Influenster UniVoxBox Unboxing & Review!

After being signed up for like almost a year now, I FINALLY received m first VoxBox from Influenster!!! I think for my first one, this one is pretty good, even though the UniVoxBox is targeted more towards college students, and even though I am one, I'm definitely not a traditional one.

For those of you who don't know what Influenster is, it's an online community where you can rate and review products you love and hate. You can also check out other people's reviews to see if a product is worth buying or not. I don't think you can simply sign up to Influenster, you have to be invited! When you review products, you earn a score, and of course, the higher the score the better! My score is pretty high, so I think it's crazy that this is my first box. Once they find a program that matches what you like, they will send you a VoxBox, which is a free box of random stuff! YAY!

On to the goodies. Don't keep reading if you don't want a spoiler!

Glam Box glam at home box

Sorry for the wait guys life took over for a bit but this review has been on my mind as well as others I want to do.
This review will be picture heavy along with other ones I do, I figure it's only right that you know what your getting. Plus some may not like what I have to say but it happens when you get into reviewing things.

First off I will say I got the box for the cost of shipping, normally it would be 10$plus 5$shipping . Do I think it's worth it? Honestly no even though there were some nice things in the box but I have to use my money wisely with raising 4kids and running my own business so the things I spoil myself with I have to get the most bang for my buck. My favorite thing in the box was the tart from Spellbound . Oh this smells so yummy I could seriously just sniff it all day for a pick me up and it's packaged so cute you almost don't want to melt it! Here is a picture (please excuse my cats hair on the couch she thinks she is just making the couch softer.)

Next is the candied citrus potpourri from the potpourri room. I was never one for the dried stuff since in all honesty, I had no idea what to do with it but for now it's in a pretty bowl on a dresser in my closet and when combined with the lavender sactchet from this box as well it smells pretty good.

Next is the lavender sactchet. I don't know the company since I am just having to go by tags on the items (there is no print out as there usually is in the regular glam box) all the tag says is organic fair trade cotton lavender. I do remember seeing previously on glam box Facebook pg that these would be featured and I was pretty kinda meh about it. Only for one reason. Lavender and gardeina ?? <~~I just confused my phones spell check o.O scents give me the worst migraines. So as you can see I was hesitant. Now I don't exactly know what kind of lavender it has in it or if it's just that the scent kinda went down a bit in being mailed to me or it could have Spanish lavender in it rather than English lavender. Yea once I stumbled upon Spanish lavender I was actually pretty happy . (oh the simple joys of a migraine sufferer) The sactchet itself is actually pretty darn cute and well made. The material is good quality and has a bit of a stretch. And not overly stuffed comes with a ribbon that will easily slip over the coat hanger to hang in your closest,but like I said before my favorite thing about was that it was not overly scented with lavender.

Next is the Pure palette oil diffuser in citrus lavender scent. (I'm beginning to sense a theme :/ ) This seemed more on the citrus side than the lavender (yay) I have had this in my bathroom for about a month and it's still putting out fragrance. If it had more lavender in it I would change it out,but since sprummer (yes that is a term we have here in the south for the 2weeks of spring we get before we start to melt :) ) It still smells like a summer scent so I'll keep it till it runs out.

And finally the last item was a very memorable tea light from krista's candles . Um well ... So remember when I said that there are certain scents that as someone who suffers from migraines has to avoid? Yea our migraine triggers are usually the first things that we figure out. Normally I don't have a problem with krista's candles but when I opened the box I got the scent of doom. My kid took the picture before it was thrown out (sorry) She told me it was labeled honeysuckle and not gardeina but I don't know if it's part of the candles makeup or what but I guess it's a good/bad thing for me that her candles are so potent so I defiantly know what scents won't work for me.

Over all if glam box did a summer home box I would consider getting one if it has more kitchen or fruit scents. But the only things I really liked a ton was the spell bound tart. The other stuff I think was just luck that I didn't have my kids friends review it. ~Melissa

March 2014 Starlooks Starbox "Ashley Hackman Special Edition"

This is my second month receiving Starbox by Starlooks. Apparently this month the box was a special edition curated by someone named Ashley Hackman who apparently makes YouTube videos. I'm sure this is really exciting for people who know who that is. I, however, do not. Starbox is $15 a month, plus shipping, which is an excellent deal. So far, all of the Starlooks items I have tried have been really great quality, and the box items are usually at least double what you pay.

