It's been so long since I've written in this blog! My little one has certainly kept me busy - but more so life just gets in the way.
I've been wanting to go back to work for a long time and in the past few weeks a position finally panned out! I'm so excited to be back at work - even though I took a substantial pay cut - I'm learning something completely new to me but I think it'll be a good avenue to get where I want to be eventually.
I definitely want to share more of what's been going on with me, but for now, I'll just leave a few reviews that I need to do and hope I can get back to blogging at least a couple times a week.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Friday, October 26, 2012
REVIEW: Smartfood(R) Selects
I'm always on the lookout for great snacks not only to eat but also to feed my family. As I've mentioned before BzzAgent has been on a major roll with campaigns this year. In all my years as a member, I've never been so busy and I'm thrilled about it! But I digress!
Smartfood Selects are all natural snacks from Frito Lay. Made with simple and all natural ingredients, the snacks have yummy flavor combinations that you can gobble up without feeling guilty.
I was sent Feta Herb Hummus and Garlic Tomato Basil Hummus popped chips along with Cinnamon Brown Sugar popcorn. The flavor combinations are really amazing and the chips didn't even funny as some natural chips can. My husband and daughter loved the Feta Herb even though my husband is not a fan of low calorie chips. He says the flavors they promise always feel "off" but he really enjoyed these.
The popcorn was also a huge hit. It has cinnamon to give it great warmth but just enough hints of brown sugar to make it feel like a sweet snack - don't get me wrong it's not sweet at all - but it almost fools your mind in thinking you're having a sweet treat.
I think some of the serving sizes are a little too small for the calories but overall, I think it's a good snack and I'm definitely looking forward to trying more flavors in the future.
DISCLAIMER: The products were furnished to me free for review but the opinions stated here are my own and reflect my true & honest opinion.
Friday, October 19, 2012
REVIEW: Glade Expressions Collection
I'm loving how great my home is smelling lately thanks to my new BzzAgent campaign!
Glade invites you to "open your home with lightly layered and long-lasting fragrances from the Glade Expressions® Collection. These true-to-life fragrance combinations are inspired by art and designed to open up note by note, filling your home and inviting life in."
Available as a fragrance mist and oil diffuser in 4 fragrances: Cotton and Italian Mandarin, Fuji Apple and Cardamon Spice, Lavender and Juniper Berry and Pineapple Mangosteen. Each fragrance has it's own unique scent so you can mix and match to your hearts content!
Oil Diffuser:
From the Glade website:
Glade Expressions® Oil Diffuser releases a long-lasting fragrance for up to 30 days without needing to plug it in. The spill-proof oil diffuser infuses layers of true-to-life scents throughout living spaces, making them feel fresh and inviting. The trendy holder matches décor perfectly, making it a convenient and stylish home-fragrancing option.
My thoughts:
For my Oil Diffuser, I tried the Pineapple Mangosteen scent. It reminded me of our Hawaiian honeymoon. It was super easy to use and set up and looks great in your house. I think the holder does a good job of "blending" in with your decor. It looks like a cute decor item rather than a fragrance item. I think the diffuser does a good job of distributing the scent throughout the room. I used mine over the fireplace in our living room and every day I could smell the scent but not overwhelming or smelling overly processed. My house just had a nice soft scent. I wish it would have lasted a bit longer than it did because I don't think it quite lasted the 30 days.
Fragrance Mist:
From the Glade website:
Glade Expressions® Fragrance Mist comes in a stylish holder and releases a longer-lasting, finer mist of fragrance. The gentle mist creates layers of true-to-life fragrance that open up note by note, eliminating odors and freshening the air. The artfully designed holder blends with your décor and can be left out, letting you have a burst of fragrance that’s always right at hand. Just squeeze the neck of the bottle to spray, and refill the holder with your favorite Glade® fragrance.
My thoughts:
My first thought about the fragrance mist was how much I liked the even distribution of fragrance, how fine the mist was and how easy to control the mister was. I love that I can press the neck of the bottle to release the fragrance as I really hate when I end up with fragrance on my hands as can happen at times when the nozzle is on top. I also liked that the fragrance completely covers smells and doesn't just mask them. A small spray is enough to distribute enough fragrance throughout a room and lasts a good while.
Overall I think both products are great and will continue to use them. I especially like the diffuser and intend to purchase a few more to set up around my house.
