Product Reviews: ModaVoxBox from Influenster

I received the Moda VoxBox free from Influenster in exchange for an honest review of the products it contained.  All of the following opinions are my own.

First up is the Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara from Rimmel London.  You probably know that I don't wear makeup very often, but when I do I always wear mascara.  Fun fact: I think I might be the only person in the world who puts on mascara with my mouth closed.  Now that I'm writing this I realize I should have probably included a photo of the mascara wand, but I didn't so oh well.  I really like this mascara.  It has a unique curved brush shape that is big on the bottom and small on the top.  The brush makes it easy to apply mascara to any lashes you may have missed (for me, that's the inner lashes) with the added bonus of making it so you probably won't accidentally jab yourself in the eye.  I am super clumsy and almost every time I apply mascara I end up poking myself in one or both eyes with the wand.  I have worn this mascara three times and not jabbed myself in the eye with it once.  The actual product goes on smoothly and makes your lashes look amazing after just one coat.  It stays on all day too.  It's also easy to wear from day to night.  I put one coat on the right eyelashes in the above photo and none on the left, so you can see the difference.  I will definitely continue to use this mascara and buy it in the future.

In the previous two photos I am wearing the mascara as well as Moisture Renew Lip Liner and Moisture Renew Lipstick, all from Rimmel London.  Let me start this review off by saying that I had never used lip liner before in my life.  This was a clear lip liner that "defines lips and prevents color from feathering".  I honestly don't know what to say about it.  I guess it did what it was supposed to but honestly I have no idea.  The lipstick had long-lasting color and left my lips feeling soft and moisturized.  It wasn't sticky at all so there was none of that having-my-hair-stick-to-my-lips-as-soon-as-I-step-outside nonsense.  The shade I received was not a good color for me, although you can't see that in the photos, so I gave it to a friend, who loves it.  Also, since I have celiac disease I have to be really careful about my makeup, especially lip products, and I couldn't find anything about either of these products being gluten-free so I will not be buying or using them in the future.  If the lipstick was gluten-free I would definitely use it every so often and buy it in the future, in a more flattering shade of course.

The next product I want to talk about is Hair Food.  Hair Food is a new brand that is available at Target.  The product I received was the Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask.  I wasn't excited about it and expected to use it one time to review and then give it to a friend.  I'm pretty low-maintenance and don't put anything in my hair except shampoo.  So I gave this a shot and was happy to find that even with my thick hair, applying the product and combing it through only adds one minute to my shower time.  It smells great, is easy to apply, and the results are incredible!  My hair felt softer and healthier than it has in a long time, and you can see how shiny it was in the pictures above.  I love this product and I will definitely use it again and buy it in the future.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wants healthier hair.

Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa made me think, okay hot cocoa is good, and it's gluten free so that will be nice to drink.  I bought some milk at the store, because you're supposed to make this kind of cocoa with hot milk.  I got out my prettiest cup, heated up the milk, and mixed up the cocoa.  You guys!  It was all I could to not gulp the entire thing after the first taste so I could get some pictures.  I took three quick pictures, then drank the rest in one long swig, then wished I had more.  This is the best hot cocoa I have ever had in my life.  If you can't tell by the look on my face in the third picture, I am in love with this cocoa.  If it was legal to marry I hot beverage I have found "The One".  My mouth is seriously watering just thinking about how good it was.  You should probably stop reading this post right now, go out and buy a box of Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa, make yourself a mug of it, then finish reading the post.

