Where Do I Begin?

First off, apologies for not posting when I said I would, and that was months ago.

It's now May without a word.
I still want to continue the reviews I missed as well as keep this up-to-date, but I just need to break that into myself.

So what HAVE I been doing since the last post?
I got caught up with online gaming. haha!!  Yes, I spend hours and hours playing games on the computer, which is really not healthy but at least it's something fun to do.

Anyways, starting next week, I want to TRY (keyword: try) to get this blog up and started again.  Until then *crosses fingers*

MARCH 2014: BIRCHBOX & IPSY

JUST received my March 2014 Birchbox AND Ipsy glam bag in the mail today!  Such a great surprise since I wasn't expecting them to arrive so soon.

Since I've started blogging again, I've decided to reformat how I'd set up my posting.  I'll set up posts for the introduction of what's inside my boxes & glam bags and then a 2nd post with a first impression/review of the items that came inside them.  I think it'd be easier to do it this way rather than having those long posts, which also include the words "I haven't tried so-and-so yet...".  So.. we'll see how this goes.

(Bottom L to R: Birchbox insert, Ipsy insert)

 Both companies' themes are on the new season change from gloomy to sunny.  However, Birchbox is focusing on "getting the most of it" products and Ipsy on destination/vacay products.

BIRCHBOX:
1) COOLA - Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face
2) DDF - Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew
3) ENGLISH LAUNDRY - No.7 for Her
4) GILCHRIST & SOAMES - London Collection Body Lotion
5) OJON - Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment + Restorative Hair Treatment Plus
*6) GHIRARDELLI - Cherry Tango Square
* An extra special treat added to the box.

IPSY:
1) PIXI BEAUTY - Flawless Beauty Primer
2) NYX - Love in Rio Eyeshadow
3) BAREMINERALS - Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready"
4) CHELLA - Indigo Blue Eyeliner

Over the next week or two, I'l try out these products and see how they work with me.  Hoping for some positive results!  Until next time, I'll leave you an added bonus at what I received in the mail today as well:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Cloth Poster, which came for free with my pre-order of Catching Fire from Target!!  It came separately from the movie, so I was a little upset I didn't receive it with my order.. I thought they forgot to add it, but it just arrived separately which was a nice surprise!  It's.... huge haha! Larger than I had expected but it's a great addition to add for a collector.

A's Fanfest NOTW

I'm not sure if you noticed by now, but I'm a huge Oakland A's Fan!  I've been coming to games regularly since 2001 (earliest memory from 1999) and been to A's Fanfest almost every year since 2004.  I decided to dress my nails up this year to fit with the theme.  While I ended up doing an entirely different set than I had anticipated, they still turned out great!

 In the end, I decided on going with an asymmetrical french manicure, with an accent nail of a baseball.  I was thinking of doing the A's logo again, but I ran short of time since I did them the night before.  They turned out great and were even noticed by one of the A's players!

Bonus Pics from the event:

 

1970's memorabilia set-up in the Bow Tie Lounge

 

Big Head Mascots taking pics with the fans: (L-R: Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Ricky Henderson)

Was walking by and saw Sonny Gray and Chris Gimenez signing autographs

 

After leaving my autograph session with Ariel Prieto and Yoenis Cespedes.  

I was so nervous I didnt bother taking pictures in there haha!

[Ariel was the one that noticed my nails and told Cespedes to look at them!!]

 

The goods I walked away with that day.  I was missing my autographed baseball card from Tommy Milone since my brother was carrying it for me and I got home before he did.

Such a fun day!  Very tiring and overly crowded this year, but nonetheless, definitely a great start to the baseball season and cant wait for Opening Day!

Past NOTW + bonus pics

Just a few of the past NOTW I've had.  I think I've mentioned before that with my previous job, I wasn't allowed to have much of a dramatic nail set.  So the ones from 2013 were only worn for a few days.

 Easter egg nails for Easter 2013

 Oakland A's 2013 Opening Day.

These I only wore for 1 day before removing them.  It's such a shame too. I spent forever making that A's logo.  I might give it another go again this year!

 Christmas 2013. It's a little hard to see the tree because of the colors I used.

