Oz Naturals Age Defying Solar Shield

*I received this product free for testing and reviewing purposes. All opinions are 100% my own*

One of the things I have been really careful of this last Spring and Summer is to always have some sort of sunscreen product on my face, and now that I'm taking Lupron (which makes you more susceptible to burning) I'm even more careful. I try to always wear sunscreen under my foundation that has SPF in it as well, and my lipstick is always layered over some SPF lip balm as well. But sometimes I really don't have the time to do multiple layers. so a tinted sunscreen sounded like the perfect solution.

Oz Naturals is a brand I've reviewed (and hated) in the past, but when they offered to let me test out another product I thought I'd give them a second chance to redeem themselves. Their Age Defying Solar Shield Tinted Sunscreen is a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 and Zinc Oxide, which is pretty decent. The shade is "medium" but they claim it can work on a wide range of skin tones, so a one color fits all kind of deal. Now Oz Naturals is a US based company and is cruelty free, so those are definitely good points for it, but how did the product actually perform?

I've used it twice now and it is just a greasy, off colored mess. The universally flattering shade won't be usable on people with fair to almost medium shades, it's really quite dark. I'm not a pale person, but I could really tell that I had it on. I looked like I went a wee bit overboard with the bronzer if you know what I mean. Not quite Oompa Loompa orange but maybe their paler cousins. And it was greasy as hell, which is the #1 deal breaker for me with any face product I use, but especially sunscreen. I kept expecting this to set like foundation, or at least soak into my skin a little bit, but it stayed a nasty, greasy mess on my face all day. Even using a setting powder did nothing to curb the shine. By the end of the day it was disgusting, I wish I had tested it on non-work days. I would never recommend this to anybody and at this point Oz Naturals is 0 for 2 so I won't be recommending this company to anyone either. I may give them another chance in the future if a product interests me, but for right now they are getting two giant thumbs down.

The Not So Fun Side of Summer Time

There are probably a hundred songs (at least) dedicated to the joys of summer, The warm breeze, picnics and sandy beaches, summer flings. The list goes on and on, but I dare you to name one song about the reality of summer. The sweat spots under your breasts, bug bites, sun burns, lizard skin, and melting makeup. These are the facts of summer that never gets discussed, or even want to be discussed. But I'm going to discuss the, because that's what I do. Consider this a summer refresher course, and maybe you'll learn a new trick or two. For easy reading I have divided each topic up and bolded the title, so you can find the specific topics that concern or interest you

UV Protection
The big thing everybody always talks about during the summer season is sunscreen, for obvious reasons. Skin cancer is a pretty serious topic, did you know melanoma accounts for almost half of the cancer cases in the United States? Most Doctors recommend wearing a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 whenever you go out in the sun. The sun's harmful effects don't go away just because its cold outside. More and more foundations and BB Creams come with built in SPF, so it is becoming easier to protect yourselves. But ears, necks (especially the back of the neck), and any other exposed skin also needs to be covered.

Did you know that UV rays can also damage your hair? The dry, crunchy hair you experience during the summer isn't just from extra time in the pool. The heat will dry it out while the UV rays will fry it. Think of it as a sunburn on your hair. Wearing a hat obviously protects your hair and face from the sun, but sometimes a hat just isn't in the picture. There are plenty of spray treatments for hair that protect against heat and UV damage. My particular spray of choice is the Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle Spray, it is specially formulated to provide the sort of protection your hair needs during the summer.

And to round out the UV/sun damage discussion, let's chat about eyes for a second. Just like how the sun damages your skin and hair, it can also damage the sensitive cells in your eyes. Best case scenario you get dry red eyes and need eye drops one day, worst case is cancer or permanent vision damage. Make sure your sunglasses are both UVA and UBA protected, and if you wear regular glasses like I do inquire about getting a protective filter put on. The place I got my last pair offered this as a free add on.

Moisture Loss
Please excuse the creepy sounding header, I literally could not think of another way to phrase that. And now I'm going to use an equally creepy analogy, because that's how I roll today I guess. If you stick a chicken breast into the oven and you leave it in to long, it gets dried out. Dry chicken is nasty, and nobody likes lit. Think of your body as that hunk of chicken and the heat/sun as the oven. You stay in it to long and you get dried out (or burned, but we'll get to that in a second), but unlike the chicken there is hope for you. I highly doubt any of you need to be told to drink more water and put lotion on dry skin, so I won't waste time writing about that. I just want to talk about some of the interesting products out there to help you moisturize your skin. Slather on lotion is not always appealing and can be time consuming, but spraying some on it not only quick but cool and refreshing. Vaseline makes a body lotion spray that I've heard nothing but good things about, and there are lots of face spritzers on the market. Evian makes one, Avene makes one, my personal favorite is the Complexion Quenching Facial Mist by Air Repair. I've talked about it before but this product is really designed to help sun dried and damaged skin.

