September Birchbox

It has been one whole year from the start of my Birchbox subscription.  I have enjoyed each month immensely and felt it was a wonderful way to learn about new brands, products, tips, and the like.  September is also the anniversary month of Birchbox, this being its second year in business.  This month's focus is on fall fashion and new trends for the season.  I receive seven(!) lovely samples plus a mini-magazine put together by Birchbox of their favorite fall trends.

Two of these products are exclusive to Birchbox.  One being Twistband hair ties, and the other exclusive colors of ColorClub nail polish.

Also in my box was Benefit's foamingly clean face wash and refined finish face polish.  I am in the market for a new daily face wash.  This one smells wonderful and leaves my face feeling squeaky clean.   However, I felt it removed too much moisture from my face.  The polish was a bit more my style, and ironically enough didn't feel as harsh on my skin.

Have you used a BB cream yet?  I received Dr Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm and had a chance to compare is to a drugstore version of a BB cream.  A BB cream is a combination product of moisturizer, serum, SPF, and are usually tinted, so there is no need for foundation or cover up.  I absolutely love this concept.  However, I prefer to use a moisturizer under my BB cream.  While I loved Dr Jart's cream, I think I might like my drugstore version a bit better.  Dr Jart had a heaver feeling, the cream felt a bit more like clay then lotion.  While that make work for someone wanting more coverage, I don't particularly like heavy creams on my face in hot, humid, southern summers.  I keep it around to try again once the weather around here cools off.

My final face product is Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum.  The serum is meant to be applied under moisturizer as a prep for the face to better absorb the moisturizer.  Plus, the have their own benefits.  Maybe my skin isn't mature enough to appreciate this product, but I have tried several and haven't noticed any difference.  Perhaps in another 10 years I'll understand.

And the last sample is a tili Bag.  Basically, this is a plastic zip-top bag adorned with colorful patterns.  Mine is pretty thick plastic and is meant to be used to hold anything.  It would be perfect for containing cosmetics in a purse or diaper bag, or even while traveling by plane.  I already use zip-top bags for these purposes, and its nice to have a bright turquoise animal-print bag to add to the mix.

Also included this month is a coupon for a $25 gift card for Madewell (if $75 worth of merchandise is purchased).  I haven't used the coupon yet, and I'm unsure if I will since it expires at the end of  the month.  I don't really need any new clothes.  However, I appreciate getting a coupon I would actually use.

So, the big question, was the year worth it?  I think yes.  I enjoyed the surprise every month.  I tried and learned about new products and brands, thus expanding my knowledge of beauty products and tips.  I really loved trying high end products I would have never bought and comparing them to the cheap stuff I buy at Walgreens.  I did learn that yes, some more expensive products are worth it, they last longer and do a better job, so I might as well save my pennies for a few of them instead of having a makeup-drawer full of junk.  I purchased more products in the beginning, but I did learn to pace myself and found how to weed out what really works for me and what I will only use seasonally.  Plus, the rewards points are really nice.  I'm not going to feature my box every month any longer, but if I find a product I love, I'll probably share it.  Oh, and Birchbox has no idea about me babbling on about their company.  I'm honestly just this excited about what I've learned and experienced, I thought other people would want to know.

Past boxes if you are interested in learning more: first box, second box, and a random one.

A post from my iPhone

I downloaded an app so I can attempt to post from my fancy new phone. My apologies if this post doesn't turn out so hot. But if it works, you can anticipate more frequent posts from me in the future!
Baby boy, Hubby, and I went for a walk this morning after running a few errands. I asked Handsome if he wanted to go for a walk, and he said "yes, in the stroller, mommy". Someone is a bit lazy. We walked around the lake at a park near our house. It started out nice, but the sun got hot real quick. I am anxious for some cooler days to hurry up and arrive.

So I Wanna be Artsy

If there is one thing I wish I could do well, it is paint. I've always been fascinated by art, especially paintings. It doesn't matter if it is oil, watercolor, still life, or abstract.  I wish I took art classes and had my own sunny corner studio to step an easel.  It seems utterly romantic.  Recently, as I was browsing Michael's trying to figure out how to recreate something I saw on Pinterest, I decided to buy some acrylic paint and a canvas and try.  Now, six canvases and several bottles of paint later, I can say I've tried.  And here's what I have to prove it.

