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 3B Subscription Review

3B is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $12 a month, you receive 4-5 deluxe samples or full-sized beauty products from Asia. I purchase this with my own money and all thoughts and reviews are my honest opinion. Check them out for yourselves at www.3bbox.com

This month brought me an eye cream (ugh, why do they come in such HUGE tubes? I’ll never work through this whole thing); sheet mask (which I love); a mascara (the products card said it was supposed to be some kind of lash serum but that was a mistake); and a lip stain. 

I’ve already got a few open mascaras so it’ll be a bit before I crack this one open. But I do love to try new mascaras! This one I got is worth approximately $13.

I’m going to try and save the sheet mask as along as possible. It’s the only one I’ve got right now. This will run you about $2.

I’m using another eye cream now (as always because even the samples I get take FOREVER to work through - #firstworldproblems, I know) so again, it’ll be a while before I open this one. It’s value is either $5 or $20, depending on which site you find it.

I did open the lip stain and test it out. This is a sample (full size goes for $5) so I’m guessing this is about $2. First, the package is adorable. The top is heart shaped (adorbs) and the color of the stain is gorgeous. 

Top Pic: Left swatch is one swipe of fresh color and the right is 2-3 swipes. Bottom Pic: Stains after I wiped off the wet product. Now the swatches were only on my hand for about 30 seconds so believe me when I say this shit STAINS. They were both still there the next day! On the lips the stain wears off a bit faster (eating and drinking and talking and...whatever floats your boat-ing) but lasted a full day. This would be a great product for a convention or costume event. Doesn’t dry out the lips so you can keep putting a balm or gloss over the stain without it moving. Brilliant! The product is very watery so it’s a little difficult to work with and seriously, don’t fuck up the application because you don’t want to end up looking like you have mouth herpes.

This bag could be worth $22 or $37, depending on the true value of the eye cream.  I’m pretty happy either way!

UNIVERSAL YUMS - August Review

Yes, I'm going to talk about ANOTHER monthly subscription box. But this time it's not makeup. It's FOOD! I tried Japan Crate a year or so ago. And while the candies I received were pretty tasty, the boxes themselves were very inconsistent. Eventually someone else took it over and it got better but by then I was done with the uncertainty and $25 price tag.

A little research later and I stumbled across Universal Yums. This is a monthly subscription box where each month features snacks from a different country. How cool is that? You can get the Yum Box (6 or more snacks) for $13 or the Yum Yum Box (13 or more snacks) for $25. We started last month, which coincidentally contained Japanese snacks, but I wanted to get through one before reviewing it. 

It was awesome!

Each box comes with a card that describes all the snacks, has trivia about the current month's featured country, and a little hint as to what will be coming next month. So damn cool.

If you'd like to check them out, head over to www.universalyums.com and take a peek. As usual, I purchase this box with my own money and all opinions and thoughts are my own.

The box comes so neatly packaged before the hubby and I tear into it to find out what snacks we get to devour. The card is a nice semi-gloss sturdy card stock and it opens like a greeting card. Printing on every side (the product descriptions are inside and the hint is on the back - we think it might be somewhere in South America or maybe Turkey for next month). It really looks like the people in charge took their time and paid great attention to detail. Very nice!

Look at all those goodies! The two biggest bags are super spicy savory snacks. I'm leaving those to the hubby - maybe sneak one of each just to say I tried it. But really hot stuff is not my forte. The green and purple pouches are gummies. I've tried a green one and even it's spicy! Tasted good, though. The Mango Creme cookies were meh. They tasted really artificial (did you know that mangos are like a national fruit of India and different regions are SUPER SNOBBY about their mangoes? Well, now you do.) The hard candies are mango flavored and delicious.

But the best so far are the Smarties. They are not like American smarties. These are candy coated chocolates - India's version of the M&M. But only the orange colored ones are flavored - with orange. If you like those Terry chocolate orange things (you know what I'm talking about) you will really like these!

For $13, I think we got our money's worth. I'm excited to find out what each month will bring!

August Morgue Drawer Part II - Hair and Makeup

All righty. Ready for Part 2 of my Morgue Drawer reviews? Hold on to your panties because it’s hair and makeup time! 

