Personal Post

Today I was woken up by my brother who looked nauseous as he came into my room and sat down. He said good morning and I was wondering what was wrong when he told me that our 15 year old cat had died during the night. I can't begin to explain how sad I am right now. I adopted him from a cage outside of a supermarket 15 years ago when I was a kid. My mom and I went into the supermarket and bought all of the necessary cat accoutrements and came home with a sick kitten wrapped in a black jacket. We nursed him to health and helped him gain weight and he became an essential part of our lives. He lived through my years in junior high, high school, and college. He was independent and incredibly intelligent and he was a black cat that I called my halloween cat (although I was always worried in October and would keep him inside in case some teenagers wanted to mess with him). Today, I lost someone that I've loved for more than half my life and I'm devastated. I can't stop crying and my chest hurts. If anything, I just want the pain to go away but I know it won't for now. To anyone who reads this, thanks for slogging through this and give your cat (or dog or hamster) a kiss for me and appreciate every day you have with them, they're a bigger part of our lives than we know and we don't realize it until it's too late. RIP Meowchis, I know I'll see you again in heaven.

Popsugar Must Have September 2013 Box Review

Hello!!!!

Finally, freakin' finally, I have my September popsugar must have box and I have to say that (100% honestly) it might be one of my favorite boxes EVER. Of course, you, the reader, can disagree but when I get a box full of stuff that I'd actually buy for myself, then it's a good month for this box!

Exciting!

This is legit my favorite box in a long time. 

Omg so perfect.

A closer look at the pretty.

A better look at the diffuser and what's inside. 

On to the review:

BARR-CO. Original Scent Reed Diffuser

Fucking perfect. That's all I can say. I've been looking for a nice reed diffuser but hadn't found a scent that I liked and wasn't sure I'd like this one but luck must be on my side this month because I'm in love with this diffuser. I'm so glad to have gotten this because I actually NEED it thanks to my stinky dogs that refuse to sleep anywhere besides my room! Plus, it retails at $45 at anthro so fuck yeah this is a good month! 11/10

P.S.-You're Invited by Erica Domesek

Anyone who has had the pleasure to read (lol) my whimseybox reviews knows that I'm a craft addict. Also, I'm a book addict. Seriously. What is this? A craft book. A freakin' crafts book! No old lady crafts or crafts for kids or whatever but cool crafts for the home that I actually want to do. I had this book on my amazon wish list but thankfully didn't buy it twice thanks to a spoiler from my peeps at makeuptalk. I'm so excited for this book that it's borderline dorktastic (I'm across the border eating tacos, basically) but yes, it's as awesome as I thought it would be. 11/10

Rifle Paper Co. Coaster Set

Coasters! Florals! I'm the only person in my family that sees the use of coasters. Why? Well, I'm also the most organized and least not giving a shit out of my family so yeah. These floral coasters are quite cute and even though they're made from paper, they're quite sturdy. I've already tested one and it's all good. Again, I've been looking for a cute coaster set so I'm pretty damn happy to have gotten this in my popsugar must have because it's clearly awesome box. 11/10

Kitsch Headbands

Headbands! I'm a huge headband wearer and I just love hair accessories to the point that I have boxes full of them. I have a huge head and that is a major issue with headbands. They're usually too tight and give me badass migraines. Therefore, I was a bit skeptical about these (they do look a lot like twistbands but they're all the same thing so whatevs) but I tried them and they actually stretch enough to not choke my brain! That and the color scheme (thank god I got neutrals and fall colors!!!) makes me a happy headband wearing girl. I'm actually wearing one right now, oh yes. 11/10

Shoptiques $25 Discount Card

There's a $25 "gift card" for shoptiques but I'm guessing from my cursory look at the website that $25 won't go that far. However, when I'm in the mood to shop, a $25 discount is nothing to sneeze at. So, I'll be saving this little card until I decide to buy something wildly unnecessary so I can console myself with the fact that I totes saved money. 9/10

Snacks: That's IT. Bar and Sharkies

Ok, so there had to be something I didn't love. It's just logic, right? Well, here it is. Sharkies are organic energy boosting electrolyte chews and taste gnarly as fuuuuck. The that's it (I'm never eating this again!) bar, featured only two ingredients: 1 apple and 1 mango and was gummy as hell. I feel incredibly sorry for anyone with braces who has tried these bars because the horror. The sheer horror! The extra snacks of total ewww will be considered an aberration in an otherwise awesome box but ugh, seriously bleeeech. 5/10

One more look at the pretty. 

