Thursday Thoughts

This has been one of those week's that was both good, bad, and really long and I've got a fair amount to talk about so I'm just going to dive right in. As per usual, I'm joining Jen of Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for her Thursday Thoughts Link Up.

My very first hosted link up was successful, though I only had one person join in. But that was more than I thought would join since my blog is still on the smaller side. I'll be doing it again for the first Monday of November so keep an eyeball out on my Twitter account the Saturday before hand for the theme.

The blog continues to grow in ways that amaze and surprise me, and several of my social media accounts are getting large enough that I'm thinking of hosting another giveaway to celebrate. I'm thinking I'll do it in December as a sort of holiday event, and to keep my shipping costs down I'll more than likely do a gift card or something of that nature.

Sometimes the posts that get really popular are the ones I wasn't expecting. My recap of my time with Ipsy proved to be very popular, as were some of my more information based posts. I may try and do at least one info post a week, maybe spread out the product reviews a bit more than I have in the past. If there are specific topics you'd like me to write about, please let me know in the comment section.

I'm currently rocking some Jamberry accent nails courtesy of Kathy Sweet, who sent me a sample to test out. Take a peek at my Instagram account, the picture should be up by now. I really love how they look, so if they last like everybody claims they do I will for sure be ordering some. Who here has tried Jamberry? What were your thoughts on them?

On the personal side of things, my son just started Taekwondo lessons at the school I work at. I won't be his teacher for a very long time, but its nice to just sit back and enjoy him enjoying the classes. He's in our little kid program right now, and he's so cute in his uniform (called a dobok) I just want to eat him up. I'm just super proud of him right now and I love sharing this with him.

I'm almost over my cold and I've decided someone needs to invent runny nose proof makeup. I swear after 5 minutes I've wiped away all the makeup off my nose, leaving it bare and red. Being able to cover up the plague face is one of the perks of makeup, so I'd like it to stay on next time.

Looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch this weekend, but it'll probably be pouring down rain the whole time. Guess its not Fall till I see someone canoe down my street (so not a joke, this legit happened). What fun fall plans do you have coming up?

The Skincare Trio I'm Currently Loving

One of the perks of being a beauty blogger is getting to try lots of different products, some I would never have tried before all of this. I recently received 3 items from a company called Body Merry to review and I surprisingly fell in love with them. Like I will repurchase these with my own money love them. I received the Age Defense Eye Cream, the Pro-A Serum, and the Hyaluronic Dew Serum.

Let's start with my favorite of the three, the Hyaluronic Dew Serum. If you are like me, you're probably wondering what they frack hyaluronic is and why should you put it on your skin. Think of hyaluronic like a really good nap for your skin. It plumps it up, makes it look great, and gives it the goods it needs to keep looking good. Plus the serum is extra thick, which I think helps you get it onto where you need it without it dripping all over the place.

This is shocking but, seriously after about 2 days of using this I actually saw a difference. The "grumpy face" wrinkles on my forehead started fading, my skin felt great to the touch, and any blotchiness I had went away. This stuff is a miracle for your skin, and it smells really nice too! Like a frolic through a field of flowers. There is no downside to this stuff, and you can wear it under your makeup which is a huge plus. If you need a facial moisturizer but are afraid of breakouts then this is the stuff for you, I never had any breakouts while testing this product out. I'm calling this my holy grail skin serum.

I'm not "old" old (shut up Zach) but I've got my fair share of wrinkles already What can I say, I've lived a rough life. I've sporadically tried some anti-aging creams but have never pulled the trigger on the big guns, retinol. When Body Merry sent me some I figured it was about time I gave it a try. The Pro-A serum contains 2.5% retinol, hyaluronic acid, and green tea, which is a winning combination for skin boosting, wrinkle reducing goodness. Like the other serum, this is very thick which I prefer. The smell is odd, kind of like being in a corn field during a rain storm.

I always did this one at night (retinol can cause sun sensitivity so please use sunscreen if you wear it during the day. Or don't live in Oregon during the Fall.) and after about 2 days my deeper lines were plumping up and most of my fine lines were gone. I'm very impressed with how well it really worked, but I had a feeling the retinol would help at least a little bit. I just didn't know it would help as much as it did. Whether or not the effects are lasting are yet to be determined, I'll have to post an update in a month or so.

