june's POPSUGAR Must Have Box has to be one of my favorites to date. with all the aloha in this box, i felt like this box was curated just for me! i can't wait to sport my new aloha hat and pouch at the beach.
in case you're not familiar with POPSUGAR's Must Have Box, it is a monthly subscription box filled with full-sized beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products. for $39.95, you get 6-7 premium items plus a special item thrown in once in a while.
december's POPSUGAR Must Have Box did not disappoint. still in the spirit of the holidays, entertaining and/or attending parties, this box provided some fun tools to do just that. little dishes that could be used on the vanity or on the bar cart were my favorites in this box.
in case you're not familiar with POPSUGAR's Must Have Box, it is a monthly subscription box filled with full-sized beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products. for $39.95, you get 6-7 premium items plus a special item thrown in once in a while.
this winky lux lip velour in bunny is a cranberry color...perfect for the holidays. i love these little dishes, too! perfect for storing pretty little things like tiny earrings and other jewelry.
keeping my locks shiny with dessange top coat serum. it smells so good!
this cookie mix also makes a great hostess gift if needed. shown here with my favorite mug from POPSUGAR's october box.
do you subscribe to any subscription boxes?
if so, which ones?
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join POPSUGAR Must Have now and get the Must Have box for $39.95 or the MINI Must Have for only $18.95!
i received these Absolute nail polish remover pads way back in my november 2013 POPSUGAR must have box. i put them aside thinking they would be great for travelling and completely forgot about them.
assuming they were probably dried out, i almost tossed them. glad i didn't. not only were they still moist, but they worked really well! it claims to remove polish from all 10 nails with only one pad, and it does. in addition, it has a very light and pleasant scent that won't be offensive to others around you. i tend to do my nails late at night when others are sleeping, and this won't smell up the house. this is so easy to use...makes me wonder why i bothered with the bottle and cotton balls all these years!
have you tried nail polish remover pads?
what's your preference...liquid or pads?
you can see how thin the pads are here.
it easily removed the dark brown nail polish i had on for a while.
and again here with the pink polish.
(absolute nail polish remover pads available on amazon, hereand here)
pros:
acetone free.
formulated with vitamin c & e.
pleasant smell.
affordable.
easy, no fuss, no mess.
portable, convenient.
cons:
available online only (at least for me in hawaii).
who cares, lol! the moment i saw these, i knew they would make great valentine's gifts, regardless of what they were. they were just too cute.
after i got past the cuteness, i clicked thru toRicky's NYC to find that these were actually facial sprays and lip glosses. i've been looking for a hydrating spray to use throughout the day, so i was excited to try the tony moly pocket bunny moist mist. the lip glosses come in nine flavors, each with a different bunny face.
(straight out of the package)
first off, i was sent the wrong mist AND the sticker seals on two of the lip glosses were broken. not only broken, but misaligned...meaning the caps were twisted. they were on pretty tight, so i don't think it shifted during shipping. i randomly opened #5 which looked new and untouched, so i figured i'd let it go. i emailed them about the wrong product and within a few days, the correct product showed up in the mail. great quick response.
(does it look used?)
then, about a week later, i was getting ready to wrap up these cuties and my gut told me to check the gloss, and sure enough i wasn't so lucky with #4. i don't know if it was used or tested, but it definitely looked tampered with. how embarrassing would that have been if i gave that to someone?!
if you are physically packing orders, wouldn't you want to give your customers the best? if the seal was broken, give them one that wasn't? at minimum check the product?
but...by the way they responded to my wrong order, i have no doubt that they would have remedied the situation. it's just a hassle, and i wouldn't have received another one in time for valentine's day.
