Birchbox Breakup

I finally got my last 2 Birchboxes. I'm not even sure what month's these were anymore. I wasn't feeling thrilled with their subscription service. It took far too long to reach me, and the samples were not all that great in my opinion. I didn't like getting perfume all the time. The ones they sent were almost always far too overpowering for me. I know everything in the cosmetics world is based on personal preferences and your body though. Perfume is a super easy item to get samples of elsewhere for free, so if I'm paying I want something else. I also was not enjoying all the food items they were putting in. It's a beauty box, not a food box. Don't get me wrong, I love things like chocolates, but I'm pretty darn good about trying out new candies on my own. Then, my last box had a pen in it. Yes, a ball point pen. I use it, but it's a pen in a beauty box. That was my full sized sample for the month. Gee thanks. I also never got anything that I HAD to go buy after getting it in my box. Some of it was okay, and I used the sample up, but nothing I went crazy for.

I did see they made some changes just after I canceled my subscription. You can opt to receive fewer perfume samples now among some other changes. Maybe I'll come back at a later date, but for now we've ended things. I'm thinking of trying Ipsy, but I hear it takes just about as long to get to FPO locations. The larger samples might be worth the wait.

In my last 2 boxes, I got (sorry no photos, I was kind of annoyed at that point, so didn't take any):

• Pilot Acroball PureWhite pen: It's a pen. Nothing all that exciting. 
• Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner in a plum color (Looks like they no longer have the purple shade at Birchbox). I used this the other night for a dinner out. I did like that you could tell it was purple as opposed to other's I've seen that look black. However, it didn't glide on very well for me. I'll give it another shot though. 
• Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle: Smells good, but leaves my hair feeling greasy. It works great on my 2 year old, and left her curls very light. 
• COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber: Lost this sample to my toddler. She managed to get it open and put it on her legs. Smelled great. It was pretty pricey though. I know it was a mineral/organic sunblock though, which is what we buy. I can find them cheaper than this product. 
• Isaac Mixrahi FABULOUS perfume: I do like this one. I'm using the sample up to see if I want to purchase. Also, need to let the husband smell it. If he doesn't' like it, it's a no go. Can't have the significant other hating your perfume and avoiding you. 
• Skin&Co body wash in Sicilian Orange (Looks like they only have it as a sample now and this scent isn't even on the company site). It's funny how we live in Sicily smack in the middle of the Sicilian blood orange fields and this is made in Rome, but I've never seen it here. I did enjoy this one. It's nice smelling and it was free of things like parabens. 
• Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir: This is an anti-aging serum for your hair. The sample was so ridiculously tiny that there was no way to tell if it worked or not. 
• StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles: Says results in 2 weeks, and they sent what they say is a 2 week supply. I don't have eye wrinkles yet though, so haven't tried it. 
• Youngblood Anti-Shine Mattifier: Haven't tried this one yet either. 
• Weleda Body Lotion: I got 3 little foil packs in 3 different scents. I got rose, sea buckthorn, and pomegranate. The packets were just big enough to cover my legs, and that was it. I did like the sea buckthorn, even though I have no idea what that is (looks like the scent is more orange-y and the buckthorn is more for vitamins). The rose scent was off, or too strong. Not sure which. I think I still have the pomegranate one, that or it just wasn't memorable (good or bad).  These were organic lotions, and not too pricey now that I'm looking at it again. 

Lunette Cup

Oh, yeah. We are going there. Be forewarned if you can't handle reading about *that* time of the month, this might make you squeamish. I'll try to put things nicely though.

I've had my Lunette going on 4 months now, and feel like I've used it enough to give an informed opinion. I had really been on the fence about trying out a cup for awhile, and finally decided to just go for it. Tampons were really starting to annoy me. They were getting uncomfortable, and for whatever reason they are more pricey. I also was getting cramps, which was odd for me. I usually have zero to very light cramps that practically go unnoticed unless I stop and really think about it. Then you read articles here and there talking about moldy tampons in the wrappers/applicators that people never see, because who pops their tampon out of the applicator? They also have a bunch of chemicals in them that absorb into your body. Then you go and expose yourself to them for a week every single month, and it made me wonder what negative longer term effects it could have. You can look up your brand to see what it contains and what those things do to you.

A menstrual cup is a reusable cup that you insert in a fashion similar to a tampon. They pose no risk for toxic shock as they are made from medical grade silicone or rubber. This also means it can be left in for longer stretches of time. The Lunette, for example, recommends taking it out and washing it at least every 12 hours. Yes, you read that right, only 2 times per day. This of course depends on how heavy your flow is. On day 1, I can go the 12 hours, but day 2 I have to go dump it out more frequently. Then the rest of the time I can usually go the 12 hours again.

Many say this lessens their cramps and shortens their period as well. The cup doesn't sit on your cervix like a tampon and cause irritation. Instead, it's sits down lower. I haven't had any cramps since switching. I don't think it's shortened anything for me though. I hardly notice anything going on, so that makes things seem better.

Each cup has it's own care instructions. I usually let mine soak in hot, hot water and vinegar while I shower. Then rinse and wash it the other time(s) during the day it needs emptied. The instructions recommended boiling it each time, but that seemed to be a hassle.

Most come in 2 sizes and an assortment of colors. The sizes are usually 1 or 2. 1 being for those who have never given birth or under a certain age, and 2 being for anyone who has given birth or over that given age. The birth can be c-section, and you'll still need the larger size. My Lunette is a pretty blue color, and I got it from drugstore.com. I didn't want just clear. I felt it would get stained, but I haven't noticed any discoloration at all. As long as it's cleaned properly, I imagine you won't see any problems. But, why go for clear when you can pick something more cheerful?

I really do love this cup. I had one leak my first week using it, and then read something that was very helpful. Insert more horizontal and push toward your back instead of more angle up. I've used it while having a stomach bug, during roller derby, out of the house and I cannot feel it. It hasn't came loose or leaked. I like that you don't need a liner for that last day, or for back up when your period is due. I knew mine was coming, and put my cup in. I didn't even notice when it finally started, but I didn't have to worry about carrying around anything and went about my day. I don't feel like it's any more gross than a tampon. If you are doing it right, you shouldn't have any contact with your menses anyway. I will say, it was a little tricky my first few tries. Mine got here the day before good old AF arrived. If you've got time though, I'd recommend trying to insert it before you NEED it.

