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!

PDs, MEHs, and GFYs

With the new year, I'm hoping to get on a more regimented schedule with this column. It seems like I post these anywhere from every month and a half to every three. That's a little too random. So I think I might try to do this every two months which should give me enough time to find stuff that I love or want to set on fire.

So here we go with the first 2016 list! (I'm trying to use a professional styled camera for these pics now and I think it's obvious I need to practice. I still don't know what all the buttons do or how to change the settings so excuse the crappy focus on these until I can get my shit together)

Panty Droppers (PDs)

Revlon Ultra HD Matte Cream Lip Color: These just came out a month or so ago in the ever reaching trend of liquid to matte lipsticks. And while the few I've tried have just completely SUCKED ASS, I love this one. Probably because it doesn't full dry down to a complete matte. It stays a bit creamy on the lips and will transfer - to your coffee cup, donut, the delivery man - so keep that in mind. You can blot with a tissue and that will make it look more matte. But if you're like me and can't stand the Saraha Desert on your mouth, you'll love these. The colors are gorgeous, the formula feels like a whipped gel, and I actually like the fruity smell. They run anywhere from $7-$9, depending on where you go. Got my at Walgreens. The colors I have (from bottom to top): Seduction, Devotion, Addiction. 

Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oreo Cream Filling: You read that right. Imagine a soft baked Chips Ahoy cookie. Now picture a thin layer of Oreo filling right in the middle. Can you see it? It's glorious, isn't it? I know it sounds like it would be too sweet. Don't get me wrong - it is very sweet. But in no way is it overpowering or gag inducing. It's a beautiful tasty creation.

YSL Touche Elcat Concealer/Brightener: I got 3 little samples on a promotional card from a Sephora order, I think. The first two were for fair skin and the third for a medium complexion. Obviously the third was too dark but the first two were gorgeous. No. 1 (bottom right of swatches) has a nice peach tone to it so it covers dark circles well. No. 2 (middle right) worked great as a non-shimmery highlighter and concealer. Unfortunately this stuff is $42 a pop so I don't think I'll be purchasing some any time soon.

Colourpop Gel Liner: Colourpop is mostly a huge hit for me, with just a few misses (I'll do a Colourpop centric review in a bit). And their gel liners just came out a little while ago so I thought I'd give them a shot. Awesome stuff! I tried it the first time without priming or powdering my lids. And that shit lasted a good 8-10 hours before it started to fade. That's fucking crazy! Especially with my super oily lids. It does dry pretty quick so it's difficult to go back and fix any mistakes. But it's totally worth $6! The color is called Workout.

MEHs

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Serum: I can only give this a meh rating because it totally broke me out. Though it smelled really nice and it felt very silky going on the skin, it's just not worth it if it gives me pizza face. Oh well. I'm sure I'll get over it and its $66 price tag soon enough...okay, I'm over it.

Kiss of Cherry lip balm (Nivea): I love the Kiss of Moisture balms from Nivea but like the one with SPF, the Cherry one dries my lips like a mo-fo. I don't know if the staining color that's the culprit or what but I couldn't even finish the tube. It smells fantastic and feels great at first so it could just be my sensitive ass (that's where it goes, right?). You can find this for $2-$3.

Almay Get Up and Grow Mascara: I can't remember if I put this stuff in another list but if I did and gave it any higher rating than MEH, I was an idiot. It does give fantastic volume and my lashes felt soft, never crunchy. But it ended up smudging on both my upper and lower lids. Booooo. It retails for around $7-$9.

GFYs (Go Fuck Yourselves)

Carol's Daughter Monoi Hairspray: I don't know who the fuck Carol or her daughter are but their hairspray is crap. The smell is gag inducing so I can't even use enough of it to get an idea of its usefulness. The can it came in leaks a bit, too. Ugh. And it costs $22? NOT.

Pur-lisse Eye Serum: I believe I just talked about this in my Ipsy bag review. This crap is awful. It burns my skin. It's not like the tissues of the under eye are already sensitive or anything. Ass hats. $65 price tag? What a fucking joke.

(I guess I hated the last three items on this list so much that I threw them away already)

City Color Be Bold Mascara: I've gotten this brand a few times in Ipsy and most of it is good. But this stuff sucks. It's gloppy, smudgy, clumpy, and all around awful. It doesn't do much for either volume or length. I'd expect a little better for $6.

