Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Beauty Box Five Review - October

 First of all, I finally posted on my Pretty Little Beauty Swap box....you can see that here!

Another Beauty Box Five!  Haha this is starting to get fun.  I wonder how many months I will keep getting this before they finally realize I no longer actually subscribe and pay?

Really though, should I feel bad?

Anyways, as I’ve said, this box is $12 a month. I think it is $10 a month if you get a 3 or 6 month subscription.

The theme this month is “Take It Easy.”
So here it is….the October Beauty Box Five box! 

  1. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion – 1 oz.
This right here is exactly why I cancelled this box. Regular old lotion. Really?  What a waste.
            Full Size: $6.99 for 8 oz. My Value:$0.87

  1. Swissco Glitter Toe Separators – 2 pieces (FULL SIZE)
Ooo toe separators. Not. I don’t think I have ever used these things.  They are useless to me!
Full Size: $2.00 My Value: $2.00

     3. La Fresh Travel Lite Facial Cleansing Wipes – 8 wipes
I like getting facial cleansing wipes because they are handy sometimes, but this isn’t anything new. I’m not impressed with these either.
Full Size: $19.99 for 48 wipes My Value: $3.33

      4. Nubar Alter Ego Nail Lacquer in – .25 oz.
I guess this is an ok color.  I mean, who doesn’t like glitter?  It will be pretty for the fall too. I wish I painted my nails more though!
Full Size: $8.00 .5 oz. My Value:$4.00

      5. Model Co Cheek and Lip Tint – .16 oz.
This is the only thing in this box that seems really worth it to me.  I probably won’t use it as a cheek tint (I’d end up looking like a clown I’m sure of it) but I like it as a lip tint. I am hoping the color coverage is good!
Full Size: $22.00 .33 oz. My Value:$10.66

Final Cost: $12.00
Final Value: $20.86

This month’s box is a perfect example of why I cancelled Beauty Box Five in the first place.   It is full of silly little things cheap things.  Regular old lotion? Boring! I love the other boxes (like Ipsy and Lip Factory) because there is a much better variety and usually they are brands I don’t know much about.

Obviously, I don’t plan on signing up again nor would I recommend it to anyone.  Although, if they keep sending me free ones I will obviously accept!

What beauty boxes do you get that you really like?

(Also, I swear I’m not a review blog….I just like sharing these things in hopes that other people will get to have the same fun that I do!  I am not compensated in any way.)
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Monday, October 28, 2013

Maryland - The Final Day!

As you read earlier this month I had an awesome time in Maryland finally meeting C’s family.

What made the trip even more exciting was what we did our final day there….

We went to Washington D.C. for a Redskins game!

If you don’t already know, C and I want to see a game at every NFL stadium sometime during our lives.  It’s on our bucket list.

We’ve both been to a few different stadiums, but not together. Heck, he’s even played in a bunch of them.  We thought it would be a lot of fun to accomplish them all together though.

His family lives about equal distance from the Baltimore Ravens as the Washington Redskins, so the game we chose was determined by who was playing in town.  The Redskins it was!  This also happened to be the first Monday night game of the entire season!

Needless to say, I was very excited!
Our Nations Capitol
 We headed to D.C. earlier in the day and decided to do some exploring before the game. I wish we would have had more time, but we ended up getting stuck in a lot of traffic.  We did get a chance to visit the Smithsonian Museum though, which was pretty awesome.


I was in awe of the dinosaur bones.  I mean, how cool is that?!?  They had the Hope diamond on display as well….a girl can dream :)

Best pic I could get of the Hope diamond
After the museum and trying but failing to find the MLK memorial we headed to Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland. 


I wasn’t sure if I was going to root for a specific team, but I thought I’d at least support the home team by wearing their colors….kind of.  I chose to wear a black top and red pants, but I guess the Redskins are more maroon. Oops! Oh well, at least I tried.

The game was so much fun!  They were playing the Eagles or at least trying to.  They were down almost the whole game and still ended up losing.
Empty Stadium


Players practicing
Super full Monday Night Football Stadium!
After the game we hopped back on the freeway after grabbing burgers and shakes and heading back to C’s hometown.  We got back probably around midnight and had to wake up and drive almost all the way back that way to the airport….I supposed we should have stayed near the city! Oh well.


