Nail Art Society

Hello all in internet land.  Today's chat and review will be about Nail Art Society.  Let me tell you a little story before we begin the reviews.  Once upon a time (March of 2013) I was reading a makeup site and the subscription box threads.  Yes I have a small teeny tiny addiction to subscription boxes.  At the time I was into the YouTube nail art tutorials.  It looked great in theory but in practice with my shaky hands well... anyhow I digress.  I saw a post on Nail Art Society.  They were relatively new and were restructured under new ownership.  There were some negative nancys writing about them.  So of coarse I like to give the underdog a chance to prove themselves ordered.  I also joined at the time they had a lifetime $9.95 per box pricing when regular pricing at the time (or supposed regular pricing was $19.99.  What they promise. 
"Each month you’ll receive a new kit curated by one of our celebrity manicurists. Kits contains all of the polishes, professional tools, supplies, and step-by-step instructions you’ll need to create our featured look at home. Combine elements from past kits and get creative with designs of your own."  At the current time the "membership" is $11.95 a month plus $4.95 shipping.  Now I got the March 2013 box and don't really remember being all that impressed at the time.  I didn't get another until January 2014.   They sent a email stating they were upgrading their computer program and we had to resign up.  Not to worry because our other information would be deleted and no one else would see it.  In January I resigned with a different card.  A MasterCard.  A Visa was on file prior.  I decided to cancel the day I received the January box.  January I was also charged a different amount and shipping which prior I hadn't been.  No big deal.  Anyhow...February comes and I was looking over my visa account and discovered I had been charged $9.95.  Oh well, I figured perhaps I didn't cancel early enough or what not and awaited my box.  It never came.  March I was charged again.  I logged into my account and it said I was no longer a member and the MasterCard was on file.  Huh why is my visa being charged... And then I looked for a phone number to call them as most subscription services have excellent customer service on the phone and this was an emergent issue as I wanted to alert them that somebody had perhaps gotten a hold of their old records and were using them (fraud) or perhaps someone was ordering and sending the boxes to a different address again fraud.  No phone number.  So I sent an email.  I never got a response.  April comes and same thing, sent another email, no response.  May comes and again charged and no response.  June I finally get a response after I threaten legal action and bad reviews on nail community boards.  The response was "can I call you now to talk about this matter"...it was time stamped at 6:15 and it was 7:30 when I checked my email.  I wrote back nicely and said yes please call me anytime after noon.  I am excited to talk to you and resolve this matter.  I did not hear back from anyone.  However I got an email saying hooray your order has been shipped.  Okay...I got my June box...but what about the last 4 months.  Wait until you see Junes box...I was pissed off.  Perhaps because I was already in a sour mood about these people.  Then July comes.  Surely they have taken care of the matter and I will not be charged...Wrong.  I was this time I wrote another firm yet compassionate letter about how I am sure it is not their error, computers are horrific and that I am patiently waiting to do my review on the company to see if this issue will be resolved. I stated that I either wanted the 4 boxes I have been charged for or a full refund for the 4 months I was charged and did not receive products.   I was contacted the next day and refunded for July.  I had said in the email I don't mind being charged as long as I got the product.  I then wrote thank you for the refund.  I appreciate it.  What is the status on the past boxes I was charged for.  She wrote back you got March and June correct.  I wrote back I got March 2013 and January 2014 and June 2014.  They must have read it wrong because I got an email stating our shipping coordinator is sending out Feb, April and may's boxes to you right now.  And my friends I did receive 4 shipping confirmations and tracking numbers, 3 boxes and the fourth tracking number was just a info received message and is still that way.  So it was never sent out.  I decided to let it go.  I am happy I got the 3 boxes I have been waiting forever for.  I never did get any answers to how my subscription was cancelled and the visa card isn't even on my account anymore yet it was still being charged questions, and other questions I had.  I guess that will remain an enigma.  Will I be charged again in August??? That is the question.  So without further ado...

My boxes...now some have months on the cards and some don't.  So I just guessed what was suppose to be what. 

No Month:  On the card there are directions for two different nail art designs.   #Diamond Nails and #Shattered Glass.  The Materials given were A bottle of ORLY Instant Artist Water Based Nail paint in Crisp White and ORLY Instant Artist Water Based Nail Paint in Grape.  Both Full size retail for $6.50 each.  Next a small packet of nail art flakes and a small packet of tiny pink diamond shaped glitters in hot pink.  And last an orange stick.  Now we have to guess the value of the glitters I will round up and say $1.00 each and the orange stick..$.25.  Grand total for this box  $15.25.

