March Ipsy Review and FOTD

I have never been a firm believer in apologizing for not publishing on any particular blog. It's your own thing, it isn't your job and I feel as if you can post or not post whenever you want. But, not publishing regular blogs here just feels weird. I am trying to find a balance between YouTube and Mind Body Beauty and obviously I have yet to find it. However, this is a great start! From here on out, you wont hear any excuses about why I publish or don't publish. I will hopefully find some kind of balance. To be total honest I have been inspired to start publishing here on a regular basis. I just don't want to neglect my channel. Either way, I will always have a creative outlet. When the time comes that I suddenly stop using those outlets to my benefit, some one look into where I have been and my mind set. The day i stop having a creative outlet is the day you can declare me dead. So, please go subscribe to my YouTube channel! It's the same stuff from here, only it's there. I used to hate reading these types of messages on blogs because frankly I didn't really care. I just wanted to read the content and I hope you feel the same. This is officially the last "excuse" you will ever hear from me.

Ok! Now that I have that out of the way, I want to talk about my March Ipsy bag! I honestly love this subscription. I don't need to tell you all exactly what it is all about, but if you need to know more than this, click, click, click!

In the video, I review and swatch everything but one thing....

Klorane Eye Patches

I have never in my life tried eye patches. I have done tea bags on my eyes and it really reduces swelling and redness. Maybe I should do a blog post on that one day. These patches are marketed as soothing and relaxing and with soothing cornflower. I had no clue cornflower was soothing before this. You are to take the patches off of the paper and apply to the contour of your eyes {right underneath} for 20 minutes. The patch had a sticky gel-like consistency but it was nothing that was irritating. In fact, the eye patches felt really cooling- minty, really. I left them on for around a half hour and while they felt nice on, I didn't see too much of a difference. My under eyes still looked red {as usual} but they did feel a little bit softer. These were fun to try but I don't think they are a must.

On the other hand, the Bare Minerals Rebel Lip Gloss and Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in Bora Bora were a huge hit! Here's my Face of the Day using each of those products:

FOTD:
I used the Bare Minerals lip gloss in Rebel, that being the only thing on my lips. On the eyes, I used Rock Bottom {burnt red} on the lid, Risky Business {gold} right on the center of the lid, Starlet {brown} in the crease, and Bora Bora {teal} on the bottom lash line. I used a nude eye pencil in the waterline, a brown on the upper lash line, and my favorite liquid liner from Milani called Eye Tech. It's in a gold tube. Its amazing. Lastly I used Physician's Formula's Organic Wear mascara. I really like it- Review to come on that soon! 
 

That's it for now!

<3
Erica

January Ipsy Review

Hello again!

 Just when I thought I wanted to switch from Ipsy to Birchbox, I changed my mind for the time being. Ipsy is great but I miss the idea of more higher end products that Birchbox offers, along with the amount of higher end skin care you can try. I also miss spending my Birchbox points on things on the site. I got some pretty good stuff for free from the site I bought with my points a while back. Maybe I'll switch next month.

This month's Ipsy was really good. I have been using almost everything on a daily basis from this months bag. Today I filmed some b-roll of my new Ipsy items for an upcoming tutorial I am going to film {it will be my first makeup tutorial!}. So soon you will get a chance to see everything in action. For now, let's talk about everything.

Mica Beauty

Tinted Lip Balm #6 Fiesta

I have received a loose eye shadow from Mica Beauty before in a previous Ipsy bag and it is still one of my favorite shadows to use. This tinted lip balm is also really great. I absolutely love the color! It's a cool toned mauve pink and I most likely would have never bought for my own self. That is the beauty of subscription boxes. It's a great way to branch out and surprise yourself. I am fair skinned and this comes off as a much deeper color and it works great for these colder months. I have been loving deeper toned lip colors lately. Aside from the color, the formula is very thin but extremely pigmented - not really lip balmy. A little goes a long way. Because of it's thin consistency, I tend to go over board and apply too much which it can accentuate the lines and cracks in my lips. The down side is the packaging.  I can't bring it with me and apply it just anywhere. I apply it with my fingers and because of that, it can get a little messy. It will last on my lips for a couple hours but will eventually fade away. 

