Help me!!!

I have 2 wedding this weekend (both on the same day) and not sure exactly which dress to wear! So, I want you guys to help me!! 

Which one do you like best??? Obviously my hair is a mess and have no shoes/accessories on. 

Dress 1 

Black & White Stripe knit dress

(No longer online, Forever 21+ ) 

Dress 2 

Navy/White Polka dot with Mint belt woven dress

(Link to it on the website here: Forever 21+) 

Dress 3

Black Ponte Dress

*I did add a necklace here. 

(Not available online anymore but it's from Target) 

Vote below!!! Do you like 1,2 or 3 the best!!! 

THANK YOU!!! 

**Update more posts to come soon. I was spending all my extra time prepping for Tough Mudder and now that it's over - I have some free time again!! I plan on doing a post on my Tough Mudder experience so come back for that! 

-Jill 

Glossy Box - July 2013

Hey All -

I recently got the July box and wanted to share with you what I got in it. Glossy Box is a monthly subscription service that costs $21 a month. You can see what I got in my June box here. I also recently signed up for Ipsy which is a $10 a month subscription service. You can see what I got in the July Ipsy bag here. You can compare the 2 subscription services and hopefully can help you decide if you want to get one over the other. This month's box had a deep blue theme to it. It says the products in the box are to help you get through a glorious day at the beach. So even though our weather is not beach weather, let's see what I got in July's box. 

1.) Brazilian Blowout Acai Deep Conditioning Masque

The Acai Deep Conditioning Masque is a creamy, rich, intense conditioning masque that hydrates hair by coating each strand with exclusive, nutritive proteins to eliminate frizz, promote shine, and guarantee the longest-lasting smoothing results. Full Size: $40 / 240ML. I'm very excited about getting this. I'm always looking to find a good deep conditioner for my hair. I use one on my head about 1 day a week after I use a clarifying shampoo. This will go next in my shower once I finish up the current one I am using. 

Value: $5.00 - Total Value: $5.00

2.) BVLGARI Eau Parfumee au the Blanc Shampoo & Shower Gel 

Eau Parfumee au the Blanc is a generous and elegant expression of personal indulgence. Relaxing and calming, this shampoo and shower gel reflects the precious nature of white tea, offering an intimate and luxurious expression of sensory pleasure. Full Size: $42 / 6.8 oz. Well the smell on this isn't that bad. I'll give it a whirl. Again, I was waiting to take pics of all the stuff so I haven't been able to try out any of the items yet. I'll put this in my shower and give it a whirl more as a shower gel than as a shampoo. 

Value: $6.18 - Total Value: $11.18

3.) Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Tinted Lip Balm Tube

Made with 100% natural ingredients and featuring a light cherry blossom scent, this organic tinted lip balm provides a tinge of color while keeping lips moisturized. Petroleum Free. Full Size: $9 / 12.5 ml. After giving this a whirl, it's ok The scent is fine, nothing too over powering which is great. The packaging is adorable. It only gives your lips a hint of color, nothing too noticeable at all.  It is a very thick formula of lip balm. It's pretty moisturizing, but I have things that are better. 

Swatch:

Value: $9 - Total Value: $20.18

4.) Evologie Intensive Blemish Serum 

This serum with a patent-pending formulation delivers blemish fighting natural ingredients deep below the skin's surface to prevent and remove unsightly spots caused by acne. Full Size: $35 / 15 ml. As you can see it comes with a coupon to get a value set on their website. I'm not a fan of getting these coupons with things. I am very interested to try out this product as I have acne prone skin and currently have some breakouts going on. I'll report back on this if it actually works or not. 

Value: $11.65 - Total Value: $31.83

5.) Nails Inc. Nail Polish in Baker Street

Nails Inc. polishes are professionally formulated for a long lasting, super glossy, flawless finish. This traffic stopping, vibrant cobalt blue nail polish is one of Nails Inc.'s best-selling nail polish shades. Full Size: $9.50 / 10 ml. I've never owed a Nail Inc's polishes before. But after swatching this on a color wheel, I'm not that impressed. It was pretty much opaque in 2 coats but it looks pretty streaky. I would add a 3rd coat for full opacity. The first coat didn't go on very well. Obviously I can't comment on the wear of this yet, since I haven't worn it. It did dry to a glossy finish. Immediately when I saw this color it reminded me of Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue. They are very, very similar in color when I put them next to each other. 

Left is Nails Inc. - Right is Sally Hansen Pacific Blue 

(not the best quality because I just took it from my phone, but you can see they are pretty similar)

Value: $3.80 - Total Value: $35.63

6.) Nicka K New York ABSOLUTE! Make-up Cleansing Tissues - BONUS ITEM!!! 