I've discovered that I am the Goldilocks of eye cream, none of them are just right. The Age Defense Eye Cream is great, but it just doesn't cover everything I need in an eye cream. If you want something just for wrinkles and signs of aging around your eyes this is a great one. It has the retinol and hyaluronic acid you need to plump up those wrinkles, plus a ton of other things to help rebuild you skin. If you are looking for something for dark circles or puffiness this won't do the trick I'm sad to say. I did like the packaging once I got use to it, the pump is very sensitive so you can end up with way more than you need if you aren't careful. It is a much larger bottle than most eye creams as well, clocking in at a whole fluid ounce.

The cream itself is white and absorbs pretty easily into the skin, never really left a residue feeling which was appreciated. The scent is very strong, I'll warn you now. I call it lemon pez, but it doesn't smell "chemical" just very sugary lemon. I could smell it as I went to sleep, which is probably my biggest complaint about this product.

In the end, I loved each of them for their own reasons and will continue to use them on a regular basis and will for sure be buying more of the two serums once I run out. If you are in the market for new serums or something to give your skin that push in the right direction I highly recommend checking these out.

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Tutorial Tuesday: At Home Teeth Bleaching

The Holidays are approaching, which typically means parties and pictures. Nothing can ruin a well planned look quite like yellow teeth, but not everyone can afford going to the Dentist for bleaching or even at home bleach kits. Believe it or not you can bleach your teeth from home with things you more than likely already own or can buy cheaply enough from your local store. I am not a dentist, so if you have health concerns please consult your dentist before doing this. I know it works fine on me with no issues at all, but my teeth are not your teeth.

To do this you will need:

• Your toothpaste
• Baking soda
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• A small plastic container with a lid

To make the paste you are going to place a small amount of toothpaste, think 3-4 days worth, in the container. Now add in an equal amount of baking soda, it doesn't have to be exact so don't stress it. Mix them up well and the actual paste is done. 

To use this you are going to dip a q-tip into the peroxide and rub it onto your teeth. You can also swish it around your mouth, but I've been told this can damage your gums if you do it to often so I prefer to use the q-tip so I can avoid my gums. Now dip your tooth brush into the paste and brush your teeth like normal. The combination of the baking soda and the peroxide will bleach your teeth (this also worst great on yellowing pit stains on a shirt) and make them extra clean, but I'm going to warn you that this tastes nasty. I prefer a strong mint toothpaste normally so that helps to mask the flavor of the baking soda a bit but it will taste gross.

Do this a few times a week till you get to the level of whiteness you want, then switch to once a week to help maintain it. Please don't substitute lemon juice for the peroxide, while this will technically work the acidity of the lemon will break down the enamel of your teeth over time. And obviously if it causes bleeding or increased tooth sensitivity stop and consult your dentist. Here's to a pearly white smile just in time for the holidays!

Mani Monday: Using Your Homemade Nail Decals

Last Tutorial Tuesday I showed you how to make your own nail decals, today I'm going to show you how to actually apply and use them. For simplicity I'm going to assume you have the decals already made up and ready to go. To do this manicure you will need:

• The nail decals you made
• Base color nail polish. I'm using that nude color I seem to use often for these
• Clear top coat
• Q-tips and nail polish remover

First you need yo pain your nails the base color you want. Make sure it goes well with your decal, nothing worse than doing all that effort to have them clash and look terrible.

Once they are dry place a coat of the topcoat on the first nail you want the decal. Now either using tweezers or your nails if they are long enough, peel the decal off the parchment paper and place it on the wet polish. The polish will act as a glue to help hold it in place.

You can wiggle it around a bit to get it in the correct spot, then smooth it down completely and apply a top coat. And that's it. Repeat for each nail you want the decal on and you are good to go. If you have any that sticks out along the edges just use some nail polish remover on a q-tip to buff it off. 

Blush, blush, blush

Nothing brings a great face of makeup together like some well placed blush, but with so many types out there it can be hard to choose the right one for each situation. I'm going to give you some basic information on the 3 main types of blush out there and when each is best for each situation. With this knowledge hopefully it will help you navigate the work of makeup with a bit more confidence.

All the blushes I own plus the two brushes I use with them

Blush essentially comes in three different forms: powder, cream, and stain. Sometime you have a little bit of overlap between the groups, like a cream that dries to a powder or also stains, but essentially there are just these three groups. I'm counting mousse blush as a cream, since I view it as whipped cream blush. Each type has it's pros and cons, like anything else, so it really comes down to what you need.

My powder blush collection

Powder blush is probably the most well know and is probably the most popular type out there. These can range from very cheap ($1) up to super expensive ($50+), but there isn't really a correlation between quality and expense. My favorite blush I bought for $3, so there are definitely really nice blushes out there for less than a cup of coffee. One of the nicest things about powder blush is it comes in the widest range of colors, from the palest pinks to deep purples and even browns. There is literally a color for every skin tone and every occasion.