Elizabeth Mott

Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil

Penny

This is another brand that I only of from Ipsy. This is a really pretty shimmery copper eye liner and I have been applying it underneath my bottom lash line and in my inner corner as well as on my upper lash line right above darker eye liner to brighten and accentuate my eyes. It seems to brighten or bring attention really well used this way. I can see myself also using this right on the balls of my lids to brighten that way too, like you would an eye shadow. It doesn't do very well at all in the water line. No pigment will really transfer. It isn't the best, most pigmented, most long wearing eye liner I have ever tried. Also not the worst. Then again, I am not even sure if it is supposed to be used as an eye liner. The name and format do not match each other.

Healthy Sexy Hair

Leave in Conditioner

I am not big on leave in conditioner- with one exception from Paul Mitchell . I am, however, partial to anything that can restore health to my otherwise over processed blonde hair.  Since I use so many products, it's important to me that my hair doesn't feel like I do or filmy. This doesn't leave any kind of film and I was really surprised at how much I loved this. It acts as a moisturizer {or conditioner} and really made my hair soft. Now I don't feel so bad about using up PM Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair - this can replace it. I read that this also has a mild protein in it and protein is really good for over processed hair. It has a very spa type of scent to it. It almost reminds me of the Aveda products. This stuff is really great. 

Absolute

Make-Up Cleansing Tissues

My absolute favorite eye makeup remover is from Avon. But to be honest, I never use a face makeup remover. I usually just wash my face or will use a toner to take off my makeup. These were really nice for taking off my whole face at the end of the day. They are really soft too. I really like using them. I think I need to buy some makeup wipes for the days when I am too lazy to wash my face.

3 in 1 

Revolution

I was excited to see this in my bag because I have been missing trying skin care from Birchbox. This is a toner, serum, and moisturizer. I am not really sure how that is supposed to work. I can understand the serum and moisturizer part. As for the toner.....? I wouldn't say this product is anything like a toner. It does have the consistency of a serum and moisturizer mixed. It feels a little oily on my skin and that isn't necessarily a bad thing but is much better to be used at night to repair your skin because of that. Adding foundation on top this may not work so well. As far as a serum goes, you pretty much have to keep on using it to see any changes but I have no clue what this is supposed to be a serum of or for. It didn't come with any explanation. I will keep using it and review it once it's gone but for now, it's not doing anything bad or good. Except for leaving an oily residue. But it doesn't break me out. It's nothing special. Maybe if you have extremely dry skin it might be good for you but I am not standing by that statement. It's just a thought.

here's the swatches of the tinted lip balm and the eye pencil.

thank you for reading!

xoxo

Erica

Empty Products/ A Couple Holy Grails {Skin Care Edition}

I have been collecting trash for like months. I just never got around to posting this for whatever reason. It has gotten out of hand so let me get started on this. I have makeup from all catergories, and skin care. let's just start with skin care, then cross the other bridge when we get there. shall we?

One thing you should know is that I have acne prone, combination skin. It used to be oily but I am not sure what happened. Read about that more in the Kiehl's part of this blog post.

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser.
 I knew this was good for acne prone, oily skin. At the time I bought it, my skin was really oily. It is amazonian clay mixed with really tiny exfoliants, which makes for a really thorough, deep clean. The very first time I used it, I remember being so impressed. My skin was the softest, cleanest it has ever been. As the months went on, my skin started to become more dry- not as oily. I am not sure if this is because of the face wash itself but all I know is that right after I would use this, my skin would be really, really dry. So dry, I felt the need {and never forgot!} to use a moisturizer. If you have oily skin, give it a shot but don't pay for it! Yep- get it for FREE! I got mine from Birchbox just racking up points months after months. Here's everything else I got for free from Birchbox.

Urban Decay All Nighter. 
Once you don't have a setting spray, you notice a difference in how long your makeup lasts. At least I did! Think of it as a hair spray for your face. There is a slight stickiness to it once it is starting to dry you can feel it if you touch your face, but it's not so sticky you can't stand it. It is weightless, as promised. I really liked this. It did the job.

Urban Decay De-Slick. 
Another setting spray. I LOVED this one. It is on my Holy Grail Page. This setting spray is for oily skin as the name would suggest. Like I mentioned my skin is more combination. What I really remember this for was keeping my makeup on for the whole day in the hot, humid summer last summer: 2012. If you live in a humid climate, I would recommend De-Slick over All Nighter. Or if you have oily skin. Or if it's hot where you live. 