Apparently, there are some that are longer/shorter, or have larger/smaller capacities. You should research for any special requirements you might require or like in a cup. This was a good fit for me, so I feel no need to look at any other brands out there at this time.

I did purchase this on my own, and just decided to share since I liked it so much.

New Beautification Goodies

I'm working on expanding my make up collection. I am still clueless about how to use most of this stuff, but I'm trying.

Made a purchase off of Hautelook like a month and a half ago? I can't even remember. Took forever to get the stuff, and I probably won't be buying from them again while in Italy. I had to pay Hautelook shipping. Then they don't ship FPO, so I had to have it sent to an FPO/APO mail forwarding service. They charged an $8 handling fee on $3 worth of postage. Usually I love this service, but I paid far more in shipping than I did for the products I got this time around. They were about 60% off, so a steal, but the double shipping charges killed it for me.

I got some stuff from a Stila sale they had. I am very, very pale. Like Casper the Friendly Ghost white, and like to stay that way. I've realized I don't tan or hold color (I just turn lobster red, peel, and go back to white), so my new goal the past several years is to keep my lovely white coloring. It proves challenging finding foundations this pale though. I have a friend who is just as pale as me, so she recommended I try the Stila foundation. She also has a beauty blog here, so go check her out! The foundation has been a great match. Easy to blend and doesn't irritate me. I've even worn it to roller derby practice and not had my face run off or stay inside my helmet. Bad news, right after I got it they announced it was being discontinued.

A meh, iPad photo, but you can tell all my cheek redness is covered!

Then E.L.F. had a sale right around St. Patrick's Day. 10 free brushes with a minimum order of $25. I have a mini kabuki and an eyeshadow brush. That's it. Free brushes were definitely a welcome addition. I still don't have this stuff though. The estimated date for delivery is early May. Not impressed, once again. I don't get why it's so hard to mail things USPS for APO/FPO. I'm hoping it's not all banged up and broken after all that travel time. I'm sure the brushes will be good, but I got some shadows and blushes that could break.

Then I also snagged some stuff from one of my favorite shops, My Beauty Addiction. More foundation samples. All are mineral foundations, but 2 were powders and one a liquid. The liquid is no good. It smells weird to me and seems too purple/grey. I am liking the powder though. Ivory is a better match for me, but I also got Cameo. Maybe if my face does get a little color this summer, a combination of the 2 will be perfect. Then I got some lipstick samples too. I have yet to open them though. Still a little intimidated to try something so colorful and pigmented. Maybe this week I'll try them out, or at least swatch them?  They've got a code on FB for a Tax Day sale right now. TAXDAY will get you 15% off their Etsy store or their website. They do stuff like that frequently. My order had a coupon for it too (was for Easter or the start of Spring I think).

 <--- Is the Ivory. Light coverage (still can see freckles), but covers redness.

Then over here ---->
They sent Turquoiuse eye shadow as a bonus sample. Like the color, but feel like I need work with my eye skills

Picking a Roller Derby Name: Q&A time!

I think I briefly mentioned this before in another post, I am a roller derby girl for those who are new, or missed that little tid bit. Pretty new at it too. Only joined a team about 2 months ago now. The team is very new. It was founded end of October 2012. None of us have ever played before, and many have never skated. I skated a lot as a kid, and worked at a roller rink as a teen. The skating portion has come easy to me, but I'm new to the sport and the rules. Here's a little blurb a few guys from AFN Sigonella did for us. I'm in there a couple times. Check me out doing my first few arm whips!


That said, only one girl has passed her minimum skills test. You have to pass this test to pick your derby name and number. More importantly, you have to pass to be able to bout and hit. I've taken one try at the test. I passed the written test with a 100%. I passed everything on the skills portion too, but the 25 in 5. You have to do 25 laps around the track in 5 minutes. This means you need to be doing laps in 12 seconds, or less. I average 11.7 for the first 15 or so laps, and then slow down. My latest time was 5:20, so very close to getting it.

This means I'm also very close to needing to pick my name and number out, and I haven't the slightest idea what to do. The name also has to be original. I'll have to go through the registered list and see if there is anything too close to what I want.

I'm front and center in this pic. 

I thought it might be fun to do a Q&A on here. Anyone can post a question and then I can come back through and answer. Then we can do a little name suggesting contest. I'll come up with something for anyone with a suggestion I really like, or can take a spin off of. We are working on getting more stuff with team logos on it (stickers, sweatshirts, shirt etc), so maybe something like that.

Thought this would be a good getting to know you for the blog too since it's still fairly new, and I've just posted a lot of reviews up to now. They can be personal questions or derby related ones. Just nothing too raunchy or inappropriate please. I'll just skip over anything I feel isn't meant to be public knowledge. Our team is also pretty family oriented. My kid goes with me to practices and team events, as do quite a few other kids. We are also a team on a military base, so need to keep names on the cleaner side. At lest in my opinion we should. If you ask a question, make sure to subscribe so you see the answer post go up, and can submit a name idea if you've got one.

February Birchbox

Just got my February box in yesterday (3/25/13). Took 6 weeks, which seems like the average for packages that aren't sent USPS Priority mail. I was a little bummed because this box took some damage. One of my samples is done for, and it was one I was excited about. I sent them a message and I'm waiting to hear what can or will be done (I'll update later on if anyone is curious as to how they handle damaged items).

Update: They sent me a message back as I was putting this post together. Said they no longer had samples left of my broken item, so would instead add 100 points ($10) to my account within 3 days. Essentially making this box free, but you have to spend the points in their shop.

I already know my March box will be extra late. My credit cards had to be canceled due to hacking, so I couldn't pay since it took over a month to get my new cards. I had to go into the bank and pull out cash for weeks, and no online spending unless it was PayPal friendly. Huge pain. It got fixed before they gave my box to someone else though. This means that it shipped very late. Looks like a good one though from the preview.

