Nail Art Society May 2013 Unboxing & Review!

Recently I was sent a FANTASTIC package from the wonderful ladies over at Nail Art Society. Nail Art Society is a monthly subscription that sends you beautiful nail art kits every month. The price is $9.95 a month, which is ridiculously cheap considering what you get! Right now, this is an invitation only service, but you can head over to their site and throw your email in. Also, they're going through a site renovation, so please be patient! This months theme was "Kiss-N-Tell"! They partnered up with Kiss Nails to provide one AMAZING kit! I'm so impressed with this service, this will be one of my staple subscriptions each month. I honestly can't keep this in any longer, so let's get on with it!

This is the MAY kit! How crazy is this?! All of this for $9.95? I'm in...

The first things are the cards. This one tells about this month's theme and introduces the new Nail Art Guru, Emily the Lacquerologist! I'm not going to recite this note because it's so long, if you would like, you can click on the picture to enlarge it to read more about this month :) On the other side of this card includes 3 more designs you can do with your products. I only did 1 of 4 that came with this kit, because I loved it so much I want to wear them as long as possible, but I will be updating this post as I do the rest of them!



This card shows how to do one of the designs with 2 of the items in the May Kit! I love that it gives you step by steps with clear directions.



The last card tells about this months featured nail art guru who happens to be Lynette Cenee! On the back it reads a little about her:

"I have been doing makeup professionally for over 7 years, although in reality I've been doing it ever since I can remember! As a daughter of a magician, I grew up doing stage makeup and performing in many different acts. This is where my passion for this industry began.

Now as a licensed cosmetologist (hair, makeup and nails) I do all of these things for weddings, photo shoots, fashion shows and film! I feel so fortunate to absolutely LOVE what I do! I want to inspire your creativity, remove your fear of making mistakes, and give you the tools to achieve amazing results so that next time someone asks you, who did your nails, you can say 'I DID!'.

What's the essential product you think everyone should have?

Never skimp on buying a quality top coat to finish off your mani!

What's one tip you think everyone should know?

Nail design can be your hottest accessory to play up any look!"

You can visit her on any social media platforms including Youtube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!

The first item in my kit is this Kiss Nail Artist Paint & Stencil Kit! This kit comes with 3 nail art stripers, and 30 stencils! The colors it comes with are Neon Orange, Beach Yellow, and Purple glitter. The stencils are SUPER cute and come in designs like hearts, roses, stars and butterflies among other things. I'm really hoping these are reusable because they're great! For those who don't know, stripers are very long thing nail polish brushes that help you achieve small intricate designs. They're great to have in all colors! I've never tried Kiss polish before, but I LOVE it! It dries super fast :)

You can purchase this kit from Walmart for $6.97 or from Amazon for $7.98

Next is this Kiss Marbleizing Pen & Polish kit! This kit includes 3 different colors, light pinkish purple, medium purple, and dark purple. The cool thing about these polishes is that they double into a pen! You can paint the colors on your nail like a regular polish, and then do designs with the mini tip! It's such a cool, and handy idea! The bottles are plastic, not glass, so you can squeeze them a little to get the polish out of the tip. It also comes with a guide to do a few different marbleizing nail designs!

You can purchase this at Walmart for $6.97!

Next are these Kiss Nail Dress Nail Stickers in Teddy. They're a gorgeous black with gold rhinestone like dots on them! These require no dry time, and can be applied easily. I LOVE these things! I've used them before in the past, and they rock. They're almost like colorforms, and stick on easily. This pack comes with 28 strips that can be used on finger nails or toe nails. The great thing about these is that they don't dry out like Sally Hansen's Salon Effect Strips. I do keep them in a ziploc bag though. They can also be cut up to make accent stripes or designs!

You can purchase these at Walmart for $5.97 or on Amazon for $6.39

Next are my FAVORITE! These are more Kiss Nail Dress but in the design Corset. These. Seriously. Rock. I'm a HUGE fluorescent lover, so when I saw these at Walmart I had a heartattack! I was freaking out, so of course when I opened the package to see them in there, I freaked out even more! My camera didn't even pick up the awesomeness of the color and design.

You can purchase these at Walmart for $5.97 or on Amazon for $6.39

Next are these Nail Artist 3D Charms with Nail Glue! These little nail charms are SO cute and come in designs such as bows, cakes, rhinestones and butterflies! This little kit, as I said above, comes with the nail glue necessary to put them on your nails. How cute are these?

You can purchase these on Amazon for $11.99 but where all of their other stuff is priced at $6.99, I'm going to go with that for a total price.

Last but not least are these Kiss Nail Artist Flat Stickers. These are just stickers you can place over any design. They have a clear backing, so they'll show up over any color! I got pretty almost tribally butterfly ones (bottom) and almost Hawaiian flowers with little silver dots in the middle :) These are too cute!

You can purchase these at Kmart for $2.99 or Amazon for $3.29

TOTAL: $35.84 (without using the $11.99 price tag from Amazon)



 

This is one of the designs I've done so far! I used the Kiss Nail Art Stripers, Kiss Nail Artist 3D Charms, and Kiss Nail Dress in Corset! I'm going to add my own touch to my thumb, pointer and pinky by adding a piece of fruit fimo cane on it! :)

Overall, I'm super in love with this service. I swear I'm not being biased because it's both a subscription box and for nails! I honestly love that it's $9.95 and you get WELL worth that in products, not to mention the products are name brand! I know not every package will include Kiss items, but this month was awesome! I really love the amount of product/service cards they include, and they don't include just 1 design to do, they have multiple ones shown, of course this is perfect for people to start their creativity, but it's good to have direction! I think that this would be the PERFECT gift for the ladies in your life who are either just starting out, or have been doing nails for a while. I'm honestly thinking of this as a Christmas gift for my Niece. She loves all the hobbies I do, and this is one she's been getting into as well.