Borghese Cureforte Moisture Intensifier.  
I got this in my Birchbox a while back. This is a thin serum. It is supposed to moisturize but to really get the benefits of it, you are supposed to use it before your moisturizer, along with whatever else you use. I didn't notice it giving me any moisture but I did notice it making my skin just all around better. When I read up on this product, I read that this is an activator for all of your skin care that goes on after it. So for example, if you use a moisturizer, it's going to make your moisturizer work even harder. I liked it. It was something different and fun to try.

{A rule of thumb for layering skin care goes like this: Cleanser, Toner, Thinnest Serum-Thickest Serum, Thinnest Cream-Thickest Cream. Think of it as thin to thick}

Dr. Hauschka Rejuvenating Mask. 
I got this in this kit from Birchbox.com along with the Kiehl's face wash- again, I racked up my points and bought it with those. I really wished I would have used this correctly because I would have loved it even more I am sure. Just like we have hair mask's that are like conditioners only 10x moisturizing, we have a skin mask moisturizer. Why I washed it off is beyond me because it was so comfortable to use and was seeping into my skin- in a good way. It's a green mask that is a thick lotiony consistency. When I washed it off, I noticed how soft it made my skin. This mask was like nothing I have ever used. It was my favorite mask to date. I am giving this a Holy Grail Award.

Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer. 
I am an avid Proactiv user {have been using it on and off for years} and I always get a little trial size in every Proactiv purchase I make. It is a great basic moisturizer to use and have on hand. I have never had any problems with it. It gets it's job done. I like it better than any of the other moisturizers I receive from Proactiv. I go through these little things all the time.

Juice Beauty Oil Free Mositurizer.
If I was comparing this to the previous moisturizer I talked about, I would say this one is much thicker and better all around. It is really soothing and moisturizes better than any other one I have tried yet. I really noticed a difference in my skin when I used it. Another Birchbox sample. Another Holy Grail Award.

So as you can tell, all of this stuff was pretty good or really awesome. I like when that happens.

hey. I know im annoying but don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar for the give away! 

ok!
xoxo
Erica

Birchbox Freebies!

Can you believe I got $50 worth of great products for free?! I have been saving up my points for over a year now so needless to say, I had a bunch to spend. If you were unsure about how the Birchbox point system works here's a quick breakdown:

• 10 points = $1
• you can spend your points in $10 increments

           How can you get points?

• For each Birchbox you buy = 10 points (even one's you gift!)
• For each item you get in your box and give feedback on = 10 points

Honestly, it may be my favorite part about Birchbox. You can buy anything on their website with your points. If you have enough points, it will even pay for shipping too! Here's the stuff I purchased was sent! for free! I am sorry, I just love the concept!

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser: I have oily/dry skin. It just all depends. I had a feeling I was going to love it considering they went to the ends of the Amazon River to find White Clay for it. Amazonian clay can actually help with both dry and oily skin so this seemed perfect. It sounds fancy! LOL! It Exfoliates and Detoxifies as well.

My review: I do love exfoliators but I don't want something to be too abrasive on my face considering my skin can also be sensitive at times as well. This cleanser has very tiny exfoliant's in it and was comfortable washing my face. The exfoliant's in it are even tinier than Proactiv's exfolitant's, if you have ever used Proactiv.

Considering this face wash is a clay, I was expecting something less creamy for some reason. It comes out as a clay, then when you start washing your face the clay turns into a milky, soapy face wash. It is really nice! Once I dry off my face I do notice how soft and smooth (& clean!) my skin is and I have really been liking this! Dare I say- It rivals Proactiv any day!

Stila Eyeshadow in Jezebel: If you have seen my Rose Gold post, you would have already seen this eyeshadow. I really love it! I already knew I was going to as Stila eyeshadow's are my favorite to begin with. I have been loving adding this in my crease with a matte cream color on my lid. pretty

Dr. Hauschka's Radiant You Kit: This was the thing that I couldn't decide on when I was ordering everything. The lavender bath isn't for a bath, it's actually to use in conjunction with everything else for a spa like facial. I will be doing a demo or a review at some point because there's something to it. For know if your contemplating trying this out, I say got for it! It's a nice treat!

Are you all signed up for Birchbox?

Have you gotten anything with your points?

Have a fab day!

thanks for reading!

xoxo

Erica

Proactiv Cleansing Brush

It is not often that I give anything I review a 5/5. With this Proactiv Cleansing Brush, I just must. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Skin Type: Acne Prone, Oily Skin. I have a lot of redness & hyper-pigmentation.

