MyGlam January 2012

I sure had a lot of problems with my MyGlam bag this month, as did a lot of other people, but I am glad it is here and I can't wait to see what's in line for next month.

This month was all about being "natural" and everything down to the bag was nature feeling.

Here is what I go in my box(bag):


Lets go through each individual item:

TheBalm Eye Shadow in Luscious Lani - $16.00

This month, you either got an eye shadow or a nail polish. I would have been happy with either but I was really hoping for an eye shadow. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my bag and there was an eye shadow. It does look awfully similar to Sin by UD, which we got last month, but it's a nice highlight shade. I can't complain here.

Freeman Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask - $3.99

If memory serves me right, I think I have done this before. I did this mask last night after I got the bag and I just couldn't get past the smell. I will be doing a review on this, so keep an eye out.

Cleansing Conditioner by Wen - $3.75

I have never tried co-washing before but I am up to try anything. I never stick to a shampoo/conditioner for long so this will be nice to try. I am secretly hoping I don't like it, because it is pretty expensive. I don't know about the smell I got, but I see they have pomegranate, so if I do like it, I can get that one instead.

Sheer Cover Concealer - $$19.95

A lot of people were upset about this product (understandably) because they only sent out one shadow, which was light/medium. They have complexions of all sorts around MyGlam and I am shocked they chose to send something out like this. I tried this last night, although I don't typically get blemishes or anything and it was alright. I really love my boing by Benefit so I won't be converting anytime soon but its nice to have extra concealer.

The breakdown:
Bag: MyGlam January 2012
Price: $10.00
Monetary Value: $42.69
Keeping subscription?: Most definitely

They mentioned sometimes towards the end of December that their bag value was going to be over $50. To me, I still got my $10 worth but I feel like they used that to coax people in. If you got the nail polish instead of the eye shadow, your value is somewhere in the $35 value area (even though still worth $10), so I don't know why they said over $50.

I can't wait to see what is in February's bag. They did show a sneak peek of the bags being put together and they're SOOOOO CUTE!! Here is a sneak peek:

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Foodzie January 2012

I had some issues with my Foodzie box this time around, however, their customer service was incredibly helpful, so it makes up for it. I got an email on January 2nd asking me to pick the box that I would like to receive. I believe there were 3 to pick from and I picked the "Breakfast in Bed" box because I thought it was something my husband and I would both enjoy. On January 19th, I realized that my box hadn't arrived yet, nor had I gotten a a shipping confirmation (though they say they ship 5 days after you select your box).

I emailed them and they told me that my box hadn't shipped because my telephone number was wrong, which I thought was silly because I received my box last month without any problems and my telephone number has nothing to do with my address. I corrected my number and the girl then told me that the box I had already reserved was no longer available. I didn't think that was right because I already claimed it on the first day and it should have been saved for me, telephone number wrong or not.

She did a little research and was able to find me a box and that they would ship it out right away. Today (January 24th), I received my box and I am super excited!

Here is what I got in my box:


And each item, remember, these are all breakfast themed:

Xocolatl de Davíd Raleigh Bar - $9.00

Wasn't too big of a fan. This has pecans, nougat and bourbon caramel. I could really taste salt in it which I really enjoy with chocolate. I probably wouldn' buy these but it was a nice little treat. Since I got 3, I am adding one into the January Giveaway!

Crown Maple Syrup in Medium Amber - $2.54

I prefer blueberry syrup with my pancakes or french toast but it's nice to try new things. The descriptions sounds awesome: Aromas bring to mind the sights and smells of late fall and early winter. Our Medium Amber organic maple syrup has aromas of gingerbread and roasted chestnut. Flavors of rye, toffee, freshly roasted and ground coffee.

Inna Jam in Polka Raspberry - $12.00

Raspberry jam is my favorite so I can't wait to try this. I don't have a reason to eat jam too often but that's the point of these boxes, maybe I need more toast in my future! It says it has natural notes of rose and violet, which shoulds intriguing.

Fat & Juicy Bloody Mary Mix - $2.49

I don't drink so this is a waste for me ):

Freddy Guys Filberts Hazelnut Pancake Mix - $5.00

I am not much of a pancake fan but lately I have been eating them up. This came just in time. I wake up and make myself and my dad (who is visiting and helping me recoup after my surgery) pancakes every morning and we're both excited to try these!

