Influenster Slim Fast VoxBox

This is my first time doing an Influenster campaign.  I'm currently waiting for the box in the mail.  We will see how it goes. I'm not really sure what to do, but I guess I will learn and hopefully it will lead to future boxes!

Ipsy July Glam Bag

I finally got my ipsy Glam Bag for July!

The theme for this month was the beach.  I don't think all the items really fit the theme, but I was excited for this bag, none the less.

I didn't keep all the items this month and opted to trade the hair spray and the microdermabrasion scrub for other items.  I'm currently waiting for the Soy Renewal Beach Hairspray and Benetint.  So I'm not going to be reviewing these items and will update when I get the ones I traded for.  Though I did open the scrub and it smells wonderful.  If I hadn't just bought a similar scrub from Philosophy I would have kept this one and I can tell I would have loved it.

On to the reviews!

BH Cosmetics California Collection eye palette:
This palette looks really cute.  I love the packaging and I like the color scheme.  I wish these colors were as bright as they are in the palette when applied. The purple barely shows up, and the other colors are fair.  They show up a lot better than purple, but still not as pigmented as I would like.  I'm obsessed with eyeshadow so I will probably keep this palette around, but I doubt I will get much use out of it.

Pouty Pop Lip Crayon in Coral Crush:
I wasn't sure about this color when I first saw it.  It looked really red, but when I tried it out it wasn't that bad. It's more sheer than a regular lipstick. It gives your lips a tint of color without being overwhelming.  It also has a nice smooth, glossy texture. I think the little crayon is a cute design, you don't have to sharpen it.  You just twist the bottom kind of like an eyeliner. I approve.

Coola unscented sunscreen for the face:
This is great to throw in your bag on the go. I find it a little dry, but I think most sunscreens are.  This product requires moisturizer on top of it, so it's not something you can wear alone.  Other than that, it's a sunscreen. There's not too much else I can say about it.

Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub: I initially traded this item for Benetint, but then turned around and bought it because it smelled like heaven and I knew it was going to be good.  It's chock full of the little tiny scrubby beads and it sloughs off your dead skin like nothing I've ever tried.  I like it about 10 times better than my scrub from Philosophy.  The Philosophy scrub has a weird smell and not nearly enough of the scrubbing beads.  The Derma E brand has it beat in all categories. Another A+

Traded for:
Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray:  This stuff smells so good.  I've been dousing my hair with it daily since it arrived. I have pretty crazy hair and have always loved the beachy hair look.  This stuff not only gives me that look but also give my hair some much needed moisture. I'm going to give this product an A+ and purchase the full size.(replacement for Sexy Hair Weather Resistant Spray)

Benetint: I wrote this it's own separate review, you can find it further up in my blog. But I will say that this goes on shear so it's no where near as dark as you think it will be. It gives your cheeks a nice tint and is easy to apply.  Another A+(replacement for the Derma E scrub)

Overall I liked this bag.  I can't wait to get my other items.  This is my third month with ipsy and I haven't really been disappointed yet.  Even with last month's j. cat glitter palette fiasco. There is always one really great item.  In this bag I'm pretty sure it was the microderm scrub. I am almost kicking myself for trading it off, but I really wanted the Benetint.

Overall Score: A
Best Item: It's a 3 way tie! Derma E scrub, Benetint, Soy Renewal.
Worst Item: bh california palatte

Mermaid Mint

Birchbox July

July's Birchbox is pretty sweet.  This is my sixth Birchbox and I think this one is my favorite so far. The items are really cute and seem to go well together. 

Let's start with the perfume sample Juliet has a Gun.  The sample came in a small envelope with a little card. The packaging is precious and the perfume is a very light scent that makes for a good every day perfume.

Next we have a full size ModelCo lipstick in nude.  I love getting full size products! This lipstick pretty much makes the $10 box worth its price. The lipstick is very creamy and provides full coverage. It has a nice scent and is a great shade for my skin tone.

The Vivant Skin Care green tea antioxidant cleanser came in a small spritz bottle. I'm not sure how I feel about this application method, but I do like the little bottle. I can't say it stands out as a cleanser but I like the scent and it's a great product to throw in your makeup bag for an overnight trip.

The next sample might be my favorite item in the box. theBalm's InStain in Swissdot.  This is the cutesiest sample I've ever seen. It's just like theBalm's regular sized blushes but mini!  It's like a little book with a magnetic lid.  It's a very small sample of blush but the packaging makes up for it. Plus I love the color and I will probably end up getting the regular size.

The beauty extra in July's box is a pair of patterned bobby pins. What can I say? Bobby pins always come in handy and this pair has style.  I approve.

Overall Grade for July's Birchbox: A
Best product: theBalm InStain Blush
Worst product: none

Philosophy score

I placed an order with Philosophy last week after trying a few of their samples. I got a code for signing up to their email list and was able to get a lot of swag for a decent price. Here is a list of what I got.

I ordered:
2 oz Take a deep breath moisturizer
A gift set that included:
6 oz Grace firming body emulsion
4 oz Microdelivery exfoliating wash
3 oz Purity face wash
.5 oz Hope in a jar
1 microdelivery triple-acid brightening peel(sample size)

I used my gift code to get a discount and a smaller gift set:
1 oz Purity
1 oz Grace shampoo/body wash
.4 oz Hope in a jar

Then I got to pick 2 free samples
.07 Full of promise restoring cream
.07 Eye hope


I got all this for around $60(free shipping!)

