Universal Yums December 2015 Review

Trying to stay on schedule here so I'm happy to present my December Universal Yums review! UY is a monthly subscription service that ships a box of delicious snacks from a different country every month straight to your door. I buy the smaller box, $13 each month, but there is a $25 option available as well. http://www.universalyums.com/

This month's snacks come from the United Kingdom! The card that comes with each box was seriously upgraded for December. It's more like a booklet. I hope it's permanent!

The snacks I've tried so far: Tayto, cheese and onion chips (or crisps). Delicious! The Meanies are a puffy crisp snack (the texture is like an original Cheeto) that is supposed to be a pickled onion flavor. It's kind of weird. Tastes mostly like mustard to me. The Chewies are a currant flavored chewy candy - think Now n Later but a bit softer - that are awesome! The Treacle Toffees are good (look at the lower right corner of the box - the white label down there). They are actually kind of chewy but still sticky so I had to be careful of my dental work! Side note: my hubby's grandmother used to eat these all the time so there IS a candy he's eaten that I hadn't! (a rarity in this household).

I haven't tried the Clove Drops hard candy (though I'm super excited because clove is one of my favorite spices), Turkish Delight, Jammie Dodgers, or the Drumstick Chew Bar (which feels kind of hard so I probably won't be eating that lest I want my crowns to all pop off). But only because we have a lot of holiday treats around here that need to be consumed quickly!

I'm very happy with this month's box. The hint for next month leads me to believe the snacks will come from Turkey. SO EXCITE!

3B November 2015 Beauty Box

I believe I talked about a couple of the products I got in the October bag over in my PDs, MEHs, and GFYs post. But other than those couple of things, I can't remember what else I got. I think it was all skin care products but...

Oh, at this point who cares? Let's just get on with November! For those who don't know, 3B is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends 4-5 samples (sometimes full sized) products from Asia for $12 a month. Check them out for yourself: https://the3bbox.com/  (I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

Since this came a week or so ago, I've had time to try these products out for a bit.

The Ra & Gowoori is just a basic skin cream but with SPF of 50. It doesn't really whiten your skin. I love the feel of it though. It's thicker than what I normally use (Neutrogena) but it absorbs very quickly and I don't look greasy at all.
The bottles in the middle are a cleansing oil by Etude House (left) and toner by Secret Key (right). I always wanted to try a cleansing oil and so far, I'm diggin' it. It helps clean off makeup without drying your skin. The toner smells way too much like alcohol so all that moisture you're saving with the oil might be there to protect against the toner!
A'Pieu tea tree spot patches - I've only used them twice and I can't really tell if they work. I'll keep trying.
Ugh, the dreaded Hada Labo skin gel cream. But again, like I've said in the past, this sample size is working well. Something just gets lost in the translation (see what I did there?) to full size and it becomes useless. Well, I'll use this up then go to something else!

I can't find prices on these things (at least, not in English anywhere) but I'm pretty sure I got my money's worth this month!

Ipsy October/November 2015 Reviews

Here's another double review for you! For those who don't know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10 you can 4-5 samples (sometimes deluxe sized, sometimes full) of beauty products. These can range from make up to skin care to hair products. Check them out!  (as always, I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones).  https://www.ipsy.com/

Let's start with October!

The theme for October was Alter Ego (whatever). Not that crazy about the bag. It looks like gold lame on the one side and black S&M vinyl on the back. 5 products came this month but I used some points to cash in on two extras.

Emite Slanted Tweezers: What needs to be said? They're tweezers. I actually needed a pair so it worked out for me but really, ipsy? Tweezers? Looking up this brand on-line, they are Swedish so I had to do a bit of conversion to get a value (read: Googled it). Apparently 200 Krona is about $22. FOR FUCKING TWEEZERS?!?

The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Lipstick: (middle swatch) I've never tried the Balm lip products before and this shit is for real. Extremely long lasting (I ate a meal and some snacks and this stuff still stayed on), smells nice and minty, and it NOT drying at all. It does get really sticky as it dries down but the color doesn't peel or pull off. Does that make sense? Though I'm not crazy about the color - it's a little too warm for me - I'd be willing to spend $17 on a full size. This sample goes for around $3.50

Mica Beauty Cream Eyeshadow: (right swatch) I think I have other stuff from Mica. This cream shadow is a gorgeous gold/bronze shade (though this color is getting very tiresome from Ipsy). It's very pigmented and swatches nicely. Not patchy. I have no idea how it looks on the eyes because I can barely remove it from the back of my hand after 30 minutes of scrubbing with a makeup wipe. I'll need to get an oil based removed to see if that helps. Otherwise, I may never wear it, which would be a shame because it is pretty. It's an exclusive product for Ipsy so I couldn't find it on their site. Their regular mineral eye shadows are a similar weight and got for $15.

Lavanilla Laboratories Pure Vanilla Rollerball: I've reviews a lotion from these folks before and I didn't like the scent. It was way too heavy and artificial. That said, this roller ball perfume is everything I want in a vanilla scent! It's perfection in a tiny bottle! This mini size goes fro $12. I might consider purchasing the larger size at $19 (it's double the amount of the mini) but since I don't go through perfume all that fast I'd have to think on it. 

Ayres Hand Cream: I have a few other hand creams to work through so I haven't opened this one yet. The full size goes for $12.50 (1.4 ounces) so this .7 ounce bottle is about $6.25.