March 2014 is entitled Denim Blues.  Featuring Habit Cosmetics.  I was really excited after I looked up the polishes I received.  Both full size from Habit Cosmetics in Blue Velvet and Belle Epoque.  Both gorgeous shades of blue.  They naturally strengthen nails with Myrrh extract.  Myrrh is also anti inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti fungal.  So in addition to getting awesome Nail polish I finally learned what one of the wise men brought to the party.  Sounds like a very useful product.  Back to Nails, we also got a pack of each gold and silver zipper decals for the nails and an orange stick.  Now get ready to lose your mind the bottles of nail polish sell for $18.00 each and they are only .35oz each.  And yes I looked it up it is full size.  Myrrh is expensive I guess.  The nail decals are the brand Blue Elf Beauty Sells on amazon for $4.37 each.  Grand total for this box is around $45.00.  I really like the quality and colors of these polishes.  They were opaque in one coat and shiny without a top coat.

May 2014 #Something Blue

In this kit I recieved a bottle of Jessica nail polish in the shade Surfer Boyz N Berry $8.40, It is a like a tiffany blue color, A package of The Creme Shop Nail Appliques #30 $5.00 is a guess because no where online sells these anymore, not even the company, A Sally Hansen I love Nails Nail pen in 310 White fine tip $5.99.  A Nail Cage $1.00 on ShopMissA.com  and two 3D white Bows $1.00, 2 midi rings in a silver color $1.00  and a nail scissors

$1.00 at any dollar store and of coarse the orange stick. This box retails for around $23.00. 

June was a Pedicure box... I was none too thrilled when I had waited so long for my emails to be answered and to get a box and then I open it up to see a Pink Manicure set $1.00 (the kind you get at the Dollar Tree), A Mini Ciate polish in the color glitter pucker up pink and this tiny bottle retails at sephora for $8.00, a small jar of hot pink glitter hex shapes $1.00  and two packets of a foot exfoliate from Freeman Bare Foot the full size of 5.3 oz is $5.99 and the two sample packets are only .5 each so about $1.00 for both.  . This box retailed for around $11.00.  The polish is nice but I wouldn't pay $8.00 for .17 oz. Not pictured are the toe separators and plastic orange stick.  Anyone know what the heck that piece of pink Styrofoam is for (the rectangular object).  

So those are all of my Nail Art Society Boxes.  Now perhaps they figured their issues out and this isn't happening to new people that sign up.  If you think that the products are worth over 15.00 a month go ahead and sign up.  To me they are really not, I'd rather save my $15.00 and go onto Amazon.com and buy nail art supplies and then go buy nail polish elsewhere.  Also I worry about any company that does NOT have a phone number to speak to real people.  They use to.  Anyhow.  I am happy I got what I got and I am happy they finally sent me all but one of my boxes.  I am still missing Feb or April...depending on what month the ORLY stuff came in.  I am not bitter.  I won't say Don't give them a chance.  ;Let me know how it works out for you.  Watch now that I cancelled again the boxes will be awesome.  That is just my luck.  OR Maybe they will continue to blow chunks.  That is the gamble you take with subscription services.  Anyhow my nail art addiction has long passed.  I am addicted to polish only and stamping.    I will post the link here if you want to check it out.  Nail Art Society  Keep Keeping on and Remember Friends don't let Friends Buy CRAP.

NEW SUBSCRIPTION Lip Monthly

Upon opening

Pretty Products lined up in a row.  Ready for review captain!

Hello Internet friends.  I hope your summer is going well.  I have something exciting that brought me back to the blogasphere.  A new beauty subscription!  So exciting that I even taped a video review five times for Youtube...I think I may need to record it again.  Take 6!  Speaking of Youtube, I discovered this box from a favorite super youtuber of mine, Melissa Raymond.  She is hysterical and I adore her reviews.  Melissa Raymond Awesome Youtube channel Click the preceding link to watch her be awesome. Without further ado my review of July 2014 Lip Monthly.

