June Subscription Services: Ipsy, Birchbox, and BoxyCharm

June 2015 Subscription Box Review: Ipsy, Birchbox, & BoxyCharm

Forgive me but... I've got to be honest. This month was a busy month. And I didn't give all the products in these boxes a chance to test out. And I'm not going to. None of my subscription boxes "wow'ed" me this month. And I'm just going to leave it at that. So this is mainly just a quick recap of what I received and if I will be using it or giving it away.
Ipsy:
$10/month for sample, deluxe, and full size (sometimes) products. Try it out here!

June 2015 Ipsy

Items received:

• BioRepublic Sheet Masks in Green Tea Detox, Aloe Rescue, and Cucumber Breeze. (Set of 3- $14.95) I usually am not a fan of sheet masks, but I like the way these are cut and cling to your face. I've used the Green Tea Detox mask so far, and I enjoyed it... Which surprised me.
• J.Cats Liptitude 24/7 Hydrating Lip Stain in LLS115. (Full Size- $5.99) No. Just no. Nothing about this product appeals to me. Passing on.
• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. (Deluxe Sample Size- $9 value) Again, not a product I am keeping. I've tried this primer before. It's not my favorite of the silicone based primers I have tried and I have so many others to try out that I'd rather pass this along also...
• Trèstique Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee. (Minis are sold in sets of 3 for $32. $10.66 Value) This was Okayyyy. I prefer my Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks which blend much easier. Again, passing this along...
• NYC Liquid Eyeliner in Black. (Full Size- $2.99) What the F...?!?!  Why the F...?!?! No, Ipsy, just NO. This pissed me off. I like Ipsy because I like trying new and different things. I do not want to receive NYC eyeliner that I can buy at any drugstore or superstore. Grrrrrrr...

Ipsy Total Value: $43.59
Birchbox:
$10/month for sample and deluxe size products. Try it out here!

June 2015 Birchbox

Items received:

• Dr.Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Water. (Deluxe Sample Size- $2.56 value) Can't wait to try this.
• Klorane Shampoo with Mango Butter (Deluxe Sample Size- $1.25 value) and Conditioning balm with Mango Butter (Foil Packet- $1.10 value). Meh. Not interested. Passing along...
• Supergoop! Everyday SPF 50 with Cellular Response Technology. (Deluxe Sample Size- $0.91 value) Boooooringggggg. <Yells> Next!!!!!!!!
• Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Indigo. (Deluxe Sample Size- $7.70 value) This I'll keep around. You never know when you may need a blue eyeliner...
• Coastal Scents Revealed 3 Palette Sampler in Desert Bloom. (Deluxe Sample Size- $1.60 value) This is cute to travel with... But I wasn't that excited for it, if I'm being honest. Passing it on...
• Pure Vida Lace Headband. (8pk is $18- $2.25 Value) It's cute... But I dislike these types of headbands immensely. They don't stay in place on my head. Fail.

Birchbox Total Value: $17.37
BoxyCharm:
$21/month for 4-5 full size and/or 1 deluxe size product (usually $100+ value).

June 2015 BoxyCharm

Items received:

• Eslor Chlorophyll Lifting Mask. (Full Size- $38) Meh. I'll give it a try...
• Bellapierre Cosmetics Kabuki Brush. (Full Size- $29.99) I would never pay $30 for this brush. It reminds me of my $6 E.L.F. Cosmetics kabuki. But I'll keep it and use it.
• ncLA Nail Laquer in Volume IV. (Full Size- $16) LOVE!!! Of everything I received in all my boxes, this made me happiest. I love the shade. And I love the formula. 
• The Beauty Crop Lighting Crew Highlighting Cream. (Full Size- $18 according to their website) This is a beautiful highlighter... But when you apply it to the face, it does NOT blend easily. Pass.
• Doucce Click Click Lipstick in 819 Sexy Copper. (Full Size- $24) The packaging on this is amazing. I love the way it clicks open. The shade is horrendous on me. It's so bad, there are no words... Passing it along.

