I tried out GlamGlow Youthmud Tingle Exfoliate Treatment

For a long time I've been hearing about GlamGlow and how amazing it's supposed to be... but it's $69 a jar at Sephora (a little less on Amazon) and I was skeptical. The great thing about Sephora though is that they give out samples if you ask nicely. So the last time I was at Sephora as I was about to check out I asked the girl helping me if I could try it out and she made me a little sample and off I went.
Then I forgot about it for about a month...

Last night my skin was feeling a little congested and not looking it's best when I remembered I had the untried sample sitting around.

It's easy enough to use. Apply a thin layer. Wait 10 minutes. Remove with water using circular motions. Marvel at your skin.

What it's supposed to do: "This mud mask leaves skin noticeably radiant and glowing. It works with the body's natural moisturizing collagen to provide gentle resurfacing exfoliation and helps to leave skin smoother, brighter, and softer. While providing tighter skin texture and tighter pores, it provides a more youthful appearance and absorbs impurities without removing natural oils."

What's in it:
French Sea Clay: Absorbs impurities and toxic substances, while leaving essential natural oils and minimizing pore size.
Volcanic Pumice Rock: Multi-level surface exfoliation that you control to clear dead skin cells, smoothing out fine lines and softening skin texture.
Green Tea Leaf Pieces: GLAMGLOW® groundbreaking patent pending TEAOXI™ technology delivers fresh Super-Squalene, EGCG super antioxidants, and Polypenols directly into the mud from the real pieces of tea leaf.

So I applied a thin layer to my whole face, I noticed some bits that looked like leaves before reading about how there are actual bits of tea leaf in it. For a bit I was wondering if it was chopped up kale.

Then I proceeded to SnapChat it to my friends. Because if you don't send a Snap of your mud mask, did you even really do it? (PS add me: CrashLvsDanger)

I waited the 10 minutes and to be honest I never felt a tingle. Maybe I'm so used to chemical peels that I didn't even notice it, but typically I can feel that kind of stuff. Maybe my tingle was broken.

During the removal you're supposed to use circular motions to exfoliate and remove the mask. To be honest this was my favorite part. This was where I actually felt anything happening. I got a very slight tingle (not much, but I'll take it), but the best way to describe it is that my skin felt awake. When I had removed everything my skin felt very soft and smooth and just refreshed overall.

The Verdict: Definitely a nice little pick me up for skin, especially after a long day, but you're supposed to use this 3 times a week to see real improvement and I don't know that this did enough to get me on board. Nice for a girls night or once in a while, but I wouldn't commit. I have other masks from other companies which gave more benefit at lower price points. I have samples of a few other masks from them that I will also try out and see how they do.

Have any of you tried out the GlamGlow masks? What did you think? Were you wowed?

Calvin Klein Reveal VoxBox from Influenster

As you all know by now I'm sure, I love Influenster and I love VoxBoxes! It was exciting to get a designer fragrance to test for this box, especially from Calvin Klein since I already love a few of their fragrances as does my boyfriend. This box contained a sample of their new Reveal for Men fragrance as well as a card holder (think a mini wallet, but flat.)

This came in right before Valentine's Day and my boyfriend was able to wear it out for a few days and test it for me. He really liked it and said it's something he would wear again. I liked it on him as well. It's a bit woody and a very sexy fragrance. I'm intrigued and now I want to try the women's version for myself.

Want to get awesome free products to test and review? Click the Influenster button to the right of this post to get started. It's free and all you have to do is give your honest opinion.

The products reviewed in this post were provided free of charge through Influenster and Calvin Klein through the Influenster VoxBox program. Receipt of these products does not guarantee a positive review.

Sample Sunday: Sephora VIB Event

I got a card in the mail about a Sephora VIB event that gave me 15% off purchases for a week and also a free cosmetic bag and some free goodies. While I was hoping to get the Urban Decay Electric Palette but they were out of stock, so I just got some things I needed.

