January Julep Maven Box

Are you ready for the new year? I am. I'm excited to see where it takes me. This month's bombshell box has just the right feel for new years. The color collection is called Boudoir and it has that feel with soft colors and satin satin finishes. 

Also check out the new box color for the new year! I love it, it's very fun.

My box came with Ta Da quick dry drops and the colors Mae and Margot.

Mae is a satin finish grey toned lavender that is simply stunning. It's a very pretty subdued color that just feels vintage.

Margot is a light gold color with micro glitter, like Mae it's a more subdued color. It's like the quieter sister of last month's brighter gold Andrea. 

 

There are also 2 little orange blocks that look like firm sponges, but I don't know what they are for sure, maybe they're buffing files. I tried finding them on the Julep website, but no luck.

Free Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant

You can get a free Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant in gel or solid, plus a voucher for a free full size and a sample of Olay Fresh Effects and $16 in coupons. Plus get 500 SwagBucks when you do it!

You only pay $4.99 for shipping (which is less than the deodorant costs!)

Click here to sign up for SwagBucks first, then click here for your free deodorant.

Influenster Jolly VoxBox

I am so excited! I just got my first VoxBox from Influenster! I only found about Influenster a few months ago and I love how it works. Instead of your typical subscription box, Influenster chooses you to receive a box for free. You qualify by writing reviews for products you already use and you earn points and badges and then Influenster can evaluate you to see which products you would be best at reviewing. I received an email in early December with a pre-qualifying notice and survey. I had to complete a survey about various product types and brands and wait to see if I qualified. On the 13th I received an email that I had been chosen to receive their Jolly VoxBox (Happy Birthday to me!)



I just want to reiterate that this box was totally free and I was chosen to receive it. This does not impact my review in any way and does not guarantee a positive review.

I tend to prefer unhealthy options in healthy moderation, but these Skinny Cow Chocolates are really good. They have a light peanut butter creme that are lighter in texture than a Reese's cup. You can tell they are a little healthier, but they still taste really good. Each pack has 3 chocolates inside and I've been keeping one in my purse for when I get a sweet tooth craving.

I haven't tried the NYC eyeshadows before, but I do like the colors in this palette. The swatches to the left are done with no primer and just a swipe of my finger. There isn't huge color payoff, but it is better than some other drugstore brands. I think it could really benefit from a primer underneath it. I do wish the medium brown shade was a little darker, but these shades could be good for a very natural look.

I love that this tape is called a Duckling. It's so cute and small! Every time I need Duck Tape I don't have any and when I have it I don't need it. This actually came in handy for sealing up some Christmas boxes that were shipped out. I like that it has the strength of Duck Tape without the size. The tape itself is skinnier and the roll is nice and small, it's very convenient.

I was wondering what I was going to do to test out the Puffs Plus Lotion tissues and then Santa brought me a head cold for Christmas. So needless to say I have been using these and they are wonderfully soft. Often times I will just grab some toilet paper to blow my nose, but with the cold weather and constant sniffling, under my nose is a bit chapped and these feel much better.

 Okay so I know this isn't the best picture, but I was running out of the house for work and wanted to try this out. This is the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Aurora. I love the name because Aurora is my favorite Disney princess. The photos on the left are with flash and the ones on the right are without. It's sort of a deep watermelon color. It goes on very smoothly and is not sticky or drying. I really loved the texture and it had great pigmentation and held up well. My only complaint is that I kept finding it on my teeth, even before eating or drinking anything. Other than that I really did like this lip lacquer. Just know that it is a lip lacquer, not a lip gloss and therefore it is a whole different type of product. I saw a lot of people reviewing this as a gloss. This is great if you want an easy lip product that will hold up well throughout the day. My lips felt very soft while I had it on.

FabFitFun VIP Winter 2013

The UPS guy just knocked on the door and had my first FabFitFun Box in hand. I have to say I didn't expect any deliveries on Christmas Eve, but I'm excited! I've been looking at the FabFitFun box for a while, but was apprehensive because of the price. However I ended up signing up for a year (4 boxes) for $179.99. A big deciding factor was one of the items in this box. They had leaked a couple of items to entice people and it worked. I've been following the Giving Keys on Instagram for a while and I love their product and message. The necklaces retail at $55 so that already made this first box worth it. Everything in the box is new to me so I'm really excited. I've heard of some of the brands, but never tried these particular products so I feel like I got my money's worth.

Check out the photos below.

Each quarter is usually $49.99, but with the promotion I signed up with, it's equivalent to $45 per month. The value of this month's box is $271.47!

Sign up for yours today!

Benefit Countdown to Love Day 24: Dandelion

Dandelion

Dandelion seems right up my alley! This seems like it will be a powder version of Girl Meets Pearl or at least enhances with that same effect. The same light pink tones are supposed to help to brighten the face. I can definitely see myself using this for contouring and highlighting.

This is the end of the advent calendar and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the wide variety of products I now have to try. I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas!

Benefit Countdown to Love Day 23: Cha Cha Tint

Cha Cha Tint

Cha Cha Tint is a mango colored tint that I’ve tried a few times before. This one has been a little harder for me to pull off and it definitely depends on the rest of my look. When I’m wearing more natural/neutral colors like browns and champagnes it definitely works better for me. I get a little bit more warmth to my complexion and it’s great in the summer.

Benefit Countdown to Love Day 22: Star Charm Necklace

Today is another little non makeup goody. At first I thought it was just a charm, but it's actually a necklace. I might just use it as a charm on another piece of jewelry.