DISCLAIMER: The products were furnished to me free for review but the opinions stated here are my own and reflect my true & honest opinion.
Monday, October 1, 2012
It's beginning to look a lot like ....
FALL! It was such a gorgeous day today. It seems like we have two seasons in Texas. Hot and Hot as hell! I really love the first signs of fall and the cooler days.
Kayla and I went for a run today to a little park I found by our house. They have this lake with a ton of ducks and I wanted to snap some pics of Kayla looking at the ducks, but she fell asleep by the time I was finished with my run.
After I loaded her back into the car, she woke up of course, so we headed to the playground by the house. She loved playing by in the toddler playground and wanted to slide in the big kid slide. She has no fear! Of course, she also threw a temper tantrum when we left and scrapped her little elbow. We're definitely in the throes of terrible twos...we've actually been there for quite some time.
Still, she's adorable and I'll leave you with a few pictures of her at the playground.
I can't believe my baby is nearing 2! YIKES!!
Kayla and I went for a run today to a little park I found by our house. They have this lake with a ton of ducks and I wanted to snap some pics of Kayla looking at the ducks, but she fell asleep by the time I was finished with my run.
After I loaded her back into the car, she woke up of course, so we headed to the playground by the house. She loved playing by in the toddler playground and wanted to slide in the big kid slide. She has no fear! Of course, she also threw a temper tantrum when we left and scrapped her little elbow. We're definitely in the throes of terrible twos...we've actually been there for quite some time.
Still, she's adorable and I'll leave you with a few pictures of her at the playground.
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| Yes, she's wearing a Kiss Me, I'm Irish shirt - we dressed in a hurry! |
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| She looks like a little boy here but so cute! :) |
I can't believe my baby is nearing 2! YIKES!!
Glossybox USA - September 2012
Glossybox has definitely been on a roll lately and after that August box, I wondered if this month's box would be up to par. I'm happy to report that it was!
My box is a little different than the boxes I've seen by one product - but you really can't beat 3 full-sized products! :) All of the companies are new to me and I'm really looking forward to trying out the shampoo and conditioner! The value of this months box is about $70 so again EXCELLENT VALUE!
Here's what I got (from left to right):
Koh Gen Do Cleaning Spa Water - Made with Japenese hot spring water, this spa water is infused with six essential herbs to protect and nurture skin. I'm faithful to Chanel's eye makeup remover as I have never found anything that works as well. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this out and will report back with my thoughts. This was a full-sized product worth $13 (although I do believe they also make a larger size) for 3.38 oz.
GK Hair Balancing Shampoo & Conditioner - This hair taming system shampoo & conditioner has something called Juvexin which is the only protein compound scientifically proven to protect and restore hair back to its youthful state. Works on all hair types and leaves hair protected, more manageable, soft, shiny, smooth and frizz-free for up to 5 months. My curly hair will is definitely excited to use this! The bottles are a nice deluxe sample size so I'll be able to get a few uses out and hope to see some results.
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 - This BB cream (or Blemish Balm) is from a Korean manufacturer and provides light coverage that soothes, protects and moisturizes. It's SPF 42 which is great. My color is No. 13 (Bright Beige) which at first glance, looks a little too light for me. I'll try to use a bit of it all over my face and see how it blends. This was a full sized product valued at $29.99. I like that it has a pump so hopefully I'll be able to control how much product is dispensed.
Kryolan for Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in Glossy pink - Treat your lips to a creamy, long lasting lipstick enriched with Vitamin E to stimulate and hydrate lips. This is a neutral pink which is pretty but not really my color. It has great pigmentation and color payoff and but I didn't like the way it looked on my lips.
Overall, another great month for Glossybox. It's fast becoming my favorite beauty subscription, although I hate waiting until the end of the month to get it. Their shipping policy really needs help - I was billed in early September so I was pumped that I would get the box early. Nope, it arrived on Friday the 28th. I will review the products in depth when I've had a few weeks to use them.
Glossybox is available for $21 a month. All products were purchased by me and these are my initial honest opinions.
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| In the box |
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| Goodies out of the box |
My box is a little different than the boxes I've seen by one product - but you really can't beat 3 full-sized products! :) All of the companies are new to me and I'm really looking forward to trying out the shampoo and conditioner! The value of this months box is about $70 so again EXCELLENT VALUE!
