How Glossy Is Your Box?: July Glossybox Opening

*WARNING! This post is really picture-heavy. Grab a popcorn and coke and settle in for the long-haul. If you are interested in any of the products, click here.

Hey! My July Glossybox arrived, and we're still in the first week of August! That's progress! As you may recall, I wasn't thrilled with last month's Glossybox. It was extremely slow arriving, the products were somewhat lackluster, and there were billing/customer service issues out the wazoo. A lot of boxes were also ruined in shipping, due to a lack of safety seals and an abundance of loose caps. This month, happily, things went much more smoothly, and I'm very happy to show you the box, the products, and give you brief, first impression reviews of everything. I hope you enjoy!

Alrighty! Let's start with the outer box. It's black and pink again! Granted, it also says it's from Denmark, but let's not quibble.

Inside, we have this month's Glossy Mag. I may be in the minority, here, but I'm just not a fan. The information isn't very detailed, so it reads more like a long advertisement. If it dealt with each month's products, that would be awesome. As it is, it's just not necessary, and ends up getting tossed out with the outer box.  

The pink box. It's now holding my sunscreens and sunless tanners, and making the bottom of my medicine cabinet look much more organized than it has any right to be.

Ooooh...all wrapped up with a bow! 

Close up of the product card. 

Sealed up and ready to be opened.

The Prize Inside!

From left to right: Sebastian Shampoo for color-treated hair, Figs and Rouge Sweet Geranium lip and body balm, Pedix Feet heel balm, Sebastian Conditioner for color-treated hair, Blushed perfumed towelette, Senna double-ended lip bloss in Luminous.

Let's start with the shampoo/conditioner. These are, on the outset, generous travel sizes. Sadly, when you go to use the products, it takes so much shampoo to make a lather that you might not make it through a week-long trip without having to break down and use the hotel stuff. Then again, I have very long hair, so that probably contributed. That said, the conditioner is a foam, and the instructions actually say to use a "tennis-ball" sized amount, and that is a lot of product for one use.

Overall, I don't care for these. The conditioner had a nutty scent that I really didn't like, and my hair felt very dry after using both products. If you check the ingredients, they're both full of sulfates, as well. (Side note: I also found out today that my Pantene for color-treated hair is, too, so it's back to L'oreal EverPure I go.)  

Next up is the FULL-SIZED Figs and Rouge balm, and I love it. It's very similar to the Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve that I've been using for years, but has a much drier texture. The one thing I've always disliked about the Rosebud is the greasy feel. If this works as well, I may have to switch.  

I've only used the Pedix Feet Heel Rescue Balm once, but I really like it. I can't tell too much of a difference in the roughness of my callouses, but the creamy texture and minty cool feel and scent have won me over, so far. Plus, the size is large enough to supply several uses, while being small enough to travel well. This is going with me to Disney, no doubt about it.

BONUS POINTS for being sealed for my protection!

This is really cool. It's an individual perfumed towelette in the scent "Blushed", and it smells like cotton candy and magic. It's a very, very, very, extremely girly scent that reminds me of a cross between Sensual Amber from Bath and Body Words and Pink Sugar by Aquolina. Actually, if you can think way back to when Avon's Mark line had Hollywood Pink bath products, that's where my scent memory takes me. I want to bathe in it. 

Full disclosure: my packet was slightly open. However, the towelette inside is still sealed. I can smell it through the packaging, though. I'm considering getting a box of these to take on vacation, and also to have some to leave in the fridge. I think it would feel so good to come in on a hot day and rub on a cold fragrance towelette.

Lastly, we have the FULL-SIZED Senna double-ended lip gloss in Luminous. Now, I need another gloss like I need a hole in the head, but I lucked out and got a gorgeous color for me. The right side is a plummy dusty rose with golden shimmer, and the left side is pearlescent gold gloss. It is very sticky. So sticky, in fact, that I felt the need to bold that part. When you put this on, it's not going anywhere. I wore it today, actually, and applied the gloss around 10:00 am. It is now after 3:00, and I have eaten lunch, had a snack, drunk a coke (out of a bottle!), talked and talked and talked, and the gloss is still there. It's faded a bit, mind you, but it's still on my lips. If you need something very longwearing for a photo shoot, theatre, film, or television, I highly recommend this. It's also fairly comfortable, considering the stickiness. I did make sure to wear my hair in a ponytail, though, since it's windy. I also didn't kiss my husband, or give my puppy a peck on the top of the head.