I like this box, don't get me wrong, but for someone who owns alot of makeup, this isn't the most spectacular box ever. The items I received this month are more like... staple items that every person who owns alot of makeup is already going to own.

Here is a first look at the box!

Since March was a special edition, the box this month is black and red, much like the items inside.

Here is what I received!

• Lipstick in "Boss"
• Lip Liner in "Cherry Cedar"
• Long-wear eyeliner pot in "Black Hole"
• 20% off coupon if you submit a photo of yourself using the makeup from this box

See what I mean about staple items? I love a pin up look, and use gel eyeliner on the regular, but I definitely already have like 10 red lipsticks and at least 10 different black eyeliners!

"A must-have staple product for every makeup lover. This creamy, quick-dry formula provides that time-honored, slick, black liner look that has kept every woman looking her best for centuries."

Retail Value -$13

"The most remarkable red lip you will ever find. Starlooks' signature color "Boss" will complete your look with that perfect, timeless pop of bold rouge and satin shimmer that screams "Girl Power", and it doesn't stop there. Our ultra moisturizing lipstick formula leaves your lips feeling kissably soft."

Retail Value - $12

"Don't forget to prep those bossy lips with this classic, matte red liner. Our prestigious lip liner formula creates the ultimate canvas for any lasting lip look. Ashley specifically selected a deeper red to give you the urge to get creative and experiment with shading."

Retail Value - $12

Overall March 2014 Starbox Value - $37

This is what the lipstick and liner look like next to each other. Not sure how I feel about it.

Overall, this isn't an AWFUL box or anything, it's just kind of... boring? Honestly, I'm probably going to cancel this subscription for now as well as my Ipsy, and maybe try out one that costs more overall instead of two cheap ones so I can get more high end full sized items. Any ideas?! What is your favorite beauty subscription?! Open to suggestions over here!

Later!

Xx Ashley C.

Ipsy March 2014 "Destination Beauty" Unboxing!

I'm a little late posting this as I've had my Ipsy bag for a week or so now, but I'm not TOTALLY thrilled with it, nor am I thrilled with Ipsy right now after the whole PopBeauty lipgloss disaster last month. They still haven't emailed me back about my defective gloss, and I emailed them over 2 weeks ago. So take that as you will.

For those of you who don't already know, Ipsy, formerly myGlam, is a subscription service I usually love created by Michelle Phan, the YouTube makeup guru. For for low low price of $10 a month, they send you a cute little bag filled with 4-5 deluxe sample to full size beauty products from makeup to nail polish to skincare. I usually REALLY love my bag every month, and have been subscribed for almost a year now. :) If you're interested in learning more about Ipsy, seeing my past bags that I haven't posted on here, or want an honest opinion about it, don't hesitate to ask in the comments below! And if you love the looks of this bag, feel free to subscribe using my referral link HERE!

The theme for this month was "Destination Beauty". It's a pretty cute theme considering March is usually the time for Spring Break and travelling. Here is a look!

This month I received:

Nyx  Love in Rio eyeshadow palette

Pixi Primer

Chella Blue eyeliner pen

Bare Minerals Moxie Lipstick

Like I said, this definitely isn't the most awesome bag I've ever received, but I do really like the Bare Minerals Lipstick! Here's some swatches of the lippie and the eyeliner!

The eyeliner is super bright blue, and while I haven't used it on my eyes yet, it stayed on my hand for awhile! :)

This is a swatch of the Nyx "Love in Rio" palette. I really like these colors and they seem very pigmented and smooth on my hand.

Well, that's really all I have for you about March Ipsy! Stay tuned for my March Starlook's Starbox review!

Xx Ashley C.

Green & Gold Nails for St. Patrick's Day!

I finally pulled together some St. Patty's Nails with some of my favorite Julep colors!!! :)
I'm going to try a little nail art here in a minute, but I've been trying to wait on my HK Girl topcoat to get here! LOL It's the best and it's so hard to do my nails now without it!

