Ipsy August 2016 Review

For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription service. For $10 each month, you will receive a reusable bag with 4-5 sample (sometimes full) sized beauty, skin, and hair products. Check them out for yourselves here: IPSY

(I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

This month's theme is something like Sugar Highness or some bullshit like that. I wish they'd use the card insert for more helpful information, like the products, their uses, and their costs, instead of some random theme that means absolutely nothing to anyone.

I do love this month's bag. The pastel colors are beautiful and the material of it feels nice and sturdy. KEEPER! The products are pretty cool, too.

Organic Surge Perfecting Face Polish: This is one of those exfoliators that has little grains of ground olive stone (I assume they mean the pit) to scrub away dead skin and impurities but not so much as to feel like you're using sandpaper on your face. There are also lots of good oils mixed in to help moisturize. I only put this on the back of my hand but I like the feel of it and I can really smell the lemon. Full size at 2.5 oz is $9.15 so this 1 ounce sample should go around $3.5 (CF)

IT Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Gel Liner: (swatch shown in picture below) IT is one of those high end brands that I'm pretty much too cheap to buy on my own (though I admit to spending $19 on a liquid eyeliner by Kat VonD and it was worth every penny). So I love that I got a sample size of their eyeliner. I've worn it a couple of times and I have to say this liner is the only one that has stayed in my waterline (or at least the edge of it) longer than any other I've tried. It stays put on the eye skin, too (lid and lower lash line). It still melts in the outer corners because my eyes just LOVE to fuck up any makeup I put on them. Full size is .017 oz for $22. This .012 sample size is about $15.50! (CF)

Sally's Box Secret Garden Masks: Aside from the sexual innuendo going on that name, I love getting face masks. Haven't tried either yet but my skin has been dry lately so these moisturizing masks will be great, I'm sure! The extra ampoule in the corner of each one provides even more moisture! Yaassss..... They're on sale right now but these full sized products normally go for $6 each. (?)

Lord and Berry Matte Lip Crayon: I got a liner from this brand before and didn't particularly care for the warm brown shade. I don't gravitate to warms colors but this is a pretty warm pink. It does look matte but it doesn't feel super dry. Lasts well, too. Full size is $20 so I'm guessing this sample is maybe half the size (can't find any product details on the L&B website) so let's say this is $10. (NCF)

Jelly Pong Pong Neapolitan Palette: And we have another trio of gold/bronze/peach tones. Hooray... Yes, I'm being a smart ass. However, these eye shadows are buttery, pigmented, and gorgeous and can be used wet or dry. I think I like the tones on these three better than the other 4-5 I've received. The only problem, for me, is there's no matte shade. I love the shininess of them but it's nice to mix in other finishes to complete a look. Otherwise, I'm in love. Full size, on the website, is .11 ounces and this 'sample' is .1 ounce. So I'm calling it full size and worth $18. (CF)

Looks to me this whole bag is worth about $59. SCORE! Aside from the Lord and Berry lip crayon (it's...okay), I love everything else, even the bag! Can't wait to see what they do next month.

Petit Vour June 2016

This is the final box in my 3-month trial period. I have to say I am SOOPER tempted to sign up for 6 months or a full year. I'm still processing so we'll just have to see. 

For those who may not know, Petit Vour is a monthly subscription service. For $15 a month, you get 4 sample/full sized beauty products that are all cruelty free (toxic free, vegan, etc.). Check them out here: PETIT VOUR

I purchased these boxes with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

This time it's Mermaids! Yay! Actually, the theme is Summer Escape but same difference. I've only tried the lip products so far but I'm excited about (almost) everything.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Moisturizer: I got something else from JB last month and it's been very nice to my face. So I imagine this moisturizer will be just as good. I like my face lotion to have SPF so I'm eager to try it. Full size is $38 so this trial version is worth $18.

EVOLVh Leave In Conditioner: Not excited for this. I've tried a couple leave in conditioners before and since my hair is very fine, things like this tend to weigh it down and I look like a grease ball. If anyone thinks they might like this, hit me up and I'll hand it over! This is a travel size and costs $11. (full is $26)

Suntegrity Lip CPR: Oh dear gods these lip stick samples are divine! You'd never know there was SPF 30 in them. SPF in lip products are extremely drying for me and these are moisturizing and very comfortable. They have a little shimmer/shine to them, too. I swatched them on my lips and my hand because lip sticks/glosses look very different on your hand than on your lips. Just wanted to give you an idea so don't judge a lipstick by its swatch! The little pots are $5 (full size is $28).

Precious Skin Elixirs Exfoliating Clay: This is a dry powder and you mix it with water right before you need it. You can either just use it as an exfoliator or apply a thick layer like a mask, let it dry, then rinse off. Full size is $70 (holy balls) so this sample is $4.50.

I'm pretty happy with this month's box. $38.50 is a good deal. Obviously if I sign back up, I'll review the boxes here!

Petit Vour May 2016

I'm now in the second month of a three-month trial on this box. It's a monthly beauty subscription that carries only cruelty free/vegan products. For $15 each month you get 4 sample or full sized items. Check them out here: PETIT VOUR

(Note: I have purchased this trial with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

I love the little card that comes with this box. Not just because it's got all the relevant info on the back (glares over at Ipsy) but the front has a pretty design and a big "Thanks" from PV to its subscribers. Apparently they're celebrating three years of being in business!

Ecco Bella gloss: Gorgeous color. Because it's a gloss it's a nice sheer wash of berry. It's not sticky or heavy. It's actually perfect. I highly recommend a lip liner, though! If it were more opaque I guess people would consider this a great fall color. Personally, wear whatever fucking color you want in any fucking season. This gloss seems like it would be great any time of year, no matter the color. It's full size and runs $20.