Overall, I'm elated. This box was made for me. No kidding. I know I sound like I'm freakin' repping for popsugar but nope, this is an unbiased review of something I paid cash money for. I just really liked this month's box to the point that I'm almost sure that next month's box will be a letdown in comparison (for me) because it's unlikely that they'll include another book or something halloween themed (c'mon do it!!!!) but honest to goodness sincerely I loved this month's box and I love when I get something I actually like because it doesn't feel like a waste of money and that's a good feeling ;)

Box:

Popsugar Must Have

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$35.00 (+ tax in CA) $30.00 for first box with REFER5 code, see code section) 

Perks: 

You can earn free months with referrals.
CODES:

REFER5 (enter in the promo code box) for $5.00 off your first box.

Recommend? 

Yes! Yes! Yes! This month was the fucking bomb and I 100% recommend this box.  I love and look forward to getting a box full of surprises every month. If you're really interested, give it a month or two and go from there. We're coming up on the holiday season and y'all know that's when the good stuff comes out!!!!

As always, don't spend your money on anything you don't love!

Glossybox September '13 Review

Hey y'all! (I've decided to be southern for the remainder of this post.... ;))


Some notes before we get to the review, I've decided to cancel my BeautyBar Sample Society membership. Why? Well, last month's all skincare (aka wrinkle stuff) was a major contributor to my decision. That and I'm currently going through some even harsher (than before) economic times. I've got to cut down somewhere and that's the box I can live without. It sucks but I wasn't even excited about reviewing it the last couple of months so I'm ok with my decision for now.

Also, I'm still (STILL!) waiting for my popsugar must have to be delivered. Apparently, according to the last update by fedex, it was in LA on monday so greattt. This I blame completely on the crappy delivery. However, I'm still über excited about the box. I'm desperate to get it and desperate to review it because it is going to be awesome.

Ok, so back to the glossybox review:

I was pretty surprised by this month's contents, to be honest. A lot of full sizes and the perfume sample (while I don't love the scent... at all) is huge and like rollerball size but with a spray (ooooh that reminds me I need the new Florabotanica rollerball from sephora).

Hmmmm...

Pretty good for $20 bucks.

On to the items:


BCBGMAXAZRIA Bon Genre eau de Parfum

Billed as seductive and mysterious. I already reviewed a smaller (wayyyyy smaller) sample of the same scent for this month's birchbox. I still don't love the scent but it isn't quite as bad as I thought. I still wouldn't buy it though. 6/10

Be a Bombshell Eyeliner Pen in Onyx

Another eyeliner! However, I like this one because it reminds me of Ardency Inn's 'Punker' eyeliner marker which I've wanted to try but was reticent to buy because I have too many eyeliners and I barely (if ever) use them. The line is very black (which I like) and the marker is easy to handle. This may push me toward buying that Ardency Inn eyeliner. 9/10

Emite Makeup Eyelash Curler

According to the insert, this eyelash curler retails at $30.50 so that's a pretty good deal in itself. I don't have a really good eyelash curler and I'm pretty happy to have gotten one. I especially like that it comes with little replacement rubber thingies (what is their name?!). This is defo one of my favorites in the box. 10/10

Nioxin Diamax Treatment

A hair thickening treatment!! As I'm cursed with fine hair that goes flat despite what-fucking-ever I put in my hair, I have hope (a tiny slice not too much) that this stuff will actually work). It's also billed as strengthening hair against breakage so that's great. I'm pretty excited to try this stuff and make a final decision. For now, I really hope that it'll help my flat hair get some pretty pretty volume. 11/10

Oceane Makeup Remover Pen

A pretty good companion to the eyeliner pen. I'll be trying this one out after I test the eyeliner but I'm also considering keeping it in my purse for eyeshadow/liner fuckups. Hopefully it'll work like one of those Tide stain remover pens but for makeup! The brand is completely unknown to me but it doesn't matter much as long as the pen actually works. We'll see.... 8/10

A closer look at the Eyeliner Marker

A closer look at the eyelash curler

Overall, this is a solid box. I was pretty surprised by the variety of the contents and I'm actually really happy about what I got. I know that the shipping is ass but I'm getting used to their schedule. They charge early in the month (like the 5th) and ship around the 20th. It has been like that for a while so I'm guessing that it's their standard schedule. I got it on the 24th so that's still September, at least. The combined retail value was much higher than the box price and the personal value (for me) also exceeds the box price. 9.5/10

Box: 

Glossybox

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$21.00

Perks:

Ability to earn 'glossydots' by doing surveys reviewing the items you get every month. 1000 glossydots= 1 free box. 

