Quick Update: Birchbox, Popsugar, etc.

Hi peeps!

It's been a while since my last post and I had to come back to update y'all on the situation. For the good news portion, I can tell you that I've finally (FINALLY) got the November birchbox  in hand after it, no joke, being sent to me on the 18th or so. It's allright (and chocolate, a big bar [not those measly tiny sample sizes!] is included!) and I'll be trying to post a review as soon as possible. My popsugar must have  box got sent to my old address and wasn't correctly forwarded to my PO Box so now I've had to get a replacement and apparently they're sending it by fedex (which can't be sent to a PO Box so yay) so I've got no official ETA on that one. Weirdly enough, it isn't only my current homelessness that has stopped me from posting but the fact that up until yesterdays birchbox delivery, I hadn't gotten any of this month's boxes even though it's now the 25th!!!

So, it might seem that the universe has conspired to fuck me over on this month's reviews but I will get them up!! I actually had to pawn my ipad, laptop and new ipod for motel room stays (seriously. my life seems even sadder, if that's possible, when I see the details written down) and I was only able to get my laptop and ipad back today after I pawned my car to pay bills (yep, that low). Since I have no access to my camera right now (being homeless and all), I'll be using my ipad to take shitty/grainy pics while I can save up enough to get my ipod out of hock so apologies beforehand. Ugh, I'm so sad every day. It's almost thanksgiving and I'm still on the street and seeing all the Christmas decorations and sales and holiday food and movies is just adding extra salt to the wound.

However, I won't let this completely devolve into a pity party so I'll end it here.

*Good things: I've got one box and a review soon to come and possibly another box this week that'll be reviewed asap.

*Bad things: everything else!


Let's just keep on keeping on and I'll post the new birchbox review soon so I can show off my chocolate, mini nail polish (why blue, whyyyyyy), and lip gloss.

Birchbox Mini pre-review review: a solid assortment that would've been awesome if the nail polish was metallic as I'd assumed rather than a drab sort of blue that I've got no interest in. I got a hair product (aloxxi leave in conditioner spray), Color Club nail polish, Laura Mercier lip glaze, a Ghiradelli (sp?) chocolate bar and a foil packet trio of skin care samples. All in all, an 8.5/10

Personal Post Pt.2

WARNING: This post is all about me so skip it. I've got a zillion posts about boxes and I'm waiting for this month's haul to get delivered to my new PO box so we should have some new box love pretty soon.


Hey all,

Sooooo, I'm still fuuuucked but I've decided to take it all in stride. I have till my bday (seriously and also, thank you sheriff) to move out so I've got this weekend to still sleep in my own bed. My actual birthday won't be celebrated as such and it's a shame because I love love LOVE my bday and as it's Veteran's Day, I have declared it a national holiday (ok, so it is because of Veteran's Day/ Remembrance Day but I like to think having my bday on a holiday and not a huge one like Christmas is pretty cool).

My bday dreams are shot to hell but I'm trying not to dwell (rhyming!!). All I can do now is try to find some cash of which there is none to pay for a storage facility to store all my books and stuff whilst I'm homeless. I've begun to think that, for some people, life is bad thing after bad thing and I've read biographies where I'm like "seriously? wtf? why did this one person deserve so much bad shit?". I'm worried that that's me. The bad stuff has outnumbered the good stuff in my life. How can I live knowing that everything in the future isn't really worth living for? That all my hopes and dreams are constantly squashed?