For February, I got:

• Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB cream- I was excited to finally try a BB cream, but this looks so very dark for my very white skin. I guess I'll have to see how it is. I love that is paraben and sulfate free and has natural SPF of 25. I'm hoping it goes on a lot sheerer than it looks. 
• Juicy Couture Couture La La- All these Juicy Couture perfume samples have just been terrible for me. They are all so strong and overwhelming for me. 
• theBalm cosmetics Hot Mama- This is a blush/shadow. This is the item that arrived damaged. The product was just a disaster. It wasn't just broken, but it had just turned to dust. 
• TIGI  Catwalk Your Highness Root Boost Spray- Really interested in trying this one too. My hair is very straight and not at all voluminous. Will have to figure out a style to try with this though. I'm so used to washing and just letting it air dry because it's that straight and fuss free. 
• Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel square- This was just a little bonus. I love these things, but as I've mentioned before I'd rather have another sample and no food. 

Going to try to salvage some to try it out.

From my January Box, I'm still using the Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream. I do like it, but not enough to go spend over $100 on it. That's the only thing I've really used from the box though. I will use the eye primer at some point, but had a lot going on to really mess with it the last few weeks. 

Seems like I'm getting many more hits on my blog, but have a little following of 3. I feel like I'm chatting to myself sometimes, so subscribe or comment. Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences with any of these items, or to just say 'hi' and let me know you dropped by.

Jean Shopping (A Dreaded Task)

I was in dire need of new jeans. I had 2 pairs die on me leaving me with a third that was wearing thin, and you know that one pair of jeans that are too small, but you keep anyway. I've been trying to wear them as little as possible and only wash after 2-3 wears (or if they needed it of course). You know, in an attempt to baby them into lasting until I could get the new ones.

I decided to try out Buckle's factory second jeans. They only sell these online, but they are about $36 compared to retail price of $66 to $80. These jeans are seconds. This means the sizing may be off. They may say 27 waist, but are actually a couple sizes smaller or larger. The inseam may say 29", but the inseam will be much longer, or shorter. They may be marked as a skinny fit when they really aren't. They may have mis-stitched a portion, or did too much grinding/sanding. You won't know what the situation is until you have the jeans in your hand, or you may not really notice any issues.

I got 3 different cuts, 2 different waist sizes, and 2 different inseams. One pair seemed true to inseam size, and 2 to waist size. Of course the pair that was actually short enough for me was the pair that seemed to run smaller than it was labeled. The other 2 are a little longer than they should be, and one looks like they might have done too much destruction on the thigh area. It's nothing I'd consider terrible though and it's definitely still a good pair of jeans. I will just need to have them both hemmed up, but the total cost will still be considerably less than buying them at retail price.

These jeans do not come with free alterations like Buckle's full priced, in store jeans. They are not refundable either, but you can exchange them. The next pair they send might not have the same issue as the first pair you received. I'm exchanging my one 'bad' pair. The return shipping to them is on me, but the pair they send me will have free shipping (Just got an e-mail that they got the jeans, but my choices were out of stock by the time they got them back. I got a gift card mailed to me instead.).

I got a BKE Stella Stretch jean in the Hershey II wash. These were a 28 x 31. The waist seems true to size, but the inseam on these are long. I can't see any cosmetic differences from what they show. There doesn't seem to be any issues other than them being longer than they say, which is easy to fix.

Then a BKE Sabrina Stretch jean in the Kearney wash. These were the same size as the Stella and had the same issue. No cosmetic issues, but were just longer than the inseam says they are.

The third pair was the pair I was most excited about, and they didn't fit. They were the BKE Madison stretch in the Bristol wash. These were a 27 x 29. I was thinking they'd be good with flats and sneakers being shorter, and I really liked the lighter wash. The waist size seemed to be the problem with these. The 28s are loose on me, so a 27 should have been a better fit, but these were very tight at the waist and thigh.

Then I really liked that Buckle has free shipping for military, and they used Priority mail! The jeans took just over a week to arrive, which is spectacular for FPO/APO shipping.

I had meant to take photos so you could see how ridiculously long they were, but this post has been sitting here forever now. They are already being hemmed, so a bit too late. Life kind of took over for a bit, but that happens.

Back at it (update about what rock we were hiding under)

I know I sort of disappeared for almost 2 weeks. We had a long, rough week last week. One of those weeks were if things were going to go wrong, they did. On top of all that , all week they had us scheduled for some sort of maintenance. We were without power, water, or phone/internet/tv just about every day for a large chunk of the day. Not a huge deal, but when stuff is adding up against you, it's a huge pain.

Poor Amara didn't sleep well last week, so neither did I. She kept having nightmares, I think. One night she'd just wake up crying. Then the next she would wake up crying and incoherently babbling something about needing to clean something up. I couldn't figure that one out. I guess she was having a nightmare about something being messy. She does like things to be clean. Like tonight, she went around the roller hockey rink at derby practice and picked up ALL the trash. She put it all in her stroller, so we could make sure it got into the trash at home.

The dog also got sick last week 2 times. First time, he stole Amara's sandwich. Should be no big deal right? Wrong. It was whole grain bread, and he has a sensitive stomach along with grain allergies. He was up sick every couple hours that night. Then a few days later we took him in for his annual booster shots. Everything looked great. Still gaining weight back on. Good labs. Go home happy and all is well. Then about 4.5 hours later he starts blowing up like a balloon. He had a terrible reaction to the shots. I ended up staying up with him pretty much all night making sure it didn't get worse or start giving him trouble breathing. Took 2 days for that to go down and him being doped up on Benadryl.

In addition to all that, we were minimum skills testing for roller derby. You have to pass this test in order to pick out your derby name and number (or yearly to renew), and more importantly actually participate in a bout. We had practice Sunday - Wednesday every day for 1-2 hours. One day was indoors since it rained. We took our written test and had dinner together (I was soooo thankful to not have to cook and just sit there in good company). I think we have a day or 2 more of testing to do this week since the rain was not kind to us last week.

Friday and Saturday we did some volunteer work with the derby team (friend the team!). We did a fundraiser with Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society selling hot dogs. Then Saturday we had a booth at the base to base run and 1/2 marathon. We were handing out fruit and water to the runners, and giving sugar highs to their kids with some baked goodies and Easter eggs. I had a few people at this point asking if I was okay since my eye bags had bags and their own dark circles at this point.