 Tinkerbell Half Marathon 2014 - Minnie inspired nails to go with the occasion!

My sister ran the half marathon at Disneyland and thought I'd dress up the nails to match Disney~

I just bought these Nail art brushes from Daiso. They were the last ones on the rack so I decided to grab them.  I didnt even know they sold these there.  The lady at the register even took a look at it before handing it to me haha.

That's it for now.  Not much of an update, but thought I'd post up something while I still had some free time. Real updates to come within the next few weeks, especially since I'll be receiving my monthly boxes and need to be heading to ULTA very soon!

I'm Back~

After some thinking, I wanted to start this up again!

I'm not sure how often I can update, or what I'd like to update with, but I'd like to continue posting on here.  It's been awhile, but after some things I've been going through, I thought i'd be nice to get back in this game.  I need to see what I could start off with, but for now, just a friendly greeting.  Until next time ... :)

Birchbox: September 2012

[Pictures to be added later]

Contents:
- Mighty Leaf Tea Tea Pouches
- Birchbox/Color Club Custom Collection
- twistband Lace up for Fall
- Youngblood Mineral Primer
- Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Binding Targeted Leave-In Treatment, Daily Conditioner and Daily Shampoo
- Benefit foamingly clean facial wash
- Benefit refined finish facial polish

First and foremost, I need to state that I DID NOT receive my BBxCC Custom Collection nail polish AND the twistband in my box.  To think I did not receive two items in my box was a complete disappointment.  I sent them an email complaint, and immediately they credited me back for my box which was very generous of them.  I was, however, disappointed not to receive the nail polish of all things since I love collecting polishes.

I received 3 flavors of tea with my box and I gotta say, I didn't like any of them haha.  I drink a lot of tea, and tried a variety of flavors, different leaves, etc, but these did not taste the way I would have liked it to be.  The three flavors I had were the Green tea tropical, Vanilla bean and Citrus Chamomile.  Not surprising, my favorite was the green tea.  The tropical taste was stronger than the green tea, but it wasn't overpowering.  It added a sweetness to it, especially for such a light tea.  Vanilla bean lacked flavor and the citrus chamomile was overpowering with the citrus.

I loved the Nexxus Pro-Mend split end shampoo.  I had tried this product when my hair was at its longest (nearly 2.5ft long) and it really made my brittle/damaged hair feel really soft and tamed the frizz.  Of course it wouldnt remove split ends, but would work as a temporary fix, it still did a great job.  I was planning on purchasing this Nexxus treatment after my Aussie Moist had been used up, but since I had cut my hair I decided against it and went with something cheaper which is working for my current hair state.

Birchbox: October 2012

 Contents:
- Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
- theBalm cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer
- Lucy B. Cosmetics Roll On Perfume Oil Duo
- Vitivia Vitamin capsules
- LUNA Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter

I only used two of the products that were in this box: The LUNA bar and theBalm highlighter.

The Ouidad gel that I received in this box was the same sample that I had received free with my Sephora purchase, but in a larger size (as seen on the bottom left photo).  I just had no need to use it, especially being from the Bay Area, it doesn't get that humid in the area I live, so there really wasn't a need to try it.  However, I don't mind holding onto it if I ever do travel out of town and need a quick fix.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer has a nice sheer glow to it.  It doesn't stand out that much, and isn't glittery.  Just a slight shimmer.  I used it for the first time during my sisters wedding and you can barely see it, but that could be on my part since I didn't want to overdo it, especially using it for the first time.  Maybe I should have trialed it beforehand haha.

As for the LUNA bar, it's just like any other LUNA bar, but didn't have the chocolate bottom.  It was more of just a regular granola bar.  I had taken this sample with me in my clutch during my sisters wedding since I needed some sort of snack in between all the chaos.  It was pretty tasty, very peanut buttery, but it wasn't really anything that would stand out.

Birchbox: August 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents:
- Beauty Fixation Cuticle Conditioner
- Schick Hydro Silk Razor
- WEI Pomegranate Buffing Beads
- WEI Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask
- stila stay all day foundation, concealer, & brush kit
- Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur

I was a little shocked to open up my box and have a full size Schick razor in it.  It was a nice surprise to add to the box.  Up to this point, this had probably been my favorite box that I've received because almost all items in here were items I could use.

