Friday, August 24, 2012

August Beauty Army

Yay I got my Beauty Army Subscription! This is only my second month with Beauty Army but they have really impressed me. I love that I get to pick me own samples, that way I know that I want the items I am receiving. If I don't like the items that I have the option to pick from I can skip the month. It is only $12 per month for Beauty Army and you get to pick items. Their box that they send their products in are so amazingly cute as well and great for storage. This month I actually got 7 items because my account got messed up and my items did not get sent out when they were supposed to, but that is not a big deal to me.
Here is my August box:


And the samples I picked
Bath and Body Works Shower Gel in Japanesse Cherry Blossom and Twilight Woods 3 FL OZ each. I love B&BW and these are perfect for traveling, which I do a lot of. These two products alone are $5 each so that almost pays for my box already. They both smell amazing!
COCKTAIL Eau de Parfum
I am not sure how big the sample is exactly but it is a smaller vial compared to most perfume samples. The smell is rather strong, at first it reminds me of straight up alcohol but then after a few moments it reminds me of Old Spice Sport, I actually really like it. 
Fiafini Delicate Cleansing Emulsion .17 FL OZ
Kellett Clarifying Acne Treatment .1 FL OZ
I am really excited to try this out because I have tried their moisturizer gel in my Beauty Army box last month and it worked really well so I am excited to see if this works. The only negative thing about samples like this is, is that I do not like the cardboard packaging it comes in.
Besame Crimson Rouge for Rosy Lips and Cheeks
This sample is pretty small, it is about the size of a quarter but from what I have heard it lasts awhile and a little bit goes a long way. I won't be using it on my cheeks because I am pretty pale and this color is very red but I will use it on my lips.


Atopalm Intensive Moisturizing Cream .25 FL OZ
I love trying new moisturizers so I am excited to try this one out!


August Birchbox!

I finally got off of Birchbox's wait list and received my first box! Honestly I am not thoroughly impressed with this months box but I am sure it will get better! Birchbox is only $10 per month, if you would like to join here is my referral link https://www.birchbox.com?raf=z7bj4
Here is what I got in my box!



I did get another item which was a lifestyle item, a Larabar in Apple Turnover but I barely got it out of the box before my husband shoved it down his throat lol!
I did like the little pamphlet that came with it compared to the regular postcards that come with most boxes.
Beauty Fixation Make-up Remover. This comes with 2 Q-tips with make-up remover on the inside. I am not really super impressed with these because I would rather use a regular Q-tip with water.
Viva La Juicy La Fleur Eau de Toilette Spray.05 FL OZ. I really love this perfume, it has a 'pretty' floral scent that goes really nicely with summer.
Sumita Brow Base Pencil. I haven't used this yet but it is a great size.
The Balm Cosmetics Staniac .04 FL OZ. This is what made the box for me, I have been really wanting to try this and it is actually really great!

Little Black Bag #1

I have joined a new monthly subscription! This one is called 'Little Black Bag' it is a bit more expensive at about $50 + s&h. It is so much fun though! Pretty much you go to their site and fill out a small beauty profile then you can pick one item from their gallery, you can pick anything from handbags, jewelry, make up, candles, home interior, etc. After you pick your main item LBB will give you 2-3 more items that are a secret until you pay for the bag. Once your bag is paid for you get to trade your items with tons of other ladies for 7 days. You can start off with 3 items and end your bag with more than double the amount, it is crazy! Trading is so fun and I have been ADDICTED! I am not a great trader at all but I am happy with my first bag, I ended up with two BCBGeneration clutches.
I am loving both of these bags!

August Myglam Bag!

August Myglam Bag!

Myglam has been having great bags ever since I joined a couple of months ago in June. This is my third bag so far and I have to say that Myglam is my favorite beauty sub I have right now. I love that with every bag I get a new make-up bag that is perfect for my purse because I like to trade them up every now and then. This month was definitely not disappointing with a total 6 items not including the bag!