Thank you again to the ladies at Nail Art Society! I had so much fun reviewing these :D!

BikeLoot June 2013 Unboxing & Review!

I was sent the June 2013 BikeLoot from the wonderful people over at...well...BikeLoot! BikeLoot is a monthly biking subscription box that gives you 5-7 samples from the top leading cycling industry companies all for a low price! The box is $10 + $3.95 shipping. Or you can purchase 3 months for $8 + $3.95 shipping! Both are cheap for what you receive in your boxes! Now, I'm not an extreme cyclist, but I ride my bike as a hobby. I'm not a professional in any way, but I loved this box! I love that it gives you products that you can use with your bike, or for other circumstances as well, such as exercising without your bike. I can't keep putting off, lets get into my box! :)



This was the first look of the box :) Welcome to Cycling Heaven!

And here's what I received :)

The first items were 2 1.05 oz packets of Body Glove Surge in Chocolate and Double Espresso. These energy gels provide more energy faster, more energy longer, and more energy than the leading shot! These are all natural and contain 150 mg of caffeine, so they are not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women. From the card:

"Body Glove Surge: Body Glove Surge is a groundbreaking energy gel that delivers rapid and sustained energy and is incredibly easy to use on the bike. Body Glove Surge delivers more concentrated energy than Red Bull, Monster, Rock Star or 5 Hour Energy. The secret of Body Glove Surge is a patent-pending combination of natural ingredients. SURGE ON!"

I have not tried either of these yet, but look forward to as I love these little pouches. I'm not sure I'll drink the Espresso one, so I may pass it on to my mom.

You can purchase a 12 pack of either of these on their website for $28.70, making these samples about $2.39 each, or $4.78 for both! You can also purchase these singly on Amazon for $2.39!

Next is this Chamois Glide Balm to stop saddle sores! This is a specially formulated dry balm to be used to stop the chaffing and burns that can come with cycling. I've gotten it before, and it's not good. For those who don't know, "saddle sores" are caused when you're biking, and the materials of your clothes, rub with the sweat of your skin, and cause terrible chaffing, red bumps, inflamed hair follicles and sometimes even boils! Some people use lotions and creams, but that can cause drippy moistness (I know gross...) so BodyGlide made this dry balm! What I like is that this product not only helps with saddle sores, but it also helps prevent and helps relieve chafed, chapped or cracked skin, helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather, and temporarily protects minor cuts, scrapes and burns! It's like a miracle balm :) I have yet to use this, as my bikes tire is gone... BOO, but I will totally get the most use out of this! I already love it! From the card:

"Body Glide: Dry is good, and our balm for biking is dry! It's not goopy or wet. You don't feel like you're riding in a wet diaper. It has plant-derived waxes and works where you need it. No need to wipe it off of your hands because it applies right to your skin, shorts and chamois. So, no mess!"

You can purchase a 0.45 oz tube on Amazon for $7.99

The next product is this 1 fl oz. sample of Cremo Shave Cream! This is a non-lathering shaving cream that dramatically reduces cuts, nicks, scrapes and razor irritation. It gives you the closest, most comfortable, longest lasting shave. It also leaves your skin soft and smooth! This 1 fl oz tube is a 15+ day supply! Wow! It says on the back that creams and gels are considered foam, which means that they are primarily air that of course has poor lubricant, Cremo has NO AIR and is a rich, highly concentrated cream that allows your blade to glide effortlessly over your skin. From the card:

"Cremo Company: Cremo Co. Shaving Cream is insanely super-slick, nick-free and foam-less which leaves your skin astonishingly smooth. With Cremo you reduce cuts, nicks and razor irritation, you get the longest lasting shave and of course you leave your skin soft and smooth. At BikeLoot, we use this for shaving our leg hairs...but it works just as well anywhere else."

I really don't have to worry about shaving my facial hair...because I'm a girl, and I don't have facial hair to shave, so instead of being selfish and using this on my legs, I gave it to my stubble faced father in hopes I wouldn't have to see him walking around with dots of toilet paper on his face from getting cut :) IT WORKED! He used it the other night and had absolutely NO cuts. He seems to really like this, and I really like the price. This may have to become a Christmas gift for the guys of my family ;)

You can purchase this 1 fl. oz tube on their website for $1.69, talk about deal! You can purchase a 3 oz tube on Amazon for $6.98

Next is this .25 oz packet of Surface Sun Systems Dry-Touch Formula sunscreen! This sunscreen is SPF 30, vitamin enriched, paraben free, hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and water resistant for up to 80 minutes! The box came with an informational pamphlet (which I LOVE) and it says it's formulated to be lightweight and clean feeling while standing up to the harshest environments without leaving heavy paste feeling on your skin! From the card:

"Surface Sun: With roots deep in surfing and located in the heart of Southern California, Surface Sun Systems was created with one mission, to provide high quality suncare products to athletes and fans of action sports. At BikeLoot, we can't get over how perfect the Surface Sun Systems sun protection product line is for all types of cycling adventures!"

I haven't used this product yet, as I've been sick and not going outside. I don't normally tend to wear sunscreen, mostly because I forget and don't like the gross film it leaves behind on my skin (I'm oily as it is, thank you Sunscreen companies!) but I will definitely try this because it's a dry touch formula!