First up: Hair

DevaCurl Shampoo and Conditioner: This came in a three pack with styling gel but I’m still trying that out. Step 1 is No-Poo Zero Lather hair cleanser and Step 2 is Hydrate Ultra Creamy conditioner. Meh. The no-poo cleanser smelled like poo (so I’m dubious of the name) but the conditioner smelled nice. Those alone didn’t define my curls - I think it was the styling gel. Looks like 3 ounces is $9 for each so I’ll skip it. http://www.devacurl.com/

Hask Argan Oil from Morocco Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner: I got sample packets of these on two separate occasions and loved them both times. Not really sure if they repaired anything but they smell so yummy. Like fresh oranges! $6 for 12 ounces? Yes, please! http://haskbeauty.com/brand/argan

Giovanni 2 Chic Blackberry and Coconut Oil Hair Serum: This was another sample from Ulta and though I don’t get any blackberry from it, it smells like heaven, if heaven was filled with sweet coconuts. The oil really helps smooth the frizziness in my hair but be careful. If you use too much (for me that’s more than the size of an aspirin) your hair will look greasy. I’ve already purchased the full size (2.75 ounces for $8). http://giovannicosmetics.com/index.asp

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Hair Spray: LOVE this stuff. It’s lightweight but feels like it gives me enough control over my hair style (you know, what little styling I actually do with my mop). Smells fantastic. Already repurchased the travel size and the regular 8.8 ounce can ($9 at Ulta, sometimes $7 at Walgreens). You can’t buy it at their site but there’s a store locator option. http://www.marcanthony.com/buy.php

Next up: MAKE UP!!

Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Wipes: Meh. They smell very nice but I don’t feel they removed my makeup all that well. Which doesn’t make me ultra-calm either. You can get them for about $7 at retailers all over but only if you want to.  http://www.aveeno.com/

It’s Skin Mangowhite Lip/Eye Makeup Remover Wipes: I loved these. They smell really nice and the cloths are super soft. They did a really good job of removing makeup, too. I got these in a 3B box so you’ll have to get them on-line at a Korean market or Ebay. I’ve seen prices between $5-$10.  http://www.yesstyle.com/en/its-skin-mangowhite-lip-eye-makeup-remover-tissue-15sheets/info.html/pid.1038944148

Vivito Dressin Solution Lip/Eye Makeup Remover: Not too happy with this one. It’s an oil based mixture that you need to shake before applying. The oil doesn’t bother me because those removers never pull at the skin around my eyes and hydrate while cleaning. But the bottle leaked when it arrived (in a Meme box) and it didn’t do that great of a job. Smelled nice though. Had a hard time finding their site for info. Don’t trust my conversion method but I think this goes for about $13 USD.  http://www.vivito.co.kr/shop/goods/goods_view.php?goodsno=30&category=003001

Benefit Porefessional Face Primer: I’ve only ever received teeny samples of this that are only good for one time use (and I got the samples twice and I STILL don’t know if it's any good). It seems like a formula that would work well for me and it didn’t break me out the two times I’ve used it. But I can’t really get a reading on its performance. And at $31 for .75 ounces I may never know. Since it’s not necessary to use a lot of product at once, I know many people buy the travel size for $10 (which I think you can only get at places like Ulta or Sephora - not at the Benefit store) and it lasts forever. So I might give that a shot someday. https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster VaVaVoom Volumizing Mascara: I normally like most of PF mascaras. The ‘Organic’ line is not drying or harsh on my lashes, which are getting older and drier and a little more sparse. Great substitute for the discontinued Cover Girl Natureluxe mascara Though the packaging on this is gorgeous, the formula left a lot to be desired and the product dried up in just a few weeks. Lame. https://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/default.html

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner: Maybelline has been pissing me off lately. A lot of their products have been complete failures for me. Though I like the felt tip precision of this liner, it smudged and faded easily (damn my oily eyelids) and the pen dried up way too fast. Won’t be wasting $8 on this again.  http://www.maybelline.com/

There you have it. All the crap I went through over the past few months. Hope the mini reviews help some of you out. If not, well at least it’s not rattling around in my brain anymore. I’ll be back in a few months for another morgue drawer cleaning.