Feeling the Burn
Accidents happen, or maybe you just burn really easy like my husband. But at one point or another you are going to deal with a sun burn. There are three categories of burns, 1st degree, 2nd degree, and 3rd degree. 1st degree burns are the burns we typically associate with sunburns, a nice red burn that is warm to the touch and varying level of painful. These don't need to be seen by a medical professional typically, unless it is on a sensitive area (hello nude sun bathing) or very large. These can be treated with aloe vera gel (find some with lidocaine in it and keep it in the fridge, you'll thank me later) and some OTC pain pills. 2nd degree burns are when the area is burnt and has begun to blister and possibly swell. These are incredibly painful and may require medical attention. If it is a small area you can typically treat the same as a first degree burn, but if you're talking full back burn and blisters then you should probably seek medical advice instead of listening to a blogger on the Internet. 3rd degree burns are what happen to that chicken if you continued to leave it in the oven. These require medical attention immediately, and are very serious. The burn has gone completely past the skin, this is not something you can treat at home. Those shipwreck victims found after a week at sea who look like someone set fire to them, that's a 3rd degree burn caused by the sun. It happens, so please pay attention and be careful.

I'm going to end this topic here, but I'll pick it back up tomorrow with melting makeup, the great outdoors strikes back, and the products I cannot live without during the summer. If there is a topic or a question you'd like me to cover please let me know down below in the comments and I will do my best to answer it.

Air Repair to the Rescue

If you've ever been on an airplane then you know they are not only soul sucks but moisture sucking as well. Seriously, you enter the airplane looking fabulous and you leave looking like the Mummy's Girlfriend. And thanks to TSA regulations you have to be extra careful what you bring onto the plane and how much you bring, which can make looking like a person post flight difficult at best. Enter Air Repair with their brilliant little kit designed to be taken onto the airplane with you to rescue your skin from the dry, recycled hair and cramped conditions. I very rarely fly, but with Summer right around the corner I though a kit designed for dry skin would be a good investment for my money, especially when I heard some of the items were great for healing sunburns.

It all comes packaged in a  clear plastic zippered bag with a little clip to attach it to your bag, very thoughtful. Behind the actual products is a little info card with recommendation on when during your flight you should use each product, which is a nice touch I thought. Each product is 2 fluid oz or less, making them the perfect size to take not only on a plane but on vacation with you. There's a cleanser, a face lotion, an eye cream, a face spray, and a lip/everywhere balm. This is a pretty well rounded set, I don't think it really lacked any sort of product since most of them do double duty. And they all smell amazing, like a rose garden but not overwhelmingly of rose. Just nice and light.

The Soothing Facial Cleansing Milk might be the gentlest cleanser I have ever used in my life. If you've ever used a lotion cleanser imagine the gentle baby cousin to that. You wet your face, rub the cleansing milk into it, then rinse with cold water. It doesn't foam up at all, or have that sticky feel lotion can have. As a beauty blogger who sometimes has to apply several different makeup looks in a day, I really appreciated the gentle and soothing cleanser at the end of the day.

This is one of the products I was excited to try, the Complexion Quenching Facial Mist. This can either be applied to a cotton swab and used as a toner to misted onto the face to soothe and moisturize it. Someone recommended this to me for helping deal with sunburns, and after testing it and looking at the ingredients I'm pretty sure this will become a favorite for my paper white husband. And in the event you ever over exfoliate you face, this really helps to soothe the red ouchie skin. Because even beauty bloggers get a little overzealous at times.

I actually thought this was a hand lotion the first time I used this, I was much to excited to actually read any of the labels. This is actually the Complexion Boosting Moisturizer, a face lotion, though you can also use it as a hydration boosting mask. I like to use this after my nightly clay mask to put good moisture back into my skin. It is a little heavier than I'd like for a daytime lotion, but if I was in a dry environment that wouldn't bother me.

I had heard about this one quite a bit before purchasing the kit, so I was pretty excited to see if it lived up to the hype. You can apply it as a balm to dry or cracked skin, or use it as a lip balm. I've used it as both and really like this one. It isn't to heavy to use on my lips, which is a problem I have with a lot of all over balms, but it is still strong enough to handle my poor cracked fingers from my camping trip. This is an item I would buy a tube of all by itself, I can see myself using it almost every day.

If you follow me on Instagram you already know it was love at first use  for the Super Hydrating Eye Cream. I use this every morning and it keeps the skin under my eyes hydrated and has started to help with the dark circles I get from not keeping a decent sleep schedule. I've also noticed that on days I don't use it I can tell by how my under eye makeup lays. I don't think this makes my makeup last longer, but I think it makes it look nicer. This is another product I would purchase again all by itself.