Okay, now that you are enjoying probably your second cup of delicious hot cocoa I'll review the last three products.  I didn't take pictures of these because I didn't want to get lotion on my camera and didn't think you wanted to see me blow my nose.  The Puffs SoftPack is a box of facial tissues in a soft pack, in case you couldn't tell from the name.  It has a pretty design on it and it's easy to throw in your purse.  The tissues are also soft and gentle on the nose, and they arrived at just the right time, since I was fighting off the last of a sinus infection.  I don't plan to buy them in the future, because the cheap store-brand of tissues I buy work just fine and I don't really feel the need to throw them in my purse.  The Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer is a good lotion.  This time of year, especially working in retail, I am using hand sanitizer all day long and that makes my hands get really dried out, sometimes even cracked and sore.  So I use a lot of hand lotion this time of year to combat the dry skin.  This lotion is gentle on dry skin and it leaves your skin feeling moisturized but not greasy.It also has a thing in it called Hydralucence which makes your skin more luminous.  I personally don't care about my skin's luminosity but maybe you do.  I have been using this lotion on a daily basis and definitely felt an improvement in my skin, so I will continue to use it and I will buy it in the future.  I don't really see what the big deal is with the Resource Spring Water.  It's got "naturally occurring electrolytes for a clean, refreshing taste."  To me it tastes like any other bottled water.  But it comes in a bottle that is made from 50% recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable, so if you're into that sort of thing, maybe this is the bottled water for you.  I won't be buying it though.

So to review, the thing you should definitely buy from this box is Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa.  At just $2.29 it's super affordable and it's also super tasty.  Plus it's made from just five ingredients: sugar, cocoa, nonfat milk, salt, and natural flavor.

The things you should probably buy are the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara and Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick, as well as the Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask.

The things you should maybe buy are the Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer and the Puffs SoftPack.

The thing you should maybe skip is the Resource Spring Water.

And lastly, the thing that I have no clue about is the Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lip Liner.

Happy shopping!

Product Review: Julep Nail Polish

I am a very lazy person when it comes to doing my nails.  I usually have lots of important stuff to do like looking for a job and making jewelry, so I don't do my nails that often.  I finally took the time to paint my nails the other day after not having them painted for about a month.  I got a really great deal on Julep nail polish quite a few months ago.  Julep nail polish is a brand where you take a quiz and then they tell you which polish box goes best with your results.  The thing is that it's usually really expensive, like more than I like to pay for shoes (keep in mind that I buy my shoes from thrift stores), but one of the bloggers I follow shared a code to get it for super cheap.  I don't remember how cheap because I got it four or more months ago and foolishly didn't write it down.  The polish arrived and there were three shades plus a milk chocolate bar.  It came in really pretty packaging, which of course I didn't photograph.  The chocolate was really tasty.  I didn't use any of the polish until this week.  I received Rachel, Meryl, and a gold glitter shade that I sold at my yard sale.  I used the Meryl shade on my fingernails and Rachel on my toes.  Meryl is a gray shade, a darker gray with a shiny finish.  I really like the color.  It's an interesting change from the usual bright colors I use.  The gray makes me feel more like a rock star, which may sound silly, but I don't care.  The Rachel looks sort of red in the bottle, but when it dries it's sort of a chocolate brown shade with a copper-ish shimmer.  I like it a lot too.  The polish is super fast drying.  My left hand was literally dry by the time I got done painting my right hand.  I usually don't paint my nails because it takes so long to dry and then I mess up my nails by trying to do stuff like type or text too soon.  I can't really comment on how long it lasts without chipping, because I was too lazy to do a top coat to protect it.  It did last for a whole day before chipping, which is better than my normal cheap drug store nail polish.  Here is a photo of Meryl.  I didn't take a photo of Rachel, because there are people with foot fetishes on the internet and I don't want to give them a better reason to be on my blog.

Yeah I know I didn't do a good job but I don't care.

Overall I give Julep polish 4 stars out of 5.  For the price, you expect a really great polish and that's what you get.  However I would not personally pay for it at full price, not even for the awesome chocolate.

Product Reviews: Products I'm Loving

I purchased some new beauty products a few weeks ago.  I bought them all with my own money, and have not been compensated in any way for this post.  One of them was something that is fairly new and everyone online has been raving about how wonderful it is.  Another was something that seems too good to be true, that I bought to see if it might actually work.