BoxyCharm Total Value: $125.99
Overall... It was a pretty "Blahhh" month in subscription boxes for me. I also received my Walmart Beauty Box. But that was so bad I didn't even have the energy to photograph it. Hopefully next month is better... 

ncLA Nudes Nail Laquer in Volume IV (BoxyCharm)

Product Spotlight: Adovia Dead Sea Salt Scrub

Product Spotlight: Adovia Dead Sea Salt Scrub

Happy Saturday Everyone!!! As you are reading this I am driving the three hours to SoFlo to drop my son off with my dad for the week. He is super excited. I'm sick of driving... (This is my third trip down in the last week. Long story. Life happens.) 
Today I am going to review a new body scrub I tried. If you follow me on IG, you may know that I am on the hunt for the perfect body scrub. The way I like to use a body scrub is before I shave so that my legs are well exfoliated and I get a closer/better shave. Unfortunately many of the scrubs I've tried have oils in them for a moisturizing effect... Which is nice if you are scrubbing just to scrub, but not if you plan on shaving afterwards. The oils tend to gunk up the razor. 
Enter Adovia Dead Sea Salt Scrub in Ocean Breeze...
I was excited to try out another scrub to see if I had found my "holy grail" yet... But as I opened the package, I realized that this was yet another "oily" scrub that would not work the way I prefer. I still tested it out to see how it compared to others I've used and this is what I found: Pros:

• Packaging. This sucker was sealed EXTREMELY well. Which is good because there is an oily, liquidy layer that tends to rise to the top. Nothing leaked out at all. In fact, I had a hard time breaking the plastic seal off to use the scrub!!!
• Grittiness. Because this is a salt scrub, there is a decent amount of grit for exfoliation, which I like. The grittier, the better... In my opinion. But it also dissolves easily as you use it. 
• No shower residue. While this scrub does leave an oily residue on the skin, it does not leave an oily residue on my shower flower. BONUS POINTS for that!!! 
• Made in Israel. I mean, obviously... It is a DEAD SEA SALT SCRUB. Regardless, it's a "pro" for me.
• Accessibility. You don't even have to leave your house to get your hands on this... Just order from Amazon! (Check it out here!)

Cons:

• The scent. I am not a fan of the fragrance used in this scrub. There is a hint of "old lady" that hangs around while you use it. I disagree with the label "Ocean Breeze".
• The oily skin effect. Now this is a con for me, personally. Others may love the fact that this is a moisturizing exfoliator. Especially if you suffer from extremely dry skin and need that added layer of hydration for your skin. It's just not for me. At least not in the shower.
• Price. When I ordered this, it was $19.00. Right now, however, you can order it from Amazon for $15.95. That's still a pretty pricey scrub for something that isn't a household name...
• Accessibility. You can't find this in stores, you have to order it online. Which means you can't test it out first.

Overall, I was glad to test this product out. It's a good scrub. And while it didn't quite fit the need I have for a shower exfoliator, I will still be able to use and enjoy this scrub. It will work better for me as a hand scrub, and I'll use it anytime I give myself (or anyone else) a manicure. If you enjoy body scrubs that exfoliate well AND leave your skin feeling nice and hydrated, this one is worth a shot! 

Here are a few parting images:

Adovia Dead Sea Salt Scrub

Adovia Dead Sea Salt Scrub 

Layer of "Oily Liquid" that rises to the top.

***Powered by BrandBacker. I received this product for testing and review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own.***

TheWonkyChef: Crock Pot Whole Chicken

You might have noticed from the title... But today we are talking about food. Because after beauty products, food is my second favorite thing. Between the post I have for you today and my announcement about joining a book club, you could say I'm branching out... Just a little. A few weeks ago my girl, Lisa, from Blush and Back Roads posted her favorite pulled pork recipe (view her recipe, here) on her blog. So I tried her version, and I loved it! Plus I thought it was a great idea for a blog post and wanted to share one of my favorite recipes with you guys... And, who knows, maybe I'll share a different recipe every month... But ONLY if they are good ones!!! 
DISCLAIMER: Before we get started, I just want to say... I am by no means an ACTUAL chef. But I do cook for the family 5 days a week and I'm constantly looking for new and different recipes to try out so that I can avoid cooking the SAME DAMN THING ALL THE TIME. (I love my mom, but when I was a kid... We used to eat chicken 365 days a year.) When cooking for 6 people it's hard to find a recipe that pleases everyone's tastebuds. Anyways, my point is... That I am not a chef, and I am not trying to take credit for creating a recipe. I am simply sharing the ones I've found that myself and my family enjoy... 
I found this Whole Chicken Crock Pot recipe on food.com. It's pretty easy and pretty simple (especially since the crock pot does most the work). I tweaked a couple ingredients, so if you want to see the original recipe, check it out here. I absolutely love this recipe, but most importantly, so do the kiddos!!! The chicken ends up so moist and juicy, it's delish! Hope you enjoy!!!
Ingredients:

