Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Love Letters Nail Art Tutorial

For this design you will need the following items:
Sky blue polish in the brand of your choice, I am using Ulta
Base Coat
Top Coat
A gray nail polish that will stamp
Nail polish remover and cotton pads
Stamper
Nail plate CH53 from the Cheeky Summer 2012 Collection


First paint the nails with base coat and two coats of the sky blue color. 


Then, using the grey polish and the CH53 plate, stamp the design with the swallows, hearts and envelopes on all 10 finger nails.


Add a top coat and your done.  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and thanks for stopping by.

Sample Society September 2012

Hi Everyone.  I have received my first Sample Society box from BeautyBar.com and in conjunction with Allure magazine.  I am rather happy with this box and I think I will try it for at least one more month before deciding if I will keep receiving it.  The box costs $15 a month and comes with a $15 coupon off a $50 purchase as long as one item in the cart is from a brand featured in the box.  Now on to the box.  I received the following items:
Stila Smudge Crayon in Smoke
Borghese B Gloss Lip Gloss in Fiore
Ahava Purifying Mud Mask
CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser
Diptyque Tam Dao perfume sample spray


I haven't had a chance to use all of the products from this box.  What I have tried out I like.  The CellCeuticals cleanser is very mild and cleans very well at the same time.  I have worn the Stila Smudge Crayon once and got a complement on the color so it seems to be a hit.  The lip gloss is nice, however, I would like it to be just a little smoother as it does feel sticky on the lips.  I have yet to try the Ahava Mud Mask or the perfume sample from Diptyque.  Again, the box is $15 a month.  If your interested in signing up the link is www.beautybar.com and my referral code is YASM4622 (if you decide to sign up I would really appreciate it if you used my code).  Thanks for stopping by and see you next time.

My Glam September 2012

Hi everyone.  Here is another review, this time for My Glam.  This month in the box there was a card stating that My Glam was changing their name to Iipsy.  Along with this change there was a card from JustFab for $20 off on shoes.  The code is Ipsy20 so if it works your free to use it.  I have purchased some cute shoes and will post them on here when they come in.   Now onto my items from the My Glam (Ipsy) Box.

The following items were included this month:
SoHo Smudge Brush
Circus by Andrea's Choice in Tightrope
Mirabella eye shadow in #36 Semiformal
Carols Daughter Monoi Repairing Split and Sealer
Jane Sparkle Gloss -- Sparkle Pink (Not in Picture)


Also, I am not sure if your aware but every month My Glam sends with their box a makeup bag that is the perfect size for your purse.  This month the bag is black and has a little strap on one end.  I have used the brush which is really nice and doesn't leave any loose bristles.  I did hear on another blog that this brush can be found at places like Wal-Mart, so it's not going to be the best brush but it is rather nice.  I have also tried the shadow which is a nice warm brown color.  Last month I got another  nail polish from Circus, it is a thick polish that comes out matte however it has stayed on the toes rather nicely.  I am not happy with the lip gloss as it is really sticky feeling and smells like something I had when I was 13.  I have not tried the Monoi Repairing hair cream yet.  I have sampled the product on the back of my hand, it is really silky and has a really pretty smell.  If your interested in signing up for My Glam (Ipsy) the link is www.ipsy.com/ an will cost you $10 a month. 

September 2012 Birch Box

Hi everyone.  I know it has been at least a month since my last blog post, I have been busy with work and school.  Since I haven't blogged for a while I have a few sample boxes that have accumulated.  I am going to post my most recent ones as the others are a little out dated now.  There will be five posts for boxes; GlossyBox, Sample Society, My Glam (now Ipsy), The Natural Beauty Box and BirchBox.  I will start with the BirchBox for September.  I was not happy with this box and I have since canceled my membership.  I felt that the value of the products did not match the amount of money I was paying each month.  I know the monthly cost is only $10.00, however I like some of my other sample boxes so much more that I would rather use my money on those.  This month I got the following items:

Benefit So Radiant Foamingly Clean and Refined Finish (both face washes)
Dr. Jart+ BB Cream
Caudalie Firming Serum
Color Club Nail Polish in Status Update
TwistBand Hair Tie
As an Extra I got a Tili bag


I really like the BB cream and I know I will like the Benefit products as I have used them before.  The hair tie seems like a waste of material, it's not even cute and the Tili bag, though cute, is also a waste as it is basically a designed sandwich zipper bag.  Again, BirchBox is $10 if your interest and the site is www.birchbox.com.  I hope you enjoyed my review, thanks for stopping by. 

Monday, September 3, 2012

The Natural Beauty Box August 2012

This was the first month that The Natural Beauty Box was offered as a subscription.  It is a monthly subscription that is $20 but is not re-occurring, so at the beginning of each month you need to sign up for the following month's box.  There are 10-15 samples in each box and a few of them are full size samples.  All items are 95-100% natural and are free of the harmful ingredients found in commercial beauty products.  This month I got the following items:
Delizioso Skincare -- Spring Cream Blush
Delizioso Skincare -- Nourish & Shimmer Lip Gloss (Full Size)
Delizioso Skincare -- Crisp Vanilla Body Cream Mini
Ariona Skincare -- Organic Argan & CamuCamu Facial Oil
Happy Pumpkin Organic Skincare -- Hydrating Hair Balm
Beeseline -- Beeseline Original (Full Size)
Original Purity Skincare -- Wash Me Lavender Body Wash
100% Pure -- Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
M.E. Studio -- Lanai Sunset Natural Perfume
Temptations Bath N'Body -- Tumble Me Oats Cake Slice Soap
Pure Anada -- Fruit Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser
Pure Anada -- Mineral Eye Shadow
Renu Derma -- Eye Cream



I haven't tried everything in this box but I have smelled everything and it all smells really good.  Of what I have tried I have liked it all.  The one item I am really impressed with is the Ariona Skincare Organic Argan & CamuCamu Facial Oil.  It's made with essential oils and my face just soaks it up like it was starving for nourishment.  I think I will have to look into buying the full size version, which is worth $26.  I have also used the Pure Anada Fruit Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser which smells like orange creamsicles.  I like it well enough but I wish it lathered up a bit more when using it.
I am very happy with this box and feel that I am getting my money's worth of products for the $20.  One nice touch was on the envelope with the product information and coupon codes was a sticker with my name.  Its not a huge deal, I just found the personalization rather unexpected and I appreciated the thought.  My September box has already shipped and I have ordered next months box.  

MyGlam August 2012

This was my first month getting the MyGlam box and I was really happy with it.  I received the following items:
Eclos Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream
Eclos Cellular Activator Facial Serum
Demeter Roll on Perfume Oil in Dragon Fruit
S.A.L.T.Y. Cosmetics Glama-Zoid! Eye shadow
Circus by Andrea's Choice Ringmaster Nail Color
MyGlam Lip Gloss




The Eclos items are really nice and they make my face feel smooth and enriched.  I have looked for them in the store and they are sold just about everywhere, including Walgreens.  This month, if you want to try the products, there is $10 off code on the Eclos website.  The Demeter perfume oil has a lovely scent however it is rather light so it doesn't have long lasting power.  The eye shadow from S.A.L.T.Y. is a nice iridescent white color that works well as a highlighter but is not highly pigmented.  The nail polish from Circus is a bright neon color that is all the rage right now.  My color was Ringmaster and is a vibrant pink.  The color goes on smoothly and dries mate.  I have only had it on for a day so I am not sure how well it will last.  Lastly was a bonus product by MyGlam and is a lovely pink color that goes on smoothly and isn't sticky at all.  All of the MyGlam boxes come with their own make-up bag each month and this month was a mesh bag in neon pink and orange.

The box is $10 a month and I am looking forward to Septembers box.  If you would like to obtain a box of your own their link is MyGlam