Essie Color Cube Giveaway Winner!

Hey guys!

I have the winner up from my Essie 2011 Resort Color Cube giveaway. The winner is...

Congratulations to Grace Horan! Please email me by the end of the week. :)

Product Reviews - Conscious Box December 2011

Hello, everyone!

I have a couple product reviews to share with you. I have the 22 Days Daily Mocha Bar, and Mineral Fusion Body Lotion in "Waterstone".

The first product I have is the Mocha Bar. Between my sample boxes and a diet, I've really been on a protein bar kick lately. I really did like this one, though I didn't think it was anything with a particular "wow" factor. I still liked it, though, and would definitely munch one again. It was very healthy, and very filling -- probably because high protein counts make my stomach happy. :)

 The next product I have for you right now is the Mineral Fusion Mineral Body Lotion in "Waterstone".

This is probably one of those admissions that will get me censored by some medical agency, but I actually used this on severely chapped lips (don't ingest your lotions, kids). It worked very well, and the chapping was gone in a few days. I also used it on my hands. I can't get over how much I liked the scent. It also lasts really well. I had a little carton of the lotion, and I still have some left.

It's also very inexpensive -- the fullsize I show on the left is only $10.22 on Amazon. :)

These are two products I really recommend!

Birchbox - January 2012

Happy weekend, everyone! Don't forget that my Essie giveaway ends tomorrow!

I have my January 2012 Birchbox to share with you guys.

 

What did I get?

 

1. Borghese - CuraForte Moisture Intensifier  ($9.92)

2. Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy (?)

3. Jouer - Body Butter ($4.82)

4. Stila - Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in "Purple Tang" ($20.00)

5. Larabar - Mini Peanut Butter Cookie ($1.00)

= $35.74 value

I really liked my samples this month, though I wish I had received a Zoya in my box. :( I think the Stila is quite nice, though I'm not sure how much I'll wear the amethyst shade.

Product Review - Julep Nail Polish Remover Pad

What's on your nails? Right now I have OPI "Mermaid's Tears" on my right hand. I had one of the Color Icon glitters over it on my left hand, but managed to pick off all the glitter at work today, so tonight I need to add another coat to my right hand and actually paint my left hand from scratch.

A couple of weeks ago, I used my sample nail polish remover pad, which came in my January 2012 "It-Girl" Julep Maven box as a little extra. It was a great product -- a red felt nicely saturated with remover -- and it certainly removed all ten nails worth of polish. It probably could have done more, but I only had ten! I did use it to remove a creme, though, so it might have met its match with glitter.

I don't have a photo of the pads, but they're little red felt squares. :)

I hope they put these up for sale, because they would be a really nice travel supply.

Product Review - Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in "Sugar Pink"

This evening I have a beauty product to share with you. I have the Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in "Sugar Pink" today.

This was in my Birchbox for November, 2011. While I was happy to receive the product, though, I rarely to never wear bright pinks, so this was a real departure from my routine to wear.

The gloss is very sticky, and is applied with a little plastic paddle. This worked well -- when I could get enough product on the paddle. I think I used a lot of my gloss very quickly, though, because I've only applied it 5 or 6 times, and now to get any gloss on the paddle, I have to rescrew it into the little tube to reach the gloss that is left in there.

It lasts okay, though nothing too special. On the other hand, I didn't think it was any less durable than other lipglosses I have tried. It also didn't make my lips break out in a weird rash, which is always a plus.

I hope that Birchbox eventually sends me this sample in Bellini, the "peach" version of this sample.

Polish Review - Julep "Megan"

Wow, a hundred followers! This publicity is going to go to my noggin if you keep spoiling me! XD

I have a crazy busy day, but I wanted to knock out a couple of reviews, so keep an eye on this page today. Also make sure that you are entered for the Essie Color Cube giveaway! I will be ending this giveaway on the 29th, so enter soon! For now, I have Julep's "Megan" to share with you. This came in my January 2012 Maven "It-Girl" box, and was indeed the reason that I selected this box. It's a beauty!

 

Megan is #4, in the middle.

I loved this polish online on the Bombshell Julep Maven box, but I knew I would never wear its counterpart, a light pink. Luckily, Megan was available in It-Girl with two other lovelies. 

However, after I ordered, I started to worry that it would be a dupe for Revlon "Ocean". 

However, you can see Revlon Ocean here (#17) compared with Megan (#4) and you can tell that Ocean leans a little more green/teal, whereas Megan has more blue. You can also see that Megan applies with a lot less brushstrokes.

Megan is, however, definitely a metallic more than a shimmer. It's not quite a frost, but it leans a little in that direction, too.

While I admit that I had some nail carnage prior to wearing Megan, and I couldn't leave my nails alone, I did not think that it wore really well. However, it was really pretty while it did last (for about 2 days).

I love this color. I recommend it to everyone as soon as it comes available!

Product Review - Julep "Fast-Dry Topcoat"

 

I had one more quick review I wanted to get out to you guys today. For my December Julep Maven "Bombshell" box, I received a bottle of Julep's "Fast Dry Topcoat". 

I first used this with Julep "Demi". I had sort of thought that the topcoat was intended to be used as a topcoat to get the polish to dry faster, as many people have done with glitter sandwiches, etc. However, I had a bit of a rude shock when my topcoat turned a permanent shade of light-Demi as a result!

The topcoat itself seems to last nicely, though I don't know how much I can say for the durability-affecting qualities. Polishes (mostly Demi, since they seem to be a perma-pair) dried quicker than they would have normally, though as I said, beware, because the polish will tint the topcoat if they are not completely dry. The other way to get around this is to wipe off the brush between dips into the bottle.

The other strange thing about this topcoat is that it has the distinct eau of "skunk" during application. Afterwards, there is no trace of this, but it is kind of amusing to have "skunk" topcoat, I think. Unless you are diametrically opposed to anything vaguely skunklike, it isn't too bad.

... and why would you be diametrically opposed to skunks??

Polish Review - Julep "Hayden"

Hey guys! I have one of the polishes I chose to receive in my Julep Maven January 2012 "It-Girl" box. This month, "It-Girl" came with three lovely polishes. I was so happy to receive them because my usual style box, "Bombshell", had the Megan color I loved, but I knew I would probably never wear the pale, powder pink that accompanied it.

Julep 'Hayden" is one of their new colors coming out for the summer collection. It is a neon pastel peach creme, with strong orange undertones. It looks electric on my skintone -- I am very pale. I actually got some compliments on this one from some unexpected people (including a friend who's a guy!), so that was a nice bonus. It does definitely make a statement, and much more than you might think at first glance.

These were my only other orange-coral-pink cremes that presented any relationship (plus one random blue that joined the fun on the wheel), and as you can see, I do not have any similar shades. "Hayden" is very unique.

"Hayden" lasted on my nails fairly nicely, actually. I wore it for three days with only a little edgewear, though once it went, it went pretty quickly, with some nasty flaking halfway down my (short) nails.

Application was not too bad for a pastel. It was a little streaky -- this is definitely a three or four coater, depending on how thick your coats are. I let it dry overnight, because I did not space my coats very much. My experience is usually that these kinds of polishes take awhile to dry, so beware the pastel formula in general if you have to polish and go quickly.

Overall, this was my unexpected "like" out of my Julep box for January. :)

MyGlam - January 2012

I have one more new (albeit short-lived) subscription to share with you guys this month!

I decided to try subscribing to MyGlam, another recently-launched beauty subscription box. While the cost itself isn't so much of an issue, however, I really like to be impressed by subscriptions to maintain them rather than putting my own products together. While there was most certainly nothing wrong with MyGlam, and the price is very right, I did decide to put my account on hold for awhile. I did like this first bag, but I think I would have liked a few more samples. I plan to wait a little while and see if I'm lusting for other people's items before I pick it back up.

But for now, here is my January 2012 MyGlam Bag!

I think that they went out of their way to choose nice products, and I'm honestly not sure why this bag didn't strike more of a chord with me. I almost feel guilty that it didn't. Inside was:

1. Freeman Peel-Off Cucumber Mask - I have used this products for a very, very, very long time (over a decade, at least). I love the product, but it wasn't new to me. On the other hand, it was nice to get a full-size of it for free-ish, and I know I'll use it. A weird thing, though, is that I think subscribers were supposed to receive little packets of other masks, too? I did not. I wonder if anyone else did...

2. MyGlam Makeup Bag - This was probably my favorite part of the bag overall! Isn't it cute? I am really tempted to convert it to being a pencil and pen bag. :)

3. SheerCover Concealer - Although mine is in Light/Medium, I think even the light is not quite light enough for me. This one may get some eventual use, though, so I can review it.

4. Hot Ticket Nail Polish - A nice nail polish brand in "Don't Metal in My Business," which is a silver metallic. A nice shade, and really up my alley. I'm hoping I don't have any dupes!

5. Wen Cleansing Conditioner - A natural-formulated conditioner without a lot of the big "no-no" chemicals people are bemoaning right now. Apparently it cleans your hair too. Mine was in Sweet Almond Mint, which sounds nice and interesting.

... It included nail polish, a concealer theoretically in my skintone range, a cute bag...so why am I not feeling this one? It's only $10. Am I just feeling broke because I don't get a paycheck for a few more weeks?

Did you get anything different? Let me know, and let's compare notes!

Conscious Box - January 2012

Hey guys! Today I have a few subscription boxes to share with you. Some of them are going bye-bye, though, so I hope you aren't gigantic fans. I wasn't a fan of everything, unfortunately.

I am starting with one of my favorites, though, Conscious Box! Conscious Box is an incredibly one with great products. It's super cheap compared to how much its products cost, too.

 

This month's theme, for the new year, was "detox".

 

Another amazing box! What was in there?? I'll tell you what was in there. You're gonna love this one. (And this month I priced the items on Amazon, too, to give you an idea of how nice of a deal it is.)

1. thinkThin Crunch Bar - Blueberry and Mixed Nut ($1.78)

2. Ancient Minerals - Magnesium Spray and Magnesium Gel ($3.47)

3. Guayaki Tea - Yerba Mate & Chai Spice Mate ($1.39)

4. CleanWell Hand Sanitizer Spray - Orange Vanilla ($2.50)

5. EcoDent Daily Toothpowder/Between Gum - Original Flavor/Mint ($0.35)

6. Green Tara Spirulina Energy Bites ($1.40)

7. WorldCentric Biodegradable Cutlery ($13.98)

8. Kelapo Coconut Oil ($0.45)

9. Jo-Sha Yoga Mat Wipe - Eucalyptus ($0.65)

10. Raw Revolution 100-Calorie Bar - Chocolate & Coconut ($0.78)

11. Golden Earth - Chakra ($X.XX)

12. Wellness Living Tea ($X.XX)

13. Parma ($X.XX)

14. Sacred Chocolate - MYLK ($X.XX)

= $26.70 - not including the samples with Xs, which I could not accurately price.

Also included were some coupons for discounts on products, as well as a $10 gift certificate to Core Foods. :) Since you are paying $19.00 a month for a box, it really is quite a remarkable deal. The above estimates of worth don't include any shipping, either!

I will have reviews of the individual products up soon!

Beauty Army - January 2012

Hello, guys! I have another beauty subscription to share with you today: the newly-launched Beauty Army!

I had a hell of a time getting signed up for this box. It was announced eons ago, then it was announced that it would launch on January 01. However, early subscribers to the newsletter did not receive any special treatment, and there were only 300 boxes available this month, so it ended up being a nightmare on New Year's Day, with the site crashing for hours.

However, once that was all set and done, I finally got out with one of the first Beauty Army boxes!

 

Beauty Army is unique among beauty subscriptions because it allows subscribers to pick from an array of options, rather than to pick for them.

  

Inside my box were all the samples that I had chosen for the month:

 

I received: 

1. CellCeuticals NeoCell Resurfacing Treatment - .33oz ($7.91)

2. Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit - 1 mask, 1 activator ($10.00)

3. StriVectin Get Even Brightening Serum - .25oz ($13.35)

4. Shea Terra Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Facial Cleanser - 1oz ($4.50)

5. MyFace Cosmetics Blingtone Eyeshadow "Sp'ice'y" - Fullsized ($20.00)

6. LaRocca Pumpkin Fleur de Sel Body Polish - 1oz ($5.17)

= $60.93 value of products, according to manufacturers website. Not bad for $12.00 a month. Even if I only used the eyeshadow, which is in a lovely color that I love (and cannot wait to try), it would still be a discount!

Hopefully the quality of the products will remain nice and high. I am glad that I went ahead and subscribed, especially in light of the fact that I just dropped GoGoGirlfriend.

Product Reviews - Conscious Box December 2011

I have a few product reviews to share with you today from my December 2011 Conscious Box. The first I have is my sample packet of Chimes Ginger Chews. 

Some of you may know that I am an absolute ginger fanatic. I love it in cooking and in candy/snack form, so I was really happy to see this product in my first Conscious Box! 

My flavor was peppermint, which was awesome. I have never had a peppermint ginger candy before, but it tasted amazing. I also have to say that I am incredibly grateful to have had this product around. At the risk of TMI, I had a bad infection and resulting antibiotics (and resulting steroids/antihistimines for the resulting allergy to the antibiotics), and with all that combined, I had some bad bouts of nausea. Ginger chews are better than the best anti-nausea drugs on the market, so I can honestly say that these kept me functional during finals week and before Christmas!

My second product for today is a sample packet of Justin's Nut Almond Butter. This was an awesome sample. It has a slightly more subtle flavor than peanut butter, but it tastes amazingly fresh and flavorful on sandwiches. I will definitely be purchasing this in the future! I have always wanted to try almond butter. Not much to say except that all of you should try it! I imagine this might be a nice substitute for peanut butter sometimes to get a change-up nutritionally, too. :)

That's all for now! I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend if you are in the US.

Birchbox - December 2011

After quite a long wait, exacerbated by the fact I was out of town, I finally have my December Birchbox!

 

I received:

1. Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox

2. Showstoppers® Designer Fashion Tape in Nude/Black

3. Atelier Cologne Ambre Nue Cologne

4. Benefit The POREfessional

5. Olìe Biologique Huile Moderne

6. EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster

I was originally supposed to receive an Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo sample instead of the POREfessional sample, and Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Usage Dry Oil Shimmer instead of Olie.

Overall, not bad, except that the Olie leaked all over my box, and I was really looking forward to trying the Dry Shampoo. I am hoping Birchbox gets back to me soon to get me a replacement on the Olie (and hopefully puts the shampoo in the next box...)

Anyone get anything different?

Julep Maven - January 2012 "It Girl"

Ooh! My first non-Polish Lover, non-Bombshell box!

While I watch my Steelers obliterate the Broncos (which are the local team, but I've never liked them and I despise Tebow), I will share with you. :)

Today I have the January 2012 "It Girl" box from Julep. I LOVED Megan at first sight, but I knew I would never wear it with the pale pink that Bombshell was supposed to come with. Then, perfectly, I found the It Girl box with Megan and two other, unreleased shades.

Some of you also may recall the obituary for my Julep Nail Therapy. Lucky enough, the first Mavens enrolled in the program also received their choice of a few free products, and Nail Therapy was among them. Can you say "yay" loud enough?

 

They also included a sample of their nail polish remover pads, which I am anxious to try sometime. If I like them, I think they would be a great addition to my travel kit. I am not sure if they are available for purchase yet, either!

This set included Hayden, Megan, and Leah as the basic run of polishes, and then, as I mentioned, the extra Nail Therapy and polish remover.

Did anyone else get this one? I thought it was sort of like the Polish Lovers set from November, leaving out the body scrub etc. On the other hand, I would really like to see the pomegranate body scrub!

Giveaway Alert - All Things Meve Love

Another giveaway alert for you guys! Some Orlys, and a brand I haven't heard of... ooh, shiny newness!

http://allthingsmevelove.blogspot.com/2012/01/100-followers-giveaway.html

This one ends a ways off, so go for it!

Essie Giveaway!

I have a special treat for you guys today!

I found an adorable mini-set of one of my favorite 2011 polish collections, Essie's resort collection from this summer. It contains Da Bush, Lion Around, Your Hut or Mine?, and the gorgeous (and so winter-appropriate) Fair Game.You can see them all modeled here on Scrangie. :)

Sooooo, because I love all of you, I decided to give away this cute little cube!

I love my international readers, but this is nail polish, so I am not sure if I can send it to other countries easily with customs. For this one, while I would love for you to share it on, I cannot ship internationally at this time until I research how to get nail polish to my overseas friends. If you REALLY like it, and are dying to enter, and you are Italian or Croatian, I'm going to say that you guys can enter, but you will have to wait until I arrive in Europe this summer to mail it!

This giveaway will end January 29, 2011 at 11:59p, Mountain Time. Please note that this is two hours before Eastern. :)

Giveaway Alert - Fierce Makeup and Nails!

Hey guys!

Fierce Makeup and Nails is running an awesome giveaway! Head over and check it out -- I have a couple polishes from the collection being given away, but they're super hard to find!

Conscious Box Giveaway Winner #2!

Hey there, guys!

After a small bit of confusion with my Conscious Box giveaway (and Italian customs!) I have chosen a second winner for the box. By the sheer grace of Random.org, my winner was in the US this time, and a fantastic lady whom I respect greatly, so I hope she enjoys her box!

Congrats, AllThatisGorgeous!