Review | Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm

Before I start this review - I want to chat about the obvious. I am sorry. I have been on hiatus for a while now. So many things have been going on lately between work and day to day life. In less than a year and a half my husband has lost all 4 grandparents. Needless to say, it has been an incredibly difficult time for our family. This is why I disappeared for a while. Recently - the blog has been calling my name. I think it would be a healthy choice for me to come back...and do something that I am passionate about. :) So there.
I purchased a new lip product today! It's the little things guys.  It's from a relatively new line by Revlon - called ColorBurst Matte Balm. I picked up one of these bad boys in the shade "#225 Sultry." It's $6.49 at Target and is currently available in 10 shades. 

Let me start out by saying that I am in love with this color. (#225 Sultry) I have been wearing it all day - and I must say that it is a refreshing break from my normal classic red lip. (I said break...not replacement) It is super creamy and did not exacerbate my chapped lip problem at all. (Thank God) My poor lips have been in a horrible state lately...this Alabama weather has been the culprit. FYI - I have been treating my dry lips with this lip butter by PureLips on Etsy. ------>Lemon Butter Cake flavor. ;)

This "balm" has great staying power and is very pigmented. The color is just the bees knees. I would call it a vintage-rose-mauve? I intended on posting a photo of it actually on my lips - but my face is...just unfortunate right now. The stress finally got to me and my face decided it was going to literally break out all over. :( The following swatch will have to do for the moment. 

Don't worry - a photo of my lips sporting "Sultry" will pop up on here soon. I have a feeling that I'm going to be enjoying this product for quite some time. It's a great transitional shade for any time of the year. I hope everybody has a painless Monday hahaha. I hate having a case of the Mondays. 

Birchbox Un-boxing | October 2013

This year is really flying by - and it's completely freaking me out lol. This is a thing right? I've always heard that the older you get - the quicker time passes. Just stop it already 2013! :P
Anywho! October Birchbox a'hoy! 

I really couldn't publish my un-boxing post quick enough lol. I wanted to dive right in and start using everything. Birchbox really stepped up their game this month - big fan over here!
Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up | Full-size, $24
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser | Full-size, $21.50
Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloth | 2 cloths, $6
POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer | Full-size, $14
&& Birchbox Find ChapStick Hydration Lock
Were you pleased with the October box? :)

Would you like to subscribe to Birchbox?

You can do so...

----->HERE<-----

------> Etsy Shop Lust <------ I'm going to try out something new here on ye olde blog. I thought it would be fun to give random shout-outs to Etsy shops that I'm currently loving. I find some pretty awesome sellers on a regular basis...and I feel like I should share them with my readers!  Today's shoppe (<--- oh fancy) is "Mint and Arrows." I already own one of their hair ties and 2 more are on the way. They are so soft and comfortable - no headaches. I may end up purchasing a couple once a month or so. ;) At $6 per tie...who can say no? I highly recommend them!

Feature | Eynack Glasses

I'm really excited to spread the news about my super cute new glasses. :) These are a fashion pair - but I'm very much considering having prescription lenses put in them. Aren't they adorable?

Bomer frames

$85 on Eynack.com ♥

They are designer acetate/organic sustainable bamboo glasses made by Eynack. (Handmade, actually!) I wore them to work the day after they arrived in the mail and I received many compliments throughout my day. They look simply lovely on - very unique. The "Bomer" frames put a new spin on the classic nerd glasses. My only complaint is that I got a slight headache towards the end of the day. I'm going to blame that on my sensitive noggin. I can't even wear headbands...it's ridiculous. They are affordable and there are many styles to choose from. What is one of my favorite things about Eynack? For every pair of glasses purchased on their site they donate TWO pairs to children in need. How awesome is that?

----------> View their entire collection here <----------

I may need to add the "Expert Shades" to my Christmas list. ;)

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How has your week been so far? I'm not going to lie - it has been quite a long week for this mama. Nothing that a Starbuck's coffee won't fix! ;) Interested in seeing October's Birchbox tomorrow?

October's Lust-worthy Items

:Sigh: October...it's my favorite month out of the entire year. It was actually cool outside today! Hey! Maybe I will get to wear a scarf tomorrow and drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte!? It's the little things folks...

