Julep Maven: Two Nail Polishes and a Hand Facial For a Penny!?!

I've really been getting into these Subscription sites lately.  I'm officially subscribed to three of them now (Forking out a whopping $40 a month...just for samples!!!)


But the other day, thanks to my friend, Autumn over at The Daily Glamour (https://www.facebook.com/TheDailyGlamour) I signed up fro Julep Maven.

It is a nail polish and nail care site where, for $20 a month + shipping, you get up to 3 nail polishes or possibly a hand care item!  Also, as long as you are subscribed, you receive 20% off of their shop!  If you get 2 referrals, you'll receive 1 month free!  You can also purchase past boxes as well.  Julep Maven, like a lot of the other Subscription sites, allows you to take a "Beauty Quiz" to determine what kind of Diva you are.  I ended up being "American Beauty".  Soon, I will be receiving 2 FULL SIZED nail polishes and a Hand Facial in the mail.

The Julep Maven American Beauty Introductory Box includes:

• Julep™ Facial for Hands Glycolic Scrub, contains glycolic acid combined with apricot seeds for double exfoliation that leaves your hands noticeably softer after just one use.
• Penelope, opaque, almost white with a hint of blush. Elegant on manicures and pedicures.
• Portia, sheer tropical blue with glittery sparkles that will remind you of a day on the beach

But this month, I didn't pay full price!  Nope!  Got all of that for 1 Penny!  The whole month of April, if you use the code "COLOR2012"  you can get your introductory kit for ONE PENNY!!!!!  How amazing is that!?!!  Julep Maven is a pretty awesome site, and has great reviews from other Beauty Bloggers!  And think about it.  How much are you willing to pay for high end nail polish?  I know OPI runs in the $8-10 range.  Zoya is about $8 a bottle.  Each bottle of Julep Maven nail polish is $14.  So basically, if you get three bottles, you are getting one for free. :)  Pretty good deal if you ask me.

If you are interested in Julep, here's the link.

http://julep.com/?r=20684601

As soon as I receive it, I'll post swatches!  :)

Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads Review

My friend Molly received the Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads in last months Birchbox.  She tried them out and found they were way too harsh for her skin.  (She has extremely sensitive skin) So, she gave me one of the packets to try.  Upon opening it, I saw what appeared to be finely ground powder.  It actually almost looked like white sand.  It had kind of an earthy smell to it. I mixed it with one of my favorite cleansers (Ever Ageless: Cherry Blossom Poppy) and applied it to wet skin, rubbing in a circular motion for about a minute. I was pleasantly surprised.  Immediately after rinsing my face, I could tell a difference in my skin texture.  Even now, running my fingers across my cheeks, I can feel a smoother surface!  I might actually purchase some of these soon!  It's $20 for 20 packs.  And being able to use my own cleanser of my choice with it is actually a PLUS! :)

Here's how the Buffing Beads work.  (Taken from Birchbox's website)

BIRCHBOX BREAKDOWN

Dull skin gets the best of us, but getting rid of it can be tricky. Most scrubs out there are way too harsh. Luckily, our favorite authority on Chinese herbal beauty invented these single-use exfoliating packets. They’re filled with a dry scrub made with pomegranate peel and other natural ingredients. Blend it with your go-to cleanser for a mild exfoliant that whisks away tired skin. Needless to say, the single-serving packets are perfect for travel and on the go!

HOW IT WORKS

Long admired for its detoxifying powers, the pomegranate is practically a sacred fruit in the East. Filled with antioxidants, the finely milled pomegranate peels in this powdery scrub brighten skin tone and encourage cell renewal. Plus, its natural antiseptic qualities help clear blocked pores. There are also gentle buffing beads to slough off dead skin: you’ll see why it’s so important to schedule in a weekly exfoliation session.

HOW TO USE

Tear open the packet, and mix the scrub with a quarter-size amount of your trusted cleanser in the palm of your hand. Massage into your face and let the fine grains work their magic. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Birchbox Made a Boo Boo

So, I get a message from my friend, who also receives Birchbox, telling me to check my email...and low and behold, I see this.

I head to my bathroom, pick up my Befine Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15...and what do my wondering eyes do see?  EXPIRES 2009/11.  Wow....lol.  almost 2 stinking years ago.  Of course, this is brought to my attention AFTER I already use it (Granted, I'm still going to use it anyway...although, Birchbox advises against it, I chose to live on the wild side)  But, they have made up for it by awarding anyone with an expired product 100 pts (Valued at $10 in their store).  So I'm going to enjoy that when I go to purchase my Juicy Perfume.  Or something else.

April Myglam vs April Birchbox

There are so many subscription sites out there.  I've chosen to do Birchbox and Myglam (possibly Beauty Army soon).  If any of you don't know, Birchbox and Myglam are Subscription services where you pay $10 a month and receive 5-6 deluxe beauty product samples.  Birchbox is aimed more towards  skincare, hair care and body care with SOME makeup, while Myglam is more towards the makeup end.  This is my first month for both.  After reviewing both, I was skeptical about Myglam and excited for Birchbox.  But when they finally came in the mail, my expectations for both where shot out of the water.  Myglam for the better, Birchbox for the worse.

First off.  They both shipped on the 10th of April (On time for both)  Myglam was coming from Cali and Birchbox from NY.  I figured Myglam would get here before Birchbox.  And I was right.  But I didn't realize it was going to take Birchbox 8 freaking days to get here (I understand that I live in AZ, and they have 7-10 days to get the product here....but when my mom ships me stuff from NC, it gets here no later than 4 days).

Since I got Myglam first, I'll start off with it.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the bright, shiny hot pink package in my mail box last week!