Garnier Shine Control Cleansing Gel (charcoal): I think I got this after I realized I didn't want to buy the Olay scrubby wash anymore. This stuff smells so bad and it totally broke me out. This runs around $8.

Derma e Anti Wrinkle Glycolic Scrub: I was so sad about this one. I have a couple other Derma e products that are wonderful. But this smelled so strongly like old fashioned Ivory soap and it was very rough on the skin. And I'm such a delicate fucking flower, apparently, that it broke me out, too.

That's it for now, kiddies. I'll (hopefully) be back in two months with some more fun!

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.

Morgue Drawer

It hasn't even been two months yet but I think I need to do this post. I had a lot of samples to talk about plus some regular every day crap. If I wait too much longer I might have to break this up into three posts! Heavens to Betsy!

Face and Eyeballs

Mario Badescu Eye Cream: I got a sample of this in one of my subscription bags. And it is awesome. So moisturizing, no crazy smell. Nothing will get rid of my smile lines (and why would I want them to go away?) but this cream is so nice to use. I also have a little dry patch near the corner of my eye and this stuff really helped diminish it - and nothing has worked that well before. Nothing.

Josie Moran Face Oil (Argan): This stuff smells fantastic. And my face felt so soft afterwards. But the foil packet totally failed so I couldn't get more than one use from it. *sadness ensued*

Burt's Bees Renewal Serum: I've talked about this before. This is my second bottle. Though I thought it was gentle enough to use twice a day, I noticed that my skin dries out if I do that. So I stick to night time use (though right now I haven't repurchased because I've got a bottle of ROC Retinol treatment to finish).

Ahava Purifying Mud Mask: This stuff was okay. It smelled rather strong, like a combination spa/herbal scent. It was also gritty so it felt a little rough on my face. It's definitely not as purifying as a Freeman mud mask I use. It also started to sting after I worked halfway through the tube.

Olay Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer: My skin felt like BUTTAH after using this. Unfortunately the sample size only allowed for one use and you can't really tell if it's working until after 8 weeks. So...there you go.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream: Does NOT depuff like it claims. "Brightens" is just a word these eye creams use because it has a shiny pearlized finish. It actually made my dark circles look worse.

Klorane Eye Patches: Arrrggghh! No, not those kind of eye patches. These were thick and soft under eye patches. They didn't really do anything but instead of sticking from being over saturated with essence, they had a gel like surface that clung to the skin. Kinda cool even if useless.

Sephora Honey Eye Mask: I had two of these (one I ordered and one I got in a beauty subscription, I think). The first set stung my skin but I wanted to try the second packet just in case that was a fluke. It was nicer the 2nd time and I left them on about 10 minutes longer. Nothing outstanding but nice.

Naked Time (aka body lotions)

Elite Therapeutics Body Cream: Smells quite a bit like the plastic tube it comes in but my skin felt really good. The softness lasted all day!

H20+ Sea Salt Hydrating Body Butter: Very nice! It wasn't greasy, smelled good, and the moisturizing lasted a long time.

H20+ Sea Amber Body Lotion: This stuff smelled great...at first (like citrus). But it quickly morphed into plastic. Does a great job at moisturizing, though.

DermaDoctor Brazillian Bombshell Body Lotion: This was probably my favorite sample of a body lotion. Very thick and moisturizing and lasted a long time. No scent. Left my skin with this glowy sheen - like a highlight for your body (not glitter - this is not stripper lotion). Maybe that's the skin perfecting element? Whatever. It's awesome.

Figs & Rouge Hand Cream: This was a sample I got in my very first Ipsy bag (back in October of 2014). Obviously I don't use the stuff regularly. I really liked it though. Kind of thin but did a decent job. The scent is Roseberry and that's exactly what it smells like - like a raspberry and a rose bush (heh) had a baby.

Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific

Total Repair 5 Deep Conditioner: Did not like this crap. My hair was so greasy and weighed down. Terrible. Looking at the packaging, it seems it's the same stuff as the bottle but believe me, it isn't.

