Surfs Up Vox Box

Last week I received another box in the mail full of goodies, compliments of Influenster!  I love to try new things and I seriously cannot get enough free stuff so I absolutely love this website!  All they ask is that after you receive your box, you check it in and review the products after you try them.  Honestly, I could do this kind of stuff all day!

When I got my box in the mail I could hardly wait to see what was in it!  You can sign in to your Influenster account ahead of time and see the products, but in my opinion, that just takes the fun out of it!  Plus it’s always more fun to open packages when someone else is there to get excited with you, so I ended up opening it with my sisters (one sitting right next to me and the other in Japan over Skype.  Have I ever mentioned how amazing Skype is?).  The box I got this time is called the Surf’s Up Voxbox and it included several products that are not only great things to have around for the summer and vacations, but every day as well.  Again, I got all of these items for free, but I wanted to include the prices for reference!

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion; Full Size 8 oz. $8.99, 2 oz. Sample included $2.24 – Everyone gets sunburn, but the real question is whether or not you put anything on it! I usually skip the aloe because I absolutely hate the sticky feeling it leaves on my skin!  Not to mention the smell.  This stuff on the other hand smells like coconuts which in itself is pretty great, but it also isn’t sticky like the aloe you normally buy.  It’s basically just like putting on lotion.  Great product!

First Aid Shot Therapy $2.99 – This is a berry flavored shot that is supposed to knock out headaches.  I usually use Excedrin when I get a bad headache, but I’ll try this instead next time!  I don’t think I would ever actually buy these though.  It just seems like a lot of extra money when I’ve already got a product to serve this purpose that works great.   Although, I am very curious about how well it works! (And tastes!)

SinfulColors Professional Nail Polish; Aqua $1.99 – So you all know by now that I love nail polish.  I wouldn’t say I’m at full blown hoarding status, but I’m definitely well on my way!  I was really excited to get this to add to my collection.  It’s a beautiful aqua blue that is a perfect summer color and I don’t have any others like it.  Shocking, I know.  I don’t really use blue a lot on my nails and I’ve never actually used a sinful colors nail polish before but I’m excited to give this a try!

Jamba Juice at home Smoothie Kit; $2.99– Since this is a frozen product and it’s currently 90 degrees outside, they sent me two coupons for this instead of mailing the actual product.  Good call Influenster, good call.  One of the coupons was for a free full size bag/kit, and one for $1 off.  This is a smoothie kit that you can find in the frozen food section at the grocery store and all you have to do is stick it in the blender and add juice.  I liked getting the coupon because I was able to choose the flavor that I wanted!  My grocery store had a very limited selection but I ended up getting the Fruit & Veggie Red Fusion.  My first thought when I tried this was that it tasted like baby food.  Not really sure why.  It was OK, but not really my first choice in smoothie.  I'm going to look at other stores around to see if they carry the kits with only fruit to use my $1.00 off coupon.

Covergirl Bombshell Curvaceous by Lashblast Mascara $11.99 – When I first found out that I was going to get this box, I got an email from Influenster stating that I would potentially be getting this mascara.  They also noted that this formula works like waterproof mascara and that I should use an oil based eye makeup remover when I remove it.  I don’t normally buy waterproof mascara because of the extra effort to take it off, but I’m willing to try anything once!  I will say that this mascara did make my eyelashes look amazing.  It’s two-step mascara which doesn’t bother me because I usually do two coats of mascara anyway.  However, even with my eye makeup remover, this mascara was not giving up easily!  I probably spent over 5 minutes trying to get all of the mascara off, but even with the makeup remover there were still clumps of it in my eyelashes.  I will say that it has great staying power so I think I’ll use this when I go to the beach, theme park, etc. rather than for everyday wear!

On the card that came in my box, they also noted that some people received a travel size Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Conditioner and Shampoo instead of the mascara.  I was completely fine with not getting this since I just recently bought some!  Check out that blog here: http://sarahsbeautyonabudget.blogspot.com/2014/05/memorial-day-and-rebates.html

Overall, this box had over $20 worth of great products in it that I am really excited to use!  I’m hoping for another great box from Influenster in the near future!! 

Thanks for reading!!

Sarah

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

June 2014 Ipsy Bag

After some intense USPS tracking stalking, I finally got my June Ipsy bag in the mail last weekend!  Ipsy is pretty much the greatest thing ever!  For $10 a month you get a package in the mail with a makeup bag filled with makeup and other miscellaneous hair and beauty products!  Seriously, what is there not to love!?

The June 2014 bag is themed “Pretty in Paradise” and the bag itself is an adorable floral/pineappley Rebecca Minkoff design.  http://rebeccaminkoff.com/rmedit/2014/06/rm-x-ipsy/  This month I got 5 items, 3 out of 5 being full size, and thank goodness the full size products were all makeup!  WIN!!!! 

