Smith's Rosebud Salve Review

In my April's Beauty Box Five I received a tin of Smith's Rosebud Salve. This salve supposedly does many things. A one stop cure all. On the front part of the package it says, A trade secret blend of essential oils (Aromol), cottonseed oil, in a special petrolatum base. Made in the USA. On the back it says, This is the original and only Rosebud Salve. Rosebud salve may be used as an all purpose skin preparation. Rosebud salve may help to relieve chapped lips and skin, diaper rash, blemishes, detergent burns, and rough cuticles and may soften rough hands.

So this I find interesting. I love how it says it may help. Not that it would help ( with a particular aliment). That it may help. Well for starters I've been trying this for my chapped lips and rough cuticles for over a week now. I wouldn't think to dare try it on diaper rash. I would think you would need a separate tin for that. I rarely get blemishes but, if I did I'm not sure how a heavily scented petrolatum base would help. It's like putting Vaseline on a pimple. I'm not sure it would help for that at all. As for detergent burns I don't think I've every had one so I can't say it will or will not work for that.

I will say that it will temporally help with chapped lips and I feel it works better on my cuticles more than anything else. This product does have a sticky feel and a very strong rose scent not to mention a rose tint as well. So if your not a fan of roses or the scent of roses. This will not be for you. When placed on your lips you do get overwhelmed a bit then it goes away. There is a tiny taste of rose if you happen to get in your mouth somehow. I still feel that for a lip product there are others out there that do a lot better. I'm so glad that I got this as a trial. I was going to purchase this at Sephora a while back but, changed my mind. I'm glad I did I would have been upset having spent $6.00 on this.

Also if you don't like roses they do have a Strawberry Lip Balm that's not a salve this is just for lips and it's $7. They also have Rosebud Salve in a tube for $6 if your not into putting your fingers in a tin. Lastly they have a Minted Rose Lip Balm that is in a tin as well for $7. So They have two other products for lips only. I may try the Strawberry one when I go to Sephora again. If I do I'll be sure to let you know how that works out. Have you tired this? If you did. Did you like it?

Beautybox Five April 2012

On Friday I received my second box from Beautybox Five. Well I can say this month I was not impressed. I was hoping for a sample of Makeup Geek's new eyeshadow that she debuted. Well other than that the box was full with only one time samples and one full-sized item.


 Having that many one time samples in the box was a huge disappointment. I'm not expecting every box to have a full-sized product inside but, maybe a deluxe sized one to try more than once or twice.

The items in this months box were Smiths Rosebud Salve full-sized $6 which personally I have never used. This was the one item I did like. The next item was a Freeman sample to which I've been getting a lot lately in other boxes. This particular one was a facial exfoliating scrub in pink grapefruit sample-sized is $1.99. Then other item was from Pur-lisse pur-protect essential daily moisturizer for normal- to dry sensitive-anti-aging skin. Well I already received one of these in my MyGlam bag already. So no big whoop there. This sample was $.66. The last two samples were from La Fresh A waterproof makeup remover wipe. I got the nail remover wipe last month from another box. This wipe is for eyes and lips and is alcohol-free. The sample is $.56. Now for the last item it was from Dr T's Supergoop! sunscreen swipe in SPF 30 it's a water resistant UV protection with green tea for sensitive skin. This sample pack is $1.62.

So this months box was a bust as the items were worth only $10.83. I pay $12 a month for this box. So I personally feel I'm due another two or three samples or a deluxe sample from them. This is just my opinion but, I do think that for $12 I should be getting at least that in value. I will continue to say with them since this is only their third box and my second one. So with that I will say please stop putting such tiny or many one time samples in your boxes and concentrate on what the consumer may really want. I know this may sound harsh but, it is after all my money were talking about here. I don't have lots to spend so I want to do it wisely.

Clarins Skincare Review

I have over the years been using many different skincare products as I age. Some I really liked and others I didn't. So far I have been liking my latest find. These products have been working really well on my skin. I haven't had any reactions and so far they do what they say. Which is control oil. I have very oily skin and that hasn't changed yet. I seems as I get older the more oil I produce. Weird. Well any way this is a review on the products that I bought that have worked wonders for me so far.