Michele's Granola - $5.99

Mmmm, I just ate a handful of this and was pleasantly surprised, it was pretty tasty!! Their website also has some yummy flavors!

The breakdown:
Box: Foodzie January 2012
Price: $29.95 a month
Monetary Value: $37.02
Keeping subscription?: Sure!

I was surprised at how big some of the things were, although they were relatively cheap per item. As last time, the monetary value isn't as big as what you pay for but its a nice way to try a theme of items that someone else selects.

EDITED TO ADD: I actually decided to go ahead and cancel my Foodzie subscription because I want to keep with more of a beauty theme, so you will no longer be seeing posts about Foodzie ):

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Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit Review

The Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit was one thing I was really excited about from my January Beauty Army Box. I don't typically have bags under my eyes or have any problems with swelling or discoloration but I still love to do masks and things like that, just for fun.

Let me show you some pictures of the product and images of me doing it:



The directions were very easy, take off foil cover, put stuff all over pads. Simple yeah?


After I put the solution or whatever it's called on there. The pads turned from a pad type material into a slimy second skin, as they called it.


Before the "treatment".


During the "treatment".


After the "treatment".



I am not sure what the discoloration is between the 2 pads, I think maybe because one pad got more saturated than the other, I am not sure really.

Hello bright eyes. Give us your tired, dark-circled, sleepy eyes yearning to look like they once did. This collagen-matrix equals a good nights worth of pseudo-sleep. Activate this skin-identical collagen to lift, firm and smooth - right now. Collagen elevates and un-lines the entire eye contour while our special activator formula energizes, de-puffs, and un-circles for light, bright eyes. Ergothionine amino acid reanimates cells, supercharging clarity.

 Some more specks:

• Anti-irritant effect: Extraordinary soothing and cooling. Quickly diminishes skin redness and reduces swollen skin areas. The mask is easy to remove - no cleansing required, thus gentle to skin. Reduces skin redness by 27.5%.
• Hydrating effect: Soluble collagen molecules reinforce moisture binding capacity creating smoother skin and reducing fine lines. Increases the skin’s moisture level by 59%.
• Helps Stimulate collagen synthesis: Skin identical collagen peptides penetrate to help plump the skin to imporve the youthful appearance of the under eye area. After just 20 minutes, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkle depth around the eyes is reduced by 15%.

 Now that I am reading all about this mask, I see this: In just 20 minutes, once a week, for four weeks, see a reduction of under-eye puffiness, fine lines and dehydration. So in order to see a full on difference, you should use this for four weeks, which only 1 kit was provided.

Packaging (5/5):
Simple, nothing special about it. The directions were on the box and were super easy to follow

Product (3/5):
I am giving this a 3 because it's not really their fault that it didn't work me. I just don't have undereye circles or anything like that. I did enjoy the feeling it gave me, it was kind of tingly and I could feel that it would work if I did have undereyes. I could see it working out great if I did have undereyes, it sure did wake up my skin. The feeling of the product was kind of weird, but in a good way I suppose.

Application (5/5):
This was very easy. The directions were on the back. It wasn't messy or a hassle.

Price (3/5):
I am on the fence about this. Now, buying it out right is $12 for one kit of $45 for 4 kits. That seems like a lot but if you were to get something similar at spa, it would probably be triple that. So the price is ok, but not fabulous.

Overall (4/5):
I am a little on the fence about this. I am not so sure I would buy it, just because it seems pretty pricey to me, for what it didn't do. If you have bags, I could definitely see it working. Or even if you're having a little girls spa night, these would be great to do!

You can get this at Chella, 1 for $12 or 4 for $45 or Beauty Army has them as well. Or you can wait til the January giveaway, I have a kit to giveaway!)

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January 2012 Giveaway!!

As you know, I have decided that I will be giving away the items that I don't need from every box that I get to you guys. A lot of the samples I receive are things that I might already have or something I just know I wouldn't use, so that works out great for you guys!

This is what you will receive:

• Comodynes Instant Beauty Flash - $3.00
• Comodynes Self Tanning Towelette - $1.75
• Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit - $12.00
• Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment and Deep Repair Masque - $12.80
• Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy - $2.03
• Glamour Doll Eyes OTM Shadow in Resolution - $6.00
• Xocolatl de Davíd Raleigh Bar - $3.00

Total Prize Value: $40.58

This pack will actually come in the bag I got from MyGlam because I have a million make up bags already!