I opened up to find an ADORABLE baby pink, metallic makeup bag for this month.  Filled with all kinds of goodies :D

Eyelashes, 2 Natural Hair Brushes, Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion and Dermastore Lip Quench.

• Eyelashes: I got a natural set.  :)  They are really pretty.  I haven't actually tried them out yet, but I LOVE the shape of them.

• Myglam Brushes:  Shadow and Angle liner brush. Super cute.  I'm kinda upset that I didn't get last months bag.  So now my next won't be complete :(  Oh well.  LOL.  The brushes seem pretty good.  They are made out of horse hair and are pretty dense.  The "Myglam" logo is on the handle in silver

• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner: I've been using this since I got the bag and I LOVE it.  I'll probably end up buying the actual pencil when I run out of this sample.  But the sample it's self is pretty darn big!  I'm pretty impressed!  As for the color, I was extremely happy getting Perversion which is a DEEP black.  A lot of Youtubers were getting the different colors, and I was HOPING for the black one, and I was lucky enough to get it!  :D  I'm super happy!

• Dermastore Lip Quench: The first day I put this stuff on, my lips were super dry.  I've been using it now for about a week, and my lips are a lot better!  The only down fall, it has a weird smell (To me).  It's got like a sickening sweet fruity smell to it when applied.  But after about 5 minutes, it dissipates and is completely bearable. :)  It feels wonderful on.  It's also supposed to plump your lips.

Before

After

So, that was my Myglam bag.  Now onto my Birchbox.  Ok.  This is my very first month with them, but I've watched a lot of Youtube videos of what people got this month, and comparing to those, my box was a FLOP.  I did like the perfume I got, and will probably buy a bottle THROUGH Birchbox after I get my 100 points from reviewing products.  Birchbox, unlike Myglam, has a store that you can purchase everything in your box.  Also, if you review the samples you get, you get 10 points for each review.  After 100 points are accumulated, you get $10 off a purchase from their store.  So, the rewards program is amazing :)  Now, as for what I got in my Birchbox.

Hollywood Fashion Secrets Tape, Shu Uemura Protective Hair Oil, Juicy Conture Viva La Juicy, 

Stila Smokey Eye Card, and Befine Skincare Sampler

Ok, I'll admit, it looks pretty good.  Not sure how much I'll use the Fashion Tape, and my friend Molly is getting the Stila card (Because I have enough eyeshadows to create a smokey eye and I already own two of the colors on the card).  So, it's a DECENT box.  But when you see people on Youtube getting exfoliating facial clothes and Zoya nail polish...fashion tape (Which I have some of another brand) just doesn't stack up!  I am really hoping I like the facial scrub and I have been needing a new facial moisturizer. From what I've heard, Birchbox has done this before with the Beauty Blender.  (A $20 item was included in some boxes, and not in others).  Just like this month, some people got the MicrodermaMitt Face Mitt (Valued at $28.50) and Zoya nail polish (Which a full bottle is $8, but the sample is close in size).  I don't know.  Just doesn't seem fair.  But it's not enough for me to cancel my subscription.  It may have just been because I'm NEW.  LOL  Who knows.  But I'll give them another couple of months to impress me.  I mean, it's only $10.

• Hollywood Fashion Secrets: Fashion Tape.  These double sided sticky strips help conquer wandering bra straps and unruly hems (Full Size $4.99-8.99)
• Shu Uemura: Essence Absoulue  Nourishing Protective Oil.  Stylists call this luxurious oil "Liquid gold".  It keeps strands soft and sliky, with plenty of high-watt shine and volume (Full size $68)
• Juicy Couture: Viva La Juicy.  This scent will bring out your inner girly girl.  Wild berries flirt with mandarin and soft floral notes to create a fragrance that's fun and happy.  (Full size $69-89)
• stila: Smokey Eye Card.  Take the guesswork out of matching eye makeup with this mini palette of three shadows (Three full size shadows $45)
• Befine: Skincare Sampler.  Easy does it.  This exfoliator and moisturizer duo uses gentle ingredients like rice and brown sugar to keep skin supple and healthy (full size $24-25)

BFTE Haul

First and foremost, there is one thing you must know about me.  I am a BFTE (Beauty From the Earth) ADDICT!!!!  There are really no words to describe my obsession for this company!  I mean, seriously, my username is named after two of their AWESOME colors.  Atomic Teal and Bombshell :)  If you've never heard of this company, let me give you a little insight!  The owner, Crystal, has created AMAZING products!  Super pigmented, super blendable and a price that is very reasonable!  They even have sample sizes if you can't chose  just one color.

But anyway, the reason behind this post is this.  A HAUL!!  :D  YAY!  LOL

So without further deput

Pink Ribbon, Red Hot, Red Velvet, Dusty Rose, Wildfire, Fawn and Carrot Cake

Waiting on my Prince, Thistle, Lavender, Rock You, Cheeky, Lovestruck, Within Reason, Last Dance and Patriot

Beach House, G Kelly, Bombshell, Message in a Bottle, Elegant, Poseidon and Walking on Water

Limelight, Canyon, Suede, Sensuous, Cocoa, Mississippi Mud, Rockstar, Sweet Nothings and Pewter

Out of everything, my two FAVORITES are Bombshell and Cheeky!  They all blow my mind though!  :)  If you are interested, here's the BFTE website address:

BFTE Cosmetics

Hi everyone!

This is my very first entry on this blog.    My mission, if I chose to accept it, is to at LEAST post once a week in here.  I plan on doing reviews, unboxings, makeup looks, swatches and suggestions.  One of these days, I'll be uploading videos to Youtube as well.  I'm a stay at home mom, so, I'm pretty busy.  Try to be patient with me if I don't get up a blog every week.  I'll try to pick a day and stick with it.   :)