Not Another LA Blonde

Tag: health

  • Makeup Monday: Masks

    Makeup Monday: Masks

    Here’s the deal…I’m not very good with makeup nor do I have a beauty routine. You’d think that being in my early/mid twenties that I would have come up with something by now, but I haven’t. So here I am giving y’all a Makeup Monday post!

    I am super curious about face masks and how they make my face feel after using them!

    I recently got a sample from Sephora with a purchase I made so I decided to try it out last night.

    It was GLAM GLOW SUPERMUD Clearing Treatment.

    My sample size was perfect for 1 use, so after washing my face last night, I applied a thin layer to my face all over.

    Here is what it looked like before being applied to my face

    I let it sit for about 5 min before I rinsed it off. The first thing I noticed while it dried on my face was that it was very stiff and I couldn’t move my face all that much.

    I know, I look so cute with my Snap Chat filter

    Here’s the deal with it according to Sephora.com:
    Which skin type is it good for?
    ✔ Normal
    ✔ Oily
    ✔ Combination

    Solutions for:
    ✔ Acne and blemishes
    ✔ Pores
    ✔ Oiliness

    If you want to know more…
    This formula was clinically developed by GLAMGLOW dermatological chemists to help fight all common skin concerns including breakouts, discoloration, black and white heads, razor bumps, and in-grown hair. Powerful, skin-clearing mud visibly draws out dirt and congestion while a proprietary six-acid blend dramatically brightens and softens skin. It works to draw out dirt and pores with activated-X charcoal, leaving skin smooth and healthy-looking.

    So now here is my CONSCLUSION…After washing it off of my face, I felt that my skin was tight and smooth, but I think that it would take more than one use to determine if it was worth buying (although when I woke up this morning, I noticed that the flock of pimples on my right cheek was no longer red!). The full size retails for $69 which is kind of a lot in my book for a facial mask. I think that I’ll keep searching for one that gives me the same/better effects than this one did but at a lower price.

    I want to know if any of you have a mask you love to use! I’m always looking to try new products!

    XOXO

  • What’s in your Glam bag: Ipsy July 2016

    What’s in your Glam bag: Ipsy July 2016

    oops…So we are well on our way with August and I am realizing that I wanted to post this quite a while ago so here I go now!

    I subscribed to Ipsy in June and the July Glam Bag was the first bag I received. I’ve heard and read sooo many great things about the bag that I had to try it for myself! I got my bag around the second week of July, but when I opened it, I wasn’t that impressed by it. Don’t get me wrong-the stuff in the bag wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t all that great either. I thought that since they make you take a quiz before signing up about your likes/needs, that the bag would be a little more tailored.

    The cost of the box every month is $10 + tax and free shipping. So for 5 products, the low price is a pretty good bargain. The bag is great if you’re looking to try out different products that you may not currently use.

    Let’s get to the good stuff and I’ll share with you what I got in my pouch this month:

    For starters, the theme of this month’s bag was Hot Summer Nights and if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t really see how the bag or the products fit with the theme. The bag was cute with the holographic material and umbrellas (I thought they were the mint candies at first). I don’t really need another makeup bag right now, so I will probably see how I can reuse it!

     

    july-ipsy-2

    The Products:

    img_2656

    1. theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Trimony Eyeshadow in Matt Moskowitz: I couldn’t find a firm price on this. The pallet is about $42 and individuals are sold for $5.50, but i don’t know if you can buy this particular color individually. This color is a little darker than what I normally wear. Normally, I go with a nude color where this one is a purple/wine color. I’m not sure that I will use this color, so maybe I can gift it to someone who loves eyeshadow! img_2658
    2. tre’StiQue Mini Highlight Stick in Maldives Luminescent: The full size retails for $34 and this was a mini version of it.I don’t use highlight and I don’t really have the patience to try and learn how to properly apply it lol For me, this product was a no-go!
      july-ipsy
    3.  ModelCo  POWERLASH Black Mascara: The mini retails for $9, so this is basically paying for the bag if this is a product that you are going to use! I used this almost as soon as I got it! I love trying new mascara’s as I’m always trying to get mine to look bigger/fuller. This was also a mini size which I feel is perfect for trying something out. img_2660
    4. Not Soap, Radio When life gives you too many lemons: The full size of this product retails for $18 and I’m not sure what size was in my bag. In all honesty I haven’t used this. This product is a hand/body lotion, but I’m really picky when it comes to lotions and their scents. I’m not sure if I will use this or not. The description states that it is perfect for travel and is incredibly light weight. img_2661
    5. Luxie Beauty Luxie Rose Gold Small Angle Eye Brush 215: This particular brush retails for $10 ( the price of the bag), so this is a good deal! While I love makeup brushes, I don’t use an angled one all that much and still have a MAC one in my bag that I have maybe used once or twice.  From what I have read, this is a great brand that is built to last! I’ll probably see if my bf’s sister wants it as she is a makeup artist!