Bedrock and Bloom Smart Ash: Just a WEEEEE bit disappointed that in my second box I got another sample of this stuff (check out my April PF post to see what this stuff is all about - with an awesome visual). It's a cool product and really different. But I just used up my original sample and don't really want to start another one. If anyone wants it, let me know. Sample costs $3 (full size if $30).

Captain Blankenship sea salt hair spray: I don't normally use this kind of spray even when I had long hair. But the card says you can spray in on damp hair, braid, then sleep on it for nice waves in the morning. I don't need to spray anything to get that effect but what the hell. I'll give it a shot. It does smell REALLY good. Full size is $24 so this sample is $7 (NOTE: Any time I see the name Blankenship, all I can think of is MXC - anyone else? Anyone??)

Juice Beauty peel, blemish clearing: I believe the peel in this product is chemical (as opposed to peeling off a giant sheet of dried product in the shape of your face). JB is in A LOT of subscription services but I don't think I've ever gotten anything before. It smells kinda weird (like the plastic container) but I'll still try it out. $5 sample size (full is $39).

Over all the value of this box is $35 (that's what he said - ugh, I hate myself for making that joke). Aside from the repeat offender, I'm still liking the service!

Universal Yums May 2016 Box

In case you don't know, Universal Yums is a food subscription box. For $13 or $25 a month, you'll get a bunch of snacks and candy from a different county. How cool is that? Check them out here: UNIVERSAL YUMS.

Trivia: Contrary to popular belief, which of the following ISN'T typically eaten in Greece?   A.Feta Cheese; B.Greek yogurt; C.Hummus; D. Pita  (answer at the bottom of the post)

Mikio Sun-Dried Tomato & Olive Bread sticks: At first these crunchy bread sticks tasted just like sun dried tomatoes. Not my favorite but not terrible. But the olive finish (or perhaps too much oregano) was pretty bad. Neither the hubs nor I cared for these. Even Dozer was a little suspicious of them.

Serenata Chocolate Croissant: WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!?!?! This was a good sized croissant, soft and buttery, filled with what I can only describe as chocolate pudding heaven. I ate half when we got the box and the rest the next day with some coffee. In fact, the wrapper in the picture is already empty. OH PLEASE tell me the UY folks are working on their storefront right now!!

Rose Mex Pastilles: I've recently discovered how much I like the flavor of rose candy. Unfortunately, these rose gum drops taste like anise and cloves. Clove is a favorite of mine but not in these. Ick.

Ion Assorted Chocolates: We got 2 hazelnut (which were technically from the Ion Noisetta line), amaretto, and nougat. The hazelnuts were great, amaretto even better, but the nougat was too sugary and didn't taste like much of anything. The chocolate tasted a little like Hershey's but better. Smoother, richer flavor.

Ouzo candies: Let's get liquored up! Actually I don't think there's any booze in these hard candies but they did taste really great. Not too over the top anise flavor. Nice and sweet.

Serenata Chocolate Wafers: Think a Kit Kat on crack. Crispy wafer covered in smooth chocolate. This is from the same company that made that chocolate croissant so you know it's good.

BONUS ITEM: Saffron Herbal Tea. What a pleasant surprise! I do like tea so I was excited for this. Not sure I taste the saffron, or the lemon grass, but there's a nice soft flavor of mint that was very nice. 

This was a very good box - that croissant alone was worth it! The clue to next month pretty much tells us it'll be the good ol' US of A!! USA! USA!

TRIVIA ANSWER: C. Hummus

Ipsy May 2016 Review

For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10, you will receive 4-5 sample (sometimes full) sized items to try. It's a great way to try new things without committing to the full price tag. Check them out here: IPSY

As usual, I pay for this service myself and all opinions are my honest ones. CF or NCF denote Cruelty Free or Not Cruelty Free. A ? means I got no fucking idea.

I don't remember what the theme is because the card that comes with this bag went right in the trash. Honestly, there's no useful info on it so it's only a waste of paper. I really wish Ipsy would join the rest of the subscription community and put the items/info/prices on the fucking card.

I really like the bag this month. It looks like an envelope, with a fold over snap front. Like a clutch purse. Cute print, too, with silhouettes of worldly landmarks - oh, yeah, the theme was travel or something like that. Whatever.

Soo-Ae Face Masks (?): I loooove face masks. I'm glad they included 3 in here because you only get one use per mask. I've already tried the Firming/Elasticity one. I don't know if it firmed anything but DAYUM my skin looked nice afterwards! The mask itself is super soft and the eye/nose/mouth holes are perfect. A little big so as to accommodate any face/feature shape. I think this has become my new favorite mask brand. You can get these at Target (which is awesome) for $15 for a 5-pack so $3 a piece is pretty good!

Pacifica Eyeshadow Trio (CF): I remember getting a Pacifica eye shadow a long time ago in an Ipsy bag but I broke it when I depotted it. It was waaay too soft. I imagine these would be the same. Gorgeous colors and they lasted on my eyes all day, without primer! But, as you'll see in the pic below, these are extremely similar to the City Color trio I got a few months ago - though that one is a lot warmer than the Pacifica shadows.. Why can't they switch things up and put in less neutral stuff? Oh well. I liked both trios and will use them! This particular color trio was designed specifically for Ipsy but their regular trio shadows (.1 ounce) go for $12. This .07 ounce is probably $9-$10.

Smashbox X-Rated Mascara (NCF): The last Smashbox sample I got was AWESOME. So I look forward to trying this one out. It claims to be the most buildable mascara - meaning you can layer it up and it won't look like shit. Full sized goes for $22 so this .10 fluid ounce sample is about $5.

INSPR Eye Fluff Brush (?): I don't think I've ever heard of this brand before. I've already tried it out and it's awesome. Very soft but dense enough to work as a blending brush or to apply eye shadow (particularly in the crease - of the EYE, you pervs). This is full sized and costs $12.

