Perfectly Posh | Haul & Mini-Review

So I recently ordered some items from Perfectly Posh, a Direct Sales website that sells skin care and body/bath items. I was really excited to try this stuff out, especially because I had heard really good things about them.

First and foremost, I want to disclose that I am a Direct Sales person myself. Perfectly Posh doesn't compete with Jamberry in terms of "We sell the same product, so I'm giving this a bad review for the sake of a bad review", but some of the opinions I have of the company and the products come from my experience with Jamberry. I also want to say that I will be including prices on some of these things, because I think it's relevant to share what I paid for it in relation to the size I received. Anyway. ONWARD.

First, I will talk about the party experience. The party was on Facebook, and it was for a friend of mine (and Reggie's) as a fundraiser. This friend had thrown a party with Jamberry as a fundraiser as well, so I thought it was only appropriate to return the favor, especially for the good cause. I also knew it gave me a chance to review some products and to get some fun stuff for myself. So it was a win-win. The consultant at the party was very fun and lively. I will say that she didn't provide much information about the products at all except for bits and pieces in answered questions, and to inform us about a buy 5 get 1 free deal. But she was definitely enthusiastic and fun.

The day of the party comes, and we played a few games. There was an unscramble word game, a "What's your Posh name?" game, and then a scavenger hunt. The Scavenger Hunt, which I won, earned me a free lip balm. After I placed my order, I will say that the consultant never thanked me for my order. She did pitch throwing a party for all of my friends, but in all sincerity, I want my friends to have a different experience. It's like as soon as I pulled out my credit card, the interaction stopped. I don't mean to be entirely critical, but that's where my bias comes in. I try really hard to make my parties fun and engaging for everyone, and I love making a big deal of when people order. I tag them in a Facebook post and compliment their choices. It makes people feel like their money is well-spent, especially if some of it is commission going to the consultant.

Anyway. Here's what I got:

Product #1: Make-Out Magic Sugar Lip Scrub | $14, 0.5 oz
I tried this on my lips and it felt nice. I will say that some parts of it felt scrubbier than others, if that makes any sense whatsoever. It feels good on my lips and it feels moisturizing. It feels like I won't have to reapply after an hour. But I will also say that for a "Lip Scrub", I expected a little more... scrub. Not really a complaint, but I do wish I got more scrub when I dipped my finger in for the first time. It smells really good, though, The website says it's grapefruit vanilla scented. I can smell tiny hints of both of those, but neither is overpowering by any stretch.

Product #2: Calm Down! Oatmeal & Banana Face Mask | $16, 2 oz
Admittedly, when I opened up the box and saw this, I was disappointed in the size. The Body Shop sells face masks that are about 3.5 oz for this price or a little under, so I was expecting a little bigger. However, it smells incredible. I left it on my face for about 7-8 minutes, since the instructions said between 5-10 minutes. It started tingling a little toward the end, but nothing super intense, and no burning or itching. When it started to tingle, I rinsed. It was tough to rinse off. It reminded me of when I bake and I get frosting all over my hands, and how hard that is to wash off. It took a good minute and a half-two minutes to rinse. And I will say I was a little disappointed that I got out of the shower, sat around for a few minutes, and my face was in desperate need of moisturizer. I probably wouldn't repurchase this, given the size and the price as well as how 'meh' I am about it other than the smell.

Product #3: Wakey! Wakey! Skin Stick | $13, 0.5 oz
This is definitely interesting. It smells like peppermint, which is interestingly nice. I thought the smell of peppermint would turn me off, but I did enjoy it. I tried rubbing it on my forehead, and it didn't seem to do much. Granted, I didn't apply it as liberally as the instructions say, but it didn't get rid of my dull headache. The website claimed this was great for energy, tension, and headaches. So tomorrow morning when I drag my sorry butt out of bed at 6:30 AM, I'll give it another fair shot.

Product #4: Good Morning, Beautiful! Big Bath Chunk Bar | 7 oz, $9
The price on this is really good compared to the price on the other things. The bar is substantial, and it seems like it would last a long time. Apparently you can use this from head to toe, which means you can also use it as a shampoo? I think I read that somewhere. I don't quite think I would go that far with it, but it's nice to have a big hunk of soap that smells pretty good. The scent on this one is supposed to be lemon and green tea. The lemon isn't super strong, which is nice. When I used it, I could only really smell the lemon. It does lather up really well and it seems like it would last a long time.

