Errrr...Sorry About That!

Apparently I haven't posted since April, so I guess I need to get on that!

Just a quick summary of how things are going:

I've solved my eyeliner woes.  I was recommended Stila's waterproof eyeliner marker pen thingie, and holy moly it has changed my life!  It is so easy to use and goes on so perfectly and doesn't smudge or smear.  I can literally sleep on it and wake up and wear it again the next day!

Birchbox is still going strong.  I'm especially excited that I got to pick my own nail polish for the July box!

May 2014 Birchbox.  Traded that lipgloss with my BFF for a bright pink instead of coral!

June 2014 box.  Pretty decent stuff!

I tried Ipsy...and after receiving my third bag and the eyeliner explosion that ruined one of my shirts, I promptly cancelled my subscription.  They did send me a new eyeliner and a bonus item, but it was too little too late, and the eyeliner was a cheap imitation of the the Stila featured above anyway.

In OTHER NEWS!  I've decided to give StitchFix a go!  I love shopping, but hate styling myself and I've never felt that I'm good at coordinating accessories/outfits, so I'm super stoked to have someone do that for me!  If you don't know what the service is, you pay $20 and fill out a style profile and someone picks five items of clothes for you, and you keep what you like.  The $20 styling fee can be used towards the purchase of an item from your fix.  If you keep all five items, you get them at a discount.  I'm a little nervous, as I'm scared my clothes will be pricey, but I'm excited at the same time.

If any of you are interested, please feel free to use my referral code!  And of course I'll blog my fix when I receive it!

Also...I HAVE PINK HAIR!!! YAY SUMMER BREAK!!!

And I got my septum pierced.

Eyeliner on point!  Thanks Stila!

Until next time! :)

April Birchbox: Rainy Days

Sorry it seems it has been a while since my last update.  I will definitely post why towards the end of this entry.  I just wanted to say that I received my April Birchbox, themed Rainy Days, this week and I was very pleased! :)

This time around I received an eyebrow gel, a tinted CC cream with SPF, a gel exfoliator, a very pretty minty-green nail polish from Color Club, and a Kind bar.  I'm excited about the Kind bar (I'm totally hoarding it for when I get super hungry and can REALLY enjoy it).

Here is the enclosed card with the full products list:

I especially loved the color scheme of this particular box with the aqua colored tissue paper instead of the usual dark pink.  It was a nice change that really complimented the theme.

As for the products, the only thing I'm not too crazy about is the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow gel.  I don't really do much to my brows except pluck them on occasion.  I did try the gel, but didn't notice anything different except that my eyebrows felt kind of stiff and I couldn't stop touching them.  I have a friend that was crazy excited about the sample, however, so I have a home for it.  Glad I could help someone out. :)

And I'll definitely review each item as I use it.  I have found that I am still REALLY stoked about the Coola tinted matte moisturizer I received last month.  It doesn't really do much for me on the moisturizing front, but I love how it evens out my tone and provides SPF.  I wore it to the beach this week and was pretty pleased.  I'm definitely considering using my points to purchase the full-size.


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As for why I haven't been posting much - I have been dealing with some stressful news.  Both of my older dogs have been diagnosed with heartworms and have started their four-month treatment.  The procedure is very costly and so I have set up a GoFundMe page for anyone who is interested in making a contribution, however tiny.  Every little bit helps.  If you are interested in giving, or can share the page, please do.  Thanks. <3

The Oops Birchbox Arrived!

I got my second Birchbox in the mail yesterday.  Only one overlap in products between the two boxes, and that is the Air Repair lip balm stuff (that I really didn't even like, so meh).

Here's a picture:

A lotion, a hair serum (LOVE hair care product samples so MUCH), a cleanser and lotion set (excited the lotion is oil-free!), and an eyeliner pencil.  I am a little iffy about this eyeliner pencil...it is metallic pea green, called "Lagoon green."  I'm just barely getting the hang of wearing black eyeliner, so green seems a little more adventurous than I am ready for.  Not to mention that I just don't think that pea green is my color and I can't imagine matching it to a single thing in my wardrobe.  Why not send the purple or blue, which are for sell on the website?  Those are fun colors that I could match to lots of things!  Ah well, it'll be interesting.  I'll definitely post pictures and a review when I get around to trying it!

Secretly just let me say that I'm happy this was NOT the first box I received this month...I would have been just slightly disappointed.  My first box was pretty amazing.  I'm still getting around to sampling some of the stuff, though.  I'm going to try the Curl Keeper this weekend.  I'm always scared to try new stuff on days before I head to work; you never know how it might turn out!