The whole kit retails for $42, with a value of $71, and can be found on the Birchbox website. For $42 I think this kit is a steal, since each is the full sized you can buy individually. You are basically getting two items for free. I can't imagine ever traveling without this set now and I wish I had taken it with me last time I went camping. If you are a frequent flier or live in a drier climate this is a must have for you.

DIY Sunscreen + Lalune Naturals Zinc Oxide Powder Review

*I received this product free for testing purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and freely given*

First, a disclaimer. I haven't actually be able to test this and see how well it works. It is still winter in Oregon and I haven't seen the sun in like a month. But the science is sound so it should technically work just fine. But because I haven't personally tested it I wanted to let you guys know. Now that that is out of the way, let's get down to business (to defeat the huns! Sorry, I've always wanted to do that). Sun protection is an important part of my household. Obviously with a small child you have to be careful but I married a man so pale he bursts into flames if he steps outside during the summer. We go through a LOT of sunscreen every year, and sunscreen is not cheap you guys. The nicer brands with a higher SPF can be almost $20 a bottle and he'll go through that in a week depending on what we are doing (he's also a giant so lots of flesh to cover). I always worry about what is in the sunscreens we use and I can to avoid some of them because of my coconut allergy, so when I was given the chance to test out some Zinc Oxide Powder by Lalune Naturals and make my own sunscreen I was pretty excited. So let's make some sunscreen!

To do this project you will need:

• Zinc Oxide Powder. I am using the Lalune Naturals brand, which I really like so far
• A lotion of your choice. I'm using a Victoria Secret lotion I really need to use up so this was a win win for me
• Container to store the finished product in. I'm using a glass mason jar.
• Measuring cup, spoon, and whisk.
• Gloves and a protective mask to keep you from breathing in the powder 

I halved the recipe on the jar since I only had 2 oz of the lotion, so keep that in mind. Step one is to measure out your lotion. I measures 2 oz (1/4 of a cup) into a one cup measuring cup.

Next, add in two tablespoons of the zinc oxide powder. If you have a food scale and can measure it out, you want 1/2 an ounce but I don't own one so I just scooped it out with my measuring spoon. This is for a SPF 20+ sunscreen in case you were wondering.

Now take your whisk and start mixing. The lotion will thicken up quite a bit and get this really wonderful whipped texture like a body butter once you are all done. I recommend letting it sit and meld together for a few hours before you use it. Mine will be chilling for about a month before I have enough sun to actually use it. 

Just transfer it to your container and you are good to go. I did test it on the back of my hand and it does take a bit of blending to get it to soak into your skin and will leave a tiny tiny of white, but most sunscreens with a fair amount of zinc in it will do the exact same thing. I really liked the texture and it did NOT leave me feeling greasy like a lot of sunscreens can. Plus the scent was of my choosing, so that part rocks.

I love that this recipe is right on the jar, as well as instructions on to get to an eBook with a few more recipes. I really want to attempt to make deodorant at some point, and maybe a sunscreen stick for faces as well. I am really happy with the tube of zinc oxide, it is half a pound so I've got plenty for other projects and even has a scoop inside you can use.If you are interested in making some of your own health and beauty items like sunscreen, deodorant, or rash cream I recommend picking up a jar for sure. As of the time of this writing it is listed for $14.99 with free Prime shipping, which I think is a very good deal. That's the same price as a tube of sunscreen and I bet your could make two gallons of sunscreen with this so a pretty big money saver. 

October 2014 Empties

These post have oddly enough become one of my favorites to do. I love looking back at what I've used up and seeing my empties bag fill up makes me feel super proud. Is that weird? I feel like its weird. Any ways, last month I set a goal of finishing at least 20 items and I hit it! I actually had 29 empties for the month of October, so I'm pretty pleased with myself. Since I had so many items I'll try to keep it quick.

Wow, that is an impressive pile, right? I'll divide this post up by foilies, hair, skin, and makeup to make things easier and quicker. If you want more details than what I give let me know down in the comments.

DHC Velvet Skin Primer x4: Not Purchasing I got about 3 uses out of each pack so 12 uses total and it just make me love it. And for the price I need to love it.

EVE LOM Cleanser: Not Purchasing According to Vogue this is the world's best cleaner and all I can say is what the hell is Vogue smoking. This stuff REEKED and took like 10 minutes to use. Sure, it got my face clean, but so does the non-stinky cleaner I already own that takes me a minute to use. I do like the muslin cloth that came with it so I'll be using that as my shower face scrubbing cloth till it gets gross. Did I mention this stuff smelled awful? Because it did.

Curel and Jergins Lotions: Not Purchasing Some lotion samples I wanted to use up, didn't wow me enough to actually buy.