• 3 tsp. salt or seasoning salt 
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 large roasting chicken
• 1 cup chopped onions

Directions:

1. Combine spices in a small bowl.
2. Remove giblets (what a terrible word) from chicken and clean it.
3. Rub spice mixture onto chicken.
4. Refrigerate overnight.*
5. Place chopped onion in the bottom of the crock pot, when ready to cook.
6. Add chicken.**
7. Cook on low 4-8 hours.***
8. Eat and Enjoy!!!

*I have made this recipe refrigerating the chicken and forgetting that step, I don't find it makes much of a difference. It tastes great either way! So if you are in a rush (or if you are forgetful like me) you can skip the overnight refrigeration.
**You do not need to add any liquid, the chicken will create it's own juices. ***The exact amount of time will depend on the size of your chicken and the size of your crock pot. The recipe calls for the use of a pop-up timer if needed.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

Let me know if you try it out!!! xoxoxo

May One Month, One Palette: Lorac Pro

May's One Month, One Palette ~ The Wonky Brow

This month I chose to (FINALLY) use my Lorac Pro palette. I have had this baby for a loooooooong time. And I hadn't touched it. Like at all. So I was really excited to dive into this palette and see what my thoughts were and if it was AS good as so many people swear it is... 
The Deets: This palette retails for $42 and you can find it at Ulta, Kohl's, and Beauty.com. It contains 16 warm, neutral shadows. 8 are shimmery and 8 are matte. If you are looking for a palette that contains everything you need from a neutral daytime look to a dramatic smoky eye, this is your palette. You won't need much else. 
The Palette:

Lorac Pro Palette

The Shadows: I used all but two shades in this palette, Black and White. For the matte shades I absolutely LOVE Mauve. I like using this shade in the crease because it's not your typically brown, it's a muted plum with a hint of pink to it. It's different and I like it. (The closest shade in my collection that I could find was MakeupGeek's Unexpected.) The other matte color I used consistently was Cream. Perfect brow bone color. As for the shimmery shades... I love them all. But since we are picking favorites here... I'd have to say Champagne- a great lid color that is similar to Urban Decay's Sin, Pewter- used on the lid and the outer corner, and Garnet- used in the outer corner and above my crease color to warm up a look. Pewter and Garnet are very interesting shades and were tricky for me to find dupes for. In fact, there is nothing in my collection that is similar to Garnet because it's shimmery and has a red-brown undertone. Most of the shadows I have with that type of undertone are matte. And Pewter, I thought I had tons of... But I only found one shade in the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, Mugshot, that was really similar, but it's still not quite the same. Mugshot is a touch lighter and reflects more when the light hits it.

Top to Bottom: Lorac Mauve, Urban Decay Nooner, Makeup Geek Unexpected, MAC Haux

Top to Bottom: Lorac Champagne, Urban Decay Sin, Lorac Garnet

Top: Lorac Pewter
Bottom: Urban Decay Mugshot

The Conclusion: This is definitely a palette I would recommend to anyone. Whether you are a makeup junkie like me... Or you just want one palette that can be used all the time, for work or a night out. You can create a variety of looks since there is such an assortment of colors. The shadows are soft and buttery and easily blendable. The only cons are that certain shades will kick up a lot of powder when you put your brush in it or they will have some fall out when placed on your eyes and the packaging gets dirty quickly. But like I've told you before, dirty packaging doesn't bother me. It means I'm using the product! As for the fact that some people love these shadows and say they are better than most others... I'd disagree. They are amazing shadows but I still prefer the formula of Urban Decay shadows to Lorac's. But that's just my personal preference! What do you think??? Let me know!!!

