BBBC July Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

BBBC: July Book Review ~ The Wonky Brow

It's the end of the month and that means it's time for my July Beauty Blogger Book Club book review. Lisa, from Uncommon Wife Life, chose our book this month and her choice was Paper Towns by John Green. I was excited to read this novel for three reasons... 1). It has been made into a movie. 2). It was my first John Green novel. And 3). I'm always down for a Young Adult novel. 

July Pick: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns is the story of Quentin Jacobsen (a.k.a. Q), a reserved, band geek (who isn't even in the school band) and his life-long crush and next-door neighbor, Margo Roth Speigelman. Margo disappears the day after taking Q on an all-night adventure filled with payback, vandalism, and breaking and entering. However, she leaves behind clues as to where she has gone and Q is determined to find her. As he follows her clues, he learns a lot about the Margo he thought he knew... But he learns even more about himself.
This was a great book. The way it was written had me engaged from the very beginning. The characters were realistic and relatable. And they were funny. I lol'ed a few times while reading this. (If a book can make me laugh out loud, it's a winner.) Also, the story took place, for the most part, in Orlando, Florida (my city!). But the ending is what I appreciated the most. It didn't feel rushed or unresolved and it left me thinking... I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone. 
Check out what everyone else thought of Paper Towns: Ashley 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 Michelyn at Brains, Beauty & Basketball  (Michelyn is on maternity leave and will be back with us soon!!!)
For August, Lisa P. from Blush and Back Roads has chosen the novel, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. This one looks good!!! Read along with us!

August Pick: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

xoxoxo,

July Subscription Services: Ipsy, Birchbox, and Boxycharm

July Subscription Box Review ~ The Wonky Brow

So there is good news and there is not-so-good news... The good news: This was a slightly better month than last in subscription boxes. The not-so-good news: I still cancelled two of them. <Gasp!> Yes, TWO subscriptions were cancelled. Ipsy and Boxycharm. It's not that I don't love the services anymore, I just have enough stuff. I'd rather put effort into using what I already have (and love) than constantly trying out so many samples. I'm officially #sampledout. I will still have my birchbox every month since I purchased the yearly subscription for that one. And I am thinking about replacing the other two with something a little different... But it's still in contemplation-mode right now. So we shall see. But for now, my July Subscription Box Reviews... Ipsy:
$10/month for sample, deluxe, and full size (sometimes) products. Sign up HERE!

Ipsy July 2015

Items received:

• Octavio La Playa Sea Salt Spray (Deluxe size- $7.75). I have not tried this yet since I have been straightening my hair lately, but I am interested in testing this out. I love sea salt sprays and this is a great size to try as a sample. I have never heard of this brand before, so this shall be interesting. Also, the scent isn't too bad (I just opened it up to take a sniff) which is always a plus in my book.
• Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (Deluxe size- $5.66). Now this exfoliating cleanser, I love. It has a light fragrance that doesn't bother me when applied to my face. The micro-crystals in this are amazing and exfoliate my skin well. My face feels so soft after using this. Here is a product I would never have thought to try and will now consider purchasing the full size. (That is the point of these boxes, but I have found I very rarely find things I would purchase the full size of).
• Ofra Eyeshadow and Highlighter in Bliss (Full size but not in compact- $15). This is a beautiful shade. And had I not already received so many other Ofra products, I might have been excited about this. As it is, I'm underwhelmed with the brand as a whole. I will pass this on...
• Be a Bombshell Lip Balm in French Kiss (Full size- $14). I would NEVER in a million years pay $14 for a lip balm. Sorry. And as far as I can tell, there is nothing special about this one. It's just a lip balm.
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess (Deluxe size- $10.31). I have tried this bronzer before (meh). If I hadn't, again I would've been excited to get a deluxe size sample. Passing it on...

Ipsy Total Value: $52.72 Birchbox:
$10/month for 5-7 sample and deluxe size products. Try it out HERE!

Birchbox July 2015

Items received:

• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venizia (Deluxe size- $12). OMG. NO. This is not a formula I like... AT ALL. This did not apply well. It looked extremely patchy and didn't get better if I tried to apply more. It also wore away in a really unflattering way and made my lips look cracked and flakey. If you are looking for a liquid lipstick, I'd recommend the Sephora Cream Lip Stains. Now those are amazing.
• Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant (Deluxe size- $9.75). I have not tried this yet... But I will. And I'm happy about receiving it. The full size is $78 for only 2oz! 
• Benefit They're Real Mascara (Deluxe size- $8). Once again... I have tried this before (I did say I was #sampledout, didn't I?). Unlike the majority of the people I've heard talk about this mascara, I did not like this. It just did nothing special for my lashes and I do not understand all the hype. #NotAFan.
• R + Co Atlantis Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (Foil packets- $1.51). This was a fail. I should've gotten two uses out of the shampoo (since I have short hair), but I couldn't tell if this was actually cleaning my hair... So I kept adding more. I also did not like the scent. 
• Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow (Deluxe size- $4.05). This surprised me, I thought it was going to be to dark for my skin tone, but it actually blends into the skin well and evened out my complexion. It also has a natural, glowy finish to it. Not bad, but I wouldn't run out to purchase it.
• Rusk Heatshift Re-styling Cream (Deluxe size- $5.29). This is an interesting product. It claims to allow you to restyle any look without having to rewash your hair OR even reapply product. Ummmm... I dunno. But I will try it out... Maybe on a day where I don't need to leave the house. Or even get the mail. ;-)

Birchbox Total Value: $40.60 BoxyCharm:

 $21/month for 4-5 Full size and/or 1 Deluxe size product. Try it out HERE!