Like last month the make up bag is a mesh bag! I do like mesh bags because they are nice for taking in the shower or to the beach without having to worry about them getting ruined. Although I am not a big fan of orange but I will still definitely be using this bag.
Inside the bag were 6 amazing products! I am so excited that there were 6 this month, thank you Myglam!!
Andrea's Choice Circus Nail Color in Ringmaster. We actually got one of her polishes last month as well but I love getting polishes so I am happy with this product.
Myglam Glam Gloss in 01. This is actually a really great full size lipgloss, it smells so good, just like watermelon. I haven't been able to tell if it is sticky though because I always wear chapstick under lipgloss and that prevents the sticky feeling on your lips. The color is a really nice baby pink.
S.A.L.T.Y. Cosmetics Loose Luxury Mineral Eye Shadow in Glama-ZOID 1GM. Wow two products that are made just for Myglam, that is pretty awesome. I haven't tried this eyeshadow yet but the color is a pretty glitter white but it is iridescent and turns pink.
Demeter Roll On Perfume Oil in Clean Skin .29 FL Oz. I love getting perfumes! This does have a very nice clean scent, it actually reminds me of baby lotion lol 
Eclos Anti-Aging Regenerative Cream .25 FL OZ. This has a strong scent to it but it does fade after a little bit. I love getting moisturizers because I have such dry skin, with all these beauty subs it seems like I will never have to actually buy one lol!
Eclos Anti-Aging Face Serum .5 FL OZ. I haven't used this, I'm actually going to be giving it to my mom because she really wants to try it! 

Julep Maven Mystery Box!

Julep Maven Mystery Box!


Sorry I am very late in writing this but I got my Julep Maven Mystery box in the mail awhile ago and to my surprise I got one of the bigger boxes!! I was so surprised and excited!I picked the American Beauty box =] It was completely worth $19.99! Here is what came in my box!



  • Age Defying Hand Brightener
  • Glycolic Hand Scrub
  • Daylight Defense Lip Balm
  • Nail Growth Revitalizing Serum
  • Fast Dry Topcoat
  • Basecoat
Nail Polish Colors:
Lily
Ellen
Amy
Dendrie
Pippa
Natalie
Lynn
Courtney


I have only tried one product in the box so far and that is the lip balm. I love it, it smells so good! It reminds me of these mints that I had at my wedding, I can't remember what they are called though. I will definitely be buying another mystery box when they have them available again!


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

EMPTIES!

Hello Ladies!!
I am a little bit late but here are my empties for the month of July and my review on each product =]



  • DG Body Nail Polish Remover: I found this product at a local drugstore, I was in a hurry and just needed a nail polish remover so I grabbed this one because it was only $2-$3. I thought it was remover pads but when I got home and opened it instead of seeing pads the tub had a huge sponge in it. To use it you stick the tip of your finger in the sponge and twist to get the polish off. I wasn't thrilled about the whole germ issue but surprisingly this works rather well! It even took of glitter nail polish easily! I would give this product a C-
  • e.l.f. cosmetics Natural Lash Kit in Black $1: I honestly was not very impressed with these, I think it was mostly because the glue that was included was horrible. I would not buy these again, not that I buy fake eyelashes much at all anyways. I would give these a D-
  • Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturizer: I got this moisturizer free with my Insiders' Choice Box and I absolutely LOVE it!! It made my face so incredibly smooth which is saying something because I have really dry skin. This little sample gave me a good 5 uses and even though I only used it 5 times it worked wonders. I am debating buying a full size of this. Beauty Bar sells it for $82 for an 8.5 FL OZ which is pretty decent, especially since I saw it on Amazon for $89 for only a 4.5 FL OZ bottle! I rate this product a definite A+
  • NUME HydroPunch Hydrating Conditioner: This came in my July Myglam bag; I know that a lot of women didn't like this but I actually really enjoyed it. I got 5 uses out of this, my hair is a medium length and I only need about a dime to nickel size amount of this to get it to work through my hair nicely. It does have a strong smell to it at first but it does fade quickly. It makes my hair smooth as well as shiny and also prevents tangles. B+
  • Britney Spears Curious Perfume: I have had this perfume for quite awhile; it has a really nice scent to it and is perfect for a date night. It does give off a strong scent but it does not hold. The bottle is adorable though! B
  • Kellet Moisturizing Gel: I chose this sample as a pick in my Beauty Army Subscription; I am not fond of the packaging of these cardboard samples but I did get about 4 uses out of it. I really liked how this kept my face moisturized and dry skin free, but I really did not like the smell or the sticky feeling it left on my face. C
  • Proactive Green Tea Moisturizer: I got this free with a Proactive kit that I bought. I hated everything that I got besides this!! This worked so good and it didn't have a bad scent at all which is one thing I look for in a moisturizer. This not only kept my dry skin at bay but it also helped prevent potential blemishes. If I can find this without having to buy the Proactive kit I will definitely buy it. A
  • e.l.f. cosmetics Studio Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20: I would rather use their $1 line moisturizer honestly; this one is the lightest color and is still too dark for my skin. I just don't really like it.. D
  • Clean & Clear Advantage Daily Protecting Moisturizer SPF 15: This isn't a bad moisturizer but it is not the best. I won't buy it again just because I know of better ones that I prefer more than this. C
  • Maybelline Great Lash Big Mascara: This mascara is really great, it is the one product I have stuck with for years. I do use quite a few other mascara's but I also go back to using this one. I will definitely purchase this again in the future, it works great and is a great price at around $5! A
  • e.l.f. Cosmetics Studio Make-Up Remover Cleansing Cloths: These come in a pack of 20 pre-moistened cloths for only $3. I love these, they take of my make up really well and don't burn my eyes. I love these! A
As you can tell most of the products are moisturizers; I moisturize about 3/4 times a day because I have really bad dry skin. It feels like I never have to buy any though because I am always getting samples of them in my monthly subscription boxes lol  