Water based with natural extracts, ABSOLUTE! Make-up Cleansing Tissues gently and effectively removes all makeup-even the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras and eyeliners-while moisturizing and refreshing your skin. Full Size: $6.99 / 60 sheets. I again have not used these. But the claims it makes is very interesting. I will for sure put them to the test with waterproof mascara and long wearing eyeliners. I currently have a couple of packets of wipes open but I'll start using these once I'm finished with them. Be sure to come back and check out my products I've used up posts to see my review on them once I use them. 

Value: $1.20 - Total Value: $36.83

So, overall I'm satisfied with this month's box. I am excited to try a lot of the new things in this box. I'm happy to finally say that I will most likely get great use out of all the items in this box. 

You can read more about Glossy Box and sign up here.

Let me know if you have any questions! 

Thank you so much for reading!!

-Jill 

Ipsy Bag - July 2013

Hey All -

I'm back!!! Sorry for the lack in posts but it was a very busy month and I didn't have time to take pictures of anything. So today, I was finally able to get caught up and take pics of stuff! So, after my last month's Glossy Box and talking to some other people I decided to go ahead and sign up for Ipsy. Ipsy is a monthly subscription service that is $10 a month. Ipsy used to be called My Glam which I used to get but after many horrible bags with them I canceled. Well, since they have become Ipsy they have certainly picked it up. I've been debating for the last couple of months on if I should do it again and finally gave in. I did get this bag in the middle of the month but still wanted to share what I got. I was very impressed with this bag!! 

Here is what is inside:

The first item I got was: 

Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof Humidity Resistant Spray

I haven't tried this yet and it hasn't been humid here so there really hasn't been a need. It does have a fine mist stray to it. I'll have to give it a whirl next time the weather gets crazy! 

Value: $3 - Total Value: $3.00

Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Coral Crush 

Swatch:

I haven't used this until today because I forgot about it. But the color is nice, but it's called Coral Crush and I think it's more of a pinky coral than a true coral. It looks more pink on me than coral. It smells minty and goes on really smooth. It is a twist up crayon which is great. This is very similar to the Revlon balm stains and the Cover Girl Gloss balms. It does feel hydrating on the lips, which is nice. But I haven't worn it long enough to tell you about the wear of them. 

Value: $4.17 - Total Value: $7.16

BH Cosmetics California Collection Eye Shadow sample

Colors - Hollywood (Purple), San Francisco (Bronze), Malibu (Gold)

These eye shadows are samples that were pulled from 3 different palettes that BH Cosmetics sells. Hollywood is a matte purple, San Francisco is a light bronze, and Malibu is a yellow gold. These eye shadows are decent quality. They took a little bit to build up to a good pigmentation. I haven't tested the wear of these shadows yet, but I've heard good things about this brand. 

Swatches:

Value: $1.50 (Not sure how to calculate this, value of a whole palette right now is $8.95) - Total Value: $8.67 

Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Mai Tai 

I've never heard of this brand before, but the name is very creative. The Mai Tai color is said to be a vibrant sunrise coral. It is a very orangy coral. When I did a swatch on a nail wheel it was opaque in 1 coat. I really like the packaging on this product. The brush on the polish is a wider brush, which I like. It made it really easy to put a coat on in only 2 swipes. I haven't worn this color on my nails yet because again this bag was put away and I forgot about it. I will have to rock this polish soon though. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see pics of it on my nails when I do. 

Value: $13 - Total Value: $21.67

The last item I got was:

Coola Mineral Sunscreen SPF 20 for Face

I again haven't used this, but that's because really has been no need for me to wear it. I would love for the sun to be out in full force here in the WI, so I can use it!! I've heard good things about this sunscreen especially since it's organic and all natural. 

Value: $5.04 (This is some pricey sunscreen) - Total Value: $26.71

Overall, I am very impressed with my first Ipsy bag! There are some products in the bag that I've been wanting to try. The value is there in the bag since I paid $10 and I approximated the value to be $26.71. My brother's girlfriend also is subscribed to this service and she got the exact same thing as me. I think we were both excited about this bag. I'm going to continue my service for now and we will see how it goes. You can sign up or read more about Ipsy here. 

Let me know if you have any questions! 

THANK YOU so much for reading!!! 

