#59 Halloween Special Memebox

I ordered my first Memebox early last month. I know there are a few other bloggers out there who are obsessed with this company so I had to try it out! I LOVE Halloween so imagine my delight when I saw they had a Halloween box for sale! Here was the description of the box: 

Just in time for Halloween!

This Halloween, your possibilities are endless with a chock-full of spooky makeup ideas! No need to drop loads of cash on costumes you’ll only wear once a year, just grab this Halloween Special box, loaded with fun and crafty makeup ideas that are fit for any party occasion! 

Whether you plan on being a sexy vamp, a pretty pixie, or just sport your trusty ol’ witch hat for the night, these do-able Halloween makeup ideas will compliment any costume and also be sure to get you a double-take! 

The box was $23 plus $6.99 for shipping (they are a Korean company). I found a $5 off coupon on Retail Me Not so I ended up paying $25. They shipped it out on October 10th and I ended up getting it on October 20th. 

It came in a large pink envelope (it reminds me a lot of the Ipsy packaging). Here is what it says on the outside (I apologize for the somewhat blurry picture): 

Here is what the box looks like: 

And here is what was inside: 

My initial reaction opening the envelope was disappointment. I had expected it to come in a cute Halloween looking box. Also, there was something sticking out of the box a little bit. 

And then I opened the box and saw the things I had received. 

*Elizavecca Lip Tattoos-Lip tattoos? I'll never use these; it takes too much time to cut them out for your lips and then apply them. I also don't like the deep win and dark burgundy colors it comes in. 

*Lalanc Real Tattoos-My last name is King so I'll probably use the king crown tattoos that are in this pack. I will probably give away the crosses to the youth group at church. 

*Revecen fake eyelashes-These are super long so I'll only be able to use them for Halloween. I do plan on trying them out though. 

*Revecen Liquid Lipstick blood-We just had a zombie production at school so I brought this product with me and applied it on all of the zombies' mouths. If you are a zombie or vampire for Halloween then this product is perfect. 

*Revecen Face Control Foundation in White-A full size sample of something I'll use once a year (and will have to toss anyway after a certain time)? Sigh. 

*Revecen Cake Eye Liner in Black-So you are supposed to apply water to this to make it into a wearable liner. I have a million and one liners I already like that take no time or mess to apply. I'll pass on this item. 

*Revecen Supra Lining Color in Purple-Another item that needs water to apply it. It's a super dark color; I'll take it up to school and use it when I show how to make cuts and bruises. 

Ultimately I'm very disappointed. The size of all the products are great; they just aren't anything I could use more than once or twice. I thought they would have more of a variety of items-they advertised it as such and I feel like this would only be good for a goth or monster creature. Where's the pretty pixie items? 

I'm not sure I'll order from Memebox again-it would have to be a pretty impressive theme for me to. $25 is a lot to spend on beauty products that you may or may not be able to use. I'll put that $25 towards checking out another box (maybe Boxycharm...). 

October PopSugar

I received by October PopSugar box this week. It came as a total surprise; they didn't send me a shipping email and I had read on a few different beauty sites that they were having problems shipping out the October boxes. I looked at a spoiler so I knew exactly what I was going to be receiving. I need to stop doing that! I'm spoiled; I had received my first box (September) not too long ago-I'll have to wait a whole month before I get my next box ;-).

Here's what I received in my box and the suggested retail value of each item:

*Happy Socks Animal Socks ($12)-I'm not much of a sock person. Occasionally at school we will do crazy sock day as part of our Spirit Days so I'll wear these next time we have that. Other than that I don't know when I'll wear these!

*Mine Design Chalkboard Candle ($24)-This is one of my favorite items in the box! I love candles. It smells so nice and I love the fact that you can write on the candle holder with chalk. I'm contemplating keeping this at home or putting it in my classroom (with the chalk hidden from my students haha).

*butter LONDON WINK Eye Pencil in Earl Grey ($18)-This is a pretty color and great for making a smokey eye. I think it's too light to wear as my normal eyeliner so I'll probably use this as a waterline color or on top of a colored eyeliner. It glides on nice and smooth.

