healthy beauty!

So we all want beautiful soft silky hair, but we blow dry, straighten, curl it on a daily basis! Its silly and contradictory and yet I still continue to do it. If my hair was reallllly long I'd be happy to wear it curly...but because its only just past my shoulders when curly, I insist on styling it with heated tools every day. Of course, it wont grow much longer because I'm constantly needing to cut off the dead ends.

viscous cycle! So here are some of the products I've added to my beauty routines that I'm loving! They promote health and quality and I've noticed a difference!

First of all, I take biotin daily. This is a tiny vitamin supplement that promotes healthier hair, skin, and nails. My hair stylest even said she noticed a difference in the quality of my hair after I had been taking it for about 2 months. I was ecstatic! My hair seems slightly healthier, and seems to be growing a bit quicker.  You can get biotin literally anywhere. I think I got mine at bed bath and beyond!!

Next is Dove heat defense. I spritz a little of this stuff on my hair while its drying if I know I'm going to be applying heat to it. This not only makes my hairstyle last longer, but it really seems to keep my hair protected. I noticed a massive change after using this product and used up the entire bottle! I need to buy more! It also smells really nice!

I've been using DDF brightening cleanser for about 2 weeks now. My skin feels SOOO nice after using this! It does an awesome job of cleansing! It also is amazing because it is meant to get rid of dark spots, acne scaring, and overall create a more even complexion. I have been really enjoying this product! It smells like black licorice but it doesn't leave a strong scent after I wash it off so I don't mind too much! Totally worth the $38 a bottle!

Lastly I am having a love affair with nailtiques formula two! I apply a coat of this protein to my clean nails (every day that I don't have polish on!) and use it as a base coat. I'm not sure if this is how its meant to be used, but I have noticed that my nails seem a bit less brittle and have been breaking way less! They are getting back to a really nice length so I am insanely excited!

Influenster- Beauty Blogger voxbox

OH MY GOD this is the happiest submission I may ever post!
I've posted about Birchbox and Beauty Army in the past, we all know I'm obsessed with beauty box subscription services yadayada...but I'm a broke college student who only clears about $300 a month...so when $30 goes to a cell phone, like $60 goes to gas for my car, and who knows how much goes toward shopping...its difficult for me to justify spending a ton on subscription services.

So I have two...my birchbox and beauty army which comes to only $22 a month... its my treat!

But then theres influenster... now I don't get a box from influenster every month, but it is the coolest site. Let me tell you about it:

-you make an account and complete surveys
-you blog about products and the site (youtube, blogger, tumblr, twitter, whatever you prefer!)
-you recieve FREE products...I repeat 100% free, you don't even pay for shipping
-you review these products and the process repeats!

I'm honestly not sure how often you receive a box from influenster. I do know that it depends on whether or not you qualify (based on your surveys). But I was just chosen to receive my very first box and it is the beauty blogger box! I got it in the mail today! Let me show you!

I hope you enjoy my bedding that the box is sitting on...haha!
But look at all that stuff! Is it the most high end brands...no. Is it worth trying at no cost? Absolutely!! So now let me go through everything and tell you how I'm feeling!

Vitabath fragrance- This stuff retails for $10 and is a fragrance. I received the scent "citron leaves". Now, this was an extra added to my box. Not everyone was given this, but for some reason I was specially selected. I looked on the website and while I don't hate this scent I also don't love it. I'm a perfume girl. I've been wearing Escada rockin rio lately. I enjoy either sweet or musky scents, so a citrus isn't totally my style. Like I said it smells nice...but after looking on the site I think there are some scents I would have much preferred (lavender and chamomile, orchid and coconut, grapefruit and vanilla). Regardless, this is something I will try, maybe it will be more my style after its settled on my body (stuff never smells the same on as it does in the bottle after all!).

NYC palette- This retails for $5.  I actually have a different NYC palette already and I was not super impressed with it. The colors just don't seem to blend as well as higher quality makeup, nor do they have the staying power that I prefer (even with primer). I will give this one a shot though, I'm always happy to have more options when it comes to makeup so its a nice addition to my collection! This also includes a primer and highlight. I am very excited to try it!

Boost Health & Energy supplement- I'm excited to try this on a day when I need a pick me up! I HATE everything that is orange flavored (with the exception of orange juice) so I doubt I'll love the flavor, but if I feel like I enjoy the product I'd look into purchasing other flavors (if they make them?)

Not your mothers Kinky moves- I actually own the dry shampoo by the not your mothers brand. The thing I enjoy most about this brand is that every product I've seen has smelled AMAZING. The Kinky moves creme smells like grape and Jasmine and it is AWESOME. I haven't tried it in my hair yet, so who knows how it works (the dry shampoo is just okay) but I will get back to you when I do!

Kiss ever pro lashes- I HAVE NEVER WORN FAKE LASHES. I blog about beauty products and have never tried fake lashes, how is that possible?! Well my natural lashes are decently thick/long so I have never really needed to...but looking back I wish I had for prom or something. I have been meaning to try them but just never committed to purchasing them. Now I don't have to! These look like nice ones, not anything weird or hoochie. I think they seem like they could appear natural with a little oomf. I may wait to use them until halloween (if I can hold out!)