The Schick Hydro Silk Razor was a BB bonus.  It was probably the first thing that I used in the box and it worked quite well on the first use.  There are these tiny little pellets that are on the replaceable blade which is a moisturizing serum, which I didn't really notice that much since (of course) I used a shave gel with it.  However, when I was going to use the razor the next time, the little pellets formed a weird consistency.

I really love the Beauty Fixation Cuticle conditioner.  It's something that I need on a regular basis because I work with my hands a lot for my job and they get really dry fast.  These are great to travel with because of its tiny packaging and I like how it's disposable.  I also love how clever it was to make it as a cotton swab.  It conditions the cuticle well, but not long-term.  At least for me, but that could be my own issue because of my job.

This was the first time I've heard of WEI.  The first product I used was the pomegranate buffing beads which was great to add to my non-exfoliating face wash.  To be honest, while it felt great on the skin, I couldn't really tell a difference after I rinsed.

I love getting samples of perfume so I can keep them in my purse or carry it in my makeup bag when I travel.  Especially when they come with the spritzer.  I love the Juicy scent, it wasn't too strong and it smelled sweet.  Although I still am a Vera Wang Princess kind of girl ;)

As for the WEI mud mask and Stila foundation, I never got a chance to use either of those.  The mud mask is because I forgot I had it in my box and the Stila foundation is because it was waaaaaay too dark for my skin tone.

Magazines: NON-NO

NON-NO is a Japanese fashion magazine which is catered towards teens and women in their early 20's.  I love this magazine!  Despite not being in my early 20's now, it was the magazine i bought when I first got into my "second" world.  This is the one fashion magazine that I always buy when I get the opportunity because of the styles of clothing that are presented.  It has the styles that I like to wear or at least try to attempt to wear (haha!)

One thing that I love about Japanese magazines, in general, is that most of the times they provide a free gift with your purchase.  It could be a small compact mirror, CD case, CD holders, etc.
In this case, I got a small amenities bag with my purchase.

NON-NO APRIL 2012 ISSUE:

On the cover is actress/model Kiritani Mirei and.... someone I can't remember right now XD
Inside was this really cute cosmetic pouch which was designed by Mercury Duo which is a brand that has lots of cute, bohemian style clothing.  (note: Nicole Richie was a model for this brand a few years ago).  While I haven't had a chance to use this pouch yet, it's pretty good quality and would last quite a while, plus the colors are gorgeous.  The pouch itself has handles on the outside, a small sleeve pouch on the outside, and 4 slots on the inside which is meant to hold your travel bottles.  I would love to use this when I travel but my only problem is, it's too narrow to hold ALL my stuff. 

When I do travel, I use a tokidoki foldable makeup carrier which was sold at Sephora a few years ago.  This one would be great for overnight travel, but not for a long vacation.  You may think it'd be great for bringing with you everyday, but the bag is a bit too large for that.

The contents of the magazine contained lots and LOTS of photographs of clothing and models wearing the clothing and the different ways to wear a few pieces of clothing each day.  There was also a small spread in the inside of actress/model Oomasa Aya sporting some Uniqlo clothing (btw love, love, LOVE Uniqlo!)

I'd love to share more about these magazines when I get them, but its been awhile since I last bought an issue.  A few years ago I remember getting a small pouch in my.... it was either Camcan or ViVi magazine... by Anna Sui which was reaaally cute, but I ended up giving it away.

Anyways..... Not sure if you've noticed, but I love the Japanese pop culture haha.  I do run another blog thats linked to this account for the other side of my personality.

Birchbox: July 2012

Birchbox x Glamour collab:

Contents:
- Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint
- boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens
- Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner
- Oscar de la Renta live in love
- LÄRABAR® über
- Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds

I love taking samples with me when I travel.  The less I have to carry the better (but that never happens XD).  I got my Birchbox before a quick vacation to LA and brought along a couple things like the boscia blotting paper and the larabar as a snack. 