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream (CF): Good sized sample of a night cream. It smells kind of odd (not like Jasmine like everyone else claims) but it's nice and thick. The more you smooth it on your skin the more it feels like silk. Very interesting. It stings a bit, though, which I don't care for. Full size (50 ml) costs $115. Wow. Just...wow. This 15 ml sample should go for around $38.

The whole bag has a value around $67. I dig it!

3B April 2016 Review

I'm still on the fence about whether or not I want to keep this subscription. Over a week ago I stared using one of the products I got a few months back and my skin started breaking out. Ugh. Even without the cruelty free issues, I'm not sure the 50/50 odds I'm getting on the skin care  is enough to keep this.

For those who may not know, 3B is a monthly subscription service that provides 4-5 sample sized (sometimes full) Asian beauty products. If you'd like to check them out, go here: 3B

Botanic Farm Mask: I so love sheet masks. Rice is supposed to help purify skin and is good for sensitive skin. So that's cool. Since I'm doing body/face paint for a convention in a couple days, I'll use this afterwards to see if it helps my face recover! Full size value of $2.

Lador Sleeping Clinic Ampoule: This is one of those hair treatments that's supposed to help severely damaged hair. As I don't bleach or color my hair right now, I'm not sure how much it will help. Maybe I'll gift it to someone. This is full size and runs $5 (or $3 on sale at MemeBox)

Benton Honest Cleansing Foam: Again, I'm a little leery of this because the last skin care product broke me out - and I believe this brand also broke me out. But it's usually the creams or serums that do it so hopefully this cleanser won't screw me over. This little sample is maybe worth $1. Full size is $10.

Too Cool for School Egg Mellow Cream: I did try one of the packets already. Nice thick cream and felt really good. I don't know if longer use will break me out but after the first trial, I'm hopeful it'll be fine. Not sure how much came in each little packet but there are 7 of them so you could use them once a day for a week to get an idea of how your skin likes it. Full size, 50g, is about $24.

It's Skin Babyface Eyeshadow: If my research is right, this company IS cruelty free. I have a face power I've been using for a long time that is awesome. So I'm excited for this shadow. And look at that color! These little pans will cost you around $5.

If I give a $3 value to the little packets of face cream, which is probably pretty generous, this month's bag value is about $16. That's kinda skimpy and a little disappointing but it's the first time the value of the bag has been so low. If it happens again, I might get off the 'considering' fence and migrate into full on cancellation land. We'll see...

Universal Yums April 2016 Box

Pizza in Poland is often topped with: A. Ketchup; B. Sour Cream; C. Mayonnaise; D Spaghetti Sauce.

If you really wanna know the answer, comment on this post!

This was just one of the trivia questions in April's Universal Yums box. For those who may not know, UY is a monthly food subscription. For $13 (which is the size we pay for) or $25 each month, you'll receive a box full of snacks and candy from a different county. It's so fun to get these and try foods that might not be something we here in America automatically turn to for sustenance. Or a gluttonous night of binge watching TV shows.

Check out this service here: UNIVERSAL YUMS

As you've probably figured out by now, this month brings us snacks from Poland. I have tried everything in this one and I must say....sooooo goooood!

Onion Potato Prazynki: these are Poland's version of the potato chip. The texture is...odd to say the least. Kind of like really thin styrofoam. But the flavor is phenomenal!

Katarzynki Dark Chocolate Gingerbread: not my favorite. The gingerbread texture is airy and spongy which makes me think it's stale. Also the molasses content is too high for me making it more bitter. But the chocolate is awesome.

Krowki Milky Cream Fudge: Very nice flavor on these. They do have a dryer fudge consistency so they aren't messy or gooey. Just soft and creamy and delicious.

E Wedel Chalwa: This is like eating the inside of a Butterfinger but instead of a peanut base it's sesame seed. Not super sweet and a little flakier and drier than it's American counterpart. But still good.

Prince Polo Hazelnut: Remember those sugar wafer cookies we grew up with (that are actually still made today)? This is a similar consistency - creamy hazelnut filling between layers of wafers then covered with chocolate. It's not as sweet as ours, which is a good thing, and it's probably my second favorite treat this month!

Solidarnosc Candied Plums: Basically it's chocolate covered dried fruit. I've had several versions of that here in the US but never plums. The plum gives a nice unique sweetness to this treat. Dare I say I liked it better than chocolate covered dried cherries? Yes, I dare.

Wawel Raczki "Lobster Tails": I don't know why these are called lobster tails. The booklet says that it's because of the pink & white candy shell. Huh? Whatever. The outer candy shell is thin and sweet and there's a crispy peanut filling inside with a hint of rum! Yes, please!

Milka Chocolate Covered Cow: No, it's not real cow. It's a cow shaped cookie with chocolate coating on one side. The cookie tastes like a mixture of pretzel, graham cracker, and vanilla and the chocolate is delicious!

E Wedel Panna Cotta Milk Chocolate Bar: O.M.F.G. This is the best snack in the box. I've had Polish chocolate before and it's fantastic. This, with sweet cream filling and raspberry preserves - HOLY FUCKING SHIT. You know how Ambrosia is supposedly the food of the gods? NOPE. It's this stuff! And I bet you can find it at a local Polish market. If not....RAAAAMPAAAAGGGEEEE!!

I'm tempted to say this month might have edged out the France box, even though that one was twice the size. I really would have paid $13 just for that Panna Cotta bar. 

The clue given for next month makes us think it's Greece so I'm excited to see what we'll get!

Ipsy April 2016 Review

For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription service. For $10, you will get a (sometimes) cute beauty bag with 4-5 samples, or full sized, beauty, skin, and hair products. It's a nice way to try new brands without committing to the full price tag! Check them out here: IPSY

I think from this point on I will try to remember to mark which brands are cruelty free (CF).