Product #5: I've Been Set Up Makeup Setting Mist | 4 oz, $13
I will freely admit that I bought this 1) because I didn't have a makeup setting spray, and 2) because the website said it smelled like chocolate. When I open it up and take a whiff, it smells strongly of mint. Which is fine, but where is my chocolate? I can't speak to how well this works in setting makeup, because I just took my makeup off, as you can tell by the fact that I said I tried the oatmeal mask in the shower. But I will try it tomorrow and see.

Product #6: The Healer Shea Butter in a Tin | 0.6 oz, $10
I haven't tried this yet, mainly because it's a remedy butter for burns, bites, dry skin, etc. But knowing me and the amount of random bug bites and sunburns I get, this will be handy to have around. I really do want to give it an honest shot before I review it. We will see.

Product #7: Scrumptious Sunshine Lip Balm | 0.08 oz, $4
I won this in a party game, so I didn't pay $4 for this. I would pay $4, though. It smells like oranges, and it's not an off putting orange. The lip balm itself is hydrating, not too sticky, and easy to apply. The smell is not overpowering and it's about the size of a drugstore lip balm or similar item.

Product #8: Walk on the Beach Pedicure Grade Sand Scrub | Free Sample, 0.15 oz
This was a sample included in my order. It was really nice to open my package up and see this! I love samples and I love trying new things, especially a foot scrub! It says it's a beachy scent, which is white frangipani, jasmine, and plum. I opened it up and I was dying to figure out whether I could smell the plum; I've never owned a beauty product that smelled like plum before! I will say that I was so excited that it was a SCRUB. It had sandy stuff in it and I SCRUBBED my feet. It smelled amazing! I could definitely smell the jasmine. I would probably purchase a full size of this if it were easier to get a hold of.

I will also say that the shipping is pretty hefty. $8 shipping is kind of bonkers, especially if you're just getting a couple of things. Yeah, $8 shipping for all of those items seems legit. But if you're getting one face scrub or one soap, $8 is insane, Granted, if you spend $100, you get free shipping, but I couldn't justify spending $20 more to save $8. I'm sorry. I'm not sure how new Perfectly Posh is as a company, but they may want to look into getting their shipping costs down. Even Amazon ships for less than that, and they're notorious for shipping things in absurdly, comically large packages.

So, overall I was pleased with some aspects of my purchase and not so pleased with others. I may try more items from Perfectly Posh in the future, but I will be sure to maximize my purchases to make it worth the shipping cost. I do want to try some more of the lip balms, and the chunk bars. Maybe even some of the masks. I've heard good and bad things about the Stripper and the Sea Witch, but considering their warnings for sensitive skin possessors, I figured it would be best to pass for me.

Product Review | Jamberry Nails

Okay, so I have a lot to catch up on when it comes to blogging. But this is one thing I wanted to share with the one person (two, maybe) who reads this blog. I went through my Julep phase, and I loved how well the polish held up. But since my Julep obsession began, I've found another way to do my nails that isn't as costly and lasts way longer: Jamberry.

Jamberry nails are vinyl, heat activated nail wraps. They come in over 300 designs, and they last up to two weeks on fingers and six on toes.  I was really skeptical at first, honestly. I went to a friend's Jamberry party and I was like, "This is dumb." The part that ended up hooking me was how inexpensive they were. I paid $30 for a salon manicure that chipped the next day. These have lasted me an incredible amount of time (the picture above shows the nails I'm still wearing six days later). Also, I was amazed at how cute the designs were. I bought some Christmas nails (buy 3, get 1 free) and tried them on, and suddenly I was really excited about the product.

Then, I went to another party. I was hesitant to go, because I just bought four sheets of nails (HOW MANY NAIL WRAPS DOES ONE GIRL NEED? Answer: a ton), but I went anyway. This party was a 4 day, Facebook party with games, fun, and goofing around, rather than a direct salesy pitch. I signed up to be a consultant at the end of that party. I wanted to do that! I wanted to throw Facebook parties and have fun with my friends and show them a product I really loved. They didn't have to sell me on the actual product again: just the opportunity.