    While I could get an exact price of the whole bag, based on the 2 products that had prices for the sizes that I got, the bag is worth at least $19 (mascara & Luxie brush) which makes the bag worth seeing as the bag is clearly worth more than $10! I will continue to subscribe to Ipsy and hopefully my bags get better as I go!

    To subscribe to Ipsy use my referral link to discover new brands/products that you might come to love that you wouldn’t otherwise try!

    XOXO

    p.s I will try and get my August review out much sooner than this July glam bag review!

  • giving into subscription boxes…

    giving into subscription boxes…

    AHHHH…so I gave into Celeb peer pressure and ordered myself a FabFitFun box! I’ve been seeing ads and posts about them all over Instagram and my curiosity ultimately got the better of me (I just had to know what all the hype was about). I received my first box back in June, but am just now getting a chance to write about it.  My first thought about the box when I opened it was that there were a lot of good things about it, but there were also a few things that I wasn’t too ecstatic about.

    I’m going to tell you about my box and my thoughts on it.
    Let me just start by saying how much I love the fact that every item you get is full sized! To me, this really makes it feel like your getting your money’s worth.  The box is sent out quarterly and you get billed $49.99 each time unless you do a yearly subscription which is $179.99 (saves you 20 bucks!).

    One thing that I didn’t like was the fact that I also ordered my mom a box as well and hers was identical to mine; same exact color of everything that I got, so that was kind of a bummer.

    Here is a list of what came in my Summer 2016 box:


    1. FabFitFun Everyday Beach Waves Spray – Retails $18

    The issue that I had with this spray is that it definitely doesn’t work well in my hair.  I have very fine, straight, thin hair and after following the instructions on the bottle, my hair dried and looked like I had forgotten to wash it that day. So for me, this item was a definite bust.

    2. Betches Ice Pop Molds – Retails $19

    I honestly haven’t even taken these out of the box yet! I’m not sure if I have a need for them or not.  I may just give these away to somebody that will get more use out of them than I will.

    3. Summer & Rose Yoga Towel – Retails $36

    To be honest, I haven’t taken this out of the package yet. I got the pink towel (perfect because that is my favorite color). I think that I could definitely take this to the gym with me, but not if it’s too big.  I could also use it as a bath towel for my puppy!

    4. Stemulations Daily Micro Derm Scrub – Retails $34

    This might be my favorite item from the box! It’s a pretty big tube (8oz) so I feel that you are really getting your money from the box. I have used this a couple of times already and I ABSOLUTELY love it. I have to hide it though so that no one else in the house will use it!

    The scrub is a super-fine exfoliant, and it foams as you rub it into your skin. It makes my face feel so clean and soft.  I really feel like it is taking away all the dirt from my day. It says that you can use it on your face and body, but since it’s $34 a bottle I’ll stick to using it on my face.  The book also included a discount code that is good until October 2016, so I think that I will be taking a look at the site and possibly ordering another bottle to have on hand!

    5. Passport to Beauty Gypsetter Luminous Lips – Retails $18

    I’m not a huge lipgloss gal, so this was a little bit of a bummer for me in this box. I won’t be using it so hopefully someone I know wants a new lipgloss!

    6. OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream – Retails $48

    With this product alone, you’re pretty much covering the price of the box so you know you’re getting a lot out of your $50!

    When I first used this product, I wasn’t sure about the scent/feel of the lotion on my face. It was very lightweight (which I liked) and it absorbed really easily into my skin. It is made with all natural and organic ingredients, plus the frosted bottle gave it a cool look.

    I have only used it once, so I can’t 100% say if I love the product or not or if it is something that I would give my mom. With a price of $48, I know that I wouldn’t buy the product again because that is just too much for me to spend on moisturizer.

    7. Tina Turk Canvas Tote – Retails $55

    This was one of the spoiler items for the Summer box! It’s designed exclusively for FabFitFun subscribers, so you know that you are getting a unique tote that not many people will have access to!  There were 3 color options that you could have received: orange (Vitamin Sea), yellow (Sunshine and Saltwater), and blue (Seas the Day). I received the blue one and am very pleased with it!

    It’s a pretty big bag (22 inches across) and the canvas is a nice, thick material! I will most definitely use this bag, I just wish that I was going on a cruise or something this summer to take advantage of the cute slogan “Seas the Day” on my bag!

    8. BONUS ITEMS Burt’s Bees BB Cream Sample & Compeed Blister Cushion Sample

    These were also kind of a bust in my opinion, but they were an added bonus so I can’t complain too much.

    The total value for this box is over $200 and I think that is a great deal! I am going to upgrade my subscription to the annual subscription since you are permitted to choose certain types of products and I’m excited to see what that may entail!

    XOXO