Short and Sweet Little Update

Hey There Dolls,

I have been a huge slacker when it comes to blogging lately.  With little to no motivation, and minimal ideas kicking around in my noggin I though I would take the week of Christmas off to just relax and see if anything started firing back up in my brain.  I was doing okay and had some new ideas for posts, as well as quite a few hours setting up my new camera and trying to find where the best place to try and shoot some videos could happen in my apartment.  Then a huge blow came and my Grandmother died on Monday the 30th, so I took another week off to go up north and spend some time with my family.

Now I'm back home and ready to start getting myself together to write up some new posts, maybe take a video, and do some online shopping. Yippee!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas! 

This little blogger got a new camera, so there may be a video popping up in the near future!

Stay Tuned and enjoy your holiday!

Birchbox December 2013

Birchbox has always been a subscription box that I look forward to getting in the mail, and this month was no different.

 

 The box itself is pretty and made it all the more fun to open.  What didn't make it fun to open was the fact that everything was practically frozen, and stayed that way for about a day.  

The Lash Fusion XL Mascara was one of the frozen items.  I would have been very excited to get this and try it out, but to this day (about a week later) it is still unusable.  I don't know if it's the fact that it was frozen, or it being dried out, but it's really a shame.

The cell phone sticker and the hair tie were extras this month.  I won't be using the cell phone sticker because I already have a phone case, but I do like the hair tie.  I have a few I bought from Target that stretched out after a use or two, so I hope that this one will last a little longer.

I have a love hate relationship with sea salt spray.  I love how it makes everyone elses hair look.  I hate how itchy it makes my scalp and how it just makes my hair look stringy.  That being said, this Sea Salt Spray from Toni&Guy is ah-mazing.  It doesn't make my hair stringy, and it adds that coveted wavy voluminous look.  

The S.M.A.R.T Skin Perfecting Polisher is an interesting product.  You're supposed to put it on your face, rub it around, and when it balls up you wipe it off.  No water, no muss, no fuss.  I have no idea if it works, or how it would react with my skin right now so I'm holding off.  

The Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips made me giggle because of the name.  It was the other item in the box that came frozen/hard.  It took a good two days for this to thaw out so I could even see what it was like. I think this thick balm is perfect for the winter and I would love to see the full sized product in my stocking *Hint Hint*.

Neostrata Exfoliating Wash

Lately I've been sticking to strict three product routine.  I went from having terrible bumpy acne skin to dry almost clear skin, and decided that it was time to add some new products to the rotation.

Enter Neostrata Exfoliating Wash

First Impression: Ooh foam! Huh, this is getting a little thinner on my hands than I thought.  Where are the beads/sand/exfoliating things?  Why does this stuff smell like chlorine?  Is this even doing anything?  Where did all the foam I just put on my face go?

After the Shower:  Sweet Jesus my face feels amazing and soft.  My cheeks aren't nearly as flaky as they were before.  Uh oh why is my face feeling tight?  Damn I need some moisturizer.

Overall: I really love this product.  I would not recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin, or someone sensitive to any odors.  It makes my face feel tight after I use it, but it has actually made the dry patches on my cheeks smoother and happier, so I'll take it.  I can see this bothering sensitive skin though.  It doesn't have any sort of "traditional" exfoliating beads in it, so I'm guessing it's more of a chemical type of exfoliation.  Which could explain why it smells strongly of chlorine, which I will never get used to.  

Repurchase: Probably not, I just can't get over the smell, even if it does work like a dream.  I would much rather find another exfoliating wash/scrub that doesn't have the smell and works just as nicely.  I will use this until it is gone though. 

Motivational Wednesday Week #4

This is not just a quote but a life philosophy. 

Ipsy Glam Bag December 2013

This month's Ipsy Glam Bag was fun to open, and chock full of makeup.  

 

Look at this bag! How cute! You can use it as a little clutch all on it's own or as an upscale looking makeup bag.

Now to the contents of the bag:

I do not know how to properly apply false lashes.  There.  I said it.  I do love the natural look of these lashes and hope they can be the ones to break my lash curse.  Christmas is coming up and I have an idea of a cute pre-Christmas look I can pull off with these puppies.

 Honestly not crazy about the color of this polish.  I have never heard of the name Nicka K before, and the bottle is not only gorgeous but also really hefty.  The color is called Classic Taupe which is the perfect name for a bold nude shade. Although I said I'm not crazy about the color it is definitely a winter shade.  If I don't give it a shot I'm sure my mom will.

This is not the first thing I've tried from the brand POP Beauty.  I like the brand itself, and find their products to be a good fit for me, and this palette is no different.  This is the Naturally Bare Trio.  The colors are beautiful, and it is the perfect size to keep in your purse.  The three shades are swatched on the right, and I heard they were chalky but I think they are pigmented and very pretty.  

  I called this the red collage.  The Be A Bombshell color stick is a really bright orangey red shade called sunset.  I have no idea when or where I could possibly wear this.  It is not something I would have ever picked for myself, but I guess I should try new things right? I'll let ya know how it goes.  As far as the J.Cats lip pencil goes, I love it.  First of all the color is called Red Rose. It is so pigmented that the area I swatched and promptly wiped off is still stained.  I will probably use this as a lip crayon and not just a pencil, because I'm lazy. That and it's just an amazingly rich color.

 I loved having a subscription box that was all makeup this month.  It really made me think about Christmas, and not just a dreary winter.  My favorite thing would have to be the lip pencil.  So much so that I am wearing it tomorrow.

What beauty subscriptions are you a member of?

Philosophy Hope In A Jar Night

Winter skin is my current nemesis.  Along with learning how to highlight and contour, my dry cheeks are the bane of my existence right now.  They are flaky, nothing sits on them well, and it makes it uncomfortable to smile.  All big no-no's.

Then this stuff came along in a subscription box and I swear I heard the angels singing the morning after I put this on.

 

Philosophy's Hope in a Jar Night lotion is a medium weight lotion that is supposed to help your skin retain moisture at night. Theory is you slap this stuff on your face, go to sleep, and wake up with moisturized plump happy skin.  Does it work?  I think so!

Alone this stuff works amazingly.  My cheeks were less dry in the morning and the rest of my face really felt smooth and happy (Read: No weird bumps/rough patches on my face., and no oil slick on my pillow.)  It sunk right into my skin and didn't leave it feeling oily and slick, just smooth and moisturized.

Now while it didn't completely take care of my dry cheeks it helped immensely.  Paired with Vitamin E over the top this really worked to help relieve the patchiness.  It worked great on the rest of my face all by itself though, which is still a major plus for me.  

What products from Philosophy would you recommend?