Garnier Cleansing Oil: Not Purchasing I actually requested this sample because I was looking for a cheaper dupe of the DHC Cleansing Oil, which is amazing. This stuff sucked. Left makeup on my face, doesn't emulsify at all, and left my face feeling oily. I got about 3 uses out of the packet so I tested it out pretty well.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil: Purchasing Eventually This stuff is amazing, as I've mentioned before. I have one more foil pack and a travel sized bottle left so when those are done I'll actually buy a full sized bottle of this expensive but totally worth it cleansing oil.

Alba Botanica Acne Gel: Undecided I haven't decided it I liked it enough to actually buy one. Didn't like the other things in this line and I *think* it only comes as a set at the store I got the sample from.

Briogeo Hair Mask: Not Purchasing I got this is my last Ipsy bag and while it did make my hair soft it smelled super bad. Which meant my hair smelt super bad for the day every time I used it. Gross

Marc Anthony Sea Salt Spray: Purchase Eventually I already have an second bottle of this, this bottle is the one that got damaged in an exploding Ipsy bag. I really liked it, smelled great, and was cheap.

Feria Hair Dye and ect: Undecided I'll write more about this later probably. Like the color but I think it's fading faster than it should.

OGX Moroccan Deep Conditioner: Purchase I actually have one more tub left but I love this stuff as I've mentioned and buy several whenever it's on sale at Ulta, which seems to be every few months.

Marakesh Split Endz Mendz: Not Repurchasing Another Ipsy bag item, worked ok but made my hair smell like moldy earth. Not exaggerating at all.

Klorane Dry Shampoo: Not Repurchasing I was going to do a full post on this but long story short works really well but is SUUUUPER expensive, $20 for a regular can. And I go through a can every other month, so that would add up fast. I'll stick with my $6 Psssst! Dry shampoo.

Kirkland Facial Wipes: Purchasing I've talked about these often enough you know I like them, but I'm finally down to my last pack so I need to actually buy more. Wish they would go on sale for even better savings.

ULTA Heart Throb Body Was: ???? So I *think* this was a seasonal Valentines Day scent and isn't usually available. I got it on clearance for under a buck and actually really loved the scent. If it ever comes back I'll buy more, but it may never come back. Curse you seasonal items!

Whish Saving Cream: Not Purchasing A Birchbox item, I liked it enough to use it but not enough to spend $20 on a full sized tube. The scent was weird too.

Cotton Swabs: Purchasing I buy a pack every other month from the dollar store.

Save Tan Lotion: Not Repurchasing I'm not even going to tell you how old this was. Don't even ask. So embarrassing, but I go through lotion really slowly I noticed. This was actually bought in Hawaii to help my severely burned Husband, this stuff is like an IV for the skin. So even if I wanted more I doubt I could get more.

Up&Up Face Toner: Not Repurchasing I was actually going to buy more of this until I made my own toner and decided I liked that better. But if you are looking for this one I recommend it. It is a dupe for the Proactiv+ toner for a fraction of the price.

Mary Kay Foundation: Not Repurchasing I have a friend who sells Mary Kay so every once in a while I buy stuff from her. This foundation matched my skin tone perfectly when I bought it, but it's old enough the color is getting orangish and it smells off so I'm chucking it. Though in retrospect it is pretty old. Like older than my son...by a lot. Kind of grossed out I was still using it. These aren't bad foundations, but they are on the more expensive side and can only be purchased from a rep which can be a pain if you don't know someone who sells it.

Dr Jart+ BB Cream: Not Purchasing Another Birchbox item, this is apparently a really popular brand and this specific BB cream is really popular, but it just didn't do it for me. Color and texture were great, wasn't heavy at all. It just felt greasy on my face, like it never really dried. And it had to be applied with either a stippling brush and then buffed in or applied with my fingers for a smooth finish, which meant it took a while to do. I'm a brush fan, keeps things cleaner too.

Makeup Forever Mascara: Not Repurchasing This was part of my free birthday gift from Sephora and is apparently a nice brand but I'm not seeing it. The mascara was pretty standard, though the brush was gigantic! Just not m cup of tea.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: Purchasing Ok, I know I typically don't buy expensive things that won't last for a while, but this mascara is AMAZING! I got this tube in an Ipsy bag and I fell it love after the first time I used it. Not the most waterproof out there, but it make my lashed look long, thick, and as black as can be. I'll treat myself to a full sized tube if I can make it through the holidays without murdering anyone any trouble.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner: Not Repurchasing Another Ipsy item, just wasn't worth the $20 price tag. Is it better than most pencil liners? Yes. But for $20 I expect a heck of a lot more. Like not having to sharpen it every friggin time I used it. I seriously hate sharpening my eyeliners, I prefer liquid, cream, or those mechanical pencil ones. Sharpening just takes to long and I always end up breaking the tip off.

