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!

Mongolian Beef and Spicy Asian Noodles

I'm back! I hate not being able to cook and post recipes because to me, that is my "fun time." But, I have been super busy lately and also not feeling well...Anyways, enough with the excuses and on to the yummiest, most tasty recipe I have made in quite a while. I am going to  apologize up front because I did not get any pictures during the cooking/prep time because I wasn't sure if I was going to post this recipe or not. If you love sweet/spicy foods, you will love both of these. The beef is not spicy (you could make it spicy) but the noodles have a little kick! I hope you enjoy both! :)

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:

2 tsp + 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Tbs Minced Garlic (Fresh is always best!)

1 tsp Fresh chopped (as small as you can chop) Ginger

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Water

2/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1 LB Flank Steak (I used the sliced up Stir Fry Beef)

1/4 Cup Corn Starch

4 Scallions Copped in 1/2 inch pieces (Only use the Green Part for this)

(If you want spicy, Add in a pinch or two of crushed red peppers)

Cooking Instructions:

• Heat 2 tsp oil over Med/Low heat in Med/Small sauce pan. No hotter because vegetable oil does not have a super high smoke point.
• Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and sautee for 2 mins. Add in water, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil for 2 mins and remove from heat. Set aside on another burner to keep it from cooking if you use an electric stove. The sauce WILL burn if you keep it on heat and that probably tastes bad.
• Toss meat in cornstarch until the pieces are all coated on both sides. If you didn't use the pre-sliced up stir fry beef, cut your steak into 1/4 inch slices then toss in corn starch. Put the meat in a sieve and sift the extra starch off the meat.
• In a large Saute Pan, heat 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil over med heat. When oil is hot add meat. Cook each side 1.5 minutes. Remove meat and place on paper towel lined plate.
• Drain remaining vegetable oil from large saute pan and add in the brown sauce you made earlier. Leave it on Med heat. Once the sauce comes to a boil again, add the meat and scallions. Stir continuously for about 4-5 Minutes. 
• Serve & Enjoy!

Spicy Asian Noodles

Ingredients:

1 LB Asian Noodles (whatever kind you want. Get them in the Asian section)

3 tsp Fresh Chopped Ginger (chop as small as you can)

2 Tbs Sriracha

4 Tbs Rice Vinegar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Peppers (If you don't like spicy, leave this out)

1 Cup Shredded Carrots

Cooking Instructions:

• Mix Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Sriracha, Rice Vinegar, Ginger, and Crush Red Peppers in large mixing bowl.
• Cook Noodles as package instructs.
• Drain Noodles and add to large mixing bowl of sauce
• Marinate the noodles in the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour
• After marinating, add in carrots and toss. If there is a lot of liquid still in the bowl, dump some out.
• Put noodles in pot on stove and heat through. 
• Serve & Enjoy.

I served the beef and noodles together, but I also made some Basmati rice and served the beef over it. 

Also, These are the Asian Noodles I chose to use. The Noodles turn out so much better if you use Asian noodles rather than regular Spaghetti Noodles or Fettuccine Noodles.

Also, Erik and I went to Shamrock Fest last weekend in DC and had a blast. This is the one and only picture I got from that.

And, Last but not least, Here's a picture of Bob Marley the Cat because he is just too stinkin' cute. :)

 

Roasted Brussies and Mac N Cheese....MMM MMMM

If I said Brussels Sprouts weren't our favorite veggie, I'd be lying. We could eat them every meal!! There are sooo many ways to cook them. Most people don't like them because of their bitterness....However, if you cook them correctly, they aren't bitter at all... Instead, they're tiny balls of cabbage goodness!! So here's my favorite way to cook a tasty brussie!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

1 Pound of brussels (fresh or frozen)

1/2 TBS Garlic powder

Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil and put the brussels in for about 10 mins. Just long enough to soften them up a bit. Remove them and transfer to cold water bath until they are cool enough to handle. Once they are cool, remove the stems (if they aren't already removed) and chop each brussel in half (length wise works best).

Transfer the halfed brussels into a large bowl and cover in olive oil and toss....Hint: If they don't look glossy, there's not enough on them!! Add the garlic powder...toss...then salt and pepper according to your taste. Toss again until they're all good and coated.