The products are: Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter, Almay Clear Complexion Foundation, and Simple exfoliating facial wipes.

I won't make you wait in suspense. I love every single one of these products (in case you couldn't tell from the title).  I can't even pick a favorite, I love them all so much. 

The exfoliating wipes are so gentle and soothing on my skin that I will never go back to harsh exfoliating scrubs.  They have Pro-vitamin B5, Vitamin E, and aloe vera.  They make my skin feel smooth and refreshed, and they also moisturize.  Also, there are no dyes or perfumes that can irritate your skin.  They smell really good and refreshing anyway, because of the aloe vera.  I use them every day, morning and evening.

The Almay clear complexion foundation sounds way too good to be true.  A foundation that makes your skin clearer?!  It couldn't possibly work.  But it does!  It contains salicylic acid which is an ingredient in most acne clearing products.  The only thing is that it can be really drying if you keep using your usual acne clearing product as well.  After using this foundation my skin has never been clearer, well at least not since before I went through puberty.  It covers fairly well, but doesn't feel at all heavy.  It stays put all day too, which is great.  It dispenses easily through a pump, and a little bit goes a long way.  I only use about three pumps to cover my whole face.

The Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter has been raved about by beauty bloggers and regular girls alike, all over the internet, so I had to try it for myself.  I have severely chapped lips year round, so I have to use chapstick constantly.  It helps quite a bit, but not as much as I'd like.  The Revlon Lip Butter actually moisturizes my lips better than chapstick.  It leaves them feeling soft and healthy.  I originally bought the Red Velvet shade but it was way too dark for me.  I looked like I was either a wannabe goth/emo or I had a vampire fetish.  So I went on eBay and found the shade I really wanted, which they had been sold out of at Rite Aid, brand new for less than I had paid for the other one.  It is the Tutti Frutti shade, which is sort of a coral color.  The color is vibrant and long-lasting and I love it.  I don't ever want to use a different lipstick, maybe a different shade of the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter, but never a different type of lipstick.



This is my face after using the exfoliating wipes, then applying the foudation and lipstick,
with no other makeup at all.  The lipstick is a little oranger in real life.

So I guess that's it.  I give every single one of these products 5 stars out of 5, and will definitely purchase every one of them again in the future, many many times.  I also highly recommend them to everybody.

Product Review: Sally Hansen Nail Strips

I don't know if you remember way back when I promised to review Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips for you, but I am finally reviewing them.  I had used two of the strips before as an accent nail but they chipped after just one day.  That's why I didn't use them for quite a while afterward, but I did promise my review and I do keep my word, so I used them again.  I used them on all 10 of my fingernails this time.  Unlike last time, I did a clear top coat this time.  The strips do say that they won't dry up as long as you keep them out of sunlight after opening.  Maybe they won't for a while, but I had them opened without using them for about 3 months, maybe more, and they did dry up.  Fortunately they come in two separate plastic/foil packs, so I did have one not opened, and I was able to use those.

They come with two packs of nail strips, a nail file, a cuticle stick, and instructions.
They cost about $10 a pack at most drug stores, and probably other stores too.

They weren't very easy for me to apply, because I don't have a lot of experience with that sort of thing.  One thing that is really great about them is that until you press them down good, they are really easy to reposition until you get them in the right spot.  So it took me the length of a Lakers game, but I finally got them done.  Yes, I do my nails while watching basketball on TV; I am a complex person like that.  And like I mentioned, I did a clear top coat this time to hopefully prevent them from chipping so quickly. 

I used the Laced Up ones, because you know how I like lace.
As you can see, they looked pretty at first.

But the next morning I woke up and they were already chipped.  I know that a lot of people swear by these nail strips, but they are not for me.  I was not compensated for this post in any way, and I purchased the nail strips with my own money.

Product Review: ELF Eyeshadow

Remember how ages and ages ago I got some makeup for cheap from E.L.F. and told you I would review it at some point?  Well, now is finally that time.