I ate the larabar as a late night snack one of those nights.  I had the one with cherries in it, but overall the bar itself was standard.  It was just like any other granola/snack bar that you can find in stores.  Nothing too special about it.

I ended up not even using the blotting paper, in fact, I had forgotten I even had them.  But theyre sitting in my purse just in case I ever need them.

I havent tried anything else, although I was quite impressed with the Eyeko eyeliner.  Not only was it full sized, but the quality is fantastic.  I havent gotten a chance to use it on myself, but when I tested the tip on the back of my hand, it seemed to work pretty well.  Smooth and able to make a nice line.  But I'm going to have to try it out one time.  Although I'm not quite sure when I'd be able to use it because the color of the liner was purple.

I did, however, hate the earbuds.  I was happy to get a pair in my box and thought I could use those for travel so I didnt have to take my current pair with me (just in case I lost them).  I tried them out beforehand and boy was I glad I did.  My left earbud was broken.  Not only that, the earbuds didnt suction to my ears at all.  To me, they were poorly made, but i'm sure it's just my pair and someone else would find use with theirs.

So right now I'm anticipating my August box.  Cant wait to see whats in there.

Review: BlenderCleanser

I just used the BeautyBlender BlenderCleanser (LOL!) from my Birchbox for my makeup brushes.  The cleanser itself did pretty well at cleaning away all the makeup and dirt that had accumulated on my brushes.  Really quickly too and not too much "scrubbing" to get it to lather to cleanse. 

I'll go ahead and edit this post after my brushes dry to see if it will affect my brushes, post washing.

One complaint I have so far is that the smell is really strong.  There is a lavender scent to the cleanser and its really strong.  Like a bad kind of strong. It's less floral smelling than you'd think and more of a chemical type of smell.

EDIT//
I went to check on my brushes after 2 days and they seem really clean and soft.  It seems there is a slight residue left on the bristles.  Like a greasy or waxy kind of feel when i went to touch the bristles, but i cant really say it was from the prodct. It could have been from a less than perfect rinse out.  The next time i wash the brushes i'll use up the rest of the bottle and see if it was my mistake or actually from the cleanser itself.

Birchbox: June 2012

Jetset (travel) Birchbox:

 

Contents:

- Wonderstruck Taylor Swift 3.4 oz
- stila one step bronze
- Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive
- theBalm® cosmetics Stainiac
- LUNA Bar

I haven't tried anything yet since I just received the package but I got to say that I was really impressed with this one.  I'm surprised at getting the Stila bronzer in my box and the SIZE of the bottle is amazingly huge.  I'm also grateful that the product had not melted since it's becoming hotter by the day here in the Bay.

I can't wait to try the bronzer and the self-tanning wipes.  Those will be used on areas not too exposed to the sun such as my tan-lined areas.  From last year alone I have a huge tank tan-line because of tennis.

The LUNA bar was really hilarious to find in my Birchbox.  Really... a LUNA bar?! I know this is a travels thing, but a LUNA bar?  I could buy those at any of the local stores near me.. not to mention that I have had them before... multiple times.. in fact before I had gotten this box, I had eaten one just a few days earlier.

Birchbox: May 2012

Gossip Girl Themed Birchbox:

Contents:
- Arquiste L'Etrog
- Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+
- Color Club® Foil Collection
- beautyblender® blendercleanser
- Twistband Skinny Headband


I'm not a fan of Gossip Girl so I wasn't really anticipating my Birchbox arrival nor do I know what these items have to do with Gossip Girl.  Anyways.

My Dr. Jart+ sample had NO product whatsoever inside of it. I was really surprised.  I didn't bother emailing Birchbox only because of what had happened the month before with my point reimbursement.

I also didn't like that I ended up with the Beautyblender cleansar when I don't even have one, so it was pretty worthless to me.  I might end up giving it to my sister if she does end up buying a Beautyblender.

I tried the Twistband and really disliked it.  On the site it says "We never seem to have a headband when we need one, like those times we’re trying to salvage a bad hair day or running on a treadmill with sweaty bangs".  I used mine when I was playing tennis and that sucker did NOT want to stay on my head.  It's true it wont leave a crease, but its so smooth that it'll just fall off with intense movement.