*Isaac Jacobs International Acrylic Frame ($36)-Really? $36 for this frame? Please. But I do need a frame for work so this is good timing with this item.

*Nailed Kit Halloween Decals ($8)-Bummer, I just put on some Halloween Jamberrys! But I plan on using these on my toe nails. They are cute but there aren't very many if you make a mistake or want to put them on all of your nails.

*Dean & Deluca Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls ($5.75)-These were actually pretty tasty! I'm not usually a fan of malt balls, but the malt is surrounded by dark chocolate and then topped with a pumpkin spice coating. It was a nice little treat. If you are interested in trying them out, the box came with a 15% off total purchase-use code DEANPOP when you check out.

Special extras: 
 *K. Hall Designs Shoreline Shea Butter/Olive Oil Bar Soap-This soap didn't indicate if it was for the hands or body so I decided to put it in the shower and use it as a body soap since we have a TON of fall scented hand soaps. I was nervous to see if it would totally dry out my sensitive skin, but it didn't! Both my husband and I used it and it does leave the skin moisturized. It doesn't have much of a scent to it which is nice. Great special extra.

*The Blue Jean Bar-$40 coupon to use. I won't be using it, so first person to comment can have my coupon code!

*Marchesa Voyage for Shopstyle-25% off coupon. Another coupon I won't be using; first person to comment can have my coupon code!


Overall, this month didn't impress me as much as last month did. I don't think it was a total bust; there's a few things I will definitely be able to use. I paid $35 for the box and I feel like I "broke even" with this month. I can't wait to see what the holiday boxes will be! Want to try out PopSugar? Be sure to use my referral code, and don't forget to find coupons out there to make your boxes even cheaper!

My thoughts about my first Jamberrys

Recently my friend Ally Summers started selling Jamberry Nails. If you aren't familiar with Jamberry you can check out her site here: http://allysummers.jamberrynails.net. Warning-it's addictive to look at all the nail designs!

Here is the first set I tried last week (called Webtastic):

I switched out my nails last night and here is the set I am currently wearing (called Widow's Web):

Now that I've tried out two different pairs, I'll give you my honest opinion about Jamberry. I have to admit, when I put Webtastic on I just followed the directions on the label. I also used a hairdryer. I should have watched the videos out there because it would have saved me a lot of grief. I'm not a fan of using a hairdryer so the second time I put on a set I used a Jamberry nail heater and it worked AMAZINGLY. Since Webtastic was my first pair it took a little bit longer than what they say it should because you are trying to get the adhesives on juuuussssttt right and trying to match the adhesives to the correct nail. My second set took so much less time and I had learned what not to do this time for my second set. I definitely recommend giving it a few times before you start to feel comfortable applying them. But maybe I'm the only impatient person out there who doesn't like to read or follow directions!

My nails aren't flat and have a curve to them so I have had to use the flat iron method to re-seal the edges a few times. Being a theatre teacher I use my hands and fingers a ton. But I much prefer to have to reseal an edge than have to reapply nail polish when you chip them. Also, it took me less than 5 minutes to take off my first set and there was absolutely no damage. There is nothing more irritating than having to take nail polish off and it stains your nails-you don't have to worry about that with Jamberry.

I really do like having my nails look nice. I usually try to paint my nails or change them out once a week. Jamberry is so much quicker than what I had been doing and they have so many cute designs. I'm definitely a fan now!

My co-worker Simone and I are hosting an online Jamberry party curtesy of Ally Summers. Feel free to check it out here. Also, feel free to post any questions or comments you may have about Jamberry, and I will pass them on to her!

October Birchbox

I've been anticipating my October Birchbox ever since I decided to do the add ons (more information about the add ons below). My past few boxes have been taking longer than normal to get to me (last month it was even lost for about a week). Not sure what's up with that, but it did arrive this week! 