By Sunday I was ready to fall over. We had a pajama and Disney movie kind of day. It was just what I needed. I'm finally starting to feel human again. Oh the joys of Navy life and getting to deal with stuff like this all alone from time to time.

The All Natural Face Sampler

I've had this sampler for a LONG time (postage date says (08/24/2012), but just haven't used it all that much. I recently recollected all of it and started looking it over again. The All Natural Face is an Etsy shop and a website specializing in vegan mineral makeups and beauty supplies. Anything from foundation, eye shadow and blush to deodorants and hair care items. I got this sampler from the website because not all items are available on Etsy. 

Get Started Green Kit sampler is a little bit of everything powdered mineral make up for only $23. It came with things like powder mineral foundation, eye shadow, blushes, veils, and mineral powder concealers. Then 2 different brushes: a mini kabuki and an eye shadow brush. 

• Foundation: You can pick your color range fair to medium, or medium to dark. Then you get all of the colors in your range. For my range, this was 28 different foundations. Seems overwhelming right? There was also a little direction card on how to find your correct shade. I also easily eliminated a large chunk of them just by looking. I'm ghosty white, so obviously Tan or Olive isn't going to work. I don't want to look like my face is brown , or green. I thought I had found the perfect one, but then I wore it out one night and my husband kept commenting on how I looked even paler than usual. Guess I need to go back to the drawing board on that one. They also claim if none of these are the right foundation that they will work with you to make one that will be a perfect match. 
• Eye Shadow: You get 20 random eyeshadow samples in little plastic pots. They look like they each have enough for an application or 2. I also got 2 bonus samples of eye shadow in this order because they usually send a sample or 2 free with you purchase. I got a wide assortment of colors. Every color of the rainbow in some shade or another plus white, black, brown, gold and silver. 
• Glows: I got 7 different glows (which I believe is all the shades the have). They can be used for pretty much anything from my understanding. Such as blush or by itself with no foundation just for an all over healthy glow. They could also be used as nice neutral eye shadows. 
• Blush: You get all the blushes too. That is 26 different ones. Once again, sounds overwhelming, but there are some that obviously I would not be able to wear with my skin tone. 
• Veil: You get all 3 mineral veils as well. This can be used to finish you look. Will help your foundation stay put. 
• Concealer: You get all 6 concealers too. They are each designed to do something different. I was mostly interested in Midas, Patina, and Salmon. Salmon does what Mida and Patina do alone. The other 3 don't really apply to me.        

1. Midas: covers dark circles.           
2. Patina: covers rosacea and redness.           
3. Dawn: Balances out skin that appears too yellow.
4. Parrish: Balances out orangey-ness especially from tanning beds. 
5. Ecru: Gives darker skin an inner subtle glow. Gives you a soft focus to your appearance. 
6. Salmon: Salmon is good for medium skin tones. Good if you normally wear brown concealer. 

You can order the kit, or samples of these individually. For example, a sample of a concealer is .35 cents for one, or $1.75 for all. You could easily build your own sampler. Since I have no make up and had no idea what I would like, I figured this larger sampler might be better. If you have an idea of what you are after al a carte might be better for you. 

From what I remember, service was fast and so was shipping. I had some sort of coupon code too. I think for free shipping maybe? It was a long time ago. They post specials here and I'm seeing they have started up a monthly beauty box like Birchbox or Ipsy for $15 a month guaranteeing $20 in product and extra samples to boot. 

I did drag this out and attempt to use it the other day. I was running on fumes and was trying to cover up my mommy/zombie look I had going on. I was too tired to make it work though. I think I actually managed to make myself look worse because I was just too exhausted. I want to give the foundation matching another go though. I like that this stuff is all natural, and vegan. I don't like putting a bunch of nasty, harsh chemicals on me. I just need to take some time to get used to it all. 

January Birchbox

This one got here a little faster! On the other hand, not really all that excited about anything I did get this month. I've had it a few days and it's just been sitting here.

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream sample sized exfoliating moisturizer. I'll try it, but it's so expensive that I'd never even consider buying the full size. No cream can really be worth $115.

Frownies Eye Gels 1 set sample. Fights puffiness and dark circles under your eye. This isn't a problem area for me, so not sure if I'll even try it.

Harvey Prince Skinny Girl fragrance. Supposedly, this fragrance helps fight cravings. I think it just smells bad though.

Keratase Nutritive Nectar Themique-Protect hair cream. I got 2 little foil packets of this. It's something I will use, but I really do like the coconut oil for leave in and you can't get anymore natural/chemical free than that.

theBalm cosmetics Put a Lid on it Eyelid Primer. I'll give this one a try too. I've never used a primer before.

I was glad to see there was no food in this box. I do like candy, but I'm pretty good at picking candy on my own and I'd rather have the extra beauty sample.



I've really been loving the Number 4 clarifying shampoo that I got in December's box though. I've only been using the sample bottle since I got it (so 2 weeks now). It's the first vegan, sulfate free shampoo I've been impressed with. It doesn't leave my hair feeling like it is super greasy and it doesn't dry it out either. You don't have to use much as long as you are mindful that it is not going to get foamy. Maybe half of the bottle is gone after 2 weeks. I might buy this one after the sampler is gone, if I can get over the cost. I just need to remember a little goes a long way and even though the bottle is small, it should last a long while.

December Birchbox

It's finally here. This one took even longer than my November BB. It was sent December 8 and scanned as arrived on base February 13, and another week to be gotten to me. That makes 10.5 weeks for it to arrive. I really wish they would not use the Mail Innovations method as it comes to FPO ridiculously slow. I will say though we had 2 other items sent about the same time that also just showed up, so something might have happened to slow this particular mail shipment down, but their sites says 4-6 weeks for FPO. Anyone else get it sent to an FPO? Tempted to run it through the mail forwarding service and sent Priority. Surely it can't cost all that much since most are under a pound. It would be nice to be able to leave feedback for points I can redeem for cash on the site.

I know by now everyone has long since had their box and is probably getting their February box, so I'll keep it shorter. Maybe my January one will be here soon. It's been 6 weeks on that one already. Just want to add, I'm not truly complaining, just giving some idea for those who are FPO/APO too. It is a little annoying that it takes so long, but not much can be done about it unless Birchbox switches to Priority mailing.

