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BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — June 2018

My June BoxyCharm finally arrived! I have been waiting for it because this month’s box is so amazing!

Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 5-6 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It’s an amazing way to try new makeup and beauty tools!

Here is what I received:

I was excited to try these Luxie Brushes. I have some travel Luxie eye shadow brushes I’ve received in another BoxyCharm. I haven’t use them yet, but they are pretty. I think I’m going to try these tomorrow.

I don’t wear false lashes. I’ve tried them years ago, but I didn’t really know how to apply them. I like how wispy these are. I’m going to hold on to them and maybe play around with them.

This smells amazing! It’s such a cute little container. It is a very hydrating, but not greasy cream. Very nice for the summer.

This eye pencil is okay. I’m not the biggest fan of pencils you have to sharpen, plus when I swatched it, it wasn’t very pigmented. I put this in my giveaway pile.

I also put the Ofra lipstick in my giveaway pile. It’s too brown for me. But I really do love their lip formula.

This is the item I was most looking forward to this month! These colors are so pretty. The top 4 are shimmers that can be used wet or dry and the bottom 4 are mattes.

Here are swatches:

The shimmery shades swatch the best, they are so gorgeous! The mattes (of course) don’t swatch as well on my arm, but they blended on my eye really nicely. I think this is gorgeous for some amazing eye-catching looks this summer. I also think it will got into fall nicely, too.

So this month was a win because of the Alamar eye shadow palette. I will also keep the lashes to try out, the brushes and the bum bum cream! The eyeliner and lipstick will be given to a friend. I think this is the most I’ve kept from a BoxyCharm!

Did you receive June’s BoxyCharm? What did you think?

Drugstore Haul and My Ulta Birthday Gift!

A couple of weeks ago, I went into Ulta to get my birthday gift, a min Nars Orgasm blush. I picked up a few other drugstore products (of course).

This is my Ulta birthday gift this year. I think I’ve tried a sample of this blush years ago when it was first popular, but I haven’t tried it since them. It’s really pretty on and perfect for the summer.

CoverGirl Katy Kat Gloss ($7.99 USD) is a lip gloss created by CoverGirl Katy Perry. I have it in the color Cateloup. This claims to give shiny lips, but it is is moussey and shimmery. I purchased it to wear over the L’Oreal lipstick, and I do, but it is opaque enough to wear on it’s own. I like the shade a lot, and of course, the cat on the applicator! There are 11 shades. Most of them are brights, so this is probably the only shade I would wear.

Enhanced with an indulgent chocolate aroma, Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipstick Les Chocolats scented provides all day full, matte coverage. I purchased this in Dose of Cocoa after I saw Youtuber Tati review it. I love the formula and applicator, but the color I chose isn’t for me. When I first wore it, my husband said I had blue lips! It’s not blue, but it is very cool toned. I do want to purchase this in a warmer shade.

Here are lip swatches:

unnamed (1) The L’Oreal one in on the left and the CoverGirl is on the right.

Wet n Wild Megaglo Loose Highlighting Powder in Moon Tears. This was $6.99. I could only find it in my nearby Ulta store, and it was the only one left. I got this because it has received rave reviews and is not easy to find. I like it. It’s really sparkly, thought. I’m going to use it a little more, but might pass it on to one of my daughters.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Baked Blush in Don’t Flutter Yourself. This was $4.99 and it’s limited edition. It’s a shimmery peachy-pink. It’s a great blush topper and I also like using it on my eyes.

Swatches of the face products:

At the left is the highlighter, the middle is the Wet n Wild blush and on the right is the Nars.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Quad in Flock Party — $2.99. This is pretty, but not as pigmented as I would like:

The first two are a bit light on my skin, but the other two look okay. I’m still playing with this palette. For the price, it’s a great deal!

I did not take individual photos of the Wet n Wild Perfect Pout Lip Scrub in Citrus Elixir ($3.99) or the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile and Lavender ($7 for 4 oz), but I am loving both products. The lips scrub smells and tastes amazing and the spray is so hydrating with a relaxing scent.