Here's the palette which cost me $10 and contains 85 total products consisting of
60 eyeshadows, 20 lip colors, 3 blushes, and 2 bronzers 

here's what the eyeshadow looks like as part of a complete look,
which I usually don't do because of my difficulties using eyeliner

this is what I normally do, eyeshadow and mascara, no eyeliner

I took this picture after dark (boo), so you can't see that much contrast between
the orange eyeshadow and how weirdly orange the lights in my room made my skin look

Overall I am very pleased with the E.L.F. eyeshadow in general and this palette in particular.  I would buy it again in the future, but I have so much that I won't need to for a long while.  It is highly pigmented and doesn't take much.  I usually do three "coats" for each eyelid (I'm not a beauty reviewer so I have no idea what the proper term is).  This palette contains lots of different shades of each color which makes doing your eyeshadow really easy.  I usually do one color for my entire eyelid, then either a darker shade or different color on the outer corners for depth.  You can't tell from my pictures, but when I did the orange eyeshadow, I did pink on the outer corners and it looked really cool.  It lasts all day (for me anyway) without finishing spray, which is great because it makes it easy to wear and you don't have to worry about it.  Also, spoiler alert: I'm pretty happy with most of the E.L.F. products I've purchased.  E.L.F. has eyeshadows for every budget, including a 100 eyeshadow palette for $10 and a 144 piece palette for $15, as well as smaller palettes including eyeshadow duos for $1 each and a 32 piece palette for $5.  So once again the verdict is that I would purchase eyeshadow from E.L.F. again and I would recommend it to others as well.  I purchased these products with my own money and was not compensated by E.L.F. in any way for writing this post.

The Best Shampoo I've Ever Used

This post will be a little different than most of my posts.  I was in the Dollar Tree last month and decided to try one of their shampoos.  I had always been partial to the Herbal Essences shampoo for giving your hair body, but really just because of the scent, which was amazing.  But then they changed it, and now I'm not so much of a fan of it.  Anyway, this one smelled really good, so I bought it.  After all, it was just a dollar so it wouldn't be a big waste if it didn't work very well.  To my surprise, not only does it smell wonderful, but it makes my hair really soft and smooth and healthy feeling.  I don't even have to use conditioner anymore.  It's kind of miraculous.  I'm allowed a little hyperbole now and again, right?  Anyway, I would highly recommend this shampoo.  And at just a dollar, it's definitely worth a try.

Product Review: Crest 3D White Strips

I got to try these through the P & G Brand Sampler program.  It's completely free to join and receive samples that you get to select from their available samples.  This is the first time I requested samples and I got the Crest 3D whitestrips (which came with a sample of Crest 3D white toothpaste, which I already use) and a travel size bottle of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.  You may not know this about me, but I am very averse to change when it comes to my hygiene/beauty routine.  Once I find a product that works, I stick with it for pretty much ever.  I normally use Herbal Essences Body Envy shampoo, because I like the scent.  But they changed the scent from white nectarine and pink coral flower about 6 months ago, and the new scent isn't nearly as pleasant.  But, being myself which means that I am a bargain shopper, I had picked up a new bottle of it and a spare when I found them on sale after they changed the scent.  So I am just now using up the rest of the spare bottle.  And the other thing is that my hair naturally has a lot of body, so I don't really need the volume boosting benefit either.  Which is a long way of saying that this allows you to try new things for free, when you might not want to take a risk on buying a product you may or may not love, and then be stuck using it until it's gone, if you're like me and can't stand wasting money.  So you should probably check out the brand sampler program, especially if you like free stuff.  They also send coupons that are relevant to the samples, so if you like the product, you can buy the full size one for a lower price.