So this whole bag's value goes for almost $59. I'd say that's a steal, even if $22 of it goes for fucking tweezers. Lame.

The extras I got are:

Pixi Eyebrow Trio: It's a little baby palette of powders for brows. The highlight shade didn't swatch at all. The two brown shades take a lot of back and forth to get the damn color to show up. So if you want just a hint of color in your brows, something soft, this could work. But the pigmentation is so shitty I'm not sure it's even worth it. Definitely not worth $6 and not worth the points I wasted on it.

Befine Cucumber Mask: I can't even remember if I've tried this yet. I want to say yes because I wanted to know if the cucumber smell was crazy. And I don't believe it was. Full size (4 ouces) goes for $25 so this 1 ounce sample is about $6.

WHEW! Now let's get on to November!

Theme is Beauty Blast. Who knows? The bag is totally cute and colorful though the materials is similar to a vinyl pool toy. But I'm already over it.

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo: I haven't tried this one yet as I have another can of Batiste to work through. But I'm a little nervous. My stylist (current and ones in the past) have warned me off Pantene shampoo products before so I'm not too eager to crack this baby open. Full size goes for $5-7 so this sample is probably around $2.

Tre'Stique Mini Matte Lip Crayon: I got the color Chili Red and I first I thought it was an obnoxious bright cherry color but it's a little deeper on my lips. It's definitely got a blue base so it works out for my skin tone. It feels like nothing is on your lips. Not drying at all and it lasts forever! I forgot I had the stuff on and it lasted through most of the day which included eating at least one meal and some snacks. I can't find the matte crayon alone (it's only paired with a gloss stick) and goes for $28. BUT you can purchase 3 mini crayons for $25 so I'd put this one mini's value at around $8.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: I don't normally buy a lot of high-end makeup. But if something is really good, I seriously consider it. I got a sample of this and while I don't agree it adds volume at all, it does a beautiful job of separating and lengthening my lashes beautifully! I think it's the natural bristle brush - those are my favorite. Not sure if I'd spend $20 on a full size though. I don't know how much is in a full size but I'm guessing this sample of 3 ml is product 1/4 of a regular tube so figure on $5 value.

Absolute NY Nano Liner: I do love a good liquid liner pen. Though they have a tendency to dry out faster than the brush/bottle combos, they are a bit easier to use. I've only swatched this on my hand but it went on smoothly and you can make the line thin or thick. I believe this is full size which goes for $10.

Jelly Pong Pong Liquid Gossamer: I've heard of this brand but never tried it before. This is a liquid/cream product that you're supposed to use all over your face for a luminous look. I can't do that because my pores are as big as New Jersey so this kind of product just accentuates that. HOWEVER, it would make an awesome highlight and I'm kind of addicted to highlighters right now. The color is a gorgeous rose champagne and it doesn't look like there's a lot of chunky glitter in it. I don't mind a little but too much or too big comes off like little kid makeup. This is a full size tube and it goes for $23.

Overall I'm super happy with this month. It's value is probably just under $50 so even though last month seemed to have more value, I like the products in November's bag much better!

Universal Yums October/November 2015

Let's take a two country tour this month, shall we? As I stated in my Morgue Drawer post, October got away from me so we're going to need to combine some monthly reviews here!

Universal Yums, for those who may not know, is a monthly subscription service that sends you snack foods from around the world! Each month is a different county. You can either sign up for the Yum Box ($13) or the Yum Yum Box ($25). Check them out for yourselves!  http://www.universalyums.com/  (I purchase this service with my own money and all reviews are my honest opinions and not bought and paid for. I'm not as shill.)

October 2015 - The Netherlands

So much good stuff...We haven't eaten all of the goodies yet. And when I say 'we' I mean 'me'. I've tried everything but the stroopwaffel wafers that you're supposed to put on top of a cup of steaming hot joe and let the heat warm up the creamy center. The Meller caramel candies taste a lot like Milk Duds but with a fudgy center. The windmill cookies were dry and rather tasteless; the coffee hopjes are excellent; the Advocat chews tasted like sweet cream (nice); two mints - King and Princess were pretty basic mints though I liked the princess ones a little better; the paprika chips were the first to go. They tasted like basic potato chips to me but not as greasy as what you normally find here. 

I'm trying the raspberry wineballs now and it seems like they have the same center as a Zot . The flavor is sour and sweet with that fizzy middle seeping out. Kinda cool. The one thing I haven't tried yet is the Licorice Balls because I believe there's salt in the center. Yep, you read that right. Salt. I'm scared...

(as I'm editing this review I'm sucking on a licorice ball. The outside is actually savory, not sweet at all. And the salt center....AAAGGGH! UGH! *cough* *sputter* Throw it in the trash...)

This seemed like an average box. I happy with most of the stuff in here!

And on to November 2015 - South Korea

WOO! Anyone who knows me knows how addicted I am to Korean Dramas and Korean culture. And now I'm getting more into K-Pop...but that's neither here nor there! Here's the box.

I've tried all but one item from this box. The Choco wafers are ok. Like those sugar wafers with the cream center you can get here. Maybe these are a little drier but the flavor is nice. The Milk Strawberry candy is great. Tastes like a strawberry milkshake! The Plum Candy is also excellent. Very good flavor. Almond Pepero is basically Pocky with chocolate and almond coating. Yummy! The soft walnut candy is fantastic! Tastes like a sweetened walnut but chewy instead of crunchy. So  good! I was really excited for the Choco Pie because I've seen it pop up in a few Korean dramas. It's basically like a moon pie but smaller (which is fine) and much drier (not fine). I was a little disappointed. I haven't had the Tiramisu Cupcake yet but it looks wonderful.