Nyx Cosmetics Butter Gloss in Crème Brule; Full Size $5 – The color of this is really great.  It’s just a really good nude color and it smells like cake!  However, the thing I don’t like about this is it's sticky.  I hate sticky lip-gloss.   If you can’t walk outside without your hair getting stuck to your lips when the wind blows, you’ve got a problem! http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/p-191-butter-gloss.aspx

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray; 125 mL $8.99, 45 mL $3.23 – I haven’t had the opportunity to use this yet, but I was really excited to get it!  I like to wait and try new things with my hair over the weekend in case something goes wrong so I don’t have to go to work looking like a crazy person!  My hair dries with a curly wave to it anyway, so I’m hoping this will make it look a little less unruly.  http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod3120879  

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara; Full Size $15 – I was really excited to get a new mascara to try but I was sadly really disappointed with this one.  I’ve mentioned before that I have very short eyelashes, so I need all the help I can get in that department.  I say if you have short lashes, this is not the mascara for you.  However, my sister (who has long beautiful lashes, seriously, how is that possible?  We have the same genetics!) tried it and it looked great on her!  I’m going to give it another shot, but I’m thinking it may just not be for me! http://beabombshellcosmetics.com/product/mascara/lash-out/

Ofra Eyebrow Pencil; Full Size $13 – I don’t usually use eyebrow pencils.  I had a fiasco when I was in the play Footloose in high school where the lady doing my makeup used eyeliner on my eyebrows and have been terrified ever since.  In fact, I pretty much ignore my eyebrows 99% of the time.  So I’m not really sure if I’ll use this or not.  It’s kind of like the lip liner I got a couple months ago.  I won’t use it all the time, but I guess it will be nice to have one if I ever need one!  http://ofracosmetics.com/absolutebrowpencil.aspx

Realtree for Her; 3.4 oz $19.99; Travel Size Sprayer 5mL $6.99 – I was honestly a little confused about this.  I’m pretty sure the company that makes this is a hunting/camo supply store which would not be the first place I would look for a perfume.  I think it’s actually really weird that they make perfume, but they must have some sort of market that they would sell it in the first place!  While this perfume doesn’t smell bad, I don’t think I’ll ever buy it.  I will however use this travel size when I’m going out of town and don’t want to bring my full size bottles with me!  http://www.realtreebeauty.com/shop-her.html 

After a disappointing May bag, I was really excited to get the products that I did this month.  The total value of the products I received in my June bag was $43.22 (not including the super cute Rebecca Minkoff makeup bag).  Over $30 more than what I paid!  I seriously recommend Ipsy to anyone that is interested in beauty products that loves getting a good deal!  The best part is, it’s a month to month subscription so if you don’t like it, you can cancel at any time!    On the other hand, they also offer a deal where you can subscribe for a year and get a month free!  If you’re interested in subscribing, here’s my referral link!  http://www.ipsy.com/r/6b49

Thanks for reading!!

~Sarah

A Few of my Favorite Things

Let’s face it, we all have those favorite products that we use all the time.  I’m talking beauty staples that you probably have stock piled under your bathroom counter.  (Or is that just me?!?)  I thought it would be fun to highlight 10 of my favorite things and maybe inspire some of you to try something new! 

I'll start with something that everyone has in their shower. Bar soap.  My favorite kind is Dove because, let's be real, it's the best.  I currently have a 14 pack under my sink that I got from Sam’s Club.  You can never have too much soap, right?  This was also a great purchase because when I bought it one of the bars was missing, so it was marked down and the average price for each bar was less than $.75.  I absolutely love Dove because it doesn’t leave my skin feeling weird after I use it and I can use it on my face without causing breakouts! 

Speaking of breakouts, let’s talk about skincare!  I don’t really have much of a skincare routine, but I do use one product every day.  After I wash my face at night with Dove soap, I use Noxzema Anti-Blemish Pads.  I know, what you’re thinking “I didn’t even know they still made those!”  Well they do and they are amazing!  One of my friends introduced them to me my senior year of high school and I have used them ever since!  The smell can be a little overpowering at first, but I absolutely love these things and I really do credit them for helping keep my skin clear.  I can usually find these at Wal-Mart for $3.99. http://www.noxzema.com/products/anti-blemish-pad

Another item that every girl uses and probably has way too much of is lotion (most likely of the Bath & Body Works persuasion).  I’ll admit I have a whole drawer full of Bath & Body Works products.  Who doesn’t?  One of my favorite scents is Twilight Woods.  I use the body lotion every day and I can’t even tell you how many compliments I get on it!   Next time you’re in B&BW, give it a sniff! (BTW, the B&BW semi-annual sale is going on now, so you may be able to get a great deal on your scent of choice!)