Have you picked up any fund drugstore products lately?

Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale Haul June 2018

Last Saturday, I went to Sephora to get my birthday gift (post to come) and I decided to stop by Bath and Body Works to check out the Semi-Annual sale. I found a few things and the range averaged $3-4 an item. I also had a $10 of $40 coupon which helped.

Here is what I got:

Three sheet masks. I purchased some of these before, but gave them away as gifts and haven’t tried one yet! These were $1.25 each with my coupon.

My daughter and I both love bath bombs, so I picked up two of their bath fizzies. These were $2.88 each. I used the orange and ginger and it was really nice.

The hand soaps were $2.48 and the shower gels were $3.27. I love stocking up on these. I’m also giving some to my daughter who goes off to college in August.

These all were products I haven’t used before. It’s fun to find something new to me at the sale! On the left is the White Mousse-to-Oil. It comes out as a mousse, but when you rub it in your skin, it turns into an oil. The scent is a little musky and masculine for me, but it’s a nice idea! It was $3.41.

The two items on the right are Body Wash with Olive Oil. They are a creamy body was and leave the skin really soft. They were $3 each.

The last thing I got on clearance was a body butter. I got this in Focus for my college-bound daughter, LOL! It was $3.41.

And I got a candle, not on clearance, but on sale for $8.70 with the sale and coupon! It is Costa Rica, which is a Rainforest Passionfruit scent. I love passionfruit! They also had an Italy one which was chocolate cannoli scent and I almost got that one!

I’m glad I went and got some great items…now if I can stay away! But, I’ll probably go back.

Did you get anything from the big sale?

Pixi Beauty Minis and Lip Balm — Perfect for Travel!

I love Pixi Beauty. It’s luxe beauty at an affordable price. I didn’t know that they offered mini sizes of some of their hero skincare. I was excited to receive the following for my honest review!

Glow Tonic (15 ml/.5 fl. oz. $4 USD) — This mini miracle-working toner helps to brighten the complexion resulting in a healthy glow. Glow Tonic is so refreshing and I really see a difference in my skin when I use this. I especially love this in the summer. My skin gets oily with the heat and stressed with the sun. This brightens my skin without drying it out.

Mini Glow Mud Cleanser (15 ml/.5 fl. oz. $6 USD) — Travel-size version of our deep pore cleansing mud that gently exfoliates while purifying for radiant skin. I like to use this once or twice a week. I have combination skin and this really cleanses it while keeping it soft and smooth.

Shea Butter Lip Balm ($8.00 USD) –Treat lips while giving them gorgeous colour with this multi-tasking miracle lip balm!

The shades I have are Sweet Peach and Honey Nectar. They are pretty on, just a light wash of color. And they are hydrating without being greasy. They contain Shea butter and Vitamin E. They are great to take on vacation because you get the double benefit of color and hydration.

These can be purchased at www.pixibeauty.com.

What products are you taking with you on vacation this year?

Too Faced Life’s a Festival Review

I purchased the Too Faced Life’s A Festival Eye Shadow Palette ($42 USD) a few months ago and still haven’t reviewed it, so I thought I would review it since I’m wearing it today on my birthday!

So, as I am 50 today, I can say that even us (uh, hum) older ladies can wear fun shadows like these!

As soon as I saw this I thought it was so pretty and had to have it. I loved the shade range. When I got it, I noticed that it smells so good, like citrus or candy (Smarties)!

Here are swatches:

From left to right is Young & Free, Euphoric, Rainbow Life, Desert Vibes, Sunset Dram Fun in the Sun and Beamin’

Unicorn Tears, Fireflies, Mystic Rain, Funtasy, Artist Pass and Dusk Teal Dawn.

The duochromes and shimmers are my favorite shades in the palette. There are only a couple mattes. I wish there were more, but only if they could be added to the palette without any of the shiny stuff taken away!

Every shade blends well and are very pigmented. I use the shimmers and duochromes with a dry brush, and they look great. They can be wet with a little setting spray, but don’t really need it.