I received these items:
Eyeko Skiny Liquid Eyeliner in Olive and it was a full size (retails for $15, so this alone is $5 more than what the box cost). Will be my first attempt with liquid eyeliner and I'm not sure about this Olive color. My eyes are hazel with some green, so it might not be as bad as I think. It's just 'different' for me.

I was sort of hoping it would just look black/brown, but it is definitely olive. 

Mox Botanical Lip Butter in the Pomegranate & Fig flavor. It's a 0.1 oz sized one (and I see 0.2 is full sized for $16), but still a lot of product for a lip butter. It says it's all natural and organic. It smells and tastes good. I find it to be very smooth too.

Chuao Chocolatier ChocoPod and I got the Salted Chocolate Crunch flavor, and it was pretty delicious. I love dark chocolate though.

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo which was a sample size. This is vegan, and free of sulfates and parabens. I'm excited to try this one out. Been trying to find a new, good shampoo, but clarifying plus dyed hair isn't usually a good combo, and I'm going to color my hair soon. I see it claims to not strip color on the packaging.

Aerie Shimmer Fragrance which was a sample size. The scent is far too strong for my liking, and the packaging is a pain. Going to see if anyone I know would like to try it.

They also included $50 to Rent the Runway. It's a site where you can rent high end clothing for special events. The code is for $50 off $125 or more. The code expires in 1 week (02/28/2013), but if anyone is interested, it is BRCHBX50

Only stuff I'd consider buying is like the Mox Lip Butter and maybe the eye liner, but in something other than green.

2 week Biotin and Coconut oil update

It's been 2 weeks since I started the biotin and coconut oil for my nails and hair, so figured it was a good time for a little update.

My nails are still peeling a little, but have improved. They seem to be growing in faster. I'm hoping once all the pre-biotin nail has grown out and been trimmed off the peeling will completely stop. I've also been trying to keep the ones that are peeling buffed and painted, so the ragged, peeling parts do not snag and get worse. You can see what parts are still peeling as they are stained red from the very, very bright red polish I had on last week.

I did the coconut oil hair treatment 2 times the first week and one time this second week. I think that will probably be good for my hair right now, so I'll either do just once a week or maybe even once every 2 weeks. It's pretty healthy and undyed. There hasn't been any noticeable growth after just 2 weeks though. There is quite a bit of shine, but my hair was pretty shiny prior to starting this.

Fun new activities for ME!

I signed up with Influenster and BzzAgent recently. Both are sites that look for people with active social media, blogs, or reviews on YouTube or store websites. You take some surveys, leave feedback on products, and wait to see if you get picked to try some stuff out.

I've only been on both a few days and was already selected to receive some samples to review. The first one was through BzzAgent for some facial products. I've got invites for Influenster (if anyone is interested), and you can just go to the BzzAgent website to sign up. I found these on YouTube watching random videos the other night, and thought I'd give them a try. Nothing to lose since it's all free. You don't even pay for shipping of these products. You just need to try the stuff and leave feedback where they ask. They aren't asking you lie and try to up-sell stuff for them. They want your honest opinion about the products.

Then my more exciting news is I joined a roller derby team! Team is Medusa's Minions here on the base. The team is very, very new and just getting established. Everyone is learning together, and having a lot of fun doing so. I've been to a few practices now, but can only observe. I'm waiting for my skate shipment to arrive so I can actually join in. I've skated a lot in the past, but it's been a few years. I'm hoping it is like riding a bike. You know, something that easily comes back to you even after some time has passed.

For now, I'm just reading up on the rules and minimum skill requirements. I'm working on compiling some video examples of these skills to share with the team as well, so if anyone has any awesome training links to share, it'd be much appreciated. I've just been searching YouTube high and low for videos.

Oreo Brownie Cupcakes = heaven in your mouth

Our little girl just recently turned 2 (end of January). We ended up doing her celebration a couple weeks early though so Daddy could also be in attendance. The Navy called, so we made sure to do it early.

I can hardly believe she is 2 though. I can still clearly recall having her and bringing her tiny little self home. Now she is talking up and storm and almost half my height already (an easy feat considering how short I am!). It's amazing watching her grow into her own little person. She definitely is developing her own personality and likes. Turning into a girly girl despite her Daddy's wishes for her to be a tom boy.

I wanted to share the amazing cupcake recipe I used for her birthday though. I could just sit and eat the frosting with graham crackers. The cake part was delicious too, but the frosting stole the show for Amara and I.

It wasn't a hard recipe. Not quite from scratch, but not just right from the box either. I found this over at your cup of cake. Followed the recipe to the T and they came out just perfect. We used Double Stuff Oreos and I just made a simple box mix of fudge brownies a few days prior to making the cupcakes (and stashed away how many I needed for the cupcakes so they didn't get eaten).

Oreo Brownie Cupcakes
 Oreo Cake:

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped oreos

Brownie Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3-4 cups powdered sugar

6-8 brownies (mine were about 2 by 2 inches)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl to remove lumps and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, gently whisk eggs, oil, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract together.

4. Add cake mix and stir until smooth.

5. Fold in chopped oreos.

6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full (they won't rise quite as much as normal cupcakes because of the Oreo pieces).

7. Bake for 17-22 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

8. Let cool.

9. Frosting: Beat butter and vanilla extract. Add cocoa powder and slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add brownies (crumble them first) and beat only until the brownies are covered in frosting.

10. Frost your cupcakes using a knife or a #809 piping tip and top with pieces of Oreo.

Copyright © YourCupofCake

Coconut oil and biotin: Hair edition

Since I purchased the biotin and coconut oil for my peeling nails, I looked into other uses for them too. You can view that post to see specifics on brand and cost.

The biotin supports not only nail growth, but hair and skin as well. My hair grows faster than average, so it's not anything I'm too concerned about, but I thought it might be interesting to sort of track it and see if this seems to give any additional boost. I'm sure a lot of other factors are going to play in like how much you use heat on your hair and what sort of product your use (shampoo, hair spray, gels etc).