The theme for April is Dream On. WHHHHYYYYYYYY ARE THEY SO USELESS WITH THESE FUCKING THEMES??? The bag is kind of cute, though. The back is a bright yellow with tie-dye colors mixed in. I'm not mad at it. But the contents.....let's just break them down.

Crown Duo-Fiber Blush Brush: I always like getting brushes. I've received one or two Crown brushes before and they are awesome. So damn soft! They retail for about $24. That, right there, already covers the value of an Ipsy subscription. (CF - as far as their synthetic brushes go. Not sure how they can guarantee their suppliers of animal hair brushes are harvested cruelty free but that's what they claim).

Tarte Cosmetics LipSurgence Lip Creme: (right swatch below) I was super excited to get this. Tarte is one of those higher end brands that I've only ever purchased once with my own money (eye shadow palette that was decent). This is a generous sample size. The lip crayon is very creamy and has a nice minty scent - but it's not super strong so if you're sensitive to that, it shouldn't bother you too much. Full size is .1 ounces ($24) so this .05 sample runs about $12. And look at that color. So pretty! (CF)

Ok. That's about all I like from this bag. Let's get to the rest.

Nomad Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Desert Sands: Oh yay. Another bronze shade. Awesome. While the color is beautiful (left swatch above), feels soft, and it's a decent sample size, I'M SO FUCKING SICK OF BRONZE COLORS. Cripes. I know they want to put in colors that are more universal but shit - BRONZE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE, YOU KNOW. I can't find a price on this as it looks like the brand doesn't sell these individually but you can see the whole palette this comes from along with other palettes - which actually look pretty gorgeous and a good deal for everything you get. (CF)

Briogeo Overnight Hair Oil Treatment: While this concept is slightly intriguing, I don't look forward to the mess it will create. Since I'm not bleaching and coloring my hair right now, I don't really need this product. But I'll hang on to it just in case that changes....HAHA! Who am I kidding? I'll be so bored with my grey in about 2 months, I can feel it...Full size is 2 ounces ($28) so this sample of .3 ounces is probably around $9. (CF)

Juliette Has a Gun: It's called Not a Perfume so then what the fuck is it, JHAG? Oh, it's just a 'minimal scent', whatever the fuck that means. Personally I think it smells like algae water that passed through an isopropyl alcohol factory where an Orc grabbed it, drank it down then pissed it out onto a hobbit's head. This .16 ounce sample is about $20 (50 mls will cost you $100 and 100 mls is $135). (CF)

For the products I found pricing on, this bag is worth about $65. Pretty slick, Ipsy. Though I'm not super excited about 3 of the 5 products (#firstworldproblems, I know), I can't be too angry because they all come from companies that practice cruelty free/vegan/eco-friendly business.

See you all next month!

3B March 2016 Beauty Box

Okay, yes. I had the wrong month on the last review. For some reason I thought I missed one but apparently, I didn't. So last month was February and THIS month is March.

Glad we cleared that up.

3B is a monthly beauty subscription box. For $12 a month you get 4-5 samples/full sized Asian beauty, hair, skin products. Click on the link to get one for yourself!

Dermal Dream Sea Cucumber mask: You know I love face masks. I'm very excited to try this out. Apparently this brand, and this particular mask, are INFAMOUS in Korea. La dee dah! (sorry can't find a link for it)

Skinfood My Shortcake mascara: I also love trying different mascaras. This one is supposed to thicken, lengthen (soooo dirty...), and darken my lashes. It also dries quickly and is smudgeproof. My oily eyelids accept that challenge! Full size and it goes for about $7 on Amazon.

Secret Key Witch Hazel toner: I've used straight up witch hazel as a toner before so this is cool. But I think there's added fragrance in here because it doesn't smell as...earthy as regular witch hazel. This is full size and runs around $29!

CosRx Blackhead Silk Finger Balls: My word there's a lot of dirty innuendo in this post. These are little hard (hooo boy) cotton pods that go on your fingers. You soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes then "massage the desired area (wow) with the softened pod". And as I post the picture below, I can't help but notice a slight pornographic nature in it. You can get 2-3 uses from each one. A set of 12 (which is what I believe I got) costs around $5.

I can't even...

Just those three products I could find on-line are valued at about $41. Nice! You guys should get this service, too. Then we can all be dirty together.

Walmart Spring Beauty Box 2016

This will be my final Walmart subscription. I decided to cancel it as this Spring box didn't offer one product from a company that's cruelty free. For those of you who've read my blog, I'm trying to use as many beauty products as I can from companies that don't test on animals. I'm sure I won't be 100% successful in this quest but I'll do my best!

That said, let's get into this review. If you'd like to get your own box, check them out here: Walmart Beauty Box

(I've only tried the little foil samples of products (3) and the foundation samples but the rest I've collected to donate somewhere - by the way, if anyone reading this wants any of this, just contact me!)

Vera Wang Embrace perfume: while the smell is okay, I do love that it came in a mini spray bottle, not one of those teeny tube/wand combos that are IMPOSSIBLE to open without spilling the product everywhere.

Neutrogena Colorstick in Almond Nude: I actually got rid of this exact same shade in my makeup cull recently. It's a nice nude color. I didn't even take the plastic off so I can donate it as brand spanking (ohhhh) new.

Cetaphil Cleanser: nice travel/sample size. I've heard good things about this brand.

Jergens Wet Skin Moisture: this is one of those in shower moisturizers. I have another tube exactly like this that I hadn't even opened yet so I'm planning to give both of them away. The smell is really nice.

Colgate Optic White: this product I kept. If I didn't need to use sensitive toothpaste, I'd be using this. Very good at keeping teeth white without any extra strips or whitening products. So the hubs gets it!