 The bag is a cute wristlet that I'll probably use when I travel. There were 6 samples that came with it: Buxom Full On Lip Cream in Mudslide, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown, Sephora 10HR Wear Perfection Foundation in Sand, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Murad Age Reform Perfecting Night Cream, and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream.

 

I've reviewed the Smashbox primer and the FAB cream before, the others are all new to me.

I'm a little bummed that there wasn't a choice of colors for the foundation, since I'm super fair and it will be pretty pointless to test the sample except for texture. The texture is silky and has medium coverage. The Buxom lip cream had a silky texture and a tingly sensation, much like their other lip products. The color is sheer and neutral, but very pretty. I'll be trying the Murad cream overnight and I'll update in the morning.

Sample Sunday: Smashbox Primer Try It Kit

This week I tried to get the Smashbox Try It Kit during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, but it was sold out when I got there so I picked up this kit instead. Slightly smaller, but still a good deal. This box had the Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Photo Finish Lid Primer, and Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer. The foundation primer worked really well, but initially felt a little greasy. That feeling went away quickly and the look was definitely matte. The lid primer worked well, but no better than any other I've tried. I really liked the under eye primer though. I always have dark circles and so I always use concealer. This really helped my concealer stay put. I would consider getting these in full size in the future, but I highly recommend trying this kit out since it's a great value at only $14. Find it at Ulta or online here.

 

Target Beauty Box

My Target Beauty Box has finally arrived! For only $5 I got all the goodies you see here, that's only $1 per item!

Description from Target:

Beauty Box Includes:

1) TONI&GUY Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray (2.5 fl oz): Want beachy hair without hitting the surf? Spray from root to tip for salty, sultry texture and subtle, windswept waves.

2) L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara (.22 fl oz): Stretch and lengthen lashes for a fluttery, winged-out look with this unique mascara formula and revolutionary asymmetrical Butterfly Brush.

3) Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo (1.7 oz): Give hair a rejuvenating boost with this paraben and colorant-free formula made with natural tapioca to instantly absorb excess oil with less residue.

4) COVERGIRL Smoochies Sizzle Gloss (.44 fl oz): Pucker up. Sheer color meets sizzling shimmer in a moisturizing formula that’s always stunning, never sticky.

5) Jergens BB Cream Light (2 fl oz): Finally, a multi-tasking beauty cream in a quick-drying formula that goes on sheer and delivers visible results in just 5 days.

My thoughts:

I was very excited to see the Toni & Guy spray because a friend was just telling about how awesome this stuff is. I have never been able to get the beachy wave look. My hair is very curly naturally and so when I try to do waves I either get straight hair or a frizzy mess from playing with it too much. I have mixed feelings about this product. On the one hand I got many compliments on my "sexy, beachy hair", but I felt like I looked more like a mermaid that washed up in a hurricane than a sexy siren and one other person agreed with that. I definitely think that for someone with thicker, curlier hair like myself I would probably need a little bit of a smoothing or shine product just to enhance the look. I do think I would repurchase this and with a little practice get the look I wanted. 

I have been trying so many mascaras lately, but I love doing it and finding new favorites. The brush on this mascara is asymmetrical so as to grab every lash. It takes a little maneuvering, but it does work. This isn't my favorite mascara, but I do like it.

 Not all dry shampoos are created equally so I like to try them out whenever I can before buying a full size. My hair is not usually oily, but on occasion (especially if I have a lot of product in my hair) it does get a little greasy feeling. Dry shampoo is also amazing for adding texture. This is the first I've used from a can and I was a little worried that I would end up with sticky or stiff hair, but was pleasantly surprised. My hair still felt soft, but it helped to absorb the oil without making my hair look dull. I was also still able to easily run a brush through my hair.