The coconut oil can also be used as a deep hair conditioning treatment. It apparently can penetrate the hair shaft, unlike your store bought conditioners, and repair from the inside out. You can put some in your hair and put on a shower cap and blast with heat for a hot oil treatment, or just put it on and leave it there for awhile. I opted for the second option. I put some on and ran a rat tail comb through it to make sure the oil was evenly distributed. Then wrapped my hair up in a bun, and left it sit for hours. We weren't going anywhere, so it wasn't a big deal. Someone, of course, had to stop by and I hope I didn't look completely disgusting. It also smells nice and some of it melted down onto my forehead and neck, so they got a nice moisturizer too. Don't forget to just rub the extra into your hands instead of washing it off!

Doesn't look too bad. Just like you've got your wet hair pull up.

Then you just wash and condition like you usually would. Make sure you wash it all out. The first treatment, I had a section that I didn't get out with the first wash and had to do it again because it looked like I had one extremely dirty chunk of hair over my ear. My hair looked and felt a lot smoother just with one application. The little fly away frizzy looking hairs were tamed too. I've got some fine baby like hair around my temples that likes to get a little crazy now and then, but this seemed to help tame it.

I've done the conditioning treatment twice now. I think 2 times a week is good until you get it where you want. Then once every 1-2 weeks (or as needed) to maintain. I don't use much product or heat and my hair is all virgin, undyed hair right now. Our water is very hard though and I've struggled with my hair since moving here.

It also is antimicrobial, and can help with dandruff. If that is an issue for you, make sure to really massage it into your scalp too. It would also help with a dry, itchy scalp not related to dandruff.

There looks to be a ton of uses for the coconut oil. What do you use it for? Some I ran across were makeup remover, lotion, cloth diaper cream and even as a diet. The people were eating nothing but the oil to perform a cleanse, and the process didn't sound pleasant.

Not the best photo since it was just iPad, but gives good idea of the length.  It's also just air dried here . NO product/straightening. Just natural after washing it from the oil treatment. 

My hair measures 17" root to longest tip (about 14" root to tip of a single strand). Then I had some side swept bangs, but they hang to my chin now. Need to go get a trim to get rid of any split ends so it can grow healthily. I'm aiming to grow it out again, so hoping this helps speed up the process just a tad bit.

New Zoya Polishes

I'll keep this one short since I already did a long post about Zoya. They recently had a try 3 promotion. You got 3 polishes for free and you just paid the shipping fee of $10. Great deal since they retail for $8. Then in addition, if you spent $25 dollars on other product you got free shipping.

I figured I'd rather spend $15 more and get $25 worth of products than just pay $10 for shipping. I got 6 polishes for $25 (which pretty much works out to buy 3, get 3 free with free shipping).

I got from left to right: Armor top coat, Trixie (silver), Sooki (a blood red), Reagan (purple/pink), Akyra (teal, but looks more green in photo), and Kimber (pink w/ golden sparkle to it).

The links will take you to the color and are Share the Love links. If you are not signed up with Zoya, and open an account through one of links, you get a code for a free polish. Then if you buy an additional 2 polishes, you also get free shipping. I'll get points to redeem as coupons.

I'm very happy with all these colors. Some of them had been sitting on my wish list for quite awhile and I had trouble limiting it to just 6. Hopefully I'll have time to try a couple out this week. I've got quite the little collection going now, and Zoya is the only polish in the house. That's how much I love it. I think we will probably be set for awhile. I'm not really liking their new Spring line, but they are all pastels and you can see from my selections, I'm not really a pastel kind of girl.

Mario Badescu: Free customized samples!

A friend shared this on Facebook not too long ago. You can go here and fill out a questionnaire. Then, based on your responses, they come up with a customized skin care regime for you. If you do not order at that time, and wait a few days, they will e-mail you asking if you want samples of the items they recommended to you.

My friend did post the link with a photo of the items she received, so it is legitimate. I just got my e-mail asking if I wanted the samples. I'm sure it will take another 2-6 weeks before I see them though. I'm really interested in trying the strawberry  face scrub they are sending to me. I'm also getting a drying cream, a cleansing lotion, and an eye cream. I never have tried an eye cream, so that will be different for me too. The full sized products seem to be decent prices too. If I like any of the items enough to purchase, they aren't going to break us.

Looks like they are good as far as ingredients go, most were natural. I just looked briefly at a few of the things I'm going to get, so it may not be the case for all their product. They are cruelty free too.

ETA: They do ship FPO/APO. It says so in their information section. However, these are not options when you go to put in your shipping address. There is no AE/AA in the state drop down. I know for my location we can substitute NY since our mail typically routes through NY to get to us. I know not having that FPO/APO selection at checkout can make you leave a site quickly if you aren't sure what to do. I am not sure if all FPO/APO locations can use NY though, so check for your location to see what state you should use.

Winter and the no good, brittle nails

My nails have been driving me bonkers since about the first week of December. They have been peeling off the tips in layers. Google gives you all sorts of crazy reasons why this happens. Everything from deficiencies, to just the weather being cold/dry. I tried keeping them shorter and painting them (you know to 'glue' them together). Go figure, that logic didn't work and I ended up with polish that also peeled in a day or 2. This was the Zoya I raved about (and still love), but clearly it's not meant to be a nail 'glue' .

Apparently I'm doing several things wrong that could also contribute to this issue. I'm using a metal nail file, which is apparently a no, no. I also file back and forth when you should just file and buff in one direction. The metal files sound to be too harsh for most nails. The back and forth sawing motion just causes damages and weaknesses. 

Then cue cold weather and dry skin/cuticles. This also makes things brittle, as will having your hands submerged in water too long. I was doing a lot of hand washing around the holidays when the dishwasher was too full. I also just hand wash my pots/pans as I feel it helps keep the nonstick coating in better condition for longer. 

Now the nails just seem unable to get back to a good place. I don't think I fall under the deficiency category for this issue. I've not changed my diet, and this is a new problem. If it were diet/deficiency related I'm thinking it would have been an issue long before now. I'm assuming it was a combination of my bad filing habits and elements (cold, dry and being submerged in hot water too long). 

I got some biotin which supports nail growth and some coconut oil to use as a cuticle oil/hand moisturizer. I also have some hand lotion that I should probably actually use. This stuff is only really going to help with new growth though, so might be awhile before this troublesome problem goes away.