For these nails I used:
Julep - Cindy
Julep - Lucky (Middle finger)
Julep - Andrea (Ring finger)

I purchased Cindy awhile ago, but hadn't really used it. This is a perfect color for the holiday! It's green with gold microshimmer! Love it!

Lucky is kind of similar, except it has big gold glitters in it. I got it last year as an add on in March!

Andrea is my favorite full coverage glitter right now. It's actually supposed to be bronze, but I definitely see it as gold!

Let's see your St. Patty's Nails!!! :D I think I'm going to do leprechaun nails here in a few! 

Xx Ashley C. 

Birchbox Spring Forward March 2014 Unboxing!

I'm really really excited about my Birchbox this month!!! This is probably the best Birchbox I've received so far! For those of you don't don't already know, Birchbox is a subscription box that for only $10 a month bring you a box full of sample, deluxe sample, and sometimes full size beauty/skincare/makeup products! They usually send out higher end items and the boxes are always worth more than $10! If you're interested in signing up, please use my referral link HERE! They also give you 10 points for every item you review, and 100 points is equal to $10 in their store! That means every month you are basically getting $5 back of the money you spent! It's awesome! :D

Here's a first look at my box! The theme for this month is "Spring Forward".

Apparently they are advertising their point system on the inside of their boxes now.

Here's a second look at my box!

And here is what I received in my March Birchbox!

See! A great box this month!

Jergens BB Body & $2 off coupon - Full Size $10/ Sample Value $3? 

I usually like Jergens' lotions, so I was excited to see this included as a Birchbox find. I think though, that their "finds" are a lame way to make people feel like their not getting screwed by BB including a cheaper item. Some people still got 5 higher end items, and I got 4 and this. Oh well!

It seems to have a tint to it, so I'm assuming it also is a self tanner. I like Self Tanners.

Kiems Hair Care Shampoo - Full Size $9.50/Sample Value $2

This smells really nice. I like any shampoo that smells minty! I only wish it came with a matching conditioner! Hopefully this doesn't take all the color out of my hair!

Stila Lip Gloss in Raspberry Sorbet - Full Size!!! Value $8

I LOVE these lipglosses. I haven't had one in a long long time! Super excited to get this, and even more excited to get it in this pink color! :D I'm probably going to use some of my points to pick up a few more of these.

Here's what the color looks like. It's like a pretty pink smoothie. Makes me want to go to smoothie king. :P

Air Repair Rescue Balm - Full Size $12 / Sample Value $2?

This is a pretty teensy size sample, but I wanted to try it. It can be used as lip balm and cuticle balm, so I'm going to try it for both. My cuticles are a wreck. A little seems to go a long long way!

Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T primer - Full Size $68/Sample Value $5

Another tiny sample, but I like fancy primers. This stuff is weird and isn't like any other primer I've ever used. It's really liquidy, and kind of burned my face. Bummer. Would never pay $68 for any primer. Ever!

SO! In conclusion, I LOVE MY BOX. Maybe I'm just over excited about getting a full size Stila lip gloss. I really want to have a million of these in my purse at all times. :) 

Box Value: About $20! Pretty good since I paid only $10 and am getting $50 points back! :D

What did you get in your Birchbox this month?! Love it? Hate it?! Don't forget to use my REFERRAL LINK HERE if you want to sign up! So worth it!

Nails later! Ipsy Tomorrow!

Xx Ashley C.

March 2014 Julep Deal & Lucky Mystery Box!!

Julep has some pretty awesome deals right now just in time for St. Patrick's Day!! As many of you know, I love all things green and all things glittery, so this is a great holiday for me in regards to nail art!!
I also plan on tomorrow putting together some super awesome St. Patrick's Day nails for you guys!

First things first, I received an email earlier today, that if you purchase $10 at Julep.com between now and Tuesday 3/18/14, you can receive ANY gold nail polish completely for FREE with code FREEGOLD!! :D

This is a SUPER deal! Click HERE for a list they have provided of their gold polishes you can snag for free! My personal favorites are Zelda, Andrea,and Gianna! Basically if you buy one full priced polish, even if you use Maven prices, you can get another gold one free! B1G1! Or you could find something in the savvy deals section! Here I'll give you some ideas!

FOR STARTERS: One of the NEW Lucky MYSTERY BOXES!