Revlon Color Burst In Sunbaked

So I bring in the mail and there is a white bubble envelope.  The return address said Lip Monthly.  Yaaa.  I rip open the envelope and three products and a small box with the lip monthly logo spill out.  Still excited.  The first product which is called the Monthly Mix up (a non lippy product they will include every month) is a 1.5 oz John Frida Frizz Ease smoothing creme.  Okay sure.  I will use this...I guess.  On amazon this product size sells for $5.65.  The next product rolling around my table is a City Color Lip Lush (Lip Crayon) in the color Malt.  It is a nice brown color in the nude family.  It retails for a whopping $2.99 on the City Color cosmetics website.  It isn't horrible and looks pretty nice with the next product about to fall off my table which is the Revlon Color Burst Lip Gloss in the shade Sunbaked.  A glossy shimmery nude brown with a berry tinge.  It is a bit sticky so we will play with it and see how much I love it  This retails for $6.99.  It looks great over the city color lip lush.  Onto the tiny box.  There is a card that tells you about Lip Monthly and that next month they will start theming their boxes in a unique way.  I can't wait to see how they do that.  Under the card there is a city cosmetics lip balm in Bright Pink, it is a very opaque balm infused with Vitamin E.  Retails for $2.99 this product reminds me of wet n wild lipsticks but not as dry.  Now onto the piece de resistance....Appeal Cosmetics Lip Stick in Red Light District.  

Lipstick in Red Light District

This color is RED RED RED...this Lipstick Is really really RED...Oh sorry Taylor Swifts RED comes into my head every time I view this lipstick.  This lipstick retails for are you ready...$22.00.  Yes that is right.  Not a typo and celebrities apparently wear this specific shade according to the website.  They specialize in Eyelashes and Luxury Lipsticks.  
' 

City Color Lip Balm in Bright Pink

 City Color Lip Crayon in Malt

So for my whole $5.00 I got 5 products valued at over $40.00!  I will keep this subscription until I no longer need to hoard lip products and maybe for a month after!  Of coarse there are pictures.  My good camera is on the fritz so I apologize...  Oh the link I promised you for your first box for only $ 6.99 (they changed the deal, but it is still a good one.  Join Lip Monthly  The code Is Summerlips, they display it on the ordering page as well so don't feel like you need to write it down.  What are you waiting for??? Click the link and join.  BTW this link is NOT a referral link meaning I don't get one iota of a credit for you clicking it and joining.  However there is a spot when you join to say who sent you if you want you can put Heather Shineflew.  Once I play with these products a little more I will come back and let you know what I think of them...Trash or Treasure.  My next blogs will be on Nail Art Society...So look forward to that.  I got 3 boxes at once and am waiting for my 4th.  I have a lot to say about them.  Any questions, comments, witty remarks or casual statements?  Comment...Share.  Love me Dammit.  Until Next time.  Friends don't let friends buy Crap.

As Seen On Tv Stretchkins FAIL

Today is my youngest sons 7th birthday and the only thing he wanted was a Stretchkins.  So yesterday we hurried to our local Wal-mart and purchased the only one they had left.  A Pink Unicorn.  He didn't mind.  We slapped down $19.99 for this pink monstrosity

and wrapped her up.  Upon opening he declared this the best birthday ever and me the best mommy in the whole world.  I have a feeling he would have said that for anything.  Now the claims on this product is it "grows" from 29 inches to 60 inches tall, it included a DVD that is a $10.00 value that has a dance party section and excersize section.  Of coarse he immediately popped in the dvd and being a good mother I was forced to watch 10 minutes of this horrifying stretchkins theme song over and over while different children danced and did cartwheels and such while their colorful animals were attached to them.  (Anyone ever wonder who figures out the "values" of extras product companies include?)  Probably the same person who figures out the retail values for stuff on the price is right.  They overbid...  Anyhow.  My son enjoyed his toy and that is the point.  However later in the day he was distraught.  His stretchkins that he already named had torn  Now for a toy where the leg attatches to the body.  See above picture.  This should not happen to a toy that is supposed to be stretched and danced with and even cart wheels done with it, it shouldn't tear on the first day of medium strength play.  My 7 yr old is not 60 inches tall either, the toy was not stretched vigorously or played with roughly.  The Tummy Stuffer is a good As Seen on TV toy and has held up well but this is not.  Save yourself 20.00 and talk your child into something else.  I am kinda ticked off that this animal tore on the first day when it was specifically designed to be attached to a child and stretched and such with.  I am writing a strongly worded letter to the company.  Make my child upset on his birthday will you. 

Elf Haul (eyes lips face)

Hello friends in internet land.  I trust you are keeping warm?  On cold nights like tonight instead of a warm blanket and hot chocolate I enjoy going thru my make up collection with a nice Mountain Dew.  Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.   A month ago I needed primer as my elf primer finally emptied.  I had planned on just ordering a primer.  However around four am the morning I got my direct deposit I got an Email from ELF.  They send me emails like twice a week with a set or a sale of sorts.  I usually just delete them.  However this coffee break email set had the primer included along with some other items that interested me for only 19.99 and I had a new years five dollar off code because I rock.  So I figured why not.  So come along with me as I explore the world of goodness that is my elf haul.  The good, the bad and the ugly will be shown and discussed. 