Aveeno Night Cream: Nice little sample size. Can't say if it's any good though!

Roc Multi Correction Cream: I've used the Roc Retinol products before, which work well, but I've never used this one. I'm guessing it's probably pretty good.

Banana Boat Sunscreen: We just bought a big tube of this brand, but not this exact product, before our Florida trip last month. That stuff is okay. Little heavy on the scent but seems to work just fine. 

For the foil packets/little smidge of products:

Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid makeup/Acne Correct & Cover tinted moisturizer: The first two shades would have worked for me, one as a peachy concealer for dark circles and the other for pure foundation. The tinted moisturizer was the wrong shade for me.

L'Oreal Miracle Blur: didn't notice any blurring effect of this stuff (it's used like a make up primer). But it did ball up on itself so...that sucked.

Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream and Tone Perfecting Cream: Both felt nice but left my skin feeling kind of dry. Even if I wasn't going cruelty free I'd never buy this stuff.

There were also coupons for most of the products in here, which is cool if you end up falling in love with one of them. Pretty good value for $7, right? *shrugs* Fare thee well, Walmart. I wish you happiness and success!

Universal Yums March 2016 Box

For those who may not know, Universal Yums is a food subscription service. For $13 (or $25) a month, you get a box filled with yummy treats from around the world -  a different country each time. Check them out!   UNIVERSAL YUMS

This month brings us goodies from the Philippines! (don't mind the spelling error on the front cover of the booklet - they got it right everywhere else). It's unusual that the hubs and I eat most of the snacks before I can write up a review. But aside from maybe 4 candies, this baby is GONE.

Golden Sweet Corn - this went pretty fast. There are supposedly only 2 servings in the whole thing but we made it last for days. They're the consistency of cheesy poofs but they taste straight up like sweet corn in the middle of summer. SO DAMN GOOD. I need to contact the UY folks to see if we can buy this anywhere!!

Pandan Cake (green package) - little dry but it tasted like a nice light vanilla cake.

Goldilocks Polvoron (purple and brown wrappers up  front) - these are shortbread cookies. I had the purple one (Ube flavor - purple yam). Not too sweet. Kind of tasted like taro. Very yummy. The other is cookies and cream flavor, which I don't like, so the hubs got that one.

Pinky Goodies Butterscotch Bar - you can't see the package but it's in there. It was a small moist cake. It was white chocolate flavored but I could taste the butterscotch more. It was really good.

King Choc Nut - I didn't know what to expect with these. They're small little squares of chocolate but the consistency is what I imagine chalk would be if not pressed into a stick. Though that was weird, it was DELICIOUS. 

Lipps Mango Candy is supposed to color your lips, like other hard candies can, but not so much. Flavor was outstanding though. XO Coffee candy tasted like coffee with cream and a little sugar. Awesome. The only candy we haven't tried are the Melon Dew Menthol candies. You can probably imagine why.

So aside from the big ass France box we got in February, I think this one has been the biggest success for us. Usually we take a long time to eat through everything to help it last until the next box. But now we have to wait SOOOOO LOOOOONNNGG for April! Which might be Poland, if we deciphered the clues correctly. If you're not getting this box, I highly recommend you give them a try!

Ipsy March 2016 Review

For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription service for beauty, skin, and hair care products. For  $10 each month, you will receive 4-5 samples (sometimes full size) to try. It's a nice way to test drive a new brand without committing to the full price.

(as always, I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

This month's theme is Hello Spring, however useless that may be. The bag is okay. The print is nice enough but the material is really weird. Almost feels like those LeSac bags that were popular in the 80s. Yes, that just dated me. Shut up.

Living Proof Dry Shampoo - I like a good dry shampoo. Don't know if this is one but I've another hair product from this brand that I like quite a bit. So fingers crossed! This 1.8 ounce can goes for $12.

Nourish Organics Body Oil Mist - Not exactly sure how this can be a mist via squeezie tube but I'll give it a shot (full size is actually a spray bottle - okay, that makes sense). I've only tested it on dry skin. Not that great. I bet this works better on damp skin, like right after a shower. I'll let you know! Full size (3 ounces) is $20 so this .5 ounce tube is about $3 (UPDATE: Yes, it works much better on damp skin and it's pretty awesome)

Me Me Me Loose Powder Brush - I am NEVER mad at getting a brush in these subscriptions. And though I've never heard of this brand, the brush is super soft. It's the perfect size for putting loose powder on my face. I've already used it a half a dozen times. Love. It goes for 14 pounds which is $20 US.

Temptu Brozer - I think this is supposed to be for those airbrush machine thingies. I got a highlighter from this brand early on in my subscription service. And while I don't have one of those airbrush machine thingies, I can still use this. It's a liquid so a little goes a long way. It looks kind of orange in the swatch but it blends out even further so it looks very natural on my skin tone. Full size, 8 ml, goes for $35. So this .25 ounce bottle (which, if I did my math correctly, should be just over 7 mls) is pretty comparable in the price point. Holy crap.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick - for those of you who've been reading my posts for a bit already know how I feel about these. Ugh. Disappointed that I got one in my bag this month. I thought maybe because this color is lighter than the one I originally purchased it might be better. Not really. It definitely doesn't look as shitty as the darker color and it sure as hell isn't as drying. But it's patchy and wears off weird. I may not have put an even layer on, though, so I'll play with it a few more times. I got the color Pink Lust and while it's something I don't normally wear, because neon, it is strangely appealing. This is a full size, though, and it goes for $7.

Damn. The value of this bag is about $75 (give or take a few for conversion oopsies). That's pretty good. Whoop!

3B February Beauty Box

At this point, I may have confused myself on which month exactly this recent bag came. I know I missed a review, or at least thought I did. Hopefully by the next month, I'll have this figured out. So for now, let's just pretend this is the March 3B bag!

