But, I wanted Tarte!

 

I saw this over the weekend and thought it was too cute. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day other than by indulging in tasty (yet unhealthy!) food. Do you guys celebrate/not celebrate? 

theBalm Flash Sale!

Maybe you've heard, maybe you haven't. So, in case you are in the latter group, listen up! theBalm is having a 50% off flash sale tomorrow February 7th!

Read closely. Sale times start at 12 noon whatever time zone you are located in and sale price is only good for one hour. But, their facebook page states that international orders will be honored between 9am and 1pm PST and they have a time zone converter link (also on their fb page) so you will know when that actually is respective to where you are located... sounds tricky if you are international! Shipping starts at $4.95 in the US and is higher for domestic/international shipping.

This is a benefit sale with proceeds going to Bay Area children to benefit indexed tuition...

I have never taken part in one of their flash sales so I have no clue as to how slow their site will be or if they actually sell out of products. 

This is a fantastic deal if considering EVERYTHING is 50% off, shipping is only $4.95, and it's a benefit sale! I've shopping theBalm on Haute Look before as they usually have products half off, but their shipping is higher unless you spend a certain amount.

So, if you've been eyeballing something, already have a favorite product from theBalm that you want to stock up on, or just want to score some great cosmetics on sale for a good cause be sure to check this out!

Forever Blonde

Anyone with color treated blonde hair looking for a great conditioner, look no further!

Paul Mirchell has the Forever Blonde collection designed for specifically for blondes (who'd have guessed?) that promises moisture and strength and has the KerActive complex. The shampoo is sulfate free. The conditioner boasts an anti-static formula that strengthens and repairs damaged hair. 

I can't really put on my finger on what the scent is, but the conditioner will always remind me of the beach as this is something I purchased before going on vacation last summer to protect my hair. Since I don't wash daily and I do use different brands, this tube has lasted me quite awhile. And, even though my hair is darker now, I like this formula so much, I've continued to use it. 

More often than not, I have been a blonde, and think that the lighter shades suit me better than the darker/dirtier blondes. 

PM products are sold only at salons so I'm guessing the price could vary. I think I paid around $22 for mine.

I highly recommend this product. Even if I do not change my hair back to blonde ( which I am considering!) , I will still probably repurchase since it worked so well. 

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And what about Flappy Bird? Is anyone else playing this?

 I downloaded it just to see what all the fuss was about. I find it annoying, but have gotten into a competition with my husband. I finally got to 16 yesterday, beating him!

Birchbox 2014 January

January's theme is Go Time! BB is not taking the resolution route, and is instead saying you can have more (or all!) and they have included some cards with motivational quotes to give you a kick when needed.

(Excuse the photos- Cloudy days+Phone camera= Not so great pics!)

You can see I DID get the tea everyone has been complaining about. I'm not mad, as I am a tea drinker (although I would have rather tried some cool chocolates!), but I do take my tea with sugar and milk, which just doesn't "go" with fancy tea flavors.... 

I have already tested the Klorane dry shampoo and was so happy to get this as I have been recommended to wash my hair every other day, and I am in love!! This is the BEST dry shampoo I have ever used hands down. It actually makes my hair look cleaner without using a ton of product and there is no visible white spray squirting out into my hair. I'm not crazy about the smell, but I can get over that and will definitely be purchasing this in full size. 

The 100% Pure packets say Restorative Cream on them and the best I can figure are for the body. However, when I logged into my BB account, I was actually supposed to have received the 100% Pure Eye Cream, so their customer service has already sent those samples out to me, although I have yet to receive them.

Close up of the Benetint. This is an open bottle that I received from a different beauty sub service. It is rather small, but I've been using this size for several months, so for a free sample, it ends up being pretty generous. Benetint is a cheek and lip stain. I like it better for my cheeks since I don't find it terribly long lasting on the lips when eating/drinking. Also, it tends to dry my lips out a tad... But, stellar product nonetheless!

The Nail Rock is a new concept on me. Polish is included to paint your nails and then you dip your wet nails into the provided texture pot (mine is velvet) and have to let them dry for 20 minutes! Oh man! 20 minutes with kids?! Not sure if this is gonna be possible ;) but, there are different finishes available on the BB website if you like the look/have that luxury of free time (lucky you).