But, an actual review of the nails, because I can't be biased here:

1) They're easy to put on! Especially with a rubber cuticle pusher and a mini heater. A blow dryer works fine, but it's so easy to have both hands free.
2) They really do last a long time! I've had a set on for longer than two weeks before. And they always last me longer than nail polish does. I put a set on recently, gave the dog a bath, did dishes, and cooked dinner, and they held up unbelievably well!
3) The designs are wicked adorable. I had my reindeer nails around Christmas time, and my (cute) ugly sweater nails until the New Year. I also busted out some sparkly birthday nails on my birthday!

I hope this business goes well for me because I truly believe in the product and I love it. I wouldn't even get into this business if I didn't love the wraps. So, I'm pretty grateful to have a product that works so well for me that can help me pay for grad school, and whatever else may come later.

Cocoa Pink Early Black Friday Haul

I think I've mentioned it before but, when it comes to Indie companies, Cocoa Pink is one of my favorites. I try not to shop with them too often only because the cost of shipping gets high since they're shipping heavy containers. That's why I like to get them during a sale.

My orders from Cocoa Pink are always packaged nicely. There was also a layer of packing peanuts on top, but I had to get rid of those in order to even take this picture. It just goes to show how much care is taken when they ship orders.

You'll also notice three small sample size products. I've always had a couple tossed into my orders when I get my package. This time I got a shampoo sample, a scrub sample, and a lotion sample.

When I order, I mainly stick to the Coco Mango Body Butters. Another thing I like to buy is conditioner. I received a sample of the Junket Creme Conditioner last time I ordered, so I knew I needed to pick up a full size. The Shine Sweetie is another conditioner they offer and that was my favorite before using the Junket Creme Conditioner.

Cocoa Pink does make other lotions, one of which being the Voluptuous Body Butter, but I prefer the Coco Mango Body Butter over those. They also offer a Goat's Milk Lotion and a Whipped Body Butter.

Here are the scent descriptions from Cocoa Pink's website:

Apple Popcorn Balls – Buttery melted caramel squares coat crimson gala apple slices and warm gobs of melted marshmallow drizzled over hot kettle corn make this delicious fall treat.

Caramel Popcorn Balls - Melted marshmallow buttery caramel popcorn balls, a delicious Halloween treat sure to evoke memories of childhood.

Fear of Ghosts (Phasmophobia) - Glowing marshmallow orbs and smoky vanilla spectral mists swirl aimlessly around an old bonfire in the Crisp October night air – Fresh vanilla puffed marshmallows, toasted marshmallows, hints of bonfire smoke among scattered sharp grains of white rice to ward unwelcome spirits away.

Fear Of Witches (Wiccaphobia) – Warm baked bread fresh from the oven, gentle wisps of bonfire smoke drifting through the frigid autumn air and smooth buttery caramel sprinkled with coarse black sea salt is your best bet in keeping them at bay.

Pumpkin Caramel Latte - frothy pumpkin latte with gooey caramel sauce and whipped cream with nutmeg sprinkled on top.

Smashed Pumpkins - The scent of decorated pumpkins and Jack o Lanterns strewn about smashed to pieces by mischievous children on Hallows Eve: Raw pumpkin flesh, pumpkin pulp, fresh crimson apples dripping with warm caramel, steaming hot buttered rum and sticky melted marshmallows. 

Toffee Apple Crunch - The aroma of granny smith apples with creamy, buttery caramel; dipped in crunchy toffee chips.

Witches Delight - Brimming with the true olfactory essence of the fall season! Soft buttery vanilla cookies dusted with orange and black sugar, fresh cranberries, blood orange oil, dark brown sugar, Turkish mocha whipped with shards of bitter almond, roasted hazelnuts tempered with a cool blast of iced vanilla.

The scents of my free samples per the site:

Cherry Cola Float - A frosted glass filled with ice cold cherry cola with waves of sliced wild black cherries and vanilla bean ice cream.

Midnight Hag - Tart Blackberries, Vanilla Bean Noel, and a splash of Spiritueuse Double Vanilla. 

Maple Bacon Cupcake - I am addicted to the food network’s cupcake wars, so I wanted to create my own version of this usual but tasty treat. Yummy mapley bacon cupcakes topped with buttercream frosting & bacon crumbles.