Recommend? 

With reservations. If you do choose to get on the Glossybox roller coaster, you should expect for shipping and delivery to be later in the month (I got the September box on the 24th). Nevertheless, the products do tend to be a good mix of high-end samples with larger than usual sizes (think deluxe and travel instead of foil packets) and this month again had mostly full sized items. I'm still a glossybox subscriber (and happy..... for now) but you must (!) weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. Also, you can always try a month and cancel later. There are a few codes out there pretty frequently for at least a 15% discount or an extra gift with your first box. 

WINK might get you a free eyeliner so feel free to try it ;) 

As always, don't spend your hard earned cash on something you don't love!! 

Birchbox September '13 Box Review

Bonjour Peeps!!!


My beloved birchbox finally got to me yesterday but I was super busy and couldn't find  the time to sit down and write about the box. Nevertheless, I've finally got enough time to sit down, get comfy, turn on some sexy music, light a few candles, and get downnnn..... with my review.

As I mentioned before, I wasn't super excited about my September birchbox when I saw the contents of the box online. The samples looked super small and not too exciting. However, once I actually got the box and looked at the samples, I can say I was pleasantly surprised. Again, it isn't the best box I've ever gotten but it is consistently good and has higher end brands (which I love). Basically, birchbox is a freakin' necessity for me and it's definitely on the can't miss list of subs which has actually gotten progressively smaller as I've learned to cut down and only pay for the subs I really enjoy. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this month's box and I look forward to October. Now, if someone could just tell the subs to do a Halloween theme!!! Come on!!! It'll be awesome, do it subs!!!

By the way, tomorrow is the first selection day for the October Julep Maven box and I'm very much hoping that there'll be a Halloween theme like last year. Their preview email only showed a Kajal eyeliner (ugh more eyeliner) and that is NOT on my want list. Also, as many of you know, popsugar is taking a long ass time with shipping this month but I have to say (MILD SORT OF SPOILER ALERT)

that I love the box!!! So very, very much!!! Holy shit, "I can't wait for mine to be delivered" love it. I also know that one of the items in the box was released on September 10th and I'm guessing that might have to do with the late shipping this month. I've usually got my box by the 10th of the month so this has been a loooong wait especially after seeing what's inside. I know everybody has different preferences but I love the items in the box and I personally think it's wayyyy better than the August box though y'all are free to disagree :)

Ok, now back to why we're here:

Ooooh, what might be inside? Well, you can read the card for starters!

I am not loving the envelope print. I actually already trashed it. 

Hmmm.....

A better look at all the items.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Bon Genre Perfume Sample

Let's start off with this sample. It sucks for me. Plain and simple. I hate hate hate getting perfume samples because I know what perfumes I like and I know that a lot of scents make me super nauseous. This scent doesn't actually make me want to puke immediately but I honestly wouldn't buy a BCBG perfume. It's feels like the perfume equivalent of JC Penney or something. Like I could see it sold at Target or Walmart for some reason. Pass! 0/10 

Eyeko 'Black Magic' Mascara

In my ipsy review, I whined about having way too many mascaras but I actually really like this one. First of all, I have a weakness for eyeko products. I love their marker eyeliners (the two I own are eyeko) and I love the name 'black magic' plus I liked how it looks on my eyelashes. Finally, the sample is way bigger than I expected. I expected an itty bitty tiny little thing but I got what must be a deluxe size at least because it is a pretty great size. I feel so fickle for bitching about mascara in my other review and then loving this one but, apparently, that's just how I roll. 10/10 

Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting Polisher

Now this sample is über tiny. It's itty bitty and I'm guessing good for one use. It's a face 'multitasker' and requires no rinsing (a plus) but I'm not super clear on what it actually does. I haven't tried it yet but from what I've read it isn't too bad. The only downside really is the sample size. I feel like they could've made a sample about twice the size I got and it wouldn't have been too bad for business. 7/10 

RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in 'Delirium'

I wasn't too excited for nail polish but again, I'm fickle. I like the brand, I like the name 'delirium', and I love the purple color. I even like the packaging. This is definitely something I was happy to see in the box. The formula isn't mega fantastic but it's good and it looks pretty on my dresser which is unfortunately something that actually matters to me (oh god, I'm so shallow when it comes to this stuff). 11/10 

Serge Normant Meta Luxe Hair Spray

I actually bought a sample size Serge Normant shampoo from birchbox a couple of weeks ago so this was also a welcome sample. I'm addicted to hair products and I already like the brand. The sample size is pretty good (enough for more than a couple of uses) and it doesn't smell disgusting like a lot of hair sprays tend to smell. 10/10 

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with this month's birchbox. It didn't blow me away immediately but I have to admit that I did like it a lot more than ipsy this month. I feel like birchbox consistently sends me more stuff that I tend to like while ipsy does send a lot of full sizes and some cute stuff but a lot of cheaper stuff that I end up throwing away too. I know a lot of people (holy crap just look at their fb pages) pit one against the other but I'd say they've got different advantages and both are worth the $10 dollars they charge (if you like this sort of stuff because the worth has to be personal and economic). 