Quick description about Proactiv's 3 Steps. The Cleanser, The Toner & Repairing Treatment. I started using Proactiv when I was 19. My skin was really bad. When I started using it, my skin cleared up dramatically. I am 25 now and still use Proactiv on and off till this day. When I am on with it, it for the most part clears up my skin. But the more important note about it is how soft & calmed my skin look. It cleans the skin very well. When I am off, my skin does start to break out again. Not as bad as I used to be but nonetheless, it breaks out.

I really love Proactiv for the fact that you can buy the 3 Steps (small size) for $25, and they usually throw in something new to try. This last time I received a full size of the Dark Spot Corrector (review to come later). These items are at no extra charge. This cleansing brush was the best freebie I have ever gotten to date.

When I first started using the Cleansing Brush, I was so exited I was using it twice a day. My skin was not happy about that. You are only supposed to use it once a day for a minute each day. So I quit using it a couple of days and then started using it again...anywhere from 1-2 times a day. I know, I am not good with directions but after a while I think I was getting a deeper clean using it twice a day. To start off, I would use it once a day as recommended. A side note: I love exfoliators. I usually do not like to buy a cleanser without them- just an fyi. Proactiv's Step One has exfoliators

How I use it:

Wash my face with Step 1 with my hands for a little less then one minute

add a little but more cleanser (Step 1) to my face

Turn on the Cleansing Brush and slowly go over my whole face lightly for 1 minute.

So I really love the cleansing brush! I do use proactiv and that is the only cleanser I use with it. Do I think that is the only cleanser you could possibly get a deeper clean with using it hand in hand with the cleansing brush? No. If you have a cleanser you prefer, try it with the brush. If you want to try it out without buying the Proactiv 3 Steps, it is somewhere around $20-$30. Please don't. Your getting a way better deal when you buy said package.

Pros:

Free with purchase

Comfortable to use

Water-Proof

Battery Operated

Batteries Included

New Brush Heads are $12

It Works!- It helped my skin a great deal and I got an even deeper clean when I use this baby.

Cons:

There is only one brush head for the cleansing brush

Only one speed. I don't think I need another speed, but some other people may like that.

So for me I can say that this is a 5/5. I really love everything about it. Especially the price! The saying does not hold true that "you get what you pay for" with the cleansing brush. It really is something that I think they could get away with charging much more (let's not let them know that!) If you have never tried Proactiv now is your time to get 4 products and a brush for $30! Just Google "Proactiv brush" and I betcha it will pop up!

I hope I helped you guys making your decision and I hope you try this brush before making a huge investment on a Clairsonic. It's worth it. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and I will get back to you!

xoxo

Erica

January Birchbox Review

Hey guys! So if your new and wondering why I am talking about last month's Birchbox, I will fill you in. I was a little tired of just hauling the boxes that I thought I could do more of a review and be much more beneficial to the blogging world. Instead of me talking about my expectations for the things in my box, I would have had enough time to try them out to see what I think. This is also a motivating factor for me to actually try everything in my box and use it to the last drop. Let's get started, shall we?

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Moray: ($20) Stila is quickly becoming my favorite high end brand and this product did not disappoint! The only color liner I use is black- for the most part, anyway.. I really don't like brown and I will try purple every once in a while on my lid but my waterline is always black. This liner is really unique. A really dark greenish color with green specks of glitter in it. I find it is a great alternative to brown for me. When im in the mood for something different, this has been fitting the bill. I do find that it can start to smudge off of the water line after a few hours.  It goes on smoothly on the lid, and doesn't really budge there once applied.

However, I do have one complaint! It is really hard to twist up and once it is twisted up, you cannot put it back down. When I first received it, I immediately called Birchbox to let them know I got the liner tube and package, but no liner. I felt really stupid even admitting it to the B-box rep. She then made me feel better telling me they had the issue of twisting the liner up and even went so far to tell me they had to call Stila to ask how to use the liner. Was she just trying to be nice? I don't think so......maybe? Whatever, once I figured out how to use it, it was good to go from there. It can be a pain from time to time though.

Jouer Body Butter: ($32) I think if anybody were to own this body butter, it would be Lisa Vanderpump. It is extremely luxurious considering it's nice frosted glass packaging, extremely creamy consistency, and light, floral scent. I think this was nice to sample because I am so used to my overbearing, so-good-you-can-eat-it Bath & Body Works butters (which I love) I never really go for anything else. I probably will not be re-purchasing it because B&BW is easier to access and easier on the wallet. I do feel rich when I have Jouer's on though. I am probably not making any sense. These are my weird thoughts. If I can help just person with this paragraph, I have done my duty (: On a more mature note, I do want to mention that, out of any body butter's I have ever tried, this one is the least bit greasy. It is actually not greasy at all, as some butter's can be. I really love that the most about it. I don't get my keyboard all messy a minute or 2 after putting it on. It is just straight moisture. Im giving it a 5/5 because of that. It's just that price. ouch.