Here are swatches of the gloss. The top swatch is the pink, and the bottom is the gold.

Here's just the gold, by itself:

Here is just the pink:

And here they are layered, with the gold over the pink. That's my favorite look of the three:

There you have it, folks--the unveiling of the July Glossybox. All in all, I'm very pleased with this month's offering, and with how the company seems to be pulling it to together now. I'm sticking with it for another month, to see how it goes. What do you think of Glossybox, so far? Let me know in the comments.

Summer In the City: May Favorites

First off, I want to congratulate my awesome, amazing, and way too darn tall baby brother on his 8th Grade Graduation! Not only that, but he won the Technology award for his class! Don't ask me what that means, because I'm a bad sister who has no idea. Still, I'm impressed, and couldn't be prouder.

And yeah, I cried.

Buckets.

I love that kid.

 

Photo Credit: Sally Beauty Supply

 

Okay, now that I've embarrassed the pants off my younger sibling, let's move on to something new! Since it's the end of the month, and I've had the opportunity to play with some new things, I thought I'd put together a little "best of" list. These are the products I've found myself reaching for the most this month. I tried really hard to choose both high-end and drugstore products for each category. Think of it as a mini-review/recommendation list. I hope you enjoy it. If you do, let me know, and I'll try to keep this up. I'm trying to tailor this blog to what you guys want to see, so please, do a girl a favor and tell me what  you want, what you really, really want.

Eyes

Photo Credit: Sephora

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Rehab: Toss this is in your beach bag for one-step, no fuss, boho smoky eyes. Run this bronze-y brown all over the lid and under the lower lashes, smudge it out, then use it to line upper and lower for added definition. No brushes, primer, or neatness required! $20, Sephora.

NYX HD Eye Shadow Base: Surprise! This is the only primer I've ever used that could really cut down on glitter fallout. I adore my UD Midnight Emergency palette, but Midnight Rodeo and Midnight Cowboy (my favorite shades, wouldn't you know) tend to turn into mini Tinkerbell-explosions that no amount of clean-up can fix. On a whim, I used the sample size primer from my Dark Shadows palette, and ended up with only the tiniest bit of fallout on my cheeks, instead of the disco-ball shrapnel I'm used to. Awesome stuff, guys. $6.99, Ulta.

Lips

Photo Credit: Sephora

Tarte Lipsurgence Natural Lip Tint in Enchanted: I picked this up to wear during a voice recital, which is basically an hour straight of singing. Correction: it's basically a solid hour of beating your lips together, interrupted only by brief, yet frequent, periods of chugging water. Anything that goes on your lips has got to have serious staying power, and this definitely did the trick. Not only that, but my lips stayed soft, moisturized, and the prettiest shade of fresh strawberry pink. It's pricey, but given the circumstances, worth it. I do want to compare it to the new lookalike, Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm. $24 (nearly choked!), Sephora.

Photo Credit: Drugstore.com

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop: Speaking of Revlon, I am absolutely loving their new lip butters. They feel like a balm, look like a sheer lipstick, and come in really pretty, color-coordinated packaging, so no fumbling around looking for the right one in a sea of black containers. (I'm looking at you MAC and E.L.F.!) Lollipop is a super bright fuschia that can be worn sheer for a wash of color, or built up for maximum impact. It's gorgeous for Summer. $5.99, Drugstore.com.

Face

Benefit Boi-ing: I'm just going to say this: I ran out one day (okay, so I accidentally dropped it in my coffee while I was half-asleep and trying to get dressed in a hurry. Grace and dignity, right here), and had to use another concealer I had lying around. I figured that would get me by for a few days, at least, right? Nope. By nightfall, I'd replaced it, and have no intentions of ever being without it again. It's just that good. $19, Sephora.

ELF Mineral Foundation: I use this to set my beauty balm and concealer, and honestly, I like it better than the UD powder I was using. Plus, I feel like I'm doing something good for my skin by using the mineral powder, and it's a heckuva lot cheaper. $5, eyeslipsface.com.