I got the biotin and coconut oil at the grocery store. The coconut oil is USDA organic unrefined oil. I got this brand (link to Amazon, but this doesn't appear to be the best deal around), but it was the only option they had at our tiny store on base. It was about $6 for 14 oz. You need such a small amount for your hands, so if this is your only use of it the bottle would last for quite some time. Brand shouldn't matter here either, just look for USDA organic unrefined and it will be the same. The oil is a solid at room temperature, but melts at body temperature. Just scoop a little out and massage into your cuticles and hands. It will feel greasy at first, but it absorbs quickly. My hands already feel a little softer and I only purchased it yesterday (so have only done a couple applications). 

Then I got Nature Made biotin. It is one 2500 mcg soft gel a day. I have read blogs where others were taking 5000 per day. Since most people do not have a deficiency, there is a very low daily recommendation of about 30 mcg for adults (see here for more information or consult your doctor to make sure it won't interfere with anything). Seems that even at high levels it is safe, but I'm going to stick with the one pill a day. It was about $5 for the bottle I do believe (so once again, Amazon link not the best deal, just an example). 

I'll update later on for any interested to hear if it helped, or didn't seem to make much difference. 

Amara's Bath Gets a Makeover

The kiddo has gotten some new bath time goodies. Not just toys, but I overhauled her bubble bath, body wash, and shampoo too. I've been slowly changing things out for greener, healthier options as things run out.

We have finally used up the last of her Johnson & Johnson lavender baby wash and shampoo that we got as gifts before she was born. Yes, one bottle of each lasted us 2 years. I hate to waste stuff, but I was very tempted to just dump it. I read many articles about parents up in arms over the unsafe ingredients in this 'oh so gentle' baby product. Here is an example article with some of the information, and there are many more if you Google the brand name, shampoo, and cancer. I am not sure if they ever agreed to reformulate, but the bottle we had would have been made prior to this article, so would have had these ingredients in it. It's also disturbing that they wouldn't easily agree to removing the ingredients when they had done so for other countries and were aware of the potential problems/risks.

The bubble bath she had wasn't any better. It had Elmo on it though, so you know it was the one kids would be picking out. It was 'watermelon' scented, but it was definitely a chemically smelling watermelon, so not very watermelon scented after all. I can't remember what brand it was, so can't link or look up ingredients.

Her shampoo and body soap are both by Little Twig (we ordered from drugstore.com and used Ebates). It's an organic and cruelty free line. EWG rates it a 2, so it is quite safe to use (the lower the number the better). The harshest item in the shampoo is a foaming agent/conditioner, and the second is a preservative. They present allergy concerns for the most part. That said, it still has a shelf life of 12 months once opened. It's sulfate, paraben, free of artificial scents, and artificial dye free. I got the shampoo and body wash in the tangerine scent. So far so good. It is not as foamy as your typical drugstore shampoo/soaps. It's left her hair very soft and manageable. The scent is very nice and refreshing. I did see they have a conditioner too. Might get it since Amara's hair is getting pretty long and surely will start tangling more easily any day now.

Then I got her some glycerin based bubble bath from My Beauty Addiction (looks like it's is currently only in their Etsy store, but I'm pretty sure I had ordered it from their website in November). I got birthday cake scent, so obviously it's not 100% natural since there is no birthday cake essential oils, but I'm not too worried about it since none of us have ever shown even the slightest sign of being allergic to fragrance. It also makes more bubbles with a smaller amount of the bubble bath. I found it easier to clean after the previous kind left a film on the tub if you didn't really rinse/wipe the tub down afterward.

We also recently got some cute new tub toys for Christmas. One of the best ones has been Little Tikes Butterfly Net toy. It's 3 little butterflies and a net. You pull on the butterfly's tail and they 'flutter' in the water. They actually move around pretty well and are very simple for Amara to use. The wings stop moving when they are sitting against anything, so they stop moving while in the net, or sitting in your hand. They float well, and don't just sink. They do have little holes and can fill up with water, but drain easily. We have another toy that 'swims' and it doesn't work all that well, so I didn't really have high hopes for this toy (it was a gift). It's not a bath time favorite.

I also had to finally put up the baby wash cloths and hooded towels. She got big girl purple towels and neon wash cloths for her bathroom. The hooded stuff just wasn't big enough or absorbent enough anymore.

Darn Technology

We have had a few set backs with the electronics in our house. We had 2 laptops that decide to die within about a week of each other. One was getting quite old anyway, so we weren't too shocked there. The other was a 4.5 month or so old HP laptop. I put it down to go eat, and when I came back about an hour later to finish up whatever I had been doing it just didn't work anymore. Went online to see about warranty/customer support and they claim we have had our computer much longer. According to them, it was registered quite some time before we ever had it in our possession (about 9 months before). We, of course, have no receipt and my husband bought it in Greece, so there is no chance of us getting a copy of the receipt from the store. Took the hard drive out, and we will likely try to sell it for parts. Then that will be that with laptops for us, unless a very valid reason to have one comes up again.

That whole debacle left us with one desktop and an iPad. Well, the desktop left for a bit, so I was left with an iPad. Which is great for a lot of things, but as your primary computer, not so great. It is very inconvenient to write long posts on, or do anything too in depth. I couldn't upload my photos from my camera either. That's why I hadn't posted anything in awhile. It was a huge pain doing the one post I did do from my iPad (the Birchbox post), so I decided to just hold off.

I will say I have learned a lot from this. The desktop is one of the 'build it yourself' varieties. My husband had just about enough spare pieces around to build this second computer. I got to finish assembling it myself. Proud to say it is fully functional and I troubleshot all the problems I ran into on my own (or with a lot of help from Google and YouTube, but hey I did it). I think one or two more things will make it just about perfect. Already missing my SD card reader and debating on a webcam. The iPad is okay for Skype, but difficult with a wiggling toddler who wants to get 2 inches from it and likes to push the red phone touch screen button frequently.

Anyway, I have a few things to post about. I'll try to spread them out a bit instead of just bombarding the blog with posts.