Total Repair 5 Conditioner: This stuff is all right. When I still had a lot of dry and damaged hair from bleaching, this and the shampoo seemed to help smooth it out. Just waiting to use up the shampoo to start another brand.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Blush): I love this brand though the scents can be overwhelming. Blush is definitely better than the cherry scent. I've recently purchase the Original and Fresh scent so we'll see how those go. But the formula cannot be denied. Best one I've tried. I haven't lied. I seriously died. Check out my ride...okay, I'll stop.

Marc Antony Argan Oil Hairspray: I think this is my second can. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff. Smells fantastic! It's a soft hold so my hair doesn't feel crunchy or stiff. If you're looking for super hold stuff, this is probably not the hairspray for you. Otherwise, you need to get this immediately.

*giant powderpuff to the face* (aka Make Up)

Benefit Eye Primer: Meh. The first time I used it, my eye shadow totally faded in a few hours. The second time I put powder over it before the shadow and then it worked a little better. But I'm glad I just had a sample so I don't have to fuck with it again. 

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: I did like this mascara (keep in mind I had the sample size). It's supposed to hold a curl really well but I don't need to curl my lashes. They naturally curl up a little bit so most mascaras work like this one did on me. Maybe this curled them just a smidge more.

Neutrogena Healthy Lengths Mascara: I like the formula on this. My lashes looked very natural and it gave just a touch of volume. It layered pretty well with other mascaras, too. But the tube dried out really fast which was disappointing. I think I accidentally bought this twice so we'll see if that tube lasts a little longer.

RiRe Lash Essence: Got this is a 3B box. It's supposed to help thicken or grow your lashes. Yeah...not so much. It was just like putting some kind of clear gel on my lashes that ended up stuck together when I woke up in the morning.

Essence Lash Princess Mascara: I adore this mascara! It's great at giving my lashes volume and the natural bristle brush separates my lashes so well. This was at least my 2nd tube. And it's inexpensive! And how can you not love that packaging?

Randomness

Zicam Nasal Swabs: When it comes to cold medicines or remedies, Zicam is at the top of my list. There are lozenges, melts, chewables, and these swabs. Some people protested the swabs years ago because it affected their sense of smell - but I think that's because they didn't follow the directions that say DON'T SHOVE THIS ALL THE WAY UP YOUR NOSE. The oral stuff affects my taste and upsets my stomach so the swabs are perfect. 

Bath and Body Works Foaming Hand Soap: First scent was from the Halloween line - Purrfect Potion. It was supposed to smell like pumpkin and cinnamon but all I got was sugary sweet. The Sea Island Cotton scent, though, was great. Smelled very fresh and clean. Will definitely repurchase! (the Halloween scents are no longer available but their Christmas stuff is on sale plus they have a ton of other scents available in their regular line)

Sensodyne Extra Whitening Toothpaste: I believe in my last MD I said I wanted to try the extra whitening because the gentle whitening sucked. Yeah, this stuff works so much better. Already repurchased. It's also great for any kind of regular sensitivity you might have. It doesn't do much for the exposed nerve on my #29 tooth but nothing short of a composite filling would.

That wasn't too terribly long, was it? I think I prefer doing one longer post every two months instead of breaking it up into multiple posts once a quarter. Hopefully you'll like reading it that way, too. Feel free to post your thoughts!

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!

Universal Yums December 2015 Review

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

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

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

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

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

3B November 2015 Beauty Box

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

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

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

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

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

PDs, GFYs, and MEHs - October/November 2015

Yep...another post where I whine about the months slipping past me at an accelerated rate and me powerless to stop it.

*shrugs*

Finally getting around to posting my thoughts on some truly great stuff, some not so great, and others that can take a running jump off a cliff. Let's get started, shall we?

PDs (Panty Droppers)

Let's start with the pictured stuff (make up and skin care) and then I'll talk about some food!

Essence Gel Eyeliner and Small Angled Brush: As I get older, the skin around my eyes gets more and more delicate (read: aged as fuck). Eyeliner pens, which are awesome and I do like them, get a little trickier to work with (read: pain in my ass). So gel liners are a great alternative. The one from Essence, in league with the little angled brush, are PERFECTION. The color is super black, it sets quickly, and it doesn't move one fucking inch all day. And I have really oily lids and a bit watery eyes. You can get this brand at Ulta Beauty and all Essence's products are pretty inexpensive!

