June 2014 Ipsy VS. BB5

Hi Everyone! I'm a little (a lot) late posting this, but its one of my favorite posts each month! As you know, Ipsy and Beauty Box 5 are both beauty subscriptions that send you beauty products/samples to try each month.

Ipsy:
$10/Month, beauty survey for them to give you products relevant to YOU, free shipping. 4-5 Full size/Deluxe samples each month, Access to Ipsy community and coupons, All products come inside of a makeup bag each month!

BB5:

$12/Month OR $30/3 Months (making it same price as Ipsy..this is what I did), No customized to you, no online community, free shipping, 5 Full size/Deluxe samples each month.

Let's bust into the boxes!

IPSY:

FAVORITE ITEM: NYX Butter Gloss

LEAST FAVORITE ITEM: Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Mascara

The NYX Butter Gloss is amazing. It's not sticky, or clumpy on my lips. It's also very light feeling.

The Mascara literally came with a one way ticket to the trash. 1. It smelled soooooo terrible, I could smell it in the bag before I even opened it. 2. I decided to put that crap on my eyeballs anyway and it was just terrible. The formula sucked, the brush sucked, the mascara SUCKED. It is in the trash.

The Dove Dry Oil worked really well on my hair, I like it a lot. The Jesse's Girl liquid liner is great and it has a nice fine tip. The Skinn Facial Cleanser works well but I really hate the smell of it. 

Also, the bag this month was Rebecca Minkoff and it was SO adorable.

Overall, not my favorite Ipsy bag and I hate Bombshell Cosmetics. Everything I have gotten from them has gone in the trash. Ipsy sends out a lot of their stuff. 

Like what you see? Subscribe to Ipsy HERE!!!! (Link will Open in new window)

Beauty Box 5:

FAVORITE ITEM: Nicka K Nail Polish

LEAST FAVORITE ITEM: Glam Natural Mascara

The Nicka K New York Polish Is Great. I had gotten one over the Winter in an Ipsy bag. It lasts for a long time and has great color. I Used this color for my 4th of July Nails and I will use it on my toes soon too!

The Glam Natural Mascara was just pitiful. It did nothing for my lashes. I love that the ingredients are all natural, but what a disappointment. 

I like the design essential curl stuff, but it smells really bad. The Eslor Face stuff was just two foil packet samples. I'm honestly not sure if I like it yet or not. It didn't really do much for my face. I like the Sedona Lace Blender brush. However, they jammed it in my box so the bristles were all crooked. You can see that in the pic. I'm trying to reshape it though since it is such a nice brush. 

Overall, not my favorite Beauty Box 5. I do like the nail polish a lot though.

Like what you see? Subscribe to BB5 HERE!!! (Link will open in new window)

NOTE: I will not be doing BB5 next month. I want to try a new Subscription box. There are so many out there! I do, however, recommend BB5, It is great! I did not cancel because I didn't like it. I just want to try something new. 

Any Suggestions on which one I should try?

Thanks for reading! :D

Surfs Up VoxBox -- June 2014

Do you love getting free stuff? I do! If you do, too, Influenster is a great place for you! Influenster is an online community that allows you to review products. The more products you review in one category helps you to get "badges" in that category. Influenster sends out random surveys to see if you qualify for certain boxes; they usually pertain to categories that you review a lot of products in. If you are a good fit, Influenster sends you a box of goodies and you test them out and review them. The more you review, the more likely you are to receive more boxes. It's great! This is my 2nd VoxBox, but my first one that had beauty products, so I am extra excited!!

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Now, onto the unboxing! :D

 The Box Came like this:

When I opened it, it looked like this:

And under the card...Goodies! :D

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration. This stuff is great! I got a little pink at the pool the other day and I put some of this on and it smells soooo good! And, it doesn't feel sticky like the blue gel stuff, but still feels cool. This gets a 100% from me.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in "Ocean Side." This color is a great color for the Summer! I really like Sinful Colors because the colors are all very pigmented and they stay on for a while without chipping...AND most importantly, they're affordable. So I can stock up with a few whenever I see them out.

First Aid Shot Therapy. I have not used this yet because I don't get head aches (or aches in general) frequently. However, the info on the product says that it can help with hangover headaches...so I may save this for a wine hangover...hahaha In all seriousness, this product is pretty genius and I haven't seen them sold anywhere. Basically, It's about the size of a 5 hour energy, maybe a tad bigger, and you drink it when you have a head ache or body ache. This one is berry flavor. 

Bombshell Curvaceous Mascara by Covergirl. I have used this twice now and I love it! I curl my lashes before I use step 1 and It seems to hold my curl really well. The formula isn't runny, flaky, or drippy..and most of all, it doesn't have a super strong smell. I HATE mascaras that smell terrible.  I do not want to put something like that near my eyeballs! Also, this mascara is Waterproof. REALLY REALLY waterproof. I swam with it on today, and it didn't move at all. I even did the rub test. 