 I have really oily skin with few breakouts. Just the occasional white or blackhead. I had been blessed all my life so far. Knock on wood. With pimple free skin. I do however have rosacea, large pores and uneven skin tone.With some hyperpigmentation just under my lip on my chin. So with that being my skin issues. I decided to try Clarin's skin care products. I had been a die hard user of Clinique products in my 20's. Then in my early 30's I changed brands. That was because my skin had changed as well. Clinique wasn't working like it used to. So I began using the Philosophy brand of skin care. This was a brand that I knew of well but, had never tried. Until my sister turned me on to the brand. She was and had been using their products for quite some time and liked them. So I started using them for the first half of my thirties. Then upon my mid-thirties I was just using anything new to find a Holy Grail product since I'm getting older and still just as oily.


On my latest shopping trip earlier last month. I found myself at Macy's and passing by the Clarins counter. The lady there politely asked me if I had used Clarins before. I had told her yes but, only their Soothing face primer and their lipsticks. I had never used their skin care before. So she showed me what I needed to do to get my skin back in shape. I purchased the items she recommended. I only got the three that I thought I needed right away. I was going to wait on the facial creams. Particularly the day and the night moisturizers because I want to finish my current ones. Plus I like to research those before I buy them since they are so expensive. 

The items I purchased were their Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind and Micro-Pearls for Combination or Oily Skin. 4.4 oz for $21.

Toning Lotion Alcohol-Free with Iris (aka Toner) for Combination or Oily Skin. 6.8 Fl.Oz. for $21

Pore Minimizing Serum that refines and smooths skin texture. 1Fl.Oz. for $49.

When used all together they really work. I have had my oil production almost cut in half since I've been using these. My skin looks great and more even and my pores seem somewhat smaller. Since using the serum. Only time will tell since I've been using these three products for over a month. The toner and the cleanser work well I love the way they smell and feel on the skin. I really think that I may have found my HG face trio. If you want more information on these or any other products go to www.clarins.com

Introducing ELLE and Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics

I just received an email today from Kohl's that they are now carrying ELLE and Simply Vera Vera Wang cosmetics. Which I think is great. I usually buy the Flirt line from Kohl's which is a sister company of Mac so I'm told.

The line for ELLE consists of Nail Lacquers $10, Individual Eyeshadow, lip colors, lip liners, lip gloss, eyeliners, mascaras and blushes all for $16. They also have cute cosmetic cases for $12. Zip around cosmetic cases & 3 piece cosmetic bag sets for $16 and a weekender cosmetic bag for $24. It seems like $16 is there go to price.

Now on to Vera and her collection which is much smaller and pricier but, not by much on her basic items. The items in her collection are as follows.

• Transforming Eyeshadow Duo $19.50
• Long Wear Lip Liner $16.50
• Long Wear Eyeliner $18.50
• Skin Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer $39.50
• Illuminating Concealer $19.50
• Smooth Shine Lip Gloss $18.50
• Smoothing Lip color $18.50
• Illuminating Pressed Powder $32.50
• Length Enhancing Mascara $18.50
• Volume Enhancing Mascara $18.50
• Lash Enhancing Serum $39.50
• Soothing Lip Primer $32.50
• Skin Brightening Primer $39.50

So here are Kohl's two newest beauty collections. I'm hoping to check these out soon. The good thing is that you can use your Kohl's charge to get these or the percentage off coupons when using your Kohl's charge which will help you save. I do love ELLE & Vera's clothing lines which is how they started. Vera also has home stuff,  jewelry, handbags, and intimates as well.  Worth a look if you have a Kohl's near by. You can also view these and order online at www.kohls.com

 

 

April Birchbox 2012

 

Well several days ago I received my April Birchbox. I had already peeked as to what I was going to get. So it wasn't a huge surprise. Well I was not as excited this month. This is my 7th month with them. So I expected something different and more Wow.

This months box was themed Natural Wonders.Which I guessed was kinda Earth Day inspired. I was loving the green toned paper a welcome break from their signature hot pink paper.

 So included in my box were the following items. Alima Pure organic nourishing lip balm in Rhubarb. This lip tint is made with plant butters and delivers a natural flush of color. Full-sized is $7. This kinda reminds me of the Bert's Bees lip tints which I already have . The packaging reminded me of the Soft lips brand same size and concept and also the same smell. So this was OK for me but, not a Wow. 

The other item was from J.R. Watkins which was a Foot Repair Salve in a travel size. This salve says rough heels are no match for this restorative balm. The zesty scent perks up tired tootsies. A full-sized is $8.99. I figured this sample was around $2.50 give or take. It is alright but, not something I needed or wanted to try. So I'll give it a shot I guess.