I love the fact that I got to review 7 different products, which means $7 to spend in the Birchbox store. That’s a great deal!

Here's what I received in my box and what I thought about each product: 

*Ellovi Vanilla Butter-Not a big fan of this. It is supposed to smell like vanilla but it smells more like the oils in it to me. And speaking of oil, it is greasy on my skin. I might use it for problem areas like my heels during the winter,  but I definitely won't use it on my hands or arms. I just didn't like the texture of this and wouldn't buy the full size product. 

*Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil-This was the item I got to choose for this month's box. I LOVE glitter eye liner and couldn't wait to try this out. I was so disappointed with this eye pencil! There was absolutely no glitter included any of the times I used it. I tried it with different colors and brands of eye shadow, but still nothing. It needs to be a creamier formula for this to be more effective. It was dry and hard to put on and I tried sharpening it a few times thinking that might help. Also, the black color faded super fast. I'm talking within the hour of me applying it! I ended up putting a liquid liner over it. This item is getting tossed! 

*Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle-I love leave in conditioners. I like the fact that this is a spray in formula-easier application than the ones I usually use. However, I think there was a problem with the bottle. Myself and several reviewers all had trouble getting the product out. It did leave my hair nice and soft but didn't hold the waves in my hair as much as other products I've used. I'll have to give this one a few more tries before I make my final verdict. 

*Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips-I was super curious to try this product out. Nipple cream on your lips? It kinda makes sense if you think about it. I love how soft it makes my lips and I love that it enhances my natural lip color. The texture is weird at first (a little sticky and greasy) but after I got used to it I love it because it makes my lips so moisturized. This was a hit for me!   

*Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator-I didn't read the label too closely before applying this exfoliator so I was a bit surprised by the microderm crystals, but ended up really liking this product. It made my face feel soft and clean without drying my face out, which is always a concern of mine with products like this. I have sensitive skin and my face didn't break out after using this. Great addition to this box! 

*Oribe Magnificent Shampoo and Conditioner-These were "freebies" that Birchbox threw in as an extra bonus. If this had been one of my normal samples I wouldn't have been pleased because of how small they are. I really like the Oribe hair spray and use it occasionally. This is advertised as a volumizing shampoo and conditioner but I honestly couldn't tell. The shampoo didn't leave my hair feeling clean and I needed more conditioner in the sample size than what it offered. I did like the smell of these products. 

Each month Birchbox gives you the opportunity to add items to your box for an additional cost. The items are usually cheaper from Birchbox than buying  from a retailer, plus you get Birchbox points to use in the store. This month they were giving double points if you purchased two or more items so I decided to splurge and purchase both of the items for sale. I purchased: 

*Bella J Roseberry Candle-This candle has a light berry scent to it. It’s perfect for my nightstand in the bedroom but wouldn’t have much scent power in a large room. What’s cool about this candle is that at the bottom of it is a charm or jewelry piece valued at $25 to $10,000! I’ve burned mine for about 5 hours now (it says you can get 60+hours) and I can already see the pouch. I am soooo tempted to get it out and see what it is but Justin told me that would ruin the surprise, which is the main reason I purchased it! So he told me I have to wait until Halloween.  

*Loren Hope Lilac Mini Alex Cuff-As soon as I saw the purple color for this bracelet I knew I had to have it! I wear purple ALL THE TIME so this will go great with many different outfits. My only problem is that it's a little on the small side. I wish they had a picture of somebody wearing it so I could have had a better idea of the size of it before I purchased it. Here’s a picture of me wearing it-by the way, I could never be a hand model! I can’t ever seem to take a good picture of my hands. 

Finally, Birchbox was recently doing a promotion where if you are on the month to month plan for getting boxes and upgraded to a year's subscription, not only did they give you two boxes for free, but they sent out a mystery sample pack AND this Cynthia Rowley bag that included this eyeshadow color palette and a liquid liner. I'm looking forward to trying all these shades out! There are actually 5 shadows but the far left one is super dark. 