Box:

Birchbox

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$10.00

Perks:

Every $1 spent, equals 1 point, plus you get 10 pts for every item in your box that you review. 100pts= $10.00 with no accumulation limit (so you could have 600 pts aka a $60.00 credit/discount)

Recommend? 

Yes! Although I didn't love every item this month, the ones I did like are more than enough to keep me happy. I love the point system, the CS,  and especially the brands they send out, so I'm still a loyal birchbox fan. 

As always, don't spend cash on anything you don't love! 

Ipsy September '13 Glam Bag

Bonjour Peeps!

It's taken me a while to recover from last weekend's debauchery but I've tried and tested and judged all of ipsy's september bag and I'm ready to review.

First of all, I have to admit that I wasn't overly excited about this month's ipsy glam bag when I saw the items I was going to get this month.  My 5 items are basically all eye stuff with the exception of a tinted lip balm. Eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow and an eyebrow pencil. Since I already have all of those items in spades and am not so keen on eyeliners (plus I was kinda pissed that I didn't get the butter london nail polish since I love them), I was ready to get angry and eviscerate this month's bag in my review. However, after careful consideration and testing, I've approached the items with an open mind and found that I actually appreciate getting some of them (especially the eyebrow pencil). It's not the best bag ever for me by any means but it isn't bad at all when you consider the fact that I paid $10.80 for all of the following!

September's Ipsy Glam Bag items. 

A closer look at the eye items w/ flash

A closer look w/o flash

The tinted lip balm aka the only non-eye makeup item in the whole bag.

Ok, on to the review: 

Elizabeth Mott 'It's So Big' Volumizing Mascara

First of all, let's get this out of the way: the name sounds dirty! Maybe it's meant to be to call attention to the item but since we're talking about mascara here, my initial reaction was more along the lines of wtfffff. As I've said, I have about a zillion mascara samples as well as more full sized mascaras than I can use in the next 2 years so I'm not crazy about this item. The hourglass shape of the brush is interesting but the mascara didn't really do much to make my eyelashes "so big!". In fact, I'd much rather wear my YSL Babydoll mascara (which I freakin' adore) than this one. It isn't too bad (no major clumping or raccoon eyes) but I guess I'm mascara'ed out right now so this sample feels like kind of a waste. 7/10


NYX Single Eye Shadow in 'Hollywood'

I've gotten the few NYX items that I own all through ipsy. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing but I do enjoy trying their stuff and my local target just started carrying their stuff (and Oscar Blandi too!!!!) so I'm pretty sure I'll be trying out more NYX in the future. 'Hollywood' is an icy silver shadow with a lot of glitter in the pan. However, when I applied it, I got lots of glitter but a basically transparent base. Plus, the texture of the eyeshadow wasn't up to par with my faves (urban decay and Chanel) because it was kind of chalky and didn't have that buttery silky feeling that I love. However, I'll definitely use it to play up my Halloween makeup with some extra glitter so, all in all, it's a score. 8/10



Starlooks Obsidian Kohl Eye Pencil

Starlooks is a sub in it's own right but this is the second time that the brand has shown up in my ipsy bag in the past few months. While I very much like the quality of starlooks' makeup, I have to admit I'm not overjoyed at getting an eyeliner pencil. I rarely (if ever) use them and I just don't love the way I look when I do. Nevertheless, I tried it on for the sake of this review and the color and application are pretty good indeed. If you like eyeliner (and it's full sized), then this item is for you. 7.5/10


Victoria Jackson Taupe Brow Pencil

I sincerely have never heard of this brand before so I did have reservations about the eyebrow pencil when I saw it. However (!!!) it was fantastic!! I've been looking for a pencil to help with my eyebrow situation (I currently use benefit's brow zings but the end result is too dark) and this one did the job impeccably. Plus, it was incredibly easy to use. This pencil almost immediately became my favorite thing in this month's bag. 10/10



Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm in 'Big Apple Red'