Then I got yet another perfume sample. I'm so tired of receiving these. I wish there was an opt-out button because I'm allergic like I've said, time and time before to many perfumes. Any who this perfume or as they call it parfum. It is from LIV GRN it's a Natural Eau de Parfum. It is made from sustainable ingredients, this bright scent is filled with orange and neroli. A full-sized is a whopping $60. My tiny signature sample is valued at around $2.00.

The next product is from Weleda it's a Pomegranate Firming Night Cream. This Swiss brand's new anti-aging cream overhauls skin with a potent blend of Turkish pomegranate, Jojoba, and macadamia nut oils. Wow! another face cream I have so many to choose from. So that I can do future reviews. YAY! Anyways full-size is $37 which makes my sample at around $7.70.

The last product was what they call a Beauty Extra. Well this extra was one I already have many of. Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes. These nifty wipes remove all signs of makeup and grime. Plus, they refresh the skin with a fruity blend of apple, blueberry, and lemon peel extracts. Now I'm wondering if they are really brightening because my face does need it. Full-sized is a 30 pack for $7.99 my sample pack of 8 was $2.99. I've seen this 8 pack at my local Ulta for the same price.

I of course have yet to try any of these goodies. I'm not sure when I will. Since I keep getting similar items from all my boxes and also when I get a gift with purchases at Macy's and Nordstrom. So with that I guess it was an OK box but, nothing to knock my socks off. Well there is always next months box. Which I'm really excited about because I just found out the May's box will be a Gossip Girl sponsored box. Which if it's anything like the Teen Vogue box in March then it should be awesome. The total value for my box this month was about $22.19.

April MyGlam Bag 2012

 I'm so super excited to have gotten my April MyGlam bag which is entitled Girls Night Out. So I'm really impressed with the items in this months bag. The items in the bag are as follows a Urban Decay travel liner in Woodstock. I wish this liner was full-sized oh well. This liner was recently put out by UD earlier in the year. It is a great color to have and I currently do not own this one. I have other UD liners and they are all great and last all day on my oily lids. So no complaints here.

The other item is a pair of lovely lashes from All-Belle which I'm happy to get. I got the style Princess Leah they seem kinda large for my small eyes but, I'll try them. I've always wanted to try false lashes but, never could muster up the money and courage to try them. So now is my chance no chickening out now. I will have to try these out soon.

The other item is OK. It's a lip conditioner from the Dermstore's own brand. I guess its alright granted that last month I didn't get the Pur-lisse Lip treatment. Which it seemed everyone got. I got the 3Lab facial cleanser. Which I have yet to try. I have tons of cleansers to try out between Birchbox, Myglam and my personal purchasing. Anyways back to the point. I'm always looking for something new to renew my dry lips.

I was also thrilled to be getting two of the MyGlam brushes to fill that cute pink pouch. Which we got last month that carried a fluffy crease brush. The brushes included are a brow brush and an eyeshadow lid brush. This is a great idea so that we have a brush set to take with us and leave our others at home.

All in all I think that MyGlam has really stepped up its game since the shipping and billing fiasco. Which thank goodness I wasn't affected by. I always liked my bags of course there are some items you may not care for but, hey like I've said, before for $10 including shipping you can't always get a winner. So I'm sticking with them for the long haul. Thanks MyGlam. Job well done.

All the items here are valued at about $28.25 which includes $12 for the Full-sized lip quench, $6.50 for the liner and $9.75 for the lashes. I'm not sure how to price the brushes so including that the bag is worth a lot more. I will be doing a small review on the Dermstore Lip Quench and the lashes if they turn out looking alright. Thanks and have a super day.

NYC City Sweets Collection Limited Edition Polish

One day I was checking a blog post from Nouveau Cheap. She was showing some pictures of NYC's new limited edition City Sweets 2012 collection. This collection consists of two types of lip glosses, duo eye shadows, a blush, some stickers and nail polishes.

I was only interested in the nail polishes. The other items were things I didn't need. Most of the items on the display were already sold out. This collection was hard for me to find. I went to Target, Walmart, Walgreens & Ulta I couldn't find them. So I tried CVS that was my last resort. Well CVS did have them. They only had 3 of the 4 colors available so I bought those.

Also here in Texas I have a grocery store named HEB and sometimes they carry the Limited editions of NYC and other brands. So I will make a stop there later in the week to see if I can find the last color needed.