As you might be able to tell, I prefer sweet foodie scents when it comes to lotions. Cocoa Pink makes some of my favorite scents. Many of these I wouldn't wear as perfume, but I really like them as a lotion scent. I'm also a huge fan of their conditioners and I use those as a deep conditioning treatment in the shower. 

There are other scents I wanted to order, as I had yet to try some of the espresso and coffee based scents, but I couldn't spend like $70 on lotions and I think seven tubs of body butter will last me a long time.

Review and Swatches | Geek Chic Cosmetics - "Big Damn Heroes" Collection

From Top to Bottom: Little Albatross, Ambassador, Very Fine Hat, Inevitable Betrayal, Captain Tightpants

Yes, I've had these for years. No, I don't care, because damn, they're still relevant, and damn, they're still pretty. It's so hard not to buy literally everything on Geek Chic Cosmetics, but I have to stop myself. First, because I don't have the money to buy things, but second, because THEY'RE ALL SO FREAKING PRETTY. I purchased these five samples a few years ago and I use them every now and then, and they're still hanging around. So, that's definitely a plus. For $1.25, that's a huge win.

Second, I'm not huge on glitter, normally. But these colors are beautiful. I use Captain Tightpants quite often, and I used Ambassador combined with Captain Tightpants the other day. I also love LOVE LOVE Little Albatross. I haven't used it in FOREVER, but look at that beautiful color. I will also say the pigmentation on these is great. Yeah, I didn't quite swatch them evenly, but the swatches are true to color in real life generally. I like that there are some dark colors and some bright colors, and most of them are usable every day.

I will add that these shadows are cruelty free, gluten-free, and vegan. Which is also a plus. I'm really trying to incorporate more cruelty free products into my routine, and it's nice to know that these geeky-fun shadows fit that description.

My wish list for this company keeps getting bigger. I saw recently that they have sets inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy, Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, The Hunger Games, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones. They also have a Walking Dead collection. Ages ago, I also bought the 8-bit D&D collection, which is no longer for sale.

The only thing, again, is that I wish they weren't all so damn GLITTERY. But, I will say that the glitter has never been a problem for me. It's not like I have glitter on my eyelashes or anything by the end of the day.

So overall, I'm really pleased with these! I hope to buy more from GCC in the future; it's just that I'm broker than broke, unfortunately. But, when I make some money, you bet I'll go on a spending spree!

Tarte Pin Up Girl Holiday Blush Palette: Swatches + Review

I was so bummed when I missed out on last year's holiday collections because I just wasn't wearing a full face of makeup. My normal routine was BB Cream, powder, and maybe a dusting of blush if I was feeling either pale or ambitious. This year, I wanted to make sure that I bought at least one blush palette, the Nars or the Tarte, because I've been wearing blush and bronzer daily.

I decided on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush palette because the Nars palette wasn't yet announced. This palette was probably going to be less money and I already know I like the Tarte blushes, plus these are all limited edition colors.

This is the packaging for the palette. It looks like a little golden clutch. I do have to agree with everyone else and say that it is on the bulky side, but this isn't something I'm going to be tossing in my purse. Right now, I just keep the palette on one of the my shelves in the bathroom. The little pearl hair pins actually can be removed and used in your hair. I haven't even bothered with those yet. I might just take them off the palette so that they don't leave an indent.

Bulky packaging aside, I do have to say my biggest con for this palette is that the names not listed anywhere on the actual palette. The insert shown above slips out of the palette even when it's closed. The only other spot that has the names is the back of the box. Eventually, I want to know which blush I've been using. I do still have the box and the insert, but it would be so much more convenient to have the blush names printed on the package, especially since there's already a sticker on the back.

From top: Irreplaceable, Bashful, Whimsy, Embraced, Breathless.

Looking back, I'm actually glad I didn't get the Off the Cuff palette from last year. It contains permanent colors, one of which I don't like and another that I own which is a bronzer. I really like these colors better.
Additionally, I've actually worn all of these colors and I can say I definitely love them. It's nice being able to have five colors all in one spot.