 

Custom Tree Bark Ring

$68 on Etsy

Retro Hair Tie

$6 on Etsy

Mumford & Sons Painting :)

$20 on Etsy

 

Walk The Line Necklace

$15.95 on Etsy

Let Them Eat Cake Ring

$104 on Etsy

Additional $74 for the plain band ----> Here <----

Martha Stewart 9 Cube Organizer

$44.98 at Home Depot

You may get to the last item and be all "say what?" We have several of these neat "cubes" in a piece of furniture in our old room. (Furniture from IKEA) It's a giant closet-thing that won't fit in our new room. So - we need to move our cubes into our bedroom and this thing seems like it will be pretty low profile and flat to the wall. (The new room is considerably smaller) I'm going to purchase it ASAP. I'm tired of running to the kid's room every time I need something out of one of my precious cubes! (Panties, socks, etc.) Plus - I can sit cute decor on the top of it! How was your Monday? I'm going to be honest - mine was pretty darn foul!

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Review | Balm Chicky Balm Balm's Huge Cucumber

See what I did there? lol

Balm Chicky Balm Balm

In the flavor "Huge Cucumber"

$12 at balmchicky.com ♥

Guys - this lip balm company is pure genius. Everything about it impresses/makes me giggle...right down to the very box it was packaged in. All of their balms are 100% natural and they feature a unique patented "friend end." How many times have you been minding your own business while applying your lip balm - when your girlfriend comes out of nowhere like Batman and is all like "oooh - can I borrow your lip balm?" -_- Too many times right? The "friend end" is a separate chamber of product for your friends to enjoy that is located on the opposite end of the tube. (So they can share their crusty lip germs amongst themselves and not with you) Yum. The flavor that I chose is "Huge Cucumber." It seemed to be the most scandalously named out of the bunch, so naturally I went with it. I might have also picked it because the man on the tube reminds me of Paul Rudd (in Anchorman)...he's so fine. Here is a list of the flavors that they currently have for sale in their shop.

Juicy Melons

Sweet Baby Ginger

Huge Cucumber

Wild Mountain Honey

and Hot Chocolate Love

Huge Cucumber (how many times can I say it in one post?) smells pretty fantastic. It seems heavier on the hemp seed than cucumber scent. That doesn't bother me one bit though - I love all things hemp. It reminds me of a balm that I used to buy at the Whole Foods Market in Winter Park, FL. It has a slight shimmer to it which I was a little disappointed about. Maybe it's because I'm becoming an old lady and I can't handle glittery things? (Ahh, my eyes) Maybe I should embrace more glitter in my life? Anyways - it's not really that noticeable...but it's there. Simply put, it doesn't look like a disco on your lips. I usually apply it every night before I hit the sack. I always wake up the next morning with baby soft lips. Here is a list of the ingredients!

Organic: extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, hemp seed oil, beeswax, rosemary, vitamin E, fresh mint, and cucumber. 

I plan on picking up the "Hot Chocolate Love" next. Do yourself a favor and check out their stuff. I really admire a company with this sense of humor, and I'm sure you will too. ;)

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AND...Silas says the letter of the day is A! (He did it all by himself)

Review | Butter than Love Hair Whipped by Wonder Curl

Butter than Love Hair Whipped by Wonder Curl

$12.00 ♥

When I was a teenager I had beautiful spiral curls. I did not appreciate them at all. In fact, I did everything in my power to get rid of them lol. I wanted straight hair so badly...

Well, I finally got my wish. After I had Silas - my hair slowly began to lose it's curl. Since Miri arrived...it only has a slight bit of wave to it. :/ I like this and all...it's just that I don't exactly know what to do with such straight hair. I'm finding it very challenging to style it. Ponytails are nice...but I can't wait for it to get a little longer so it doesn't look so darn stupid. I think braids will eventually be my friend too. ;)

With all of this said...I still hold out hope that some miracle product will come along and raise my curls from the dead. (Zombie curls) Unfortunately, today's product worked no miracles for me. :( It did curl my sisters hair quite nicely though! So there lol! The model in the photo (above) is my little sister India. India seemed to really enjoy using the Butter than Love Hair Whipped. It's very nourishing. Her only complaint is that she found the smell a bit unpleasant. This only means that the formula doesn't include harsh perfumes though. After further research - unless I am misunderstanding something...this hair line is more geared towards African American ladies. Maybe that's why it didn't do anything particularly special for my sister's locks? ;) The "Hair Whipped" has a nice thick consistency that I'm sure would tame coarser hair beautifully. I really believe that it just depends on the person's hair type. In our case...it's not the best product for curl enhancement. But hey...it may be great for your hair? Wonder Curl makes quality products that I definitely want people to check out. 

----> See their entire product line here <----

Photo credit: wondercurl.com

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Update 9/23/13 Response from Wonder Curl

Wonder Curl Thanks for your review. I think you probably would have loved the Get Set Hair Jelly and/or the Butter than Love Pudding. These products are my best sellers and work great together or on their own for any hair texture. You are correct, the Whipped is thicker for coarse, dry hair.