And the rules:

1. You must be a follower of this blog.
2. You must be at least 18 years old or with parents permission.
3. It is open internationally!

Below is the entry form. You must enter the "follower" part but the other entries are optional. The other entries will get you extra spots in the giveaway and winner will be chosen via random.org by the widget, not by me!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

PLEASE NOTE: I WILL be going through each entry to make sure that you have followed all the rules and entered correctly, if you haven't your entry will be deleted.

Winner will be announced 1 week from today (so February 4th) and you will have 24 hours to contact me back. The winner will be announced in a new post, so if you're a follower, you should automatically get the updates. If the winner does not contact me within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck!!

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Birchbox January 2012

This is my 12th box with BirchBox and for some reason, I always thought that people got something super awesome, or at least a cool colored box, for their 12th month. I am pretty sure I have seen people get something different when its their 12th month. I was hoping something like that, I have been with the company for a year now. Other than that, I was pretty happy with my first BirchBox of the year. I know I have heard a lot of mixed reviews, and to be honest, when I first saw the box that I was getting, I was a little put off, but once I saw it, I am pretty happy!

I received box #3. A lot of the other boxes had a Zoya polish in it, which I was hoping not to get because I got all the colors that they were showing when Zoya was having their flash deals, so I am glad I didn't get a duplicate. .

Here is what was inside:


Lets go through each individual item:

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy - $2.03

I have a full size of this (and love it btw, one of my favorite perfumes) so I will be keeping this for the January giveaway.

Larabar in Peanut Butter Cookie - $0.84

I got one of these in my Influenster Holiday VoxBox and did not like it at all, so when I saw that they were in this box, I was thinking "oh great". But I got a flavor I could actually like and it was pretty good. I wouldn't go out and buy more but it wasn't something that I didn't like. I do enjoy getting food once in a while. I know one time we got a KindBar, which I buy all the time now. I know some people got granola and was pretty upset.

BORGHESE CuraForte Moisture Intensifier - $9.93

I originally thought this was a moisturizer, so I opened it up and it spilled everywhere. It is pretty runny. But then I read on BirchBox that its somewhat like a moisturizer primer, which I find silly, but I will definitely try it!

Jouer Body Butter - $2.41

I am taking a total guess at the price since it doesn't actually have the size on the jar (I took a guess of .25oz). This smells like a richy hotel to me, or maybe even a richy spa/massage place. Not a bag thing, just an observation. I can't wait to try it. It is a relatively small amount for a "body" butter so I think it might only last one or 2 times.

stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Purple Tang - $20.00

I have tried these before and I like them. I wouldn't seek them out in the store to buy more but it's a nice product to get in a box. The one I got is a dark dark purple with purple sparkle, really pretty.

Birchbox Magnet

When I saw people got a magnet, I was actually really excited, haha. I wanted one really bad. I love magnets and I put it on my fridge immediately!

The breakdown:
Bag: BirchBox January 2012
Price: $10.00
Monetary Value: $35.21
Keeping subscription?: Yes.

The eye liner makes this box worth it alone, add on all the other little things (which aren't fabulous but worth a try) so all in all, this box is worth it. I am excited to try these new things :)

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Coastal Scents Beijing Go Palette Review

I received this Coastal Scents Beijing Palette in a deluxe box I got from GoGoGirlfriend back in December. I have always wanted to try these palettes but to be honest, I didn't want to spend the money. I have so many palettes and shadows already, it seemed frivolous. I didn't want the particular one that I got, I wanted another one but was happy none the less because this one is actually gorgeous. When I saw this in my box, I almost squealed.

All swatches are done over Glamour Doll Eyes Foil Me.

Reveal exquisite beauty with our Beijing Go Palette. Inspired by the Peking Opera in China’s cultural epicenter this palette contains twelve highly pigmented shimmery shadows to create a variety of looks. Whether you wish to achieve a look for day or night this collection of brilliant reds, pinks, deep plums, and a sparkling black is ideal. All twelve shadows are housed in our matte black, Coastal Scents logo imprinted palette and equipped with a mirror for convenience.