Overall I enjoyed my box and the nice add ons. A couple of the items I could have done without but I also discovered some new favorites! What did you think about October’s box? If you are thinking about joining Birchbox, be sure to use my referral link! 

October Ipsy

I was so excited to receive my second Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday! I really liked my first bag from them last month.This month’s theme is “Beauty Candy.” Cute name! I love the pretty blue bag it came in-the texture and material is very durable. I’ve already thrown it into my work bag to hold this month’s makeup goodies in. 

A side note- I’m not sure how the rest of my bag relates to “Beauty Candy?” Hmmmm….I don’t think I received as many makeup products as other people did. Maybe I’m comparing it to a Meme box where all of the products relate to a certain theme, but my products or the looks I could possibly create from the products didn’t make me think of candy. Speaking of Memebox, I should be getting my special themed Halloween box this week! Eek! 

Here are the products I received and what I thought of them: 

*Nicole by OPI nail polish in “I’m On a Gilt Trip”-I’ve been meaning to buy a gold nail polish so this was good timing. The color looks more like a sand than gold color on me and has more of a matte finish. It does add a little sparkle to my nails. I’d probably use this on an accent nail instead of all my nails next time. 

*Noyah lipstick in “Deeply in Mauve”-The sample size is teeny tiny cute! But that’s ok because this isn’t a color I normally wear. Don’t get me wrong-I really like the raisin color! It’s perfect for fall. I didn’t experience the “sticky” texture that some reviewers had about the product. 

*Skone Cosmetics Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner-Glides on nice and smooth. Easy application. Great eyeliner! 

*Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser-I used this for the first time last night. I liked the smell of it-very fresh and clean. I felt like I got a good clean from it but it did leave my face feeling dry. I had to put on extra nighttime moisturizer. I have sensitive skin and I didn’t break out from it which is always a fear of mine. 

*Ayres Patagonia Body Butter-This product has jasmine and rosemary in it which makes it smell so nice and calming! Not too powerful or overbearing of a smell. It did leave my skin feeling super soft and left no greasy residue.  

Overall this month’s bag was a hit for me. What did you thing of “Beauty Candy?” Did you get the same or different products as me? And, if you aren’t signed up for Ipsy and would like to, be sure to use my referral code! Both of my sisters signed up-can’t wait to hear what they got and what they think about it. 

Fall is FINALLY here!

It's currently 57 degrees here in DFW with highs in the 70's and low 80's for the next week, so it's safe to say that fall is officially here. About time! I celebrated by having a Halloween shopping spree at Michael's yesterday-all of their Halloween items are currently 50-60% off! I'm planning on stopping by one more time this week. Here is my mantle all decked out for my favorite holiday:

I'll post a few more pictures throughout the week of some of my other Halloween decorations. 

It's a 4 day weekend for the kids and a 3 day weekend for teachers. Tomorrow we are headed to the State Fair with my dad and we are taking Julian-please pray that my 2 year old behaves! This could either go really really good, or really really bad.

Last weekend we went to Austin City Limits. It was both tons of fun and a total disaster. That being said, we are definitely going again next year! Friday night we saw Foster the People and Outkast. Saturday I got to meet Interpol. Sunday I got to see and meet Phantogram, see Fitz & The Tantrums, and see Pearl Jam. Fitz was my favorite performance; Pearl Jam was my least. Pearl Jam is one of Justin's favorite bands but it's just not my style of music.

Me getting to meet Interpol. Really sweet guys-I was a HUGE fan of theirs while I was in college! I was all blushy and fan girlie while I was talking to them. 

A few of my favorite pictures from ACL. 

Austin is one of my favorite places ever. I wish wish wish that we lived there! It totally fits my hipster/eclectic personality. A dream that Justin and I have is to buy a house in Austin or a surrounding area. Hopefully one day it happens! 

Justin and I went to ACL for the first time in 2010 when we had just started dating. It was nice to relive and revisit some of those memories <3. I'm looking forward to taking my kids to ACL and introducing them to something that is really important to me-live music! 

First Pop Sugar box!