I'm the queen of bad luck like all the time but, for example, one relative (close) won a house (no joke, won it after having my grandma's house and her parent's house promised to her in the will), got a big fancy wedding, got a job thanks to her grandpa (other side) and does nothing but facebook all day whilst earning money for it. She's all been on vacation like 8 times this year and had like 7 bachelorette parties. The craziest part is that she isn't super smart (I used to help her with her homework), went to a relatively crappy university/had a useless major (mine were legit better as if that even matters), and isn't a great person overall. However, she gets all the love from our grandma (has been the favorite since she was born) and, apparently, the luck. I guess it helps to have parents that aren't destitute too but it shouldn't matter in our 20's, should it? I guess cash/connections do give you a head start in life (duh) and a lack of those gives you a shitty life like mine. I wonder why I even wasted 4 years on a Neuroscience degree when I can't find a job to save my life (literally). I feel like I got tricked into thinking college was the answer and now all I get are student loans collections calls and no way to pay them back.

People give Generation Y a bad rap and call us lazy but I'd be overjoyed to have the chance to work my ass off to get any sort of money to help out my family. All I want is freaking chance and I can't seem to find it! We all see unemployment statistics on the news and don't really give a shit because we subconsciously assume those people somehow deserve it (lazy, losers, whatever) but it sucks to turn into a statistic of something everyone wants to avoid.

Ugh, whatever. This pity party sucks. I do think I got the shit deal when it comes to life overall but, in the end, I can't blame anyone but myself.

Personal Post

Hey guys,

This one is sad as fuck (for me, at least) so no one HAS to read it. Actually, you probably SHOULDN'T because I'm so sad that it'll probably be the self pity party of the year.

Why am I so sad, you may ask?

Well, a couple of reasons but the main one is that I'll be homeless (again. AGAIN.) in about 3 days. I was going to go into the details but then I realized that, honestly, no gives the slightest shit. I live with my parents and only brother so staying with them isn't the option it is for some people as they'll be homeless with me too. I have 3 dogs and 1 cat that I'm unwilling to let go of (and that I sacrifice my own necessities to keep them healthy, well fed, and happy). So, my choices are limited to motel 6 or my car.

I've had the experience of sleeping in a car and it honestly sucks. I'm sitting on my bed and just thinking how I'll won't be this comfortable and how I won't feel this relaxed in a long time. The worst part of being on the street is that feeling that you have nowhere to go where you feel taken care of, nowhere to relax, no privacy, all pain and sadness. Last time this happened, my brother attempted suicide. It really was something to sit at the hospital hoping he was ok while simultaneously having nowhere to go and being a little grateful that I had somewhere with a roof to sit under.

I don't know if I can make it. I don't know what to do. I keep looking for work (any work! I don't feel entitled to anything! I'd work at mcdonald's!) and just trying so hard and getting nothing. It's like we have a freaking curse following us around.

I'll try to keep posting about the subs I still have so this little blog won't be affected (hopefully) and I still have a whimseybox review to post that I've been avoiding because I wanted to avoid this post but I'd rather be honest with myself and document my life as a fashion and makeup loving college grad (is it even worth having a degree anymore? mine has sure been useless and it was in science!) that loves subscription boxes and is also on the street.

It will definitely be a bumpy ride and it will be one of the hardest times of my life but I think I'll document it for posterity. Fuck it, I might as well so I can see what it is that I'm doing wrong in my life.

Birchbox App and Whimseybox Update

Quickie Post: 

Birchbox has a new app and if you download, you get a 20% off coupon code (with a purchase of $50 or more which kind of sucks, to be honest). The app is cute but isn't as fully developed as I would've liked. It's still fun to have a birchbox  app, though.

Whimseybox update: I just got my shipping notice so I'm expecting to have a review up in the next week. We're not getting an awesome magical Halloween craft but I expect whatever it is to be many many times better than the crapalicious Macrame project of last month.

That's all for now! I'm going back to obsessively checking out all the Holiday sets (makeup!!!) at sephora, ulta, and nordstrom! (I'm going to have such a large wish list this year.....)

Glossybox October '13 Box Review

Well hellooooo there!!

