out of the tiny tube and it took awhile to apply the amount I wanted. We’ll see if I notice anything by the time I finish it up.

ncLA 5-free Luxury Nail Lacquer in Santa Monica Shore Thing – I’ve heard of this brand and got their nail wraps in a previous Petit Vour box, but this is my first time trying their nail polish. I got the shade Santa Monica Shore Thing, which is a creamy minty green. On the nails, it’s a slightly darker shade than what you see in the bottle and two coats provides a nice even color. It’s a more liquidy formula that applies well and smells rather like Julep’s polishes… somewhat apple-scented, I’d say.

TAY Rosehip Balancing Cleanser with Seabuckthorn – Immediately fell in love with this – not only is the packaging fantastic, it smells lovely and feels great. I’m a fan of this brand based on that.

Once again, Petit Vour delivered with nice products that I will use all of and would be the sort of thing to bring on my summer vaca. I really enjoy their curation of beautiful, luxurious, vegan products. What do you like best from this month’s items?

Lightning storm!!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog, video blog，Tags: beauty, lightning, nature, pictures, videos

18 June 2014

Ok, I’m a total sucker for lightning. It’s such a wonderful phenomenon and I could stare at a light show for hours (if only the need for sleep didn’t get in the way). Tonight as I was drafting my Love With Food box review, Panda came running in from the kitchen to tell me there was lightning outside. That made me happy, to think a thunderstorm might be rolling its way through.

But when I got outside to look, it was so much better than I could have hoped for. Flash after flash of brilliant light lit up the clouds in the sky. A gentle roll of thunder was barely perceptible in the distance. And boom, boom, boom, the lightning kept coming! It was so quiet and peaceful out – the crickets singing in the night didn’t seem to care about the show overhead. Even Smokey meowed at me to let her out and join me on the porch. Together we enjoyed the warmth of the night, the humidity in the air, and the flashes that lit up our faces.

This is so much better than a fireworks show and I even saw lightning that went up for the first time. Freakin’ amazing. So I dropped everything, got some videos and a picture, and of course put off that review for another day. This is far more exciting to me. Check it out: