Influenster - Spring Beauty VoxBox

Hey, guys!

Tonight I wanted to go ahead and finally share my Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox! I received this box as a perk of being a member of the Influenster community. I have not been a member for very long, and I was rather pleased to receive such a well-tailored box as my first VoxBox.

 

I honestly could have seen myself selecting almost all of these products myself! So what all was in there?

1. ChapStick - Lipshield 365 - $1.89

2. Dr. Scholl's - Ball of Foot Cushions - $6.72

3. SoyJoy - Soy and Fruit Bar - $1.03

4. Bath and Body Works - Midnight Path Fragrance Mist Splash - $7.00

5. Sally Hansen - Salon Effects - $3.99

6. Aveeno - Daily Moisturizing Body Wash - $0.82

7. SheerCover - Duo Concealer

I will be (and have been) reviewing the products individually, but I would like to make a few comments right away about how well-suited to me these products are.

The ChapStick -- even though I do not actually go through it very quickly and do not buy a lot of ChapStick products -- is something that I easily could see myself having picked up in the next week due to its sunscreen properties. As for the Dr. Scholl's, while I have not used the ball of foot cushions, I can literally attribute a reversal of debilitating tendonitis to the shock absorption of the heel gel-cushions. You guys know I love bars and protein bars, so SoyJoy rocked... They picked a fragrance and a nail pattern that were really suited to me, and while the concealer is one I received in my first MyGlam bag, and it is a bit dark for me, they still made an effort to tailor the color selection.

In short, I am happy to have received this Influenster box! Look for reviews over the summer of the products within.

Product Review - Resveratrol Winetime Chocolate Raspberry Bar

More bar-hopping for you all today! I received two Winetime Chocolate-Raspberry Bars in my Conscious Boxes a few months ago. Wow. These are fantastic.

They are purported to contain more than 50x the amount of resveratrol than is in a glass of red wine. While I love a good glass of wine, these were pretty good too -- they taste like a decadent, Upper East Side version of a candy bar (and I don't even like chocolate!). It is kind of hard to believe that they are actually good for you.

They have 190 calories per bar, which is a little higher than a protein bar or something of that ilk, but given the resveratrol, it makes up for the calorie splurge. It also is fairly filling, and you can taste a little bit of a good wine flavor. I keep thinking "decadent" -- because they are!

I definitely will be rebuying these, and I hope you guys will give them a shot too.

Product Review - Kate's Real Food Bars in "Griz", "Tram", and "Handle"

More bars? Why yes!

In case you guys are wondering why there is a sudden onset of product reviews, I have started a new approach to reviewing samples. For small samples, I have been keeping a list of products that I have consumed that I received either as samples in boxes or for review. That way, I do not always feel rushed to sit down and post reviews the second I am done with them. It makes it a lot easier for me to just go through and do them at my leisure. Cosmetics and larger beauty/skincare products I am doing in a slightly less organized fashion, since I might go a long time before I finish a lipstick, for example, but I will write it down as soon as I have used it enough to feel like I can review it.

I received a couple of tiny granola bar samples in my Love With Food free box that I had a few months ago. I am trying to eat some of the products sitting in my cupboard before I leave for the summer, so these were bound to be enjoyed soon.

I received little packets of the bars in the flavors "Griz" (Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Trail Mix), "Tram" (Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Trail Mix), "Stash" (Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate with Flax & Hemp) and "Handle" (Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond). While they were all nice, I actually liked Handle a bit more than the rest, with Stash a close second. All tasted very fresh and flavorful, but Handle had cherries in it, which is my favorite fruit. :)

I would have loved to have tried a larger sample, but at least I got to taste-test these. I think this is a really nice company, and I would be so happy to see them work with another business that I subscribe to so that I can get a feel for their bars in more than a single bite. Still -- Love With Food was a free box, so I cannot really complain.

Did anyone else get different flavors?

Product Review - NatureCrops Quinoa & Prunes Bar

I have another bar to review today.  This one came in my Conscious Box a few months ago.

This is a quinoa nutrition bar with a few prunes sprinkled in for flavor. Honestly, this bar did not do that much for me. I have said before that I love bars and I all but live off of them, and I had two of these bars to try since I actually got two Conscious Boxes the month that these came out. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with these.