And some specks:

• Palette : 3.22" x 3.31" x 0.62" (8.2cm x 8.4cm x 1.6cm)
• Mirror : 2.72" x 2.72" (6.9cm x 6.9cm)
• Eye Shadow Pot Diameter : 0.62" (1.6cm)

Packaging (4.5/5):
Unlike the other Coastal Scents Palettes, this is very small and super easy to travel with. I don't really see traveling with a 88 shadow palette that convenient, but with this, you can just throw it in your make up bag and it won't take up a lot of space. I like that the compact is matte black, that way you won't get tons of finger prints on it and I love that it has a fairly large mirror in it. The only thing that I dislike is that it doesn't feel completely sturdy. It is a nice sturdy plastic, but I think it could be better.

Product (4/5):
I love the colors that are offered in this palette are nice and neutral but still can give a sultry sexy type look. All of the finished as "satin", whether its satin matte or satin finish but the texture and consistency are great on all of them. The pigmentation is there for a lot of them, however, I did feel that some of them have a more "subtle" pigmentation. One thing that I didn't like about the palette as a whole is that there isn't a highlight color. It would have been nice to have a nice white or beige to finish off the look without having to grab about another shadow/palette.

Longevity (5/5):
I didn't have a problem with these fading or creasing, however, as I always say, I feel like its all based on the primer you use.

Price (5/5):
You can get these palettes (there are 7 different kinds I believe) at Coastal Scents for $8.95 or at GoGoGirlfriend for $10.95 (Non Member Price) or $8.95 (Member Price), however, GGG only has the one, Beijing. $8.95 for 12 shadows is a magnificent deal, that puts them at about $0.75 each. These shadows are 1 cm smaller than a MAC shadow which will run you $14.50 (or $11.50 for pro pan) so for the size, you're getting a great deal. Please note, I am not saying that CS shadows are comparable for MAC shadows, just using the size as a reference.

Overall (4.625/5):
If the colors are pretty to you, I would say its worth picking up at least one palette. Easy to travel with and compact is always a nice thing.

Lastly, a look I did using this palette (don't mind my brows, I have been avoiding them lately). I used a lot from the bottom 2 rows:

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Bloom.com Review (OPI Nicki Minaj Collection)

Just a warning: This will most likely be a huge rant.



Ok, so on January 7th someone posted on Facebook that kgbdeals was having a deal for bloom.com that if you purchased their voucher for $25, you get $50 to spend on that website. They also had mentioned that they had the new OPI Nicki Minaj Collection, which I have been drooling over since I saw pictures of it in November. I jumped on kgbdeals as fast as I could and spent the $25 for the gift voucher. The next day, I went to bloom and ordered the 6 Nicki Minaj colors. I got an email that the order had shipped on the 11th and when I checked the UPS tracking number, it said it would arrive Tuesday, January 17th.

Now this is a UPS fail, NOT blooms fault obviously: Tuesday came around, I woke up and checked the tracking number like I always do. It said out for delivery, yay. My UPS man usually doesn't come until about 6pm, sometimes even 8pm. 7:30 rolled around and I was getting worried. I checked the tracking number and it still said out for delivery, so I thought maybe he was just a little behind. 9pm came around, still nothing, so I checked the tracking number and it said rescheduled for Wednesday. I was a little annoyed of course since I had been waiting for almost a week to get these.

So Wednesday came around, I checked the tracking number and it said out for delivery. I wait and wait and wait, and 8pm comes around, nothing. So I called and the lady said it was out for delivery, that's all we can tell you. 9pm comes around, nothing, so I checked it again and it said rescheduled for Thursday. Now I was very annoyed. UPS is supposed to be known for the tracking and getting items there on time. So I called and of course they were closed.

Thursday came around and again, it was out for delivery. I called UPS first thing in the morning and the guy told me it was out for delivery yadda yadda and it should be there today. I informed him that it said that on Tuesday AND Wednesday and he told me there was nothing he could do for me. I kept pressing the issue and he finally got me in contact with my local sorting facility. They called me and told me that they have my package and it will be delivered that afternoon, by 1:45. 3pm comes around, no package. I pick up the phone to call UPS and right as I do, the door bell rings.

Now this is the part that makes me mad about bloom: My husband answers the door, grabs my package and comes in and goes "WHOA", and I am like "What?" and he jiggles the package and you can hear nail polish in there. I jump up, grab the box, open it up, and this is what I see:





Not a STITCH of bubble wrap, paper, shredded up anything to protect my polishes from busting open. I don't know what UPS does with packages, if they're actually gentle with them or just throw them around, what it one of those or more busted open. I was beyond amazed.

