Posts Tagged ‘nail polish’

Beauty Box 5 September 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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Another ok but not fabulous box for me. I like that they include nail polish a lot but it’s not really in shades I’d use. I do appreciate the hair products they include, since I like to switch up my hair routine.

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.

september 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 september 2014 information card

Nicka K New York Eyelight Crayon in Charcoal: This color is far too dark for me so I hope there’s someone out there who’d like to trade for it! If it had been a lighter color or something fun like a pop of color, I might have tried it. I’m curious about the crayon application so it’s a pity it’s not suited for me.

Natural Style by FUBU Deep Conditioner & Co-Wash: I haven’t tried this yet, but I love the smooth feel of using conditioner so I look forward to it. I’m still working through other samples I have at the moment.

Sally Hansen Toe Spacers: Haha, it’s always so awkward to have things between your toes. These will be useful next time I want to paint my toenails. I’ll have fun strutting around with my toes all fanned out.

My Beauty Spot Nail Polish: Oops, I can’t seem to find this polish now. I hadn’t decided if I was going to try it or trade it, but at this rate it looks like it will be neither. I think this would have been a nice polish to use for when I want some color, but nothing that stands out too much. If I can figure out where I put it, I’ll give it a shot.

Dr. Lin Acne Spot Corrector: This is my favorite product from this box and I’ve used it a few times. It feels nice, doesn’t dry out my skin, and seems to calm down my acne issues. They haven’t completely gone away, but using this has helped things from spiraling out of control as they often do.

The theme for this box was “balancing act” and I think overall it works. It’s not that important to me that boxes follow a theme though, so no big deal! Which items do you like most from these?

[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!]

Beauty Box 5 February 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Here comes the February Beauty Box 5, which is their birthday box – happy 2nd anniversary to them!

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.

february 2014 beauty box 5 contents

Birthday bash time.

beauty box 5 february 2014 birthday card and mynamenecklace coupon card

A birthday card and discount code card.

beauty box 5 february 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

beauty box 5 february 2014 information card back

Back of info card with ways to connect.

Rockstar Nails Nail Polish: I can’t find the name of this shade, but it’s a nice sort of teal shade. The formula’s a bit more fluid than I’ve been used to, but it applies nice and opaque in one layer. It’s a lovely color and the consistency is perfect to work with the caviar it came with!

Rockstar Nails Nail Sprinkles: This is a brand new product for me. I’ve seen ads for it and now I get to try this type of nail decoration too! How fun. I love how it matches the nail polish. I’ve quickly learned that this can get very messy – in just opening the bottle to take a look, beads were falling everywhere. Be sure you find a nice flat surface to go apply these on.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner: There are two sets of these samples. They’re generously sized and perfect to bring along on my next trip. They also come with coupons for $2 off a full size product, which is good for all of this year!

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash: What a soothing combo of lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang. I have a ton of body wash at the moment and since this is sealed, I will keep it to use later. I can’t wait! It could also be very useful for my travels.

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara: I got this in an Ipsy bag awhile ago and it’s the first one that doesn’t rub off after some wear. I like its thicker, somewhat glue-like consistency that makes it waterproof and rub-proof. I do have a lot of mascaras and I rarely use them, so I might still consider trading this.

MyNameNecklace Gift Card: This time we got a bonus item in the form of $10 off a necklace. That could be as much as 30% or so off one of these necklaces, which is a decent deal. I’m not sure if I’ll get something since I rarely wear necklaces, but for $25 I might just snag a Carrie style one.

For me, the nail polish products and gift card made this box feel like a birthday celebration. What was your favorite item? If you like what you see, sign up for Beauty Box 5!

[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 December 2013: Celebration!

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The December days have just fallen away from me without me realizing! How did half the month creep by already?! So of course Ipsy was not even on my mind yet when I got the notification that it had been sent out. Since I hadn’t already checked my glam room, I decided to let it be a complete surprise this time. At first glance, I really like the bag – it’s a super fun texture and great for use in any situation. The black exterior isn’t too flashy and the red interior is a lovely touch.