That's it for my empties, I think I did really well. For November I'm predicting a lower number, maybe around ten if I'm lucky. I've got some makeup almost finished so fingers crossed that they are in next month's post. If you keep track of your empties, how did you do?

6 Months of Ipsy Bags in Review

Since I cancelled my Ipsy bag after I received my September bag, I thought I'd do an in depth look at what I received and if each bag was really worth it in the end, plus I'll explain a little more on why I chose to cancel my subscription. My six months are from April to September, so basically just spring, summer, and the beginning of fall. Though after seeing the sneak peeks for this month's bag I'm doubly glad I cancelled.

Let's start with April, which was my very first month. I received 5 items that month, four makeup and one tool (yes I'm calling fake eyelashes a tool, deal). The bag was not a real winner, but I do use it to keep my cords organized in my bag since it was large enough to hold a phone charger and my son's LeapPad charger with room to spare for another charger if I need it. The Lollitint, which I didn't originally like finally grew on me but I would still not purchase it just because the color was never great on me. I still like my Urban Decay eyeliner, but I won't be purchasing a new one just because of how expensive they are ($20!). The City Colors eyeshadow/highlighting mousse I don't use as much as I though I would, it's probably my second least favorite highlighter I own and it sucks as an eye shadow. The Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm, while a perfect color for me, is just so drying it really only gets used once a month. And I'll never use the eyelashes, they just aren't my thing. So while I do use and like some of the items I received, overall it wasn't a stellar bag looking back.

May was one I was originally unhappy with when I first saw what I was receiving. Only two makeup items, and one of them I couldn't use due to allergies, so I was seriously bummed. I still haven't used the wipes, though I'm less bummed about them now than I was. They will eventually get used, I'm just saving them for a trip out of town. I ended up really liking the Eve NYC hair conditioner and discovered my Ulta sells them for waaaay less than Ipsy listed it as, so next time they go on sale I'll be picking some up. Haven't used the Jersey Sun Shore sunscreen, but I'm always happy to receive sunscreen. Still love the Boo-Boo Coverup, use it at least twice a week, highly recommend it. I ended up swapping the eye shadow for something I really wanted so that worked out in the end I suppose. And the bag is lovely, I used it to hold sunscreen during the summer and now I use it to tote nail stuff around. Overall I ended up liking this bag more than I originally did, so that's good.

June was the month that my bag came busted so I got my usable one on like the very last day of the month which was pretty frustrating. I will say that Ipsy's customer service is pretty good about replacing broken things. The bag was lovely and I used it for a while as my purse makeup bag, but it was SMALL. Like it squashed a makeup brush of mine and I had to downgrade to just the bare necessities for a while. This was also the month that had the awful Be a Bombshell mascara, which I've dubbed The Worst Mascara in the World! The replacement bag had an Elizabeth Mott mascara which I haven't opened yet. The perfume went straight into the trash, it was so gross smelling and would melt plastic (seriously) so there was no way it'd go on my skin ever. The Ofra eyebrow pencil has been used, it's just really heavy feeling and not my favorite eyebrow thing I own. The NYX butter gloss is still in the liking column, I just wish they'd given me a different color. It's a nice neutral color but I tend to lean towards brighter or more exciting colors than pale pink. The beach spray was the real winner out of the bag, I actually just finished the damaged bottle that came in the original bag. The price on it was great, the smell was great, and it did it's job well, a win all around. So overall this was a meh sort of bag, didn't love it but didn't hate it either.

The July bag was not a big hit at all and is actually when I started thinking about cancelling. The bag itself was just super boring, though it was big. I'm currently using it to store my hair ties and bobby pins because its hard to lose a hot pink bag. I was so surprised they didn't do something more for the bag, hot pink with scalloped edges just seems lazy design wise to me. Especially after the last bag. The Hang Ten tanning spray was such a huge miss on so many levels for me and a lot of other people. First, allergic to it. Second, after May being all about sun safety it seemed strange that this month would be pro skin cancer with a tanning spray. And third, some bags actually got sunscreen so it was doubly strange to have this item. Sun safe or sun bathing, pick one cause you can't have both. The bronzer is in my swapping pile, I have too many open already. The Tint and Sass was a hit, really love it as a cheek stain and it being a full sized item was awesome. The Marrakesh split end cream, not deep conditioner like I originally thought, wasn't bad and I am using it, but it just smells weird. Like hippie shop plus mildew, not something I want my hair to smell like. Not sure it is really making a difference, but it at least isn't hurting my hair. The big item of the month was the BareMineral's 5 in 1 cream eyeshadow, and this was a huge let down for me. The color was so close to my skin tone I could use it as concealer. I'm currently using it as primer in my makeup bag, because what else is it good for? This bag was basically one huge let down for me.