The only other thing I tried were the Peanut Squid Balls. Yes...they love their squid over in Asia and apparently peanuts and squid are a popular combination. The description calls it a 'palatable squid aftertaste' and that's about as accurate as you can be. The balls are crispy and the peanut in the center is basically a peanut. There's a soft filling surrounding the peanut but I don't know if that's where the squid taste come in or if it's in the balls (oy, this post is getting dirty). It is a very subtle after taste but I just don't get the combo here. I think it's off putting, even though it's mild. I think without the peanut it would be fine or leave out the squid and the peanut flavor is fine. Just...not together.

This was an okay box. Some of the snacks were great and others were just so so. I still love this idea of snack food from across the globe so I'm gonna stick with it for a while!

3B September 2015 Beauty Box

Another beauty subscription I get is 3B: Beauty Beyond Borders. It's all Asian beauty products (mostly Korean) and goes for $12 per month. You get 4-5 sample/full sized items that aren't so east to come by in the US. But it's a great way to try them out and then if you fall in love, you can find them on-line! (I know 3B is working on a store front of their own which makes shopping for these things SO much easier) 

https://the3bbox.com/

I haven't tried the Leaders Mediu Snail Therapy hand cream yet (apparently snail essence is the latest trend in skin care...eww) as I have a couple others I need to work through first. But this looks full size, which runs around $8.

I've tried the Secret Key Honey Bee's spot control and yeah, that shit works. I worry its mostly alcohol (because that's what it smells like) but it dried up a giant zit I had within 36 hours. This is also full size, I think, and that costs anywhere between $10-$22 (depending on where you purchase it).

I've been using the RiRe Luxe Lash Essence for 3-4 days so I can't really tell if it's doing anything yet. You put it on at night and I guess it works its magic then. It's a clear fluid but it dries kind of sticky and hard, like a gel would. So if you don't like that, you probably won't like this. It's full size and goes for $16.

The Yu-Be skin scream smells like straight up menthol. Ugh. I'd heard a lot of great things about this product so you can imagine my disappointment. Because who the hell wants to walk around smelling like Halls or VapoRub? It does feel nice on the skin, though! Could make a nice stimulating foot cream so I'll let you know. This is definitely a small sample but the full size runs $16.

Overall I'm really happy with this month!

Walmart Beauty Box Fall 2015

For those who may not know, Walmart has a beauty subscription service four times a year (that's once a quarter for those of you playing at home). It's only $5 per box and you get so much stuff. Mostly sample sized, one to two full sized goodies, and a bunch of coupons. Check them out to get your own. https://beautybox.walmart.com/

Look at all this stuff! I've already tried a few of the products. The Dove deodorant is actually really nice. It's not an invisible solid or anything but it's so soft and works pretty well. So it's good to know I have a back up in case Secret goes out of business or it's unavailable for any reason at the store. That little bottle with the green juice is ACT mouth rinse. I like this brand a lot and this is the kind without alcohol so I can use it without burning off the surface skin cells of my mouth. I also tried the Crest Professional Polish 3D white 2-step sample. First, it's not enough to really get an idea if your teeth are any whiter (I got 2 uses out of it). Second, that's just too much work for a product that tastes terrible and burns a little bit.

I have not tried the Curel lotion, John Frieda hair conditioning treatment, or the Nivea lotion. The razor is a full sized product. I got laser hair removal a few years back but I do get a handful of stray hairs that grow unencumbered. I still need to shave from time to time so this was a cool product. But can we take a moment to appreciate the Roc Retinol serum? That shit will cost you $16 at Walmart and upward of $20+ at other drug stores. So DAYUM!

There are a bunch of coupons as well so this box, like all the others I've received, is worth every penny of $5!

Universal Yums September 2015 Review

Our Universal Yums box came a few weeks ago but I'm glad I waited to review. It gave both the hubby and me a chance to taste some of the items in there which gives me a better idea of what's good or not. If you don't know, Universal Yums is a subscription service that sends you either 6+ snacks or 13+ snacks from a different country each month ($13 or $25). If you like to eat food from different countries, check them out at: www.universalyums.com

September brings us snacks from Columbia! I think I was able to try most of the snacks. Let's get into it.

That is a shit ton of food, people! There are three bags of salty snacks. The Bacon-lime ones, which sounds like a weird combo, are DIVINE. The sweet plantains are awesome. The cheesy 'marble' ones suck major donkey dick. Tasted like cardboard. Even the dog didn't want one. The chewy coffee candies were fantastic! Soft but not sticky, unlike the coconut caramel things (green wrappers). The flavor on those were nice but I only nibbled a little piece because it was sticky like a Sugar Daddy and I didn't want to loose my expensive dental work!

I'm excited to try the chocolate spread which they recommend to eat with a spoon. There's also a sugar wafer cookie covered in chocolate that has me VERY excited. Oh, I almost forgot about the suckers. One is passionfruit and the other is watermelon. So they should be awesome.

That's a lot of food for $13. And we still have snacks from the other two boxes we've received! So far I'm highly recommending this service!