Saturday, August 4, 2012

BOX MONTHLY....SCAM!

Hello Ladies!

Today I want to let you know about a new monthly beauty subscription that I joined called Box monthly. I was contacted by the creator of the box to join; it was only $15 per month for supposedly $80+ worth of products so I made my payment on July 16th, 2012. I was really excited to try this because I like to help out new companies that are just starting out.
A week went by and I had not heard anything so I emailed the 'owner' of Box monthly asking when the first box would be mailed out. I was told it would be mailed out by the end of the week and that I would receive a tracking number. During this week I decided to check out her web page again and I noticed that the picture of the 'boxmonthly' sub box was actually a picture of the Sample Society Insiders' Choice Box. I knew it was that box because I had actually already bought that box previously, you can see it HERE. I thought that was very odd that she was using a picture of a box that did not belong to her, but I overlooked it as maybe a possible mistake.. I also noticed that the box price went up from the $15 (what I was paying) to $17. It had only been a week why did the price go up $2 I wondered.
Well the week went by and no information was given on the box being mailed out so I emailed her again. I got a reply saying that some of the boxes went out but mine was not mailed out due to a thunderstorm and that it would be mailed out this week by Friday (yesterday). I was a little annoyed just because I kept getting the run-around and like most people, I hate that. I just wanted to know when my box was going to finally be mailed, as it was already two weeks late.
So this week I was looking through the M.U.T. forum and I found a post with the title 'Box Monthly? Scam?'! As soon as I saw it my heart dropped, I thought great I got scammed, so much for trying to help a new company! As I was reading through I saw that a couple of girls did receive their box; although, all of them were completely different. There were 3 boxes, the first one had the promised Pureology precious oil versatile caring oil, a book called 'Be Yourself', an individual bag of nuts, an individual green tea fusion drink mix, a soft lips chapstick and a Jesse's girl eyeshadow. I thought this was really weird. It looked as if she went to the store and bought a bunch of random products and put them in a box. Other boxes included what they said were used hair clips (can I just say eww!), coupons printed off of the Internet,  and samples taken from other subscription boxes that the woman was subscribed to including Birchbox and the free Target summer bag! This is when I started getting upset. Why would anyone do this?! Other people also found out that the woman in question did not have a seller's license to start up the company in the first place, which is illegal! 
At this point I was just disgusted, I had sent a few emails to the owner this week and have not received responses from her. I went to go onto the Box monthly facebook page...GONE! Her website...GONE! She deleted everything, so I contacted paypal and they said that they would take action. It is not that I honestly care about the $15 that I spent, it is the principle of the fact that I DO NOT like being scammed. 
The point of this post is to warn other's to not make the mistake of what I did, look into what you are subscribing! I will update you with any information on what happens with paypal. 
Thank you for reading =]   