Lip gloss can be such a hit or miss and I love the color of this one. I heard a lot of people say they found this gloss sticky, I didn't, but I found it a bit too glittery and a bit gritty in texture because of it. This is one gloss I wouldn't repurchase simply because of the texture. It seems a good fit for much younger girls, but I wouldn't recommend it for grown women, if you love glitter (as I do) there are better options.

I have never heard of a BB Cream for the body so this product really intrigued me. It has a very light smell and texture and felt hydrating, but I didn't really see any coverage. I suppose it's meant to be a light coverage to blur any imperfections on the body, I only tried it on my arms, but I suppose it would work well on legs.

Influenster Prize: Rimmel ScandalEyes Retro Glam Mascara

I received the Influenster Jolly VoxBox back in December (read more about it here) and after completing all the tasks and all the brand challenges I received an email a couple of weeks ago saying I was a runner up for the Rimmel brand challenge and had won a prize. I was delighted to find a full size Rimmel ScandalEyes Retro Glam Mascara.

  

The brush for this mascara has a very different shape. I found that it was easy to get the lashes on the outer corners of my eyes, but a little bit harder to get the middle lashes. It took a little work to get all my lashes and they did look a little fuller and longer, but not as much as I had hoped for. I'm hoping with more usage and practice it will give me a fuller and longer lash look.

 

Sample Sunday: Fresh, Stila and Bite

Here in New England it seems like Spring is desperately fighting to come through. So my first sample today was chosen to try to bring a little bright freshness and ward away winter. I chose the fragrance Sugar Lemon by Fresh since citrus always reminds me of warmer days. I'll be completely honest with you, the initial impression I got was lemon scented cleaner, not quite lemon pledge, but in that neighborhood. But I gave the fragrance a little time to open up and it turned into a lightly sweet lemon scent, reminiscent of a lemon tree on a warm day, not like lemonade. It's a very light fragrance and smells very clean and is great if you just want a hint of fragrance.

Next up I chose Stila CC Cream in the shade Light (since they don't make Casper.) I've had a hard time with some of the double letter products, i.e. BB, CC, and DD creams since often they are too dark for me, even though most people complain they don't come in dark enough shades. It's hard being this white sometimes. Initially I was surprised because it comes out of the tube a slightly grey shade and I thought it was going to be pasty looking and unnatural, but as soon as I swiped it with my finger the color transformed.  It has a really lightweight texture and feels like nothing is on. It did help to even out my skin, but wasn't able to give me as much coverage as I was hoping for on the under eye area and some small blemishes. I did try to apply a little more since it is a buildable coverage and that a helped a little, but I would still use a small amount of concealer on those areas. Overall though a good CC cream that matched my skin very well (shocking really) and would be great for days when I don’t want to be bare faced, but am feeling too lazy for full makeup.

Not a huge difference on camera, but I noticed some improvement in person.

Last but not least on today's lineup is Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick in Musk. The only thing I did to prepare my lips was a lip scrub. This lipstick has a really beautiful texture. It is very creamy and feels hydrating on the lips which is often difficult in a lipstick. The coverage is opaque and even. This color was very close to my natural lip color however, but I actually really like that. It looked in the tube like it might be a little darker as you'll see in the photos. I really like this color for day to day.

New Feature: Sample Sunday

I love samples. I think they are just great, especially in the beauty world. Fragrances and cosmetics are very personal and should be tried on to see if they are a good fit for you. I worked in fragrances for about 3 years and had hundreds of clients who I had try on a fragrance before buying one willy nilly. It is so crucial since what a fragrance smells like on a blotter card or what a foundation looks like on the back of your hand can be so different from what it wears like on you. Cosmetics can be expensive so you really want to make sure you are making a good investment. For this reason I get samples as often as I can. I can try out so many products to see if I love them before taking the plunge. Sephora always offers 3 samples with your online order and many cosmetic companies will throw a few in with your order as well.  Add to this the variety of sampler bags that Sephora and Ulta so often have and a girl can wind up with a whole lotta samples.