September 2015 Ipsy Bag Review

Okay. Finally getting to my September Ipsy bag review. For those of you who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you samples (and full size from time to time) for $10 a month. Check them out for yourself at www.ipsy.com

I think I feel a cold coming on so I'd better get all my reviews in over the next couple of days or it'll be ANOTHER few weeks before I return! As always, these are my honest opinions.

Looking at the card, it seems the theme is Face Fashion (could have something Fall related on the back but honestly, I don't give a fuck). I didn't take any sneak peaks this month so I had no idea what was coming, not even the bag which I think it nice this time around. At first glance it looks pretty sweet, right? That's MOSTLY true. Let's get into it.

Trust Fund Nail Polish: never heard of this brand but from first look, and a quick swatchy-swatch on my pinkie nail, it's really pretty. It's a nice medium periwinkle color with a bit more purple to it. It does take 2 coats to get complete coverage but I like it! I believe it's full sized, too. It's called Elegantly Wasted (awesome) and goes for $15!  http://trustfundbeauty.com/collections/all-polish

Not Radio Soap Liquid Freud Lotion: Nice little sample size of this lotion but the smell is rather odd. The coconut comes off immediately but then it turns into this weird amalgamation of mango and vanilla and strangeness. It feels nice on the skin, though. Full size (12.6 ounces) goes for $18 and this is just over 1 ounce so count it as $1?        http://notsoapradio.com/Liquid-Freud-HandBody-Lotion_p_91.html

City Color Mascara Be Bold Mascara: I have some HD loose powder from City Color and I love it. So I'm excited to try this mascara. Lord knows I have a handful of unopened ones so it'll be a minute before I get to this. I think it's full sized, too, so it runs around $6.  http://citycolorcosmetics.com/eyes/mascara/be-bold-mascara/#.VgGAa99VhBd

NYX Eyeshadow Trio: I think this was specifically made for the Ipsy bag because I can't find the color combo anywhere. And there's no color name, just IPSYNYX01. So there you go. As you can see from the first pic, the shadows are not very pigmented. They're also a bit chalky. However, you can build up the color a bit if you want to work with them. They might pop better if you use them wet or over a bright base (like NYX jumbo pencil in Milk). I must say, though, the color stayed on for a long long time. They didn't melt together after a few hours (I'm looking at you, Too Faced) which seriously impressed me. For $6, it's not so bad.

JCat Beatuy #MOTD Slide On Eyeliner in Bronze: I've used JCat products before and they can be hit or miss. Though this pencil says the color is Bronze, it's more of a dark brown with a copper shift. It actually paired nicely with the NYX eye shadow above. It is waterproof so heaven help you getting it off. Which means it does have a lot of staying power, even in the waterline! I have very oily lids and my eyes water a bit so anything that goes on the tightline or waterline is GONE within 30 minutes. There was actually product still on both after wearing it for a good 6 hours. That is impressive. It's got the same staying power (for me) as Urban Decay's 24/7 liners. And for $4 (compared to UD's $20) this is a steal.  http://jcatbeauty.com/eyes-2/motd-slide-on-pencil-for-eyes

That's it for September. This month was all right. Rather average compared to all that I've received so far. But for an approximate value of $32, I'm not mad at it.

August Ipsy Bag - Review

Sorry I didn’t post a review for the July Ipsy bag. I was still really struggling with our dog’s death and didn’t feel the relevance of talking about make up. Don’t get me wrong. I love to get these things and talk about them but it just seemed so...frivolous last month. I’m still grieving over my boy and probably will be for a long time but I know I can’t stay in that sad hole forever or I’ll never be able to leave.

So slowly but surely I’m putting my fingers back to the keyboard to write (anything), working conventions, participating in life again. Besides, the new couch we got a few months ago is really starting to make my ass sore.

My August Ipsy bag arrived a few days ago. The theme is Prep School (who really cares? they should have the product info on the card instead of creating an irrelevant theme but whatevs) and though the bag is hideous - I’m not a houndstooth print kinda gal - the items inside are pretty sweet.

Yeah, this isn’t some pervy old man fantasy of schools girls at all.

Eco-Beauty Night Cream: I’ve used an Eco-Beauty face wash before (from another Ipsy bag). I loved that product so I have high hopes for this one. As soon as I work my way through a sample of the Neutrogena Hydro Gel cream, I’ll give this a shot! Sample is .5 fl oz (full size is 1.7 fl ounces for $40) which is probably around $13.

Albertini International Divine Skin Hydrator: Never heard of this but it’s an in-shower moisturizer. I’m excited to try it but I’m going to have to warn the hubby when I use it because it comes with a warning that it may make tub and shower surfaces slippery. Maybe I need to get some adhesive ducks...(Big Bang fans know what I mean). Sample is 1 ounce (full size is 9 ounces at $16) so this is about $1.75.

Doll 10 Beauty Hydrogel Cream Blush (Flirt): I do love me some cream blush. Most of them are super easy to blend and they are great for those low make-up days. Just slap some on and your days of being mistaken for one of the undead is over. At least for a few hours. This color is a soft deep peach shade. I can pull off the peach. But this is awfully close to orange/coral so a light hand is needed. I’ve worn it once already and it goes on so smooth and it looks like a natural flush of color. I’ve never heard of the brand but I’m impressed so far. This size is 3.15 grams (full size is 4 grams for $16) so I’d guess this is just about the same price, maybe $15.