I received my first Pop Sugar box this last Monday. It's the September box-I'm assuming that due to the timing of when I signed up I will also be receiving the October box here in the next few weeks. I signed up for the deal that if you order 3 boxes you get $10 off the normal price of 3 boxes. I also found a $5 off coupon so my total for each box is $35 instead of the normal $40.

*My favorite product is definitely the scarf. It's a beautiful raison and gray color. The normal retail price is $125-can you believe that? My wardrobe is mostly blacks and purples and I can't wait to wear it.

*The Nicole Miller earphones are a pretty blue color. I normally use the earplugs that my iPhone came with because I'm too cheap to go buy a new pair so this was perfect for me. I'll definitely be using these at the gym.

*The brownie was GROSS! I brought it to work and me and a couple of my co-workers tried it. It's gluten free, organic, raw, blah blah healthy and it just wasn't for me (or any of us). There was also a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase for UrbanRemedy.com-if you would like to have that coupon code from me, first person to comment on this post will receive it!

*The Oribe hair spray was a nice beauty addition to the box. It left my hair looking so shiny when I used it! I'm glad that Birchbox sells it-I'll be able to buy the full size in the future from them.

*The pencils were ok. I'm a teacher and I prefer mechanical-so much easier than having to sharpen them. I'll probably be handing them out to students.

*The cards were cute. They are perfect for when I need to write thank you notes to female co-workers or parents at school.

*The Ghirardelli almond and sea salt squares were DELICIOUS! They mixed my very two favorite things to add to chocolate. I will definitely be buying these in the future-yum yum!

*Nike sent a measuring tape in the hopes that I will measure myself and buy a Fit bra from them. They sent a $20 gift card as well-I've been eyeballing some new purple tennis shoes so I'll be taking advantage of this coupon.

Overall, I was really happy with the box. I thought it was definitely worth the $35, if not for the scarf alone. I'm excited to get my next one in!

October Fall Finds

I am desperate for the weather to start feeling more like fall! It's supposed to be in the low 90's all this week in Dallas but that didn't stop me from buying a few fall goodies at the outlet stores in Round Rock today on our way back from ACL. Here are my purchases at Bath and Body Works as well as Ann Taylor Loft.

I'm in LOVE with the Autumn Sky candle I bought at Bath and Body Works! It's got a great spicy smell to it. There is some ingredient in it that is also in Justin's body wash-yum! And the Halloween wallflower and bulb is just too cute. I'm loving the Purrfect Potion bottle as well. I've already decked out our guest bathroom with the items in the right picture! 

I can't WAIT to try out these outfits; however, I need the temps to drop! Two out of the the three tops have sparkles on them; would you expect anything less from me ;-)?

Recent Reading-Pet Sematary

My nightstand has looked out of control recently with all my "to read" books. I have a bad habit of going to the library and checking out waaaayyyy too many books. I'm a teacher and mother of 3 very young kids; who am I kidding? But I have been able to finish a couple of really great books recently. The first one is:

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

This was my first time to read a book by Stephen King and it's perfect timing with Halloween right around the corner. I don't normally read books in the horror genre and I decided to read this particular title because I've had a fascination with the movie since I was 13 years old. I think the reason why I've been so drawn to this story is the idea of bringing something back from the dead that you love so much; now that I have kids the idea absolutely terrifies me because I think to myself, "Would I if I could?" And the answer to my own question is what shocks me. This book is all about confronting death and that is not a subject one likes to delve in much. 

The particular edition of the book I read had an introduction by Stephen King. He states that it is the scariest book he has ever written. In fact he thinks he took things too far with this novel and at one point he threw away the story. It's a story of caution and warning. One particular quote from the book that sticks out in my mind is: “And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity.”

