November Birchbox 2012

November's Birchbox was a lot better than last months Goop box. Even though the items are few and okay. It was at least a winner with the addition of a full-sized mascara. So that makes this month alright in my books.

•  Miracle Skin Transformer / Vanish Instant Imperfection Corrector - Before applying your makeup, prep skin with this serum-infused primer, which has optical diffusers that mask imperfections.
• Lulu Organics / Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder - Revive second-day locks by working this organic dry shampoo into your roots. You'll get plenty of lift, but no residue.
• Model Co / Fibre Lash Extend - Lengthening Mascara- Falsies without the fuss. This innovative mascara uses tiny lash-extending fibers to give you a lengthy fringe. Rotate the wand inside the bottle to pick up the fibers.
• Atelier Cologne / Rose Anonyme Cologne Absolute - Thanks to spicy ginger and a touch of bergamot, this sexy new rose scent is more sophisticated than sweet.
• Lifestyle Extra / Chuao Chocolatier / Assorted ChocoPod - Potato Chip - These bite-sized artisanal treats are made with premium Venezuelan cacao and come in a range of unexpected flavors.

The last item main item was a cute Holiday 2012 Gift Guide for helping you to find the perfect item for the special person in your life whether boy or girl. I really liked this addition it gives me hint for gift giving to whom else, but ME.

If you are interested in joining Birchbox please click this link https://www.birchbox.com?raf=4h5l0

November Beauty Box Five 2012

This months Beauty Box Five was not as impressive once again. While I did get two full-sized products they are ones I wasn't too jazzed about getting. So lets see what was in this box.

• Cetaphil / Moisturizing Lotion - One of the most recommended products for sensitive skin. This mild, non-irritating moisturizer is oil-free, non-greasy, fragrance-free and packed with humectants that bind moisture to your delicate skin.
• Swagger / Eyeshadow - Created by quirky and fierce makeup artist. Blake Karamazov, these lovely little pots of glittery goodness are 100% vegan and never tested on animals. Unfortunally there was no listing as to what color this was.
• Model Co / Lip Shine - Tease - This non-sticky, highly reflective, shimmering gloss looks great alone or over your favorite lipstick and leaves your lips looking luscious with long-lasting shine. This does have a cute mirror on the other side to help with application. I've been noticing that lately Model Co has been featured in several sub boxes.
• Envie De Nuef - Eye Mask - Younger-looking eyes are minutes away with this power-packed anti-aging eye mask. It reduces dark circles, relaxes wrinkles, stimulates cell turnover, increases skin's elasticity and oh-so-much more. I was hoping not to get these eye masks. These too I have been seeing in boxes lately. I guess I'll try it don't know how one will let me know if it works.
• Global Goddess / Upgrade Complexion Face Primer - Smooth this primer on alone or before makeup to create a radiant, even canvas. Vitamins A and E nourish, while anti-oxidants create a thin veil of protection for a silky finish while pearlescent pigments create a youthful glow. Okay I'm so tired of the face primers as well. Like how many do I need to try. Well I guess I'll give it a go. It looks like at least several applications in each foil-packet.

If your interested in trying Beauty Box 5 please check out this link. https://www.beautybox5.com/home.php?key=4f3f58d0b6240

November Ipsy Bag 2012

This months Ipsy Bag was nothing short of awesome. Everything inside was a nice surprise. I especially loved this bag because it is my birthday month. The little brown bag was so cute very fall and very November. The items in this months bag are as follows:

• Nailtini / Nail lacquer - This pretty full-sized nail polish in Millionaire was quite a surprise. I have heard of the Tini Beauty brand before I have used their lip-stains for years. This bar confetti shaped foil looks great on the nails and has rose-gold sheen to it. It really reminds me of falling leaves or for some reason Thanksgiving.
• Chella / Eyebrow Defining Gel - This clear gel is great for having the perfect defined brow. While I have never heard of this brand it is great to try something new. Especially a brow gel one can never have too many of those.
• The Balm / Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow - Matt Batali- A beautiful deep rich matte brown color great for lining the upper or lower lash line or to use as an inner-corner shadow or just on it own. While I do own the larger version of this palette I have yet to use it.
• Starlet Cosmetics / Intense Eyeliner - Black- This is full-sized as well I have not heard of this brand as well. The liner does go on smoothly and is creamy. Who doesn't need another black liner.
• Bare Minerals / Marvelous Moxie Lip gloss - Dare Devil - Now when I first saw this I thought whoa too dark and vampy. Well it's not unless you layer it. It is a great burgundy color. I really liked it. I have never tried the Moxie line only the Buxom lip glosses. So this was a great opportunity to try one.