August Morgue Drawer Part 1 - Skin Care and Body

As I like to watch a lot of YouTube, pretty much every beauty gal (or guy) has what is called an “empties” video. Basically it’s a list and quick review of products they have used up during the month. One girl I watched called her container of empties her ‘cemetery’ and I love the idea. Since I don’t want to steal that, I’m calling my shoebox full of crap my ‘Morgue Drawer’.

I also don’t go through shit all that fast so I will probably only do these every few months. And because of that, I’ll have a ton of shit to go through at once. So for my first attempt, I’ll break up the reviews/lists into two posts: Skin Care and Body; Hair and MakeUp.

Sound good? Well, even if it doesn’t I’m doing it any way.

The largest portion of crap belongs in Skin Care. I buy most of this myself but a lot of it does come in free sample form from Ulta or Sephora. Great way to try stuff without committing, especially if it sucks ass or costs more than a great pair of heels. I’ve taken conglomerate pictures of the products because several contribute to one aspect (wrinkle treatments, hydrating, etc.) and I also don’t want to post dozens of pictures of tiny tubes or foil packets that’ll eat up all my damn memory.

First up for skin care: Face Lotions and Wash

H20+ Hydrating Treatment: Neither heard of nor tried this brand before. Nice little sample size so I got to use it for a while. It was all right. Smelled nice but I didn’t notice any great hydration going on. And all their stuff is pretty dang expensive so noooope. http://www.h2oplus.com/home.do

Derma e Night Creme: I love this stuff! It smells great and it was awesome in the winter. It can be pricey but not so bad that I’d never buy it again. The only reason I haven’t repurchased it yet is because I was a fucktard and bought a new night cream (based on how well a sample worked) that doesn’t really do jack shit in full size form. But I will buy it again. Oh, yes. I will.  http://dermae.com/?gclid=CM6K6a_3vccCFQ4paQodCt0M9w

Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer (SPF 15): I’ve been using this for years. It’s a nice lightweight lotion for the summer and I can double up in the winter, if I don’t have another thicker lotion to use. And since it has SPF, I don’t have to worry about whether or not my makeup has any. Score! http://www.neutrogena.com/home.do

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser: I bought a sample pack of this from Ulta because I’d heard a lot of good things about it. It’s one of those fragrance free, no harsh chemicals or colors, nice for sensitive skin products. And I have to say I really enjoyed using it. I don’t remember getting a lot (if any) break outs during its trial. A 2 ounce tube is $10, though, so it’s a little pricey.  http://www.firstaidbeauty.com/categories/shop-by-product/cleansers-exfoliators-and-masks/facecleanser.html

Next up: Face Treatments (like anti-wrinkle or vitamins)

Strivectin-AR (Advanced Retinol) Night Treatment: I don’t subscribe to the idea that these ‘anti-wrinkle treatments’ do anything but smell nice or pump some extra moisture into your epidermis. But I’m pretty dang sure this shit did help with the small wrinkles around my eyes and some of the teeny stuff all over my face. So you can imagine how disappointing it was to discover that a 1.7 ounce tube is $100+. I mean, what the fuck? Are they high? Even if I could afford to spend that every month on wrinkle treatment ALONE, why in the name of all that is sacred would I do it? That’s like 10 Pop Vinyls I could add to my collection - and they won’t get used up! Fucking crazy people. http://www.strivectin.com/

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector: It looks like that cardboard fold out would contain a large foil packet, right? Wrong. I MAYBE got 2 nights use out of this so I have no fucking idea if it does anything worthwhile. 2.5 ounces is $58 (and the smaller the size you buy, the more expensive it is. Huh?)  http://www.lancome-usa.com/

Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream: These was even less in this foil packet than in the Lancome. So yeah, have no idea if it works. And I think it’s one of those products that you have to use for a few weeks before you can tell so thanks for nothing. I have a coupon, though. Maybe I’ll lose a few IQ points this month and pay $15 instead of $17 for a full 1.7 ounce size. http://www.garnierusa.com/