Borghese Curaforte Moisture Intensifier: ($67) I got my Birchbox around the same time my Proactiv Face Brush came and I started using them both and after a week or so, my skin wasn't reacting well. It just seemed red and irritated so I back off of both the Borghese Curaforte and the Face Brush for a day or so for my skin to go back to normal. When I brought both back in, my skin actually got better then before both of them and I was really pleased!

This stuff is not only meant to moisturize your skin,  "it also helps your other products sink in more deeply so that active ingredients can perform more effectively. As if that weren’t enough, the lightweight formula boosts skin smoothness and clarity." (birchbox.com)

So I have been putting this on after my Revitalizing Toner (Step 2) & Before my Repairing Treatment (Step 3) following the rule of applying the light product first, and heavier products after. The consistency of the Borghese Curaforte is a very runny serum. I found out that applying them in this order really made this stuff work 10x better! (Before hand I was apply the serum after all 3steps and I didn't notice much of a difference) First off, it really made my skin extremely soft. What I mean by soft is I used to have very small pimples that would never go away and it has smoothed them out to what are becoming non-existent. I also do think it is helping my other products (Proactiv, esp. step 3) work even more effectively. I do have acne prone skin and Proactiv has always made my skin manageable, but with this added in my skin is even better. I have really liked this stuff.

Here's an awesome article about How To Layer Skin Care I found on Birchbox.com



LaraBar in Chocolate Peanut Butter: I like Larabar's, but don't love them. I am not a fan of alot of nuts and such. This bar was the best bar I have ever had! I ate it in the middle of the night and the next day went to my local health food store to see if they had any of the flavor in stock...they didn't. They asked if I wanted to buy a whole box of the flavor for $30 (16 bars) that they would order for me. I can't spend $30 on freaking Larabars, but wish I could have. I don't have an original picture to show you, I hope this one will do. credit

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy: I thought it was a really nice fragrance. This is right up my alley. If you guys like a fresh summer time scent, you'll love it. I am just going to read right off of the package for the description:

~

Wild Berries & Mandarin.

Honeysuckle, Gardenia, & Jasmine.  

(^^would go perfect with Jouer body butter!^^)

Amber, Caramel, Vanilla,

Sandalwood, & Praline.

~

There's my birchbox from Jan in review form. I do hope you guys like this type of take on it. For the most part, I usually love everything in my birchbox. Maybe not everything is a total hit but I usually like the majority of my box. Last month I really loved everything. be on the look out for this months (feb) birchbox post, next month! So far, im not really impressed but I will fill you in soon enough!

Have you guys had a chance to try everything in your box? What do you think? 

thank you guys for reading!

yours truly,

Erica

Free Target Beauty Bag in my Mail!

Sweet! While on the target website a couple weeks ago, this ad popped up. "Put in your address and we will send you a target beauty bag!" I totally forgot about it and it showed up the other day!

It came in this really pretty silk makeup bag which I think I will use as a change purse at work - much cuter than a crown royal bag, dont cha think? It's a little small for an actual beauty bag, so I think my use will be very useful.

In the cute silky makeup bag, the first thing I pulled out was these Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelette I got 5 in the packette and they won a "best of beauty" award from Allure so I was exited to try them out. So they take off your makeup and while doing so, are supposed to calm you down from the chamomile.

Quick Review- They smell great and yes, they are very moist and stay that way even after I opened it, but I just dont think they take off my makeup as good as my favorite makeup remover (which is Avon's lotion makeup remover- out of all of the remover's I tried, It is - hands down - the best)

Then I got 3 sample's of from 3 different companies for shampoo & conditioner:

-John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo & Conditioner- I love John you guys know, so I think this will be a good one.

-Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner- Yeah no, I have this stuff in full size- I have had it for over a year so I think that says something about it- It's my "back-up" shampoo & conditioner. So it's second best- if even best at all.

-Garnier Fructis Pure Clean (92% biodegradable) Shampoo & Conditioner- Very green of them.