Noyah All Natural Lipstick (Desert Rose) and Lord & Berry Ultimate Lipliner (Nude): Never heard of Noyah but I have heard of Lord & Berry. Never tried either. The lipstick (left swatch) looks a lot more like Barbie Pink on my lips but I like that it’s all natural, never tested on animals, and synthetic free. It feels creamy on first application but it does get a little dry. Not like a full matte but more of a satin finish. In case you can’t see the deets in the photo there is a promo code for this brand (15% off PLUS a free lip balm). Go to noyah.com and use code noyahROSES. Why the hell not, right? This sample is .04 ounces (full size, with much cuter packaging, is .16 ounces for $18) so what I got is about $4.50.

The lipliner will never be nude in my universe but it’s really creamy and goes on so smooth. It claims to be waterproof, highly blendable, and contains waterlily extracts and macadamia oil. I’m willing to play around with it (maybe I can dip back into that 90s look of super dark lip liner and frosty light lipstick....maybe not). Sample is .03 ounces (can’t find the full size amount on-line but they’re $18) so perhaps the sample is $12.

Overall I guesstimate this bag to be worth about $46 so for the $10 monthly cost, I made out like a bandit. All of these products will be used, some probably more than others, but I’m very happy with this month’s offerings!

3B Review - June 2015

This is only my second month of receiving the 3B Beauty Box (technically it comes in a pretty purple pouch but I nitpick) and I'm loving it. For those of you who may not know, and I don't see a lot of info or reviews on this, 3B is a monthly subscription service where you receive 4-5 samples - sometimes deluxe, sometimes full sized products - for $12. All the products come from Asia, mostly Korea. I pay for this with my own money and all reviews are my honest opinions!

I'm unclear on the total value of this bag because not all the samples are marked with amounts (i.e. ml, g, oz, etc.). But the makeup wipes and the blusher look full size and those two are worth about $12 so the bag is paid for with them!

The Skinfood Aloe Soothing Body Wash looks promising. I'm still working my way through a bottle of body wash from Bath and Body Works plus I have another one waiting in the wings so I'm not sure when I'll get to this. I might take it traveling. Yeah...that's it! Much easier and less messy than a bar of soap.

The It's Skin Mangowhite Lip & Eye Remover Tissue: I don't really want anything to REMOVE my lips and eyes but I think they mean 'lip and eye MAKEUP remover'. I'm almost done with some  wipes I got a while back so when I finish those, I'm definitely opening these babies up. I love make-up wipes. SOOOOO convenient!

The Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream: In the swatch it might look a little on the yellow side but it seems to have enough cool tone underneath that it works great on me. It blends in so well that it almost looks like I don't have any product on my face. When I first tried it, I didn't set it with powder until later in the day. It does feel tacky until you do that (at least on my skin) and I used a Neutrogena face powder which worked great. I don't like heavy foundation or need a lot of coverage so BB and CC creams are really nice for me. I might be purchasing a full size of this in the future.

The A'Pieu Finger Blusher sounds so dirty, doesn't it? But it's a cream blush that you first put on your finger then smooth it out across your cheeks. The consistency is a cross between a mousse and liquid and it blends like a fucking DREAM! I got a soft peach color that looks so natural on me. I probably won't have to buy it again because I don't think I can get through this whole tube in my lifetime. It doesn't take much to get a nice soft color though I bet you can build it up to appear brighter if you want. They do have more colors...hmmm....

That's it. So far I'm in love with this service, and not just because I have some weird obsession with Asian culture. SHUT UP! This is a nice way to try out beauty and skin care products from across the 'other' pond. Why not check out 3B for yourself?

June 2015 Ipsy Bag

All right! Finally getting around to reviewing the June Ipsy bag. At this point I think I might end up combining my May and June PDs and GFYs (Panty Droppers and Go Fuck Yourselves for the newly arrived - it's my version of monthly favorites) and post that next week. Along with other shit. Damn, I hate when I fall behind...

Anyway, for those of you who might not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10 a month, you get 4-5 samples (sometimes a full size, too) of makeup, skin and hair care products. It's a nice way to try new things without having to blow a lot of money on a product that you could end up hating. I purchase this with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are mine. They have not been bought and paid for.

I guess the "Swim into Beauty" theme is all about summer and shit. Not sure how the products reflect that but whatever. The bag is kind of cool. Black with a hazmat orange zipper (it's like Halloween!). The back part feels like a thin layer of foam padding. Fun to squeeze (oooh, dirty).

The three Bio Republic sheet masks run about $15 for the set. They are: Green Tea Detox (which I already used); Aloe Rescue; Cucumber Breeze. I don't know how much detox went one with the one mask but I did like the way my skin felt afterwards. And I love sheet masks. They're fun to use and less messy than the traditional mud or paste-like masks.

The Smashbox face primer is an itty bitty sample but it's still probably worth about $9 (the full 1 oz. size goes for $36). I've only used it once and if you are the type of person who doesn't like the silicone style primer, then you'll hate this. I can't really tell how well it worked from one application but I'll keep trying it. I have oily skin so the silicone ones aren't the best for me, even though I've been wanting to try this brand for a while - and now I don't have to fork over $36!

The Lavanila Labs body butter sample is probably around $3. It does smell like vanilla but WHEW! It's heavy heavy heavy on that scent with some kind of underlying sweetness to it. It's extremely heavy smelling but it does make my hands super soft without feeling sticky. The product absorbs quickly.