What do you think of this? Are you all about shimmery shadows or are you more about the mattes?

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day is next Sunday. Time to get shopping!

I have some great picks for Dad. Below is a fun fishing subscription box, fragrance, skincare and a book:

Lucky Tackle Box is the #1 fishing subscription box in America, where you can sign up and receive a monthly package full of the hottest lures, tackle and products in the sport fishing industry. I received a sample of the Father’s Day Bass XL.

Lucky Tackle Box ships once a month, with each box packed full of some of the top fishing lures, tackle and accessories in the industry. LTB has 10 different boxes for species ranging from Bass to Walleye, Trout to Fly Fishing.

Subscription plans are set up for 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month durations. The Regular box is from $15.99 per month and is approximately a $25 value. The XL box is from 25.99 a month and is approximately a $40 value.

Absinthe Shave Cream

Marigold & Ginseng Aftershave Balm

The KORRES assortment of Greek grooming essentials are formulated with clinically-proven ingredients that reflect the brand’s deep knowledge of authentic herbal remedies. KORRES identifies powerful natural ingredients and maximizes the effectiveness to address the skincare needs of men, from dads to grads. The ABSINTHE Men’s Shave Cream and MARIGOLD & GINSENG Aftershave Balm are must-have grooming items that are perfect for Father’s Day (and even the soon-to-be graduate).

ABSINTHE Men’s Shave Cream ($32.50 USD) : This richly textured shave cream helps your razor glide smoothly over skin to ensure a deep and comfortable shave. Absinthe Shave Cream is a brushless, non-foaming preparation and, as it is formulated at a milder pH than lathering creams—preventing skin roughness.
MARIGOLD & GINSENG Aftershave Balm: The light textured and nutrient-rich balm is made for after-shave care. Enriched with energizing ginseng and anti-inflammatory marigold, it reduces irritation commonly caused by shaving. Ginseng extract enables the delivery of nutrients—ensuring the healthy appearance of skin.

Annick Goutal Eau de Monsieur Eau de Toilette Spray ($162 3.4 oz) — An ode to masculine elegance. A perfume that combines the freshness of bergamot and Italian citrus with the warm and enveloping notes of sandalwood.

Blvgari Man Black Orient Cologne — Bvlgari Man Black Orient Cologne

Bvlgari Man Black Orient Cologne (3.4oz – $89, 2oz – $68, 1oz – $50) — Combines the strength of leather and oud with the sophistication of Tair rose, expressing a scent that is suave, heady and wild. Also combines the collection’s signature rum and tuberose with added thread of woods in each base with a new smokiness that evokes the scent’s Oriental muse.

Available at Bulgari stores nationwide; for additional information and retail visit Bulgari.com

Three Gorges Dam by Thomas V. Harris — New Yorker Michael Brannigan and the People’s Republic of China are concluding a triumphant week. The PRC’s top energy consultant has fallen in love with Australian geophysicist Kylie Ryan while traveling in Xinjiang Province. President Lao Ming is in Beijing hosting a game-changing summit with the United States. CNN is broadcasting the new reality: the Communist juggernaut has surpassed the United States as the world’s top superpower.

Brannigan’s train is retracing Marco Polo’s historic journey—when the Silk Road Express reaches the Far East’s Far West, his team of engineers will assist the Chinese in developing the world’s richest oil fields. As Brannigan heads deeper into the Taklamakan Desert, President Lao’s motorcade is approaching the end of its parade route. In a few hours, the president will arrive at the Hall of Purple Light to celebrate his victory.

All that changes in two blinks of an eye. Television cameras capture the crumbling of the Communist regime while China’s Young Turks and Fighting Monks rock the country. Caught up in the violence, Brannigan’s love affair meets a tragic end. Hostiles are raging and the Chinese miracle is self-destructing. In the midst of the turmoil, Brannigan returns to China for a hush-hush assignment at Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric facility. There, he overcomes his demons and finds lasting happiness. Everything is coming up aces.