First of all, I have seen on a bunch of other reviews that in spite of being marketed towards health-conscious people, these bars may actually be coated in some oils that are not particularly good for you. I am not as much of a stickler on these things as some, but I know Conscious Box subscribers may want to know that.

I also was not impressed by the flavor. I did have this one for awhile before I got around to eating it, so perhaps it took on a little of the flavor of its wrapper, but it had a very dry taste, and I could not have eaten it without having a drink on hand as well. Something also tasted a little bit off on the prunes in some spots.

I will say that I did like the quinoa part of it, and I think that the bar has a lot of potential. If it were a little more moist and if it were sealed a little better, that might solve all of its problems. For now, I am on the fence for this one, and I would want to try more flavors and more recently-made bars before I wrote off these. :)

Product Review - Soyjoy Blueberry Bar

Hello! This afternoon I have a product from my Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox, which I will be posting about later today. I actually tore into one of the products really quickly. I have been on a lot of medications for another evil antibiotic allergy, and my appetite is gone (which is awesome for dieting, but not to the point where I struggle stuffing in 600 calories a day...), so I have been going through heavier bars to try to maximize my calorie intake when I actually am a little hungry.

I absolutely LOVED this bar. It was a little like biscotti to me for some reason -- maybe the flavor? I loved how healthy it tasted, and it was a treat flavor, not a "I need 10g of protein so I have to eat this". The protein count is a little lower than some bars at 4g, which probably explains the good flavor, but it is such a nice treat.

I am definitely glad that I got this bar, and I want more of them!

Conscious Box - May 2012

 

Hey guys! Today I have my May 2012 Conscious Box to share with you guys.

Inside this month's box were:

1. Mayesa - Original Cacao & Hemp Protein Drink - $2.00

2. Mate Factor - Yerba Mate Teabags - $0.60

3. TDPO Unlimited - Centering Cedarwood & Mandarin Soap - $2.25

4. Vaska - Laundry Detergent - $0.17

5. Bambooee - Reusable Bamboo Towel - $0.80

6. Wembe - Yerba Mate Exfoliating Blend - $8.00

7. Natural Vitality - Organic Life Vitality - $0.66

8. Better Life - Natural Lotion - $0.55

9. Dr. Tungs - Snap-On Toothbrush Sanitizers - $4.32

10. Good Nature - Cranberry Fruit Tea - $0.35

11. Canfo - FlushMe - $2.82

12. Ultima Replenisher - Red Raspberry - $0.18

= $22.70

I really like the box this month. I think everything is really usable, and I am looking forward to the products. Did anyone get anything different?

Birchbox - May 2012 [Box II]

As I mentioned in my previous post, I now have two Birchbox accounts. This one is from my "original" Birchbox account.

 

Inside were:

 

1. Color Club - Clambake Coral - .25oz - $3.43

2. Ojon - Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner - 1oz - $2.68

3. Bulgari - Omnia Crystalline - 0.05oz - $0.97

4. Kiehl's Abyssine Cream + - .25oz - $6.77

Bonus - XOXO Notecard

= $13.85

Not the worst Birchbox ever. I like the perfume sample and the Color Club -- I have quite a few Color Club polishes and collections, so I was very happy to have two nail polishes that I did not have. I also will get to trying the Abyssine Cream too.

What did everyone else get different?

Birchbox - May 2012 [Box I]

This month I acquired a second Birchbox subscription. I adore Gossip Girl, which I recently heard will be canceled after its six season, something that makes me super sad. :(

I was a little underwhelmed by both of my boxes. I admit that I really wanted a Dior product, even a fragrance. I think the problem is that aside from the few and far between Dior-inclusive boxes, none of the products jumped out at me as being incredibly Gossip Girl-worthy.

This is the first box I received. I believe this was the one on my new account. Odd that they arrived on different days, I think, even though they shipped within five minutes of each other.

The box might be the best I've ever seen out of Birchbox. It's very elegant and I loved it!
 