Body

Photo Credit: Sephora

Super by Perricone Supermodel Legs: I won't go out in shorts or a skirt without this, if I can help it. It's leg makeup, pure and simple, but it's so easy to use, and your legs look fabulous. This is a lightly-tinted, weightless moisturizer that you just rub on for a subtle sheen that reflects the light and masks imperfections. I'm not going to say that it does anything other than that, but for this day-glo white chick with cellulite, that's enough. It's on sale right now, and I plan to pick up a few more bottles. $15, Sephora.

Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen with Shimmer: I live in the extreme deep South (any further South, and you'd be swimming). It's hot. It's muggy. It's downright miserable, and while I feel that everyone, regardless of location, should wear sunscreen every day, there's really no way around it down here. You go outside, you fry. End of story. This feels nice, coats well, protects really well, and leaves you with a pretty glow. The smell's a little too sunscreen-y for my taste, but I can live with it for all the other benefits. $9.99, Drugstore.com. (Available in several SPFs. I like 40. 'Cause I'm Casper.)

Hair

Photo Credit: Sephora

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray: My technique for beach waves: Spray this in towel-dried hair, then roughly blow-dry until just damp. Let air-dry the rest of the way. Do. Not. Brush. Looks like I just spent the day at the Gulf, and it's so fast and easy! $24, Sephora.

Bumble & Bumble Prep: I use this is conjunction with the Surf Spray, actually. That's why I have two high-end products for this category. The day after you Surf Spray your hair, spritz this all over to reactivate the product, then brush through for soft waves that last all day, or use as a base for hot rollers or a curling iron. You can also use this on its own as a style primer, but I love it for reactivating product. It really came in handy a couple of weeks ago during filming. Travel size is only $6 at Sephora.



Photo Credit: Buy.com



It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In: The drugstore pick is as expensive as the high-end! That's madness! I hate, hate, hate, that I got this as a deluxe sample. I used it up, fell head over heels in love with it, and then found out how much it cost! It's completely worth it, though, and a bottle will last months. Spray it in freshly washed hair for detangling and added softness and shine. I don't know how I lived without it. $21.99, Target (I believe Ulta is less, but I can't find it on the site).

Nails 

China Glaze in Watermelon Rind: This is a super fun, unexpected pop of color for your toes. I don't recommend it for fingers, but this bright teal glitter shade looks beyond beautiful peeping through flip-flops. Check it out at the top of this post. $6.49, Sally Beauty Supply.

Frugal Fridays, Shine On Me! (A Reminder and Review)

Today's Frugal Friday is more like a reminder. If you haven't joined Sephora's Beauty Insider program, I really encourage you to do so. Even if you only shop there occasionally, it's better to get a few points here and there than none at all. It's free to join, they send you discounts from time to time, and after so many points you get free stuff. This is a no-brainer, folks.

No, the Sephora people did not pay me to say all that. I really love this program that much. For reals. And here's why:

You see, recently, the bonus gift for 500 points (that add up quicker than you'd think) was a travel set of Bumble and Bumble's Let It Shine shampoo, conditioner and finishing spray. I needed travel sizes for a trip anyway, so I hopped on the deal.

First of all, the shampoo and conditioner are the most color-safe I've ever tried. I'd just had my hair dyed red, and usually, the first shampoo after a coloring leaves me with a tub and towels that look like they came off the set of American Psycho. This time, though, there was nothing left in the tub, and the towels only showed the tiniest amount of transfer.

Secondly, the finishing spray is gorgeous. In the past, I've dealt with sprays that either did nothing--no shine, no hold, no nuthin'--or had great shine, but were so oily they killed my hairstyle. One also left a greasy film all over my bathroom floor. That was fun. With the Bumble and Bumble, I just lightly mist a little over my hair (use VERY sparingly!), and either brush it through or tousel slightly to distribute. You can also just spray a little on your palms and run through to separate curls or pieces. It has a very light hold, and your hair glistens.

Lastly, and most importantly down here in the ninth cir--Deep South: no frizz. None. Nada. On vacay, I washed my hair with the B&B, then blew it out to straighten and sprayed a little finishing spray on it. My hair never frizzed up. The next day, it looked just as good. I thought, "lower humidity".