UPDATE:
I have received permission to post pictures of one woman's box that they received. This woman's box came in a very unprofessional box as well as had recycled samples from the Box monthly's owners own Birchbox and other boxes! One of the weirdest things about this box is that this is the only box that came with so many samples. I have only known of 3 people that actually got a box and 2 out of the 3 only received a couple of items, including a Jesse's Girl item that I was told by a Jesse's Girl Cosmetics representative did not participate in giving their products to this subscription. (I still have not received a box, refund, or even a return email)

700
700
700
700


ANOTHER UPDATE:
I guess it took filing a claim with paypal in order to finally get a response as well as finally getting a refund! I as well asked the Boxmonthly owner "I just want to know, did you ever mail out the subscription box to me?" I, surprisingly, got a reply "I had everything packed and ready to go then I started getting spammed on Facebook and written about on MOP. After that I stopped sending out boxes and refunded money instead of sending out more boxes. I also stopped taking in new subscriptions." (I copy and pasted from my email, I don't know what MOP is.. I think maybe she meant MUT)
But what I wondered, as well as asked her in a reply e-mail, is why wasn't I notified that she was not going to mail my items out even though she had stated in emails during that time that my items were on their way? Why did I not get my refund automatically refunded? Why did I have to file a dispute with paypal before I received any kind of reaction to any of the 3 emails I had previously sent that went unanswered? 
Would I have received a refund if I did not file a claim? I am thinking not or else I would have already received one as well as an email explaining what was going on.
Why not mail out all the boxes at once?

My only advice to everyone about this situation would be to do research on the 'business' you are purchasing from. I have learned from my mistake.
I just want to add that I am not trying to defame anyone, that is not my intention nor is it the reason I made this post; I made this post to hopefully protect other potential subscribers from being subjected to this 'business' that gives out recycled samples as well as items that were not given permission to be in the box.  

 

 



Also, if you want to, check out my Prairie Charms Bracelet GIVEAWAY! I promise it is not a scam ;) http://marinewife22.blogspot.com/2012/08/prairie-charm-bracelet-haul-and-giveaway.html

JULEP MAVEN AUGUST BOX!

Hello Ladies!!
I got my August Julep Maven Box in the mail!
I am so excited about this box because the nail polish colors are chrome and I love chrome colors! I decided to stay with the Bombshell Maven box and since this is my first actual box besides my intro box I got to pick a free add on!
Here is what came in my August box!!








I am loving my Julep box for the month of August! I think that $19.99 is a great deal for 3 polishes, a nail polish remover, and a cute little tote bag!
The nail polish colors I received are Kim gunmetal grey metallic, Harley liquid silver metallic chrome, and Melanie pastel indigo metallic chrome! I love all three colors and I am excited to try them out!
The nail polish remover works really well, I already tried it to remove my elf chocolate nail polish and it took it all of the color off, there wasn't a spot of dark brown left on my nail so I really love that! The nail polish remover is also reusable and you can travel with it easily because it came with a cap for the remover so that you do not always have to have the pump in. I am always needing nail polish remover so this product is an A++ for me!
Julep also gave out these really adorable small tote bags! I really like the tote bag because it is not overly large and it will be perfect for taking it on a plane, which if you did not know I travel across the country a lot to see my family, they would also be really good for using as lunch bags!

I am definitely going to continue my monthly Julep Subscription, I love nail polish and they have done a really good job, plus I really love their nail polishes as well as the extra products that have been in the bags!

Do you want to join Julep and become a Maven? Here is a link for you to sign up!

Are you already a Julep Maven? If you are, which box did you get?!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!!! You can find it here: http://marinewife22.blogspot.com/2012/08/prairie-charm-bracelet-haul-and-giveaway.html

Friday, August 3, 2012

SEPHORA MINI HAUL!

I am so excited, I got my Sephora order in the mail yesterday! I actually ended up placing two orders because after I placed the first one, my Urban Decay NAKED2 palette, I decided that I really wanted to try out the new Urban Decay NAKED Skin Foundation. What I love about Sephora is that you always get to pick 3 free samples with every order so with placing two orders I got 6!! I as well had some coupon codes that got me a free Buxom Big & Healthy Lipstick and another coupon for the second order that got me a little bag with 6 perfume samples! I love perfume so I am so excited about this! (I will post codes if you want to order anything off their site =]) Sephora also has the option of spending $50 and you get free 3 day shipping so I took advantage of that for sure! Overall I spent a little over $100 and since I am in their Beauty Insiders' Club I got 100+ points for that order so I used 100 of my points and got a free gift!
So here is what I got!