August was actually a good month, I got basically all makeup which is what I wanted from Ipsy. The bag was actually really nice this time too, basically a pencil case. I'm currently using it to carry my son's crayons and stuff when we go places. The Klorane Dry Shampoo was used and loved, though the price tag was too high for me to want to buy more. The lip balm is a current favorite, it's in my pocket as we speak. The Urban Decay mascara is what I'm currently using. I love it but not in love with the price tag so it will be my special mascara that I treat myself to for like Christmas . The eye shadow, while not a color I'd pick, is nice and I use it. Haven't used the primer yet, but I'll use it eventually. This was a great month and I wish they all were this good.

September was my last month, and while it wasn't a terrible bag I wasn't as happy with it as September's. The bag was nice, currently using it as my makeup bag. The hair conditioner stinks so I haven't used it yet, kind of bummed about that. The eyeliner is brown, which is so not my color, though the formula is really nice. A brush is a brush, I'll use it but not digging the double ended aspect (makes it hard to store). The lip gloss I like, I use it often and the formula is great. And the eye shadow is really nice too, so that helped this month not suck. Overall it was more of a meh month, but leaning towards good.

Onto why I cancelled my subscription, besides the lack of awesome months. First is just how friggin long it would take the bags to reach me EVERY SINGLE MONTH. Shipping would take over a week and a half and I was always in the last batch they sent out so I never ever got my bag before the 20th ever. Typically about the 22-25th is when it would arrive, which is a long time to wait for something. The replacement bag arrived fairly quickly, so I know they have the ability to send stuff quickly. I'd get my bag then like 5 days later be charged for my next one, not a system I liked.

The last few months their billing department starting doing some shady behavior, which is honestly the real reason I cancelled. I'd get an email saying my card info was no money in the account, I'd go check and see the money sitting there or the charge would be pending. There was never any issues on my end, so I have no idea what was going on. But when it happened more than once in a row I decided that was to much and I cancelled. They wouldn't even acknowledge that they had made a mistake, which really grated on me. The whole thing just felt shady to me.

Now this may sound paranoid and I realize that, but all of the "issues" with my account started happening after I started talking about canceling my account. I know several of the members of MakeupTalk.com have mentioned that their accounts were cancelled after they voiced negative feelings about their Ipsy bags on the official Ipsy forums, and I know for a fact that Ipsy deletes negative comments. Do I think there's some weird makeup conspiracy going on? No, but I find it peculiar and a tad unsettling.

Overall I got some good things out of it, and at least earned back the $60 I spent on it. Would I ever resubscribe? No, not unless a different company was handling it. I really like the concept of getting a bag full of makeup sent to me every month for $10. And I think for the bulk of the subscribers it's working for them, but I'm on a tight budget and I don't have room for the kinds of issues I was experiencing with Ipsy. I'd rather spend my money somewhere else.

My Very First Birchbox!

What's better than getting a box full of awesome goodies? Getting a box of awesome goodies customized specifically for you every month. That is exactly what Birchbox is. Every month you get 4-5 deluxe samples (or sometimes full sized items), usually skincare but also makeup products or only $10. Birchbox tends to have higher end items, so the value of your samples can be very high. Birchbox also has an amazing rewards program. Each time you review an item (or purchase items from their shop) you get points. For every 100 points you earn you get $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. So basically every other month you get $10 to use to buy stuff you loved, or you can save them up and get a big haul. The whole system is really amazing and there are TONS of great items in their shop, including everything that's in your box that month.

September is their 4th anniversary, so the box was extra special this time. Your Birchbox comes in an actual cardboard box each month and this month's box was amazing. Apparently there were several different colors you could get as well. The theme this month was "Fresh Paint", sort of a put your best face forward sort of thing.

My goodies even came wrapped in tissue paper, so it really did feel like a present. I actually got 6 items this month, 5 normal and one Birchbox Find (which I'll explain in a bit). My breakdown is 3 skincare and 3 makeup items, which works great for me. I have a ton of makeup but my skincare collection is a tad small right now. There is an information card included with the items I received and how much a full sized one costs, which I think is such a smart idea.

While this looks like a perfume, it is actually Caudalie Divine Oil. Caudalie is a French skincare company that makes really high end products, this one is a dry oil you can use on your skin, hair, whatever basically. I'm using it on my cuticles currently, and it is super hydrating. A little goes a long way and oh my god does this stuff smell amazing! And the smell lasts all day I swear. The only downside is that a full sized bottle (50 mL) is $32, making it a bit spendy. My sample is 3 mL, giving it a value of $1.92. I'll be on the lookout for a cheaper dupe for sure.