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.

ipsy december 2013 bag items with card including nicka k new york nail color in classic taupe, demeter roll on perfume oil in snow, be a bombshell the one stick in flustered, pop beauty eye shadow trio in smokin' hot, and j.cat beauty big lip pencil in caramel mocha

The theme this month is Celebration! Each of these items is definitely something I can see people using when getting ready for a holiday party (in fact, I used the perfume oil and lip pencil for the one I went to last night). I think they could have gone a little more glittery or bold with red to really give me that celebratory feeling.

nicka k new york nail color in classic taupeNicka K New York Nail Color in Classic Taupe – While I’m always a fan of nail polish and this bottle is really cute, I’m not sure about the color. It’s a neutral shade that is quite mature for me and a bit too dark for my liking. I’ll give it another try though and see how I like it after wearing it for a few days. I might still try to trade it for one of the other options that were sent out this month, like the purple one that was another brand. I am intrigued by this brand and will definitely look out for them in the future. The nail polish applies really well and were it not for the shade, I’d totally keep it!

demeter snow roll on perfume oilDemeter Snow Perfume Oil Roll On – I’d heard of these roll on perfume oils from other subscription boxes. I forget which one it was that included the Salt scent, but I remember a ton of people were really excited about it. I was pretty surprised to find it in my bag and I’m more than happy to try it out. I don’t ever wear perfume, but this fun little roll on glides on effortlessly and has a light scent that I can totally handle.

be a bombshell the one stick in flusteredBe a Bombshell The One Stick in Flustered – When I first saw this, I figured it was an all-in-one type of solution, but I couldn’t quite figure out what exactly that entailed. Apparently it’s good for your tinting your cheeks, eyelids, or lips. I tried it on my cheeks and whoooa it’s bright! Panda even asked me if I was feeling flushed, lol. I might have to stick with using it for my lips then. I’ve been getting into red lips lately and have a lot of fun with that at night and occasionally on the weekends. I guess next time we have an event, I can put it on for kicks and experiment like I did with eyeliner/eye shadow yesterday.

pop beauty eye shadow trio in smokin' hotPOP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Smokin’ Hot – Ok, this is the definite no product for me in this bag. I just am not into eye shadows. It’s a cool palette and I can totally see how it’d be great for the season, but I’m putting it up for trade. While I did enjoy putting a little bit of shine on my eyelids last night, it happens so infrequently that it would take many lifetimes to ever use these eye shadows. How do I make Ipsy stop sending me this type of product?! It’s super adorable though and I wish I could put it to good use.

j.cat big lip pencil in caramel mochaJ.Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha – Based on the color of the stick and what you can see, I definitely expected this color to be more bright. Instead, it’s a very creamy and rather nude shade against my lips. That actually works out quite well for when I want a little something without being super bold. I also love how smoothly it applies. I’ll be keeping this handy in my bag for touch-ups!

 

Would you keep all of these items? If not, what would you trade? If you’re interested in Ipsy, sign up for just $10/month!

[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!]

Ipsy November 2013: Glam It Up

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I’m pretty pleased with the Ipsy bag this time around, partly because there’s an extra beyond the usual 5! I do think IpsyMatch could have matched me up with something I’d love a lot more, but I’m getting more open to trying some products I don’t usually use.

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.

ipsy november 2013 bag items with card including nailtini lacquer in champagne, pixi beauty bronzer in summertime, cailyn mineral eyeshadow in champagne, em michelle phan pillow plush lip balm in strawberry, be a bombshell lip crayon in hot da*n, and starlooks gem pencil in amethyst

collage of em michelle phan cosmetics info card front and back from ipsy november 2013 bag

The Nailtini Lacquer in Champagne looks kind of dark at first, but it applies in a lovely shade that is really subtle and nice. It’s perfect for work when I don’t want to draw attention to my nails but I want them to have some color. It goes well with my skin tone and blends in quite well yet offers a nice sheen to my nails. I like it a lot and I’ll definitely be using it a lot throughout the holiday season!

I’m still debating whether I should open the Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Summertime…I’ve never used bronzer and I don’t want to keep adding to my routine. At the same time, I’m kind of curious how it would look and if I’d like it. I guess since I already have it I might as well try it right? Not like I’d buy one for myself. But I don’t know about adding yet another thing to put on my face – wasn’t the point of BB cream supposed to be that I wouldn’t use all this? I’m still searching for the perfect all-in-one product for that.

I really like the presentation of the Cailyn Mineral Eyeshadow in Champagne, what with its cute sponge tip and loos powder consistency. I gave this a try and while I don’t like wearing eyeshadow, I do like having something like this to put on my skin for a bit of a golden sparkle. It’s really more of a novelty item for me and not something I’d put on the way it was meant to be. I’m enjoying playing around with this and just being silly with it.

Everyone got a bonus item from the em michelle phan line of cosmetics and I got the pillow plush cushiony lip balm in strawberry – perfect! Out of all the products, this would probably be the most fitting for me. I love the subtle strawberry scent and the nice rich texture. It applies well, has a bit of a red tint, and feels nice. The packaging is cute though I think it would have been cool if the lid had a mirror instead of the white background so you can get a glimpse of your lips with it.