Um...What's Up, Birchbox?

So I love my Birchbox coming in monthly.  I especially loved it when I figured out that I could review my products on their website during the month and earn points for those reviews.  But all of a sudden the website isn't cooperating with me?!

So on my account page, it shows my FEBRUARY shipping information, although at one point it did show March.  Then my March box disappeared from my "Boxes" page.  When I emailed about this, they assumed that I didn't get my box and shipped me another one.  Okay?  I'm really excited about getting a second box this month, but really I just wanted the website to work?!  So I emailed again and tried to clarify my problem, this time including screencaps.  Now my March box preview works (at one point I was seeing the March 2012 box preview and wow, what I tease/let down that was; it was amazing!), but it is for the new box and not the products I received in the original box.

Also it seems that I got my March box almost a week earlier than my other friends, so I'm not sure if there is some sort of glitch on their end or what?  So yeah, expect another unboxing for March's Spring Forward box...the preview is showing only one sample overlap.  I feel a little guilty, but I think my original email was straightforward and they misinterpreted it.  I suppose it is pretty amazing customer service!

March Birchbox Reviews: Skin Care

Hello Again!

[hi! <--Corbin typed that!]

So far I've tried two of the products in my March Birchbox: the Vasanti BrightenUp! enzymatic face rejuvenator and the Coola tinted mineral sunscreen.

Last night I used the rejuvenator.  Basically it is papaya enzymes and microcrystals that you apply to your damp face in small circular motions.  It works as an exfoliator, and it smells pretty decent.  It did make my face feel a little tingly, but after I rinsed it away, my face felt sooo smooth and wonderful.  It says I can use it 3-5 times a week, and I might just take them up on that offer.  I'd like to try it in the mornings in lieu of my usual salicylic acid facewash just to see if it makes a difference in how dry my skin ends up.  As it is, my face gets super dried out after using my facewash and I have to drench it in moisturizer.

Speaking of moisturizer...usually I use Clinique's gel moisturizer for oily combination skin.  I love that it isn't a lotion because it soaks right into my skin and doesn't leave an oily residue.  This morning after washing my face, I used the Coola tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 sunscreen.  I LOVE the matte finish and I love that is seemed to even out my tone (I get red areas around my mouth), but I still don't know if it was ENOUGH moisture.  I want to try it again on a day that I didn't use my face wash and my face isn't already feeling super dried out.  I liked it enough that I am definitely excited about trying it again and possibly purchasing the full size.  With the way it evened out my tone, it is like a moisturizer (which I already use) and a concealer in one, and that would save me time and make my skin look nice!

My face after 9 hours at work!

Ignore the sling...I have a Grade I AC joint sprain.  Yay roller derby!

I think my skin looks fantastic here!  So I'm pretty pleased with the products.  I will definitely edit this post if I find that anything changes.  Now on to that Curl Keeper...

March Birchbox - Spring Forward

Yay, it is here!  My Birchbox for March, themed Spring Forward, arrived in the mail today!

This was a pretty good haul, although I kind of freak out at how many skin products I was sent.  There is a "rescue balm," a tinted sunscreen (interested in this product for sure, but what if the tint doesn't match m skin?!), an enzymatic face rejuvenator (sounds like it'll be good for exfoliation), a styling lotion for curly/frizzy hair, and tea and chocolates.



Here is the front and the back of the card that came in the box:

And of course a close-up of the box contents:

So I'll be trying out these products over the next few days and I'll let you know what the final verdict is.  I had an AMAZING detangling/conditioning spray in a past Birchbox called Beauty Protector that I absolutely fell in love with and bought the full-size, so I've been using that for my after-washing hair styling.  I'm interested to see how the Curl Keeper compares.  And with it getting warm and sunny outside and the beach being in my near future, I'm definitely interested in anything with SPF in it!

Hello Friends!

It has been a long time since I've actively blogged, so I decided to start a blog about my adventures in becoming the girly girl that I've always aspired to be. I've never been one for hair and makeup, although I envy the looks that other girls are so good at creating. I'm very low maintenance - my hair routine consists of washing, conditioning, brushing, and running. I've recently figured out how to style and trim my own bangs (after a good decade of trying) and I've subscribed to two subscription boxes: Birchbox and Ipsy.

I've been receiving Birchbox since November and I absolutely LOVE IT. I have been doing mini-reviews of my box on my Instagram, but I would love to include things in more detail. And since I'm also now going to be receiving Ipsy glam bag, I'm keen on doing a comparison of the two.

Wish me luck, friends! Perhaps after a little while I can truly consider myself to be the girly girl I've always aspired to be!