Sephora Play: January

I am super late to the party in showing what I got for my January Sephora Play box. I thought better late than never and I love knowing the cost breakdown of my boxes. I got box #587 and I have yet to see anyone else get the same box as me. This happens 1/2 the time with my boxes. So, I might be lucky with getting some rare boxes and I do like and will use everything inside my box this month. I have learned so much about my makeup preferences and what I like through this subscription box. I now know to give reds away, because I never look like myself in them. I also know I have too many eye pencils. I prefer lighter shadows eye shadow anything black or really dark does not go with my deep set hooded eyes. I know how to do eye makeup for my eye shape. It’s been a really great 2017 learning about myself in beauty terms.

I like the theme of January, even if it is very overdone. Everything in my box is supposed to enhance or renew a better version of you. I have two makeup items that are very natural looking to enhance your features and I have 3 skin care products. My bonus product is a hair product and I am so happy to not have another perfume sample to use up this month. Those little tubes stack up fast!

Gloss Moderne Clean Luxury Masque

I never heard of this brand, but I am happy to have another hair mask to try. I love doing hair masks once a month when my hair starts feeling a bit dried out. I hope it does a good job of moisturizing. Not all hair masks are created equal.

Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel 1 fl oz $6.80

I was in need of a good exfoliant, so I am happy to now have a decent sized sample in my collection. I have dehydrated oily skin, but in the winter, I tend to get flaky on the areas of my face that are usually oily. I am also getting closer to my 28 birthday (I will be turning 26 this year) and I hear that every 7 years, your skin changes a lot. It is definitely being more dry lately, but I think it is because of the cold weather. I need to drink more water to try to balance out my skin more.

GlamGlow Supercleanse Cleanser 0.5 oz $3.20

I love GlamGlow, but they are not cruelty free. I will not buy any of their amazing products, but I will continue to use what gets sent to me. I love the Youthcleanse clay to foam cleanser, so I have high hopes for this one as well. I will use this once I am done with my current cleanser. I only wash my skin at night with a double cleanse, so this would be good for the first cleanse to get rid of dirt and makeup. I usually follow up with a more moisturizing cleanser or a face mask.

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream 3 ml $5.30

This eye cream is so expensive when you get so little. I will never have to buy eye cream again, because I keep on getting them in my boxes. I like getting eye cream in boxes though. It helps me determine which ones I would actually buy. I will spend the $30 or $40 on eye cream as long as there is 0.5 oz of product in it. Night eye cream actually works on my fine lines and wrinkles. For the day, I want something really moisturizing to keep my concealer from looking dry and flaky. Eye cream also lasts FOREVER, because you only need a little dab of it for both eyes.

MUFE Artist Face Color B302 Blush $5.75

The top swatch is the blush that I will be using as an eye shadow. It is a nice peachy color that would look pretty in the Spring on the eyes for a simple glow. It is so buttery smooth and pigmented. It also blends out like a breeze. I will look into getting some eye shadows from this brand. Hopefully, their eye shadows are just as good as their blush.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss Kristen 0.07 oz $8

I love this medium brown nude on me. It isn’t too dark and it looks very classic on my lips. It looks like I am wearing liner, but that is just my regular lip color on the edges. It looks so beautiful on me. It is a thick feeling gloss that isn’t sticky. I really love this gloss formula, but I have way too many glosses to buy any more.

The overall price of this box is the lowest I ever got at $29.05, but I absolutely love the variety that I got and look forward to trying out everything. I love it when I get more skin care than makeup and I really hope next month continues that trend.

With Love,

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January Beauty Bag

These are all the items that I am using in the month of January. I am hoping to use up some of these items, but I want to see progress on everything this month and every month. If I don’t use it, I declutter it. If I don’t like it, I declutter it. I have a serum, a primer, a blush, an eye shadow trio, an eye liner and a perfume. Oh, and a lipstick! I really am enjoying the blush and I have already popped the stopper out of the liquid lipstick. I will let you know if I use up anything, hit pan, or declutter in my February bag post. The liquid lipstick is a my lips but better color and is so easy to wear. It fades naturally and doesn’t look awkward at all.

With Love,

Dean’s ABA Week 1/5/18

I am really happy that I really like the HMEA representatives that come over to work with Dean. They are reliable and always let you know ahead of time if they will be missing time and when they can, someone fills in for them. I wish his OT would arrange for that. It would be so much better for Dean. He missed Thursday this week because of the snow storm, but otherwise, he had a full week.