The be a bombshell lip crayon in hot dang* is a fun bright red! I never go for something so vibrant and prefer much more neutral colors that blend in with my skin tone better, but I decided to have some fun with this. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear it out since red lips attract too much attention to that area for my liking, but hey now I have just the right thing to apply if I ever need to make a perfect red lip print on something! It’s really smooth and easy to glide on to your lips.

Finally, there’s the Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst. I’m tempted to open it since I love purple, but I really don’t see myself using it. Apparently it can be an eyeliner or eyeshadow. I can see myself trying it for kicks but not actually using it when I go out. Ah, dilemmas. So far I haven’t opened any of the Starlooks items that have come in Ipsy bags so maybe it’s time to try one. I mean, how could I resist amethyst??? One of my favorite gemstones and words…

This might be the second time that I won’t be trading anything from my bag! Would you keep all these items? What did you get in your bag? Sign up for Ipsy if you like what you see!

 

*Yes I changed this word because I don’t curse. I don’t care if it’s the name or not. 😛

[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!]

Influenster Rose VoxBox

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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got it from influenster badgeFor a long time, I’d been waiting to receive this Influenster VoxBox. Day after day I’d be disappointed when it wasn’t in the mail. Finally, I decided to check my old emails and found that there was a tracking link I’d totally missed back when they sent it out. According to that, my package had been delivered on Nov. 1st! Yet here I was two weeks later with no sign of it… I called the rental office since they receive packages that won’t fit in the mailbox and thankfully, my package was there with them. All this time of waiting when I could have been enjoying it! I miss the days when the post lady left a slip so I’d know there was a package to go pick up. Usually we get a notification slip from the office if we haven’t picked up the package in a few days, but that somehow slipped me by as well. Sooo let’s dig right in!

contents of influenster rose voxbox with vitabath lotion, dr scholl's cozy cushions, rimmel mascara, kiss gradation nail polish kit, lindor chocolates, and belvita biscuits

The Rose VoxBox. These Influenster boxes keep getting better!

I’m pretty excited about this box. Just like the Sunkissed VoxBox, I’m interested in every single item here! I love the variety of products to explore and some of these products are quite novel to me.

Vitabath Spa Day Cucumber & White Tea hydrating lotion – Anything with white tea and I’m in. I love the light refreshing scent of this lotion and its nice rich texture. Perfect for keeping the whole body nourished during the winter months. This is a large bottle that will last for quite awhile! It really does give me a great relaxing spa feel and I can’t stop smelling my skin. 😛 It’s wonderful!

Dr. Scholl’s  For Her Cozy Cushions – Omg when I saw this I was so amused! I had no idea Dr. Scholl’s makes insoles like this (or that something like this existed at all). They’re the best thing you could ask for in boots and other winter wear. When I get my boots from home this Thanksgiving, I’m totally putting these in. This is amazing! I can’t wait to try them out and make boot-wearing so much more comfortable.

Rimmel Retro Glam mascara – I’ve never tried Rimmel products before and I’m looking forward to trying out this fun mascara. I have some others I want to work through first, but I might still open it before those are used up. I don’t use mascara nearly enough to get to it anytime soon, so maybe I should start wearing it daily.

Kiss Gradation polishes – Ah so cool!! I have done a two-tone gradation myself before but nothing quite as fancy as this three-tone one. The colors are a bit bold for my normal wear, but I’ll try them out on my toes and for a holiday party or other special event. Very starry night or wintery sort of feel with this look!

Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles – Classic chocolate treat. Always a win in my book! I enjoy Lindor truffles, so I wish they’d included more. That cute little container only includes one ball! Certainly not enough for my sweet tooth.

belVita blueberry breakfast biscuits – I’ve had these in previous boxes and I enjoy them! I should probably actually buy some to snack on. I love that they’re sweet and crunchy for a satisfying burst of flavor when you munch on them. Probably a better way to start the day than with cereal (or, in my case, nothing).

What do you think of the #RoseVoxBox?

365great Day 159: Julep

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 159: julepI’ve actually never purchased a product from Julep, but I’ve certainly been eyeing them for awhile. My first encounter with them was with a focus group study I was a part of, where I got to try out a bunch of their hand and nail care products. From there I got a chance to experience more of their products as I began to do trades and swap items for them. So far I’ve managed to try nearly all of the products that I’m interested in, including the green tea blotting papers that Brandy gave me and the nail polish remover and gel top coat that I received in a trade. Of course I’ve also tried a couple of their nail polishes at this point, including a crackling one! I love how they’ve been churning out all kinds of beauty products in rather unique packaging. I’m holding out on getting the free intro box until they refresh what’s offered in that box and I’m looking forward to seeing what they offer! Already it’s great how they’ve branched out beyond nail care and I’m sure there’s plenty more expansion to come.