You can purchase a 4 oz tube on their website for $11.95 making this sample roughly $0.75 



 

Second to last item in the box is a 1 tablet sample of Bottle Bright! This tablet cleans water bottles, travel mugs & other hard-to-clean drinking vessels. This is all natural, chlorine free and biodegradable. Whats cool about this company is that every purchase, Clean Ethics (the brand) gives the same amount of Bottle Bright to people in vital need of clean water containers. I absolutely LOVE when companies do this! From the card:

"Bottle Bright: Bottle Bright effervescent tablets provide the safest and most effective solution for cleaning your hard to clean drinking vessels and water bottles. This biodegradable and non-toxic formula bubbles away grime and breaks down to inert natural substances...plus it's non-toxic and chlorine free!"

I have yet to use this, but I think I will let my dad use it on his stainless steel coffee mug...that thing gets GROSS! :) I really like the idea of this product, because sometimes drinks (even water) can leave rings in mugs, and it ruins them completely! I love that it's all natural, of course, because who wants to drink out of something that's been washed with chemicals?

You can purchase a 20 pack of these single serve tablets for $25.95 making this sample packet $1.30. You can purchase a 10 piece tablet pack for $9.95 on Amazon!

Last but not least is this 0.5 fl oz tube of Xtreme Chain Lube from ProGold. This is a specially formulated lubricant that is used for long distance road and off road extreme conditions! It works in any weather, any terrain, any time, any where. From the card:

"Pro Gold: Xtreme Chain Lubrication. Any Weather. Any Terrain. Combining metal friction reducer technology with more persistent carriers. Xtreme is a chain lube formula for long-distance and extreme off-road conditions. MFR bonds to metal surfaces and resists build-up, in addition to shedding water."

I've always known that chains needed to be lubed up, but I never have done it myself. To be honest, I wouldn't have even thought of that, but it makes sense! I've had bikes before that have seemed like they're crusty and old, and I feel this lube would have fixed that. Instead I rendered the bike useless and went on to my next one. I've been taking better care of the mountain bike I got a couple years back, and once I get my new tire for it, I will most certainly be using this. I love that it's a little tube of it, and I can't wait to get my bike up and running like new again! I also love that it is good to use in any weather, terrain, ect. I live almost in the woods, so it can get bumpy!

You can purchase a 4 fl oz tube of this on their website for $12.00 making this sample about $1.48. You can purchase this on Amazon also, if that's more of your style, for $15.29.

 

TOTAL: $14.99

 

While the box totaled up to a little over the cost of it, I find that everything in here is ridiculously awesome. I love that it gave some items to maintain your bike, and also to maintain your energy levels. I really loved that they gave some awesome sized samples too! You get to actually test a product to see if you like it instead of just popping in foil packets and making you fend for yourself. Yes, the sunscreen came in a foil packet, but it's sunscreen! You can easily use that once and form an honest opinion with it. I really think that for the price of this box, it's well worth the stuff that you get inside. This is perfect for extreme cyclists, or just the ones that ride for a hobby like I do. It's an awesome box for an awesome person from an awesome company! :) I look forward to subscribing to this!

Thank you again to BikeLoot for sending this my way! I appreciate it and loved all the products inside! :)

 

BikeLoot

 

Petit Vour June 2013 Unboxing & Review!

Recently I was sent the June 2013 version of Petit Vour to review for you guys! This is a monthly beauty subscription box that sends out 4-5 "mini's" straight to your door! These products will be cruelty free, and vegan! Their website is so beautifully explained, I have to share it with you all:

"Beauty is bold. Beauty is kind. Beauty is self-expression and emotion, inner glow then outer glow. We are here to enhance these elements for you and help make it easier in maintaining a compassionate lifestyle. At Petit Vour, we don’t let our ethics get in the way of being fashionable -- we let them fuel it! Our mission is to provide access to the best animal-free products and make kindness the standard in the luxury beauty market because we believe that animals shouldn't have to sacrifice their lives for our pursuit of beauty. Animals, like humans, are to be loved. 
In the Beauty world, luxury is no longer exclusive to labels who rely on animals for testing. After years of scouring, we have sifted through the clutter to find high-quality makeup, skin care products, and more that meet both your ethical and beauty needs. We seek out niche brands from across the country as well as tried-and-true brands we simply adore. We aren’t kidding when we say that we are obsessed with makeup and about making the best choices when it comes to our products. We’re compulsively nitpicky so that you don’t have to be.
We hold ourselves to high standards, so that we can be your leading resource for cruelty-free beauty products. When you join Petit Vour, you are joining a community and movement of fashion and awareness. You are contributing to the beauty industry in a positive way. You are casting your vote, supporting companies that are both conscious and of pure quality. Here’s a toast to you! For being bold and being kind. ♥ "

This means a lot to me as I'm a HUGE animal lover! (Owner of 8 cats, and 2 dogs!) so I'm very pleased to know that this company really works hard to bring you items from other companies that have the same ethical feelings as you. This box is $15 a month,  3 months (one time payment of $43) or 6 months (one time payment of $82).  That being said, lets get onto this box!

The first thing is the product card!

This lets you know about the brands.

This is the box I got! Now at first, I'm not going to lie, I wasn't crazy about it. I saw the foil packets and was a little thrown off, but then looked into each item and felt a little better about them! Never judge a book by it's cover, huh? The products are in no particular order.

First was this little postcard from MineralHygenics.com. It says :

"Why settle for a small sample...We're giving away full sized items for FREE!"