For three more days, for only $24.99, you can pick from one of four (or multiple ones of course) mystery boxes. Three of which have brand new GREEN colors! :D 

FYI, to view the boxes, click on any of the images below!

If you're feeling a little glittery, make sure and check out the box with Taryn!

Taryn is a Deep Sea Teal Holographic Glitter!

If you're feeling a little minty, make sure and check out the box with Shannon!

Shannon is a light minty green silk finish polish!

& If you're feeling a little dangerous, make sure and check out the box with Aislinn!

Aislinn is my personal favorite. She is a probably really dark black and green glitter!

Last, but not least! If you're not feeling any of those above, you can pick a complete mystery!

I think it's pretty neat that they're offering a 100% mystery version. 

So! Those are some pretty viable options for things you can pick that are over $10. Buy a mystery box, get an already awesome deal of over $100 worth of polish & product AND on top of that get a free gold polish to go with your new green one!

Some other recommendations I have are:

Luck O' the Irish set- $14.99!

OR
Savannah set for $9.99 & Jackie $6.99

Savannah is an adorable set! Great starter bright Julep colors!
Jackie is my all time favorite Julep Red. A MUST have.

Well lovelies! Happy shopping! Let me know if you get anything awesome in your mystery boxes! :D

Xx Ashley C.

*Note this post contains affiliate links*

Bear's Beauty All Natural Skincare Review!

For those of you who read my last Glam Box review, you might have read a little about Bear's Beauty. I mentioned that I was interested in trying their cleansing oil, and was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to try it for review! Here is what I received!

• Tea Tree Organic Shea Balm
• Healing Whip
• Grapefruit Cleansing Oil 

Bear's Beauty is a small company that focuses on 100% handmade, all natural, cruelty free, green, and chemical free skincare! I love handmade beauty items and have been on a serious cleansing oil kick lately ever since I used Julep's Bare Face Cleansing oil! I love Bear's Beauty's cleansing oil even more!!! I'm officially hooked!
Here's a closer look at the cleansing oil:

It also came with a description and a full list of ingredients!

(click to enlarge)

I've been using the cleansing oil for about three days now. First of all, I absolutely LOVE the grapefruit scent!! It smells really fresh, which of course is really nice when you're washing your face! This stuff is packed full of AWESOME ingredients too! It leaves my skin feeling nice and refreshed and very clean! It also takes off every stitch of my makeup, including my waterproof eyeliner and mascara which is a huge HUGE plus for me! I've been coping with some acne issues for a few months now, and I feel like I've already seen some progress in my skin looking more like it's healthy, normal self! Everyone must try this cleansing oil!! I highly HIGHLY recommend it!

You can purchase this in various sizes. 1 Oz is $7, 2 Oz is $14, and 8 Oz (HUGE) is $45!

There are also many kits available for various prices, you can check them out in their store HERE!

The next item I received is Organic Shea Balm in the scent Tea Tree! I picked tea tree for my scent because I LOVE tea tree and it makes me feel minty fresh. I love Shea Butter as it is SUPER moisturizing and I have pretty dry skin on my hands, cuticles, elbows, and knees! I love the way this stuff feels on my hands. It makes them instantly moisturized. Plus, its SUPER thick, and a little goes a long way so this will last me forever! It is 100% Pure Raw Shea Butter. This is awesome. You can purchase it unscented or in a scent in various sizes. 1 Oz for $5, 2 Oz for $9.50, 4 Oz for $17, and 8 Oz for $30! Purchase it HERE! 

The last item I received is Bear's Beauty's Healing whip. I'm not 100% sure what scent this is, I need to ask, but I think it may be Coconut, because that is the scent I found for sale on her site! This stuff is pretty awesome too! It can be used after you exfoliate your body after a shower. You just smooth it on your skin and it is supposed to help with ingrown hairs, body acne, and eczema. I haven't used it yet, but I get some pretty wicked ingrown hairs, so I'm definitely going to test this out ASAP! It also comes in various sizes. 1oz for $7, 2 oz for $14, 4 oz for $28, and 8 Oz for $50! Buy it HERE!