1/2/18 – Anne (The regular ABA worker Tues, Thurs, and Fri)

Dean did great remembering routines we started last week. Came to sit with me as soon as he saw toys. Starting with a runny nose. Tired after first hour.

1/3/18 – Joyce (Supervisor, does 3 hours during the week generally: Wed & Fri)

Deb getting to know Dean. Practicing “all done”, “more”, pointing, beginning toy play. Runny nose – allowed staff to wipe. Very interested in staff and toys.

1/3/18 – Deb (In-Training ABA, does only Wed)

Played with Dean today. Worked on pointing, “all done”, and “more”. Dean had a runny nose today. Went over a few items with Joyce.

1/5/18 – Anne

Dean liked ring stacker toy. Looking for my hands to complete toys for him. Worked on pointing, more, and all done. Sat for longer durations on my lap.

Dean had a great week with his ABA girls. To say he is a major flirt wouldn’t be saying enough. He loves his leading ladies. I’m looking forward to more progress in the next week. I have to say that I have noticed that he does sit with me for a longer period of time than he did before. He can sit with me for 10 minutes flipping through a book before wanting to run around again.

With Love,

Dean’s EI Week 1/2/18

Once again, Dean’s OT cancelled one of her sessions with him. I keep saying that I’m going to do something about it and I don’t. Dean really likes her a lot. I’m going to just pull her aside and ask her if she can really handle him in his schedule. He needs consistency. Maybe, she just needs to hear it from me. I’m hoping I can get a second OT person for when she can’t make and keep appointments. I hate that he’s missing out so much on much needed sessions.

1/2/18 – Speech

Dean’s sleep has gone back to normal. Dean was seen at home during part of his HMEA session. He is starting to understand that he works to complete a task and then break. He works well for 1st hour. Dean made nice eye contact, more sounds during play, turned pages and watched signs for animals and more. Dean is getting a cold again and was tired by end of session.

• Continue to name animals and animal sounds while looking at animal books.

1/2/18 – OT

Dean had ABA this am 8-9:30. He gets ABA services Tues – Friday 8-9:30. Lisa (Speech) comes on Mondays. Dean did well today despite having a busy morning of ABA 8-9:30 and speech 9-10. He is more socially connected when I came in, he gave great eye contact and ran right over today. He did well transitioning to working chair. He was able to consistently exert enough force to pull apart pop beads 5/5 times. He also enjoyed swinging and bouncing today.

• Continue to intersperse sensory play with movement, bean bucket, etc with time to work chair
• Continue to try to have him point to objects

I am happy to report that we have flipped through the book a few times, but no animal noises since my throat was scratchy from a cold. I have him chose and point to what he wants. I let him run around and free play before doing 5 to 10 minute activities in his work chair 2x a day.

With Love,

January Birchbox Thoughts

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

This has really been a long time coming and the next three reviews/thoughts are sure to come some time soon. These posts usually take me an hour to write, because I have to research how much my actual samples cost and I like to be as accurate as possible. I cannot wait to resubscribe in March, since that is approximately when I will be back to working after my leave. I won’t be able to afford it on leave, when I only get 75% of my paycheck a week. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+, 5 ml for 3.40 USD

This actually matches my skin almost perfectly. It makes my skin color too pink though. I naturally have a yellow undertone and too much pink just makes me looked between flushed and like my face is a bit red/irritated. I love everything else about this product though. If only they had a undertone that would suit my skin better. It is so hard to find any kind of base that matches perfectly. Most of mine are way too orange for my complexion. A review will coming soon on this, since I recently finished it off.

Harvey Prince Sincerely, 1.5 ml for 4.30 USD

I love perfume samples and this one was no different. I love that it comes in a spray bottle instead of that dipping stick thing that always ends up spilling out more than what you want. This is a really fresh and clean scent with a bit of sweetness to it. The hint of spicy clove goes very well with the orange flower and tuber rose. I would consider buying the purse spray, if I didn’t already have so many perfumes to use up. I am working on my collection though. I have decided that for every two perfumes that I use up, I can buy one perfume. I have yet to finish up a full sized perfume, so I am no where nears buying a new one…yet. I did finish a purse spray, but I count that as 1/2 of a perfume. So, I am a 1/4 towards my purchase perfume goal.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner in Jaguar Gold, 0.7 g for 5.25 USD

I really like the dark gold almost olive color. It brings out the green/gold bits in my eyes and really complements my skin tone. I don’t have another color like this in my collection. It really is quite unique. The formula off the stick is easy to work with on my eye lid. It is not for the waterline. I need a good eyeliner for my waterline, since I find it to be a lot quicker than lining my eyelids. I also never have a sharpener for these things!

Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, 20 g for 6.40 USD

I will have a review coming up on my blog about this product, since I have already finished this product up. I enjoyed using this product, but if I am going to pay 34 USD for an exfoliate, I will be repurchasing my Glam Glow.

Whish Three Whishes Body Butter in Lavender, .75 fl oz for 3.52 USD

The scent was more oatmeal than lavender, which I was very happy about. I only have a little bit of this left. It is very greasy/heavy, so I’m saving the last little bits for winter time when my hands tend to suck up the oil better. It is a quality lotion, but I think it is too greasy for my taste and I’m not crazy about the scent either.

Well, the total of my box was twice the amount that I paid for clocking in at 22.87 USD. This is one of the cheaper boxes that I got, but I loved the variety of items that I received. It only had one makeup item (not including bb cream b/c I use that everyday), which is great to slowly start a collection. I hope that these subscriptions stick around for a long time. I love the mystery to it and the cheapness of it.

With love,

A Long Time Coming

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

I am trying to catch up on reviewing all of my subscription boxes. This is the last one from Ipsy, then I’ll have to do Jan, Feb, and March of Birchbox to catch up on all of them. I want to catch up, so they can be more relevant. My ideal would be to do the monthly box review when I get the new month’s box. I’m going to try to do one every week for the next few weeks, but we’ll see how that goes. Some weekends, I don’t have the time to write a really extensive post. These types of posts usually take me a couple of hours with getting the photos and trying out those products one last time.

The Theme:

Fresh Start is a suiting theme for January’s Bag. Everything in my bag related directly to having a fresh, natural face. Since the no makeup makeup trend has taken off, I liked that Ipsy stayed current with all of the trends. It is a very trendy bag of what is in now. Some of the makeup becomes outdated really fast because of it. This was one of my favorite themed bags though. I really love the natural look.

The Bag:

I like the simplicity of this bag, but I don’t care for the orange zipper. If they zipper would have been in a different color, I think that I would have liked it a lot better. If it was red, it would have been patriotic and more nautical as well. It is a simple makeup bag and I like it. There is not much more I can say about it.

(MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm, 0.20 oz for 12 USD

 

This is a great value for a full sized lip balm. I will be giving this away in my next giveaway, so I haven’t used it or anything. I have so many lip balms that I really do not need another one. So, one of you lucky readers will win this baby right here. Mojito sounds amazing to be honest. Has anyone tried this? What did you think? I’d love to know.

La Fresh Eco-Beauty Be Good. Good Day. Day Moisturizer, 0.5 oz for 13.99 USD

I did not think that this moisturizer was that expensive, which is really surprising to me. I have a review for this coming up on my blog and spoiler alert, I did not care for it. This is the reason that I cannot believe that it is this expensive, so not worth it.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo, 0.27 oz for 7.25?

I assumed that the full sized is 1 fl oz, so I calculated the price from there. It is just an estimation. This just gives a pretty all over glow that I quite enjoy on no makeup days, but it is very subtle, almost non-existent. On days that I use makeup, I sometimes add a little to my foundation, but never to my moisturizer. My foundation easily covers up any glow this gives you. I also like to use it as eye shadow and on the brow bones. I don’t use it on my cheeks after applying foundation, because for some reason cream highlighters tend to remove my foundation in those spots. Anyone know a solution to this?

Hikari Cosmetics Mechanical Eye Liner in Storm, 0.2 grams for 13 USD

Another full sized item?! I love that this bag has three full sized items and that everything is relatively expensive. This bag almost redeemed Ipsy for me. I love how you can build it up or get a sheer wash of color. This is the perfect color to complement my grey eyes. I only use this to smoke out my bottom lash line since the crayon is a bit hard and not creamy. It gives a nice smoke effect and makes my bottom lashes look thicker.

Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure, 0.08 oz for 3.50 USD

This is the third full sized product that comes in a pallet. After swatching the eye shadow, I realized that I have the EXACT same color from a Be A Bombshell Cosmetics compact. So, I will be giving away this eye shadow as well in the coming weeks. It is a gorgeous bronze/gold eye shadow that you can make a lot of looks out of. I love using bronze colors in the Summer and I can guarantee that this will be a staple.

