May 2015 ipsy Glam Bag!

Let's see what this Glam Bag business is all about, shall we?

This is my first ever bag from ipsy, and I'll be honest--I've heard mixed reviews.  This is more of a trial for me, and after a few months, I'll be deciding whether or not it's worth keeping up along with my Birchbox.

So for those who aren't aware, ipsy is another beauty sample subscription service.  It is, like Birchbox, $10/month (I think it comes to $10.77 with tax, etc.).  Instead of arriving in a super cute box, the samples arrive in a super cute Glam Bag with a zipper.  Each month, the bag is a different design/pattern.

First and foremost, I need to say I was a little disappointed in how my Glam Bag arrived to me.  Let me let the pictures do some talking, first.

In case the picture is unclear, the package is marked as having "arrived unsealed."  The bag was open without any semblance of a seal; the scrap of plastic appears to be what's left of the adhesive.  So already, I was a little nervous.  

The first item I pulled out, however, was fairly impressive.  It appears to be a full size, and it didn't fit inside of my Glam Bag.  Check it out:

Product number one:

First and foremost...yes, I opened it in my car again.  Don't judge.

Oscar Blandi

Hair Life Mousse

Appears to be full size (6.3 oz.)

Product Value: $23.00

This brought me to attention pretty quickly, too.  This is a pretty impressive first product to pull out, even with the unsealed package throwing me for a loop.  It isn't really a product that I need for myself, though, so I've passed it along to my stepmom, Linda.  I'll find out from her how she likes it.  We did spray a little of it just to see about consistency and scent, and it smells like your basic hair product.  I look forward to hearing how it works out for Linda.  Let's move right along!

Next, I pulled out the actual Glam Bag and the card.  Here's how they looked: 

The bag appears to be a pretty basic canvas bag--the design is pretty cute.  The interior, as you can see, is a hot pink cloth.  This is a cute bag, but I'd be a little wary of putting anything other than dry products in it.  If anything were to leak, it wouldn't end well.  On another note, the card itself is...pretty useless.  It doesn't tell me anything about the products, but it gives a brief overview of the theme for the month.  This month the theme is "Jetsetter."  

So okay. Decently cute bag.  One full size product.  Let's move onward to check out the rest of what was in the bag!

Product number two:

theBalm Cosmetics

NUDE Dude Eyeshadow Single

Shade: "Fit"

Sample size, 0.035 oz

Sample value, $3.75

From the NUDE Dude Volume 2 Palette

Full size Palette, $36.00

Here's a quick swatch I did of this shadow:

This color is a nice warm copper with a fair amount of shimmer.  The texture is very buttery; I don't have a ton of first hand experience with higher end shadows, but there's a softness and a richness to this shadow that makes me super excited to play with it on my eyes.  I'm glad to have it for sure.

Product number three:

GLAMGLOW

THIRSTYCLEANSE DAILY HYDRATING CLEANSER

Sample size, 1 oz / 30 g

Sample value, $7.80

I'm probably most excited to have this sample.  GLAMGLOW is a brand I've heard rave reviews about, but it's pretty stupid expensive.  This is a sizable sample that should allow me a few uses.  It's not very often you get the chance to try out a $40 face cleanser.  I look forward to sharing the experience with you!

Product number four:

IT Cosmetics

Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+

Shade, Medium

Sample size, 4ml / 0.135 fl oz

Sample value, $4.75

The box was pretty banged up--the picture above shows its state when I pulled it out, including the fact that the bottom of the box was open.  I'm a little unsettled by this trend in my bag, but hopefully this was just an off day for them.  This product is a full coverage color correcting cream.  It's intended to be used as a foundation, I guess.  I'm not much of a full coverage foundation wearer, but then again I don't have a ton of experience with them.  I'll give it a go and see how well it matches my skin tone.  That'll be in my soon to come follow up with my thoughts after trying out different products.  On to our last product!

Product number five:

Klorane

Smoothing and Relaxing Patches

Sample size, 2 sets of 2 patches 

Sample value, $6.00

I was pretty excited to get these.  I've become a bit of a mask junkie, and these are basically little cooling patches for under your eyes.  They definitely have a cooling sensation to them (I tried one set on tonight), but I was a little underwhelmed, as it wasn't a very intense or lasting cooling sensation.  I'll try the other set another time and see if it feels any more remarkable.  They're fun to try out, but I'm hoping to find the second experience to be more satisfying than the first.

So, all in all, this bag that cost me $10.77 brought me about $45 worth of products ($45.30, to be exact).  I'm fairly impressed by the value of the products in this bag, and hopefully my next Glam Bag arrives in better condition.  I think I'll stick around to find out!