This is a $15 Gift Certificate or a super coupon making the "Mini Starter Kit" only $15! Now, it does say "Completely Free", but alas, it wasn't. You still had to pay shipping which was $5.25. But instead of being a jank company like some out there, Petit Vour saddled up and made everything right. They gave their paying subscribers the equivalent of the $5.25 in PV Points, and for the bloggers who weren't subscribers? Oh they did the next best thing, GAVE us the money for shipping! How nice are they? Really, that shows they're all about their customers, so already off to a good start with me! I love a company who values their customers, and make things right like this. So I will be ordering a lipstick from them in the color Magma/Rose. They seem to have a lot of good products on their website, but a lot of them are very dull, natural colors. I like that in eyeshadows, but not in lip products, and if a site offers lip products, I go for them :P

The product card reads:

"Mineral Hygenics|Gift Certificate: Foundation, eyes, lips and starter kits made without the harmful fillers, stabilizers, dyes, perfumes, talc and petro-chemicals that are often inundated in cosmetic products today."

This product is actually worth $20.25 which is the cost of the box itself...the rest is almost like freebies :)

Next is one of 3 samples from (SkinGen)X. This is a 2 ml foil packet of X(Foliator). The X(Foliator) is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid Exfoliator made with natural fruit acids. This is supposed to brighten the skin, and reduce appearance of discolorations and sun spots. It keeps pores clean to prevent acne and blackheads, and improves skin health to reveal smoother, fresh looking skin.

This was one of the items I kind of looked at in disgust. I'm very turned off by foil packets, so when I saw this I kind of got disappointed. After reading what this product is supposed to do, I got very excited. I have blackheads all over my face, along with huge pores, so I'm excited to try this out and see what it can do for my face. I'm not however excited about the full price...

For a 120 ml bottle of this product, it is $45.00. This 2 ml sample is worth, roughly, $0.76

Next is another item in the (SkinGen)X sample trio. This one is a 2 ml packet of (Eye Comple)X. This is a cream that reduces puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. It also provides smoother, firmer skin, as well as strengthen the capillary function around the eyes.

I most likely won't be using this as I don't really do eye creams. I'm not really concerned with under eye puffiness or circles...I only get them when I don't get enough sleep, which I try to do every night. I will be passing this onto my mom, who is starting to get into that stuff :)

The full sized, 15 ml jar is $62.00! Making this 2 ml sample $8.26! That's CRAZY that a foil packet is worth $8!

The last of the 3 products is this container of (Anti-Wrinkle Comple)X. This product makes your skin immediately softer, and radiant. Of course, this is a wrinkle complex that helps to reduce the appearance of them. From the card about the SkinGenX company:

"(SKINGEN)X|(Anti-Wrinkle Comple)X, (Eye Comple)X, & X(Foliator): A proprietary formulation of neuropeptides, anti-oxidants, collagen boosters and nourishing plant extracts, made with NO harmful chemicals"

While I'm only in my young adult years, I don't know if I'll find myself using this product. I like that it makes your face softer and more radiant, but it seems that it's for mostly wrinkles. I know some doctors say you should watch your wrinkles as soon as possible, but I just can't find myself caring that much about them right now. It's one of those things, to me, that I'll take care of when the time comes. I may still use this product to feel the softness of the face, but I may also share the love with my mom. I'm on the fence...

The full size 50 ml container is a whopping $95.00! This sample, according to various blogs online, is roughly $23.75! HOLY CRAP! I couldn't find myself spending $23 on this let alone $95 for a bigger size...imagine how many subscription boxes you could purchase with that money! Crazy!



The next product is this 1.7 fl oz sample of Acorelle White Orchid perfume. I know a lot of people who don't like getting these perfume samples, but I really enjoy them. I think it's a great way to have a lot of different scents, and be able to have a good selection to switch off between without having to buy the full size of each product! On the inside of the card, it says that White Orchid perfume eases stress and excessive emotions thanks to orange and sandlewood essential oils. I can see this being totally true as the scent is very calming.

The info card reads:

"Baudelaire|Acorelle Perfume: Fine French Fragrance- made with organic alcohol and 100% natural fragrance materials. No synthetic fragrance. No phthalates."

This perfume has a completely soothing scent! I love this stuff so much! It smells like vacation to me. I'm so glad I got this :)

The full size, from what I could translate off of their website, costs about $30.70, making this 1.7 fl oz sample about $0.93

Last is this Barre Bar in Pirouette Cinnamon Pecan. Barre's are real food bars developed by two professional dancers. These are bars made by dancers, for dancers. From the card:

"Barre|Pirouette Cinnamon Pecan: The classic pairing of cinnamon and nuts stars in this chewy, ooey, gooey bar-think crumb cake meets cookie dough."

Err...I don't quite agree with them. I've heard mixed reviews of these, some saying they're the best thing they've ever had, and some saying they're disgusting. I went into this thinking that it was an abomination. Fortunately, for me, I was wrong. This was actually very tasty, a little strong, but still tasty. This however was NOTHING like what it's labled on the card...there is nothing ooey, gooey and cookie dough about this bar. It looks and has the texture of a typical natural bar...

These bars are $2.50 a piece.

TOTAL: $56.45 

Overall, I think this box and company is actually really good! I think that the customer service for this box is out of this world, and I feel that the cost is well worth what comes in the box. I love the fact that they bring vegan and cruelty free products and companies to your door without you having to spend time searching. It's a win-win! I would like to see less foil packets, as I feel that if I were to purchase a box, and get foil packets, it's not worth the money. Foil packets are something that anyone could get by emailing the company themselves...I like to see packaging that allows the product to be used more than once so you can get a feel for it and see if it really is what you'd like.

Big thank you to the wonderful ladies over at Petit Vour! :)

UPDATE!