 Step 1 seems to separate and define my lashes really well with the curved brush.

Step two gives you really good volume and some length with a nice full brush with the actual bristles...which is my favorite type of brush. 

Last but not least, there was a coupon for a free 8 oz pack of frozen Jamba Juice Smoothie mix. Bascially, you take the 8 oz pack of mix, put it in the blender with 8 oz of Apple Juice and blend for 20 seconds and you have a healthy smoothie. I LOVE green smoothies (I drink 1...or 2 daily,) so I was pretty excited when I saw that Jamba Juice had a "Green Fusion" fruit and veggie smoothie, so I got that one with my coupon...without the coupon they are pretty pricey; $3.49. Anyways, I went home and made it and shared it with Erik and our Roommate. All of us agreed that it was way too sweet and artificial tasting. All I could taste was artificial green apple. I read the ingredients and there is nothing artificial in it, so i'm not sure where that flavor came from. Also, I used water instead of apple juice and it was still super sweet, so I could imagine how sweet it would be if I had used apple juice. I will not buy that flavor again, but I may try another flavor since they included another coupon for $1.00 off. Here is what it looked like in the bag and after I blended it...

Overall, this box was pretty cool! Even more so that I am able to try these products and review them to inform other people before they spend money on them. My favorite product was the Mascara, I will definitely be using that on the daily since it is water proof and I try to live at the pool in the summer. 

Wanna try Influenster?! You should! If you leave your email address in a comment, or message me personally however you'd like, I will send you an invite! 

What do you think of this VoxBox?

Disclaimer (Again): I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

3 Ingredient Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Who doesn't love a delicious, easy meal with just a short list of ingredients? Don't get me wrong, I love cooking big meals, but sometimes an easy meal is just what I need after a long day. This is one of my favorite 3 ingredient Crockpot meals. It makes a delicious gravy which is why I always serve this over mashed potatoes.

3 Ingredient Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix

4 Chicken Breasts

Cooking Instructions:

-Mix Soup and Ranch Mix together in Crock pot

-Add Chicken Breasts (Thawed or Frozen...I put mine in frozen)

-Cook on Low 5 Hours or High 2.5 Hours.  You may need to adjust the cooking time. This Crockpot cooks things incredibly fast on high!

The longer is cooks, the more the chicken starts to fall apart! 

Last but not least, Enjoy!! :)

Ipsy VS. Beauty Box 5 - May 2014

Hello everyone! As you can see, I haven't been able to blog in almost a month. I have been super busy with working and enjoying Spring weather. I hope you all have been enjoying it as well! In case you aren't familiar with Ipsy or Beauty box 5, I will start with info about both boxes/bags, prices and links to where you can sign up.

Ipsy:
$10/Month, personalized, wait list (I was on the wait list for 2 months..however, someone told me they used my referral link and got on without being wait listed!) 4-5 full size & luxury samples and cute beauty bag each month. Makeup, Beauty products, hair products, and body care items. Coupon codes for all brands/products Ipsy offers each month. Access to a big promotion Ipsy does each Tuesday (Usually big name products for really cheap & Free Shipping!) Glam room and profile on Ipsy to communicate with the Ipsy community (Ipsters).

Sign up HERE!

Beauty Box 5:
$12/Month or $30/3 Months (The option I use). Not personalized. 5 full size & luxury samples each month.  Makeup, Beauty products, hair products, and body care items. No wait list (yet, that I know of.).

Sign up HERE!

I will go ahead and review them in the order that I received the boxes in. :)

Beauty Box 5 -- May 2014 Fresh & Focused

 How the box comes in the Mail:

First look:

The goodies!:

I was VERY pleased with this month's Beauty Box 5! 3 Total Refresh cloths by Ban, which are really nice for the Summer. You just wipe yourself down and they leave you feeling cool, smelling good, and smooth! The Maskeraide mask will definitely be used in the near future. The FULL SIZE eye liner is velvety smooth and goes on without having to press at all. Harvey Prince "Hello" perfume is great. It smells just like Spring! I love all H20 Plus products, so the cleanser will definitely be used. Also, we can't forget about the WORMS, In the words of Bunny. :) If you don't know/watch Bunny, you should go watch her Youtube videos or follow her on Instagram @Grav3yardgirl (same name on Youtube). Overall, this box was great. I calculated the value of this month's box and got $30.29, well more than the $10 I paid for the box. 