First Birchbox

Finally got my first Birchbox. This is November's box though. Yes, they mailed them late due to Hurricane Sandy, but it still took a long time to reach me. It mailed December 1 and arrived January 14, so 6 weeks. Not a huge deal as it is just a box of samples and nothing I was going to 'die' without. However, I do miss out on a few Birchbox perks like getting points for reviewing my samples within 30 days of the mailing date and getting free shipping on any of the items I try from that month's box. Yes, I can still buy them, but the little extras would be nice too. Since the December box shipped just a few days later, I'm hoping it'll show up in the next few days too.

For November, I got a sample of Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur fragrance. It's described as 'a feminine blend of wild berries, mandarin, and waterlily'. I thought the waterlily was overpowering though. As berries were listed first that was the smell I was hoping would be prominent. It was just too strong and my husband didn't like it either. With fragrance, I'd like if its something he likes too.

ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend lengthening mascara. This was a full sized sample that retails for $24, so in a way I made $14 from this box. I received it in black. It has little fibers in it that will cling to your lashes and make them fuller and longer. I brushed it onto the back of my hand, and you really can see the fibers. I'm wondering if they will clump. I'm also wondering what is in it. I did a brief search and just came up with a bunch of reviews, but no mention of ingredients or what these fibers they used are.

One Love Organics Aromatic Body Serum. I got a sample size in the Rose scent. The smell is great. Not too strong but also enough to where its not disappearing quickly after application. I looked up the ingredients in this one, and it really does all appear to be organic and natural. I don't feel it moisturizes any better than some of my other natural lotions for the price of $39. I can buy a lot of my other stuff for that price.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture & Volume spray. I haven't used it yet, but did spray some on my hair before a shower just because. It had a nice smell for a hair spray and didn't feel sticky. Something else I'd like to look at ingredients for though.

Then the last item was a food sample. I got a SoyJoy cranberry bar. I won't lie, this one is just going to hit the trash. No one here eats cranberry, or even likes the flavor. They are gluten free though if anyone is interested in finding a gluten free snack.

Didn't feel like I got anything I can't live without this month. I guess I will see what the next box holds and go from there. There aren't many sample boxes that will ship FPO.

Got my Juicy!

It's been 2 years since I purchased a new purse. I know for some that's not a huge deal, but before that I was getting a new one at least a couple times a year. I just love having a new purse for whatever reason. My husband on the other hand, isn't such a fan of this habit. Especially since I do like the get the more expensive bags most of the time.

For Christmas, we each got some checks and cash. I decided to use some of mine to get a new purse and wallet. I really did need a new wallet. The one I had was fraying and starting to rip at the seam. The zipper also stuck every once in awhile.

I started looking around online for ideas, and saw a Daydreamer bag pinned on Pinterest. I just kept thinking about it, so decided that was the bag I was going to get. I looked on eBay and such, but decided to just order directly from their website. They were having a 40% off sale at the time too.

I got the Nylon Daydreamer in Black. I see there are more colors there now though. There was only black and the fuschia when I purchased.

 I usually avoid anything with gold, but this is so little and so subtle that it doesn't bother me. I picked a nylon over the velour Daydreamer because I figured it'd be easier to wipe down should anything like juice or half eaten crackers get smeared on it. There is a zippered pocket and a slip pocket on each side. Great for phones and things like chapstick that you often want to grab quickly. My only issue is the big gaping opening in the center. There are no dividers. Just the small zippered pocket and 2 small slip pockets. There is plenty of room for cloth diapers and toddler stuff though. I just need to find an organizer/divider thing to slip into it, so I'm not digging in the bottom of my bag for keys or something more important like fruit snacks and crackers.

Then the wallet I purchased is no longer available on their site. I really like it for the most part. It's long enough for bills to fit into it. My last wallet wasn't long enough and I had to fold cash up in order for it to close. This left it very fat since money was always waded up. There also weren't very many slots for cards, which isn't an issue with this new wallet. I only have 2 complaints about it. The first I have is that some of the 'scales' are a little peeled up along the fold. I'd be more upset if I had paid full price, but it was already reduced and the extra 40% off. It isn't really noticeable either. I just happened to notice it while I was holding it.  The second, there is no thumb hole to slide your ID in and out. It's a little hard getting my military ID in and out. I have to get it out about 4 times whenever we leave the house, so it's a bit of a pain. I'm hoping the slot loosens up some and it's not such a nuisance soon. That or I may pick another slot for my ID and just have my driver's license in the clear window since no one ever asks to see that one here.

 

Shipping was good. The bag arrived very well package. It took me awhile to get all the paper and protective foam off of it, but that's okay if it meant it arrived without getting banged up. Since it was during the holidays, the shipping to FPO took about 2 weeks, but that's still pretty impressive.

Christmas Cookies!

 Amara and I made Christmas cookies recently. We made my favorite sugar cookies. I don't much care for the hard ones you usually cut out with the cookie cutters and frost. The recipe I use is my grandmother's (and her grandmother's before her, not quite sure how far back it goes). It makes light, fluffy cake-like sugar cookies. Then you top them with Christmas colored sugar or sprinkles. The cookies are great warm, cool, with milk, by themselves, and even freeze very well to save for holiday events later on in the month. They are also much easier to whip up and decorate than the cookie cutter ones that you spend an eternity frosting to look pretty. It also just feels like Christmas to me since we made these cookies every single year as kids. You could easily adjust these to whatever holiday you'd like by changing the sprinkles you use, but I generally save these as special Christmastime cookies. I know this post is a little late too. I meant to get it up before Christmas, but life got hectic.

Sugar Cookies
3 eggs
1 cup Crisco
1 and 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk ( or substitute with 1 cup milk plus 1 teaspoon white vinegar because who has buttermilk?)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of table salt
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

It doesn't have any mixing order directions. I usually cream the Crisco and sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Then pour in the buttermilk (or substitute), and lastly the dry ingredients. That's the order most other recipes use, so figured it was a good strategy. I've done it randomly too, and they always turn out good.

Preheat oven to 375

Then drop them by the tablespoon full onto a cookie sheet. Decorate with your choice of sprinkles or colored sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They are delicate cookies and can burn quick, so set your timer for 9 or 10 minutes and watch them closely

Some of ours got A LOT of sugar on them due to my little helper, but they were still delicious and just gave her that much more of a sugar buzz lol!

Nomming down on her hard work. Then just looking like she is about to get into some trouble...