Anyway, back to the topic: Crest 3D Whitestrips.  I have always had a problem with my teeth not being very white.  It is a result of having an overbite, which as a child made my lips stay partially open all of the time.  This caused my teeth to be exposed to stuff that made them not white.  Lately, I have started using Crest 3D white toothpaste and it helps immensely.  My mom even commented when I went home for Christmas that my teeth look whiter.  It's not the cheapest toothpaste out there, normally costing $6 a tube, but I found it at Rite Aid for $6 for a two-pack, so of course, I bought it.  And it's great.  It's made my teeth whiter, but they still aren't the whitest.  I'm not one of those people who wants my teeth to be so unnaturally white that every time I smile, it's like I'm firing a laser into people's eyes.  I would just like to have teeth that are white enough.  The whitestrips sample came with a top strip and bottom strip in a foil packet.  The instructions say to peel off the strips and place them on your teeth and leave them on for 30 minutes, then peel them off.  So that's what I did.  Here are the notes that I took.  The first thing that surprises me is that the back isn't goopy at all.  When they say that they have gel on them, it's more like sticker adhesive than anything.  I expected it to be maybe even a little messy, but it was not, so I was pleased.  They were really simple to apply, even with my crooked teeth.  Pro tip: If you do have crooked teeth like me, you can just apply them normally and then gently press them to contact with the surface of your crooked teeth, so that all of your teeth get whitened evenly.  The plastic is fairly flexible and the warmth inside your mouth will make it so you can easily get it where it needs to go.  You do the bottom strip first and then the top strip, as the directions tell you to.  Apply it evenly to the front of your teeth then fold it over the back so it stays on.  I was also pleasantly surprised that they didn't have any weird taste.  I was expecting them to taste like mint or maybe fluoride, but they just tasted like plastic.  After you put them on, you just go about your normal life for 30 minutes, except you can't eat or drink anything.  You aren't allowed to smoke either, but I don't do that anyway.  They do feel sort of weird, like I would imagine a retainer would feel, and you probably won't be able to talk understandably (I wasn't, but I did it when I was home alone).  I'm not sure if this happens for everyone, but I would imagine that it is: you will produce a lot of saliva while they are in.  Another thing that happened is that they started causing me a little bit of pain where they were near the gum on one of my teeth, once I was 15 minutes in.  The pain quickly subsided.  So if you have sensitive teeth, these are not for you.  When you take them off, I would recommend having a paper towel, tissue, or toilet paper handy, because they get really slimy and goopy when you remove them.  So you will want to throw them away and then wipe off your hands.  They came off really easily, which was surprising, since they sealed onto my teeth so well.  After you take them off, your teeth will be slimy, so you should brush them.  And now the part I'm sure you've all been waiting for: the results!

Before

After

So as you can see from the pictures, there wasn't a huge difference, but my teeth did get a little whiter.  When you actually buy the full size product, they whiten your teeth like this a little bit every day or every other day, as often as you use them, so they will get significantly whiter after two weeks.  The verdict: I'm pleased with them.  However, they are out of my budget.  The sample did come with a $10 off coupon for them, so I will have to see if that makes them affordable enough or not.

Sidenote: How cute is my necklace? This talented and lovely lady made it for me.  You should go show her blog and her Etsy shop some love.

And I know (meaning that I assume) you're all anxious to see what the hilarious Woody sent me in the mail for my Thrift Store Pen Pal review.  Well, you're going to have to wait for that until sometime next week, because I plan to make a vlog about it.  And it's good.  (The package I mean, not necessarily the vlog, which hasn't been made yet.)

Product Review: Sally Hansen Manicure Cleanup Pen

Remember how I have problems when I use dark colored nail polish?  How I tend to get it on my fingers as much as on my actual nails?  Well I discovered this product that seemed like it would be a "miracle solution" to my problem.  It's called the Sally Hansen Manicure Cleanup Pen and to my surprise, it works just like it claims to!  And the best part is that you can pick one up at Rite Aid (probably other places too) for less than $5.  And it comes with two replacement tips as well, which makes it a really amazing value.  Look, here are my results.  You can't tell that I cleaned it up with the Sally Hansen Cleanup Pen, but you'll just have to trust me that I did.

the product

the mess

the results

I cleaned up my entire manicure and pedicure in about two minutes with the Cleanup Pen, and I didn't even mess up the part on my nails at all.  I tried it with the polish still wet and with it dry, and it works great both ways.  If I were you, I would pick one up right now.  I give this product 5 stars out of 5, and I will definitely be buying it again whenever it gets used up, which will probably not be for a while.