L'Oreal Stylist Eyebrow Plumper:  Most of you who know me know I don't really have eyebrows. I mean, the hair is there but it's sparse, thin, and light in color. I've tried brow gels in the past but they are too gloppy and just goop all over the skin UNDER my brows. So I was a little dubious of this. But it works like a charm! The brush is tiny so it's easy to control and the product is just the right consistency. With a light hand, I can just build up those little hairs to the point where it looks like I have regular brows, not something drawn on. It's awesome! And once it sets, it doesn't move!

Pure Vanilla Roller ball Perfume from LaVanilla Lab: I've bitched about this company's lotion scent before (too heavy, very fake) but this perfume is wonderful. It's everything I want in a vanilla scent. I think I already talked about it in my last Ipsy double review but it's worth mentioning again. It's that good.

Makeup Revolution Blush Palette: I am super impressed with this brand. They are from Britain and until recently, we over on this side of the pond could only order their stuff on-line. Now Ulta is carrying part of their line. I got this blush palette, as well as a baked highlighter and some eye shadow, and I've got to say I'm in love. These blushes are so pigmented. I should have swatched them for you - maybe in another post (I might do a whole MR review). And now I've got 2 extra highlighters and they are gorgeous. Not super glittery - just a little shimmer - but they are awesome. 

Skin Food Rice Mask: I've had a lot of hit and miss with Korean skin care. If they work, they work perfectly. If they don't, they break me out so I look like a pineapple. No middle ground. Ugh. But this rice mask is fantastic! It's a thick unscented cream with little bits of rice (cooked, not raw - they don't want us to scrub our top layer of skin off!). You spread it on and rub it in for 10-15 minutes then rinse away. My arms get a bit tired at the 10 minute mark but my skin feels like it must have when I was born. I don't think any other scrub product has every made my skin feel so soft. I only use it once a week because I have a tendency to go overboard with stuff I like. I will definitely purchase more of this in the future.

Now for food awesomeness:

Peppermint Oreos: they are similar to the regular mint ones (that taste like Girl Scout Thin Mints). Peppermint is more of the flavor people associate with Christmas as it's in peppermint bark, cookies, I think candy canes are peppermint flavored, etc. GO GET SOME.

Chiobani Yogurt Flips: I get on my yogurt kicks every few months and these are great. Low fat flavored yogurt that comes with a little packet of bits you mix into the yogurt. The only one I haven't liked is the Peach yogurt with pistachios. I don't know why. Every other flavor has been great (Chocolate coconut, Peanut Butter Dream, Key Lime, Coffee Bliss....and more!). They're usually on sale at my grocery store so I'll grab 6 or 9 each time!

Now for the MEHs

Skin Food Honey Emulsion and Toner: Now here's an example of Korean skin care, from the same brand that I JUST raved about, that didn't work. It broke me out. The products themselves feel great and smell good. But my skin said no fucking way. But for those who don't break out easily, these might be really good.

Benefit Roller Lash: I want to say that somewhere Benefit claims this mascara creates volume and length while curling. It doesn't not. I don't have heavy thick lashes or ones that point straight down so the mascara curled my lashes extremely well! But when I compared it to other mascaras, they did just about the same thing. So I'd like to know if anyone with hard to curl lashes uses/tried this and what they think! For me it was just ok.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Ultra Black Mascara (not pictured): I like a lot of PF's mascaras. This is the one that comes in the black packaging. It didn't really do anything spectacular for my lashes and it smudged a little bit. Might work great on someone else but just not for me.

Luxe Eyelash Essence: Got this from 3B in September. I've been using it most days (I forgot a couple of times) and it doesn't seem like anything is happening. Maybe it's a nice conditioner for lashes but it sure doesn't make them grow. Oh well.

And now for what is, honestly, my favorite part of these posts- the GFYs (Go Fuck Yourselves):

Looking at these pics I realize aside from one skin cream, it's all lip stuff. Huh.

Yu-Be Skin Cream: Ugh. Smells like straight up menthol. It doesn't feel nice on the skin either. Hopefully I'll never get another sample of this crap in my 3B bag.