L'Oreal Day Night Cream Youth Code - I am always skeptical of this kind of stuff - and even tho I love L'Oreal products, I dont think there cream's - esp. the anti-aging cream's are great.- I haven;t tried it yet tho.

Last thing is Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion with SPF 15. I have never really heard of anybody that uses Burt's Bees lotion's, only chap sticks so I am exited to try this too.

It also came with a coupon book with over $20 worth of savings: $ off Sonia Kashuk, Sally Hansen, Revlon, Maybelline, Aveeno, Pantene, Herbal Essence's & also coupons from the samples I got.

What do you guys think I should use my coupons on? 

Not bad for free!Have a great day!

Hit Pan & Empties

L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base- As my very first face primer, I thought it was pretty good, but I do hope there are better one's out there than this. The formula has a whipped cream consistency & has a really silky feel to it. Once this stuff is applied, it dosen't feel too heavy or make my face feel even more oily (than it can get)- it feels really light weight and nice. With that said, I just don't think it gives my face an even texture or fills in large pores. It is kind of expensive for such a small tub ($14 for .5 oz) and because of that, I was only using a dime sized amount and I don't feel like it was doing a great job filling in my pores. Perhaps I wasn't using enough...? If I wasnt using enough, then I think you should be getting more for your money. Other people LOVE this primer, so maybe that was the problem. With or without this stuff, my face make-up stays on for the same amount of time.

Rice Face Wash from Bath & Body Works- I bought this face wash like 7 years ago. It was recommended to me at the store because I do have acne prone skin. When I first bought it, I didn't like it. The reason for that was because I would tend to get it in my eyes and it fucking burned!!! I was using Proactiv in conjunction w/ this back then, just an Fyi. I just used it up recently because it was my "back-up" face wash. I can't really say that it helped with my acne and it was a bit expensive at around $20. Does it clean my face? yes. However, I think you can find something just as good, that is much cheaper, that if you do get in your eyes, it's not a big deal....unlike Rice. No Dice.

Ouidad Styling Spritz- I bought the whole package about 2 years ago. It came with the shampoo, gel, the spritz & also a how-to book with some clips to use when your styling. I do have wavy hair which I can curl just by scrunching & blow-drying , so im always on the hunt for different products that help natural curls. With that said- I loved this spritz! I always used this along with Suave Mousse (which I love) the first day. This stuff, first of all, will hold my curl and make them more defined along with adding some volume. It dosen't make my hair sticky either. On the second day, I would just spray some of this in my hair and blow dry upside down while scrunching and it made my hair look just as fabulous as the day before- in fact, I think I liked day 2 better!  If you like the "wet" look, I wouldn't recommend this to you, because that isnt what it does. I personally dont like it, so this stuff is perfection.

Avon's Clearskin Blackhead Eliminating Daily Astringent- I really like this toner because whatever makeup or dirt I did miss when I washed my face, this stuff takes it off and makes my skin really clean which is exactly why I buy a toner. I know that some toner's can be drying and I dont think this one is, but again I have oily skin. If you have dry skin, you may wanna check into it. Also, this stuff does burn (which can be a sign of drying) if you have an infected pimple or anything like that which I kind of like because I feel like it's killing bacteria and cleaning deeper. If your sensitive to that burning sensation I cant say I recommend it.  

what's on the bottle?

Cashmere Lotion- I am in love with stuff. The small size (which is the hand cream) was $10- that's expensive. With that said, I am buying this again once I have the money, but this time im gunna go with the butter that comes in the tub. I think this is the only lotion I am willing to shell out a lot of money for, because I love the scent. It smells buttery & creamy. The scent will linger on your skin for half the day too. Next time your at B&BW, take a whiff of this! And oh yeah, it moisturizes too, that's def. a plus!

p.s.- this picture of the Cashmere Hand Cream was actually taken when I first got it- I took a pic of it but it didnt come out very good! sorry guys!

Mark. Keep it Going Long Wear Liner & Shadow in Entourage- The one I have has a matte black side and a silvery/white side with a bit of sparkle. The black I used all the time, as a cream liner, and I absolutely loved it! It didn't dry out until just recently and I bought it in January. Now on to the white side....It was absolutely drying from the first day. It didn't go on smooth like the black side- it just kinda clumped up- no matter if I used my fingers, a brush, or whatever. I think the reason for that has something to do with the sparkles inside- it just didn't work out for me. I since then bought the Wet -n- Wild cream liner for $4 in black- so I got the one color I wanted- a matte black. The Mark. one runs up to $10 and half of it dries out quickly. I do think they are comparable- WnW and mark.'s black side I mean. Both creamy and nice.