I think this glossybox review is the last in my looooong backlog of reviews that I had to post this week. Whew! So, this month's box was a combination of "ohhh yeahhhh" and "the fuuuck?" because it included an awesome full size item that is worth more than what the box costs (doing the quite simple math: full size value of Tarte Mascara $23 (+tax) by itself, glossybox value: the mascara plus another 3 samples at $21. Is that a good deal? I think so. I'm not a penny pincher by any means (seriously, I'm pretty much called a shopaholic daily but it isn't 12 step bad, just need a really good job to buy myself everything I want bad) so I don't typically put much store into the prices, I tend to care more about liking the items I get. For this month, I did like the mascara (though I didn't get to keep it, mom strikes again) but the other items weren't as...errm... passion inducing. So, not a home run but the full size mascara unquestionably added some good will points and I'm set to get the November box too.

All of this month's good stuff. 

Tarte 'Lights, Camera, Flash' Mascara in Black

Full sized and gold packaging (the mascara itself is in a gold case too) is the way to my heart. I love getting nice surprises like this one and this was definitely the best part of this month's box. It even comes with a brush replacement! I'm using YSL Babydoll right now but I might go for this mascara in the future. I like the way it looks, I guarantee it ;) 11/10


Fresh "Lotus Youth Preserve" Face Cream

This is also a great sample because it is way larger than any other samples for this specific cream that I've come into contact with. Usually I get a little foil packet with no more than one use but this little jar (yes, a jar!) has substantially more than that. Alas, though I want to ignore the fact that everyone ages, it's good to get something like this so I can actually remember to put on some cream in the futile attempt to stave off any signs of aging (I've already got smile lines.... why God whyyyyyyy?). Also, it smells good and isn't oily/doesn't leave a nasty residue. 11/10



Bulgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert Sample (mini bottle)

Ah, yet another perfume sample. While I do have a significant weakness for mini bottles and I recently spent 250 points at sephora to get a mini Miss Dior bottle (so cute!!!),  I have to actually like the scent for me to be able to keep it around. Regrettably, the first sniff of this perfume (purported to be a green sort of scent, which I typically love, given the name) gave me a bit of a headache/nausea combo and I quickly gave it away. I'm super sensitive to this sort of stuff and there isn't a set pattern, any strong scent can set it off so my opinion/reaction shouldn't be taken as the word on this perfume. Everyone has different scent preferences! One thing that always irks me is that this box repeatedly sends Bulgari products and I haven't liked a single one. I wonder if it's due to the similarity of the scents they send out... 6/10

Sesha Renu Exfoliating Gel

Another cleanser! I can't even. (If you don't know why, please read my other reviews this month.) 6/10


Balance Me LE Shine On Tinted Lip Gloss in 'Super Soft Beige'

I love lip gloss, I really do. I even like neutral colors like this one. But I also like full products. Case in point, the following picture:

As one can see, the balm isn't full of product (look at the image on the paper for comparison). There's about a third of the bottle missing and as I'm not very trusting by nature, I've decided to not touch it at all in case it has been tampered with. If the bottle was full, I'd be quite happy with it. As such, grrrrrrr.
0/10 (for the one I got) 10/10 (If I'd gotten a full gloss)


Overall, another solid box (with the exception of the gloss because I'm fuming about that) but nothing to super excited about (I was pretty excited initially since it was a collab with a beauty blog but the only difference was the dark gray box). I'm going to keep if until next month but if the box isn't right for me, it might be time to consider canceling because as I always say, don't pay for what you don't love and that applies to me too (to get a cool box like in August will stop me from canceling). A little positive note: the shipping was relative quick and worry free this month. Their schedule is pretty much settled at sending out the box late mid-month so no bitching about that.

 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 to be mid to late month. 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 had a fantastic full sized item. I'm still a glossybox subscriber (not so happy but maybe happier once I have more time to try out the products) 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!! 

Ipsy Glam Bag October '13 Review

Hellooo!


A very decent selection of items this month plus the makeup bag is quite cute. better than bb this month due to the variety and amount of items. Brands are actually pretty good, not high end but mid-market and established enough to be recognized (with the exception of the hand creme because I'd never heard of that brand until I got that bottle that was promptly jacked by my mom.