Sorry I haven't posted, I've been extremely sick. I literally have been walking around in a daze the past 3 days, almost having my parents drive me to the hospital all 3 days because I've just felt totally out of it. I have a congested nose and chest with a sore throat. I will be seeing how I am and if I'm not better by tomorrow, I'll be going to the doctors. Unfortunately I've been too weak to create any posts besides this, so to the companies I have that a blog going for, please be patient as this is a bump in the road I wasn't planning on :( I'm going to take the rest of the weekend to relax and try and make myself feel better...this is such a terrible feeling :(

Beauty Box 5 Unboxing & Review!

I was sent a complimentary box from the lovely people over at Beauty Box 5! This is an awesome beauty subscription box that provides you with 4-5 different samples every month. These products could include anything from makeup, to skin care products, hair care products, or even fragrances! This box is $12 a month, $30 every 3 months, or $100 for a year! I've been a follower of this box from one of my favorite youtubers Grav3yardGirl! I always enjoyed seeing her videos where she unboxed this :) So without further ado, let's get into my box! P.s. this is NOT the monthly box! I believe this is a blogger box, or just one thrown together to show products they've had in the past! I know I've seen a couple of these items on Grav3yardGirl's videos :)

Here's a picture of my awesome box! I was so shocked when I opened it, and even more shocked when I started reading into the items :)

The first thing I pulled out was this 5.5 oz jar of Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Coconut Lime from Tree Hut. This is exactly what it sounds like...a sugar body scrub in coconut lime scent! It's made with natural coconut & lime extracts and certified organic shea butter! 

I love how big this container is, and the awesome color :) It's lighter than the picture, I've been having lighting problems with my camera :P I was very shocked at the consitancy of this product. I thought that it was going to be like, a wet jelly salt, but it's like a liquified Gak almost...except not really? I don't know how to explain it, but I love it. I used it in the shower yesterday and it really made my skin feel clean :) I followed my arms up with a shea butter lotion, and it made them feel so smooth!

You can purchase this same jar from Ulta for $4.99 :)

Next I have this 3g sample of Brazen Eye Shadow in Birthday Suit! This is a beautiful nude skin tone color, which is awesome because with eye shadow, I'm not all out crazy. I just started dabbling into it, and like to use neutral colors. Brazen is an indie cosmetic group that is organic! I tried getting a good picture, but my camera is older so it doesn't really focus on smaller packaging.

You can purchase a 3g eye shadow sampler on their website for $4.25 and the full size for $7.99, unfortunately I couldn't find this shade on their website.

Next up is this 0.53 oz tube of Bodyography Foundation Primer in clear. This is a professional cosmetic company that was founded in the early 90's! Crazy! This is a primer that you apply after your skin care routine, but before foundation. It's supposed to extend the wear of foundation, while filling in lines and wrinkles. I don't use Foundation, so I will be passing this product on to my mom who does :) I really like the sample size, and think that she can get some good use out of it!

You can purchase the full 1 oz sized bottle on their website for $30.00 making this sample roughly $15.00 ! WOW! That covers the cost of the box already! :)

The next product in my box is this full sized Shine Ultra Lip Gloss from ModelCo in Strip Tease! This awesome lip gloss has a mirror right on the bottle so you can apply anywhere, anytime! This is what ALL makeup products need! This is a beautiful sheer peach color with GORGEOUS shimmer in it. It can be layered ontop of lipstick or worn alone and I LOVE it! On their website, it says that the formula is a non sticky lip gloss, but mine feels sticky. Not so sticky that it bugs me, but enough to notice, but I love the product so much I don't even care :)

You can purchase this lip gloss on the ModelCo website for $16.00! Another high priced, high quality item! I love it! :)

Last but not least is this 0.7g sample of Blinc Mascara. This is a revolutionary mascara that cannot run, smudge, clump or flake. It gives you longer, thicker lashes. No makeup remover requires, ideal for sensitive eyes and it holds lash curls longer! This mascara creates tiny water-resistant tubes around your lashes rather than painting them on like other mascaras. I tried this out overnight, and my god! This REALLY works!!! I was very surprised. I did everything, cried (I don't feel good... ): ), rubbed, and slept in it, and I didn't wake up with raccoon eyes or flakes!! So shocked and excited! I think this is an awesome product!

You can purchase this on their website for $26.00 for a 6g bottle. This 0.7g sample is roughly $4.00 give or take a few cents...I don't know, I'm terrible at math :)

TOTAL: $44.79

Overall I REALLY like this box. I think that for $12 you really get a lot of great products in great sizes! Deluxe samples to even full sized items all for $12 SHIPPED? Awesome! After getting this box, and seeing months past, I really like this subscription service and find myself wanting to sign up! I like that it introduced me to companies I didn't even know about!

Big thank you to Beauty Box 5 for sending me this complimentary box for review! I had a lot of fun :)

 

Target Beauty Box Unboxing & Review!

About 2 months ago, I signed up for the new Target Beauty Box. I paid $5 and received a box with 5 items in it. It was a trial box to see if customers would enjoy something like this in the future. It was open to the first 20,000 people, and luckily I was one of them :) I didn't like the wait that we had to endure, but the products made up for it. I will be using Target prices when pricing the items, just because it's a box from Target itself :)

This was the box sleeve that came over the box itself! It's so cute :)

Here is my box!

The first thing is this card! On one side it's a coupon for $3 off your beauty purchase of $15 or more. It also says:

"Welcome to the first edition of Beauty Box by Target! We're creating a monthly program that will let you receive samples of 4-5 products from a few of our favorite brands. Some brands you'll know and some you may not have heard of yet. You will also get a special offer that'll have you looking gorgeous- for less. Do you like what you received? Excited for more? By telling us what you thing, you can make our second edition of Beauty Box by Target even better."