What do you think? Would you like to try these? Or have you already?

Be sure to check out Birchbox. They frequently have contests/giveaways, send out promotional emails, and post fun tutorials. 

Beauty + Chocolate!

I wanted to show you guys an example of how fun/great it is to be a member of Birchbox. 

There were a few beauty items I had been eyeballing for awhile and really wanted to get. I was able to get a better deal by purchasing them through Birchbox and also was able to add some really unique & tasty chocolates to my order. 

(Not the greatest pic, but I just went ahead and used the one I had sent to my sister)

* Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner $20.00

* It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye $24.00

* Chuao Chocolatier Assorted Chocopod $9.95

* Tocca Creama da Mano in Cleopatra $8.00

The total of these products was $61.95. Shipping was free.

Birchbox did send me a 30% off promo code ($18.59). Also, I had accumulated some Birchbox reward points and was able to apply those toward my order (FYI 100 points= $10). 

$61.95

-18.59 (promo)

+2.30 (tax)

-20.00 (200 BB points)

_______

$25.66

So, basically, I only paid a little more than the cost of the concealer for all of these products!! I think that's a great deal!

 Sign up to be a member of Birchbox! It's only $10 per month and every 100 points accumulated (seriously, they rack up quick!) gets you $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Sweet!

January 2014 Ipsy

January's Ipsy theme is 19 reasons. There are 19 different items featured this month that you could have gotten a combination of in your bag.

Here are all this month's brands listed, and on the back, instructions on how to enter to win a 1 year subscription to Ipsy! Who wouldn't want that?!?

 

 The bag is very different than what we have seen before as it has pictures of beauty products on it. I think it is super cute and would be great to carry skin care products in for travel. The only complaint I have of the bag is the smell of the material. I'm hoping it will air out!

This is also the first time (I think!) all of my Ipsy products have fit into the cosmetic bag.

* Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
* Epice Purifying Exfoliant
* Yaby Liquid Foundation in Buff
* MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm in Natural
* ProActiv Mark Fading Pads

MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm

The only thing I wasn't that excited about was the Proactiv pads. They have salicylic acid and alcohol in them and since I already use prescription strength creams for my skin, I'm worried that might be a little too harsh and drying.... Other than that, I can't wait to try everything else!

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service for only $10 per month and includes shipping. Ipsy also sends a cosmetic bag every month. If you would like to try Ipsy, sign up here.

Ipsy December

Celebration is the December theme (woohoo for holidays, parties, and gatherings in general). On the other side of the card you can see the different brands offered this month and also a very easy way to be entered to win a whole years worth of ipsy bags! 

Not a great shot of the bag, but mine was stretched a bit from the contents and I wanted to show that the inside is a nice dark red shade.

This card came in the little box with the English Laundry fragrances. If you have one of the top five photos tagged on Instagram or Facebook, you can win a free gift set from English Laundry! Also, on the back of the card there is a promo code so that if you make a purchase you can receive a free bag by using IPSYFREE. 

I am a little bummed about the fragrances because mine have leaked out and mingled together. I've emailed Ipsycare and I'm really hoping they might send me replacements since I've heard great things about this brand. 

** I did contact Ipsy Care about this and they were kind enough to send out replacement fragrances safely packaged in a bubble wrapper inside if the traditional pink mailer, however, that second set leaked as well, so it seems as this is a problem with the fragrance sampler bottles and not the shipping process or Ipsy at all.... Bummer. 

* English Laundry Pour Homme and Pour Femme Signature fragrances (you see the little cardboard box they came in? It's wrinkled from where it got wet with the fragrances!)
* Be A Bombshell The One Stick in Flustered
* Nikka K New York Nail Color in Ripe Apple
* NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Sky Pink
* Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life eyeshadow Trio in Smokin Hot

Here's what The One Stick looks like. This product is suggested to be used on lips or cheeks. I was slightly annoyed about receiving another red lip product at first, but after trying this one, I really like it and have used it lots on my lips. 

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service for $10/ month. Sign up here.