(received: #2, #4, #5)
i did not try these since they were gifts, but reviews were pretty consistent in that they aren't very pigmented and there isn't much of a color difference between the different flavors. as i was typing this, i realized that i had again received the wrong product. you order these by flavors on the website, but the actual product is labelled with numbers. i ordered peach (#5), orange (#6), and grape (#2), but received cherry (#4) instead.
aside from that, the cute packaging is still worth its affordable price and if not for a colored gloss, something that you could use on top of another lipstick for a little shine.
nudes are just like reds...you keep buying until you have the right shade. i had a bunch of nude shades in my cart, and when it was time to whittle down the choices, i unknowingly (based on the names, not descriptions) ended up with these two very similar shades. hate when that happens, haha!
tony moly moist mist description from website: Formulated with peach, raspberry and apple! Promotes skin elasticity with a sweet and lovely scent! Great for summer! Keep it in your purse to cool off on hot days!
tony moly has a moist mist and a sleek mist. the descriptions on the website are pretty vague, but i gathered [from other reviews] that the moist mist was for dry skin, while the sleek mist was for oily skin. the scent was sweet, not overwhelming. it's not a fine mist, so hold it away from your face to avoid getting too wet. my skin actually felt tight. this might work better on oily/combination skin.
again...i did initially get this for the cuteness factor, and these bottles are refillable. so you can refill them with some of your other favorite products or a DIY face mist.
overall, the products i ordered didn't have any wow factor, but the packaging is cute and still makes for cute gifts. you can find tony moly products at Ricky's NYC and Urban Outfitters.
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still need a valentine's gift? here's a quick and affordable gift for your loved ones: valentine's candy-gram
all opinions and squeals of excitement are 100% mine.]
POPSUGAR Must Have subscription boxes never disappoint. you're surprised each month with a box of full-sized, premium products for only $39.95. sometimes you even get a special extra product in your Must Have box.
inspired by celebration, summer nights, and sweet smells, i can honestly say that i will enjoy everything in this august box.
here's what was in my august box:
1) Kendra Scott Elisa Necklace in Black Cat's Eye
2) Paddywax Ocean Tide + Sea Salt Mini Jar Candle
3) Goodbyn Purple Meal and Dipper Set
4) The Mason Jar Cookie Company Celebrate!
5) Lollia At Last Perfumed Shower Gel
6) Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip
special extra:
7) thinkThin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
you can find more information on each product here.
i normally don't indulge in shower gels, so i love receiving them. this one from Lollia smells sweet...i can't wait to try it!
how pretty is this kendra scott necklace? this delicate piece makes a great addition to my collection of necklaces. the dainty black cat's eye adds oomph to a few gold strands.
lately, mini-she and i have been fighting over the one lunch container we have, so this one from Goodbyn came at the right time! love the little dipper container...it's perfect for my salad dressings.
it doesn't get any easier than a ready-to-bake cookie mix! how fun is this Celebrate! mix from The Mason Jar Cookie Company? the minis will love this!
i love Bite Beauty products, so i was ecstatic to find this Bite Beauty lip gloss in my must have box.. this new shade was created just for POPSUGAR Must Have's second birthday.
this pretty candle in a jar from Paddywax is definitely one for the vanity. it looks good, smells good, and the blue just reminds you of the ocean.
i was happy to find this thinkThin protein bar in my box. i just finished off a box of these and have been loving them as a post-workout snack...every little bit of protein counts!
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join POPSUGAR Must Have now and save $10 off a 3-month subscription with the code: AUG14SELECT.
*oops, we were having too much fun enjoying summer last week that these never made it to the blog...so i'm continuing last week's a week of summer esssentials this week.
now that we've covered protection from the sun and are out having a great time, it's important to stay hydrated. the sun, salt water, and chlorine eventually take a toll on our bodies, drying out our skin and hair. i'm always on the lookout for good products, so feel free to share some of your favorites. here is what i'm currently using to combat dry skin and hair this summer:
my hair stylist scolded me for not using a leave-in conditioner, so i went on a mission to find one. i had a sample of this suave professionals natural infusion with awapuhi ginger strengthening leave-in cream and loved it enough to purchase it. you can apply it to wet or dry hair, and i love the convenient pump. for best results, i apply it to towel dried hair at night and wake up with super silky hair. did i mention it smells amazing?
my hands take a beating with all the hand washing i do, so i always follow up with hand cream. this mary kay peach hand cream really does make your skin feel satiny smooth. it's light, not greasy, and did i mention that it smells delicious?
lubriderm daily moisture moisturizer with sunscreen is my go-to everyday body lotion; i've been using it for years. with our warm weather year round, i'm extremely picky about my body lotion because i hate feeling sticky or greasy throughout the day. lubriderm is absorbed easily, doesn't feel heavy or greasy, and the SPF 15 is perfect for protecting my skin during the drive to and from work.