Fun Products For Easy Summer Beauty!

Happy Friday! I’ve received samples of some fun products for my honest review. Some are new and some are new to me, but all are fun for the summer to some degree!

Ola Tropical Apothecary Body Mist ($14 for 2 oz) – The secret ingredient in Ola Tropical Apothecary’s Deep Sea Body Mist is…the water. Found at 3000’ below the ocean surface off the Kona Coast, each Body Mist contains over 90 trace minerals, and is high in calcium and magnesium. A few simple spritzes to hair, face and skin instantly hydrates and moisturizes.

I first thought this was like a body cologne spray, but it has a very fine mist and I read that it can be used on the face. I have the Pikake, which smells like a Hawaiian lei, and the Passion Fruit. I LOVE the passion fruit one, it’s one of my favorite scents. These are very refreshing and hydrating.

Hotheads’ Mini G Hairbrush ($9.29 USD) – Good things really do come in small packages! The Mini G conveniently fits in your handbag, gym bag or travel bag. Use it with your favorite dry shampoo to refresh tired locks. It’s the perfect little brush to distribute your leave-in products before heading out into the sun. Great for detangling after a swim, the Mini G also helps remove sand debris from the scalp and hair. Finishing your day at the beach using the Mini G will reduce frizz and help create the perfect ponytail.

Mally Beauty More Is More Mascara ($20 USD) has a special brush designed to grip lashes and smooth mascara out to the very tips for exceptional length and definition. Has a rich, creamy, jet black formula. It took me a few uses to get a very voluminous look. And it only really lengthens if I use a primer underneath. It is very black, though!

Mally Beauty Kiss Me Tinted Lip Oil ($27.21 USD for 3) — I received this in Crystal Clear, but you can get a trio including Crystal Clear, Peach Me and What a Melon. This is a conditioning oil that gives shine like a gloss, but it’s not sticky. It has a minty taste. This is nice when I want something on my lips, but don’t want to wear color.

Hard Candy Stroke of Gorgeous Colored Mascara ($5 USD) — Delivers intense opaque color that will not clump or flake. Maximum bristled brush helps give volume and length to all lashes. Available in 8 colored mascaras and two glitter top coats. The two shades I received are the glitter top coats in Disco Ball and Shooting Star. Disco Ball has silver glitter and shows up more than Shooting Star, which has black and multi-colored glitter. These show up the best in the sunlight. They are fun, but I will probably be giving them to my daughter.

What products have you been trying out lately?

FabFitFun Summer 2018 Subscription Box Review

My Summer FabFitFun box has arrived! I subscribed in 2016, but stopped at the end of the year. My last box was Winter 2016. I liked the subscription but wanted to try something else.

I’m back now. I saw a spoiler (I’ll tell you which one below), and had to resubscribe! You can join FabFitFun here. This is a referral link. You will get $10 off with it!

FabFitFun is a quarterly subscription box. Each season they send you a box of $200+ worth items in categories like beauty, fashion, and fitness. Ir Reatils for $49.9. You can get and annual subscription $179.99 for 4 boxes. You can also choose a lot of your items with an annual subscription. This month, I received:

Summer & Rose Beach Towel — $55.00 tarte tarteist™ PRO glow highlight & contour palette — $45.00 Pier 1 Imports Marble Ring Dish — $14.99 Erth TU Y YO Ring — $55.00 FOREO LUNA! fofo — $89.00 COOLA Classic Face SPF 50 White Tea — $32.00 Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator — $29.00 ELEMIS Papaya Enzyme Peel — $45.00

Summer & Rose Beach Towel — This is a microfiber towel. It’s very soft, but I don’t know how absorbent it is. I’ll have to test it out at the pool!

Pier 1 Imports Marble Ring Dish — This is gorgeous! I like that it’s very classic looking and will work with all room decor. The ERTH x Fab Fit Fun “Tu Y Yo” Ring is really cute. I don’t know if it’s something I will wear, I may give it to my daughter for her birthday.