Cailyn Cosmetics is yet another brand that I knew absolutely nothing about until I was introduced to it by ipsy. I got their gel eyeliner (another freakin' eyeliner!!! ugh) a couple of months ago and I was lucky enough to not get two eyeliners in this bag and was given a tinted lip balm in 'big apple red'. I personally love tinted lip balm and red lipstick respectively so this combination is perfect. I also like that the packaging includes a brush for application (the packaging is nearly identical to that of the eyeliner except for the color (white for the lip balm and black for the eyeliner. Despite my unhappiness about some of this month's items, this one (along with the eyebrow pencil) is a winner. 10/10

Tinted Lip Balm in 'Big Apple Red'

Overall, this isn't the best bag I've gotten by any means but I'm not in love. I am hoping that next month will have a much more varied bag (sample society also did the every item dedicated to one area with this month's skincare themed box) that'll raise the odds of me finding something that I actually want to try. With the fact that I got mainly eye makeup, I'm gonna have to rate this box a big' ol C. It's a great value for $10 with full sizes but most of the brands are virtual unknowns and lower end with respect to marketability. The bag is cute and fall appropriate but suffers from crappy material syndrome and there was a little sample insert for Michelle Phan's (ipsy founder) new cosmetics line, Em. Theres some blush and a bit of eyeshadow on a card but my sample was for the "career life" palette and I have many a neutral so this sample was also pretty meh to me. While I'm not very rah rah for this month's bag, I do hope that next month's bag is back to the ipsy I know and love because last month was pretty much the best so that might be why this bag is a bit of a letdown.

Box:

Ipsy Glam Bag

Frequency:

Monthly

Price: 

$10.00 (plus tax in CA, I pay $10.80)

Perks: 

Ipsy points that can be earned and converted to extra items with referrals, brand discounts for every brand offered each month, full size items included (not guaranteed every month). 

Recommend?

Yes! $10 for a bag full of makeup is a pretty good deal indeed. Give it a try if you're interested, it's only $10 and you can cancel if you hate it.
Note:
There is sometimes a waitlist for subs like birchbox and ipsy and it usually takes from 2-5 weeks to get off. If you're really interested, I'd say check it out and sign up as soon as you can because the earlier you get on the waitlist, the earlier you get off (of the waitlist, dirty minded ones!!!).

As I always say, don't spend cash on anything you don't love! 

Yes, I sucketh aka September Popsugar Must Have, Birchbox, Ipsy, Sample Society and Julep updates

Hi all, 

I've been persona non grata for a couple of weeks because it turns out that going back to school kicks your ass pretty hard.... hmmm ;) Also, I was getting ready for another cousin's wedding that I just got back from. It was a 3 day party and yes, I'm hung over but had a hell of a lot more fun than I ever expected to. But my feet hurt, oh boy do they hurt. Also, it was hot. REALLY HOT. Like 105 degrees (fahrenheit) or ~50 celsius hot and this is at night. AT. NIGHT.

So, I suck for not updating, I really do. The good part is that I've got like 3 boxes ready to go. I just found ipsy in my mailbox when I got home a few hours ago and I've got a sample society and I think Julep (did I already post that? I don't think so....) ready to be seen. I've got to say that I loved Julep's september box but my sample society box was meh. Why? It was a special all skin care box and I'm not (yet, at least) old enough to appreciate 4-5 skin cream/wrinkle care items. It was total suckitude for me but my mom was quite pleased (insert Dr. Evil smile here). I actually haven't opened ipsy  because I was busy sleeping (seriously 3 straight days of partying in infernal weather will leave you pooped, to say the least) so that's a little surprise yet to come. Speaking of surprises , I still haven't received my september birchbox  but I did check the items and it.... doesn't look good :( but on the bright side, my popsugar must have  is processing and should be shipped this week (they were late as hell on billing/shipping this month so it better be good!). 

Soooo, yes I've got some good stuff coming and thanks for being patient with me. I was seriously busy these past couple of weeks and this past weekend was pretty much the best time I've had since the last wedding (in May). Seriously, I was dreading going to these things but they were fun as fuck and I actually got to know the may bride's husband (my cousin in law?) and he's a G. No shit. I would've never known because he seems so reserved but it turns out you have to talk to people to get to know them. Who knew? ;D 

So, lessons I've learned this week:

• Don't think everything will automatically suck always and forever. 
• Don't judge people by the way they look (some of the coolest people I know now were people I thought would be judgmental of me!) 
• Always try to enjoy life.
• Keep reading my blog (Ok, so this one is doesn't really count) ;P

Now, back to our regularly scheduled box lovin'