i wasn't sure what to expect from a hydration spray lotion. i was hoping for the convenience of a mist/spray-and-go [without having to use my hands to rub it in], but st. ives hydration lotion is a heavier spray that needs to be rubbed in. it's on the greasy side, which is good for my skin, but not for my hands since i have to wash them after each application...and then we're back to dry hands and my peach hand cream. but, i've found a way around it by applying it as soon as i get up in the morning, rubbing my arms together (crossing them over) to spread the lotion, and same with my legs. that way i don't have to get my hands greasy, and it has time to soak in before i get dressed. it does give your skin a pretty shine, and did i mention it smells amazing? has anyone tried other brands of spray lotions?
my face is already extremely dry and eczema prone; add to that the effects of summer sun, and now i'm desperate for a good hydrating mask. so i picked up glam glow thirstymud hydrating treatment after hearing some good reviews. it can be used as a 20 minute mask or left on overnight. at $70 a jar, i couldn't see washing this product down the drain after 20 minutes, so i use it as an overnight treatment. my glam glow conveniently arrived right after i spent a weekend in the sun...my sunburned forehead and nose were just beginning to show signs of peeling. after two overnight treatments, the peeling didn't progress...in fact, i forgot that i had even started to peel. i am enjoying this mask so far, but i'm sure there are less expensive alternatives. if you have a fave, let me know. oh, and did i mention how good this smells?
products can only do so much...make sure to also keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water. but if you need some extra help like me, do try some of these great-smelling products. the lingering scents will have you day dreaming of summer fun. scroll down to enter the ulta beauty giveaway where you can win a $250 gift card to stock up on all your summer necessities.
ending this week of beauty with my current makeup routine. i used to have oily skin, and i did everything i could to get that powdery matte finish. i used oil-free everything, blotted, and powdered my nose every chance i had. now my skin is sensitive, dry, and eczema-prone, and i'm doing everything i can to get that moisture back into my skin.
so i recently changed my tried and true routine, switching to a liquid foundation and limiting my use of powders.
**i normally use laura mercier foundation powder and love it. they changed their formula and were out of my color, so sephora recommended make up forever. i prefer laura mercier. has anyone tried the new formula?
***i only powder in the morning...no more touchups throughout the day unless absolutely necessary.
in general, i don't keep a lot of products on hand. i stick to my tried and true items and repurchase them when i run out.
but, we all get the itch to experiment and try new things, and that's where most of my excess products come from. for example, finding the perfect red lipstick is like trying to find the perfect pair of jeans...you purchase 10 before you find one that's close enough. i may also get products to review or win some in a giveaway, and those also get stashed away - not because i don't like them, but because i feel the need to finish one thing before moving on to the next! (but have you ever noticed that it's difficult to completely finish certain products...like lipsticks, nail polish, and blushes?!)
out of sight, out of mind. right?
i'd keep everyday products on my vanity; the rest of my makeup and beauty products were thrown into miscellaneous containers and stored in a closet high up on a shelf, under the bed, or in a cabinet. basically, out of sight...forgotten...never to be used again.
enough is enough.
i stored my excess products because i didn't want to waste my current products, but the stuff in storage would expire or just go bad anyways. wasted.
so i looked into acrylic storage options and was discouraged for several reasons. they were either too small (muji), too expensive (sherrie blossom/icebox), or too outrageous to ship here. so i was perfectly fine with my current mini plastic drawers, although they are not stackable and eventually take up precious real estate on the vanity as your collection grows.
then...
i stumbled upon this acrylic organizer at tj maxx and almost freaked out in the store. the mere fact that it was here and didn't have to be shipped...price was [almost] a non-issue. i would have bought them all. but there was only one.
i texted mini-she who was somewhere in the store and had her stand guard while i grabbed a cart...although no one around seemed interested at all, haha. but still.
similar stores like marshalls and ross have the most random items sometimes, so check your local stores!
it's big: 15"W x 10.5"D x 10"H
i haven't figured out what will go where, but i threw some things in so you could get an idea of the size. i don't know the drawer height off hand, but you can see that it fits 2+ rows of lipsticks and i can also stack another row on top.