-Jill

Glossy Box - June 2013

Hey All  -

I got my June GlossyBox recently and this time it was very late as well. Same as last month. But this time they did email us and let us know it was going to be late because there was an issue with getting one of the products. So even though it's June's box, I got in July!  GlossyBox is a monthly subscription service that is $21.00 a month. You can see what I got in my May box here. I was pretty excited about this box since they hinted at what we would be getting early in the month. Follow them on Twitter or on Facebook to get hints of what will be in the next up and coming box!! This month's box was items that Dallas Shaw picked out. I've never heard of her before, but after looking her up she seems to be one talented lady! The packaging on this month's box was also adorable. So here is what I got! 

How cute is this! 

A better look outside the box! 

1.) c. Booth Honey Almond Nourishing Dry Oil Mist 

Elegant, nourishing oils absorb quickly into skin to smooth and soften while providing hydration. This dramatically lightweight dry oil for face and body imparts a light, lasting glow for instant radiance. Infused with gentle, sweet blend of honey and almond, it's the ultimate aromatic indulgence for the skin and senses. Full Size: $8 / 4 fl. oz. It's funny I got this in my box, because I recently purchased this brand/scent in a bottle of lotion from Ulta a couple of weeks ago. I like the smell, kind of. I love the scent of Honey and of Almond and them together. But I feel like there is something else in the smell that I'm not really sure about. I still enjoy it though. I've never used a dry oil before and it's nice. I sprayed it on my skin, rubbed it in and it sinks in pretty quickly. I really like it. I'm excited to use it more. 

Value: $4 - Total Value: $4

2.) SpaRitual Favorites Nail Polish in Shooting Star Shimmer

SpaRitual offers a wide range of fun, sophisticated and modern shades to help you express the most colorful side of you. The nail lacquers are crafted out of naturally formulated, vegan, certified-organic and fair-trade ingredients, resulting in superior texture and quality. Full Size: $12 / 15 ml. I think the color is so pretty. I also really like that it's a more natural nail polish. I did a swatch of the nail polish on a nail wheel and it was almost opaque in one coat. Since I haven't used it yet on my nails, I'm not sure what the wear will be like. The color is more of a fall color in my book so it might be a while until I put it on my nails. 

Value: $12 - Total Value: $16

3.) Oscar de La Renta Essential Luxuries

Inspired by the designer's mastery of fashion, Oscar de la Renta introduces a tailored line of six unique scents imbued with his love of beauty and luxury. Comprised of specially sourced ingredients of the most exceptional quality, each fragrance echoes the close connections to our Oscar's vibrant life and loves, and perfectly speaks his language - find joy, be sparkling, feel gorgeous. Full Size $150 / 3.4 fl oz. 

Back: (L to R) MI CORAZON, SARGASSO, SANTO DOMINGO, 

Front: (L to R) ORIENTAL LACE, GRANADA, COALINA

I know Oscar de la Renta is suppose to have amazing things, I don't get it. After sniffing all of these scents, none of them are up my alley at all. The 2 that I could probably manage to wear is Sargasso and Santa Domingo. Some of them don't smell good to me at all. I'm also really not into fragrances. I own 3 perfumes and that's about it. I have 1 scent for summer and 1 scent for winter and then added another one to my collection a months ago. If you want to read the notes of what each is suppose to smell like you can find it on their website here. If anyone would like to try these, let me know because I would like to find them a home that they would be loved in. (Note, as I was writing this I sprayed a couple in the air to get a whiff and now I have a headache!! :( Not good!) 

Value: I'm not really sure how to put a value on this: Maybe like $10 or so?? - Total Value: $26

4.) Philip B. Styling Gel 

Philip B products revitalize every type of hair while evoking a warming, cooling or refreshing sensation and delivering glossy, radiant hair. The brands' botanical products caters to a broad range of hair types - dry/damaged, colored/chemically treated, thinning/volumizing, wavy/curly/frizzy, flat/very fine, flaky scalp, oily and normal. Full Size$6.00 / 2 fl oz.  Well considering I don't use gel in my hair, this is no use to me! I will be giving it away or adding to my collection of things I need to sell on ebay. 

Value: $6.00 - Total Value: $32.00

5.) Tarte Complexion Enhancing Lipstick in Medium to Tan 

Get total lip therapy in a beautiful nude shade that's uniquely you! These creamy lipsticks have a glossy, tinted core that gives the appearance of fuller-looking, luscious lips. Thanks to complexion-enhancing pigments and emollient waxes, lips have never appeared more youthful. Full Size: $14.50 / .12 oz. 

I saw that we were getting a lipstick in this box and I was excited. I love Tarte products so was excited to get this. The color is actually nice when they mix together on your lips. It seems really moisturizing. 