Goody twist pins- I'm not sure if this is what they are actually called, I threw out the packaging for them...but I'm SOLD these are awesome. They retail for about $8 (for the set of 2). This seems steep considering you can purchase like 60 bobbie pins for $1 but its worth it! These can hold SO MUCH HAIR. I played around with them and put my hair into a bun and the two pins completely supported all of my hair. I have a friend whos sworn by these since she first tried them and now I understand why. This is a product I've been meaning to purchase, but again, never got around to buying. I am sooo happy to have these!

Lastly...

A bath and body works mini candle in Black Pepper Bergamot - First of all, I'm not even going to ask WHY there is a candle in this universe that is scented "black pepper". Who wants to have their home smell like black pepper?! I don't know who created the fragrance behind this candle but I want to know what black pepper they use because it smells NOTHING like black pepper. THIS CANDLE SMELLS AWESOME. It has a kind of musky/manly smell. I'm a sucker for all sorts of man smells (axe, old spice, UGH don't get me started). This is no exception, I'm obsessed. I don't think the name matches the scent but with that being said, this may be a new favorite B&BW scent of mine!


So thats my influenster box! I think its awesome, I got a ton of products and it was free! I'm so excited to start really using the products! Feel free to ask me specifics about anything I've mentioned, or let me know about your experiences with this stuff!!

Wet n Wild Spoiled Polishes

I have an infatuation with nailpolish. I have SOOO many polishes, and can not walk into a drugstore without buying at least one more!

I try to purchase from the brands that work best, but that can get expensive. I'm obsessed with OPI and Essie, even Julep, but these run anywhere from $6-$14 each! I am a broke college student, that just doesnt work out!

But Spoiled polishes by wet n wild are AMAZING. They sell at CVS for about $2 each and they work so well. The colors are also awesome and dry super quickly!!

I personally own three (papa paparazzi and steel the show as pictured below...and another blue sparkle that isn't shown)

If you're like me and love cheap and beautiful nailpolish RUN to cvs and pick some of these up! There are a ton more colors!

NYX matte lip cream- monte carlo

So I recently purchased an NYX matte lip creme in the shade monte carlo!
Honestly, I'm still not sure how in love I am with it, but I do enjoy the product!
Monte Carlo is a deep blue toned red. It is beautiful on, and I love how it looks, but it doesn't have the best lasting power. NYX matte lip cremes go on like a gloss, and dry into a bit of a matte finish. I LOVE THIS. I'm always searching for the latest and greatest matte lip products.

Pros:
Beautiful color
very pigmented
nice matte finish
easy application

Cons
a bit streaky
drying to the lips
not the best stay-power
feels cakey after drying


I love this for the first hour or so I wear it...but after that it feels very caked on and flakey. If you are planning to eat with this stuff on...be ready to re-apply! It didn't last great after I ate/drank. I felt as though other matte lip products leave more of a tint, while this one leaves a layer on top of the lips.

For the price, this is a great product. It may not be my ABSOLUTE go to matte product, but I like it for a once and a while thing! Try it out!

NYX eyeshadow base

Ok so after todays upsetting Birchbox I feel the need to make a happier review!

So today I will be reviewing NYX eyeshadow base...this stuff is BOMB!

So I believe they come in a few variations (white, white pearl, and skin tone I believe?),= but the one I have is the white. I purchased the white because when I was in the store, they didn't have the other two in stock and I'm super impatient. I needed eyeshadow primer and thats all they had in that particular drug store so I went with it! Had they had all three available, I would most likely have gone with the skin tone one, or maybe even white pearl...hell I'd be interested to try all of them!

So this is what it looks like, its a little pot that will run you about $7
Its creamy, I just run my finger in there and blend some into my eyelids a minute or two before applying eye shadow. I don't know how well this stuff makes your shadow last, because that aspect seems about the same to me. The reason I love this product is because of how vibrant it makes my shadow! I usually use NYX shadow, but even when I don't it reacts super well with the other brands! The color shows up as exactly the same pigment that you see in the pan! its wonderful...heres a swatch of the SAME COLOR with and without...

Now thats a dark brown. I applied the same amount to both swatches (if anything more shadow was applied to the top swatch). I think its obvious that the bottom swatch is the one that I primed. So do you need primer? No. Will your results be better with it? Absolutely!

I highly recommend this stuff! What primers do you think work best?

Birchbox

I AM SO MAD!!
Next month may be my last with Birchbox, I'm giving them one more shot! Last month was underwhelming to say the least and now this month? I'm so disappointed!

I'll start with the good:

DDF brightening cleanser:
This is a huge sample. More than 4 Ounces! The full size is a little less than doubled, and costs $38 putting this sample at about a $20 value! (yes I did the math). I haven't tried it yet, but I am excited as I've heard really good things about it. This product has been in Birchboxes before though, so while its new to me I wasn't super excited about it because its a product I'm familiar with.