I really I'm so impressed with this bag and can't wait to see what the December bag holds. Which will be their anniversary month of one year My Glam / Ipsy. If your interested in subscribing or checking out their site go to www.ipsy.com for more info.

September & October Favorites 2012 aka FrankenFaves

While I never got around to posting my September favorites I decided to just wait until now. I have been using the same products for the past two months. So it seems fitting to just combine all these items into a frankenfaves. So lets get this party started. Lol.

I will not be listing all the specs on the products as this will be just a quick list of my faves for these 2 months so please bare with me. If you do have any questions on anything here please feel free to ask.

• Urban Decay Naked Foundation in 3.5
• Sigma Flat Top Kabuki F80
• EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brush with my face setting powder
• Physicians Formula CoverTox Ten 50 in Translucent Medium
• Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller in Light/Medium
• Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller at night
• Maybelline One by One Volume Express Waterproof mascara in Black
• Benefit Stay Don't Stray Stay put Primer for the eyes
• Dermalogica Total Eye Care with SPF 15
• Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine
• NYC Bronzer in Sunny
• Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural

P.S. I had this done in late October I just forgot to publish it sorry. Also sorry for the terrible picture above I took this in my bathroom and my lighting wasn't quite right.

Green Mountain Coffee BzzAgent Campaign

 Every morning before work or even on my days off. I try to enjoy a cup of coffee. I'm not your typical coffee drinker. I like my coffee on ice or really cold. I do occasionally like a cup of hot coffee don't get me wrong. I just really love iced coffee. I was so excited to be trying this Green Mountain Coffee for the first time ever. I had heard of the company, but never had purchased any of their products. I do enjoy the smoothness of the blend and the aroma when it fills my home. I do anticipate daily my coffee fix whether it be early in the morning or late in the afternoon. It just has that relaxing effect on me. Don't get me wrong it does give me that pick-me up that I need as well when I need it. And I feel good about the coffee I am drinking, because I know that it's Fair Trade Certified. Delicious coffee to keep me motivated and fair trade all in one. How perfect is that?

Well for starters. What is Fair Trade Certified Green Mountain Coffee? It ensures a better cup of coffee for yourself and a better quality of life for the farmers. When you buy this coffee you benefit the surrounding communities as well. Here are the benefits of Fair Trade.

• Helps the farmers get a fair price for their beans
• Improves working conditions
• Assists in protecting the environment
• Supports community development with projects resulting in new schools, roads, health clinics and safer drinking water

This will enable farmers to invest in better quality coffee for us. Which in turn will provide a great tasting cup of coffee packed with good vibes. Fair Trade Certified coffees and will be available for every one's taste and enjoyment, including Colombian Fair Trade Select and Sumatran Reserve. Green Mountain Coffee offers:

• An assortment of seasonal Fair Trade Certified flavored coffees such as Pumpkin Spice and Spicy Eggnog to perfectly balance your coffee with the weather
• Is the leading brand in K-Cup packs for Keurig brewers
• Is readily available in most grocery stores, at stores like Target and Wal-Mart and online at www.greenmountaincoffee.com  and www.keurig.com
• Includes one of the largest selections of Fair Trade Certified coffees in the U.S.

In celebration of Fair Trade Month which was in October. Green Mountain Coffee has teamed up with acclaimed musicians Grace Potter and Michael Franti to take the pair to Fair Trade farming communities in Colombia and Sumatra. To learn more visit the Green Mountain Coffee Face book page at www.facebook.com/greenmountaincoffee for a behind-the-scenes look at each trip, and be there for the journey as both of them learn about the impact Fair Trade has on the communities that farm there and why it benefits you and a better cup of coffee.

NOTE: The above mentioned product was provided free of charge by www.bzzagent.com . All opinions in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Bzzagent, their employees or affiliates nor of any brand mentioned therein. I received no monetary compensation for my participation in this campaign.

October Beauty Box Five 2012

So this months Beauty Box 5 was themed Tricks of the Trade. This box contained 6 items and one card with a code from NuMe for $100 off. So it was similar to the My Glam one we got months ago.