The good!

1.  Elf Mineral Primer.  This is my second bottle.  I love this stuff.  It has a silicone texture and my foundation and other crap just glides right on.  It leaves a lovely satiny feel to your skin.  I do have combination skin and it works really well.  It is only 6.00 and has a great pump.  I love the packaging as well.  I set it next to my foundation bottle on my vanity.  ELF Primer  There are three different kinds.  I have tried the Mineral face primer and the Hydrating mineral face primer.  They both work the same.  I don't need extra hydration and really can't see the difference so if you are stuck just go for the regular Mineral Face Primer.  You will love it, and for only $6.00 it isn't much of a risk.

2.  ELF Nail Polish in the color Glamour Girl.  This is my first ELF nail polish.  (If you'd like a nail polish collection post comment below)  This polish surprised me as much as the fact there is no letter z in the word surprised.  It is an opaque light tannish brown that has a pinky undertone to it.  It is the perfect neutral or nude color and it has shimmers in it.  This is a 2-3 coat polish and be sure to use a great top coat to help with fast chipping.  You can't expect a $2.00 polish to be extremely long lasting.  However it applies like a dream and the brush is nice and short and lets you be precise in your application.  Check out the selection and their website has great sets for under $10.00.  You can also find elf in some Targets and Dollar Trees and Drugstores.  ELF Nail Polish 

3.  5 pc (4 if you don't include the pouch)  ELF Studio Travel Stipple Brush set.  $15.00 retail cost.  I love love love elf brushes.  I have many of the $1.00 essential eye brushes (white handle).  They are soft and do the job well.  This kit comes with The travel stipple brush, the small stipple brush, eyeshadow stipple brush and tapered stipple brush.  The duo fiber stipple brushes are great for mineral eyeshadows and loose makeup..  the white hairs easily pick up the product lightly and you just pat or dab (stipple) it onto your area you are working with.  The brushes are soft and they look cool.  The pouch is nice as it has the bands to hold the brushes and you fold over the bag and snap.  on the side is a zippered pouch to throw in a few mineral eye shadows or what not.  Glad I have them but I wouldn't like buy them separately for $15.00 when I can buy the whole Studio brush line for $30.00.  ( i wouldn't as they are on sale constantly or free with 25.00 purchase all the time .  Definitely sign up for their sales emails so you don't miss out.  Studio Travel Stipple Brush set.

4.  ELF Studio Lip stick in the color Pink Minx.  This color is a peachy pink.  It is fairly opaque.  It is pretty close to my lip color.  It is moisturizing and after 2 hours.  It has not traveled to the outline or gummied up.  So yaay for that.  I won't say it is fabulous but that is because the color doesn't play nicely on my lips..it just fades into them and says yeah I'm here but you can't see me.  So I won't make a determination on fantabulousness until I try a deeper color.  However I like the formula so I will try another color.  There are some lipsticks you try and you hate the formula or the way they sit on your lips even before you hate the color...this isn't one of those.  Just use your ELF Lip Exf

olliator (a treasure status product in my book) first.  Did I mention these are only $3.00 each?  They are a little lighter than appear online. Clicky Clicky for Lippy Lippies   MUST HAVE Lip Exfoliator

5.  Elf Studio Makeup Wipes.  I love these wipes.  They are only  $3.00.  And some of the best I have used.  Every time I order I throw on a pack or two of wipes.  Makeup Remover Wipes

Okay so now for the not so good but not so bad... The middle of the road products.

6.  elf Baked Eyeshadow Palette in Texas.  Price for this palette is $10.00.  I was excited for this palette because I only have one baked eyeshadow.  They look really cool.  This palette is all neutrals.  Using them dry is not advisable.  They are powdery and not that great looking on the eye.  There is little pigmentation and honestly they all seem to look like each other and when you blend they just blend away unfortunately.  However they go on nicely wet.  I will not buy or recommend this palette ever.  You can go to BH cosmetics and get a great baked eyeshadow palette there.  In case you want to look at it or try it yourself at your own risk..Baked Eyeshadow 
The best part of this palette is the huge mirror.