Lipstick/Gloss Sample Foil Packets: What the fuck is this shit? First it's a crappy teeny sample of a lip product. Second it comes in a foil backed package that CANNOT be resealed. I had to monkey around with bobby pins to keep the foil from peeling and curling away and drying out the samples. You know, Avon used to make those mini lipstick tubes (do they still do that?) that probably contained the same amount of product in the above photo but were so much more consumer friendly. Get it together, make up companies. No one wants this bullshit.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick: I was so excited for this. After the Colorpop matte lippie disaster earlier this fall, I'm eager to find comfortable matte lip products. Unfortunately, these are not it. I love NYX. I have a lot of lippies from them. But this dung in a tube is just awful. It dries to a sticky tacky layer, it goes on patchy as fuck, and it wears uneven. Terrible. Shitty. Awful. Useless.

Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme: If possible I think this stuff is worse than the NYX. Application is patchy, it's just about as dry as the Colorpop mattes (read: painful), and it wears off the inner part of the lips first (yes, you look like a blow up fuck doll). The dark purply-red color is gorgeous but the darker the color, the worse it looks. I could mess with it by putting a light pink lipstick over it and get this really cool blue duo-chrome effect but honestly, I don't like it enough to fuck with it that much. 

That's it. I'll try to get a quick post up at the end of the year. But since it's already December 7, don't hold your breath.

Ipsy October/November 2015 Reviews

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

Let's start with October!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The extras I got are:

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

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

WHEW! Now let's get on to November!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Universal Yums October/November 2015

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

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

October 2015 - The Netherlands

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

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

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

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

And on to November 2015 - South Korea

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

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

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

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

November 2015 Morgue Drawer - PART II

...pation.

All righty. Here we go with Part II of my Morgue Drawer clean up. Let us begin with hair.

Dove Dry Spray Deodorant: (I totally forgot I put this product in with this group so yeah, technically it's not for the hair...unless you don't shave your pits. Then it could count. Anyway, moving on...) I guess this product worked okay but the smell was so over powering. I'd spray it on and then have to leave my room for about 10 minutes until the spray dissipated. Won't be purchasing again.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry Scent: I adore the formula of Batiste. I don't feel like I have to spray half the can to get results. The smell of cherry is not very strong but the general perfumey scent is very strong. Much like the Dove deodorant. I've since purchased another scent, which isn't nearly as bad, so I'm going to stick with this brand for a while!

Psssst! Dry Shampoo: I think there's more propellant than dry shampoo in this. So basically my head felt frozen by the time I got any product out. I used up this can in just a few applications. LAME.

Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo: I talked about this in a PD, GFY post. TERRIBLE! USELESS! DISAPPOINTING! Do not purchase.

L'Oreal Repair Shampoo/Conditioner: My hair did look less frizzy and dry after using these. So I purchased the full sized bottles. Just waiting to get through them so I can move on and try something else. They're not great but they do smell nice and seem to work a little bit.

Marc Antony Macadamia Oil Conditioning Treatment: I didn't really notice a difference in my hair after using this. Smells awesome but I probably won't buy it again.

Moving on to makeup removers/cleansers:

Olay Regenerist Cream Cleanser: This was a great exfoliating cleanser. Just the right amount of scrubbies to exfoliate but not shred the face. Unfortunately, this is one of those micro bead exfoliators so the little bits are now clogging up the water works and NOT disintegrating. So I decided not to repurchase. *le sigh*

Etude House Baking Powder Cleanser: Now here's a product that a nice exfoliator (not quite as much scrubby going on as Olay but still pretty good) and it's natural so the powder won't clog up Mother Nature. The smell was fanstastic - very citrusy! Since it's a Korean product, I might have to do a little digging to purchase the full size!

Pacifica Make Up Wipes: UGH. Terrible product! Whatever the cleaning agent is on these burns like a mother fucker. The cloths were very rough and they didn't do that great of a job removing make up. The coconut smell was way too strong. Awful.

Derma E Hydrating Facial Wipes: All Lies! These wipes were so dry. They were terrible! 

Target Up & Up Make Up Wipes: These were pretty good. Did a good job of removing make up (just not eye make up that well), the cloths were soft, and the smell was nice. Burned if I used them to remove eye make up, though. Not sure if I'll get these again.

And finally, MAKE UP!!