• Margania/ Pure Argan Oil- With naturally high levels of Vitamin E and skin-supporting fatty acids, this "miracle" oil is perfect for healing skin ailments and protecting against premature aging. Use alone or mix with your moisturizer. (A little goes a long way)
• City Lips/ Lip Plumper- This luscious lip plumper's are packed with antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients. Apply alone or over lipstick for fuller, plumper lips in an instant.
• Showstoppers/ Fashion Tape- Lost a button on your shirt? Does your bra strap keep showing? Keep your "fashion fashioned" with these ingenious, purse-sized packets of double stick designer fashion tape. Now while they only sent one small foil-packet they could have sent several more not enough in my opinion.
• Goat Haus Dairy/ Lip Balm- Your lips will lust after this light-weight soft and silky goat's-milk lip balm. This is the second product from them. Last months box contained a bath cube to add to the water. While I think this is much better. I'm not quite fond of goat's milk. So I'm not sure about putting it on my lips. I may try it not sure yet. If anything I will give this to El Hubbs he will like it. He's in need of a new lip balm. This company is based in Bryan, TX so that's great with me being a native Texan. So buying items that are made in state is a plus as well. I'm all for supporting my local businesses.  
• Furlesse/ Elevens- Relax frown lines in a gentle, natural (no needles) way. Simply apply the clear patch while you sleep and a few hours later you'll see fewer fine lines. It's that easy. Okay I'm not sure how I feel on this either, but I just may give it a try. Sounds interesting.
• Lash Card/ Lash Cards- Great for maximizing curl, separating lashes and avoiding those bottom lash mishaps, these discrete little cards are your lashes new best friend. I received two cards with about 4-8 uses from them. While I've seen these before I have never wanted to try them. I also thought that these cards were made from a type of reusable plastic so that you can use them over and over. Oh well, maybe they will make one like that in the future where you can just wash it off and use it till it can be used no more. What a shame.

If your interested in trying Beauty Box 5 please check out this link. https://www.beautybox5.com/home.php?key=4f3f58d0b6240

October Ipsy Bag 2012

Well this is Ipsy's second month so I'm now treating this as my second bag from them. New name change hence new company & new everything. This bag was themed Hello, Bombshell and what can I say this month's bag was the bomb. The chevron black and white bag with red zipper was super cute. Now what was outstanding were the products inside.

• Couture Colour/ Pequi Oil Treatment- This oil restores softness and shine. Apply a small amount evenly into hair. Use before blow dry or air dry for silky, shiny hair. After you style to control frizziness and fly aways. Or anytime for added softness. This oil has a very tropical smelling scent.
• Coastal Scents/ Eye shadow sample quad in set 7- which contains Antique Lilac, Wisteria, Lemon Chiffon and Raspberry Tart. These colors are fabulous I love purples especially for my dark brown eyes it looks great.
• The Balm Cosmetics/ What's your type? "the body builder" mascara- A black mascara with a lengthening formula and a separating, injection molded brush. "Whats Your Type?" You can have thick, bold, massive and defined eyelashes with this mascara. This long lasting, highly pigmented and non-clumping mascara is formulated with vitamin E, panthenol and bamboo to condition and strengthen your lashes to their fullest and foxiest.
• Be a Bombshell/ Eye Liner- black. A basic black eye liner. Long lasting and highly pigmented – this eyeliner can be used with any look to bring definition to your eyes. Use like a marker, drawing with the tip closest to your lash line. To create a smoky eye look, gently smudge and smoke out liner. For Dramatic full-looking lashes, gently dot between lashes. Follow with a coat of Bombshell mascara. For a pop of color, try a colored pencil!  To make lashes look more full, line the upper lash line with liner and follow with the lining the lower waterline. This liner comes in 3 colors onyx, espresso, and provocateur.
• Mirenesse/ Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stain- Bomb No. 4- which is a pinky-red. It is described as being in the pink family. A Revolutionary colour that combines gloss, stain and lacquer all in one. Colour that drenches your lips for a juicy high impact colour that's feather-light and super-moist with a velvety finish. Power packed with non-smearing pigment that lasts and lasts. Infused with a breath refreshing mint taste and Lip Perfecting Spheres plus caring vitamins.  The Infinity applicator allows for professional application of precision colour. Don't apply too much! It's better to apply a thin layer first then build it up if you want more colour. For extra long wear pair with a matching lip liner. At first when I got this color I was scared. I applied it using the wand and whoa it was too pigmented. So now I just use a lip brush to apply and the color is much lighter and matches me more. I like how well it stays on throughout the day and though it does transfer somewhat it does stay on and does slightly stain the lips. The formula is creamy and moisturizing so I don't get chapped lips at all which is a plus. This lip bomb stain was full-sized and is pretty pricey. It is probably because this is an Australian brand and their cosmetics always run slightly higher than in the states.

Overall, I was the most impressed with this bag than any other of my subscription boxes this month. I have stuck with My Glam now Ipsy since the beginning. Through thick and thin I have stayed true to this company which will be celebrating it's one year anniversary either this month or next. So it's glad to see them doing well and getting better each and every month even if their name has changed it's now for the better.  If your interested in checking out ipsy go to www.ipsy.com for more information.