I had a great time in Maryland and I seriously can’t wait to go back! C’s family was amazing and I am really glad I got the chance to meet them all :)

Have you met your significant others family?  How did it go?!?
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Thursday, October 24, 2013

That Friday Blog Hop

Hey All!  So today I am co-hosting a new blog hop with my friends Rebecca and Chrissy!  Make sure you say hello to them!

This blog hop is meant for anyone and everyone to join in and find other great blogs to read. 
You are welcome to link up anything from your blog, any & all social media {and everything in-between}

Please follow each host via ♥Bloglovin' by clicking on the buttons below

          

Also, take a moment to check out this week's co-host as well.

That Friday Blog Hop

Grab the button if you would like and tweet about the blog hop.
If you are interested in being a co-host for an upcoming week, please let one of us know.

Our co-host this week is Justine from Sleepy Single Girl.
Stop by her blog and say hello.

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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Ipsy Bag Review - October

It’s the moooosttt wonderful time of the month!  (Are you singing it in your head like I am?)

Ipsy bag time!

I can’t say it enough, this is my absolute favorite bag to get for the price!  If you are looking to start a beauty subscription, I would definitely try Ipsy first.

As you know this box is $10 a month and it’s my absolute favorite!  I always love pretty much everything that I get.
So here we go….October’s Ispy bag! 

  1. Coastal Scents  Medium Shadow Brush - (FULL SIZE)
Ah I love this!  Coastal Scents is an awesome eye shadow brand (when you are looking for a lot of different colors) so I love seeing a brush from them.  I am seriously using a brush that is from Ulta and probably 6 years old. I think it is high time I used a new brush. Can’t wait to try this one out!
            Full Size: $2.49 My Value: $2.49

  1. Zoya Nail Polish in Neve - .05 oz. (FULL SIZE)
I really wish this were in another color.  I will never, ever wear blue polish on my fingers or my toes.  Bummer.
Full Size: $8.00 My Value: $8.00

     3. Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion - .1 oz.
I’m sure you know I am not a huge fan of receiving lotion in my beauty boxes, but I do have to say this one is pretty awesome. It seriously smells amazing! It’s organic too and not sticky at all, which I love!  It does look a little oily at first, but that goes away quickly.
Full Size: $9.99 8 oz.  My Value:$1.25

      4. Sexy Hair Texturizing Spray Clay– 1.4 oz.
Ok I’m not gonna lie, I have no clue what in the world “spray clay” is! The description says it creates a textured look with a matte finish. Again, what would I use this for??  I think  I am going to try and use it as a spray gel and see if it hold my curl on lazy days.
Full Size: $18.95 4.4 oz.  My Value:$6.03

       5. Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple– .14 oz. (FULL SIZE)
This is pretty awesome.  The color is really bright, which you wouldn’t normally expect from a “tinted” balm.  I think it’s a little bit bright for me, but I am going to try to break out of the norm for me with this product. The red color is a perfect shade for me, not too orangey.  The application is a bit weird and the container is bulky, but I have high hopes for this!
Full Size: $14.99 My Value: $14.99

Final Cost: $10.00
Final Value: $32.76

I can’t say this is my favorite bag from Ipsy, but I certainly don’t hate it either!  I think the nail polish color just really bums me out.  I have yet to get a nail polish from a beauty box that I actually really liked and used! The final value isn’t as high as normal either, but again, it’s still a great deal.

I still definitely suggest Ipsy, the products are great and the price is amazing!

If you’d like to give it a try you can sign up here! (I highly suggest it!)

(Also, I swear I’m not a review blog….I just like sharing these things in hopes that other people will get to have the same fun that I do!  I am not compensated in any way.)
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Monday, October 21, 2013

Pretty Little Beauty Swap Link-Up Time!


Hello Pretty Little Beauty Swappers!

Chelsee and I hope your first swap was amazing and you got everything you ever wanted!

I was paired with Tori from A Little Leigh Way and she is such a sweet girl.   I am really glad I got to know her!

So....I finally got my box!!!  I actually received it last week after some shipping snafus, but I've been traveling for work so I wasn't able to show it all off.
Please ignore how dirty my counter is...yes, that is cheese

I absolutely loved what I got!  I think Tori nailed it right on the head.  I can't believe in just a month she was able to perfect my love of makeup :)

The first thing I saw when I opened the package was the InStyle Beauty magazine.  I mean, how thoughtful is that?  Not only did I get makeup I love, but I got a magazine to read all about beauty!  I am so bummed I forgot to bring it on my trip. It would have been great airplane material!

Next up I saw the cute little makeup bag.  I love the look of this one and I know I will definitely be using it soon!

Inside wrapped in pretty blue tissue I got an awesome  Maybelline bundle!

1) Masterduo 2-in-1 Glossy Liner - I told Tori how I am terrible with eyeliner pens. I am so happy she sent liquid!  I can't wait to try this...you can do thick AND thin lines with it!
2) Luminous Lights eye shadow quad - The colors in this are right up my alley!  So pretty. I actually took this pallet on my trip with me and used it every day!

3) Color Show nail polish in Born With it - Um? This color is perfect!  If I paint my nails, it is always a neutral and feminine color.  I love that this is just the right amount of pink. I will be painting my nails with this soon!

4) NYC clear nail polish - Ok this isn't actually Maybelline brand, but it goes perfectly with the product above.  I think it is so thoughtful that she included a clear nail polish as well. I mean, I just ran out of mine so its totally perfect timing!
5) Colorsensational lipstick in Born With It - This is my favorite product of the bunch! I love that the name matches with the polish, clearly they are a pair. That or Maybelline isn't very creative haha. I have worn this lipstick all week as well.  I have always thought nude lipsticks look very odd on me, so I was excited to see that this is like a "fresh" version of nude.   It has just enough pink to it that it doesn't look skin tone color. Does that make sense? Also, and this is going to sound odd, it smells so good!  I love lipsticks that have a scent to them!

I am sooooo happy that Chelsee and I decided to go for it and start this swap.  I hope everyone loved it as much as I did!

If you participated, you can link up below!  I can't wait to see what everyone else got!





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Friday, October 18, 2013

I Don't Have the Plague!

First of all, I have been totally under the weather for almost two weeks now. It is driving me nuts…I just can’t shake it!  I only spent a few days in bed, but I have this terrible cough that just won’t go away.  Do you know how people look at you when you have a cough? Like you have the plague!  It’s not fun.
I finally broke down and went to one of those little health clinics in Walgreens. I can’t say enough about those clinics, they are great. It’s the same cost as going to my regular doctor, but I can just drop in any time I want.  My doctor usually tries to give me an appointment two weeks out….hello I am sick now!
Anywho the nurse practitioner seems to think my cough is acid reflux related, but I think she’s nuts.  I don’t think you randomly get sick and spend days in bed from acid reflux….not to mention I don’t have any heartburn. Oh well, I’m going to take the meds anyways! I’m really hoping I can kick it this weekend.
While I have been sick C has been very gracious and we have watched A LOT of TV. You guys, starting last Monday we have watched almost 2 1/2 seasons of the Walking Dead!  How crazy is that?  We only have 4 episodes left until we are completely caught up.  I can’t believe we watched it that fast.

I also can’t believe I like it so much!  I am not a huge fan of zombies and such, but this show is really good. I thought for sure I’d hate it, but alas, I am now a fan of zombies.  Do you watch the Walking Dead?  I finally see what all the hype is about!
I’ve also had a little more time to read while being sick.  I tried to take a couple of baths to see if that helped and I usually read a lot during them.  I tried Epsom salts…I didn’t really see any difference from a regular bath though. Is there a right way to do an Epsom salt bath? I am almost completely finished with the Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls and I still don’t like it.  I think maybe it’s because I am so angry at the parents for the way they treated their children? Has anyone else read this book? My next book will be Inferno by Dan Brown. C started it Monday and is almost halfway through.  I think that means it is good right?
Speaking of C, he surprised me with this piece of awesomeness from Sephora the other day!  I mean, looks at all of those lip glosses and lipsticks!!!  It’s quite amazing. He knows I am addicted to lip products and surprised me with it last Thursday night. It was great timing because I was a little mad about something and that fixed it right up. I totally forgot what I was even mad about.  I hope that taught him a mini lesson hehe. 

At first I thought a lot of the colors were intimidating, but I am breaking out of my shell!  I've already worn a deep red, a bright red and a bright pink! I have tried a few others as well, this kit is seriously awesome!
Well that’s it for my life right now….how is everyone else?!?Image and video hosting by TinyPic


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Lip Factory Review - October

I got my second Lip Factory box!

Last month I started a new subscription and I really loved it, so I was quite excited to get a second box.  I wanted to see if I would be just as pleased with it.

Lip Factory is a monthly beauty box that is $22 a month (S&H included) and comes with 5-7 products each time.  The box aims to give you a “full face” of makeup, but its main focus is on…lips of course! 

This month’s theme was “Welcome the Fall.”



So here we go….the October Lip Factory box! 

  1. Alcone Make-Off Makeup Remover wipes– 1 wipe
Interesting, I got a makeup remover wipe last box. I think that’s kind of fun!  Get a box of makeup, get a way to take it off! I love these little packages. They are so convenient to carry with you
            Full Size: $6.00 12 individually wrapped wipes My Value: $0.50

  1. Befine Warming Clay Mask– .05 oz.
This clay mask is touts that it is “food skin care.”  Well that sounds interesting!  This particular one is made from cardamom, arnica and pomegranate. It is used to purify your skin and becomes warm on contact for a facial detox. I can’t wait to try this!  I am hoping it smells really good.
Full Size: $25.00 5 oz.  My Value:$2.50

  1. Palladio Baked Blush in Rosey– .09 oz. (FULL SIZE)
This is a really pretty blush!  It’s the perfect rosey pink to give you a good color but not look too pink.  It has a pretty little sparkle to it as well.  Love it!
Full Size: $7.00  My Value: $7.00

     4.   29 Cosmetics Dew Lip Gloss in Lay it Down Cab - .18 oz. (FULL SIZE)
This Dew lip gloss has grape seed extract to help protect and nourish your lips.  That’s something I haven’t heard of before.  It’s also meant to be “age protecting” which sounds fancy. You know my love of lip gloss!  The real test will be if it dries out my lips!  This red-ish color is a bit bright for me, but I am excited to give it a try.  Bright isn’t always bad!
Full Size: $24.00 My Value: $24.00

     5.  michaelmarcus Lip Gloss in Romance - .17 oz. (FULL SIZE)
Yay! Another lip gloss!  You all know my love for these.  I absolutely love this color! It’s kind of what I imagine to be my perfect color.  I am so happy to get this. The texture is a little thin….like it takes a lot to really cover my lips.  I’m hoping that doesn’t mean it’s only going to last for ten minutes at a time! The only thing I find odd is that the packaging says it “uses a lot of pigment for a longer wearing lip gloss.”  Hmm….not believable to me!
Full Size: $22.00 My Value: $22.00

    6.  michaelmarcus Cake Eyeliner Compact in Trashy- .17 oz. (FULL SIZE)
This eyeliner is dry, so you wet a brush and use it.  That seems like a nice concept and might actually work well for this gel eyeliner lover.  I am anxious to try this. The container is really cool too!  It is refillable. So basically, the middle piece with the actually liner is attached by a magnet so if you use this up, you can buy a new liner or shadow to put in there!  I checked them out and each new shadow is $18 and liner is $20.  That’s a bit pricey for me….
Full Size: $20.00 My Value: $20.00

BONUS:

    7.   J.cat Lip Liner in Burgundy - .01 oz. (FULL SIZE)
This is to go with probably both of the lip glosses so that is nice. I don’t use lip liner very often, but maybe it is time to start?? It also is self-sharpening which is nice!
Full Size: $2.49  My Value: $2.49


Final Cost: $22.00
Final Value: $78.49

Holy cow I love this box! The value is absolutely worth it!  I am so happy that this second box was just as good as the first, if not better.  That means that the first amazing box wasn’t a fluke :)

What do you think?

If you’d like to sign up…..use my referral number? Pretty please?  It’s 385223.

(Also, I swear I’m not a review blog….I just like sharing these fun things! I have not been compensated for this review.)

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Monday, October 14, 2013

I went to Maryland!

So…..I finally met C’s family! I am a little late on this, but C and I went to Maryland  in early September for about a week.  We had a great time!

I was really nervous about finally meeting his family.  Not only does he have 4 very close siblings, he has 60+ cousins and most of them are close as well!  Talk about overwhelming!