Benefit They're Real Mascara: Why, oh why, did this have to be good? Benefit is one of the more expensive brands of makeup so I have a hard time justifying paying $24 for just mascara. But this stuff did work really well. My lashes looked beautiful!. Dammit, Benefit!

Soft Lips Balm Cube: Blech. The scent and flavor are nice but the balm itself is awful. It's one of those where the more you use it, the dryer you lips feel. I know it doesn't make any sense. It's possible it has SPF in it, which is usually drying, or it could just suck ass. Didn't work for me. Couldn't even finish it.

Revo Lip Balm: Revo was kind of similar to SoftLips. The textures were different (Revo felt more waxy) and again, scent and flavor were nice. But my lips never really felt moisturized at all. Won't repurchase.

Rose MIne Lip Balm: I got this in a Meme box AGES ago. It took forever to work my way through the tube but that's just a statement to its greatness. It lasted on the lips for quite a while and was completely moisturizing. It had the look and feel similar to those silicone face primers. Sounds weird, I know, but it was awesome.

Y.E.T. Lip and Cheek Color: I loved this stuff. Smelled great and was such a soft pretty peach color that worked on both the lips and cheeks. Normally I don't like those combo things because they're usually not good for either. But this was nice. Unfortunately, it started to dry out and left my lips feeling gross so I had to toss it. *sad trombone*

Dear Berry Blusher: I loved this cream blush. Shaped like a little scoop of ice cream, it was a fantastic soft pink color that blended beautifully. Unfortunately, I couldn't use it up fast enough and it started to dry out. *chorus of sad trombones*

Benefit Porefessional Face Primer: Okay I think I finally figured out that this product DID break me out a little bit. No worries, though. I have other primers that work just as well that don't make my face look like a pizza.

Revlon Colorstay Concealer: This is a nice heavy concealer. It also has a bit of color correction for my purple bits under the eyes. Mostly I use it for zit concealment because the heavier creamy products get into the fine lines under my eyes and look icky. This tube got kinda old so I just bought a replacement - with the doe foot applicator instead of the twisty tube. Much better.

Catrice Eyeliner Pen: TERRIBLE! I talked about this in a PD, GFY post and it's just awful. Smudges like a mo-fo and transfers easily but near impossible to remove when you want to. So lame.

Essence Gel Liner: This stuff is great! It's super black, stays forever, doesn't smudge or transfer, but you can remove it easily. I had to buy another pot because this one dried out.

Wet & Wild Mega Liner: A great liquid liner. I tried out a whole shit ton of liquid liners and I ended up going back to this. I've repurchased already. This stuff does NOT budge and the teeny bottle lasts a long time. 

ELF Makeup Setting Spray: I love this stuff. Does a great job of setting my makeup and helping it to last just a little bit longer. Nothing lasts forever but this does extend the wear of my makeup! Already repurchased.

Whew! I think that covers it. Maybe I'll go through my drawer a little more often so I don't have to write such long posts. But I'm a lazy asshole so don't count on it.

Until next time, my lovelies!

November 2015 Morgue Drawer - PART I

Holy shitballs but October went by fast! Totally got away from me. I'm so very far behind on blog posts and reviews. Sorry about that! But now that the hubby's busy season is over (and he doesn't need my help until next year) and Halloween has come and gone, and all the GLAHW activities have calmed the fuck down for a while, I can get back to a more normal blogging schedule!

I'll post my Ipsy, 3B, and Universal Yums soon but for now, I have an overflowing Morgue Drawer that needs cleansing and sanitation. STAT! This will be broken up into two parts because seriously, who the hell wants to read this kind of stuff for hours at a time? So I'll do my best to get through this as quickly as possible!

First up is the short list of random stuff!

Bath and Body Works Foaming Hand Wash Ghoul Friend: I don't really have any deep feelings about foaming hand wash except it's kind of fun to use. BBW had a Halloween themed line of scents and this is one of 3 or 4 that I purchased. The strawberry and peony scents meld very well in this product. I loved it! Kinda sad when we finished it off. *le sigh*

Bath and Body Works Lavender Honey Shower Gel: The gel itself is very nice. Not drying. The scent leaves a lot to be desired though. I got a lot of honey off of it but not so much the lavender. Will not purchase again.