 

Inside I received:

1. Dr. Jart+ - Water Fuse Beauty Balm - 0.06oz - $1.68

2. Color Club - Disco Nap - 0.25oz - $3.43

3. Ojon - Volume Advance Volumizing Shampoo - 1oz - $2.59

4. Algenist - Complete Eye Renewal Balm - 7ml - $29.93

Bonus - XOXO Notecard

=$37.63

Not a bad box. I am looking forward to trying all of the products, though I wish it was a whole pack of notecards.

Julep - April 2012

Hey guys!

As I continue to get caught up, I have my Julep April Bombshell Box to share with everyone. I have been skipping Julep more than I like lately. The colors have been really similar to others that I already own, and although I feel a little bad skipping, I am badly behind on putting up swatches and reviews of the Juleps that I have, so until I am caught up, saving the money seems like a good idea.

Anyway, on to the box!

 

It came in this amazingly cute color-blocked box. I just loved this when it was open! So spring and so colorful.

 

I received:

1. Julep "Best Pedi Creme Ever".

2.  "Parker"

3. "Annette"

4. Toe Separators (2)

Not a bad little box! I traded the pedi cream since I can't really use exfoliants on my feet, but both colors are gorgeous.

I also ordered two add-ons:

 I picked up "Susie" and "Allyson". I loved the neutrals and I liked getting a few extra shades.

I hope you like these box openings. If you by chance are not yet subscribed to Julep, I would LOVE it if any of you would use my referral link: http://www.birchbox.com/?raf=qtjvd. You can receive the box for a penny with ShareOnMay as a coupon code. If two people use my link, I can get a box to share for free. :)

Thanks everyone!

Summer 2012 Fashion Trends - Diary I

So... it's almost change-of-the-fashion-season time! I'm running behind, so you're probably going to see some Spring 2012 fashion diaries, too, but my saving grace is that our weather is going to keep my area in spring for awhile.

Color Trends
orange - all shades
pastels
mint green
yellow
neons
metallic gold
greens
solid white
black and white
dusty teal

Tailoring and Cuts
maxi skirts
mini skirts
midi skirts

Styles
aristocratic elegance
oversized floral patterns
oversized hats
classical draping
sporty couture
20s couture
stripes
tight pencil skirts
whimsical
eclectic boudoir
cut-out shoulders on sporty fabrics
whimsical aquatic
exotic reptilian skins
color-blocking
peplum

Accessories
chunky bangles

Shoes
mules

What are you most looking forward to?

Polish Review - Julep "Sienna"

Hey guys! I have a polish review for you today.

I have one of my favorite Julep polishes -- Julep "Sienna".

"Sienna" is #4, on the far left. As you can see, if is a really pretty gold foil.

This polish applied with 2-3 coats, depending on how thick you make them. It is very smooth, with virtually no brushstrokes, either.

"Sienna" lasted really well. I wore this, and did some manicures for family/friends with it, over the holidays, and it looks really nice for a long time.

You can see it compares pretty closely to Revlon "Gold Coin" (#6), though the Revlon polish is much frostier and has a few more brushstrokes.

I would really recommend this polish. It's a great pale silvered gold and one that definitely is a necessary color for every collection. I think it should fit most skin tones, too.

Sindulge - April 2012

So, long overdue, I finally got my last Sindulge box. For reference, I had canceled my subscription after an incredibly disappointing March box.

 

This box was quite a bit better, and I am very grateful that I was offered it for free. I think if they had shipped on time, and if they had checked some of my information that had to do with color choices. :\ I also see a lot of the same brands repeating, which makes me nervous. I also appear to be one of the one of the few people that does like the bags, haha.

1. Pixi Nail Color - #11 Pink Rose - $8.00

2. Skone Cosmetics - Nectar Lipgloss - $2.00

3. YoungBlood - Hi Def Powder - Translucent - $2.29

4. Pixi - Fairy Light Solo - Champagne Glow - $14.00

5. Indie Lee - Coconut Citrus - Body Scrub  - $10.00

= $36.29

I'm not sure why I'm still a little disappointed in this box. I am really happy with the eyeshadow, but the nail polish is not my color, and the body scrub may already be opened... I think I'm done with Sindulge until I see something better coming along.