NOTD - Birthday Week Edition

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

"The Bold Rush"

$8.50 at Walmart.com

Please excuse my crap-tastic quality photo again - it's another iPhone kinda night. (I'm being hella lazy over here) I really should be in bed right now but blogging doesn't require me to get off the sofa just yet lol. In honor of my birthday (on Friday)...I decided I should have fancy nails this week. I ended up picking out peel and stick Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. These babies last forever on my nails! Plus - they are super easy to apply and remove. You just really can't go wrong. They are cheaper than a manicure and I have found them to last longer. I have tried several of the designs in this line but I think this is my favorite so far. (The Bold Rush) It's a fun ombre' glitter set that doesn't have that nasty glitter texture. Am I the only one who hates the feeling of sparkle chunks? Removing real glitter polish is such a hassle too! With these - you get all the pros and zero cons. If you have not tried them out yet...you really should. 

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Review | Taylor by Taylor Swift Eau de Parfum Spray

Every now and then I feel so passionate about something that it requires me to go on a lengthy blog rant. I'm going to apologize for this one in advance. You best ready thyself!

----------> Begin rant <----------

Matt came home from work with a terrible headache today. Unfortunately - Miri decided that tonight was the infant night of screams. (Sounds like a bad M. Night Shyamalan movie) Literally...she would just sit in her bouncy seat and scream like a banshee. (Then she would purse her lips and glare/repeat) We have a professional diva on our hands folks. So - I decided that I would give Matt some relief and take Miri shopping with me. Miri and I love to go on mother/daughter shopping adventures. (We have loads of fun) I was on the hunt for roller clips for my hair...and hot chocolate...maybe lol. 

Our first stop was an unsuccessful trip to Wal-mart. We ended up finding what we were looking for at Sally's Beauty Supply instead. (5 mins till close) The cashier was actually really rude to me. :( I apologized to her for being in the store so near closing time. (I went right to what I needed and went straight to the register...probably 35 seconds of total shopping) She then snarkily said to me "Oh it's no problem! If you had been in any closer to 8...well...I probably wouldn't have been so nice." I just stared at her. I ended up hastily purchasing my clips and leaving. (Opelika location) At least they had my clips?

Crappy Sally's visit aside...Miri and I then travelled over to ULTA. We grabbed a couple items and were about to leave when I spotted Taylor Swift's new fragrance! 

"Taylor" by Taylor Swift

$49.50 for 1.7 oz at ULTA

Anything Miss Swift always catches my eye because my little sister India loves her. We have listened to her albums many a time in Wanda (Yolanda) the Honda. (Accord) lol So - Miri and I rolled over to see what this new fragrance was all about! (We are fans of the Wonderstruck fragrance btw) Firstly, the bottle is to die for. It may be one of my favorite bottles ever. It's a large vase-like clear glass bottle with a smaller bottle inside that holds the liquid. (It makes it magically appear that you are getting quite a lot of product when you really aren't) The top of the bottle is flat with multi-colored swirls with pearls and a fanciful cap. It's just the bees knees. At first sniff I "thought" I really enjoyed it. Similar to Wonderstruck - it had a very sweet scent. (Luscious fruits, blushing florals, and soft woods blah blah blah) Initially I was sad...I thought "hey, I like this and I'm poor and can't afford it." Even a crappy roller ball "Taylor" was $20. -_- (Don't get me started on fragrance prices y'all) I then decided to spritz it on myself...right when this stuff made contact with my skin I knew I had made a terrible mistake that only a shower could remedy. The best way I can describe this perfume after it sat on my skin for about 30 mins is a bubblegum scent?...with a hint of cheap hairspray. (It's shocking/sad I know!) It actually smells like something I would buy Miri in the kiddie perfume section at Wal-mart. I mean...Love's Baby Soft cologne is better by leaps and bounds. (I've always loved that stuff, sniff sniff mmm...childhood) I immediately called up my sister to tell her the disappointing news. We also had a nice laugh over the name. Original Miss Swift...real original. 

Please go to your local perfume counter and give this stuff a good test. Let me know how you feel about it. I know I'm rarely ever this mean in a review but I just found "Taylor" by Taylor Swift simply revolting. There...I said it. 

Happy Saturday y'all hahaha!

Guest Blogger | COOLA Sunscreen Review

I had the honor of getting to be a guest blogger on NotPasty.com for a second time. Please visit the links below. :)

(Look at this silly Miri reaching for an empty bottle lol.) ------> COOLA Review <------ NotPasty.com Follow NotPasty on Twitter
Click here if you would like to know what "NotPasty" is all about. It's a super fabulous site!