Dove Advanced Care Solid Deodorant: I thought it was good at first but the more I used it, the less it worked. Which is weird. Their 48 hour claim is pretty much horse shit.

Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste: The Sensodyne brand is awesome at relieving sensitivity in your choppers. The gentle whitening is a bit too gentle because I didn't notice any whitening going on at all. So I'll step up to their next level and let you know how it goes. But again, for sensitivity, this stuff is great.

Now for body and face lotions.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel: I talked about this in a PD, GFY post a while back. Finally used up this little tube. This product is fantastic. Smells great and really works at locking in moisture overnight. My skin felt great every morning after I used this. I hope that when I get the full size it works as well. I've been set up with samples before that are disappointing in full size. I'll let you know.

Hada Labo Gel: This is what I'm talking about. The sample of this was so good that the hubby commented the next morning on how great my skin looked. The full size was total shit. I had to use a huge amount or my face felt tight and dry the next morning. And I'm pretty sure this stuff made me break out a little. I didn't even finish the jar. I just couldn't take it anymore. LAME.

H2O Deep Sleep Recovery Cream: I didn't notice any difference in my skin after using this. Disappointing.

Eco Beauty Night Cream: I liked the face wash from this brand that I got from Ipsy a while back. So imagine my disappointment when this face cream didn't turn out to be anything special. It didn't smell as good as the cleanser, either. This brand is pretty pricey, too, so I won't be purchasing a full size.

Baume D'Amour Lotion: This is weird shit. It smells great when you first put it on. Eventually, though, you smell like a plastics factory. Also, after an hour, it's still tacky on the skin. So....no.

L'Occitane Milk Concentrate Lotion: The smell is okay but it does feel really nice on the skin.

Nivea Extended Moisture: I don't have super dry skin but I got this sample in my Walmart beauty box (I think) so why not try it anyway? This stuff is no bullshit. After two days, my skin felt awesome! I just had enough to put on my legs but that was enough for a test. If I didn't have to take a shower, I bet my skin would have felt wonderful even beyond the 48 hours. 

And finally the face masks/serums!

Burts Bees Renewal Intensive Firming Serum: I really like this stuff. I don't know how much it firms but my skin feels great when I use this serum. I started using it morning and night because it's so lightweight and I only use a couple drops. It smells and feels nice. I've already repurchased.

Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion: Made no difference in my skin whatsoever.

Philosophy Serum: Made no difference in my skin whatsoever.

Montagne Jeunesse Masks: the Green Tea peel off smelled the most artificial. Did not like it. The Anti Stress was all right. Smelled okay. The Black Seaweed is the 3rd or 4th one I've used. I love this peel off mask. Smells kinda funky but I can get past it when my skin feels as soft as an android's bottom after using it.

Pure Source Bamboo Sheet Mask: I LOVED THIS MASK! Got it in my 3B and held on to it for as long as possible. It was the only sheet mask I had in my arsenal so I'm very sad it's gone. I may splurge and buy a few of these (I think I talked about it in my 3B review - that it's a little pricey for a sheet mask but it's worth it).

And so concludes Part I of my Morgue Drawer. I hope you enjoyed it! Part II will be out next week sometime. So tremble in antici.....

3B September 2015 Beauty Box

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

https://the3bbox.com/

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

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

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

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

Overall I'm really happy with this month!

Walmart Beauty Box Fall 2015

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

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

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

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

PDs, GFYs, and MEHs - September 2015 Edition

Well, August kind of got away from me so I'll be combining it with September for this list of Panty Droppers, Go Fuck Yourselves, and Mehs. 

First, let's get to the good stuff. (I didn't take pics of everything in each category - just the stuff that was close at hand!)

For my beauty PD products, I've got these three pictured above. Almay Smart Shade CC cream, the Rimmel Fix & Perfect face primer, and the Neutrogena Hydro gel. I love the CC cream because it's a nice shade match for me and it's not heavy or full coverage (which I prefer). I do feel like my natural oiliness comes through but I don't look greasy, does that make sense? The Rimmel primer is awesome. It looks and feels like a light lotion but it really sinks into the skin and it doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything (on my face, pervs). The Hydro gel was a sample and it smelled awesome! It worked really well, too, so I'm hoping when I get the full size, it won't disappoint me like the Hada Labo gel did.