I'll be back in a little while with some further thoughts on the products once I've had the chance to test them out for a bit longer--until then, don't forget to be awesome, my friends.

Best wishes,

-Marlee

May 2015 Birchbox! (Finally!)

Guys, it came today and I'm so excited!

So excited that I even had to open it up while I was sitting my car.  Forgive me if these aren't the best pics, but I think they came out pretty well considering I took them while excitedly digging through my box in my car.

For anyone who isn't familiar, Birchbox is a beauty subscription service.  It costs $10 a month for women and $20 a month for men, and they have a killer point system that lets you earn awesome money to spend in the Birchbox store on full size products. Okay, let's get right to it, shall we?

First of all, this month's box? Gorgeous.

Before we get the goodies in here, though, I thought I'd share with you my splurge--I decided to opt in for one of the Birchbox Plus items this month.  There were a few different of these charm necklaces, and I fell in love and got one for myself. 

It's an elephant, for good luck.  You're supposed to make a wish as you put it on.  The "chain" is actually a really pretty thread (attached to legit necklace clasps).  The idea is that once the thread wears out, your wish will have come true.  Neat, right?  (There was also a key for confidence, and a wishbone, too.)  Here's a closer look:

I'm glad I got it! I made my wish, so we'll see how this thing works out.  

Now, on to what you came here for--the contents of my May 2015 Birchbox!  I didn't opt into sample choice, so my whole box was a surprise.  I'll walk you through each product I got and give you their details.  I just received these today, so I'll have a few first impressions for you, but I'll also be back another time to give you some feedback after I've tried out the products for a more extended time period.

Up first: 

Shu Uemura

Art of Hair Cleansing Oil Shampoo

Full size, $57

Sample size - 2.5 fl. oz.

Sample value - $10.69

First impression: I'm intrigued! I've been more and more adventurous with trying the hair products that Birchbox sends me, and they almost always result in compliments on my hair the next day, so I'll probably give this one a go tonight in the shower.  Also, this brand comes highly recommended to me by a friend, so it's got that in its favor.  Smells very pleasant.

Product number 2:

Juara

Candlenut Body Creme

Full size, $35

Sample size - 0.34 oz.

Sample value - $1.72

First impression: Obviously this sample is a great deal smaller, and product is pretty rich.  It seeped into my skin pretty well, but didn't feel as thick as it looked when I first squeezed a bit of it out of the tube.  It didn't feel greasy, and the scent is...different.  I'm assuming that the most prominent scent is the candlenut oil.  I don't know if I really enjoy the scent, but I'll give it another go before I make a final call.

Product number 3:

CoTZ

Flawless Complexion SPF 50

Full size, $20

Sample size - 0.18 oz

Sample value - $1.44

First impression: I've seen this brand around on the Birchbox site and in other folks' unboxings, and it seems to be a brand that folks are generally sort of apathetic towards.  The product itself is a lightly tinted face sunscreen that's supposed to even tone, block UV rays, and not clog up your pores.  Certainly a great product to get at this time of year when the sun is getting more and more prominent and the temperatures are higher.  Glad to have it to try out.  It doesn't seem to have a strong scent at all, which is fine by me.  The tint is very sheer, and it blends out well into the skin without looking "makeup-y."  Should be great to wear under makeup or for time at the pool!

Product number 4:

Prescriptives

False Eyelashes Plush Mascara

Shade: Plush Black 01

Full size, $23

Sample size - 0.09 oz

Sample value - $5.91

First impressions: I wanted to include a picture of the brush, since that's a major point for a lot of folks in purchasing mascara.  It's a pretty dense standard bristle brush.  Rather than postulate about the formula and whatnot, I figured I'd put on a couple coats and see how it compares.  Below you'll see on the left, 2 coats of the mascara, and on the right, no mascara whatsoever--today was a no makeup day.  Behold:

Pretty impressive, right?  It definitely lengthens and I didn't experience any noticeable clumping; application was pretty easy.  I will say that I'm interested to see how it does when combined with a volumizing mascara.  On its own, it's great for lengthening, but it didn't really leave me with the volume I usually like from a mascara.  I'm always down to play with makeup, though, so we'll see how it works out in the long run!

And finally, product number 5:

Chosunga 22

Flavorful Lipstick - Guava Tint Jello

Full size, $18

Sample sent is full size!