Mighty Leaf Tea:
They gave me 3 tea bags, they are all flavors I'm interested in trying. Earl grey, some african tea, and green tea. I love tea so I don't mind this at all, but again these were in last months birchboxes so even though I've never gotten them I feel like I'm getting leftovers here..

Orofluido:
This is a hair oil. I'm very familiar with hair oils as I use Moroccan oil, and lately have been trying out Macadamia oil. I have naturally oily hair at the roots but it tends to be very frizy and dry towards the bottom. I love hair oils for this reason. This one has a nice smell, and is a decent size sample since a little really goes a long way. I'm excited to use it.

Now the bad:

Caudalie:
I forget exactly what this is but its meant for the face. the tube is SO tiny that I'll be lucky if I get one application out of it! It also said something about working well on dark spots, but I'm 20! I don't have those yet!

Now for the TERRIBLE

Per-fekt lip gel:
is this a joke? I'm really wondering if Birchbox is serious. This little tiny sample is good for a one time use! Its the tiniest little thing stuck on a big obnoxious cardboard flower. I hate lipgloss in the first place, I always talk about how obsessed I am with matte everything. I don't blame birchbox for not knowing I don't like lipgloss, but if they are going to give me a sample of lipgloss at least let it be a deluxe sample like they say it will be! This is so disappointing.

so thats it! Thats my birchbox. Will I get some use out of it? Yes. I mean the cleanser is awesome and the hair oil has potential. Do I love it? no. Knowing that some people are getting essie polishes, beauty blenders, chapsticks, lip balm, lip mosturizers, mascara, etc this month makes it a little more unbearable to look at my box. I should be with the age 20 demographics! Why am I getting all skincare! wheres the makeup/nailpolish/fun stuff!

New Products!

I'm expecting two new lip products to be here in the next weekish. If I don't get them before Friday I'll have to wait until Wednesday to try them out because I'll be home for break. I'm so excited though!!

Urban Decay Confession Ebay

I know I should calm down with purchasing makeup but I have to say its become a bit of an obsession.

At this point I'm about to drop out of college and go to beauty school.
**just kidding. but maybe in the future I'll pursue it?!

So I've never really utalized ebay but after one of my friends started getting gently used designer stuff from their this summer i decided to give it a go.... and OH MY GOD its my new obsession.

This week alone I've purchased a sample size of Young Blood mineral primer (which honestly, i prefer to use as an eye makeup primer so a sample will last months) and an Urban Decay lipstick.

I already have the Young Blood (I've posted about it!) but I am SO beyond excited to get the Urban Decay lipstick. It is in the color "confession" which makes the Usher song get stuck in my head...but its beautiful.

Now it looks Scary....

Like wtf did I just spend $22 on black lipstick?! 

NO! First of all, it retails for $22 but I got it for $7 on ebay! 

But it isn't black! It looks so deep but its actually a really pretty berry color that can be spread sheer like this...

how amazing is that? I can NOT wait to get it! It's on sale on the Urban Decay website for $3 but shipping is $9 so this was a better deal for me...

but still if youre interested $9 is super cheap for an UD lipstick!

***I took this pictures from google

Beauty Box Finds!

So I know I've posted about Birchbox before, and my obsession with it, but since then I've also subscribed to Beauty Army (So yes, I am the girl who spends $22 a month on beauty samples).

October will be my third month with Birchbox, and my second with Beauty Army. In these few months I've discovered some really cool products and brands that I would love to share!

Ok first is something that I actually purchased another sample of (someone was selling it on ebay for like $1 so after shipping it was only $3).

Let me stop talking. Basically it is the Young Blood mineral primer. The sample size is awesome. Its 5ml and the one I got from beauty army has lasted me a while and isn't even halfway finished! Full sized (1 Ounce) is $41 which puts the sample value around $7. I got it on ebay for $3...less than half price! I'd say its a success!

above is a picture of the sample. It has a pump top and it is fabulous! It makes my skin so silky, really keeps my makeup in place, and reduces the appearance of pores and lines. I may purchase a full size some day...but for now I'll stick with my cheaper little samples!

Another product I have been loving is Besame rouge. This stuff is beautiful! While it works on both lips and cheeks, I have yet to use it on my lips. Its a pretty red that can be blended into a pinky/red. It adds the perfect amount of color to cheeks and I'm a little obsessed. The sample size was decent, but the full sized container is absolutely stunning. I expect the sample to last me a long time, but when I run out I will most likely purchase the full sized product for $22!

Ok so the first picture is the full sized besame crimson rouge. The tin is so cute! The next is the sample size which  received. Last is a picture someone posted of how the product blends out and the amount of range in color you can get. it really is an awesome product!

So these are just two of my favorites so far, and ironically they are both from last months beauty army! Can't wait to see what samples they have for me to pick tomorrow, I'll post once I get them!

Ciao

S.