For food, I've got two things for you:

Annie's Cheddar Bunnies and Animal Crackers. I've only tried the snack products from this company. The extra cheesy cheddar bunnies are better than the regular and the animal crackers are wonderful. They kind of taste like the original animal crackers we all grew up on (us old people, anyway) but they are much more dense. I believe all of their products are natural, possibly organic (don't quote me) and their business practices aim for social responsibility. I've found these at Target, Meijers, and Value Center. You've got to try some! www.annies.com

Oreo Pumpkin Spice: I know, I know. Everything is turning up pumpkin spice right now because Fall. I, personally, am not a freak about it. I don't run out and get anything and everything in this scent or flavor (most pumpkin candles make me barf and I don't need my coffee to taste like a gourd). HOWEVER, Oreos are some of my favorite cookies and when I saw these, I had to try them. I believe they came out last year but the are limited edition each fall. AND THEY ARE AMAZEBALLS! If you like pumpkin pie, you'll like these.

The last thing is not a product but a technique. I'm probably the last one to jump on this bandwagon but from watching Emily Noel on YouTube (emilynoel83), I discovered how awesome it is to apply cream blush with a stippling brush. It makes it so much easier to blend out the product that you just can't get with your fingers. Who knew? (everyone besides me, I'm sure)

Now for the Go Fuck Yourselves:

Beauty and Hair was all about the uselessness these past months. For hair: the Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo (good thing because I hate to think your mom sucks ass) and the Ulta brand Smooth and Protect shampoo/conditioner. I've tried multiple brands of dry shampoo. I love Batiste but the smell can be cloying so I wanted to see if I could find something just as good. Nooooope. NYM's dry shampoo was completely useless, unless I sprayed on half a can which mostly went straight to my lungs. The Ulta shampoo and conditioner did nothing to smooth or protect my hair. It dried it out even more and if I were transformed into a muppet, I'd be the frizz monster who lives with the dust bunnies and spare change under your couch.

The makeup that seriously disappointed me was the Catrice liquid eyeliner and Colour Pop's ultra matte liquid lipstick. I wanted to try the Catrice brand because Keerstin on YouTube (ItsKeerstin) talked about it a lot. Before Ulta brought it into their stores/on-line, you could only get in Europe. So I was excited to try a few things once they got stateside. This eyeliner was terrible. It took forever to dry and even if I DIDN'T open my eyes, or move or breathe in any way, it still smudged. Which is interesting because when I tried to take it off, it was near impossible! What the fuck, Catrice?

The ColourPop matte liquid lipsticks make me mad. I love the brand (I have several lippie stix, blushes, and highlighters that I love) so when these mattes came out, I was super excited. Now I just want to punch someone. The colors are nice but the formula is so drying as to be painful. They set within seconds so don't fuck up. And if it looks patchy, too fucking bad because if you put on a second layer, it clumps together or just wipes off the original application. Then when you WANT to take them off, you basically need a jackhammer and some napalm. They. Are. Awful. I want to apologize to my friend, MontiLee, for giving her the pink color I ordered (it didn't look right on me but I thought she might enjoy it). I'm so so so sorry.

And finally, the MEHs.

I think most of my Meh's work well for other people but just not for me. Which is why they are just okay.

Three primers I tried: Benefit's Porefessional; Smashbox Photo Finish; and Catrice Prime & Fine. I'm pretty sure the Porefessional and Prime & Fine broke me out (gods dammit, Catrice!). The Smashbox is a silicone primer and with my oily skin, it doesn't work. It also balls up when I put the Almay CC over it so...no.

The Maybelline Lash sensational mascara (in the pink tube) was just so wet and gloppy. Most people say to just give it time to dry out a bit, but mine never got there. I'll work with shadows and maybe blushes but not mascara. That's one thing that needs to work as is straight out of the tube.

I also got a body wash from Bath & Body Works in a Honey Lavender scent. It's a good shower gel but the scent leaves a lot to be desired. I don't get much lavender from it and the honey smells weird. I've only got a little bit left so once that's done I'm getting back to my Jasmine Vanilla!!

That's it for this edition. Hopefully I'll get back to monthly reviews on this stuff! But let's not count on that just yet. Busy season at the hubby's store is in full swing and I help out when he needs me. I may not be back until November...