Julep Maven January 2014

I decided to get my Julep Maven box this month.  The thing that did me in, was that they offered an extra nail polish in all Maven boxes. I thought that it was a  good deal and I liked the polishes that were sent out, so I went and shipped out my box.

First Look!

This month the theme is "The Dramatic Collection

Cameron - Stardust finish. Metallic Purple

Love - Gold Shimmer with red glitter flecks This was the bonus nail polish included in every box this month.

Rooney - slate gray

One coat of Cameron.

Opaque in one coat.

One coat of Love.

Opaque in two coats.

One coat of Rooney.

Opaque in three coats.

The bonus product this month was the Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow.  You could pick one of four colors to add to your box and I chose "Dusty Taupe Shimmer" This was a lot smaller than I was expecting and more liquify than the preview pictures showed. I will have a full review of this product in an upcoming post. 

If you would like to sign up for Julep, please use my referral code, link here
Use code "Freebox" to get your first box for free
Use code "Sheen10" for an extra 10% off

January 2014 Sephora Haul

I put in another Sephora order this month. When I was in Pittsburgh, I purchased a Make up For Ever eyeliner and when I went on the Sephora website, I saw that there was a box set that was a better deal. I knew that I had to get it and couldn't pass it up.

Sephora Favorites: Skin Cleanse Volume 2

Everything came in this black and white bag. The front and back of the bag are made of black vinyl with raised bumps throughout.  The sides of the bag are in white with a white zipper pull.

0.7 oz. boscia Luminizing black peel off mask. When they say black, they mean black.  I tried this out and it really dried tightly to the skin.  I thought that the mask was hard to peel off and would come off as strips. It was especially hard to peel the mask from around the hairline. I ended up needing to use a cleanser to take the rest of the smaller pieces off my face.

0.5 fl. oz. Kate Somerville 'ExoliKate' exfoliating treatment 

1.0 oz. First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue deep cleanser with Red Clay

0.25 fl. oz. dr. brandt "Pores no more" pore refiner

0.33 fl. oz. Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm

.33 fl. oz. Murad oil control mattifier with SPF 15/PA ++ 

0.5 fl. oz. Peter Thomas Roth "Firm x" Peeling gel

0.3 oz. Glam Glow "Supermud" clearing treatment I really liked this mask.  It's a mud mask that applies a dark grey color and dries to a lighter gray.  The mask pulls out the oils in your pores and those areas remain a dark grey color, helping you see all the impurities that were pulled out of your pores.  As far as the rest of the mask it dries really tightly.  After washing off the mask you can see and feel the results immediately. All the hype behind this product is well deserved.  I really want to try the moisturizing version of this mask. 

0.5 fl. oz. Ole Henriksen "Ultimate Lift" eye gel

Make up For Ever: Ever Lasting Liners - Aqua Liner Set

This is the set that I got because of the good deal that it was. I basically got three full sized liners and three mini liners for the price of two full priced liners. 

Full Sized Liners:

0L - matte black

25L - matte brown

3L - iridescent navy

Mini Liners:

20L - forest green

11L - eggplant purple

23L - champagne

Swatches Left to Right: 0L, 25L, 3L, 20L, 11L, 23L

Nails, Inc.: The Special Effects Collection

Electric Lane - holographic top coat. Silver glitter

Marylebone - 3D glitter. Purple glitter

Strafford - Mirror Metallic. Brown Shimmer

I ended up having to return this polish to Sephora.  When I received the polishes two of them (Electric Lane and Marylebone) were completely dried out. 

Delux Samples:

0.1 fl. oz. Illamasqua Hydra Veil rehydrating gel

1.0 fl. oz. Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Extras:

I didn't order this, but it was included in the shipment. I though it was worth mentioning. There was an envelope including cards with scent swatches of a few of the fragrances that Sephora offers. 

Samples: 

0.35 fl. oz. Glam Glow "Brightmud" eye treatment sample

(2) 0.07 oz. Elizabeth and James Nirvana in Black and White **Sephora Exclusive**

0.33 fl. oz. Living Proof restore targeted repair cream

Snapshot Sunday 7

Diaper cake made for a baby shower I attended today.

Love with Food January 2014

The Price: $10.00 a month

Ships out: Once a month

The Extras: For each box purchased, Love with Food donates a meal to someone in need.