So, we got home. I repeated the process. No frizz. I thought, "lower humidity?" We went to my Mom's. It was 100 degrees, and we were out by the pool with an electric mist sprayer thingy pointed right at me. NO FRIZZ. Let me repeat that: NO FRIZZ. This was not a fluke. There was an outdoor photo shoot for the movie earlier this week, and that was the only stuff I would trust. I fixed my hair in the morning, and by the end of our evening shoot, my hair still looked amazing (God, I hope it photographed as well). I couldn't do anything about the mosquitoes, but one victory at a time. (Sephora, $23-$25)

My point (and I do have one) is to join the program. Had I not gotten this a free gift, I never would have found the brand that can preserve my color and keep my naturally-spastic hair frizz free. Now, that promo has passed, but the new ones are just as impressive. These are great ways to really be able to try out something that you've maybe been interested in, but didn't want to shell out the big bucks without testing. I've also been known to break up sets for stocking stuffers and small Christmas gifts (yes, I'm cheap. What of it?). However you choose to use your gift, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that this is a way to get a little something back for all the money that you've spent on routine maintenance. It's not exactly something for nothing, but it's something, and we could all use a little something these days.

Right, and Elvis Works At the TCBY On...Oh, Wow!

Since I started writing this blog, I've subscribed to several websites' email lists. It makes research a lot easier when it's delivered daily to your inbox. Of course, sometimes the advice I'm handed makes me, at best, scratch my head, and, at worst, do a double-spit-take right onto the keyboard (sorry, Thomas). That doesn't make it bad advice, though, as I've come to learn. Today, I thought I'd share with you some doozies that I've actually tried and come to love.

1. Apply Moisturizer Over Foundation. Say what? Why on Earth would I do that? Well, for one reason, when warmed up in your hands and patted onto your face, moisturizer softens the look of foundation for a more natural finish. It's also a great way to ensure you remember to actually use that expensive anti-aging cream, or that sunscreen you're so fond of forgetting. Or is that just me?

2. Apply Blush Under Foundation. Surely, you can't be serious! Yes, I can, and don't call me Shirley! I thought that was about the dumbest thing I'd ever heard, but it really works. It creates the effect that the color is coming from within the skin, and not just lying on top. This works especially well with Spring's hot pinks and corals. A word of warning: you may have to apply a little more blush than usual. Someone walking in on you, say, a husband for example, could, I don't know, burst out laughing and ask you what the heck you thought were doing. The term "clown-ho" could be used. This is a purely hypothetical example, of course.

3. Strong Tea Helps Sunburns. Not if you drink it, though. You need to brew up a bathtub-sized amount and have a nice long soak. The tannins in the tea actually draw out the inflammation in your skin and allow the burn to heal faster.

Photo Credit: Sally Beauty

Lastly, I have a neat tip for y'all. Oil treatments aren't exactly a new thing, but here's a quick and easy, cheap one for you. Slather your hair in Argan oil (I like Proclaim Natural 7. $6.99, Sally's) before you shower. I did, and let it sit for about five minutes--the length of one segment on The Early Show (did you know that a white tee and a little black dress are two things every woman should have in her closet? How is this news? Anyway, I digress)--then washed it out, conditioned as usual, blow-dried, and finished with a dab of color-protectant. I have not been able to stop touching my hair. Please note, I didn't heat up the oil at all. For a hot oil deep treatment, set the bottle in hot (not boiling) water for about three minutes, or until heated through.

I Have an Excuse!

Okay, I was really bad. I somehow managed to spend enough money at Sephora this year to qualify as a V.I.B.--the premium level of their rewards program. Oh. Dear. God.

In my defense, I only bought all that stuff in an attempt to reverse the damage the movie was doing to my hair and skin. Yeah, that's it.

Honestly, though, my hair was straw. You try getting pin-up hair to stay all cutesy-sweetsy and curled in 1000% humidity. It takes a lot of gel and hairspray (and prayer) to do that. I did manage, though, to find some stuff that not only helped fix the damage, but has actually made my hair even softer than I thought possible. It's also not so weighed down that it can't hold a curl. This stuff is magic. Oh--and Mom, don't freak out at the price. I got the individual travel-sized--not the set--and I'm waiting for a sale to get the full-sized versions. Also, I'm eating my vegetables. I promise.

Photo by Sephora

Frederic Fekkai Salon Technician Color Care Travel Faves. $43 at Sephora.com.