I haven't used everything, but I am going to review what I have used so far.

The take a deep breath spf 30 moisturizer is oil-free. I have kind of oily skin so this is perfect for me. It feels nice and plus gives me the sun protection I need during the day. It's light and breathable and has a nice barely there scent. When I say light, I mean it. This stuff floats. It absorbs quickly without feeling like you have something slathered on your skin. I would recommend this for any skin type.

Next we have Purity. I think this is one of their more popular products. This one step liquid cleanser has the consistency of a thinned down shampoo. I've been using it as my go to night and morning face wash. I use it at the sink when I brush my teeth. I have moderately sensitive skin and it hasn't given me any problems. While it cleans really well, it doesn't really exfoliate. So sometimes I use it with a little scrubby.

For exfoliating there is the microdelivery exfoliating wash. On the bottle it says it's a 30-second cleansing mini peel. I find that it works well enough, but I need an extra kick for my skin type. So I use it with a scrubby as well. It does have the micro buffing beads in it, but my skin, especially on my chin and around my nose gets really rough and it's just not strong enough to slough off the dead skin. I think if it was a little thicker to the microbead to cleanser ratio was bigger it would probably be perfect.

I've just started this new routine, so I'm using the Breath as my morning moisturizer and I'm using Hope in a Jar for night time, as it's a little thicker and creamier. I have normal-oily type skin and sometimes I find that creamier moisturizers are sometimes too much, but Hope is just enough. It doesn't absorb quite as fast as Breath, but it doesn't make my skin too oily. It hydrates well without leaving anything extra.

Grace firming body emulsion is up there with the quality of their other moisturizers. It's lightly scented and makes my skin feel amazing. It hydrates well without feeling thick, greasy of goopy. So far I've loved everything I've tried form Phiolosophy.

I'm not really sure what kind of review I can give the brightening peel pad. I followed the directions, but I think it's something you would need to use over time to see any results. Though my skin does look nice and radiant from the combo of the face wash, micro peel pad and moisturizer. I would definitely recommend this brand to anyone who wants to indulge without feeling like you're breaking the bank. It's luxurious and high quality but has simple packaging.  I all around like it.  If you play your cards right you can get a good deal.  I like to wait for sales when I'm trying new products and I'm glad I waited and got a code for this.  It's a good quality product, but I don't know if I would have paid full price without the extras. 

Palmer's Olive Oil Formula Gro Therapy Review

I have thick, frizzy, wild hair. There, I said it. When I was a kid my hair was never brushed. I had (unintentional)dreadlocks and my sister used to call me Robert Plant. I really hated brushing my hair, guys! In fact, my mom used to make my sisters chase me down to brush my hair, and my mom was a beautician... One time when we were camping they drove me out into the woods on a four-wheeler to brush my hair where no one could hear me scream. That is how bad it was.

Now as an adult, it is still a pain in the ass to take care of my hair. It's still thick as hell, frizzy and prone to locking up. The problem is not only do I have a lot of hair, but the texture of it is really odd. I've always been jealous of the girls who have the fine, baby-soft locks. It's not fair. I have head full of snakes compared to them. Just call me Medusa.

Really my hair reminds me Witch Hazel from Merry Melodies. That is really what it looks like. It sticks out all over, I have some strands that are really thin and soft, and then I have some that are thick and kind of rough, and then there are the "wild hairs". You know what I am talking about. The ones that stick straight out of my head like a bristle. They're really wiry and rough and I sometimes I can feel them when I run my fingers through my hair. This drives me NUTS! Once I feel one I am obsessed with plucking it out. Ok, I have really gotten off track, but the point I am trying to make is I have wild hair.

I've used just about every silkening, smoothing, softening, shining product there is out there. I've tried a variety of brands for the expensive Argan oils, to the cheap drug store leave-in conditioners. I've never found anything that works like I want. Most stuff just leaves my hair looking greasy.

I only wash my hair about twice a week, because if I do it too much it gets brittle. Which is fine by me because washing my hair takes forever. I'm telling you, my hair is extremely thick. Anyway, while browsing at the dollar store today I was looking at the ethnic hair products, because I was thinking that the actual texture of my hair and noticed some of the hair oil. I know that most ethnic hair products are quite right for white hair, but I always used to use my roommates scalp oil and it seemed ok on my hair.

I picked up a jar of Palmer's Olive Oil Formula Gro Therapy and WOW! I love this stuff! It's a way better formula than whatever I borrowed of my old roommate all those years ago. I put a little bit on parts of my dry scalp and then I rubbed some into the rest of my hair. Now, remember, my hair is a beast that can never be fully tamed, but this stuff softened it and smoothed it down a lot without giving it that 'too much product' feeling.

It is more like an olive oil gel butter than an oil and it has a nice scent that isn't too overpowering. I had to fight the urge to rub the whole container on my head. That is how much I love this stuff. The best part about it? It was only a $1.50!

So if you are looking for a nice product to soften and smooth your hair I would recommend this! I think this would work well on a finer hair texture as long as you use it very sparingly and only put it on the ends and not the roots, but for less than two bucks it is not really a waste if you try it out and it doesn't work. Also, if you don't like it you can send your leftovers to me! XD

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card at eReader1 US

Click the link above to be taken to a contest to enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card. I know I haven't written in my blog like I thought I would, but their are reasons for that. I will get into it in the next entry and just leave this as a contest blog. Just in case you missed the link....

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card at eReader1 US