Almay Dial Up Mascara & Liner- This was a 2fur- I got both in one pack. The liner was okay. I dont think there was anything special about it- just a standard black liner. I prefer a kohl liner (Loreal Kohl Liner is great!) as it is much more creamy and dosen't tug at my eyes like some liners can....*cough* As for the mascara, again, it was pretty standard. Nothing special about it. The whole dial up thing just controls how much mascara actually gets on the brush so it's a bit gimmicky. I dont think it held the curl on my lashes like I expect out of any mascara. I like a mascara that defines, separates, & elongates. This stuff just put a bunch of the product on my lashes and they weren't looking "full"...just clumpy. I recommend Mark.'s Scanda-Lash if your looking for the same things out of your mascara.

OK So there's all my empties- What have you guys used up recently? let me know in the comments below! Have a great and thank you so much for stopping by!

Freeman's Mask Review: Dead Sea Minerals

Today im doing another Freeman's Mask Review- this one is on the Dead Sea Minerals- hence the name. I did the Chocolate Strawberry Mask from Freeman a few months back and I loved it so much I almost grabbed it again- but then I thought about what I said on the Strawberry Chocolate Mask Review which was basically I love it so much but I wanna try all of them! I read each & everyone of the Freeman's mask's that Walmart had to offer, as they all have different benefits- and although I wanted basically all of them, I opted for Dead Sea Minerals.

My Skin Type: Acne Prone and Usually Oily, but can become Dry. I have what I would call an uneven skin tone, & my pores are large
Where to Buy: I bought mine at Walmart, but they are also at CVS too
How Much: $1.39
Here's the Claim: "This anti-stress mud mask, with Dead Sea Minerals, instantly absorbs excess oil while clarifying & purging clogged pores. Rinse away the mask to reveal smooth, radiant, healthy looking skin."

-Freeman's re-did their packaging which I think is really cute! They also changed the stand/location of where they are at at my Wal-Mart, as they were always on the very bottom shelf behind a bunch of other stuff. Now they are in the same isle, but at eye-level for people to see so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them...that's if all Wal-Mart's are the same. So new packaging, and a new location in the same isle.

-Can't say that this mask is anti-stress, but I wasn't expecting it to be a stress reliver. I mean, in a "pampering, me time" kind of way I guess I was stress reliving. The only thing that really relives stress for me is meditation...... (or pills). 

-Something I learned this time around with the Freeman's mask's (and skin care) is that they are all made with natural & botanical ingredients. That's a plus. Not sure how they made this mud mask a deep teal color "naturally". However, I don't think they are aloud to say its natural when it actually isnt so I took a pic of all the ingredient's listed: you be the judge of this one.......

-The mask smells really fruity! and it's the color of deep teal from the fall series. It's basically the exact same color of the packaging & for some reason I wasn't expecting that. So the color and scent are both pretty.


-When I applied it near my eyes, my eyes would start to water. Of course, they say to avoid around/near your eyes and it's not like im putting the stuff even on my bags but I did put it on my nose, forehead, and temples. It wasn't so bad that I had to take the mask off and my eyes quit watering after a couple seconds, so nothing too drastic- but I figured that should be something to mention in a review.

-I actually got 2 uses outta the packet. It covered my whole face twice. I didn't really apply it on my neck so if your someone that likes to use mask's on your neck, you will get one full use out of it. For people like me who just go on the face and underneath the face (under the chin), u will get 2 full uses out of it.

-All and all, I liked the mask a lot and my very time use I didn't like it as much as I did the Chocolate Strawberry one. This time around, it did clean my out my pores and it also took away alot of the oil, which in turn left my face as soft as a baby's bottom! Maybe not that soft, but you get my point. The 2 are actually very comparable, if not almost identical. If I was to choose between them, I think I would pick the Strawberry one, I think that's because I loved the scent better than this one.

-I know, I said that in my Chocolate Strawberry review but if I could go back and change my opinion w/out the whole blog post being moved to today's date, I would change the whole thing to how much I love it (& make it, I little more descriptive...what can I say, it was my first review?) . I felt like that one made my face really soft and really did clean out clogged pores.