Powder blush, very subtle

Powder blush is also the easier to apply and its easy to apply lightly and build up the color to the intensity you want with lower risk of clown face than the other type out there. The downside is that powder blush doesn't last as long as the other types, so you will have to reapply during the day. And if you drop it you risk shattering it, though you can fix it if you want but, that puts it out of commission for a day or two.

My cheek stain, this one is a gel

Next up we have cheek stain. This can come in either a liquid or a gel form, and does exactly what it says it does, it stains your skin. These are typically more expensive, the most popular brand out there is the Benefit ones (Benetint, Lollitint, Chachatint, and Posietint) and they are $30 each. The one I'm currently using is by Elizabeth Mott and is $22.99, so not cheap. I think with stains you tend to get what you pay for, so if you see one for a decent price check online for reviews before you purchase it. Stains are more of a wash of color, though you can do more layers to increase the intensity.

Stain on my cheek, just one layer for a gentle wash

You apply them with your fingers so no brushes to wash, which is a plus, but you end up with one stained finger for a while. Stains do not come in a variety of colors, typically all you get is red, though the Benefit ones are in 4 distinct colors. The pros are the lasting power, these can last you all day and even in hot and humid condition just depending on the stain. I had the Lollitint at one point and that thing would last me all day including teaching Taekwondo and working out afterwards. I've yet to have a bottle leak on me, so they are a little saver for traveling in that instance, but are not something you can apply quickly on the go.

Straight gel stain on the left, blended out with my fingers on the right

Most of these set very quickly so if you aren't paying close attention you can end up with unevenness, harsh edges, and blotches. There is a definite learning curve here so I can't recommend these for beginners. Stains are my favorite during the summer for their staying power but once I don't have to worry about sweating it off I typically don't wear them very often.

My two cream blushes

Last we have cream blush, which is blush in a super thick liquid form. Think cream eye shadow but blush. It comes in lots of different formats, from pumps to twist ups to pots, there's a format for everybody. Creams are like powders in that they run from cheap to expensive, my favorite ones are the ELF HD Blush (which I talk about in depth here) which are only $3 a piece. Most of the time you can find them in cakes or in a twist up like a tube of lip balm.

Cream blush stippled onto my cheek

With all but the twist up you should apply it with a stippling brush for the best look, with the twist up you'll smooth it out with your fingers. Cream blushes are like the stains in that they take a bit more practice and time to apply. They melt into your skin, giving you a dewy, more natural look. I like cream blushes for more special days because of this. Some will dry into a powder, some will stain your cheeks to help with lasting power, and some are just a straight cream blush and will fade like your foundation does. The cake ones can be pretty travel friendly, but cream blushes aren't a great apply on the go product unless you really use them a lot.

In it's cream state and blended out with a stipple brush

Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of the different types of blushes out there and you can decide what type you need. I personally think one or two of each type is a good idea, but I like options. Give each a try and see what works best for you, good luck!

Weekend Tips and Tricks

The weekend, that magical time I try and cram a weeks worth of errands into two days. The weather is sloooowly turning colder here, next week is suppose to be more typical fall weather apparently, so I may be busting out the scarves finally. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your beauty routine running smooth.

Tip #1: As that cold winter weather slowly moves in, you may be finding your hands and feet getting drier and drier. An easy overnight fix for that is to slather them in a good, thick moisturizer (or Vaseline) and place cotton socks and gloves on before bed. You can actually buy ones with moisturizing stuff already in it, but why spend money when you have the items at home already. DO this once a week during those cold, dry months and you'll never have crocodile feet (or hands!)

Tip #2: This is a DO NOT DO tip. I recently say a tip to use tissue paper, like the kind you use for presents, as an oil blotting paper. The only way this is a good idea is if you use the white kind, anything with color will bleed onto your skin when it gets wet. Honestly, blotting paper is pretty cheap depending on what brand you get so just stick to the real stuff and save yourself a blue forehead. The tip about using toilet seat covers as blotting paper may work well, but ew. That's nasty. Particles from the toilet fly out every time you flush, do you really want to put that on your face? Just...ew.

Tip #3: Find yourself going through a product super fast? Make sure you are using the correct amount. For shampoo you need about a strawberry, conditioner a raspberry or two depending on your hair length. Eye cream is something you need very little of, about the size of a grain of rice.

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.