7.  Elf Studio Mineral Facial Mist.  Note I stole this copy from the website because hey I have no original words to say about what this supposedly is or does.  Replenish and boost your skin with the revitalizing Mineral Mist. This unique blend of Witch Hazel, Rosemary, Chamomile, Honeysuckle, Aloe and Vitamin B work together to balance and enhance the skin, leaving you looking energized and renewed. These nourishing key ingredients keep your complexion radiant, brighter and provides instant moisture to smooth and boost skin circulation for a firmer more youthful glow. The lightweight and invigorating mist leaves skin feeling revived and restored,

All e.l.f. mineral makeup is 100% natural mineral-based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes. 
Okay I am sure this is great, but I don't see the benefit and what not for paying $6.00 for 1fl oz of this stuff.  Yes it feels nice.  When I was sick I sprayed often but honestly I wouldn't buy it again.  My skin is usually fine and I didn't see any balancing effect.  If you have money you need to throw away on stuff you don't need buy this.  How about instead buy a 6 pack of Kraft mac and cheese break it apart and donate it to a food shelf or neighbor that has kids.  Add a pack or two of hot dogs and there you go.   Much better purchase for your $6.00.

Now the UGLY...

I love ELF products and they have great deals and you can get free shipping when you order a certain dollar amt.  Now I only paid 14.95 for this set (I had a coupon code for $5.00 off) so I had to pay $6.95 for the shipping.  The holy shit this sucks part is it takes two to three weeks to get your stuff.  Even if you pay for shipping.  WTF.  I live in WI not Asia.  You ship from the east coast not russia.  Oh well.  I am impatient and want what I want in a week and half tops. lol,  

Elf has great products.  Check them out, take them for a spin..  

Friend Mail :-)

Hello Internet Friends.  Guess what time it is?  It's time for Friend Mail.  While I know friend mail isn't as exciting to read in Blog land as it is to watch on the Youtube.. I am going to post it just the same.  Lets take a magical journey through my package I  recently received from an friend from yesteryear.  (Middle School).  Let me paint you a picture.  I wasn't the most popular person by far in school.  I looked different, most likely acted different because I was treated different.  However time blurs and people mature and such.  I joined Facebook and now I am "friends" with half of everyone I knew in Middle School.  Friend and Foe.  Why Not.  Time gives perspective.  I can see where they came from.  Middle school is major pressure for everyone.  Anyhow.  Sometime In October in my manic midnight hours I wrote a post aimed at family members to give them Idea's of what they can get me for Christmas if they so choose.  I gave a few general ideas like Cookbooks, Makeup...and I specified NYX makeup because I knew it was relatively inexpensive and I just got done watching all the NYX face award videos so I was highly interested in this brand as I never tried it.  A few days later in our Ipsy bags we got a NYX eyeshadow and I received a message via facebook from a person I had messaged a few times over the years since befriending them on facebook, asking me if I'd like her eyeshadow from the ipsy bag as she remembered me posting about wanting NYX products.  I said yes and we have been talking ever since.  Yes people Makeup can bring people together.  It is a beautiful thing!  We have sent packages back and forth of samples and products from our collections that we won't use or no longer want,  and here is the latest.  I am so excited for these items and I audibly squealed when I opened it.  (can you picture it?) okay...  So thank you so much friend.  I appreciate your mail and your friendship.

Here we go...

1.  A sample of Starrily Bzzz Bzzz polish.  It is a wonderful clear coat with chunky black flecks and gold glitter.  Perfect to lay over a silver or white polish.  A wonderful addition to my polish collection.

2.  A sample of Lip Perfection Gel in the color Melrose from perfektbeauty.com  yes that is spelled correctly.  It is a wonderfully opaque mauve color that leaves my lips hydrated and doesn't feel gross on my lips at all.

3.  Pop Beauty Eyeshadow Trio in Smoking Hot.  A great palette of Black, Silver and White.  Perfect for a great smokey eye.  

4.  Be A Bombshell One Stick in the color Flustered.  This product is a lip and cheek stain in a stick form.  The best way to use it is to swatchy swatchy on the back of your hand and take a stipple brush and pick up the color on the tips of the brush and swirly swirly on your cheeks.  You can also just apply to the brush from the stick...just lightly pounce your stipple brush on the stick until you got it lightly covered.  Works great and you don't look like a clown.  

5.  Andrea Strip lashes number 33.  These are extremely full and beautiful lashes.  I cannot wait to try them out.  

6.  Aveda re hydrating lip glaze mini in Himalayan Snow.  It is a lovely light sparkly lip glaze that goes perfectly over any drying lipstick to give a extra special something.

7.  My very first NYX lipstick in the shade Goddess.  This is a neutral rosy peach color.  One of my favorites to use.  It is hydrating and doesn't fade quickly or spread to the corners of my mouth.  I am in love.