I immediately went to their facebook page and left them a comment:


All and all, I am happy to have the polishes, I have already used 2 of them and I am in love so far. I can't wait to use them all. I most likely won't be ordering from bloom again, as I haven't heard anything back from them (and doubting I will) and just don't want to have to worry about my package making it here safely!

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Paint Splatter Nails

Woo, 2 nail posts in a row, go me!! I have never tried the "paint splatter" nails before and was always really curious. I never keep straws around so when I went to the store, I made sure to pick some up! I thought it turned out ok for my first try, but I can't wait to try some more color combos!!


Right after I did it.


Colors I used.


Colors I used: Zoya Breezi, Mira, Areej and a random black I got from Embers Collide.


Right hand.


Left hand.

I started off with Breezi as a base and was only going to do Mira as a splatter. I painted my left hand, went outside with my polish and straw and I didn't like the effect of just one color so I ran back inside and got Areej and the black. I then did a layer of Areej and a layer of the black.

I went back in, painted my right hand with Breezi, waited for it to dry and went back outside. I found it was much easier to do a nice splatter effect after the nail polishes had been sitting out in the cold for a few minutes. It made the polish a little thicker and the effect was nicer, this is just my personal opinion.

I then topped them with a top coat and this is what it turned out to. I know a lot of people put tape on their fingers to alleviate a mess, but I didn't. I don't think its that big of a deal to have polish on my fingers, it comes right off.

I really like it and can't wait to try more combos. I have so many more in my head!

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Julep Maven Review (boho glam)!

The second I got my Julep Maven order in, I painted my nails. Well, after I blogged about it but it was the same day. I was super excited to try them out since I have heard some great things about them. I wore each color for a week, so I feel like I can give a fair review. Here we go:

Before I get into the review and more specifics, let me show you some pictures:





Lid doesn't line up with the jar?




1 coat


2 coats


3 days later.

I some how lost the image of 6 days later, but it looked the same as 3 days later.

Professional quality “4-free” nail polish formulation, developed without carcinogens such as formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP. Shine on! $1 will be donated to organizations that support women through our Powered by Girlfriends program.

Packaging (3/5):
I have 2 gripes with the packaging, hence the 3 instead of a 5. One, would be that the lid doesn't line up with the jar when I tighten the jar. This could be from me over tightening it, but I like my polishes to not dry out, specially for $14 a pop. Second, is the super small brush. I feel like I am really spoiled with OPI's brushes because they're super wide, and that is what I prefer. If you like small brushes then it won't be an issue for you of course.

Product (2.5/5):
I am giving this a 2.5 because I loved one color and the other one not so much. I loved Heather, the brownish silver one. I think the consistency and texture were amazing, it went on really well and just 2 coats I received the opacity that I was looking for. Now Blake on the other hand, I did not like the consistency. It was super thick, and even though it was fairly opaque with just one layer, I found that it was kind of stringy and goopy. I don't know if its because this is a "cream" type color but I hope I don't receive one like this again.

Longevity (5/5):
I wore this for a week exactly and didn't experience any chipping. It was so hard to not change my polish but I really wanted to test it out. I work with my hands a lot and it still held in there, although, I do think that top and base coats are mostly the reason why.

Price (2/5):
I am going to compare these to my 3 favorite brands, which I own a ton of and buy on a regular basis. First, we have OPI - 0.5 FL oz for $8.50, then we have Zoya - 0.5 FL oz for $8.00. Next, we have Butter London - 0.4 FL oz for $14.00 (which I only usually buy as "rewards" or special treatment). Now, the typical price of a Julep Maven polish is $14.00 for 0.27 FL oz. That is right, a little under half of MOST of these polishes for way more money. Even Butter London, which is AWESOME has a better value. The price is nowhere near "affordable" however, I do feel that they may have some unique colors.

Overall (3.12/5):
I am personally going to keep my subscription for a month or 2 more to see what other polish colors I can get. I am hoping to pick out some gems that are different from anything that I have. The price from what I paid for the subscription ($0.01) was definitely worth the money that I paid, however, $14 for a tiny polish as they offer is not a great deal. I am signed up for the monthly deal which is $19.99 for usually 2 polishes and something else, but even at probably $10 each, this might not be worth it.

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