Urban Decay Vitamin-Infused Complexion Spray: I think this is supposed to be like a face primer and toner in one but with vitamins. I don’t know if it did anything but it smells nice. The pump sprayer decided it didn’t want to work without leaking all over me about halfway through this sample. And for $33 for the full size (4 ounces) I don’t think I’m going to give it another chance. http://www.urbandecay.com/

Next: Face Masks

Bio Republic Sheet Masks: I got these in my June Ipsy bag. The Green Tea Detox was ok. I don’t feel like it deed any toxes but it felt nice. The Aloe Rescue was good and my skin did feel nice afterwards. But the Cucumber Breeze was the best. Most sheet masks that claim ‘soothing’ or ‘pore minimizing/anti wrinkle’ seem to work very well. And this was no exception. Plus is smelled awesome. They are $5 each, which is a bit steep for a sheet mask, but I might splurge every now and again.  http://www.biorepublic.com/

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel: This was a sample of the first peel mask I’ve ever tried. IT WAS AWESOME. My skin had never felt so smooth before! It smelled like a spa so not perfumy (is that a word? it is now) or like artificial fruit. That said, however, a 1.7 ounce full size can cost between $40-$50 (depending on where you buy it). Um, no thanks. http://www.myrealchemistry.com/

Montagne Jeunesse Mud/Peel Masks: I’ve only ever seen these at Ulta and they’re just $2 a package (and I can get 2-3 uses from each) so I bought a handful to give them a try. The Mud Pac (anti stress) was meh and smelled like menthol. Passion Peel Off (deep cleanse, purify, protect) was okay. Smelled great though. Manuka Honey Peel Off (natural cleanser) was also okay. Smelled like straight up honey so if you don’t like that, don’t get this. But the Black Seaweed Peel Off (ultra deep cleaning) was awesome. The smell is a little odd but the product itself made my skin feel fantastic. I’ve already repurchased. They’re also cruelty free! http://www.my7thheaven.com/

And now for the body stuff (bow-chicka-BOW-WOW):

Secret Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant: Except for a few times where I got bored, I’ve always used Secret. Pretty basic stuff here but I like the clear gel formula. I think over time it can build up white crap on your clothes but overall, it does a good job for me. I like different scents and they all seem to work equally well.  http://secret.com/en-us

Skinfood Aloe Soothing Body Wash: I got this in the June 3B box. Though it seems to be a good travel size, I used it all up rather quickly. It also had little bits in it - like maybe they wanted to make it an exfoliant, too, but only had about 10 little beads to throw in. Weird. It smells great, though! I didn’t see it on their main site so you might have to buy it through Amazon or a Korean on-line market.  http://www.theskinfoodus.com/

Bath & Body Works Jasmine Vanilla Body Wash: HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL THIS STUFF SMELLS AMAZING. I pray to all the gods that ever existed this stuff is not limited edition. I need moar!!! If you can believe it, I got this 10 ounce bottle FOR FREE from B&BW when I bought some candles earlier this year. Nice! And for $13, it’s a great buy because it lasted for months.  http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp

That's it for Part One. I'll probably type up the second list now but just have it auto publish in a few days. Why am I explaining that to you? Do I feel like you need to brace yourselves or something? Well, the categories ARE hair and makeup so yeah, it'll be awe inspiring I'm sure.

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?

PDs, GFYs, and MEHs - May/June Edition(s)

Ah, that's such a better title than "Monthly Favorites", isn't it? Well, it's more ME anyway. As I'm so far behind in my reviews (damn you, sinus infection!) I thought I'd better combine May and June to get caught up a bit. So this might be a long list but I tried to include other stuff besides makeup! And I think I left out a few things because if I didn't, we'd be here all fucking week.

So let's begin, shall we?

First let's look at the Panty Droppers.

Gerard Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Bahama. I put a picture on my Instagram a while back when I first tried on this gloss. Normally I wouldn't pay $19 for a lip gloss but I got a coupon code from MannyMUA on YouTube (btw, you should check out his channel - he's adorable and looks prettier in make-up than most women I know) to get two lip products for $20. And when the lipsticks go for $24 and the glosses $19, it's kind of a no brainer there. This gloss was more like a liquid lipstick. It is so pigmented and absolutely gorgeous. I never though I'd wear a color like this but I do now. It even stains my lips so when the gloss wears off, there's still a soft lavender color left behind. It's awesome.