We arrived in Baltimore late afternoon and set to driving about two hours south to the very tip of Maryland.  I was in love with the state already.  Maryland has so many trees….it’s gorgeous.  I am kind of obsessed with trees, I think it’s because there aren’t very many here in Arizona!

By the time we finally got to C’s brothers house (where we were staying) it was dark.  The family was all sitting around on the back porch while one of his brothers manned the BBQ.  Talk about intimidating! Everyone was so excited to see us though (ok well mostly just him I’m sure) and all had plenty to say.  I was really tired from traveling (we had gotten up 15 hours earlier) but we stayed up talking for a couple more hours.

The next day C and I set to exploring.  He took me down to a place called Point Lookout, which is at the very tip of Maryland. Doesn’t it sound like some sort of cool teenage make-out spot? From this little state park area, you can actually see  Virgina, which I thought was really cool.  There were even beaches, though not like any I had ever seen. There were on the edge of a forest, so there were pine cones in the sand! So odd.

We went to a few of his cousins houses and visited with them and then he took me took Buffalo Wild Wings. You guys, I am so addicted to this place.  I HAVE to go every Thursday (60 cent wings, what what!).  C know that so even though we were in another state he let me have my fix. So awesome.
That night (very very late night) my brother arrived!  He drove all the way from upstate New York that afternoon and arrived around1am.   He was supposed to get there way earlier that day, but the darn movers were running a few hours late.


The next day we did some more exploring and…..we went crabbing!  Oh my goodness it was so much fun!  Have you guys ever gone crabbing? Basically, you tie a piece of raw chicken (chicken necks are best, we used breast) onto the end of a basic piece of string.  Obviously, I let C do that part.  Then you put the chicken in the water and tie it to the dock or somewhere sturdy.  Every once in a while you tug gently on the string and if you have a crab, you can kind of feel it. Other times, you can actually see the string “walking away” in the water! Then you very slowly start to pull the string out of the water. Those little buggers are quite greedy so they hang on to the chicken, even though they are clearly moving towards the surface.  When you can see the crab just below the surface you take a fishing net and scoop the crab and chicken out of the water.  You have to be really fast though, crab can swim at lightning speed!

Of course, it’s a great idea to bring beer with you while you are crabbing as well :)

I loved crabbing so much that I made C take me 3 days in a row! Obsessed much?? I think I just liked the fun of wondering if there was a crab on the line and then having the skills to catch it before it swam away!
Midnight crabbing :)

Now…eating the crab?  That’s another story! We got home the first night and C set to boiling the few that we had caught.  After they were properly steamed and seasoned, he taught my brother and I how to eat them.  Pull off the outer shell, scoop out the guts with your finger, pluck out the heart, peel off the lungs, eat. Can you guess which step I stopped at?

I still don’t know what a Maryland blue crab tastes like and I’m guessing that I never will!

One of the days C’s “best friend” came over.  Now, I had heard C mention his name once or twice, but he never mentioned they were that close. I quickly found out that the kid was kind of obsessed with C.  His family even joked about it.  Anywho, within 5 minutes of meeting him he was showing C and I pictures of a house he was redoing. As he’s sliding through his photos he passed several, um, inappropriate pictures that he had taken of his man bits. Um? So incredibly awkward.  Nice to meet you, here’s my man parts. I couldn’t look him in the eye the rest of the trip!

Unfortunately we did attend a funeral while we were there, but it made it a lot easier to see everyone that he wanted to see.  I was definitely not prepared for it to last as long as it did though….I guess I should have known better! Even though we were 15 minutes early, the church was already full. We ended up standing along the wall at the front of the church for 2 hours. Not my favorite.  Then the burial and banquet after lasted another 3 hours. At least that we know of, we didn’t stay. It was nice to get an opportunity to visit C’s mothers grave though, since it was at the same cemetery.  I really wish I could have met her, I just know she was an amazing woman.

Oh yeah, you guys, there isn’t a single Starbucks in his town!  The closest one was 20 minutes away.  Now, usually I don’t do Starbucks a ton, but on vacation I treat myself.  I usually go every day.  I was so bummed to not get a single Starbucks the entire 7 days I was gone! One day I tried some place called Donut Connection, but alas, it was not the same!

Well now that I’ve totally given myself a craving for Starbucks, I best go get one!  I mean….I did miss out on it for a full seven days. One day won’t hurt right?

Next time I will tell you about our last day there!

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