First impressions: What. Guys. This lipstick is blowing my mind.  If the pictures don't do it total justice, let me explain what you're looking at.  This lipstick is transparent orange.  Take that in a minute.  Transparent.  Orange.  Lipstick.  Chosunga 22 is a cult-favorite Korean makeup line that's apparently known for its innovative products.  Korean beauty is taking over, my friends.  This lipstick is supposed to have a "subtle sweet scent," though I find the scent, while definitely (and thankfully) subtle, the sweetness has a very synthetic "fake orange" sort of scent to it.  If it were stronger, I don't think I'd enjoy the product.  That being said, can we talk about the color that this stuff goes on in?  I swatched it after putting it on my lips because I didn't understand, so check it out:

Look at that! It's a beautiful, sheer, soft pink.  Totally unexpected, and I love the way this stuff feels.  It's supposed to be part lipstick, part balm, and it feels really soft but not greasy or oily.  I'm super excited to have this and it's full size! For good measure, here's what a few swipes looked like on me.  (I've also gone ahead and mascara-ed my other eye.)

Really subtle shine, and that slight wash of pink is really nice.  This will go right into my purse.

So let's total this one up, friends.  For the $10 subscription price, I got almost $40 worth of products (the total came to $37.76).  That's a pretty awesome deal, I'd say.

I honestly love Birchbox and have never really been disappointed by a box.  Sure, some are more exciting than others, but I always find something in the box that I really enjoy or that I've not heard of before, and that's one of the things I really love about this service.

Interested in signing up for your own Birchbox subscription?  Click here! 

My first ever ipsy Glam Bag should be arriving this weekend! I'm looking forward to seeing what that's all about and how it compares to Birchbox in terms of value.  That will probably be my next post, but I'll be sure to check in soon with some thoughts after using my other products for a bit longer.

Until next time, friends--don't forget to be awesome.

Best wishes,

-Marlee 

A mini-haul: show and tell

Hello again!

For the first time in a good while, my Birchbox isn't arriving to me within the first week of the month!  I've been spoiled and I'll admit that, so I won't spend too much time complaining.  My Birchbox should be here by the middle of next week, and my ipsy Glam Bag should ship around the middle of the month.  I've heard different stories about ipsy's shipping, so I'll be interested to see if it arrives close to my Birchbox.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a bit about some shopping I did today.  I walked about in Target for a while--this past week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and one of the things I received was a gift card for Target.  I didn't really have anything in particular that I was looking for, which is always nice but also slightly maddening.  I wound up grabbing a few items, and I thought I'd share them with you.

I stayed in Raleigh this weekend and forgot my makeup wipes, and actually forgot to take off my makeup last night for the first time in ages.  So I had makeup wipes on my mind (mine are getting low), and then I stumbled across these babies:

These smell heavenly.  They're a little thin compared to some other brands I've tried, but they took off the eyeliner and eyeshadow still caked on my eyes and didn't irritate my skin, so that was definitely a good first impression.  These ran me $6.99 before tax.

Another purchase was made on a bit of a whim.  These things are so delicious and I hadn't yet seen this flavor (one of my favorites) in stores, so I had to purchase two boxes, of course.  They were on special for $2.99/box.

Guys, for real.  These are delicious AND guilt-free.  Do recommend.

Another purchase--this one actually makeup related, was this:

I've been really wanting a setting powder, and I've heard surprisingly positive reviews about this line from Wet n Wild.  Pretty sure this was only about $4.99 or so before text.  I'll let you know how it works out!

Also grabbed a book I've been dying to read:

This book has been recommended by so many people.  I've already gotten a good portion of it read in the short time I've had it, so I'm excited to see if it keeps me engaged the whole time!

Last purchase to share is a product I actually repurchased at Ulta.  I found this moisturizer a little while back and have fallen in love with it.  It's light and smells great and I use it both at night and in the morning before makeup goes on my face.  Because of an unexpected discount, this baby ran me only $6 and change with tax included.

That's about it for now--I'm happy with my purchases, and excited to test out some new products!

Hopefully the next time I post, you'll be learning about the contents of my Birchbox and/or ipsy Glam Bag!  Until then,

-Marlee

On new directions, new obsessions, and being forgetful (as always).

Hey there.

Yep, I did it again and let another year(ish) pass between posts.  Life gets busy, things are constantly moving, and unfortunately, I'm not the best at keeping up blogs.

Someone suggested to me recently that I consider blogging about beauty products.  See, I've become a bit of an addict.

I've been subscribed to Birchbox for about a year now.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, Birchbox is a beauty sample subscription service.  For $10 a month, I get a box of sample and deluxe sample size products to test out and review.  Reviews earn you points, and points can be redeemed in the Birchbox store toward the purchase of full-size products.

If you're interested in signing up, click here and check it out.  I thoroughly enjoy it.  Birchbox has opened my eyes to the world of beauty products and I've officially fallen down the rabbit hole.