I actually have a shoebox sized storage tote overflowing with samples at the moment. This helps to keep all my samples in one place and avoid losing them. Since I have so many I've decided that from now on every Sunday until the basket is empty, if that ever happens (not likely), will be Sample Sunday where I will test out up to 3 samples and then let you know what I think of them. This will help me to get through them and help you to make informed buying decisions, although I still recommend you trying them too!

 Pictured: SOOOO many samples

Guest Post: Graze Box Review

I've been seeing Graze box around lately and I was so pleased to see that my friend Mason had tried it out. A big thank you to him for writing my first guest review! He's also got a coupon code for you to try out Graze for free!

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 It’s no secret that subscription boxes are nifty little parcels that will certainly turn your Mondays into ‘Fundays,’ from toiletries and bath bombs to novelties and fashion. I haven’t considered signing up for these frequent packages until recently, when I discovered an organic snack box from a little company based in New Jersey called Graze.

Graze was founded by a few friends who’d grown tired of crisps and candy who wanted a healthier way to snack; fast forward a few years and those friends had crafted over ninety delicious snacks for your consumption. With snacks that not only use the freshest of ingredients, but are portion controlled, nutritious and if needed, vegan, celiac and lactose friendly, you’re guaranteed to find something you love amongst the library of fruits, seeds and nuts, savouries and sweets.

I originally signed up after seeing an advertisement from their Facebook page that caught my interest; with so much going on in my life within the past weeks, I’d completely forgotten about it until my first graze box arrived in the mail today; the wonderful thing about the box aside from its completely environmentally friendly and biodegradable compound is that it fits right into standard mailboxes. With my graze box came a nifty little pamphlet made of recyclable paper welcoming me and giving me a little insight to my first box. On the reverse side of the pamphlet were the individual nutritional facts for the snacks I’d received specifically within the box. Each snack also comes vacuum-sealed to ensure quality and absolute freshness!

With my first box, I received ‘walnut and vanilla truffle’ which contains walnuts, fudge pieces, sultana raisins and vanilla infused pumpkin seeds. Next to this was ‘cracking black pepper cashews’ which contains black pepper cashews, roasted unsalted cashews and redskin peanuts. Third was the savoury ‘my thai’ which contains baked soy bites with a sweet chilli sauce which in comparison tastes like a milder shrimp cocktail sauce. Lastly and most deliciously of the box, in my opinion, were the ‘apple and cinnamon flapjacks’ which are rustic, rolled oat flapjacks with apples and cinnamon. Similar to oat and cereal bars, these flapjacks were moist and scrumptious and came as a trio.

After receiving your first box, you’re able and encouraged to log on to Graze.com and rate your snacks; these ratings will help improve the consistency or lack thereof (depending on your rating) of their presence in future boxes. Your ratings will range from Love to Like to Try and to Trash; a love rating will frequent the snack while the like rating will have it sent occasionally. Try is primarily for items you’ve not yet received that would be appreciated, while trash is for items you’d prefer not to receive again due to perhaps an allergy or a general dislike. No hard feelings! To start, all four items I’d received in my box earned a delightful love and I would not mind seeing these friendly faces in the future, especially those tantalising flapjacks, which to my pleasure, come in a variety of flavours.

With a subscription to Graze, members are able to determine the frequency of their graze boxes; you can be a part of the ‘tasting club’ with a new box due to arrive bi-weekly or an occasional grazer and have a box sent once a month. In between, you may rush or postpone your boxes as early as weekly to as late as months, in case you’re low on funds or have other commitments. You may also cancel and resume future deliveries at any time with no charge or penalty.

The entirety of the content of your graze boxes are not only made of recyclable material but are 100% environmentally friendly and biodegradable; after your box has been emptied, keep it for a wonderful craft idea, some light storage or feel free to toss the components into your appropriate recycling compartments.