I was hoping I'd get a BB cream, and I got one in my very first box. Dr Jart is a Korean brand, and apparently a really nice/well known brand at that. I received the Dr.Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm.

At first I thought the color was way off for me, but it blended in really well with my face. The only problem is it's very thick, I had to buff it in to make it look good. I'm going to try again tomorrow using my stippling brush to apply it, but I think I just need something lighter than this. A full sized tube is 1.5 oz and $36, making my sample worth $4.80.

Temptu is a brand I've been reading about lately, they have an at home airbrushing system that looks pretty good, so I was excited to receive a sample of their highlighter. This Temptu S/B Highlighter is very different from other highlighters I've tried, this one is a silicone based liquid.

The color is called Champagne Shimmer, and looks great on my cheekbones but because it's colored it can look a little weird in other places if you don't blend it out. While I like it I don't love it, so I won't be repurchasing it once my sample runs out. A full sized is $27.50 and is only a fluid oz, so my sample is worth $2.75.

This is my favorite sample that I received, the Vasanti BrightenUp Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator. This is basically a microdermabrasion cream, with lots of added goodies. It smells so nice and made my face feel amazing. You only need a pea sized amount so this sample should last me a while, but I will be purchasing a full sized one after Christmas for sure. A full sized tube is $34 and 4.23 oz, making my sample worth $5.38.

This Whish Shaving Cream in Acai Grapefruit was creates specifically for Birchbox, which I thought was pretty cool. According to Birchbox, this is an ultra hydrating, shea butter packed shaving cream, but I'd call it more of a shaving lotion. If you've ever used conditioner to shave with it's basically like that. The scent is great and it did give me a slicker shave, but I haven't noticed any lasting effects. This is the item I'm least happy with, but I'll still use and enjoy it while I have it, I just won't be running out to purchase it. A full sized is $20 and is 150 mL, making my sample $2.93. Whish is a pretty affordable company and I've heard good things about their lotions so I'll be checking those out later.

This is a Birchbox find, which is basically a mass-market discovery they think is awesome and want to share. It's an extra for my box, which is super awesome. This ChapStick Hydration Lock Day and Night is a dual ended lip balm, one is day and has SPF 12 while the night end is infused with plant butters, antioxidants, and oils to really hydrate your lips. I've been doing some allergy therapy to help with my coconut allergy so I was actually able to use this product without dying (YAY). It made my lips a little ouchy, like I had scrubbed them to hard, but other than that I had no ill effects from the coconut. The Night side is super hydrating and I really like it, the Day side is a bit drying I thought but I like the SPF in it so I'm very happy with it over all. It retails for $2.99, so a great price and it takes up less room than 2 different lip balms in my bag.

Overall I was SUPER happy with my box and cannot wait to see what I get next month. My total value came to $17.78 without counting the ChapStick. I also get 70 points for reviewing all the items, so that was almost $10 worth of points. If you want to join, here's my Subscription Link to sign up, we'll both get points for doing it. If you got a Birchbox this month, what did you think of it?

Weekend Tips and Tricks

Its the first weekend of August, can you believe it? Hopefully you'll find a tip or two to help your weekends (and weekdays) run a little smoother.

• Summer sun leave your skin a little rougher or drier than you'd like? Look no further than your kitchen for a solution. Sugar, olive oil, and a bit of lemon juice is all you need to make a fantastic scrub that will leave your skin looking and feeling amazing.
• August can be an incredibly hot and humid month so keep that in mind when applying your makeup. Cheek stains will last longer than powder blush, and many cream eyeshadows have incredible lasting power. Humid days may be the best time to let your natural beauty to shine through.
• Some skin products, like anti-aging creams and prescription acne medications, can leave you photosensitive and easily burned in the bright sun.  If you are using these products, make sure you always wear sunscreen and probably a hat as well just to be safe.
• Suffer from sweaty underboobs? I do during the summer, so I use my deodorant to help keep me dry and sweat rash free. Cornstarch lightly dusted under there can work as well, just don't use to much or you'll be a mess.

Weekend Tips and Tricks

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which means a 3 day weekend for most people. Amide all the BBQ's you'll be attending be sure to pause for a moment and reflect on the men and women who gave their life in the service of this country. I'll be making a trip Monday to visit my father's grave for a little while. Here are some tips and tricks to help your 3 day weekend run a little smoother.

-Holiday weekends mean BBQ's and long days outdoors so pick an outfit that can be easily layered for when the temperature finally drops in the evening. A light cardigan or jacket makes the perfect accessory to take you from warm days to cool nights.

-Sunscreen is a must for an all day outdoor event. Layer your sunscreen under your makeup, but make sure you give it time to soak in before you apply anything else. I like to put my sunscreen on then do my hair while I wait for it to dry and soak in. That way I get the maximum benefit in both sun protection AND time saving.