Product Review: Face Mask

I purchased this cucumber face mask in a sample size at Rite Aid for just 99 cents.  There were 3 different types of face masks at prices considerably lower than the other types.  I didn't know if any of them would work, so I purchased a sample size.  At 99 cents, it's not a big waste of money if it doesn't work well, as opposed to paying for the full size and then being unsatisfied with it.  The mask claims that it will clarify and renew your skin.  It is the Freeman "Feeling Beautiful" Facial Peel-Off Mask in Cucumber.

Before applying the face mask, I exfoliated my skin.  I used the apricot scrub that I bought at Rite Aid for under $4.  I am really pleased with how well it works.  It is unscented and has shell fragments as the part that exfoliates.  It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and I will definitely purchase it again in the future.

This is what my skin looks like before applying the mask.  I have bad skin and it's very broken out right now.  Also, exfoliating it makes everything appear redder until it calms back down.  Besides my break-outs, I also get clogged pores so hopefully this mask will help with that.

I would provide during photos but they look the same as the before photos.  The mask is clear.  For some reason I expected it to be green, but it is not.  It smells really nice.  It has a refreshing scent, like a cucumber, so it seems like it's very natural, and not like I'm putting chemicals on my face, which is good.  The main ingredients are cucumber extract, aloe leaf juice, and glycerin.  There are also some chemicals in it, so it isn't completely natural, but it still smells like it is.  The consistency is about what you would expect, sort of gel-like and kind of sticky feeling. After applying it to your face, it makes your face feel cool, like when you put aloe vera gel on a sunburn.  It is a refreshing feeling combined with the refreshing scent.  The mask says to leave it on for 5-10 minutes, or until it gets dry, and then to peel it off and rinse your face.  I have had it on for about 6 minutes now and it's beginning to feel a bit tight and dry, so I'm going to go peel it off.

Okay, so I didn't take an after picture because my skin still looks the same.  I wish that I could convey  with a picture how soft my skin feels now.  The mask peeled off really well.  I rinsed my face and patted it dry like the instructions said.  I would advise you to either avoid getting the mask on your eyebrows to start with or to get some warm water on them before peeling off the mask.  This mask will yank out your hair if you try to pull it off and it is in your hair at all.  This includes the hair on your head.  In my experience with masks, this is pretty common.  If the mask is on your hair at all, put some warm water on the part in your hair before you peel off the mask.  Otherwise you'll pull out some of your hair and it will not be pretty.

Some tips:

Do the mask before you take a shower.  I did it after I showered and then had to get right back in the shower afterward to rinse the mask bits out of my hair.  There wasn't much, but I have OCD.

Your skin will feel so soft after you finish that you will want to keep touching it.  Try your very hardest not to.  The oils from your skin will make your face get oily, which you do not want.

My final thoughts.  The mask claimed to clarify and renew skin.  It did not clear my pores, but my skin does feel refreshed and very soft.  I do plan to purchase it in the full-size but I also plan to keep buying samples of the other types until I find one that clears my pores.  After purchasing the full size, I will continue to use it once a week, because I am so amazed with how soft my skin feels right now.

I guess I should make up some sort of score system, so here it is: Each category can earn a possible 2 points.  0 points is the worst possible score for each category, while 2 points is the best possible score for each category.

fulfills claims: 1 out of 2
scent: 2 out of 2
results: 2 out of 2
would buy again: 2 out of 2

for a final score of 7 out of 8