Boxy charm July 2015

Items received:

• Gorge I'll Make You Look Amazing Daily Spray (Full size- $29.95). I find this comparable to the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Spray. Except It's a 10 smells better.
• Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil (Full size- $13). This is the second time I've received this eyebrow pencil in a subscription box (I didn't like this the first time I got it). This is the THIRD Ofra product I have received from Boxycharm alone. This was the second Ofra product I received THIS month. This is part of the reason I cancelled both, Ipsy and Boxycharm. Not happy.
• MDMflow Greater Than Mascara (Full size- £21= $32.68). Okay... So here is my problem with this. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SEND A MASCARA OUT TO THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS, AND NOT EXPLAIN HOW TO USE THIS "SPECIAL" MASCARA TO BEGIN WITH?!?!?!? Basically, what happened here was... People started trying this out and complaining and generally not liking this mascara. So Boxycharm sent out an email that explains that this mascara needs to be "primed". Ummmm... What?!?!? Check it out HERE.
• Vasanti Professional Blush Brush (Full size- $29). While I loved their exfoliation cleanser that I got in my Ipsy, this blush brush left something to be desired. There were hairs sticking out at the top that weren't cut evenly with the rest of the bristles. This was just "meh" for me.
• YourMinerals Transparent Veil Setting Powder (Medium Full size- $26). I didn't get a chance to try this out but I'm willing to give it a chance. It's the one thing that will stay in my collection from this box... For now.

Boxycharm Total Value: $130.63

Overall thoughts... I was happiest with my Birchbox this month. I received 7 items (the card said the conditioner was a bonus!) to try for $10 and the brand/product selection was intriguing. Ipsy was definitely better than last month, but I feel like the products are getting very repetitive. I've been considering canceling for a few months now and figured I should let Ipsy go out with a bang! (Instead of canceling when the month was crap- like last month). Boxycharm was a flop. It's total value is still great for $21/month, but what's the point in me spending $21 when only one item really piques my interest? I'd rather put that towards my Sephora budget and choose exactly what I want. :-D

What did you get this month? Thoughts?? Anyone else feeling #sampledout??? xoxoxo.

*Referral link is used for Birchbox only. This post was not sponsored and I am not affiliated with any of these companies. All opinions are honest and my own.

Product Spotlight: Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

Product Spotlight: Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs ~ The Wonky Brow

Happy Monday!!! Today I want to talk to you all about one of my favorite products EVER. I had planned on doing a post about this product, and thennnnn... Influenster added me to the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs VirtualVox (similar to a voxbox except they don't send a box filled with goodies and all activities are completed virtually- hence the name). And I just thought "perfect timing". So, random coincidence aside... I love these products. And I'm not getting paid to say that. 

I have been using the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs for a couple years now (thanks to my bestie, who introduced me to this awesomeness-in-a-can) and the best thing I can say about it is... It's so simple. It's literally, makeup for your legs and it will help camouflage any imperfections! There are two ways/times when I use this:

1. When I have a spray tan. Sounds redundant? It's not. For those who have spray tanned before, you may know... For whatever reason, your legs will sometimes not get as dark as the rest of you (I don't know why, but this happens to me almost every time). So before going out for the night, I will spray my legs with the Tan or Medium shade so that I don't have an ombré skin effect gong on. This stuff will also help even out the look of a spray tan if you look a little patchy. (Side note- I have also used this on my arms and it works well for that too).
2. When I have not spray tanned and want to wear shorts. Mind you, my natural skintone is translucent (no joke). So that is when I will use the Light shade. It gives me just enough color so that I don't look like I just arose from the coffin.

I will admit, the first time I saw this stuff I was terrified. I was worried I would look like an oompa loompa mixed with a zebra. So, my bestie went first and showed me what to do. Shake the can. Spray your legs (from upper thigh to ankle) so that you have 6-8 spots, and then rub it in until blended! (Remember to do your feet too if you will be wearing sandals or flip-flops). That simple. Do one leg at a time, and wash your hands after each leg. Give it a few minutes to dry/set in. Voilà! 
This product claims to be water and transfer resistant, and I will completely agree with that. But it's not waterproof, so if you are getting in the water... Don't bother with this stuff. If you will be staying dry, it will last and last and last. Also, I have worn white shorts with this on my legs. Yes I dared. And while it did rub off a little on the shorts, it also washed out easily in the laundry and nothing was destroyed. One last thing, this does have a sparkle to it that will be noticeable if you are out in the sun. It was originally created to mimic panty-hose, and it does just that. Personally, I like to sparkle (not Edward Cullen sparkle, but a little glitter never hurt anyone).
If you want to try this out for yourself, click HERE for $2 off. Plus CVS has $5 Extracare Bucks when you spend $10 on Sally Hansen products until 8/1/15. Also, if you haven't already joined Influenster, you should. It's free and all you have to do is link one of your social media accounts. You will then have the chance to participate in campaigns (like this one) and earn prizes. Check it out, HERE. xoxoxo.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in Medium, Light, and Tan.