For those who may not know, 3B is a beauty subscription service. For $12 a month you get 4-5 sample/full size beauty products from Asia (mostly Korea and Japan right now). If you'd like to check them out, head over to: the3bbox.com

(I purchase this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

Lioele Eyelash Curler: Well, if I curled my lashes ever, this would be an awesome product. It even comes with replacement cushions. How cool is that? But this will have to be regifted. My lashes are already a little curled up so I don't need to squish them any further. Up for grabs! Just let me know. $3.50 value.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream: I'm not sure if this is supposed to be used in conjunction with steam or just like a daily moisturizer. But I'm willing to give it a shot! Claims: "Snacil mucin supports natural cell regeneration and replenishes moisture to increase firmness, and bee venom has natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties. The gel-like essence is also fragrance free! Best recommended for those with sensitive and troubled skin."  50g goes for $12.00 so this 5g tube is about $1.

Leaders Black Aqua Pore Scaling Mask: I love me a good face mask. This one looks like it's got some cleansing and purifying elements to it so I'm excited to try it out. Pore minimizers don't always work but I'm forever hopeful. This is full sized and goes for $22. Whoa.

Etude House Look At My Eyes Cafe Eye Shadow: Isn't that a pretty gold color? Though I'm getting a little sick of the bronze/gold colors that every bag seems to include, this give a nice soft wash of color for those 'no make up' make up days and it can be built up to look brighter. I've already used it a couple of times and I really like it. Depending on what site you go to, this can retail from $3 - $8.

Not that thrilled with the value of this bag but still, paying $12 and getting a little more than double that in products ain't all bad!

Ipsy February 2016 Review

For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription. For $10 each month, you will received 4-5 samples (some full size) of beauty, skin, and hair products. It's a great way to try new brands without committing to a high price tag! Check them out at www.ipsy.com

(I purchase this each month with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

This month's theme is Pretty In Pink. Don't know if that's a nod to the 30th anniversary of the John Hughes' film of the same name but whatever. Still useless.

At first glance the bag had me shaking my head but I quickly fell in love with it. I have no idea why but I did. So sue me for being a girly girl.

Dr. Brandt Pore Dermabrasion exfoliator: I love exfoliators, unless they're too harsh. Haven't tried this one yet but I've heard of the brand. Not sure if I had something from them before...Anyway, a 2 ounce size goes for $58. So this 1/8 ounce values out at around $7.25. Hope it doesn't suck.

Promise Organic face lotion: I like to try different face creams and you can actually get this at CVS. Full size, 1.7 ounces, is $15. This sample is about 1/3 size so it costs around $5.

Smashbox Primer Oil: I've heard a few reviews on this. It's not so much a face primer to help your makeup last longer but more of a skin prep to help moisturize your face to get it ready for primer and makeup. I'm oily but I get dry in the winter so this could be cool. 1 ounce costs $42 so this 1/10th size sample costs about $4.

Tre'Stique Baby Blush Stick: I've gotten the eye shadow stick before which is drier than a popcorn fart and just as difficult to deal with. This blush stick is very soft, almost dries to a powder finish, but is a little tricky to blend. The color is peach with a pink undertone (though it looks pretty orange in the swatch). Very flattering. Don't know how much you get in the full size ($34) but I'll take a guess at 1/3 the size so let's say this sample is around $10.

Trust Fund Nail Polish: The color is called "I'm Kind Of a Big Deal". HA! I've received this brand before. And just like that one, this color is nice but pretty patchy. It's kind of thick so two coats will peel very easily off the nail. *shrug* This is a full size so it's worth $15.

Overall, a $41 value is pretty good. I'm happy with this one!

3B February Beauty Box

Ooopsie. Got behind again. You can blame Florida. Took a little trip down there with the hubby for some vacation and I had to seriously think about what to pack because I knew the weather was going to be a tit bit nipply the whole time we were there. So I got distracted. Unfortunately, that means I forgot to do a review for January. 

3B is a monthly subscription service of all Asian beauty and skin care products. For $12 a month, you get 4-5 samples (some full size) to try out. Check out their website. www.3bbox.com

(I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

I've only been able to try a couple things from this month's box.

The Missha Speedy Solution Eye Gel patch was okay. Weird texture - they felt more like gel than an essence like most patches do. Don't think they did anything for my under eye but they felt cool. Go for $2.50. I also got through the CosRx Snail Essence serum packets. My skin didn't look or feel different at all so it was just a big waste of time. Full bottle goes for about $18.

The Dry Foot Pack from PetitFee looks interesting. Not really sure how it will work but could be fun. The company website doesn't show you can order it but on eBay is goes anywhere from $3-$5. The little jar is Botanic Farms Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet. It's more of a waxy solid that melts with the heat of your body. Their site shows it goes for $30. The glass bottle in the back, full size, is a 3W Clinic Collagen Whitening Essence. Usually 'whitening' means to brighten the skin or lighten acne scars or old blemishes, not actually change the color of your skin. I'm excited to try it! On 3W's website, this goes for $25 (but you can find it cheaper elsewhere).

I don't have a great opinion on this month because I only had a chance to try 2 of the items and they weren't that great. I might love the rest but I'll have to let you know!

Universal Yums January/February 2016

Again, I got too distracted by life to remember to write up a January UY review. That's okay, though. I'll just put it here with the February one!

Universal Yums is a monthly food subscription service. For $13 or $25 a month, you'll get a box filled with international snacks and candy. I purchase the smaller one with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones. Check out there site!  www.universalyums.com

I've tried almost all of the stuff in this box. The Dankek Orange cake was a little dry but the flavor was great. The Krokan (the sesame thing on the right) was nice. Not too sweet or overwhelming of sesame. The Mastic gum was AWFUL! Tasted like I was chewing on a balloon. Every wrapper comes with a fortune but it's in Turkish so I have no idea what it says! The NutyMax hazelnut cream bar is, by far, THE best snack in this box. So creamy! The Albeni Biscuit tasted like a fat Twix bar. The Toffix fruit chews are awesome! Soft and chewy with a sweet filling. Very yummy!