I really like this bag, weirdly enough. 

Zoya Nail Polish (some sort of pinkish red, shimmery)

I've gotten a couple of Zoya polishes from ipsy so the brand isn't new to me but the color is pretty average. Zoya isn't an expensive brand but it is a reliable one so I'm not disappointed to get it but I wish I'd gotten that blue color that I saw on the glam room preview rather than the color I got. Nevertheless, as a polish addict, I can't say this is a bad addition to this month's bag. 10/10




Buxom Full On Lip Polish in 'Dolly'

Ok, so first of all, I love Buxom. I used to not even pay attention to their stuff but their lip colors are pfa (pretty fucking awesome) and I own more than a few. Howeverrrr, this is the possibly 10th sample of Dolly I've gotten in the past 3 months. Enough Dolly!!! I'd be elated to get any ANY!!! other damn color since I've already got more than enough samples to last me a loooong time (like more than if I'd bought a couple of full sizes) and the color doesn't honestly look that great on me. That combo makes me sad. I would've been very happy if I'd gotten almost any other color. Stop with the Dolly already, Buxom!! You guys have so many great colors! 7/10




Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel

Hair product. C'mon, of course I'll be interested! This blow dry gel is all about giving the hair volume and shape. I've never really used a blow-dry gel but I'm definitely trying it out this weekend. Plus, the sample has a respectable amount, more than one use to be sure. 10/10




La Fresh Eco Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes

I love cleanser wipes and the oil-free qualifier (plus the eco stuff) made it seem like something I might like. The smell is fucking delightful in comparison to some other wipes and it does take off light makeup (heavy eye makeup is a different ball game, use some Lancome or Pur-Lisse for that, no time for the correct accents, I'm in a hurry!). I like the wipes but unfortunately consecutive use started giving me a weird chemical irritation that turned my skin bright red so it's out. 8/10




be Delectable Hand Creme in 'Vanilla Cupcake'

Smells like vanilla cake, it really does! All it did, though, was make me immensely hungry and made me crave sweet, sweet cake (at least I'll get to eat some on my bday!). Nevertheless, before I could try it out and give you guys the deets on the texture and feel, it was yet another item taken by my mother's item jacking tirade of 2013! I know I'm supposed to be happy that I can give her nice things (my dad's words, not mine) but ugh. Seriously. 9/10

Overall, I really liked the variety of this month's ipsy glam bag and if the items were other colors/shades then I'd be fucking elated with this month's booty. A solid effort and I'm siding with ipsy (this month) in the huge ipsy vs. birchbox battle that ensues every month on facebook just because the birchbox take was pretty skimpy this month in comparison.

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! 

Julep October '13 Review (finally!!!)

Hey hey hey!! 

My Julep Maven box was super late this month and I got it on the 21st, the freaking 21st! This was due to some computer stuff but still, I was getting very very antsy to get my nail polishes. I went for 'it girl' and 3 polish add-ons so it was all polish for me this month. As many of you know, the selection window for November started on the 20th and ends on the 24th. I've already chosen my stuff and I actually went for the opposite and got 'modern beauty' because it has lip products (my addiction) and added on the prettiest autumnal sparkly nail polish named….. Autumn. Lol. Nevertheless, I'm quite satisfied with my Julep  sub right now and I'm even thinking of going back and getting a couple more add-ons because why not? It's for my bday!! I count basically 3-4 weeks before my bday as my bday season so yep, I even start buying myself presents and I've got a little stash already which is good because no one knows what to give me and honestly, I only get gifts from maybe my parents and brother so I try celebrate myself as much as possible! 

Left to right: Missy, Ciara, Kendra, Cleopatra, Casper, Beatrix

W/ flash. The left set is the October 'it girl' and the right set includes the add-ons.