The other side lists the items and gives you a little blurb about them. I'm not crazy that this card is almost out of date. The coupon expires within 10 days from when I received it...then the survey that you can win a gift card on ended on June 1st...I received my box well after that.



 

The first product is this Gillette Venus & Olay razor in new Sugarberry Scent. This is a new 5 blade razor, obviously, from Gillette! It includes Olay moisture bars on the top and bottom of the razor. This helps to gently exfoliate and replenish the skins moisture. This package came with one handle, one cartridge and one holder. From the card:

"Gillette Venus & Olay Razor Pack: Help lock-in moisture and keep legs smooth with Venus & Olay's new Sugarberry razor!"

We're huge Gillette lovers here, so I was very happy to see this in my box. Unfortunately I haven't used this because I gave it to my mom, she needed a new razor. This product alone paid for the price of the box.

You can purchase a Venus & Olay razor from Target stores or online for $8.99!

Next are these Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips in 420 Sweet Tart-An. These are real nail polish strips! There is no dry time, just peel and apply and they last up to 10 days! This box comes with 16 strips, a cuticle stick, mini file & buffer. From the card:

"

I'm a fan of Sally Hansen, but not too big on these strips. While I like them, I don't like that they dry out quickly, so you have to do your nails very fast. This results in shoddy nails because I try and do it lightning quick. That being said, I absolutely LOVE this design! I'm a huge plaid lover, a huge metallic lover, and a huge pink lover and this just wraps all that into one. I can't wait to try these! Maybe the other ones I had were a little bit old!

You can purchase these at Target stores or online for $8.49 

Next is a 2 oz sample of Fekkai Glossing Cream! This cream hydrates, sleeks and shines your hair. It is a sheer styling cream with pure olive oil that helps eliminate frizz and adds moisture and shine to all hair types. From the card:

"Fekkai Glossing Cream : Add a dazzling touch to your hair with Fekkai Glossing Cream that adds brilliant shine and helps eliminate frizz."

I haven't used this yet, but have only heard great things about the Fekkai brand. I love that it says you only need a pea sized amount! This bottle should last me quite a bit. I plan on using it tonight :)

You can purchase a 3 pack of Fekkai Glossing Product trials including this, Glossing Conditioner and Glossing Shampoo in Target Stores or online  for $26.09 making this sample roughly $8.00 

Next is this 0.025 fl oz foil packet sample of L'Oreal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream in light. This has 4 beautifying actions in 1. It primes, perfects, hydrates and corrects. It's available in 4 shades, fair, light, medium and deep. From the card:

"L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream : Meet the Magic all-in-one skin B.B. Cream. It hydrates, primes, perfects and corrects for a look and feel fit for the runway."

This sample actually really annoyed me. For being put in a box I had to pay for, I was very disappointed. I've received the exact same sample in magazines I've received for free. I didn't like this, and thought it was a waste. For Target being a major company, I thought they could have put in a better sample than this. Of course, I did only pay $5 for the box, and it was covered with the first 3 products, but this is just disappointing. That being said, I'm just giving it to my mom.

You can purchase a 1 oz bottle of this in Target stores or online for $7.99, making this 0.025 fl oz sample not even worth trying to figure out...

Lastly is this 0.17 fl oz sample of La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment. This reduces the number and severity of acne blemishes, penetrates clogged pores to clear blackheads and whiteheads. From the card:

"La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo : While previously only available through a dermatologist, La Roche-Posay is now available at Target. Effaclar Duo is a breakthrough in acne treatment clinically tested to bring high efficacy with high tolerance."

This is another product I wasn't crazy about because of the foil packet. I really don't like the packets, but I'm totally interested in using this product. I just wish it was in a different container so I could test it out more than once. I have a lot of black heads, and I hope this can get rid of it.

You can purchase this product online at Target.com for $36.99 for a 1.35 oz bottle. That makes this sample roughly $4.50 

TOTAL: 29.98

Overall I really liked this box! I think the value of the box is super compared to the price. I would really love if Target kept this box at $5 a box because I think it's a good way to try the new products at a cheap price! It would immediately be a favorite box of mine. I just hope they get rid of the foil packets. They were okay in the Beauty Bags, because those were free, but not in something that you pay for. I can simply write to a company and ask for these types of samples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be Pawsitive June 2013 Unboxing & Review!

I was recently sent the first box from the lovely people over at Be Pawsitive! Be Pawsitive is a new treat box for dogs that also helps dogs as well! When you purchase a box of treats, they give a box of treats to shelter dogs! I love it when companies giveback with a purchase that you make! It makes the purchase that much more worthwhile. Each month you receive a bag of approximately 55 treats in a new flavor, all made in the U.S., updates on how the treats are helping sheltered dogs, and a sponsored product, gift card, or discount code. This box costs $24 a month, $66 for 3 months or $108 for 6 months.  Lets get into the first box of this service! :)

This months box came with a bag of Original Be Pawsitive Oven Baked Biscuits, a notice telling about the first month of Be Pawsitive and what their goal is, and what the program is about, a beautiful Logo Decal (my mom wants to put it on the car!), a business card, and a Rover.com gift card.