BONUS: J. Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter, 0.33 oz for 4.99 USD

This was the item that I used my points on. It isn’t a color that I wear a lot, but when I want a bold lip, I go for this tube. I love the color for a night out or if I’m feeling like a diva going through magazines at home. I am currently rocking it right now. It is pretty pink color and you can keep it light for day and glam it up for night by layering more on. It is very intense and stains. I apply mine with a q-tip and only apply a tiny dot at a time.

Well, that was my January goods! The total was 49.74 USD and with my bonus was 54.73! It was a great note to end my subscription on. Maybe someday, I will go back, but for now, I am happier with Birchbox than I ever was with Ipsy. That is it for today!

With Love,

Birchbox Unboxing: January

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

I have another unboxing here for you and I am really proud of this video. I think that it is the best one that I have done yet. I am also working on my thoughts on my November Ipsy bag and that by the latest, will be published by the end of the week. I’m working on getting really good quality pictures and modeling off different looks with my new makeup from that bag. What else am I doing this week? Well, I have a review for tomorrow and an update on my beauty ban for Thursday. I have an Empties and Favorites post in the works. If I get tomorrow off from work, which I surely hope so, I got over two feet of snow already and it’s still coming strong. I cannot even SEE my car anymore. No work = that Ipsy review getting finished and possibly uploaded. That’s my little update so far. Stay safe everyone!

With Love,

Entertainment Bimonthly: January 2.0

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

I decided to alter the title of my posts due to the fact that this month I have two entertainment posts. I don’t want anyone to be confused, so I am making the title stand out a bit. On a side note, I only have a couple of chapters left of my second January read. I review might come out in February. I am trying to get it done for this coming weekend, but we’ll see. Tomorrow, I have two unboxings planned and a subscription review. I hope to get it all done, so I can upload them that day. I am very ambitious with my blog. Now, since this is what all of you wanted, let’s get to it!

Gossip Girl Season 3

Wow. So many things happened in this season I do not know where to start. I love Chuck and Blair and I wish that things could finally fall into place for them. Then, it does, but it all falls to pieces anyway. I know that we are supposed to like Dan and Serena. But did anyone else get sick of them in this season? I just thought that they were fake and I was over it. I loved Jenny! I am so sad that this is her last season on the show! I don’t really care for Nate. I felt like he was there but not really. His character didn’t do anything noteworthy. And those are my thoughts on season three. I thoroughly enjoyed it through all of its faults. I watched this on Netflix with my 8 USD a month membership.
4 out of 5 stars

My Babysitter’s A Vampire (The Movie)

I thought that this was a cute movie with a great story line. Some movies for children I still enjoy on the Disney channel or Nickelodeon. I love how this was a comedy and a bit spooky at the same time. It was exciting and unique with a bit of a twist. It got me interested into trying the tv series. I’ll let you know how that goes. If you want to watch a cute movie with your children, this is a good one (having children not required to enjoy this feature film). I watched this on Netflix as well.
3 out of 5 stars

Tammy

I loved this hilariously crude comedy! McCarthy is a real star in this film. That being said, I think that there was still something missing from this movie. A true purpose perhaps? I don’t know, there is just something extra missing from this movie. Don’t get me wrong! I still loved this movie and everything that came with it. This is a fun movie to watch for a few laughs, but that is about all that you will get out of it. I rented this from Redbox for free, because I signed up for their Play Pass Book. It rewards you for being a member, giving you more coupon codes and free rentals.
3 out of 5 stars

Glee Season 1

I love GLEE! I don’t know why I haven’t gotten into this show earlier. I guess, I just thought that this show was stupid, but I see just how dumb I was being. I love musicals and this is like a musical in every episode. I don’t like all of the songs, but I know all of them if that counts. I enjoy all of the characters in the show. Everyone is so diverse and the plot is so funny, but it does touch upon some heavy subjects. All in all, this is a great show and I am already halfway into season two. I also watched this on Netflix.
4 out of 5 stars

Secret of the Wings

I was bored one day and I wasn’t feeling too well. My dad was out with his friends, so I decided to cuddle up in a blanket with my three favorite girls to watch a movie. I searched for Lucy Hale and this movie came up. I thought that this movie was very cute and I enjoyed it. I liked listening to Lucy Hale’s voice and my dogs were into the movie as well. Eve is a tv watcher. She actually stares at the images that flicker across the screen. This is a cute movie and if you are looking for that, this will satisfy you. I watched this on Netflix.
3 out of 5 stars

With Love,

ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. I AM NOT BEING SPONSORED FOR THIS POST.