I was curious to see how the movie follows the book and I was not disappointed at all; in fact, I ended up liking the book even more than the movie. It explores the psyche of the main character Louis Creed who seems to have the perfect life-a doctor with a beautiful wife and two children (one of them happens to be the age of my own son). His son gets hit by a truck and he decides to bury him in the Indian burial ground that brings dead things back to life. I can't even begin to describe how I felt reading the book and dealing with Louis's emotions while thinking about losing my own son (and daughters). It's the most painful thing I've ever felt. One moment can take away a lifetime of happiness. Life can be cruel, can't it. 

But what if you could take that unhappiness back? What if you could bring back what was taken from you? Would you? Louis decides to bring his son back but unfortunately the son isn't who (or what) he used to be. That's the price you pay-everything comes with a price. His son is now evil but at least he has the chance to be with him again. At least the sorrow is gone. For now. It reminds me of the Governor from The Walking Dead. He keeps his daughter, who has been turned into a zombie, chained up and cares for her. At first I thought, "how weird is that?" And then I look at my own children and I can't help but wonder and think, "I hope I never get put into that situation."

But that makes us selfish people, doesn't it, to bring them back or to keep them from moving on. I believe in Heaven and why would you take that away from someone you love just to have more time on earth with them. Another quote from the book that really stuck with me is “Faith is a great thing, and really religious people would like us to believe that faith and knowing are the same thing, but I don't believe that myself. Because there are too many different ideas on the subject. What we know is this: When we die, one of two things happens. Either our souls and thoughts somehow survive the experience of dying or they don't. If they do, that opens up every possibility you could think of. If they don't, it's just blotto. The end.” 

This book took a lot out of me emotionally, which is rare for a fiction book to do that to me. That's usually reserved for non-fiction books. There were several nights were I fell asleep reading the book and had weird dreams and other nights were I couldn't get to sleep because I was reading a particularly chilling part. I was a little too happy to finish the book; not because I didn't like it but because it was so depressing to me. “That lesson suggests that in the end, we can only find peace in our human lives by accepting the will of the universe.”

The other book I finished recently is "The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty. Be on the lookout for my thoughts on that book within the week. 

What's the scariest book you have ever read, and why is it scary to you?

Birchbox Anniversary Box

About a week ago I splurged and bought a few different products on Birchbox. I had 2 coupon codes-one was get an Anniversary Box if I spent $50 or more or get 20% off any purchase. I had recently purchased the Fall Fete box for my best friend's birthday on a 20% coupon so I decided to try my luck and see what I would get in the Anniversary Box. 

Here is what I received-a Whish shave cream, a Laqa & Co. lip lube in Menatour, an eyebrow pencil, and a Suki exfoliating cleanser. 

I have to admit, my initial reaction was disappointment. HOWEVER, I have since changed my mind! 

Here's what I thought of each product: 

*The eyebrow pencil I gave away to my sister. I have platinum blonde hair and this pencil is for dark haired ladies. I'm bummed I didn't get a color that matched my profile. 

*I was originally unhappy with the lip color. I have NEVER worn a color like this before and I initially said it made me look like I have hypothermia. I decided to give it one more chance and take it to ACL with me. I have to say, I was really wrong about this color! I was insecure about wearing a color like this because it took me out of my comfort zone, but I have gotten several compliments on this color. So, thank you Birchbox! 

*The Whish shave cream is ok. I really don't like the smell in my opinion. It does leave my legs feeling soft, but so does the body wash I normally use on my legs. It's a nice little treat but not something I would purchase the full size product. 

*The Suki exfoliating cleanser-haha so I'm an idiot and didn't read the directions before I first used it (they don't have the directions on the label which is not a good thing-it makes somebody use it wrong or have to go find the directions themselves). I just put some of the cleanser on my fingers and started going to town on my face. Now, it is very grainy because it is sugar and lemongrass so it was a little abrasive, but had I read the directions first I would have known to rub it between my fingers and THEN apply it to my face. That being said, it did make my face look brighter and have a nice clean feel to it! I wish the full size price was a bit cheaper-I'd be more inclined to purchase this in the future. It is a nice addition to the box. 

If you ordered the Anniversary Box, did you receive the same samples or different ones? Were you happy with them?