8.  And the most exciting product... The extremely hyped on Youtube...Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser.  I was looking online for this and my Walmart didn't have it and she found it for me.  It has a silicone texture and leaves the skin feeling soft.  My foundation just glides on and keeps my makeup looking great all night long.  Many a youtube guru says that even though it isn't textually at all like benefits pore fessional, the performance of the babyskin out performs or is comparable to the pore fessional which is 30.00 while the Babyskin is 5-8.  Depending on where you buy it.  There is only one person who said that they still prefer the Benefit product.  I don't listen to everything I hear from these ladies as some are self identified high end biased...so now that I have this from my friend and Ipsy sent me a sample of Pore Fessional I can put them side by side and test them myself.  Funny thing is my Elf Primer finally came and I got a Rimmel Primer as well.  Two weeks ago I had no primers and now I have several and what else would a blogger do in the interest of science and material to write about.  A primer/pore eraser smackdown!  Be watching for it.

I love my friends and I love mail.  I love trying different products and I love writing about them.  It gives me something to do.  It keeps me from singing off key country songs all night long and I am sure my Children are very grateful.  Until next time Internet friends.  And remember Friends don't let Friends Buy Crap!  Just give it to me and I will find a use for it or write about it.  :-)  

Boxy Charm January 2014

Hello Internet Friends.  You all know I love mail.  I love presents and surprises and most of all I love stuff.  I found out about a new to me beauty subscription service.  Boxy Charm.  Boxy Charm promises that each box will have $50.00 or more of retail value.  Now I have watched the unboxings for many months and while many people are not into the boxes I am as they send full size products mainly Drug Store items, limited editions, special collections etc perhaps discontinued items.  Still usable and good.  If you are like me and don't have access to drug stores and discount stores this is a good box to get.  I like it because I can grow my collection of makeup quickly and with products that my small town Walmart never even got.  Boxycharm is $21.00 a month and that includes shipping.  Lets get into it!

1.  Spa Rituals Vegan Nail Laquer in the shade Quiet Storm.  A lovely light lavender color.  It is fairly opaque.  The downside for some is that it smells like spray paint.  It took me a few sniffs to place the scent.  Spray paint or those Black markers in the steel barrels that you shake and it has the bead in it.  Yep it is an interesting scent.  Keep away from anyone you know that overly enjoys that sort of thing!  However it is a nice polish that lasts well.  Retail $12.00  Check out their website and enjoy pages of color they have available  Spa Rituals Polish

2.  Next up in our box of beauty is the Be A Bombshell eye shadow in the color Birthday Suit.  A lovely nude shade and yes it is skintone, It is the perfect brow highlight, or great to calm down your exuberance in color experimentation.  Retail $14.00  Check out the Be A Bombshell website.  I really enjoy their products as I recieve them frequently in my Ipsy bags.  Be A Bombshell Click here to explode your makeup collection

3.  Onto Lippies... A full size OFRA Liquid Lipstick in the shade Angeles.  It is a nude color with rosey undertones (spread it around on your hand and you will see it.)  The formula is really nice.  Good staying power.  The oh god no for me which many of you may like is it smells like a French Vanilla Cappuccino and I despise the smell of coffee.  It doesn't last too long so I can tolerate it because I enjoy placing it in the middle of my lips to create a dimensional effect.  Will also be fantabulous to mute a bright shade.  Hang onto your wallets...  Retail $19.90.  This color is on sale for $14.92.  It claims to stay put for 5 hours Without Eating or Drinking and I am guessing smoking is covered in that as well.  So if perhaps you have Jury duty or something where you will not be drinking or smoking for 5 hours this will be for you!  Check out the OFRA website to see what they are about and to explore their other shades and products.  This is a winner.  OFRA Click me for long lasting Lippies.

4.  Are you getting excited yet?  I know I was when I pulled the Model Co. Gel Eyeliner in Black.  Great lasting power.  Liner glides across lid with wonderful black precision.  Retail $22.00.  22 dollars for an eyeliner no f'ing way... Yep no lie.  Click the link to check it out.  Model Co expensive makeup

5.  Finally... Reveillie Warm Vanilla Body Polish.  Wow.  I love Body Scrubs.  This felt like rubbing brown sugar all over your body and if you are itchy it is nice.  After rinsing it off it left my skin very soft.  Smells like brown sugar and vanilla.  This product is hand crafted and retails for $16.75  Click to check it out.  Body Scrub Love

Those were my wonderful treats in my Boxy Charm Box for January.  Click this link to check it out for yourself. Boxycharm  I truely Cannot wait until next month.  Take care for now and Remember Friends don't let friends Buy Crap.