First Look!

This month's theme is "Wake up to a New Year" I'm not sure what it is about this box, but I really love the card this month. I just think it's so pretty. 

Hi I'm Skinny "Multi-Grain Sea Salt Skinny Sticks"

Mama's Magic Mix "Banana Split Baby Mama Drama" These were interesting and different than any mix that I have ever tasted. I was expecting to like this more than I actually did.  There were banana and strawberry pieces, chocolate covered graham crackers, salted peanuts and caramel puffs. I thought that the fruit pieces would be the best part, but they just tasted like astronaut food. The chocolate covered graham cracker pieces were too big for the mix and everything in the bag was different weights. So as you go about eating them they were all settled in layers of each piece. Even when I attempted to shake up the bag, it settled the same way. Not so much of a mix...

Blue Diamond lightly salted almonds

Oskri Orange Bar I love oranges and orange scents and orange flavored things, but this bar seems really gross to me. 

Jer's Chocolates "Jer's Squares" in "Pretzo Chang-O" and Original

Lovely Candies fruit chews

Annie's Homegrown chewy granola bar in "Berry Berry"

Caffe Borsa Hand drip premium coffee in Colombia Supremo This was also sent out in the Love with Food May 2013 box. 

Home Free mini chocolate chip cookies

This box wasn't too exciting for me. I don't know what it was about this month, but I wasn't really excited with any the products that were included. Last month's box was really good, so hopefully February's box will be better. 

If you would like to sign up for your own box, please consider using my referral link, here.

Pittsburgh Haul January 2014

Here is the haul from my recent impromptu trip to Pittsburgh. 

From LOFT at Ross Park Mall:

I saw this shirt and it reminded me of 90's era Drew Barrymore. I had to have the shirt. There was a sale going on when I showed up so I got the shirt for 40% off. 

There are tiny cream colored, embroidered daises all throughout the shirt.  The base of the shirt is very sheer, so I have to wear something under it. 

From Gabriel Brother's:

Another sheer shirt. This one is black and long sleeves. The only thing that I don't like about shirts like these is that they are easily snagged.

From one of two different Marshall's stores: 

Here is another cream colored shirt. This is a long sleeved sweater on the front and the upper half of the back.  The bottom half of the back is made out of the same color chiffon.  There is a single pocket on the breast with a little chiffon flap to close the pocket. I thought that this shirt would be long enough to wear over leggings, but also nice enough to wear with jeans and still look put together. 

I found this shirt in the clearance section and it was my favorite piece that I picked up.  The sleeves and back of the shirt are made out of a heather grey sweatshirt material and the front of the shirt is made out of a white, cable knit sweater.  This shirt is so comfortable and its different. I haven't seen this style of shirt, made out of these two types of fabric before. 

These boots are from American Eagle and they were on clearance for $16.00! They are made out of a khaki suede and the sides of the boots are not stiff and structured so they have a lot of movement when you walk. 

**Fun Fact** 

American Eagle Outfitters corporate campus is in Pittsburgh. I ended up coming across the campus while we were leaving. We saw the big American Eagle mascot looming on the side of a building, we drove closer by to see that it was headquarters. 

Cobalt Blue peep toe d'Orsay flats by Franco Sarto.  I have been obsessed with finding a comfortable d'orsay flat recently.  Most of these shoes cut into the top of my feet from the toe section of the shoe. These shoes were really comfortable when I tried them on. I will have to store these shoes away for the spring time, because the shoes look weird with stockings or tights and it's currently too cold to wear them without it. If the toe wasn't open I think that these shoes would look fine with tights, the open toe shows the hem of the socks, which is weird. 

MOR candle in Black Currant Iris. This is the second one of these candles I have found. I really love the brand MOR. They make some delicious scents. My favorite scent from MOR is Neroli Clementine. I have a tube of the Neroli Clementine hand cream on my desk at work, the Lychee Flower hand cream by my bed and a Neroli Clementine sugar scrub in my shower. I have been finding this brand all over the place in clearance sections of Marshall's and Ulta. You cannot order from the website right now, it will be opening up again sometime soon. I have a suspicion that they will be rebranding and clearing out their old product to get ready for the new stuff. 