Value: $14.50 - Total Value: $46.50

So overall this box was better than last months. The value of about $46.50 is over double what I paid for the box. I also did estimate the value of the Oscar de la Renta perfumes. I will get use out of the lipstick, dry oil spray and the nail polish. The other items I will probably gift. 

You can read more about and sign up for Glossy Box here.

Let me know if you have any questions. Do you think I should keep getting these boxes or not??? I would love to get your opinion!!

Thank you so much for reading!! 

-Jill

Products I've used up - June 2013 - Part 2

Hey All  -

I used up a lot of products in June so I'm breaking this up into 2 different parts. So here is part 2. If you haven't you can see the products I used up in May here and Part 1 here. I'll let you know what I thought of the product and if I would re-purchase or not. So, here we go!

Starting from left to right: 

Aquaphor healing ointment

Thoughts: I love this stuff to use on my lips. This is the little tube I kept at my desk at work that I finally used up. This is not only great for lips but also dry spots on your skin. These little tubes are awesome to keep just about anywhere. High recommend if you having really dry lips. 

Re-purchase: Yes, of course! I actually already have. These small little tubes come in a pack of 2 for about $5 and last a really long time. I think I will always have some of this around at all times.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Peppermint

Thoughts: I also kept this tube at my work and has been used up for quite a long time. I like this as a lip balm until I got a new tube (currently have at work) and not a fan anymore. I'm not sure if they changed the formula or if my lips just don't like it anymore. But I did enjoy using this tube up. It's just a clear lip balm with  an SPF of 15. 

Re-purchase: I'm not sure I would. I do enjoy using the other colors of these baby lips, but this one I'm not sure I would re-purchase. 

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy

Thoughts: Yep, another lip product. This lip balm was nice I bought this probably like a year and a half ago. It was time for it to be done. I didn't use it very often. I bought it when my lips where crazy dry. I thought it helped but not a ton. The bottle did end up cracking near the top of the tube which wasn't very good. The product has a pretty thick consistency. 

Re-purchase: No, I would not re-purchase this lip balm. I can find better inexpensive alternatives to this. 

Le Metier De Beaute Replenishing Daily Solutions.

Thoughts: This is the sample of face lotion I got in my April Glossybox. You can read that post here. But this sample was worth about $13 and let's just say, I am completely not impressed. Granted, the sample was the smallest size possible but I was still able to use it for a couple of days since you didn't really need a lot to cover your face. But I didn't see any improvement in my skin and it didn't do any better than my regular face lotion. 

Re-purchase: NO!!! There is no way I would purchase a full size of this. Especially at the price tag of $225. 

L"oreal Voluminous Carbon Black 

Thoughts: I got this again after people telling me they loved it. I did really like it. It give you crazy amount of volume and length as well. The color is super black as you can see. I do like the brush. It can sometimes makes your lashes feel crunchy, which I don't like Once it started drying out on my it also started to flake on me. I would suggest giving it a whirl if you are looking for a new mascara to try. 

Re-purchase: Yes, I would probably re-purchase. Currently though I have lots of tubes that I need to use up before I even think about buying another mascara. 

Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Water resistant

Thoughts: It was a nice mascara. I have this one in water resistant because I heard that putting on a thin coat of waterproof mascara before another mascara will help your eyelashes stay curled and for a while I thought mine where becoming droopy during the day. This did help a little bit with that problem but I didn't think it helped that much. It is now all dried up so I can't use it anymore. I would probably never use this mascara without putting something else over the top since it didn't do much. I used to use this mascara all the time, but now I could never see myself just using this. 

Re-purchase: Maybe, I would. If I was looking for something that gives you more natural looking lashes. 

Finest Nutrition Tea Tree Oil

Thoughts: I bought this after using up my Body Shop Tea Tree Oil. I use this on acne spots and also I put it in my hair. The smell of this stuff is not good at all. But once you put it on your skin you can't smell it. If I put it in my hair, the smell will linger but I just deal with it. I got 2 of these on a buy one get one free deal so it was a better price than The Body Shop one as you get twice or 3 times the amount of product. 

Re-purchase: I will probably not re-purchase this brand of Tea Tree Oil again. I want to try others. I mean, they all are almost all the same. But I will always have Tea Tree Oil on hand since there is so many uses for it. 

The last item is:

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Thoughts: I used up a makeup product!!! I got this after hearing so many good things about it. I think the color I had was Ivory, which is probably the lightest or 2nd lightest color. I really loved this stuff. I used this under my eyes and sometimes I used it to highlight my cheek bones. I sometimes would use it alone under my eyes and sometimes I would use it over the top of a peach corrector. I loved the look it gave. The packaging is worn off but I really like the brush applicator it has. 