January 2014 IPSY...

Hello Internet Friends.  It is IPSY time.  Ipsy is my favorite low cost beauty subscription service.  For only $10.00 a month 4-6 full size or deluxe size samples are mailed to your door every month.  Ipsy has a rewards program.  You can earn points by simply sharing you got your bag on Facebook, answering a short survey on how much you liked or disliked each product in your bag, and of coarse referring friends.  With the points you can redeem them for full size products such as a beauty blender, a kiss nail art kit, and Benefit Badlash mascara.  Those are this months free items.  Ipsy also has challenges from time to time to which you can win full size name brand products.  Without further ado here is this months bag.

To start we have a lovely baby blue makeup bag with an illustration of a makeup items in a silhouetted skyline formation. Of coarse it isn't fabulous quality but there are always uses for free makeup bags.

 As we unzip the bag, the first product we pull out is..da da duh... Yaby Cosmetics Foundation in Buff.  yaby was developed by Toronto makeup artist Liz Yu.  It seems to be a cosmetic company geared to makeup artists.  Everything is refillable and their eye-shadows will fit any type of metal container.  Nice.  Anyhow back to the foundation.  The sample size was a nice 8ml.  Full size is 15.4 grams which is a little bigger than this sample and it retails for $13.55.  I really enjoyed the consistency of this foundation.  It was not greasy and it lasted for quite some time.  It had great coverage as well.  Check it out as they have 18 colors including actual colored foundations which I assume is for color correcting.  Yaby Liquid Foundation.

I am reaching back into the bag (yes imagine it..you see my gorgeousness reaching into the bag with my cotton candy pink nails) and I pull out, a cute little tub of Balanced Guru Body Balm.  1oz.  The label says.  Balm Me Up Organic sweet cocoa & Tangy Body Balm.  Balance your dry skin with Cocoa Butter, Babbasau oil, Shea Butter, Lime & Mandarin.  When I open the lid it looks like Vaseline but whiter.  It smells herbal like, I can smell the citrus.  I know what it smells like..
Off .Mosquito candles.  It does feel a tad bit tacky for a while on your skin.  It does absorb nicely, but it does leave me feeling greasy.  The full size is 4 oz and retails for $45.00.  Their website is really interesting.  It is very aromatherapy oriented.  Check it out for many other products http://balancedguru.com/products/balm-me-up.  I just read the description and it says Wake up your senses and moisturize your skin without feeling tacky or greasy...lol.  Oops.  Sorry Balanced Guru.  Did you try this product before you wrote your description?  To be fair the tackiness only lasts for 5 minutes and now it feels like I just slathered my arm in suntan oil.

Wiping off my fingers I reach back into the bag and pull out...Absolute Makeup Cleansing Tissues with Pomegranate extract.  It comes with 10 tissues and I don't necessarily enjoy the pomegranate scent but I do enjoy the wipes.  Full size is 60 wipes for only 6.99 at walgreens or drugstore.com.  They have citrus, aloe, and cucumber.  I will be ordering the cucumber wipes.  They are nicely saturated and do get my makeup off and are great for just wiping when you wake up before you put on your makeup as well.   I am happy with this find.  It is hard for me to like makeup wipes as many make me red.

Back into the bag... and it is a Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm.  This is full size at .35oz tube.  The consistency is reminiscent of a lubricant such as KY jelly but slightly thinner.  After I slather on a tiny drop that seems to coat my lips in a thick layer of substance with a slight tingle.  I can smell the doublemint gum scent wafting towards my nose.  It does moisturize obviously but unfortunately it doesn't last long and after about 5-10 minutes it gets sticky and icky.  I need one of my facial tissues to wipe it off.  I'm sorry I just don't like this feeling.  It is heavier than most lip glosses.  Now just because it isn't my jam doesn't mean you won't enjoy it.  Click the link to explore their website and notice this is full size and sells on their site for $12.00. http://www.malinandgoetz.com/travel/mojito-lip-balm So I already saved two dollars plus got everything else free...  and we are not done yet.