My makeup regimen now includes things like primer (for my face, and for my eyes), brow gel, liquid eyeliner, and a variety of tools that I never thought I needed a year ago.  I don't for one second claim to be any kind of expert on beauty products, but I can give you my honest feedback and tell you about my experiences.

I also recently subscribed to Ipsy because I couldn't stand it, and it's only another $10 per month.  I'll get my first Glam Bag sometime in the middle of this month, hopefully around the same time that my Birchbox arrives.

So I'm thinking that maybe I'll channel my energies on this blog into a bit of show and tell and some reviews of products that I'm receiving and testing out from my beauty subscription services.  I'll also share about new products I try and give you my thoughts (for what they're worth).

Anyway, I guess that's all for now.  My next post will likely be to share what May has brought me in my Birchbox and/or Ipsy Glam Bag.  I'm super pumped to start this journey and see where it takes me!

Stick around if you think you might enjoy the ride, too!

-Marlee

Happiness.

So I came home and wound up sleeping for a bit on the couch...didn't realize I was even that tired until after I ate some supper and tried to watch something, quickly growing droopy enough to lay back for a bit and just close my eyes.

1.  Wednesdays are always nice because they give me a chance to catch up on things.  Today was fairly relaxing, but also very productive.  I'm making some major progress planning things out for Battle of the Books next year, and that gets me super excited.

2.  I am privileged to work at a school with a healthy technology budget.  It makes me really happy when I have to get creative with what to spend money on, and I hope that remains the case in years to come.

3.  Despite the ridiculous amount of blood/gore, I find myself enjoying Game of Thrones.  Each episode has at least one (if not a few) scenes that make me flinch a bit, but the story is interesting, and many of the characters are compelling.  Yay for new things to watch!

4.  My awesome Media Coordinator surprised me with a breakfast biscuit this morning at school.  I love that I work with people who'll do things like that just because they feel like it. :)

All in all, life is busy, but life is good.  Wouldn't have it any other way.

"He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has." ~Henry Ward Beecher

Weighty Words, Among Other Things.

I'm out of clever openings tonight.  I should have been asleep a while ago.  Figured that since I'm still up, I'd go ahead and throw my list of happy moments from the day up here.  Let's-a go!

[Props to those of you who read that in Mario's voice, because...yep.]

1.  I love great quotes and finding great quotes that have lots of meaning to my life.  Like this one:

2.  I love having unexpected time to get stuff done at work.  I was able to be pretty freaking productive today, mainly because of testing.  But hey--extra work time is always nice!

3.  At our PTO meeting tonight, the Battle of the Books team was recognized and given some major props.  I appreciate all of the support that the parents of our team members and that parents in general at our school have been serving up for the team.  They've absolutely earned it.

4.  New obsessions are always fun.  Decided to watch an episode of Game of Thrones tonight...which turned into watching 3 episodes of Game of Thrones tonight.  I guess I'll be watching more in nights to come.  Yay for being late to the party!

That's it, that's all I've got for you today.  Can my quote above be my quote for today?  It's just so good.  I love some John Green, my friends.

Alright, I gotta go.  Night!

On Battles Won & Lost

Hi there, friends.

Today was a great day--our Battle of the Books team went off to compete against 10 other schools from the county for our county's first ever organized Elementary Battle of the Books.  Our kids fought hard and did their best, and while by some accounts we "lost" by not placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, I'd argue that we won by having a great time and placing respectably on our first go at this thing.

We came in 7th place overall, but were a mere 5 points away from 5th place.  I'm so proud of these kids.  Let's just get to the list so I can go to bed, okay?

1.  Did I mention that we were only 5 points away from 5th place?  You get 3 points for every question that's posed to your team, and 2 points for answering a rebound from another team.  That means were were just a couple correct answers away from 5th.  That's impressive in my book.

2.  We had so many parents of our team members come out to cheer on the kids today.  It feels so good to get that kind of support--especially for our team that's worked so hard.

3.  Those parents?  Not one of them left without giving me a heartfelt thank you and a hug today.  That love feels good, friends.

4.  I love that I have friends at work (and not at work) who I can complain to about things that are bugging me.  Our kids did a great job today, but I needed to vent for a few minutes to a few different people about something (mostly) unrelated, and it felt good to have people to talk to about it.  I'm one of those people who gets it out of my system that way, you know?

Overall, it was a good day today.  It was long, and intense, but satisfying in the long run to see our team do their best after months of hard work and preparation.  I work with some great people who bring great ideas to the table and who are appreciative of extra effort, and that's always nice, too.

But for now, I'm crawling into bed a bit later than planned.  Here's a thought to marinate on for this day:

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. ~Ecclesiastes 9:11

Have a great week, friends.