YAY! I have been wanting the Urban Decay NAKED2 Palette for forever so I am so happy I got it! I have already used it for a brown smokey eye and the pigmentation is great! The colors are so beautiful and they are very smooth! The palette came with a travel sized Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked. I love the packaging on the lipgloss it is so adorable! The brush that came with the palette is very nice, the bristles are smooth and apply the eyeshadow nicely!




I am so happy I decided to place a second order to get this! I got it in the color 2; it matches my skin really well, although it does have a little bit of a yellow tint to it. I am so in love with it already. I used my ELF Cosmetics Studio Powder Brush to apply it, it went on so nicely! The coverage can be built up to how you prefer it, it does not even feel like you are wearing Foundation! I absolutely love how my face feels when I wear this foundation! It sales for $38 and is 1 OZ. It is definitely worth the cost and I will buy it again without hesitation.

This is the Sephora Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist. I have never tried their lip balm before so I decided to give it a try. It is very sheer but it does leave a coral tint on the lips. It's retail price is $3 but I just looked at the site and it looks like they aren't selling it any longer..

The last item I bought is the Living Proof Shampoo. I really wanted to try this out because I received Living Proof's styling cream in my June Myglam bag and I loved it, so I thought I would try out their shampoo. I only bought a 2 OZ size because I am picky when it comes to shampoo so I did not want to buy the larger size in the case that I did not like it. (The 2oz size is $10) I tried this yesterday and I love it! I have become a huge fan of Living Proof now; I will definitely be buying the full size shampoo as well as a conditioner to see if I like that too. My hair is so soft and shiny right now it is incredible. I definitely rate this product 10/10!

Ok to the free stuff I got! First I will show you what I got with my Beauty Insider points..

Philosophy Purity Cleansing Gel (1 OZ)
I tried this as well yesterday an I thought it did a great job at removing my make up in the shower. It did not take away all of my eye make up, but it took away enough so that I did not get out looking like a raccoon lol. I really liked this cleanser because I have sensitive skin and most cleansers make my face breakout in a rash but this one didn't so I am very happy with this!

My free products with the coupon codes!



The first code I used was 6SCENTS  and when you enter this in at the checkout you can chose between 4 different bags of perfume samples. I picked 'playful' mostly because it had the Aquolina Pink Sugar perfume, I already got one in my Beauty Army sub and I love it! The other perfumes that came with this are Marc Jacobs Oh Lola, Versace Bright Crystal, Clinique Happy, Ralph Lauren Romance, and Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia. I really enjoy all of the scents, I absolutely love perfume samples because I travel a lot and I can actually take these small bottles on the plane. I smelt the Giorgio Armani one and I was like this reminds me of something from when I was younger and I just couldn't think of what; I called my mom and was telling her about it and she told me that she actually wore it when I was younger! Isn't it funny how after so long we still remember scents even if we cannot always pinpoint them? The second coupon code I used was YOURGIFT and it will let you pick a deluxe sample gift; I picked the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip stick in Marrakech. It honestly isn't my color once I actually saw it in person but I think it will look pretty good with a darker lipgloss over it! 

Free Samples!




Since I placed two orders I got 6 free samples!! YAY!! With my first order I picked the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation sampler because I wasn't sure which skin color would fit me, even though I ended up buying the color 2 the same day lol, I got both orders the same day so I decided to try the sample of 2 first just to make sure it fit so I am very happy it did! It also came with samples of the colors 3.5, 4 and 8. IF ANY OF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE COLORS AND WANT TO TRY THEM OUT POST A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL AND I WILL SEND YOU THE EXTRA SAMPLE =] The next sample I picked was the Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ECLAT radiant touch samples, it comes with 1, 2, 3, and 4. The Hour Glass Veil Fluid Make up Oil Free SPF 15 in Nude. The Bumble and Bumble Hairdressers' invisible oil (I love trying new hair products!) and last but not least I got 2 of the CoverFX Clearprep FX matte foundation primer and anti-acne treatment. I love trying new primers and this one really caught my eye because it is also an anti-acne treatment so I really wanted to give this a try!
Have you bought any new products lately?