Here's what I got (from left to right):
Koh Gen Do Cleaning Spa Water - Made with Japenese hot spring water, this spa water is infused with six essential herbs to protect and nurture skin. I'm faithful to Chanel's eye makeup remover as I have never found anything that works as well. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this out and will report back with my thoughts. This was a full-sized product worth $13 (although I do believe they also make a larger size) for 3.38 oz.
GK Hair Balancing Shampoo & Conditioner - This hair taming system shampoo & conditioner has something called Juvexin which is the only protein compound scientifically proven to protect and restore hair back to its youthful state. Works on all hair types and leaves hair protected, more manageable, soft, shiny, smooth and frizz-free for up to 5 months. My curly hair will is definitely excited to use this! The bottles are a nice deluxe sample size so I'll be able to get a few uses out and hope to see some results.
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 - This BB cream (or Blemish Balm) is from a Korean manufacturer and provides light coverage that soothes, protects and moisturizes. It's SPF 42 which is great. My color is No. 13 (Bright Beige) which at first glance, looks a little too light for me. I'll try to use a bit of it all over my face and see how it blends. This was a full sized product valued at $29.99. I like that it has a pump so hopefully I'll be able to control how much product is dispensed.
Kryolan for Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in Glossy pink - Treat your lips to a creamy, long lasting lipstick enriched with Vitamin E to stimulate and hydrate lips. This is a neutral pink which is pretty but not really my color. It has great pigmentation and color payoff and but I didn't like the way it looked on my lips.
Overall, another great month for Glossybox. It's fast becoming my favorite beauty subscription, although I hate waiting until the end of the month to get it. Their shipping policy really needs help - I was billed in early September so I was pumped that I would get the box early. Nope, it arrived on Friday the 28th. I will review the products in depth when I've had a few weeks to use them.
Glossybox is available for $21 a month. All products were purchased by me and these are my initial honest opinions.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
REVIEW: COVERGIRL & Olay
BzzAgent has been on a roll with some great campaigns lately! If you haven't checked them out yet, you really need to!
Being a huge makeup freak, I was thrilled to be offered the COVERGIRL & Olay campaign. COVERGIRL & Olay teamed up to create Tone Rehab 2-in-1 foundation and pressed powder to provide coverage for ageless, radiant looking skin!
Summers are scorching in Texas, so I tend to lay off liquid foundation but I was intrigued with the foundation's claims that it smooths out "rough" surfaces and gives a radiant finish. I'm in my early 30s so I'm starting to notice a few lines and thought this would be perfect to try out.
I received a full-sized sample of the foundation in shade 125 (buff beige) and the pressed powder in shade 320 (fair/light) along with a ton of coupons to share. As you can see from the pictures, I received it in late August and now that I've had some time to try out both products I can share my review.
COVERGIRL & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation
From the BzzAgent guide:
- One pump instantly covers discolorations, lines and wrinkles while the bottle will help improve skin tone over time
- Available in 14 shades with an MSRP of $13.99
My thoughts:
I've been using the foundation for over a month and have only used about 1/3 of the bottle. As the product claims, one pump really DOES cover a LOT. One pump is usually enough to cover my entire face and I pump out a bit more to get extra coverage in certain areas (like my dark circles.) I prefer a very LIGHT coverage though but you can definitely build up to whatever coverage you want. Again, the color I received was Buff Beige and at first glance appeared a bit light for me, but once blended it's beautiful on my skin. I absolutely LOVE how lightweight the product is and how silky my face looks. It's almost as if I'd used airbrush.
Although the foundation has a built in serum, I've continued to use a separate moisturizer to hydrate my skin. The first time I used the foundation without any moisturizer, my skin felt tight and the makeup didn't look good at all. I don't have any discolorations so I can't speak to the improvement of those nor have I seen a dramatic increase in hydration in my skin but then again I haven't used up the entire bottle. If I see a difference in this later on, I will report back I do know that the few fine lines I have are perfectly covered up when I use the foundation.
COVERGIRL & Olay Pressed Powder
From the BzzAgent guide:
- Gold pearls, yellow iron oxide and silk mica work together to provide natural looking skin with an energized appearance and healthy radiance
- Instantly brightens skin tone and softens look of imperfections
- Provides a tough of brightness without feeling heavy or cakey
- Available in 6 shade
My thoughts:
The only real purpose of this powder is to set the foundation. The color I received Fair/Light was actually a bit too light for me so I used it sparingly. It does have a little shimmer to it which gives the radiance it promises. However, as a setting powder it's not that great. At least for me, I had to apply the powder a few times throughout the day to keep my face looking bright and radiant. I would much prefer to use my mineral veil or a different setting powder to this one.