Haven't tried the Pizza crackers yet. And that thing on the left, that looks like a giant vacuum wrapped turd, is apparently an aphrodisiac made of grapes, molasses, and walnuts. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about that one. Overall, I loved the uniqueness of this box!

February brought us the bigger sized box because the folks over at YU apparently love their customers. Isn't that awesome?!? So we got double the treats this month and I've pretty much eaten all of it.

 I'll mention the two treats I haven't tried first: the Gourmand Fruit lollipops and the bubble gum. The gum comes with a temporary tattoo in each piece. How cool is that? It also claims to produce the largest bubbles in the world. Challenge accepted, France...

I've tasted or finished off all the rest. The Ker Cadelac palets taste like shortbread but not quite as buttery. Still good though! The Rochambeau cheese puffs are definitely stinky but they taste like a regular cheesy poof with just a slightly stronger flavor. The Madeleines are the hubby's favorite so I'm going to let him finish them. Moist buttery cakes. So good!

The Lutti caramels are cool. They have a hard candy shell and a soft smooth center. Delicious. I demolished the Nougat bar in about 5 minutes. I love me some nougat and this contained pistachios and almonds. MMMMMMM. Rose Pastilles are good...at first. I love the flavor of rose candy (who knew?). These have the rose on the outside and black licorice on the inside. I hate black licorice so I just suck on these until the rose flavor disappears. Then I spit them out.

Loc Marie dark chocolate Crepe Dentelles are amazeballs! Dark chocolate covered crispy crepe layers. So damn good! I have to be careful not to eat them all before the hubby can have a few. The Lemon cookies were great. Like shortbread with a lemon filling on top (you know how jam thumbprint cookies have a chewy jam on the top? same thing here only lemon). Carambars are okay. They are rather hard but it suggests to soften them in the microwave. Might have to try that because they're super sticky. LiquiCroc chocolate dragees are ok. The chocolate shell is meh but the salted caramel filling is great!

Fantastic box this month. So delicious! We can't figure out the clue for next month, though. It's a bit of a head-scratcher. I'll be back next month to let you know!

Ipsy January 2016 Review

Here we are in the new year with another Ipsy review. For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10 each month you get 5 samples (sometimes a full size or two) of makeup, skin care, and/or hair products. It's a great way to try new things but not be committed to a higher price tag. Check them out: www.ipsy.com

(I purchase this subscription with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones) 

All Eyes On You is the January theme. I really wish they'd make a card that gives a description of all the items and their monetary value. So completely useless. I like the material of the bag this month but the print is really not me. That will be going into the donation pile. I'm sure someone else will like it!

Mitchell and Peach Body Cream: This is the only product I haven't tried yet. I just finished up some body butter from my Walmart box so I think I'll open this one next. I'll let you know how it goes. Full size is about $51 for six ounces so this one ounce size runs $8.5 (assuming the conversion rate I used it up to date - this stuff is from Britain).

Purlisse Eye Serum: Yes, this is a teeny sample size but since you only need a little bit each use, this will last a long time. But for someone else because I don't like it. It burns my skin. I'm pretty sure that's not the end goal here. A full size of this is .5 ounces and goes for $65 (WHAAAAT???) so the .24 ounces in the bag runs $32.50 (are they fucking high?).

(top pic)

City Color Eye Shadow Trio in Falling Leaves: I've loved most of the City Color stuff I've received before. And while these shadows aren't terribly pigmented and a bit powdery (I had to go in half a dozen times for the peachy highlight shade to show up) they are so frakkin pretty! And I'm not one who gravitates toward a lot of warm colors, particularly a burnt orange like in this trio. But I wore them the other day and these bitches did NOT move for at least eight to ten hours if not longer. This is a full sized product and goes for $6.

(bottom pic)

Peek Beauty Natural Stain Brow Powder: Very interesting product. It's made with henna and other oils. Cruelty free, natural and organic. Kinda cool. Explains the mostly powdery texture but it feels like it sticks better than a powder, if that makes sense. It definitely looks more reddish on my brow than in the swatch but with a darker brow gel over it, it works pretty well. You can use the powder alone for a soft look or build it up for heavy glam. I can't find just one brow color pan (on the site it shows 2 per pan) so let's call this $11 (both colors go for $22). 

The Balm Cosmetics Mr. Write Now Eyeliner: I don't have a lot of theBalm cosmetics because they are a little pricey. The shadow sample I got in an Ipsy bag last year was pretty nice as is this eyeliner. My color is Scott B. Bordeaux, a nice wine/plum color. It's a little on the dry side but I think that's why it's staying power is so good. It can be smudged out a bit but you have to work at it a little. Lasted a good eleven hours before it started to break down. This is full sized and goes for $17.

Holy shit. The total value of this bag is about $75! Daaayuum. Naturally the most expensive thing in here is the one that I hate the most but I'm happy about the rest of it. Good job, Ipsy.

3B December 2015 Beauty Box

3B is a monthly subscription service of Asian beauty products. For $12 a month you get 4-5 samples/full sized products from Asia. It's a great way to discover so many cool things coming from Korea, Japan, and more. Check them out at https://the3bbox.com/  (I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones).

Everything this month (with one exception) is skin care. Which is cool with me! I always like to try new stuff, even if I seem to have some bad luck with break outs with new products.

It's Skin Prestige BB Cream - though this BB cream might have a little bit of a yellow undertone, this stuff is awesome. It's very thin and light - which I prefer - and blends out so well but it seems I need to use more because of it's consistency. I've tried it twice and am very sad it's such a small sample! 50 mls goes for about $17.