The Tre'Stique mini shadow stick crayon goes for $26 (I think the people at this company are smoking crack or something). While it's a gorgeous rich dark brown color (Kona Coffee), I haven't tried it yet. I'm pretty sure it won't be worth $26 but it may prove me wrong. I'll let you know.

The SheaMoisture Shea Butter Lip Crayon is $10. I knew this company made hair products but I didn't know they made makeup. The color I received is called Sarah (?) and is a gorgeous hot fuchsia pink with a little bit of a purple duo-chrome which I don't think shows up in the pictures. It's very moisturizing (duh) and lasts longer than I thought it would. I really like this product.

So if my math is correct, I got over $60 worth of stuff for $10. Um, yeah. That rules. Though the body butter is too strong smelling for me, and the primer will probably end up being wrong for my skin type, that's a pretty fucking good value, wouldn't you say? If you're interested in checking out Ipsy for yourself, head on over to their website and sign up!

Target Beauty Box Summer 2015

Sorry I've been slacking in my cool shit reviews. I've been sick for 3 weeks! When I did my 3B review, the sinus infection hadn't kicked in full force so right after that, I was basically couch bound and extremely unmotivated.

But I'm back! And I have a handful of review posts I need to do but I'll try to spread them out a bit. The first one I want to do is the Target Beauty Box. Yep, they do one just like Walmart except the Target one is not on any kind of schedule I can figure out. You need to either constantly check their website or follow a blog that can give you a heads up on when the box will be available. And since I'm not Target's mom, I can't tell them to get it together.

After getting mine, though, they can be inconsistent all they want. The box costs $7 and according to the email they sent me (so I would link to their site and write a review), the value is $40. And I bet that's not far from the truth. This box was full of great stuff.

It comes in a sleek simple black box and the goodies inside are wrapped in red tissue paper (red and black - how can you go wrong?). I love that the card says, "Hello, Beautiful" on it. I actually put a hand on my chest and said, "aw!" But look at all this cool shit! I forgot to swatch the lipstick and nail polish but I can always do that in the future. The lipstick is a gorgeous red color that would look good on anyone. There was also a coupon to get $3 off a future purchase of the lipstick. Score!

I started using the Olay Regenerist Luminous eye cream a few days ago so I'll have to get back to you on how/if it works. It's a nice formula, though. A little goes a long way, as is the case with most eye creams. Today I used one of the Cutext nail polish remover pads. And it was awesome! I had on some Revlon gel nail polish and top coat and just one of those small pads took off everything (ooooh, yeah baby, take it ALL off). Though I've heard of the Fekkai brand, I haven't tried this hair cream yet because I'm still working with the one I got in my Ipsy back last month (or the month before). 

So, for $7, I'd say I got my money's worth in this box. If you want your own, check the Target website when you can. I'll also post a link to the blog I follow which might give you a leg on up getting your own. These sell out VERY VERY fast. And I can see why!

http://www.target.com/c/beauty-box-ways-to-shop/-/N-54wll#?lnk=snav_rd_beauty_box&orginalSearchTerm=beauty+box

http://blog.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/  (I think this woman is in Michigan!)

NEW: 3B Beauty Box Subscription for May

I decided to sign up for another beauty subscription service, one that gives me a good deal each month of Asian beauty products (mostly Korean and Japanese, I believe) but that's much cheaper than Meme box!

Welcome to my first review of the 3B Subscription: Beauty Beyond Borders. I actually signed up for this back in February but they had a hefty waiting list and I didn't get my first box until a week ago. I would have reviewed it sooner but I've been battling an awesome cold (and by awesome I mean it totally sucks big donkey dick).

3B is a monthly subscription service that delivers 4-5 deluxe samples of Asian beauty and skin care products for $12. Now, the site says samples or deluxe samples but I'm pretty sure 3 of my products were full sized!

The products come in a pretty sheer bag so you can see everything inside. 

The card included tells you all about the products, in English, which is pretty cool. I received:

Skinfood False Lashes (full size): Now I don't wear these on a regular basis but they could be cool for cosplay. They cost around $5.

TonyMoly Lovely Eyebrow Pencil (full size): Those of you who know me know I don't really have eyebrows. And I'm good with that. But for the few times I do need to draw some on, it's nice to have product that's easy to use and will look nice. The color on this is a little warm for my skin tone but the product goes on smoothly and it's got a little spoolie at the end. Depending on which website you look for this, it can run between $5-$10.

Etude House Baking Powder BB Deep Cleansing Foam (1 oz. sample): I haven't tried this yet but I think it's supposed to have the exfoliating properties of baking soda so I'm excited to give it a shot. I had to guesstimate at the value of this and I came up with about $1.50.

TonyMoly Tangerine Whitening Hand Cream (full size): If I remember correctly, whitening in this case doesn't mean to lighten the skin. I think it refers more to a brightening effect (Korean face creams use this description a lot). Not sure if it does that but it smells like a straight up fresh tangerine. It did leave my hands feeling kinda tacky (as in sticky not gauche). Valued at $12.00.

How stinking cute is this packaging?

Overall I'd say this box is worth $23-$25 and I'm happy! The more I use the products the better actual reviews I can give you guys. If any of you are interested in checking out the site or getting a box for yourself, head on over to The 3B Box.