In addition, grazers are given ‘friend codes’ which are able to be shared limitlessly and every time someone signs up using your friend code, they get their first and fifth boxes absolutely free and you get a credit of $1 (one dollar) per person signed up using your code. That credit can be put toward future boxes or even donated to the give-back program in Uganda. Graze’s give-back program teaches the community how to grow, maintain and harvest fruit from their own orchards. It also provides graduates a sustainable source of income, whereas they’re given the means to grow food for themselves, their families and to sell at local markets.

Now, I know you’re wondering how much a subscription to Graze will cost you. I’m pleased to inform you that it barely costs you anything! Your subscription would be $6 per box and like I said previously, they can be as frequent or as infrequent as you want and can be cancelled at any time with zero recourse or penalty!

If you’re still skeptical, then mosey on down to Graze.com and sign up using my friend code: MASONS7NB to get your first (and fifth, should you choose to continue) box for free and give it a try today. I firmly believe you will not be disappointed.

Graze is an innovative, delicious and nutritious new way to snack that’s not only perfectly portioned, but completely guilt-free as well. With a company that’s so intent on providing quality, healthy snacks at reasonable prices, in environmentally friendly packaging and gives back to the community, there’s no going wrong when becoming a grazer.

Playing with Color featuring Lunatick Cosmetics

I made my first Lunatick Cosmetics purchase a few months ago and I have had such a fun time playing with them. Here are two looks I created with their AlieNEON glitter stacker.

 These colors just pop and are completely gorgeous. These are not subtle looks and that's part of what makes me love these colors. You just want to stop and stare! I used a white base to help the colors to stick and pop even more.

 

This first look I really wanted to showcase all these bright beautiful colors in a rainbow look that transitioned smoothly. The colors blend very easily and that made making this look a lot easier.

 

 This second look is similar to a look I've worn in the past, but updated with the colors from this stack and done a little more dramatically and with more focus on the blue color. This is something that as bold as it is, I would wear out or even to work.

If you're looking for makeup that's out of the ordinary or if you need horror and special effect makeup I highly recommend checking them out. They have very high quality and very good prices.

I'd love to see some of your looks if you've tried them out. Comment below!

Chinovi Cosmetics Review

I am super excited to write up this review. Vanessa of Chinovi Cosmetics sent out a coupon code for 50% off when the Seahawks won the SuperBowl and I took full advantage of that! I was immediately drawn to her OMG (Oh My Gods) collection for 2 reasons: First just look at those AMAZING colors and secondly I am a huge mythology geek! I also purchased Fairy since I was so drawn to it's amazing deep purple shade. I am obsessed with purples! How cute is Vanessa to include a hand written note (a rarity in today's world) and candy?! She's a girl after my heart.

 

Chinovi Cosmetics are all blended by hand and they have tons of vegan options and such a variety that there is something for everyone. On to the goodies!

From top to bottom, left to right: (1st row) Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, (2nd row) Athena, Dionysus, Hades, Hephaestus, (3rd row) Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, Zeus.

 

 

These swatches were done with no base or primer and you can see how well pigmented they are. This is a limited edition collection so get on this one while it's still around! There is such a good variety of colors here. I love that you have a full range from the lighter Aprodite, Athena and Hera to the darker shades like Hades, Hephaestus and Zeus. These apply beautifully and you can do so much with them.

Fairy is the other gorgeous shade I got (they have so many gorgeous colors I really had to restrain myself. At $5 each you really can't go wrong!) Fairy is a beautiful deep purple with hints of indigo and slightly teal blue sparkle. This is going to be a shade I'll be wearing quite often, it's just stunning.

They also gave me two samples in the colors Monsoon and Blame. Monsoon is a rich rusty red brown that I wouldn't normally pick, but instantly fell in love with! Blame is right up my alley, a gorgeous very pale green shimmer, nearly white,with a golden blue green shimmer. It's just stunning.

I highly recommend checking out their website, they have really beautiful products that apply so smoothly and have great pigmentation.

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.