I used it one day over a BB cream after running out the door and forgetting my foundation and I was pleasantly surprised how nice the powder looked on my skin on it's own. It provided no coverage at all so I wouldn't use the powder alone but the powder definitely enhanced the little bit of coverage I got from my BB cream. I will definitely continue to use it with the foundation and with my BB cream for low maintenance days but I can't say that this has become my holy grail of setting powders.
Overall, I'm glad I tried both of these products and I would definitely recommend the foundation. I have a ton of coupons to share - if you're interested in trying out the foundation & powder, let me know. I'm more than happy to share.
DISCLAIMER: The products were furnished to me free for review but the opinions stated here are my own and reflect my true & honest opinion.
Being a huge makeup freak, I was thrilled to be offered the COVERGIRL & Olay campaign. COVERGIRL & Olay teamed up to create Tone Rehab 2-in-1 foundation and pressed powder to provide coverage for ageless, radiant looking skin!
Summers are scorching in Texas, so I tend to lay off liquid foundation but I was intrigued with the foundation's claims that it smooths out "rough" surfaces and gives a radiant finish. I'm in my early 30s so I'm starting to notice a few lines and thought this would be perfect to try out.
 |
| The kit arrived in this cool little box |
 |
| All the goodies inside the box! |
COVERGIRL & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation
From the BzzAgent guide:
- One pump instantly covers discolorations, lines and wrinkles while the bottle will help improve skin tone over time
- Available in 14 shades with an MSRP of $13.99
My thoughts:
I've been using the foundation for over a month and have only used about 1/3 of the bottle. As the product claims, one pump really DOES cover a LOT. One pump is usually enough to cover my entire face and I pump out a bit more to get extra coverage in certain areas (like my dark circles.) I prefer a very LIGHT coverage though but you can definitely build up to whatever coverage you want. Again, the color I received was Buff Beige and at first glance appeared a bit light for me, but once blended it's beautiful on my skin. I absolutely LOVE how lightweight the product is and how silky my face looks. It's almost as if I'd used airbrush.
Although the foundation has a built in serum, I've continued to use a separate moisturizer to hydrate my skin. The first time I used the foundation without any moisturizer, my skin felt tight and the makeup didn't look good at all. I don't have any discolorations so I can't speak to the improvement of those nor have I seen a dramatic increase in hydration in my skin but then again I haven't used up the entire bottle. If I see a difference in this later on, I will report back I do know that the few fine lines I have are perfectly covered up when I use the foundation.
COVERGIRL & Olay Pressed Powder
From the BzzAgent guide:
- Gold pearls, yellow iron oxide and silk mica work together to provide natural looking skin with an energized appearance and healthy radiance
- Instantly brightens skin tone and softens look of imperfections
- Provides a tough of brightness without feeling heavy or cakey
- Available in 6 shade
My thoughts:
The only real purpose of this powder is to set the foundation. The color I received Fair/Light was actually a bit too light for me so I used it sparingly. It does have a little shimmer to it which gives the radiance it promises. However, as a setting powder it's not that great. At least for me, I had to apply the powder a few times throughout the day to keep my face looking bright and radiant. I would much prefer to use my mineral veil or a different setting powder to this one.
I used it one day over a BB cream after running out the door and forgetting my foundation and I was pleasantly surprised how nice the powder looked on my skin on it's own. It provided no coverage at all so I wouldn't use the powder alone but the powder definitely enhanced the little bit of coverage I got from my BB cream. I will definitely continue to use it with the foundation and with my BB cream for low maintenance days but I can't say that this has become my holy grail of setting powders.
Overall, I'm glad I tried both of these products and I would definitely recommend the foundation. I have a ton of coupons to share - if you're interested in trying out the foundation & powder, let me know. I'm more than happy to share.
DISCLAIMER: The products were furnished to me free for review but the opinions stated here are my own and reflect my true & honest opinion.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Sample Society - September 2012
I finally received my Sample Society box for this month. According to them, it was because of the labor day holiday but jeez, it's almost the end of the month.