Foreo Luna Fofo — This is why I purchased the box. I had a Foreo original size (a little bigger) before and loved it! It cleans the face so nicely! This is a brand new model. It is powered by Bluetooth technology and advanced skin sensors to create a totally personalized profile, which is sent straight to the newly launched FOREO LUNA™ app. I’m excited to try this out!

tarte tarteist™ PRO glow highlight & contour palette — First of all, this smells amazing! I think it’s supposed to be chocolate scented (I LOVE the scented makeup trend).I’ve just used this a few times. I like the powder sculpt shade. It’s a nice cool toned contour. The top two shades match my skin tone and I really like them. I might try the other two as eye shadows.

I’m almost out of my SPF moisturizer, so I will be using the Coola face sunscreen. It feels really nice on. I haven’t tried the Elemis peel yet, but I will this weekend. I did try the Vasanti scrub, and it left my skin so soft! I think all of this skincare is amazing for the summer, my skin will be smooth and protected.

I really liked this box. The value was amazing for $49.99. The total of what I received was worth $364.99! I think this is the best box I received from them. I definitely think I will stick around for the fall box. I might even upgrade to annual to be able to choose more of my items. We’ll see!

Do you subscribe to FabFitFun? What did you get this month?

Project Pan April-June 2018 — Second Update

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! This is the second Project Pan update for my April to June pan. Just one more month to go! It has been going really well. I started out with 12 products, but as you can see from my photo above, I only have 5 left! I panned two in the first month and 5 more the second. The first two products I panned were IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer and Bye Bye Lines foundation. You can check out my original post here and my second post here.

Of the products left, I am almost finished with the Philosophy Eye Hope eye cream and the the H2O+ day cream. I have only used the face mask a few times, so it’s still half full. I really like it, but I always forget to use it. So we’ll see! The powder still has a lot in it and I have made a dent in the eye shadow.

Here’s what I used up:

I used up my Ofra Cleanser, Neocutis night cream, Oscar Blandi Glossing Cream, Reclaim Botanical neck cream, and the Philosophy Snow Angel body lotion. I am really happy with that!

One more month to go! I should use up almost everything. I’m learning so far that like I thought, skincare is much easier to use up than makeup! I am trying to decide if I’ll do two more pans this year. It’s a lot of work, but it is really satisfying using products up.

Are you doing a project pan? How’s it going?

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eye Shadow Palette Review

I know I’m a little late to the game on this, but I basically always am. I didn’t get Modern Renaissance until last December!

I purchased Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam a few weeks ago. I have been on the fence about this, because I like variety of the shades in my eye shadow palettes. I like to be able to create many different looks with one palette. I thought this might be a little boring.

When I saw this in person, I thought it was gorgeous! The shades are so pretty and, very soft glam!

Swatch time, first row:

From left to right, the shades are Tempera, Glistening, Orange Soda, Rose Pink, Sultry Bronze and Mulberry.

This row is Dusty Rose, Fairy, Burnt Orange, Sienna, Rustic, Cyprus Umber, and Noir.

The shades swatch so well because they are creamy and so pigmented. It is a lot like the Modern Renaissance formula. There is a bit of kick up in the pan, but not a lot of fall out on the eye. They are long lasting, too.

The only thing is that I seem to be creating the same look, even when I wear different shades. I use a matte transition, a matte in the crease and on the outer edge of the eye, then a shimmer in the middle and inner part of eye. It’s pretty, but getting a bit boring.

I will keep this palette for neutral, everyday looks and I am happy to have it. I do like Modern Renaissance better.

Do you have Soft Glam or any ABH palettes? What do you think and which is your favorite?

I still need to review the ABH Prism, my Too Faced Life’s A Festival palette (that one will be next) and more. I also just purchased two BH Cosmetics palettes and got one free. Those should be arriving this week. So much to review! Plus, I did a drugstore haul, have some PR products to review and just got my FabFitFun box. I’m a busy lady!

I hope the rest of your weekend is amazing! Tomorrow is a check in on my current project pan. See you then!