Another look at the colors and candy corn! 

Julep Color Treat in 'Missy'

Substantial shimmery silver. Thick base, no see through with one coat. Great texture and formula (better than most standard polishes). However, you do have to be careful because texture can start to look streaky if not applied carefully on the sides. The website describes it as a titanium metallic which really describes it perfectly. This is probably my favorite metallic in a long time. 11/10 

Julep Color Treat in 'Ciara' 

A shimmery purplish base with a blue/purple color shift. It has teal micro glitter that lends the overall color a great shift in light. It's described as a 'vampy magenta with teal micro glitter' and is super shimmery to boot. This is a color that I would buy even if it weren't offered in the box (I almost did when I was browsing around and didn't remember that it was part of the 'it girl' set!!) and I love the way it looks in different lights. Again, the formula is pretty good and doesn't suffer from thickness and that jelly-ish situation that happens in most glitter polishes. 10/10 

Julep Color Treat in Kendra 

Kendra is a surprising color. At first look, it looks like a drab sort of olive green color. However, Kendra, which is described by julep as an 'army green frost' looks way better on than in the bottle. It has a subtle gold shimmer that makes it look loads better than it would if it were a simple army green. It isn't my favorite color but it's good to see that even my least wanted color is actually nowhere near as bad as I initially assumed. 8/10 

Julep Color Treat in Beatrix 

Now this is my jam. Glitter? Yes! Black and gold? Yes!!! Some peeps have been complaining about the texture but since these types of polishes tend to be thick (c'mon glitter isn't the same as plain lacquer!!), it's all about the application. I try to distribute it evenly and typically do a topcoat to seal it and create a smoother surface. 3 coats of it and no topcoat is just the ticket to peel-off city (that's right, peel off not chip!) so we must be have a system for these types of things! Also the name is awesome and witchy (halloween!!!). 11/10 

Julep Color Treat in Cleopatra 

Black nail polish for October? You don't say! Since I tend to slip back to my goth (ish never full on white face black lips but a lot of black clothing!) roots during the month of October, a great new black nail polish is essential. This particular polish has a latex finish (no actual latex) and was one of the smoothest polishes I've applied from Julep. Also, the name, same as the polish before this one, is amazing. Especially since I've already got my Cleopatra costume ready for Halloween, which is less than a week away!!!!!! 11/10

Julep Color Treat in Casper 

Casper is a "glow in the dark shimmer" and can be worn alone or one top of another color. I chose to try it one alone and did two coats. I got a nice white shimmer (a bit sheer but not too sheer) that looked cute during the day but was even better at night because it really does glow in the dark!!!!! I'd read some other reviews that stated that the glow in the dark aspect was oversold and that the glowing was really faint but I guess I was lucky or got a special batch because my nails noticeably glowed in the dark. Actually, I even had a little scare because I'd forgotten I was wearing glow in the dark polish! Again, the name given to the color is marvelous. 11/10 

Overall, I loved this box. I was very excited about the Halloween themed add-ons and the 'it girl' colors turned out to be better looking and more wearable than I'd thought. So, for me, this month was a complete score. It doesn't happen every month but when I get a box I thoroughly like, I'm happy to report it. 

Box:

Julep Maven

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$19.99 (add-on prices vary and are added on to the $19.99 base price) 

Perks: 

Ability to earn free boxes, ability to use earned jules to pay for add-ons, etc.

Recommend? 

Yes. I clearly loved this month's themes and Julep has made me a happy Leslie once again. Their CS is fantastic (especially if you call in because emails may take a while to get a response) and their variety of offered items gets better and more varied (to be redundant) every month. This used to be just a nail polish only sub but now with the advent of the 'modern beauty' profile, you can get other types of beauty items every month without having to get polish at all. I'd say try a month  if you're really interested. You can always (and should!) cancel if you're not in completely in love.

As always, don't spend your hard earned cash on something you're not 100% in love with!