***DISCLAIMER- YOU MAY BE BLINDED BY PALENESS***
Left Leg is au naturel. Right leg has the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in Light.

*I was not compensated for this post; However I am creating this post as part of a contest. All opinions are honest and my own.

The Wonky Chef: MealBoard

When cooking/grocery shopping for six people, things can get complicated. So when I first moved in with the boyfriend and our 4 Masters of Mayhem, I wanted to be able to plan meals out to simplify the grocery shopping experience. Enter, MealBoard. An iPhone (or Pad or Pod) app that combines recipe storage, meal planning, shopping list, and pantry management in ONE place (check it out HERE). 
Recipe Storage

Image taken from mealboard.com

This is probably my favorite feature. All of my recipes in one spot. No searching through my mom's index cards and cookbooks. They are alllllllllll here. Plus, if you run out of ideas,  you can use the built-in web browser to search/import recipes you find online.
Meal Planning

Image taken from mealboard.com

My other favorite feature. You can plan breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks if you so desire. I personally only use this to plan dinner. The app allows you to plan from 1-4 weeks out. This is an amazing feature for me since I have to plan around so many different schedules. So depending on who will be around for dinner, on any given day, will dictate what and how much I cook that evening. 
Shopping List

Image taken from mealboard.com

When you import recipes into the app, it will store the ingredients to make it easier to add them to your shopping list! Once I finish planning out my meals, I'll go through day-by-day adding the needed ingredients to the shopping list and then it separates them by aisle/department. Also, If you really want to go in-depth, you can designate which stores you buy which products from and add costs to help you stay with-in your budget.
Pantry Management

Image taken from mealboard.com

I've got to be honest. This is the one aspect of this app I haven't delved into. But the idea is to let the app keep track of items you have in stock and once you've finished shopping, you can move those same items from the shopping list to the pantry. Then as you cook, you can adjust the items that are left. I just haven't had the patience to sit down and enter everything that is already in the pantry... But I really should. Then I might not accidentally run out of sugar again. ;-)
Keep in mind, this is not a FREE app. It costs $3.99. But it is worth every penny in my opinion. I had some free apps that had these features separate from each other (i.e. a shopping list app, a recipe app, etc.) but this was all-in-one and easy to learn to navigate!!! Hope this helps! xoxoxo

Finish 5 by Fall Intro

Finish 5 by Fall ~ The Wonky Brow

I really enjoyed participating in the Finish 4 by 4th of July Project Pan Challenge, so I am also joining the Finish 5 by Fall challenge. It's the same idea, pick "X" amount of item to finish by "X" date. So this time around it's 5 items by September 23rd. 
The Chosen Products:

Finish 5 by Fall Items

1. Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation. My "carry-over" item from the last project. I only have a little bit left so this should be the first item I finish. While I do, absolutely, love this foundation... I am excited to finish it so that I can try some different things.
2. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. This is the 0.33oz size that retails for $18. It's a great primer but it has an expiration date that is fast approaching, and I want to get my money's worth. I've used it here and there over the last couple months, but not consistently. 
3. BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Speak Your Mind. This is a mini-size I received as a "perk" from Sephora. I actually love the formula of these lipsticks and finished up another mini I had two months ago. This shade is a great "Everyday Pink" type shade (very similar in color and finish to the YSL Rouge Volupté in #1) and should be easy to use up by September.
4. Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-on Eye Pencil in Black Velvet. This is a travel size I received in an Ipsy bag a longgggggg while back. I would like to use it up before it dries out. I am also trying to use up most of my black and brown eye pencils... Since I have 17 (yes, 17, I counted). This should also be fairly easy to use up, since it's smaller and needs to be sharpened.
5. Last, but definitely not least, M.A.C.'s Mineralize Concealer. This one might be tough. Since it is pretty full, and I don't use a ton of concealer on a daily basis. In fact, I often forget concealer altogether. But I'm hoping this project helps me put a dent in it and if this becomes my next "carry-over" I won't be toooo upset. Plus if I do finish it, it's another item that goes "Back-2-MAC" (M.A.C.'s recycling program where you can return 6 items for a free lipstick, lipgloss, or eyeshadow).

Starting points are marked with a black line.

I started officially on July 4th (the day the last one ended) and I will have a mid-point check-in sometime in August so that I can share my progress. Wish me luck!!!