I don't remember how I found ZOMG Smells but it's an indy perfume company run by two women. I know one of them has gone back to school recently so the ordering process is backed up about 3 months but they are SO worth the wait. I love sweet and food smelling perfumes and these gals knock it out of the park with almost everything I've ordered (they make all sorts of smells - not just food). Sugar Dragon is my favorite so far and it smells like cherries and vanilla. *dies* *is ded*  You can order several different sizes, from their sample squees (1 ml vial) to an 8 ml sized bottle. The Squee Party allows you to order 10 samples for about $30 and it's a fantastic way to try new scents. 

BH Cosmetics Contour Palette: I normally don't buy high end make up. But when something that's costs $20 goes on sale at Haute Look for half that price, and I've wanted to try it out, I'll go ahead and purchase it. That's what happened with this palette. I don't contour. I'm too fucking lazy for that shit. I wanted to try the powders and the blushes, though. The yellow and brown powders are dead to me but the peachy undertone one (lower left) is perfect to set under my eyes and helps cancel out the dark blue I have there. The blushes are so pigmented you have to be REALLY careful when applying. Both colors are gorgeous and not QUITE as bright - but swatches always show up a lot heavier. The white powder may not do much for super pale people but on me it does work as soft highlighter and under eye brightener. I included the picture with the pen so you could understand the size of this bitch. I thought it was much smaller but happily, it's not. You get a lot of product here! (the swatches are backwards - they both go from right to left, top row on top, bottom row on bottom - sorry about that!)

Deadworld Soda. Dear gods this stuff is awesome! It's a pop created by Caprice Brands based on the comic, Deadworld. I've only tried the Orange and Vanilla Rootbeer and it's probably a good thing I'm so lazy because I'd be running to the store every week to replenish my supply. My friends, Steven Bejma and Don England, created the artwork for the bottles you see above (Steve on the Orange and Don on the Root Beer. Another buddy and GLAHW member, Joshua Werner, also did artwork for the Orange soda but I don't have one of those...*sad trombone*). They are sold are various locations in Michigan so go find some! Now!

And now for the Go Fuck Yourselves

Remember last month when I bitched about the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm or whatever the fuck it was? That I probably wouldn't buy another one? Well, I couldn't really judge the shittiness of the product based on one sampling of it so of course, I went out and bought another one. And immediately regretted it. The swatch on my hand looks really nice but again, it's patchy on the lips (not as bad as the pink one last time) and it wore off within 30 minutes. Complete waste of money. Don't bother purchasing this.

Luckily I just had the one really bad product. For the MEHs...

When I first started using the Rimmel Perfection Match 2-in-1 Concealer, I though it was perfect. It did a great job of canceling out my purple under eye and the creamy consistency was easy to blend. But it's not that great of a concealer on blemishes and when I use it on the redness around my nose, it sinks into my pores and accentuates them. Looks terrible. So it's okay for one use and not so okay for another. Hence the meh rating. I can keep working with it for now. I haven't tried it as a highlighter, like it says on the package, so maybe...?

I was going to put all of these in the GFY category but felt it wasn't fair. These products get rave reviews from a lot of other people out there so maybe it's just me. The Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadows do not like my oily lids. The colors are nice but don't have much staying power, even if you put powder over them. The Revlon Rose Glow highlighter was straight up glitter. I don't mind glitter at all but if that's all that shows up on my skin, with no color tone to back it up, it goes in the garbage. The Maybelline Master Highlight was glittery, too, but I thought it was going to have a mauve color (the color is called Mauve so go figure). It was more rose gold (like super yellow gold) that looked TERRIBLE on me. It was also very powdery and made a total mess. The Babyface Blusher was such a disappointment. It's a lovely lavender shade in the pan but it didn't even show up on my skin! So sad...I think you'd have to be super pale, maybe translucent, for this to be visible on the skin.