May Ipsy Bag

For the first time since signing up for Ipsy back in October, I was NOT home when it arrived this month. I was working a comic convention over the weekend and I like to get a hotel room nearby so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to drive out there before the masses swamp the highways and parking areas! So not only is this a bit later than I planned, I was also chomping at the bit to get home and tear into it! And see my husband and dogs, too, of course.

*shifty eyes*

The May Ipsy bag theme is "Jet Setter". I'm still not all that sure how the products fit in to any theme since I don't necessarily subscribe to the whole idea of only certain colors/products/etc. can be used at certain times. Do what the fuck you want, people. 

But I digress...I am excited about four of the five products I got. So let's get started!

The awesome pen and notebook behind the bag is NOT included. That's just my crap. 

The bag itself is canvas, instead of the usual plastic or vinyl. It's kinda cool but I didn't oooh and aaahh over it. The contents are pretty sweet, though. The facial cleanser and hair cream should be fun. I've tried the cleanser once and it smells like fresh oranges. Not fake ones or really sweet. It's nice and light and fresh. This is 1 oz of product (full size is 4 oz at $24) so this sample is worth $6.

 I'm excited for the hair cream but I never seem to have that much luck with products that are supposed to tame frizz or repair or whatever. I'll let you know. It's just under an ounce of product (full size is 2.5 oz at $25) so I'd give this about a $9 value.

I've heard of the brand BellaPierre but never tried anything from them. I think. The liner is soft but not so soft that it looks like a Goodyear tire just melted on your face. It also looks like it has a bit of a green undertone (you know how sometimes black is so black it looks blue? Same dealio but with green). Unfortunately, either I'm a ham-fisted strong man or this pencil is just too fragile to be out in the big wide world on its own because the tip broke off when I swatched it. I'll still use it, once I sharpen it, because I really want to give it a try. I just have to be more careful. It is full size and goes for $15.

I've also heard of the Pixi brand and I see it all the time at Target but I've never tried anything from them. So I was excited to get this bronzer. However, it looks soooper gold and shimmery on my hand so I can't imagine how I would use this as a bronzer. I only started getting into them because I'm so pale in the winter months and it does keep away that underbelly-of-a-dead-fish tone. Maybe with a light hand it'll look dewy and give me a nice healthy glow and not one of a stripper coming off her late night shift. I can't find the exact product on the Pixi site (one that's similar comes with a brush at $18) but I'm pretty sure this is full size so I'll give it a $10 value.

The lip gloss samples from Urban Decay were bonuses this month and I was really excited about that. They came in these little plastic packets that can't be resealed (suck it) but I jerry-rigged a way to keep them closed so they won't dry out too fast. The colors are Bittersweet (top swatch) and Failbait and are really pretty! They're just little dollops of product so I won't even try to figure out their value. I already own a clear lip liner so now I have a back up, which is good because it's very soft and I burn through the product quickly. It's not quite full size (which costs $20) so I'd give this a value of around $13.

That's it for May. Overall, I really like the products in this bag. My guesstimations put the value at over $50 so for $10 subscription price, it's a win-win all around! I think I have some reviews coming up of products I've used from last month's bag. It's nice to see what comes in each month but it's also a good idea to let you guys know if this stuff is even worth using.

Until next month...

April Ipsy Bag

The April Ipsy bag arrived last week! For those who may not know, Ipsy (formerly Glam Bag) is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10.00 each month, you receive 4-5 (usually 5) samples (sometimes you'll get one full sized) of beauty, skin care, or hair products. Each month has a different theme but to be honest, I'm not really sure how that affects which products are chosen. April's theme is Beautifully Bohemian (aka hippy).

To get one for yourself, or to find out more info, head over to the Ipsy website: www.ipsy.com

(FYI: I purchase this subscription with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones. I'll always let you know when something is provided, sponsored, forced upon me at gunpoint, etc.)

General thoughts: the bag is much cuter than I thought. It looked kinda weird on the Ipsy website but in person, it's rather adorable. The five products I received are: make-up brush; nail polish; lipstick; eye shadow; and lip balm. Below are pics and reviews!

The bag seems like it's made from the same material as those big floppy beach hats from the 70s. But with colored ribbon weaved throughout. The makeup brush is Crown brand (which I've heard of but never felt or tried).  It feels super soft. I just used it for the first time before going out to dinner. I'm not sure how I feel yet. The bristles are very soft but it's a concealer brush so when I put on my under eye concealer, it looked kinda patchy. I didn't have that problem with my other brush so I'll try it a few more times, just in case my skin was a little dry tonight.

I used the Honey and Oatmeal lip balm from Olive once. It's rather hard and dry, which makes me think there must be a lot of beeswax in it. But once it warmed up, it went on nicely and lasted a while. I'm guessing this is a sample size but it'll probably last a long enough time to really get a feel for it.

The nail polish is awesome! Never heard of the brand JulieG before but I got a coupon for it and it's sold at Rite Aid at least. It's very thick and opaque. I put some on over the yellow polish I was already wearing and it covered it in one coat! Granted, the yellow was pretty thin and patchy but still. I cleaned off the old and put this new stuff on the next day and it looks great!

The lipstick is also I brand I'd never heard of. Gallany Cosmetics. I got a little baby lipstick in the color "Petal". Remember those old Avon sample lipsticks? This was a little bigger but not by much. The color is a beautiful rosy nude with a little berry going on underneath. It swatched a bit more pink on my hand than it did on my lips. Very creamy, smooth application, but it only lasted about 2 hours max. If you're looking for long lasting color, this isn't the lipstick you're looking for...move along...but the logo looked a little like a Klingon symbol. Sweet.