From Sephora in Ross Park Mall:

Soap and Glory "Beginners Luxe" set. This included "Clean on Me" shower gel, "Scrub of Your Life" body scrub, full sized "The Righteous Butter" body butter and a set of exfoiliating gloves. I have been using the body butter a lot recently, the scent is really nice and it absorbs quickly in the skin. The body butter also seems to last for a really long time on your skin. 

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil hand cream in Vanilla Apricot.  I wasn't planning on purchasing this and haven't heard anything about this hand cream before. I was walking around the Sephora store, had dry hands and found this hand cream first so I tried this product with one of those testers, and continued on my merry way. As I continued to walk around the store, I kept feeling my hands and see how soft they were. I had to pick up a tube of this! Even when I was at the checkout counter, the girl ringing me up, commented that this hand cream is the best in the store. 

Snapshot Sunday 6

Hand painted sugar skull wine glasses. Living Social events.

New Beauty Test Tube January 2014

Happy Valentines Day to all of you in a relationship. Happy Singles Awareness Day to all of us spending our Valentines Day trying to maneuver around all the couple-ly and love-y conversations amongst those around us.

New Beauty Test Tube January 2014

Price: $29.99 plus $8.95 shipping

Ships out: Every other month

First Look!

Votivo candle in Red Currant I received another Votivo candle in my LAST TUBE! I received an Icy Blue Pine Votivo candle in my New Beauty Test Tube November 2013 tube! Now I can understand if I receive the same brand or type of products in multiple sample boxes.  I know that the likely hood of receiving these multiple products is high. But to receive the same brand and product, in consecutive boxes?! Not cool New Beauty Test Tube, Not. Cool.

3.9 fl. oz. Pantene "Expert Collection Advanced Keratin Repair" shampoo

2.5 fl. oz. "Expert Collection Advanced Keratin Repair" Conditioner

I received a smiler product in my New Beauty Test Tube July 2013.  In that tube we received Pantene shampoo and conditioner in the "Age Defy" collection.  I gave those samples to my sister, because they were not color safe. I gave these to her too. 

FULL SIZE Mally Beauty "Evercolor Starlight" waterproof eyeliner in Sailor  (Navy Blue) Received these same eyeliner in the New Beauty Test Tube September 2013 in Starlight (Silver).

FULL SIZE Revlon "Age Defying Wrinkle Remedy" line filler.

1.6 fl. oz. June Jacobs Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque. EXACT. SAME. PRODUCT. RECEIVED. IN. MY. New Beauty Test Tube Spring "Box"

0.5 oz. Biosilk "Volumizing Therapy" texturizing powder. Another brand that is not new to New Beauty Test Tube subscribers. But I don't mind this repeat brand. The products were different and weren't box after box after each other. 

1.7 fl. oz. Moroccan Oil body butter. And again, the exact same product came in my New Beauty Test Tube July 2013

0.5 fl. oz. Lumene "Time Freeze" with Arctic Heather firming day cream. okay, I just checked and I have received a Lumene product in EVERY. SINGLE. TEST TUBE. THAT I HAVE RECEIVED SINCE  MAY 2013! Get a new brand, Test Tube!

The following products were in the Beauty To Go bag. 

.11 oz YBF (Your Best Friend) lip gloss in "Beachberry" This is the tiniest, cutest little lip gloss sample. Not only is the sample cute, something about the way the shimmer in the tiny little bottle hits the light is mesmerizing. I. need. a. life. ..Moving on...This is the second type of product that I have received from this brand, but it is otherwise fairly new to me. I received an eyebrow pencil in the New Beauty Test Tube July 2013 tube. 

.33 fl. oz. Hydroxatone "90 Second Wrinkle Reducer" New Beauty Test Tube May 2013

0.05 oz. DDF "Ultra Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew" 

Okay, this tube was a HUGE disappointment to me. Most of the products in this tube were exact items that were in previous Test Tubes or were very similar.  I was going to unsubscribe after I opened this tube, but looking back at previous tubes I saw that each of them had at least one product that has become a staple in my routine. I'm going to give it one more try to see if the tube gets better and then I will make a decision.

One thing that makes receiving this box harder is that New Beauty Test Tube currently does not have a customization program to send out different products catered to the person receiving them. I emailed customer service one and they mentioned that they were in the process of creating one, but obviously it has not been created yet. That will not address the issue of receiving multiple similar or identical products, but the customization in a beauty box is something that helps satisfaction among customers.