The colors I purchased are as follows.

These colors are great. They went on smooth and opaque. I didn't have any streaking problems. These colors do dry fast as this is the In a NYC Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish. You can apply a second coat if needed. As with any colors I always apply two coats unless it's a sheer color.

I was very happy with this collection. The retail pricing for this was $1.99. I was impressed with the colors and the way it applied. I usually never have any issues with NYC polishes. The names for the polishes were clever as with all polish brands now a days. Most have some very interesting names or play on words.

The only color missing from the bunch is City Sweets Pink. I will post a short color swatch if and when I find it. I don't give up that easy. So if you are in the neighborhood of a CVS and I was told Rite Aid has them as well. I don't have Rite Aid here. Then you should try to snag up the collection if you want. Or even look into the other pieces of the collection. Let me know in the comments below what you think of this. Or if you can even find it in your area. Happy Hunting.

Sonia Kashuk 4 Piece Mini Nail Color Set- A Powerful Punch

I was in Target the other day and was so happy to find that this was restocked. There was only 2 left so I was in luck I had been trying to find this ever since it was released. This set of nail colors are aptly named A Powerful Punch. The set retails for $9.99. They're cute, bright and fun colors.

There are 4 great spring colors. Khaki Shorts, Making Waves, Ooh La La, and Tutti Frutti. These are exclusive to Target for the Sonia Kashuk limited edition spring collection. I really love these colors and the way they apply. They are kinda streaky at first coat but, become opaque and smooth after the second one is applied. I know that come spring/summer many nail polish companies do colors that are quite similar. This polish is good quality and has some staying power.

I was hesitant at first to getting this set. I then caved in and thus the quest began to finding this. It was sold out for weeks at many Targets that I visited. So every trip to Target I casually went by that section to see if there was one. Till I hit the jackpot. If your still able to find this I would highly recommend it. It's totally worth it.

This is what the colors look like with 2 coats and no top coat.

I really like these colors. I don't currently own an thing that is close to them. I'm not sure how long this collection will be in stores. I know that it is currently available at www.target.com. So what do you think of this collection? Will you try to find it? Do you already have it? If so do you like it? If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

My Earth Day Nails 2012

I was trying to decide what else to do this month with my nails since Easter already came and went. I knew that the month of April had a few well known holidays. Some are celebrated others not so much. Like April Fools Day, Arbor Day, Take our Daughters & Sons to work day, Administrative Professionals Day formally known as Secretary's Day and Earth Day. Sorry these aren't in any particular order. Earth Day this year is on Sunday, April 22. So I wanted to get this out early.

I have always loved Earth Day since I was a child. I loved drawing pictures of the Earth and liked when as a school we did things that were Earth friendly. Recycling projects and learning about Mother Earth and what we could do to make things better for her and for us. This was something that was done throughout all my years in school. When I graduated I still celebrated the day but, it was different no coloring assignments, projects or papers on what we can do to make the planet a better place. Only now we are grown and have jobs and lots of other responsibilities. So making sure we do the right thing is not always on our mind so much. So every year when the day rolls around it brings awareness to all that we should and could be doing. Meaning that it should be Earth Day every day.  

So I present to you my Earth Day nails. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Here's a close up of my thumb.

Happy Earth Day!

Wet n' Wild Eye Make-Up Remover Review

This is a review on the Wet n' Wild Make-Up Remover. I purchased this about 3 months ago. I was in the market for a new eye makeup remover. When I was at Walgreen's I decided to get one. I wasn't wanting to spend too much on a remover. Walgreen's was having a sale on this for $.99 which was fantastic since this was $2.49 originally.

This comes in a 3 fl. oz. container. Its oil-free, moisturizing formula is enriched with Aloe Vera to hydrate and soothe the delicate skin around the eye. It says it sweeps away the most stubborn mascaras, shadows, liners and shimmers. While it does a great job at removing shadows and most liners. In my opinion it didn't fair so well with the waterproof mascaras and eye shimmers. It doesn't say what kinds of mascaras but, you could assume it would remove waterproof ones as well.

The clear formula of the remover does have that sudsy texture when shaken. It claims to be oil-free which I don't doubt them. It just felt afterwards kinda slick and oil like Maybe it's the Aloe? It may have something else in it that may not be oil per-say but, resembles it. While it did do its job at removing my eye makeup & brow pencil. There was a huge drawback for me. Which was the smell it was very strong. Almost like alcohol. It is a very hard smell to really describe.