Thank the gods I got the purple shade for the eyeshadow sample. If I got one more copper or bronze color, I was gonna beat someone to death with my Ipsy bag. The Balm Cosmetics is a brand I've heard of but never tried. I'm really excited for this shadow. It's Flirty from their Nude Dudes palette: a red purple with a gold duo chrome (I think that's what it's called). It's hard to tell in the swatch but you can sort of see purple on one side and the reflective gold on the other. Not super pigmented but I think you can build it up a bit. Also I feel that eyelid primer will help a lot. Could even put a white cream base under it to make it pop a bit more.

Overall I'm pretty dang happy about this bag. Which makes me nervous because last month was pretty good, too. I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Walmart Beauty Box - Spring 2015

A day after I wrote the inaugural post about doing reviews, my Walmart Beauty Box came in the mail. Talk about timing...

For those of you who may not know, Walmart puts out a beauty box once a quarter. Basically one for each season. It's only $5 and you get 5-7 sample sized beauty items. They range from hair and skin care to makeup. Coupons are usually included, too, just in case you end up falling in love with one of the products. You might even get a full sized item (I got a full sized Covergirl All Day lip color thing in the winter box).

These kinds of subscription boxes are a great way to learn about new products or try ones you've always wanted to buy but were a bit leery of spending full price on something you might end up loathing. From the winter box, I now know that the Dove moisturizing shampoo strips the color out of my hair like CRAZY and Ponds Anti-Wrinkle cream breaks me out like a mo-fo.

Okay. I think I've give you enough set up. Let's get to the box!

(Disclaimer: I purchased this box with my own money. It was not given to me for review and I was not paid anything or given any kind of compensation to review it. I will always let you know how the product(s) got into my grubby little paws and I will always provide my honest opinions. If someone wants to pay me just to spew some positive PR spin on crap products, I won't do it. I may even tell them to shove it.)

This is what it looks like when you open it up. The tissue paper is a nice touch, don't you think?

You can't see a couple of the samples I got in this pic but they're there. This actually felt rather heavy when I first picked it up. And why wouldn't it? There's a lot of shit in here!

Sorry about the light reflection. On the left: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil. One of those multi-tasking skin oils that supposed to help with wrinkles, age spots, etc. I haven't tried it yet but I do like a good face oil. Middle: Burt's Bees Renewal Intensive Firming Serum. There was just enough in here for me to get 2 days use so I can't really say if it works. I think you need to try it for about a month. But it smells good. A little appley but mostly clean and fresh. I got a coupon with it so I may buy the full size. There are several other products in the same line so maybe I'll give them a shot, too! On the right: sample of Lady Gaga's perfume, Black Fluid. Sounds very disgusting but it smells awesome! You get the fruity apricot right off the bat and then it mellows out to vanilla. It says it's honey and saffron but all I smell is vanilla. The sample bottle has a pump spray, too, so no fighting with one of those fucking tighter-than-a-Scotsman's-coinpurse tops where you end up spilling half the product all over your hands.

Nice sized sample/travel bottles of L'Oreal Total Repair 5 shampoo and conditioner. Haven't tried them yet and I won't until after my color has faded a bit. After that Dove disaster...These smell really good, though.

Left: another Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula in a lotion. Never heard of this brand before. The lotion is VERY thick but it absorbs really well. My hands didn't feel greasy at all. But the smell is POWERFUL. The cocoa butter is like suntan lotion on crack and artificial chocolate. It's a bit much and I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep using it. Right: Caress body wash in Adore Forever scent. Haven't used it but it smells very flowery and perfumey, if that makes sense. Might not end up that way in the shower but I'll let you know.

Overall impression: great box (that's what he said). It's amazing how much use you can get out of travel sized bottles so I'm looking forward to trying out the shampoo and body wash. I'm excited for the face oil and I liked the Burt's Bees serum and Gaga's perfume. There's also a coupon for one of the new Dove dry deodorant sprays so that might be cool, too. I don't know how much each product costs but you can bet your sweet ass there's more than $5 worth of stuff in here.

I, personally, hate shopping at Walmart stores. They're usually dirty, the stock is in utter chaos, and some of the employees are surly and look like they haven't pooped in a month. But the company got this subscription box right. Great stuff for a great value.

Interested in your own beauty box from Walmart? Click HERE to get more info.

Reviews - The Beginning

“A yawn may not be polite but at least it’s an honest opinion.”

— Abraham Lincoln

This could totally be the insomnia talking but I'm thinking of creating a page where I post reviews of stuff I get in a subscription box, find at the mall, discover in the market, or pick up off the street and decide to put in my purse/pocket/mouth to test later. I watch a lot of YouTube videos and while I don't think I have enough content to create a channel for myself (let's not even get into the fact that I have no camera, lighting, decent microphone, or a scintillating enough personality to draw more than 5 subscribers) I still like to talk about stuff. I know my Ipsy bag and Walmart Beauty Box will be arriving in the next couple of weeks so those will be good jumping off points to test the waters.

Yes, I began this website because I'm a writer and I wanted to create a place where people could come and check out my goods. But I'm not just a writer. And this website is also a good place for people to learn a little more about me beyond my authorly side. There are blog posts, photo galleries, and links that encompass other aspects of my life so this new page seems like a good expansion pack. At no extra cost to you!

Stay tuned...