Now line a baking sheet with foil and dump the brussels onto it. Spread them out and make sure they're in an even layer. This will ensue they each get a little bit of a crisp edge..MMM

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.....ENJOY!!!  :)

Now for my "go-to" Mac N Cheese recipe. This recipe will knock anyone's socks (and shoes...) off. It really is THAT good. If you take this for any function, gathering, shindig, Etc.....Double (or triple) the recipe...there still won't be any leftovers!

Homemade Mac N Cheese

Ingredients:

8oz uncooked pasta (any type you like)

10 oz (more for topping) Sharp Cheddar (or regular cheddar)

2 TBS REAL butter.

2 TBS Flour

2 Cups of milk (microwaved for 1 min 30 secs.)

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt Butter in large saucepan over Medium heat. Add flour and mix together. This will look Pasty.

Add in the milk and bump the heat up to medium high. Stir...stir...stir...and after about 7-8 minutes It will bubble and look slightly thick. Now add the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix until it appears to be a smooth sauce. Remove from heat. Add the noodles and mix up.

Once the noodles are good and coated in the cheese sauce, transfer them to a  baking dish. I used an 8x8 Pyrex. Top with extra cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes...then devour. Try not to forget to breathe when you take the first bite. :)

And this is how it was served....

Enjoy!! 

Yummy Yummy Beef Tips and Gravy

So I'm just going to cut straight to the point, these beef tips and gravy are OUTSTANDING. I was a bit skeptical at first since the ingredients are so simple and the recipe is literally one of the easiest I have ever made....But who cares, it was DELICIOUS. Try it out and let me know what you think!

THE INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs: beef tenderloin, chuck roast, chuck eye, or stew meat cubed

1 10.5 oz Can: Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Packet: Onion Soup Mix

1 Packet: Brown Gravy Mix

1 4 ox Can: Mushrooms

1 Cup: Water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Cube the meat and place it into a 13x9 baking pan.

Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until combine and creamy looking. Pour over the cubed meat and stir.

Now the hard part....Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Put in the preheated oven for 3 hours....yes, you heard me...3 HOURS!! But I promise, it is well worth the wait. 

BE CAREFUL when you remove the foil because the steam comes out very quickly!

I served mine over mashed potatoes with a side of brussell sprouts au gratin, crescent rolls...and a glass of cab. YUM!

ENJOY!! 

Valentine's Day Recap

Valentine's day is usually a fun "Hallmark" Holiday for me. I love chocolate, flowers, traditional stuff....but what girl doesn't? This year was a little different because 1. Erik and I live together 2. I suck at keeping gifts until holidays. 3. We got hit by freakin' Snowmageddon....

Anyways, we were super lucky that our sweet neighbor let us use her shovel to dig Erik's car out, I repaid her with Valentine's day cake and she wrote us a nice note when she returned the container. We were able to make it to our favorite little Pho restaurant and then back home where we started the second season of House of Cards!! Which, by the way, the first episode is INSANE.

By Saturday, we needed to GET THE HECK OUT OF THE HOUSE.

So we went to DC and were planning to go to this Asian place that we had our eye on for quite some time, but of course they offered a limited menu for Valentine's day that had absolutely nothing on it that was Asian...Very disappointing, but we left and went to a pizza place, Pi Pizzeria, that we smelled on the way to the Asian place..and by smelled, I mean we literally smelled it for blocks. It turned out to be one of the most delicious places we have ever eaten. Yay for spontaneous decisions!! I tried to take pictures of the pizza that we got, but my phone died while we were at the restaurant. But trust me when I say it was delicious. After that we had found this little bar online that was supposed to be a quiet bar (we aren't into the whole "party bar" scene.) Unfortunately, it was anything but and they had very overpriced drinks. We had one drink and left and went to our favorite little bar called Shelly's Backroom. Despite it being very cold walking around in DC, Valentine's day was fabulous. I got to spend time with my love and eat delicious food, and that's what matters right?!

What did you do for Valentine's day? I loved seeing all the pictures of flowers, presents, food, etc.. :)