Another thing that was off putting was the way it stung your eyes. Even when closed and I didn't saturate the cotton pad that much. It was a burning sensation that at times was horrible to bare. I don't believe in wasting a product. So I toughed it out and was so happy to have finally finished the bottle. I will not be repurchasing this in the future. So if your looking for a cheap alternative to a pricier eye make-up remover. I would skip this one. Even for the price and the amount you get. If you want to still try it then that is fine just be warned that you may not like it. 

Have you ever tried this? If so did you like it? If you have any questions or comments please leave them below. Thanks.

For more information you can go to www.wnwbeauty.com

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h Review

This is a review on the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h foundation in 210 Buff N and 220 Buff C. Well what can I tell you about this foundation? It is great, fantastic, and marvelous. I personally have never tried any of  Lancome's foundations. Why did I try it now you ask? Well earlier this month HSN was having a premiere launch of its newest formulation of the Teint Idole Ultra 24h. Something about 8 years in the making for this exclusive patent pending formula. HSN was the first to get their hands on it for customers to try before it launched nationwide. So I decided to try it . I really wanted to see if it was all that it claims. Well at least for me it was.

Over the last few years I've tried lots drugstore and department store foundations and I have loved some and left some. I will go further in depth in a later blog on my fave and not so fave foundations. Like I said, this foundation is amazing on my skin. And that says a lot. It controls my oily skin well. The only issue was that there were only 5 shades to choose from. So I chose the one for light skin which came in a neutral shade. My skin is more cool toned than warm. So when I received it the color was a little ashy.

This foundation is medium to full coverage but, still lightweight and covers well without looking cakey or mask-like. It makes the skin feel like it has nothing on at all. Now that's hard for a lot of foundations out there now to do. Even the ones that claim they are weightless. I was skeptical at first. When I first applied it I saw a major difference in the way my skin looked and felt. This does cover well. I have redness on my cheeks, nose and chin area. This also does not settle in my fine lines or pores. It actually makes my pores look a lot smaller without accentuating them. I have no problems with the coverage and I only used one pump for my whole face. It blends really well and is build able. You can apply it using clean fingers for a lighter look or blend it using a foundation brush of your choice. I tend to use my fingers when in a hurry. Otherwise I either use my Sigma F80 flat top kabuki brush or a damp beauty blender to apply this. It has a velvety matte finish with no powdery effect. I personally do not use a finishing powder with this foundation as I feel it makes my face look cakey. This foundation is oil-free, fragrance-free and transfer-free.

This is a swatch of the 210 Buff N color. When I got this it looks like a great match on my face but, in reality it wasn't it was too ashy.

Here it is spread out a little better. This was just half a pump of foundation an a whole pump will cover all your face. So this will last a long time.

Here is a swatch of the color 220 Buff C. This color was matched to me at Nordstrom by a Lancome Makeup artist. It is a closer color to me since it has more of a pink undertone.

Here it is spread out to where you can see the texture and color. This color blended a lot better than the other color on my skin and looked a lot more natural. The other color made my skin look paler than I was.

This last set of pictures here is from when I went to Macy's. I was still not sure after using the other color 220 Buff C for two weeks. It started to look like it was too dark on some days. I still love the texture, coverage and feel of this foundation. It is just the color that has me second guessing it. I'm considered a Fair/Light skin tone with pink undertones.  In Mac I'm a NW 20. There are some foundations that I'm fair in color and other I'm light in color. So this picture above is of Ivorie 110 C which I got a sample of over the weekend to try. I was color matched at Macy's as being their lightest shade. It is hard to tell in this picture since my hand is darker than my face. It seemed to blend in well to my skin when applied.

This is the color spread out. I'm sorry I didn't put a lot of product on this hand so It kinda dried fast. This is the color that was matched to me. So I'm still debating on what color I truly am. I do know for sure that I'm not a 210 Buff N. So the perfect color search continues.

Here are swatches of all the colors on my inner arm which is almost the color of my face. So as you can see when they are all together. They do seem a little off in color. Making the Ivorie 110 C color my perfect match. So I will continue to use the Ivorie 110 C for the remainder of the week to make my final decision on color. I hope that this was helpful. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

If you want even more information on this foundation I suggest checking out www.lancome-usa.com website or www.sephora.com or www.nordstrom.com .