This is my first project.  I got the idea from a bottle of perfume I own, Twirl, by Kate Spade.  The bottle has gold polka dots scattered over the bottle, being more concentrated at the bottom.  Apparently, there is also china in the same pattern, and I saw a pin on Pinterest where someone put gold dots on a canvas.  I prefer cool tones and wanted some art for my living room, so I picked out two shades of blue/green paint, purchased a canvas (actually two in case I messed up) and a circle stencil.  I drew the circles in pencil and filled them in with paint.  I had to do several coats, so the whole project took a few hours with drying time.  It's definitely not perfect, but it makes me happy.

I also made this one from a pin.  I painted a white canvas with chalkboard paint and used a stencil.  There is no way I can letter that nicely, especially with a brush.  I love how it turned out.

This little guy I simply made while messing around.  Yes, I really like blue, so I used three colors of blue and mixed in some silver and taupe.  I blended and dabbed to my hearts content.  I had no vision, just wanted something blue and fluid to go on my mantle.  So there you have it.

I got lucky, I purchased the paint at 40% off, and the canvases were buy one get one free.  Without the sale, I'm not sure I would have took the plunge.  I find painting relaxing and take great pleasure in it.  I hope I can continue my new hobby, even though it means late nights for me.  I'm not ready to paint while my kiddos are awake. 

Any other creative wannabes out there?  I love the idea of creating something special for our home, something my kiddos will remember someday, and maybe fight over to have in their house.  Ha.  Forget I said that, I don't want to think about my kiddos growing up!  Seriously, though, what do you do to decorate and make your home meaningful?

How To Make a Body Scrub from Your Kitchen

I am such a girly girl.  I love feeling beautiful and experimenting with my "look".  I adore make-up, fragrances, and playing with my hair.  Unfortunately, these things add up in terms of money, storage space, and time.  I have gone through many phases where I purge all or most of my products to reduce inventory down to my absolute favorites.  However, in no time, my tastes change and I am in want of a new product.  I really try to buy quality products over quantity, one reason why I love my Birchbox subscription.  I love trying new things without regretting a full-size purchase.  When I'm having a bad day or need some alone time, I enjoy locking myself in the bathroom and spending hours re-styling my hair, trying out new eyeshadow, or giving myself a manicure.
Recently, I have also found a new love in creating things, such as artwork for the walls or painting furniture.  I decided to try my hand at spa products, specifically, scrubs.  It seems the easiest to start with, and I wanted to see if I could things I have on hand, that way in case I failed I wouldn't have wasted too much money.  I started by doing a Google search, then altered to recipes to what I had in my kitchen.

Face Scrub
Brown sugar
olive oil
honey
Honestly, I didn't measure anything.  I used a spoonful or two of sugar and added in a bit of honey, then the oil.  More oil then honey.  I mixed it in a small gladware container to take with me to the shower.



I chose sugar over salt because its supposed to be gentler on the skin.  I slathered it on my face while I was in the shower.  I scrubbed a bit, then let it sit while I did a different scrub on my body.  After a few minutes, I rinsed it off.  My skin was super soft and smooth.  I don't think its something I should do everyday, but maybe once or twice a week.  I might try it with a different oil, maybe coconut, almond or grapeseed.  I could even add essential oil if I feel fancy and want fragrance.  I'm certain I will try this again.

Body Scrub
coffee grounds
white sugar
dash of cinnamon
splash of vanilla
olive oil
Again, I didn't really measure this out.  Have you figured out I don't have the patience for precision?  I suppose because my job requires it I throw it out the window at home.  Anyway, I used about half as much sugar as I did coffee grounds.  Just a bit of cinnamon and vanilla for scent, and enough oil to coat it all.  My mixture was not soupy by any means, just clumpy.  Both the sugar and coffee grounds act as an exfoliater, but the caffeine in the coffee is a vasoconstrictor and cellulite re-distributor.  It helps diminish the appearance of varicose veins  I'm not sure how much of this is true, but it definitely softens this skin and smells awesome in the shower, as long as you like coffee, I suppose.
However, I will warn you, this made a mess in my shower.  There are coffee grounds EVERYWHERE.  While sugar and salt will dissolve in water and be flushed away, the coffee grounds will not.  Plus, the dark color against my white shower make the evidence all the more obvious.  Point being, don't plan on keeping this a secret from your hubby unless you also block time to clean the shower afterwards.  But that erases all relaxing/spa-like quality time you just had.  Just sayin.
Overall, I really liked the outcome of both treatments and have made a second batch of almond oil and brown sugar. Let me know if you try these or come up with a better recipe. I'd love to hear your beauty secrets.