Embraced and Bashful are the only two shimmery colors and the other three are matte. I've really been into neutral and nude blushes, so Breathless was a nice addition to the palette for me. That said, Embraced and Irreplaceable are probably my favorite colors in the palette, followed closely by Bashful. I think Breathless just isn't a standout because my favorite for a nude cheek is Tarte's Exposed, which I have in a single pan. I'm also not a huge fan of pale pink blushes like Whimsy. I like this color because it doesn't come off like Pepto Bismol like some blushes and it isn't chalky, but I'm not ready for the color yet. It just doesn't mix well with my bronzer like the other colors do.

I think the only other thing worth mentioning is that these blushes are powdery. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just realized the first time I was trying these out that a bunch of powder kicked up when I swirled my brush in the pan. I'm used to how MAC blushes are a bit stiffer. The color pay off on these are great, which I think is because of them being slightly softer and powdery.

Packaging get a B- because I want the names on the palette and it's a little bulky.

Blushes get an A- because I really love them overall and the color selection is nice. Despite the powdery mess you can cause, the colors are worth the pain.

So do I think this is worth $42? Absolutely. I'd rather pay the $42 for this palette than the $65 for the Nars palette that has a huge pan of Laguna bronzer in it and a bunch of colors I won't wear.

Review | NYX Butter Lipsticks

In honor of a presentation I had to do tonight (on high school dropout prevention, in case you're really curious), I decided to go a little bold with my look.

And by "bold" I really just mean a bold lip. CONFESSION: I didn't even put foundation on. I did my eyes (FINALLY), my eyebrows, and my lips. I was only going to class, so I didn't feel the need to do full-on makeup for a 2 hour thing.

I tried one of my new NYX lipsticks for the occasion: Mary Janes. I love it. It went on with more of a red tint in real life than the picture shows, but it's an accurate representation of the coverage. I will also say that it was easy to apply, smooth, etc. It wasn't sticky at all. Compared to my Wet n Wild lipgloss for my Rosie the Riveter costume, this felt much more natural and didn't feel like my lip color would crack if I smiled!

The staying power was pretty impressive, too. After my 25 minute presentation, I stepped out into the hallway to get a drink from the bubbler, and I drank like a camel, because my mouth/throat always get dry during presentations. For reference, the above photo was taken at 3:54 PM. My presentation ended at 5:55 PM. I went to the restroom to check on it and after my water break, it was still holding strong.

I got home and my boyfriend brought some pizza over, so I sat and ate some pizza and drank some water. I didn't really think about it until a few hours after class ended, but I finished my food and went to check on the lipstick.

That picture was taken at 9:28. So, obviously it didn't last through pizza. But a quick re-application would surely last me the rest of the workday. Considering I didn't get home and start eating until around 8:30 or so, it was staying put really well for 4.5 hours. What can I say? I don't expect miracles; it's a $3 (well, usually $5) lipstick. But I will say that I was really pleased and surprised that it lasted as long and as well as it did.

So, basically, I like my NYX Butter Lipsticks. They work well, and they're pretty. I can't wait to try out my other colors!

Project Pan | Makeup Freeze Until 2015

I've seen a ton of YouTubers do their ProjectPan updates lately and I totally want to do one. I have so much stuff sitting around that I'll never finish if I don't consciously think about what I'm using. I have a habit of bouncing around from product to product without any sort of rhyme or reason to it. So, this post is to hold me accountable! They're not any sort of exciting products by any stretch, but they're products that I need OUT of my life (or in some cases, just to use up and repurchase at a later date). I will post some things I intend to finish by January 1, 2015 below. I am also holding myself accountable not to purchase anything new until 2015 (excluding subscription boxes). Except that Ulta is having double points, and that's a problem... STAY STRONG. STAY STRONG. My birthday is in December, and Christmas is just a week or so later, so I don't have long to hold on.

I'll be sure to tell you how used they are, and how much I have left to go, and I'll post an update in November to show the difference.

 It's a 10 Miracle Leave in Product
I should have put this in my September favorites. It's fantastic. I love it to pieces. I want the full size (this is a sample that was given to me with purchase), but I need to finish the sample. It's lasted me a long time and as you can see by the mark (ignore the product sloshing around, I had to tilt it to get a picture of the mark), I've still got a good ways to go. Hopefully I finish this by 2015! I will definitely repurchase. It makes my hair feel very soft and healthy.