Julep Easter Mystery Box

 

Here is my Easter mystery box from Julep! This is what I found:

1. Julep Base Coat - $14.00

2. Julep Anne - $14.00

3. Julep Melissa - $14.00

4. Julep Sienna - $14.00

5. Julep Cuticle Oil - $18.00

+ Chocolates, Nail File

= $74.00

Again, not too bad, though many of the colors were duplicates for me. What did you get?

Julep St. Patrick's Day Mystery Box

 

I got a pretty good pick on my Julep St. Patrick's Day Mystery Box!

I received:

1. Julep Melissa - $14.00

2. Julep Sofia - $14.00

3. Julep Hayden - $14.00

4. Julep Base Coat - $14.00

5. Julep Crystal Nail File - $6.00

6. Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener -  $10.67

7. Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub - $10.67

 + Chocolates

= $83.34

Not bad at all! I'll have my Easter box up in a few!

Birchbox - April 2012

I finally am sharing my April 2012 Birchbox with you guys! I'm sorry for the delays here!

This was a pretty good box! I do have to admit that I was a little underwhelmed after the Teen Vogue box, but this is looking pretty good!

1. Zoya - Nail Polish in Bevin - .25oz - $4.00
2. Taylor Swift - "Wonderstruck" Perfume - .04oz - $0.61
3. Lulu Organics - Lavender and Clary Sage Hair Powder - $3.23
4. Befine - Skincare Sampler -5 packettes - $10.00
5. Yes to Blueberries - Brightening Facial Towelettes - $2.13

= $19.97

Not too bad. I got the best possible Zoya sample I could have asked for, and I love dry shampoos. I'm so lazy that sometimes I have trouble getting my hair washed every day, but it's so oily that it needs something.

The only problem was that the Befine set was that they were expired, but Birchbox contacted all recipients and gave us a point credit -- and I suspect they are all still fine. I definitely plan to still try them.

What did you get? Envious of any of mine? :) I'm jealous of myself for getting Bevin!

Target Beauty Bag - Spring 2012

So, I have finally received the much-coveted Target Beauty Bag! It took a lot of effort and patience to get this bag, because for some reason the request page on Target's Facebook page was down for awhile.

Inside the bag was:

1. Simple - Cleansing Facial Wipes - 7 wipes - $2.00
2. Nivea - Extended Moisture Daily Lotion - 1oz - $0.52
3. Neutrogena - Visibly Bright Daily Facial Cleanser - .5oz - $0.30
4. L'Oreal - Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer - Sample

The coupon booklet has some amazing deals, too, and the whole thing comes in a cute padded makeup bag. I am so glad I got ahold of this!

Conscious Box - April 2012

Hey guys!

I have a Conscious Box to share with you! Along with some other posts that I will be getting up this weekend, this is a box that I should have had up last month, but I have had a really bad month, so I'm just now getting to post a bunch of these.

This is a fantastic Conscious Box this month! Last month's made me a little bit disappointed, but this one is just awesome!

1. Parsley Plus All Surface Cleaner - 4oz. - $0.55
2. Planet Ultra Dishwashing Fluid - 4oz. - $0.66
3. Sparklehearts Rainbow Soft Conditioner - .2oz - $0.15
4. Oogie's Gourmet Popcorn - Kettle Corn Original - 3oz - $1.26
5. Juice Beauty - Green Apple Peel Sensitive - .25oz - $4.88
6. Climb On!: Intensive Skin Repair - .1oz -  $0.70
7. Cloud 9 Raw Chocolate - 25g - $5.00
8. Clandestino - Banana Bar with Dark Chocolate - 1.06oz - $1.30
9. Bare Body Soaps Organics - .4oz - $.50
10. Glob Arts and Crafts Plant - 1 packet - $2.00
11. generationMe - All-Natural Laundry Detergent - 2 tablespoons - $0.41
12. SeedBallz - 3 balls - $1.13
13. Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques - ColourfulFusion Lip Glaze - Guava - Sample Size - $0.99
14. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt - .2oz - $0.17
15. Guatemalan Worry People Doll

Total = $19.70

Not bad this month, especially if you can use one of the coupons! The above prices do not include any shipping, either, or the effort of helping out all of the little green companies.

I received a box direct from Conscious Box for review this month. Keep an eye out for some product reviews!

We also received quite a few coupon codes for various products.