This months biscuit was in the Original flavor! They are baked in a small batch with all natural, healthy ingredients. Most importantly they're made with LOVE! The package says that these are natural nutritious treats with organic ingredients, they're flavors that dogs love, they reward shelter dogs, supports communities, and are made in the U.S.A.! They're also USDA Organic. They're made with all Organic ingredients including Whole-Wheat Flour, Canola Oil, Wheat Bran, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Non Fat Dry Milk, Honey, Rosemary, Garlic and Rosemary Oil. This is kind of weird, because I thought garlic was toxic to dogs? Is this just one of those giant myths? These treats are baked and distributed by Wagatha's in Vermont! I'm not sure if every bag will be baked and distributed by them, but I love that it's made in a close state! The back of the bag reads:

"Our treats do more than reward your pup. They also help bring happiness to dogs in need of a little extra love. We created Be Pawsitive to wag more tails- at home and in animal shelters across the country. While your dog enjoys this bag of healthy, delicious treats, know that a shelter dog without a family is doing the same. Thanks to you."

I'm going to be honest, when I opened the bag, I wanted to eat one! They smell SO good, like a mixture of graham crackers and oatmeal cookies! When I received the box, I instantly opened it first and gave one to my 150+ lb dog! He didn't really care for it at first, taking it and laying down with it. But it's almost like he wanted to get comfortable to eat it, he then chomped away on it, and it seems that it's his ritual with these treats. He is a very healthy dog, loving his fruits and vegetables (carrots, apples, bananas are his favorite) so he seemed to really like these treats. I know some dogs that won't even go NEAR anything that doesn't smell like meat! I really love that these are made with all organic ingredients and not made with fillers or gluten. We've been giving him a couple a day (he's a big dog naturally) and we still have more than half a bag! With my recent loss of my 16 year old dog, I feel that this really gave him some happiness, he's been down and out without her. I also feel she would have really enjoyed these too :(



 

This is the AWESOME decal! Look at how cute and creative the logo is! :) It's a pawprint with a heart as the pad. So cute and clever! It also feels like a super high quality decal, and hopefully my mom and I can get it on our car without my dad finding out ;)

Lastly was this Rover.com $25 gift card. This is for dog sitting. We are not in the position financially to go on vacations or even day vacations at that, nor are we in the position to pay someone to sit our dog. Even if we could, our dog is so anti social with people, there's no way he could be brought to a strangers house. That being said, I do have a cousin (who has my dogs sister) that loves going on day trips, vacations ect, that I think could benefit from this, so I'm going to share the love with her :) One thing I'm not crazy about is that on the back it says "for new customers only- previous Rover customers are not eligible for this gift card." which I don't think is fair. A gift card shouldn't have a limitation on who can and can't use it. I like that this card pays for the whole box itself.

 

Overall I like this pet box! I think that it has some potential, but feel the price is just a tad bit high. I think this would be a good box to get once in a while, but I don't think I could afford it every month. I really like the all natural, organic aspect of the dog treats, and I like that there is finally a company that offers a healthy, organic treat made right here at home! I'm sick of the items coming in from overseas that make our dogs sick and possibly toxic to them. I also like that this box has an extra item that comes with it each month, although this month wasn't a usable product for me, I'm excited to see what there is in the future. I also love that when you buy a box, they give a box to a shelter or organization! It's good to help all the sad puppies in anyway you can, especially bringing them happiness and joy until they go to a loving furever home.

Big thank you to Be Pawsitive for sending this box my way! You cheered my pup up :)

Be Pawsitive 

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7th Heaven Facial Masque's Review & Giveaway!

I recently received a generous package from the wonderful people over at 7th Heaven Naturals! 7th Heaven is a company that makes 100% all natural, AWESOME facial masques! These vegetarian, eco, cruelty free masques include ingredients found from all over the world! Greg, a vegetarian guru and founder of 7th Heaven Naturals, travels far and wide to discover pure natural gems for his herbalists to transform into these wonderful masques! Currently there are 6 masques, in which I have received and tried all of them! They all aim to do something unique! They include Miracle Mud, White Thai Mud, Moroccan Clay, Clean up Mud, Detox Mud and Million Year Mud! Lets get into these great facials!



 

Here are all 6 of them :) I'm just going to go in random order!

The first is the Moroccan Clay masque! This masque is Rhassoul Clay & Organic Apricot! It's 54% Organic & 46% Clay and Minerals equaling out to be 100% all natural! The Moroccan Clay is a gentle exfoliating masque, that includes a lot of different ingredients! These ingredients include the obvious Rhassoul Clay and Organic Apricot as well as Organic Argan Shell, Organic Marula Oil, Organic Cinnamon Oils, Organic Sesame and Organic Orange to name a few! The back of the packaging has more to say about the product:

"Take a trip to Morocco with our moisture packed Rhassoul Clay. Crushed Apricot seed & Argan shell gently buff away dead cells to reveal your soft and smooth side!"

I really loved the roughage of this masque! I couldn't necessarily smell the Apricot, but the Cinnamon Oils stood out to me a lot. I think it really feels good with the exfoliation. I can see the black specks in it, which I assume are the shells of the Organic Argan.  It's a dark greyish shade, and dries to a dirty beige color. I instantly felt a difference in the texture of my face afterwards, it felt smoother. It also felt cleaner, as if the masque really scrubbed my pores!

Next is my absolute favorite! It's the Detox Mud! This masque is Glacial Mud & Organic White Tea. It's 55% organic & 45% Clay and Minerals equaling out to 100% all natural! The Detox Mud is a Glacial Mud deep pore cleansing masque! The ingredients that are included in this masque are of course Glacial Mud and Organic White Tea, but also Organic Witch Hazel, Oranic Quillaja, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Ginseg, and Organic Cucumber to name a few. The back of the packaging says:

"Cleanse your skin with cooling Glacial Mud... Grime, sweat and tears can really mess you up, that's why we unearthed natural Glacial Mud, so you can cleanse and destress inside and out!"