Re-purchase: Yes, I plan on re-purchasing once I use up some other concealers I have. This also comes in Radiant that I heard is great as well. So if you are looking for something that is just brightening without the concealer part, you have that option. 

So, that's all the stuff I used up this month.  As you can see I've had some of these products for a while. But it's always good knowing your using the products you purchase. 

Hopefully this helped you in some way. Please, let me know if you have any questions. 

Thank you so much for reading!!

-Jill 

Products I'v used up - June 2013 - Part 1

Hey All  -

I used up a lot of products in June so I'm breaking this up into 2 different parts. So here is part 1. If you haven't you can see the products I used up in May here. I'll let you know what I thought of the product and if I would re-purchase or not. So, here we go! 

Starting from the left back row:

Soap & Glory Hand Food

Thoughts: Yes, I finished up another one of these. I had this bottle at work and recently used it up. I'm saying what I said last month that at first I was a really big fan of this hand cream, but the more I used it the more I didn't like it. The smell isn't that great and honestly during the winter it wasn't moisturizing enough. 

Re-purchase: No, I wouldn't. It's kind of pricey and I found a better hand cream that I like better that's easily more accessible. 

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer

Thoughts: I have owned this product for a really long time and just started using it up again when it started to get nicer out. It's a nice moisturizer that I used pretty much solely on my legs. This doesn't smell very good and would leave your legs kind of sparkly. But if I used it a couple of days in a row, I could definitely see a difference in the color on my legs. 

Re-purchase: Yes, I would probably re-purchase. I think they have improved their formula since I bought this bottle. But lord knows I need to do something about my white legs!! 

Huggies Natural Care wipes

Thoughts: These are my favorite wipes that I like to use. Again, I explained in my May edition of products I've used up why I use them. But in brief I use them in the morning to wipe my hands on when I'm putting on my makeup. These are just the right consistency that I like to use.

Re-purchase: YES, I would. These are my favorite wipes that I have used so far. 

Up & Up Exfoliating Cotton Rounds

Thoughts: I didn't like these. I thought they would be nice to use for my face, but I didn't even use that side of them on my face at all. I thought they were kind of abrasive and since the face wipes are use are also exfoliating I didn't think I would need these. I do enjoy using the up & up brand of cotton rounds though, just not these ones. 

Re-purchase: No, I would not re-purchase these. 

Equate Exfoliating Wet Cleansing towelettes

Thoughts: I use these everyday to take my makeup off when I get home from work. They are by far the best makeup remover wipes I have tried and I have tried A LOT! This is the new packaging from what you may have seen in my Night time skin care routine. They feel nice on the skin and get off the majority of my makeup. I don't use these to take off my eye makeup solely but I do rub it over my eyes after using the eye makeup remover. 

Re-purchase: YES, absolutely. I will always have these on hand. 

Now starting with the front row (from right to left)

Lush The Olive Branch Shower Gel

Thoughts: I liked this shower gel. It smelled really good. On the website it says it smells like citrus with mandarin and lemon which I think it does. It was pretty moisturizing. I got this in a set from Lush along with some other goodies. It's a small size bottle but I only used it like once a week or so, so it lasted me quite a long time. It was a very liquidy shower gel that you had to shake up before you could use. 

Re-purchase: No, I wouldn't re-purchase. It is quite expensive for what it is. You can find better shower gel at the drugstore for a better price. 

Equate Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover

Thoughts: This is my second time having it and again I am not impressed. I just don't think it does a great job at removing my eye makeup. I just felt like I had to use so much product to get everything off. This stuff didn't burn my eyes which was good. 

Re-purchase: No, I will not re-purchase! I'm still on the hunt for a good inexpensive eye makeup remover. So again, if you know of any please let me know!! 

VitaFusion Omega 3 Gummy Vitamins

Thoughts: What do I say about these?? They taste good and since I don't love taking fish oil, these are my other alternative. They do the job! 

Re-purchase: Already have! This time not on clearance! haha

Last product 

Global Keratin balancing Shampoo & Conditioner 

Thoughts: I got these in my Glossybox a couple months ago. I didn't start using them right away. I probably only used these once a week and always used them together. They smelled really good and did make my hair feel nice. I don't know if they exactly "balanced" my hair or not but they were nice. 

Re-purchase: No, I wouldn't purchase the full size of these. I'm not even sure what the cost would be anymore. 

Sorry folks, that was quite a few products I've used up! Hopefully, you stuck around to read all about them! Let me know if you have any questions! 

Part 2 will be coming shortly.

Thank you so much for reading!! 

-Jill