Ipsy -- May 2014 Fresh Picks

The Ipsy bag is shipped each month inside of the pink bubble mailer that you see in the back. The products are inside the glam bag when you open the mailer. This month's bag was really good. The Rock a Wave curl cream by Eva NYC makes my curls hydrated and fluffy. The body balm by Lulu Blossom isn't my favorite. It feels really oily to me, however, it does smell really good. The Derma|e microdermabrasion scrub is my favorite product this month. It is made with all natural ingredients and makes my skin feel baby soft. The Pacifica eye shadow is nice. However, you need to use a primer to really get good pigment. You should probably always used an eye shadow primer anyway. Lastly, the Hang 10 sun screen is nice and will definitely get used while I am at the pool this summer. And can we please talk about how stinkin' cute this month's bag is? I calculated the value of this month's bag to be $41.80. That is fabulous when you're only paying $10 for it. 

The Verdict:

I would have the say that Ipsy and Beauty Box 5 tied this month. I loved different things about each box and will definitely be using all of the products. Both of these boxes are great ways to try products and learn about different brands before you pay for them at Ulta, online, etc... I would recommend both boxes to anyone. 

If you have Ipsy or Beauty Box 5, what did you get this month? What did you think of the products? What was your favorite?

April 2014 Ipsy, Birchbox, & Beauty Box 5 Comparison

Hello Everyone. :) I received my Ipsy, Beauty Box 5, and Birchbox mid April and here is what I think about them. MY goal of this blog post is to give you an idea of the products within each box/bag and help you make a good choice as to which ones to/not subscribe to.

This was the first month I have tried Birchbox and Beauty Box 5, but I have been subscribed to Ipsy since October 2013...AND I LOVE IT.

These are all beauty product subscription boxes/bags and you get them once a month. First I'll give you the details on each of them before we go into the boxes.

Ipsy- There is a waitlist. I was on the waitlist for about a month and a half before I got my first bag. It is $10/Month and you get 4-5 beauty products (some full size, some deluxe samples) each month tailored to the answers you put in your pre subscription beauty quiz. You also get an adorable bag each month. This bag usually contains more makeup products than Birchbox. The products are usually more affordable that the ones in Birchbox.

Birchbox- $10/Month, 4-5 full size or deluxe samples per box. More upscale/high-end products. Birchbox gives a lot of skin/hair care items along with some makeup.

Beauty Box 5- $12/Month or $30/3 months (making the boxes $10/Month.) I signed up for 3 months. A Mix of Makeup, beauty products, hair/skin products. 5 full size and deluxe samples in each box.



I'll review them in the order than I received them:

Beauty Box 5:

The Contents

Like I said, this was my first Beauty Box 5. I am pretty impressed with the box. The Blum cleansing wipes are the perfect size to throw in my purse, also a full sized item!! The full size Nicka K New York Lipstick is a little too dark for me, but it is a great lip stick and super moisturizing. The 3 shadow BH Cosmetics sample is great. The colors are very pigmented and great for blending. I definitely need the Jergens Natural glow because 1. It works. & 2. I look like Casper the friendly ghost. The Bonne Bell Lip Definer pencil Is the perfect shade for me. Not too dark and you don't have to press extremely hard to get color. Overall, I am very happy I subscribed to this box.


Birchbox:

The Contents

This was also my first month being subscribed to Birchbox. I did not have very high hopes for this box because most of the beauty vloggers/bloggers I like, are never impressed with this box, but hey, I tried It. The Sea Therapy body wash smells really good, and its a really good sized sample, but I really don't need anymore body wash. I don't even really like body wash. I'm a natural soap kinda girl. I can use it in a travel bag though. The N.4 High Performance Hair Care Lumiere d'hiver Clarifying Shampoo and BONUS masque work well, but I really don't care much for Shampoo. I already have a favorite and I really don't like getting Shampoos in boxes. The Sumita eyeliner, is very nice. It is smaller than full size, but still very good sized. The color is like a purple/brown color. It is very pretty and goes on very smooth. The last product, you can't see in the picture. It is a little vile of Atelier Cologne. It smells really good and clean. I was not super impressed with Birchbox, I have already cancelled my subscription. 

Ipsy:

The Contents

This month's Ipsy bag was one of my Favorites. Who doesn't love old school records; ADORABLE! The Dr. Brandts Microdermabrasion is AMAZING. It makes my face feel like baby skin. The Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet eyeliner (Black) is great. Very smooth and it doesn't wear off at all. The Coastal Scents Medium Eye Shadow brush is great. Elizabeth Motts Pop goes the shadow is awesome. The color is a shimmery Champagne color. The last product is a Starlooks Lip pencil. It is very smooth and the color is a gorgeous, nude color. Overall, I love this month's bag. The products are awesome. Also, Ipsy gives you great coupons from the brands of the products in each bag; Definitely an awesome perk. 