SO! In conclusion, I am left with a MUCH MUCH better impression of my products, than the body butter I received in my Glam Box. I love ALL OF THESE, and once I run out of cleansing oil, I am definitely going to repurchase. If you love things that are all natural, definitely check out Bear's Beauty!

Here's some links!

Bear's Beauty Facebook Page

Bear's Beauty Etsy Shop

Bear's Beauty Blog

Until next time,

Xx Ashley C.

*Note These items were provided to me for my honest opinion & review*

February 2014 Starlooks Starbox Review & Unboxing! :)

Last month I finally succumbed to peer pressure from Chynel and signed up for Starlook's Starbox. For those of you who don't know what this is, Starbox is a monthly subscription that brings you a cute little box of pro-quality makeup at a discounted price from the Starlook's makeup line for only $15 a month plus shipping! I'm totally addicted to subscription boxes right now, and I've been really interested to try more of Starlook's makeup. I've received a couple of things in past Ipsy bags from them that I really loved, PLUS during your birthday month, they send you a birthday gift for FREE, and February was my birthday month! Can we say WIN WIN for ME!? If you're interested in learning more about Starbox or signing up CLICK HERE to learn more & use my referral link! Added bonus, they're 100% CRUELTY FREE! :)

I know I'm a little bit late on this post as it's now March, but in my defense they shipped out our boxes a little bit late this month! Better late than never!!! Here's what I received!

Starbox has the cutest little box ever in my opinion. It comes in a bubble mailer for added protection.

It also contains a little card that details everything that was sent out during the month. I think this is a really nice touch!! :) On the back of it is the inspiration photo that is used in their spoilers, but I totally forgot to take a picture of it! OOPS! I believe the theme for February was "futurism", but correct me if I'm wrong.

Every Starbox comes with a little Crystal in it. They suggest you collect them to create a brush holder.. 

The first thing I pulled out was a big grey headband. This is the extra for the month. Not super amazing, but it is actually pretty good for using face masks with and unlike most headbands it didn't immediately slip off my weirdly shaped head. I also like grey...

Cream Shadow in "Phaser" - Value $12

This month they sent everyone one of four different exclusive cream shadows. I received "Phaser", which is a light purple shade. Unfortunately, I stopped wearing purple eyeshadow a few years ago, so I won't be using this any time soon. Every subscription I have keeps sending me purple cream shadows for some reason!!! It's driving me crazy.  I would have rather received "Hologram" or "Warp" as they are more neutral. 

 

Lipstick in "Drew" - Value $12 (click to see their 69 shades!)

Starlooks also sent out lipsticks this month! This color is not something I would usually buy on my own, but I actually really like it. It's really metallic and shiny and nice. I received the color "Drew" which is kind of metallic purple but they also sent out "Lilu" and "Bff", both of which are shimmery and nude looking, which I do not like! The card says the colors they picked for this month can be worn on their own, paired with a darker color for an extra metallic look, or used to create an ombre lip, which is what I plan on doing with my new lippie! :) 

Pigment in "Tungsten" - Value $17 

Last, each of us received one of two pigments that are perfect for smoky eyes! I received this in "Tungsten" and the other color they sent was "Wall Street". As a makeup junkie, I am totally obsessed with pigments. I haven't tried this yet, and while I have a TON of eyeshadow for smoky eye looks, I'll probably find a use for this. I would have rather received Wall Street though, because it's darker and I like a cut crease!

Overall, the value of this box is AWESOME! I didn't have any of these products already from Starlooks, so instead of paying $41 for them I got them for only $15! NOT TO MENTION the BIRTHDAY GIFT!! 

Lipstick & Lip Liner -Value $24!

My birthday gift, which I received like two days after my Starbox, was another Lipstick in "Claudia" (Value -$12) and a lip liner in "Tipsy" (Value $12)! I really really love this color of lipstick and Tipsy happens to be the only lip liner I've ever used and liked but I lost it, so this is a double win for me! I love their lip liner because it's super long lasting and this color goes great with all of my many many pink lippies.

This brings my total February retail value up to $65!!! WHAT?! Awesome deal! So go ahead and HEAD ON OVER using my referral link HERE and sign up for a Starbox! You only have until TOMORROW to receive a March box so HURRY! Especially if March is your birthday month! :D 

Happy Sunday!

Xx Ashley C.