One of my favorite masks are the ones that cool your face. There is something about the coolness that is completely relaxing and refreshing. It kind of makes sense they'd use this one as a detoxing masque :) The first thing I noticed about this masque was the Green Tea scent! I loved it SO much! It smells beautiful. I also can smell peppermint in it, which is amazing as well! I really love that it has Witch Hazel in it, because it's used to protect against acne. So not only does this mask deep clean your pores, if you use it regularly, it might even prevent acne! I felt this awesome masque working right away, and the feeling afterwards was great. My skin felt refreshed and renewed! I love this masque! The color is a beautiful dark mint green color, and dries to a light mint green :)



 

Next is the Clean Up Mud Masque. This is Volcanic Clay & Pumice! It's 59% organic & 41% Clay and Minerals equaling 100% all natural! The Clean Up Mud is a Volcanic Mud Exfoliating Masque! The ingredients to this masque are of course Volcanic Clay along with Organic Rosemary, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Cloves, Organic White Willow, and Organic Tea Tree Oil! The packaging reads:

"Moroccan Volcanic Clay- we call it wonder mud!... Finely ground Lava Pumice & Witch Hazel works wonders to flush out your pores and condition your skin- a super hero for a wonder (ful) woman's skin!"

This reminds me a lot of the Moroccan Clay Masque. It had an awesome rough texture, but this one wasn't that hard to figure out. It was obviously the pumice stone creating it! This masque really reminded me of a liquid pumice stone! I smell a lot of rosemary in it, which is ironic because a week ago I would have never known what rosemary actually smelled like, but I had to use it in a dish. My skin feels SO smooth after using this masque, I love it! I love that it feels as if it really cleans out my pores, and cleans in the crevasses of my face. This is a beautiful grayish purple that dries into a light grey!

Next is the White Thai Mud Masque! This is a White Thai Clay & Lotus Blossum mixture. It is 52% organic & 48% clay and minerals equaling 100% all natural! The White Thai Mud is a White Thai Rejuvenating Masque! The ingredients in this masque mixture are the obvious White Thai Mud and Lotus Blossom, with Organic Lemon Grass, Organic Ginger, Organic Sesame, Organic Jasmine Tea and Organic Aloe Vera! From the package:

"Who needs a week on a sun drenched Thai beach?...We'd never claim our 100% natural, rejuvenating White Thai Mud was the next best thing, but we think it's so relaxing we probably could!"

This masque has a beautiful floral scent while also smelling a little like froot loops! I love the scent. The White Thai Clay has an awesome smooth texture that really just glides on your face. I love that it's not hard to spread like I've had to deal with with some masques. To be honest, I didn't really feel a difference with the aftermath of this product.  I did find that while it was drying on my face, it was a little tighter than the rest. This is a beautiful White Clay of course, that dries to a dull white color :)

Next is the Miracle Mud Masque! This is a Dead Sea Mud & Dulse Seaweed mix. It is 58% organic & 42% clay and minerals equaling 100% all natural. The Miracle Mud is a Dead Sea Deep Pore Cleansing Masque. The ingredients are of course Dead Sea Mud and Dulse Seaweed, but also Dead Sea Salt, Organic Baobob, Organic Manula Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, and Marine Mud. From the package:

"Dead Sea Mud, it's a miracle!- 'Why's that?' you ask?...Because our Dead Sea Mud isn't just bursting with minerals and nutrients; it cleans and moisturizes so deeply that this is one miracle you should try yourself!"

This mask smells very musky. It smells like a lake in a packet! It's very weird, and definitely smells of seaweed. It also smells a little like Anise cookies, but for some reason reminds me of the winter time. This is a very smooth applying masque like the White Thai Mud. This reminds me a lot of that in that it doesn't really make my face feel any different afterwards. This masque is a very beautiful caramel color, and reminds me of pottery when it dries!

The last masque I have today is the Million Year Mud Masque. This is a Rhassoul Mud & Organic Juniper masque. It's 57% organic & 43% clay and minerals equaling 100% all natural! The Million Year Mud is a revitalizing face masque! The ingredients are the obvious Rhassoul Mud and Organic Juniper, along with Organic Manuka Honey, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Elderflower, Organic Ginseg and Organic Clove. From the package:

"Rhassoul Mud spent a million years absorbing goodness...While we can't take a million years off your looks, we think you'll be over the moon after our Rhassoul & pressed Juniper Mud revitalizes in minutes."

This masque smells faintly of a light bug spray. It has a smooth application and feels fresh and cool on my face. I love that this is like the Detox Mud masque, and it makes my face literally feel like there is a fan blowing on it (cold wise....not wind wise of course). This is a beautiful baby blue color that dries into a light grey. My face feels so smooth after use! This is one of my favorite masques! :)

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed testing each of these masques. I like that there is a lot in each packet so that you can get multiple uses out of them if you use sparingly. I find that you don't need to completely saturate your face with these, and that you'll still get the same effect otherwise. The one thing I don't like is that they're not available in a lot of stores just yet. The good thing is that you can purchase them online for $2.99 a piece, or $11.96 for all 6 of them in the "discovery pack". Currently they're available in Lassens Natural Food & Vitamins, Westerly Natural Market, Village Market, Marlene's Market & Deli, and Newport Market. Unfortunately none of those are in Massachusetts, or remotely close to me.

Now on to the better news...

 

7th Heaven Naturals would like to give 1 of my readers their OWN set of 6 Facial Masques! And all you have to do is enter below! There are a couple mandatory tasks however, which you'll be able to see on the giveaway site!

Entry-Form

 

Big thank you to 7th Heaven Naturals for allowing me to review and giveaway this awesome product!

 

7th Heaven Naturals

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