Finally... I saved the best for last.  Cue the drum roll....  Benefit Pore fessional sample.  This teeny tiny little tube at 3ml...packs a fantastic product that a little goes along way.  I have been waiting forever to try this pore minimizer.  Full size is 22ml for a mere $30.00.  Now many a YouTube guru swears by this product.  For the sake of science and blogging I put the product on my wonderful husbands face as his pores show more than mine.  And yes it does help the appearance of pores.  The question is..will I be able to find a product that performs as well for less money?  I have one waiting to test out and compare.  It will be hauled in my next blog post entitled Friend Mail.  But for fun check out Benefit's website http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/the-porefessional  to learn all about them and this product.
Well that wraps up this months Ipsy bag.  Obviously it was over $10.00 in value as the lip balm was $12.00 on it's own.  It wasn't awful and I am excited about the Pore Fessional, the makeup wipes and the foundation.  The lip and body balms I can pass on.  Perhaps my husband or son will enjoy them.

Last month I got 3 full size makeup products and three deluxe samples.  I love ipsy and you need to try it too.   Check out IPSY  Superstar Youtube guru Michelle Phan curates these bags.  Try it for two months if one bag stinks the next may be gold.  If you don't like it, you can cancel easily online.  You get to try many products you may never choose to buy on your own or that you may want to try but don't want to spend the moola before you know if you like it or not.  Yes some products you can find at the drug store or OMG Walmart...at times.  I enjoy that because if I like it, I can run out and buy it.  There are many brands that are available at drugstores or walmarts or what not but they are not at my Walmart and there is no drug store near me.  It is a nice blend of both brands that are pricey and online,  Well known brands that are high end and drugstore brands like NYX and Big Sexy Hair.

Until Next time my friends.  Friends Don't let Friends buy Crap!

January Julep Maven Box

Hello Internet friends.  I know it has been along time.  With the new year I have renewed my zest for blogging and vow to be more consistent.  This is my year!  I have several exciting blogs and reviews lined up.  Today we will be discussing the January Julep Maven subscription.  Julep Maven is a nail polish subscription you get to choose between five boxes and around the 24th of every month they email you with the colors in your box and you can choose to keep it, get a different one, skip the month, send it to a friend.  The choices are endless and so are the polish colors.  The polishes are named after females.  I find it fun to give them to people in my life that have the name on the polish.  I do have Heather and unfortunately Heather isn't a very colorful color.  It is a brownish color.  Yes nice for neutral times but I wish it was a purple or blue.  Also nice about this subscription service is you rack up points called Jewels every month.  You get 300 for taking your box, Jewels for every purchase you make, Jewels for your birthday, Jewels for your sign up anniversary and Lots of Jewels for referrals.  I have gotten two free boxes so far and two free polishes.  It is 19.99 a month.  You get 2-3 polishes (depending on what box you choose) and if you get two polishes you get a nail or beauty product.  If I could add speech to my blogs it would totally sound like an infomercial at this point.  So without further ado.  This months box.

 First is the product.  The Ta Da! Quick Dry Drops.  1fl oz.  It says to use wait one minute after applying last coat of polish, then apply one to two drops to each nail.  It smells very nice and herbal like.  I smell a little lavender.  Very nice and it does work.

Second,  I received the color Abigal is a sweet rose gold with micro shimmers,  It has a sticker that says Silk finish on the cap.  Abigal needs two to three coats to be nice and Opaque but it is definitely worth it.  When I think of Abigal I think of what I was going to name my daughter if I had one.

My third item is a polish in the Color Mona,  It is a shiny dark navy blue.  It is opaque with the first coat.  I just adore this color.  Does anyone else think of Who's the boss when they hear the name Mona?  Then my mind goes to Friends and Ross meeting Mona at Monica's wedding where they are discussing her name.  In my house we reference Friends and How I met your mother frequently.

I am quite happy with this months box. I do highly recommend Julep.  Their polishes are great quality, the bottles are great for storage.  I can fit 24 on each row of my nail polish rack.  Now there is only 8ml in each bottle but to me the quality makes up for the lack of product compared to other brands.  However I find it better not only for storage but if you are like me you have ALOT of nail polish,  how often do you ever finish a whole bottle before it gets icky and has to be thrown out.  I also like the fact that i can see progress in usage.  Each bottle comes with a swatch sticker on the lid so you can swatch it and put the cap back on the lid and all you need to do is look at the top to see what color it will be.  I find Julep polishes do apply to the nail very true to the color in the bottle.  Julep has excellent customer service and their reward program cannot be beat.

I cannot wait to see what colors February has in store for me.  If you want to check out Julep Maven you can get a free box Free Julep Box  Enter freecolor in the code box.  It is easy to cancel online if you wish too.  Try it and then let me know what you think.

I hope you all have a great New Year and that your dreams come true.