I hope this blog post was helpful/fun! I love these blog posts from other beauty bloggers. I think beauty subscriptions are an awesome way to try products you wouldn't normally buy yourself. If you would like to sign up for any of these, I will leave the links below. :) As always, let me know what you think! xoxo

Subscribe to Ipsy!! 

Subscribe to Beauty Box 5!!

Subscribe to Birchbox!!

Sweet & Spicy Drumsticks

Is there a recipe that you make and people ask you to make it over and over again? This is mine. These drumsticks are sweet and just a bit spicy. Perfect combination. They stay nice and juicy and contain a ton of flavor. All you need is a few simple ingredients...and maybe a glass of wine... ;)

Ingredients:

4-5 Drumsticks

3-4 Cloves of Minced Garlic (Fresh is best)

2 TBS Sriracha Sauce

3 TBS Honey

1 Cup Soy Sauce

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine garlic, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in Chicken and Marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Place the chicken in a baking dish (I used a glass 8x8) and pour the remaining juice over the chicken.

Bake the chicken in the oven at 425 for 35 minutes.  This was how mine was served...Also, drizzle with a little bit of the sauce...So yummy!

Enjoy! Let me know what you think. :)

And if you want the recipe for my Roasted Brussels, you can get that right HERE!

Also, here's a picture of my delicious birthday Dairy Queen ice cream cake that I devoured this weekend!!

Beauty Favorites

Hello :) I decided that this post would be a fun "beauty favorites" blog since it's Spring and wIe're switching from Winter products to Spring products/colors. I've seen some of my favorite beauty bloggers do these posts, so I thought it would be fun to do one, too! Also, I'm a subscriber to Ipsy, Birchbox, and Beauty Box 5, so I thought of doing a post comparing the different boxes. If that sounds interesting, let me know. I'll leave links to each of the websites below and links for subscribing if you're interested! I'm not sure how many people read my blog, but if you do, Thanks! I like writing, so this is fun for me. Anyways, I'll just start with a picture of the product then a brief description of it and why I love it. Here we go..... :)

It's a 10 leave in conditioner plus Keratin. I got this stuff for free when I bought a bunch of stuff from Ulta. I wasn't super interested in it at the time because i already had a leave-in conditioner....BUT....after one use, this stuff became my new favorite leave-in. It smells amazing (obvi most important factor in choosing anything), it detangles my ratty curls post shower, and its makes my hair feel like silk. LIQUID GOLD I TELL YOU!!! The smallest bottle starts at $20.00 at Ulta and you can check it out online here.

I know this seems "mediocre," but these have changed my face washing routine. I love how soft and exfoliated these make my skin feel. I use these for my cleanser and just a cotton pad for my toner. You can get a weeks use out of each of these sponges if you wring them out and let them dry after you wash your face. 

You can check them out on Target.com here. However, there is no price online, I feel like I paid $4 for them. Not sure though...but they weren't expensive.

ELF Eyelid Primer in Sheer. $1 awesomeness in a tube. This stuff is great for the price. It makes my eye makeup stay on and stay PUT. No creasing, smudging, moving....nothing. And, It's only a dollar. Go buy you some. I bought this at Target, but you can read more about it on ELF's website here.

Ladyburg whipped sugar scrub. This stuff is heaven in a tub. I use this EVERYDAY in the shower (after I use their handmade all natural soap, of course.) But really, this stuff makes my skin so soft and isn't too rough of an exfoliator on my skin. I hate feeling like i'm using sandpaper on my skin. This is my absolute favorite store on Fredericksburg, and its the only soap I use!! They make all of their stuff and have a great skin care line, too! Check them out ASAP, if you know what's good for you you. ;) You can check our their website here! OR, you can just buy a tub of this stuff right HERE! It's only $12.95 for 6 oz. 

Paul Mitchell Original Awapuhi Shampoo. The best Clarifying shampoo I have ever used. I soooo wish I would have found this years ago. I use a lot of product on my hair (leave-in, volumizer, mousse, hairspray...etc..) and this completely rids my hair of the yuckies. I use this 2 times a week and my other shampoo twice a week. This stuff is amazing. I totally recommend this if you are just looking for something to get the gunk off of your hair. I bought this at Ulta for like $10, but you can't view it on their website. So, if you want to learn more about it, check it out on Paul Mitchell's website here!

Alright, That's all for now. I hope this was semi-interesting... I always like reading these blog posts from my favorite bloggers. I always find them informative as well as entertaining. I hope you all felt the same way! :)

Ipsy ---- Subscribe to Ipsy!

Birchbox ---- Subscribe to Birchbox!!!

Beauty Box 5 ---- Subscribe to Beauty Box 5!