Avon Vanilla Moisturizing Shower Gel

There's nothing wrong with this shower gel. It smells good and has a nice lather. I just prefer my Philosophy body washes. I have two of those to get through, and I've promised myself I have to use this Avon one first. I didn't start consistently using it for awhile, so as you can see, there's only about 1/4 of it gone. But I do plan on using it consistently so I can move it out.

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick: Juicy Peach
This was a hand-me-down from a friend of mine (who was very adamant to tell me she had NO DISEASES!) who had too many of the Neutrogena lipsticks, and she said she didn't reach for these very often. I think the peach is a pretty nude color for work. I'll definitely throw it into the mix much more often. I haven't tried this enough to give it much of a review or have much of an opinion on it, but I'll be sure to do that soon.

Aerie Botanicals Moisturizing Body Lotion: Coconut & Vanilla Bean
Love me some Vanilla smells. This is pretty much the entire bottle I was given as a gift with purchase, and I know it's probably not really realistic to say I'll finish it. But I want to put a good dent in it, at least. It's a great body lotion and it smells pretty good.

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm
If I can never receive another Carmex product in my existence, I will be happy. It's semi-effective, don't get me wrong, but the goop and the taste just turns me off. Even this seemingly much better application method is gross as all hell. As you can see, I don't have a lot left, but I will be more than happy to say goodbye to this. I have a CO Bigelow Lip Balm I want to start using, and this is standing in the way.

Suave Professional Volumizing Conditioner
This does nothing for my hair. It's ridiculous. I bought it hoping it would, but it doesn't do squat. I have a whole new bottle in my bathroom cabinet. I'll use that up, too, if I can. It's crazy. That tiny black mark on the side is showing how much I have left (and ignore the dog photobomb). I'm hoping that we'll get rid of this very, very soon.

So that's six products I'm hoping to make some headway on. Perhaps I will allow myself

#DoMore Degree VoxBox from Influenster, Plus Workout Makeup Woes

So, I found Influenster a few weeks ago, which is kind of awesome. Basically, you review products and stuff, and sometimes they will select you to participate in a VoxBox campaign, where you receive full sized products to try out and share your opinions on. Influenster sent me this complimentary deodorant to review, but I will be 100% honest in sharing my opinions.

For those of you who don't know, I'm sort of new-ish to working out. I frequent my local Pure Barre, which is the hardest and most awesome thing I've ever done, fitness wise. It's kind of like pilates meets yoga meets ballet. And depending on the day, they make you SWEAT. I'm telling you, like, dripping, look like you just came out of the rain, sweat. And it's from what they call "isometric movements"... these tiny, one-inch-or-less movements that are supposed to tighten and lift and make you have a butt so awesome they named it the "Pure Barre Ledge".

So, what does this have to do with deodorant, or makeup? Lots, actually. For the past few classes, I've kept some of the Degree deodorant in my purse, I can say that it didn't make me sweat in the way I used to. It smells nice, and it lasts a long time. Not quite the 48 hours they claim, but a good portion of the day nonetheless.

I'm not a huge fan of the bar-type deodorants, because I prefer gel lately (I usually use Secret), but I would definitely repurchase this. It doesn't sit under your arm and cake up, and I accidentally brushed it against my shirt, and it didn't leave a mark. So, all in all, I'd recommend it! I plan on doing a deodorant face-off with one under one arm and the other under the other arm. It's going to be the strangest thing.

Anyway, back to working out. As I mentioned, you SWEAT. So, I have to wonder, why do people bother doing their makeup to work out? What products should one use to keep her makeup intact while working out? I mean, I work out sometimes in the middle of the day, between jobs, or between work and class. So I get having makeup on before you go. But me and my face usually regret wearing makeup to work out. I usually grab a makeup remover wipe and get a good chunk of it off, then remove the rest of it before I shower, after my workout. Am I crazy?

Is there like a "workout tutorial" I need to find? Because by the time I'm done, I'm thinking even my waterproof eyeliner will be begging for mercy. And that stuff sticks like glue. I'm going to post a video eventually called Pure Barre Problems, once I get all my thoughts together to film it. And this will surely be included. How does everyone's hair and makeup look perfect when they've just gone through the same workout I did? UNFAIR.