Like I said, they had plenty of different mask's for all different skin types. They had one for aged skin, one for large pores, one for uneven skin tone, one for dry skin etc. So if you are looking for a good mask I def. recommend Freeman's mask. I esp. love that they come in individual trial sizes (like the one I purchased) so you can see which one is best for you. I hope you enjoyed by review- have a great day!

Best of Birchbox

So I wasn't able to get a birch box this month and I feel like crying because I see everyone else got theirs!!! As I mention in almost every post I am down to no money and it has been hard for me to find a job!! with all of my whining and crying aside, I thought it would be really fun to do a Best of Birchbox post. You guys always kinda see more of a haul type of thing when I talk about my Birchbox and I never really mention an opinion because I haven't had a chance to try anything.

What Im going to do is pick out my absolute favorites from the past few months.

Laura Geller Baked Blush N Brighten- When I first got this and was using it, I did like it but I have to say it certainly wasn't my favorite bronzer. When I first got it in my June Birchbox, I was much darker and I guess it wasn't looking it's best on my skin. Now that I dont have as much of a tan, I am in love with it and have been using it to contour every day since then. As I mentioned before it is really shimmery but honestly, I dont think it's too shimmery as I thought it was before. You do have to use a light hand and be sure to tap off the excess & I know bronzers used for contouring arent supposed to really shimmer, but if you are a bit on the lighter side, I think it actually works really well as a bronzer. It does have shimmer to it, but not too much. And I hear once you hit pan, it isnt a pan but an Italian stone that it was baked on, I cannot wait to hit the tile!! yay!

YBF Beauty Brow Pencil- I have seen her on QVC or HSN so many times that when I seen YBF in my box, I was ecstatic. And it really exceeded my expectations. I love how if you apply it just right, it looks like hair and just blends in- I love this damn thing. As I mentioned before too, this really is a brow pencil only- which I think is a good thing because it dosen't look too heavy on your brows- it actually looks more like hair and mess like pencil marks. U could never use it as an eye liner or anything like that but I do think everyone needs one of these babies in their collection.

LIV GRN Earth Eau de Parfum the card read: "Made from biodegradable and sustainable ingredients, this lush scent is laced with jasmine and sandalwood." This is my favorite scent out of any of them I have received- I just am so in love with it- it is so clean and delicious and girly. check this out if you can, you will probably wanna drink it! well maybe not.... haha! I got this in my very first birchbox

On the Fence

these next items I like alot and I am really grateful to get a chance to try them out, but I don't think they are "must haves" or the best.  So I like them, but I don't love them

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Face Wash- This is a really gentle face cleanser and I do have sensitive skin but I personally think I like the L'Oreal 360 Clean that comes w/the scrubbie. They are very comparable, so if you are interested in this Philosophy face wash, I say save your money and opt for the L'Oreal 360. I also do like exfoliators in my face washes. If you have ever used Proactiv or Clearskin from Avon then you know what I mean. I like to mix Purity with Clearskin. I feel like I get a deeper cleaning w/ an exfoliant. So for this stuff, it's a great face wash but you can buy the L'Oreal 360 for much cheaper and have it do the exact same thing. I think that it is a good dupe for this stuff (and you get the scrubbie!) This would get a 4 but because it is expensive and I feel there is a dupe im gunna give it 3/5

Pangea Organics Toner for Normal Oily Skin- I have been using this toner almost every day since I got it. I really do like something about considering I keep on using it. I usually throw this in my bag if im going to be outside running or whatever. So that way when im all sweaty, I can just spray some of this stuff on and my skin feels refreshed. I think that any other toners I have give that extra step of cleansing more then this stuff does tho. Pangea Organics dosen't burn your skin like some other toners may but honestly, I like that sting just because I know it's getting the job done. The company claims that it gets rid of oil and impurities and I think that claim would be true. It also is supposed to help balance and hydrate your skin and also repair damaged tissue. I can't be positive about any of these claims. Also too, if you dont like the smell of like herbal/hippie scents, your not gunna like the smell of this- I personally don't like the scent. So im gunna give this a 3/5.

Stila Eyeshadow in Coco- When I first seen this in my Birchbox I was soo exited to try out a Stila shadow since I never have before. I think the color is really nice and it does have a good color pay off. I really like that it is matte so I can use it on my brows as well if need be. The only reason I am on the fence with this one is because I have an exact color from Mark. and they are identical twins. Mark.'s Espresso has the same color pay off, pigment, etc. So this is a great shadow but it isnt a unique color, & if you can get it cheaper then I say why in hell not? so again 3/5