That should do for now. I think I'm going to cover a lot more non-make up stuff for next month. At least, I'm going to try! I hope you use the links provided to check out some of the great stuff I found this month (or last month or whatever). Let me know if you do and what you think!

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 Hits & Misses

Okay just looking at the title I created for this blows. I watch a lot of YouTube videos and most of the beauty enthusiasts (I'm sorry but 'guru' implies a certain amount of mastery or enlightenment which should be reserved for Dalai Lamas, IMHO) do monthly Raves & Rejects, products that they loved and hated during the past month. As I'm more of a sarcastic brat, I think I want to give my reviews jazzier names. So for the stuff I hated, let's call them Go Fuck Yourselves, or GFYs. For the stuff I loved, we'll call them Panty Droppers, or PDs. If it's something that more so-so, or I'm still on the fence about it, I'll offer up a MEH.

Let's start with the bad, aka GFYs.

Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain (#025, Sweetheart): I'm not sure how the other colors in this line work but this soft pink color was patchy as fuck. Not sure if you can tell in the picture but my bottom lip had darker staining toward the inside but there's a spot right in the middle that didn't take any color at all. That's never happened to me before. Yes, the product was soft and silky and the baby pink color was nice. But when a lip product doesn't cover your entire lip in solid color, whether it be opaque or sheer, it's rather useless. It stains very well but when the coverage it patchy to start, you can bet your sweet ass the stain is patchy, too. This thing is going straight in the garbage and I probably won't try another one.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: I've heard and read so many reviews about how fantabulous this shit is but for me? It's crap. It does make my lashes look great but within an hour or so the product smudges above and below my lashes. Even with eyelid primer and powder (I have VERY oily eyelids and skin) I can't get more than maybe 2 hours before I look like some bastard spawn of a raccoon and Lady Gaga. I'm happy that other people can use this product with no difficulties but it's just not for me. 

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Creme Oil: It's basically a blow dry styling creme that claims to speed up drying time and keeps the hair conditioned and smooth with soy, argon and cocoa oils. It smells really nice but did absolutely nothing for me. Maybe it's because my hair is super processed that this light creme didn't work. I used it once so if you like this stuff, I'd be happy to gift it to you!

Now for the PDs!

It's Skin Babyface Pore Powder: I got this from the Memebox US On-Line store. This is a translucent powder that helps smooth out the appearance of pores on the skin and let me tell you, it works. Now that I'm in my mid-40s, my pores have taken on a life of their own. Pretty soon I won't have to carry a purse anymore. I'll be able to keep all my crap in my face. So when I tried this, not hopeful by the way, I was completely amazed at how my skin looked. It feels like silk with this stuff on! And don't get me started on the packaging. So stinking cute and it's on sale right MEOW. https://us.memebox.com/babyface-pore-powder-5g?pdref=category

Oreos: Who doesn't love Oreos, ammirite? Every now and again Nabisco comes out with new and interesting flavors for these little delectables. The Mint flavor tastes just like the Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I'm not even exaggerating. They are phenomenal! I've seen these at Walgreens and Target. Go buy some. Do it NOW! (The berry ones in the picture are just meh. The filling tastes like very articifical berry and doesn't mesh that well with the chocolate cookie).

MEHs

I've come across a couple products this past month (or so) that just have not blown me away. The product themselves are nice but they are awful on my skin.

LIPS: The NYX Butter Lipstick in Little Suzie (bottom swatch) and the NYX High Voltage Lipstick in French Kiss (top swatch). I love NYX products but these two colors look straight up orange on me. I've only swatched them a couple times on my hands and lips so if anyone wants them, I'll gladly figure out how to sanitize them and give them to you.

EYES: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in #15 Fair. Again, I've heard great things about this product but my skin doesn't appreciate it. Under the eyes it seems like a decent concealer. Not that much coverage but it looks nice. Unfortunately, it settles into the pores around my nose like crazy. It looks like I have cream colored polka dots converging on my nose like some kind of skin care army from Hell. I'm going to keep trying it out to see if I can get it to work but I'm not that hopeful.

I probably had a few more products I could have thrown in here but these were the highlights. Hope this review helps you find new loves or avoid potential heartaches.

Oh wow. Too much cheese...I'll be better next time.

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...