[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.]

Ipsy August 2013: Glamour Academy

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Lookie at what arrived yesterday! I checked my mail late in the day and I wish I had gone earlier so I could play around with my new stuff but hey it’s all good. Soon after this great surprise, I received the offer letter for the job I really wanted, making it an awesome day. 🙂

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.

ipsy august 2013 bag items with card including noya lip balm in vanilla, pixi lash booster mascara, pacifica bb cream, michael todd jojoba charcoal facial scrub, and nailtini nail polish in mai tai

collage of noya lip balm in vanilla from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagNoya Lip Balm in Vanilla – keep. It was either Noya lip balm or Urban Decay lipstick and since I don’t wear lipstick, this works perfectly. I have plenty of lip products at the moment so I won’t start using it just yet but it smells yummy! I’ve never heard of this brand before but I like what I’ve seen so far, since it appears they have natural products. That’s a company I can get behind for sure.

collage of pixi lash booster mascara from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagPixi Lash Booster Mascara – keep. This comes at a good time, since I’ve been thinking about using some mascara here and there and I only have one with me. I can’t quite remember where that one is most of the time so it’s always nice to have a backup! I’ve never tried Pixi before so I’m also curious about this brand and how its products work. I’ve seen them at Target and considered purchasing but haven’t yet.

collage of pacifica bb cream from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagPacifica BB Cream – keep. I keep hearing great things about Pacifica and they seem to have a really loyal following. I want to try their body butter when I get a chance, but I’m happy to get their BB cream in the mean time. I’ve been on a BB binge as of late, trying sooo many brands to see what works best for me.

collage of michael todd jojoba charcoal facial scrub from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagMichael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub – keep. YES!! I was really hoping I’d get this rather than the pumpkin face mask. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin and I looove anything with charcoal. I’m also a major sucker for scrubs of any kind and jojoba beads feel really good.

collage of nailtini nail polish in mai tai from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagNailtini Nail Polish in Mai Tai – keep. I didn’t get this in last month’s bag, so I’m happy to get it this time around. I’ve never tried Nailtini and I like how it applies. This color is fun, vibrant, and warm, which is great for summertime. I like it!

That’s right people, this is the first bag where I’m not trading a single item! IpsyMatch seems to have worked (or just by dumb luck I got exactly what I wanted) this time around and I’m very pleased. What do you think of these products? What did you receive in your Ipsy bag?

[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!]

Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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got it from influenster badgeWow, I completely forgot to write a post about my Sunkissed VoxBox from Influenster! In my mind, I had done it awhile ago but now that I do a search apparently that was just in my head. So it may be belated, but here it is now: my thoughts on the products that came for free in my lovely VoxBox. This was definitely my favorite box from them since it contained items in various categories and it was all stuff I’d use. In fact, some of them were on my list of things to try!

influenster sunkissed voxbox

The SunVoxBox contents!

collage of goody ouchless ribbon elastics 5 piece

Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics (5 pieces)

I’m so glad I got to try these! I’d made some of my own and always wanted to compare them with a brand name’s version. Turns out mine are a softer elastic, so depending on your preferences, you might like one of the other better. I enjoy this set of colors and I’m curious to see what other color options they have.

collage of olay fresh effects bb cream in light to medium

Olay Fresh Effects {BB Cream!} in Light to Medium with SPF 15

This smells FABULOUS. Oh my gosh. It’s a wonderfully fragrant scent that makes me feel refreshed after putting this one. The coverage is definitely light and meant to help give an overall smoother look, but not hide all those blemishes. I like pairing this with my Physician’s Formula BB Powder because it gives me a bit of a shiny finish and I like to matte it down.

collage of sinfulshine with gel tech nail polish in set the mood

SinfulShine with Gel Tech Nail Polish in Set The Mood

I was thrilled to receive this nail polish because I’ve been curious about gel polishes but didn’t want to deal with their complexity. This gives a wonderful shine without needing a top coat and just one layer gives you the result shown above! I love the shade I got too, which is a beautiful blue-green/deep teal.

collage of dr. scholl's for her high heel insoles for women's sizes 6-10

Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles (Women’s Sizes 6-10)

Perfect for that interview I had earlier this week. I’m so glad I had these to use so I could comfortably stand in my heels. They have a wonderful bump to create a foot arch for you and ensure your feet aren’t too flat. Definitely something I will use for any future high heel needs.

Yuzen December 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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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

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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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.

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