Monthly Empties: May 2015 #365DaysOfEmpties

Monthly Empties: May 2015

Guess what today is!?!?!?! The last day of school for the kiddos!!! Guess what else today is!?!?!?! It's my BIRTHDAY! Yep, it's the 11th Anniversary of my 21st Birthday. ;-) But guess what ELSE today is!?!?!?! It's Empties Day!!!!!! Check 'em out below:

• Product(s) I will miss the most: I really liked the Sephora Nano Lip Liner in Native Nude (#121). But it looks like they reformulated/repackaged these lip liners (and increased the price from $5 to $6) and they no longer carry this shade. Also, the Color Club Nail Polish in London Calling (#131). This shade was a Birchbox exclusive I received the first time I was subscribed to them about two years ago. It's an amazing neon green. But you can only purchase it from the Birchbox shop in a four pack with three other colors, and I'm just not interested.
• Product(s) I cannot live/survive/breathe without and have already repurchased: The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel (#150). O.M.G. This is one of the MOST refreshingly scented body washes I have ever, I mean EVER, used. I love it. It literally wakes me up in the morning. I have the larger bottle waiting to be used...
• Product(s) that will eventually be repurchased: Honestly, nothing in this batch sticks out to me. Possibly Benefit's Porefessional (#146)... IF I ever used up all 832 other primer samples I have. Also, the Bath and Body Works Wallflowers (#128-130). Though they really aren't impressing me and I might have to switch to something else once I use up what I have. Any suggestions???
• Sample(s) that made me want the full size: The Perfectly Posh BFF Best Face Forever Exfoliating Fash Wash, MFEO Mint For Each Other Body Scrub, and The Stripper Detox Body Mud (#151). These samples seriously piqued my interest. The Mint Scrub had such a good scent and was just the right amount of gritty for me. The Stripper Mask, ohhhhh that mask... It tingles. And we aren't talking "GlamGlow" tingle... It's a legit burning sensation. So if you have sensitive skin, skip this, it's not for you. But if you can handle the burn, try this stuff out. My skin felt squeaky clean after using it and I definitely think it helped pull some impurities to the surface. And the Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches (#137). I really enjoyed these. I don't know that they made a difference in brightening my under eye area, but they definitely soothed, softened, moisturized, and refreshed. I really enjoyed these.
• Product(s) that disappointed me the most: The L'Occitane Amande Supple Skin Oil (#125). Yup, I said it. I do not like L'Occitane. But not because their products aren't good. But because I CANNOT STAND THE WAY THEY SMELL. ErrrrMaaaaGerrrrrd. It's so bad. I can't do it. And the worst part is, everything, I mean EVERYTHING else about this oil was amazing. It absorbed so well into the skin. It didn't leave a greasy residue. It made my skin feel amazingly soft. It was soooooo good. Except I smelled like the granny who still perms her hair, has a house full of moth balls, and always tries to feed you stale cookies. IJS. So disappointing. Also, Essie's Romper Room (#139) One of the worst formulations of Essie polish I have tried. But a great color. Too bad.
• Product you couldn't pay me to (re)purchase. EVER.: Cotton Balls (#147). Any cotton ball. The fuzz they leave behind makes me angry. Seriously. It's so infuriating when trying to polish your nails and you constantly have to pull little "fuzzies" out of the polish. No More. I refuse.

So that was my May Round Up for you guys. Have you had any similar experiences? Let me know! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram for daily updates on my #365DaysOfEmpties and sooooo much more! Also, don't forget to enter my Giveaway for reaching 500+ followers on IG! Check it out here!

The Beauty Blogger Book Club (BBBC)

This post is a little bit different... I joined a book club! And not just any book club... A BEAUTY BLOGGER Book Club. Could life get any more perfect??? 
I have always loved to read and when I saw my friend Heather's post at Love To Be Busy about the book club she's a member of, I immediately wanted to join. So I did. While I love to read, I always have a hard time settling on a book! So it's a good thing I didn't have to choose the book for the month... YET. Lol. 
I thought this would be a fun activity since it's a pastime I love and great way to connect with other bloggers! There are 5 other bloggers in the group. Feel free to check out their thoughts on last month's read, Where'd You Go Bernadette? By Maria Sample:
Michelyn at Brains, Beauty & Basketball Ashely at If You Give A Girl A Ring Heather at Love To Be Busy Lisa at Uncommon Wife Life Lisa P. at Blush and Back Roads
This month we will be reading The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson. 

Don't have a blog? That's okay... Read along with us anyway! And don't forget to look out for our "book reports" at the beginning of each new month! xoxoxo