-Over do the sun? Invest in an aloe vera gel with some sort of numbing agent in it, like lidocain. I buy the big jugs of it at Rite Aid every other year and I store it in my fridge on days that I know we'll be outside all day. My husband is super pale and burns easily so I know I'll be needing it when we get home. Take an anti-inflammatory as well to help with the pain and swelling typically associated with a nasty sun burn.

-There is skin on the top of your head too, so either spray sunscreen there or invest in a nice sun hat. There is nothing more painful than a burned scalp, and peeling skin can make any dandruff you have ten times worst.

Product Review: ELF Studio Tinted Lip Balm

My technical problem has been fixed so back to our regularly scheduled (but late) programming, but keep your eye out for an extra post over the next few days to make up for the lateness.

Now that it's finally sunny here is rainy Oregon my beauty routine is switching up a bit. Gone are my dark plum lip glosses, say hello to some tinted lip balm with SPF already built in. During the giant haul of E.L.F. (EyesLipsFace Cosmetics) makeup I purchased back in March, I picked up 3 of their Studio line's Tinted Lip Balm in Clear, Rose, and Peach for $3 each. They have quickly become my favorite lip product from E.L.F. and I think you guys will like them too. Plus with the SPF 15 added in, you can look lovely AND avoid getting sun damaged lips.

First up is the clear, this is my day to day plain lip balm when I want a little bit of moisture. It doesn't really add any shine, which is fine, and as I said there is no color on this one. All of them have a slight mint flavor/scent and give my lips a slight tingling sensation (not to strong though, no burning here!). I like to use this when I'm putting around the house or doing a no makeup or basic makeup day.

Next is the rose one, which is my favorite out of the three. The color is gorgeous and works so well with almost any look I'm doing, though I like it best for when I'm doing soft eyes or a neutral face. I think the color is neutral enough that it would work on everybody.

Lastly is the peach one. This is a tricky color to really pull off, and I'm just finally starting to rock it now that the sunny weather is upon us. Since it's such a warm color, pale complexions might have trouble wearing it without it looking a bit clownish. But if you're darker and warm skinned then this is the summer color for you. Word of advise, make sure you exfoliate your lips before hand, this color will highlight every single crack and chunk of dry skin on your lips. This one comes across much more orange on my lips than it does in the swatch, which is a little weird I think. On my lips it is very close to how it looks in the tube.

All 3 of these are great, though the rose is probably my favorite out of them. Next time I place an order with ELF I'll pick up the other colors for sure. If you use these what is your favorite color?

Seasonal Makeup

I don't know where you live, but right now it is sunny and gorgeous in my neck of the woods (though to be fair this is Oregon so that could change by time I hit publish) and my head is full of summer plans. Warm weather means more than just shorts though, it means you need to adapt your beauty routine from winter time to summer time. The deep plums and rich blushes of winter will look out of place in the balmy summer months, and heavy moisturizers may not be needed now that the cold air isn't sucking all of the moisture from my skin. So here's a quick guide to help you shift your beauty routine like the shifting seasons.

Skin Care: Winter time calls for heavier moisturizers to counteract the drying air and dull skin requires more exfoliating to keep it looking smooth. Ditch the heavy lotion for a lighter one (with SPF!) to keep your skin soft without being overly greasy. Extra time outside enjoying the sun means more exposure to harmful ray which can not only prematurely age your skin but will increase your risk for skin cancers. Make sure all of your products contain some level of SPF, especially those areas you typically forget like your lips, and pick up a tube of sunscreen to use when you plan on spending any amount of time outside.

Colors: While winter called for darker, deeper colors, like my favorite deep plum lipstick, summer colors should be brighter to reflect the changing season. A coral lipstick looks great this time of year, or that bold pink you've been coveting for months now. Now is a perfect time to play with the pantone color of the year, orchid eyeshadow screams spring time to me.

Face: As the temperatures soar keep in mind that a heavy face of makeup will be more prone to melting and slipping all over the place, nobody wants to wipe their eyeliner off their cheek. Invest in a tinted moisturizer (with SPF!) and some cheek stains to help keep everything light and less likely to melt on you. Heavy eye makeup can pose the same problem, so either use a makeup setting spray or use a lighter hand when applying.

Tanning: I can't say this enough, exposure to the harmful rays of the sun can have very nasty effects of you. The days of oiling yourself up and sitting in the sun all day should be tossed aside like hammer pants, never to be thought of again. If you crave a golden tan, invest in a good bronzer for your face and maybe give some fake tan a try. Word of warning, self tanners will stain your hands so either use a tanner mitt or have a professional do it for you.