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshener - reading the description on this I think it's supposed to be a post cleansing toner. But it also claims to clean out your pores with peppermint extract. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a little scared by this one. You can get 8.5 oz on Amazon for $13.

Secret Key Lemon D-Toc Peeling gel - I believe this is full sized! love peeling masks but I'm confused by the description because it says to massage it into the skin then rinse off. So....do I peel or rinse? I need an adult! Found this on Amazon for about $13.

TonyMoly Sheet Mask - I've tried this wine one before from Meme Box. It didn't seem to do anything extra or beneficial but maybe with another try I'll notice something. If not, who cares? Sheet masks are fun! These run between $2-$4.

Boutique Bebe Hair Salon Vita Clinic Ampoule - I'm excited to try this. Never tried a deep conditioner that you put on BEFORE you get in the shower. You can use it on dry or damp hair then rinse it out after 20 minutes. Could be great for winter! This sample size goes for $2.

I'm excited for all this stuff (even the mask that didn't do anything before). I really enjoy this monthly subscription because I get to discover so many new and exciting products!

Walmart Beauty Box - Winter 2015

The last subscription box I received for 2015 will be my first review for 2016! I got my Walmart Beauty Box about 2 weeks ago so it's given me some time to try out a few of the products. The benefits of being lazy...

Walmart has a seasonal beauty subscription service. Once a quarter you will receive a box filled with sample products of beauty, hair, skin care, and more for only $7 (per box). If you'd like to check them out, head on over to https://beautybox.walmart.com/ (as always, I purchase this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones).

For the samples I think I may have tried all but the cotton swabs. You may be thinking that all swabs are the same but they're aren't! I learned that the hard way once so I'll have to let you know how awesome or craptacular the Swisspers brand is.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting moisturizer. Yeah, this is one of those products that you see results after 2 months of use. So a one time foil packet isn't really going to do shit. It did fell really really nice on the skin though so maybe I'll go buy some and test it out. Jennifer Aniston has a perfume (in this day, though, who the fuck doesn't?) and the sample in here smelled really nice. Like a soft combo of floral and a little sweet. I might actually want to find some! The Centrum Vitamints chewable vitamins were pretty cool. The consistency is like those old school butter mints (which I love) and the flavor is spearmint. I hate swallowing pills so any chance to get chewables works for me!

Pure Silk Raspberry Mist shave cream was unbelievably thick. I got way too much from just one little squirt (ooooh dirty). I didn't smell the raspberry scent but it was a nice cream. NSpa body butter in coconut scent (in this day, though, what ISN'T coconut scented?) feels nice but the smell is a little artificial coconut candle smell. I'll keep trying it out though. The Pantene hair spray smells awesome! I've only used it once or twice so I can't judge it's holding power.

The only sample in there I COULDN'T try were the color chips from Clairol. It's a pretty cool little package to look at all the colors you can get to dye your hair but I'm off hair coloring for now. Still a neat idea though. The L'Oreal True Match card had a bunch of stickers with their color range on them that you could put on your skin to find your perfect color. None of them really matched me (which is probably why I don't use it anymore) but I loved the idea of it!

I got coupons for all (except NSpa, Pure Silk, Pantene, and Swisspers) as well as one for Women's Rogaine, L'Oreal True Match makeup, and Covergirl eye makeup (Star Wars themed stuff - of which I already own a couple things..SHUT UP).

Even if I don't end up liking or using some of the products I get in this box, I really enjoy getting it each season. There's such a variety of products inside that there's bound to be SOMETHING everyone can enjoy. And for $7 every three months, that's not a bad thing!

Ipsy December 2015 Review

The final Ipsy bag for 2015. Is it really the end of the year? What the fuck?

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that delivers 4-5 samples (sometimes a full size product) of beauty, skin care, and hair products for $10 each month. I purchase this with my own money and all opinion are my own. Check them out at: http//www.ipsy.com

The card this month was basically a thank you to all the subscribers for making Ipsy awesome. So...that was kind of nice, actually. The bag is a bright cherry red plastic with a quilted pattern. Sort of hideous but it's red so I dig it.

The RickyCare beauty sponge: the original Beauty Blender is getting a serious run for it's money with all these dupes out there. I personally use the Real Techniques one (because I'm not paying $20 for a sponge - RT is only $6). But this one feels so nice. It's almost like micro suede! I think this is full sized, too. Cost is $10 (still a bit pricey but the feel of it might be worth it).

Marc Anthony Coconut Oil Conditioning Treatment: I've used several products from this line (the hair spray is my favorite) but the last deep conditioning treatment left my hair greasy and weighed down. The Coconut oil might be better but I'm leery. This trial size is about $1.

Elizabeth Mott Eye Primer: I've heard of this brand but never tried anything from it. When I put it on but didn't powder set it before I put on eyeshadow my makeup totally faded and creased within a couple of hours. However, powdering it before applying eyeshadow makes it work much better. This sample is about $6 but full size is $20. That's a little pricey.

Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder: Tarte is one of those high-end brands so I was stoked to get it in my bag this month. I have one eyeshadow palette from them that is a little disappointing but I had high hopes for this powder. And aside from the slight white cast is gives me, my skin does look smooth and pretty when I used it. This sample is 1/2 the regular size and is worth about $7.

Pacifica Power of Love Natural Lipstick: Though the color says Nudie Red it's definitely warmer than I like. I don't love the color but the product itself is not bad. Very creamy, feels great on my lips, and lasts a while. The smell is a little overpowering (all their stuff smells like coconut) but I don't mind it. This is full-sized and worth $10.

I'm happy about the sponge, the lipstick, and the face powder. Looks like the whole bag is worth about $34 so that's cool!