A product that I recently started using is Maybelline Baby Skin.  This primer is supposed to help minimize the appearance of pores leaving your skin looking, you guessed it, baby smooth.  While I don’t notice a crazy difference, it’s enough that I still use it every day.  It’s known in the beauty world as being very similar to Benefit’s the Porefessional which is much more expensive.  I’ve tried both and found that I like them both pretty equally.  The major difference?  A tube of the Porefessional is $31 while Baby Skin is only $6.99.  I think I’ll save that $24 thank you very much! http://www.maybelline.com/Products/Face-Makeup/Primer/Baby-Skin-Instant-Pore-Eraser.aspx

I never wear foundation.  I’ve tried a few times, and maybe it’s just the kinds I’ve tried but I can feel it on my face and hate that!  However, to even out my skin tone, I like to use a powdered bronzer.  I’ve tried a lot of different brands from N.Y.C. and E.L.F. to Almay and Physicians Formula and liked them all about the same.  I like bronzer because it has a bit of a shimmer to it that gives you an extra glow.  I wear it every day!

My favorite part about doing my makeup is putting on eye makeup.  It’s just so much fun to play around with all the different color combinations!  I bought a BellaPierre Mineral Eye Shadow Shimmer Stack in Serenity several years ago at one of those mall kiosks and it’s my absolute favorite eye shadow!  It has 9 different colors that are perfect for an everyday neutral eye look.  It’s advertised on their website for $89.99 but I definitely did not pay that!  I’m thinking I paid around $50, but like I said, it was a long time ago!  One of these days I am going to bite the bullet and buy the Naked 3 palette, but until then, this set is definitely my go to! http://www.bellapierre.com/shop/shimmer-9-stack.html

 

Everyone has their eyeliner of choice and the Jordana QuickLiner is mine for a couple reasons.  First of all, it’s a twist up eyeliner which is my preference as opposed to a liquid or pencil.  The formula is super smooth and so easy to apply.  The best part?  This eyeliner is only $1 at a store near me called Benjamin Franklin!!! $1 for an eyeliner that I love? Best eyeliner ever!!! ttp://www.jordanacosmetics.com/p-73-quickliner-eyes.aspx

So I happen to have the shortest eyelashes of any girl ever.  Well maybe not really, but it sure seems like it!  I find myself getting eyelash envy quite often.  It especially makes me jealous when I see guys with the fullest most beautiful eyelashes that they have done absolutely nothing to.  I've tried so many different kinds of mascara and my current favorite is Maybelline The Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara.  While it does not make my eyes look like cat eyes (which I don't really think I would want.  How creepy would that be?), it does have a curved brush so it’s easy to apply and it hardly ever clumps up on me.  A lot of times mascara is either lengthening or volumizing, but this mascara does a great job of doing both! http://www.maybelline.com/Products/Eye-Makeup/Mascara/the-colossal-cat-eyes-washable.aspx

There is a very good chance that if you looked in my make-up drawer, nightstand, and every purse that I own, you will find roughly 1,785 lip products.  Ok, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, I am never using all of this stuff!  My current favorite is Covergirl Wetslicks lip gloss.  Most of the lip glosses I’ve tried are super sticky (I’m looking at you Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush) but this one is not sticky at all!  It feels smooth like chapstick on your lips but has the juicy look of lip gloss.  I realize that is a really weird way to say that, but it’s the best descriptor I could come up with!

This last thing is not really a beauty product, but it is something that I am currently obsessed with.  It’s the Honeysuckle Bouquet 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works.  I absolutely love honeysuckle so when I smelled this at B&BW, I knew there was no leaving the store without it.  You have no idea how hard it is to resist the urge to go buy every single one that they have in stock.  It is just AMAZING!!

I know everyone has their favorite products, and these are just a few of mine.  I love each of these products, and I definitely think it would be worth your time to check out any of them!  Thanks for reading!!

~Sarah 

Polka Dot Nails

I’m going to apologize up front, but this blog is going to be short.  I was in Indiana last weekend for a friends' wedding (Congratulations to Katherine and Chris!) and this week has just been a little hectic to say the least, so I haven’t had a lot of free time to really get my creative juices flowing on my blog!  I’m hoping that I’ll have some time this weekend to work on it so that next week’s post will be extra amazing, but no promises!

I just wanted to share a new polka dot design I tried on my nails a couple weeks ago.  My sister and I bought some nail pens a while back at Sam's Club of all places and they are pretty awesome and so fun to use!  Here’s the link in case you’re interested. http://miginailart.com/ 

Basically all I did for this design was paint my base coat and add different colors of polka dots one color at a time on one edge of my nails.  I was really happy with how they turned out! 

Once again, I am so sorry that this post is so pitiful.  I promise next week’s will be something great! 

Thanks for reading!!

~Sarah