As a small recap, Sample Society is another monthly sampling subscription similar to Birchbox. It's $15 a month and you receive 5 deluxe samples from higher end brands. Something I recently discovered, was that I'm actually being charged tax because Beauty Bar has ties of some sort in Texas so I'm actually being charged $16.24 with free shipping. I hate paying taxes but it's not that bad. Included in each membership is a subscription to Allure magazine.
This is my second box and I'm pretty pleased with it. I like the black box and how the samples are nestled in the paper.
So what did I get?
Cellceuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser - Gentle cleanser that removes all makeup without irritating your eyes or skin. I've never tried this brand so I'm definitely looking forward using it and I'll get several uses out of the bottle since it's 2 oz.
Borghese B Gloss in the color Fiore - Lush, glossy colour that accentuates lips providing high shine looks. I've never tried Borghese makeup and this color looks a bit pink in the bottle but it's a beautiful color on. It's pretty a pretty neutral mauve and not something I would have picked for myself. It has a nice consistency and is not sticky on the lips at all. It lasted a good while on which is rare. I may actually buy the full size of this. The sample is almost full size at .16 oz.
Ahava Purifying Mud Mask - I've heard nothing but great things about this mask and I'm really looking forward to trying it out! I love trying out different masks and will report back on this.
Diptyque Eau de Toilette - I also received a sample of the Diptyque perfume in Tam Dao. Launched in 1968, Diptyque is the first unisex line of fragrances. This scent is from the "woody" family and smells of sandalwood.Tam Dao pays tribute to the most sought-after of the sacred woods: the sandalwood of Goa (from the company's website.) It has a clean scent but a little goes a long way. I think the first time I used it, I may have used too much and it overwhelmed me some. Today, I wore it and it's pretty pleasant.
Stila Smudge Crayon - As much of a makeup junkie as I am, I've never tried Stila so I'm looking forward to trying out this smudge crayon. I received the color Umbre which is a coopery-bronze. It's a gel based primer, shadow and liner that lasts. And it really does. It goes on super smooth and doesn't budge until you remove it. I don't know how you could use it as a shadow as you'd have to be super fast to be able to blend it, but as a liner, it worked great.
There you have it! Overall, I was pleased with everything I got and give Sample Society thumbs up for September's box!
As a small recap, Sample Society is another monthly sampling subscription similar to Birchbox. It's $15 a month and you receive 5 deluxe samples from higher end brands. Something I recently discovered, was that I'm actually being charged tax because Beauty Bar has ties of some sort in Texas so I'm actually being charged $16.24 with free shipping. I hate paying taxes but it's not that bad. Included in each membership is a subscription to Allure magazine.
This is my second box and I'm pretty pleased with it. I like the black box and how the samples are nestled in the paper.
So what did I get?
Cellceuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser - Gentle cleanser that removes all makeup without irritating your eyes or skin. I've never tried this brand so I'm definitely looking forward using it and I'll get several uses out of the bottle since it's 2 oz.
Borghese B Gloss in the color Fiore - Lush, glossy colour that accentuates lips providing high shine looks. I've never tried Borghese makeup and this color looks a bit pink in the bottle but it's a beautiful color on. It's pretty a pretty neutral mauve and not something I would have picked for myself. It has a nice consistency and is not sticky on the lips at all. It lasted a good while on which is rare. I may actually buy the full size of this. The sample is almost full size at .16 oz.
Ahava Purifying Mud Mask - I've heard nothing but great things about this mask and I'm really looking forward to trying it out! I love trying out different masks and will report back on this.
Diptyque Eau de Toilette - I also received a sample of the Diptyque perfume in Tam Dao. Launched in 1968, Diptyque is the first unisex line of fragrances. This scent is from the "woody" family and smells of sandalwood.Tam Dao pays tribute to the most sought-after of the sacred woods: the sandalwood of Goa (from the company's website.) It has a clean scent but a little goes a long way. I think the first time I used it, I may have used too much and it overwhelmed me some. Today, I wore it and it's pretty pleasant.
Stila Smudge Crayon - As much of a makeup junkie as I am, I've never tried Stila so I'm looking forward to trying out this smudge crayon. I received the color Umbre which is a coopery-bronze. It's a gel based primer, shadow and liner that lasts. And it really does. It goes on super smooth and doesn't budge until you remove it. I don't know how you could use it as a shadow as you'd have to be super fast to be able to blend it, but as a liner, it worked great.
There you have it! Overall, I was pleased with everything I got and give Sample Society thumbs up for September's box!
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