Birthday Present!

My sister, Savannah, gave me the most awesome early birthday gift, EVER.

YAY!!!!!!! I can't wait to go shopping with it!

Photo Of The Day: Date Night!

Okay... so it totally looks like I have baby bump.. Not wearing that top again lol... but I wore black skinny pants, with black Jessica Simpson heels, a coral tank top, turquoise top, black lacey cuff/watch, and a black Kathy Van Zeeland purse. I loved the outfit, but I'm not so crazy about the way the top makes me look. Haha. But it was a great night out with the hubs!

July 2012 MyGlam!

Yay for MyGlam! I feel like they are my favorite subscription.. so good. Let's get to it!

"The land of beauty"

YAY!!!

Yes to Cucumbers On-the-Go Facial Towlettes : At first, these smell JUST like cucumbers. And they remove makeup very well, I definitely like them.. only downside is they make your hands smell a little funky. Like old cucumbers.. haha.

Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF15 Moisturizer : Smells good, light weight. Definitely going in my beach bag. Or pool bag... whatever.

Nu-Me HydroPunch Hydrating Conditioner : Not a huge fan of the smell. I've used it twice and haven't really noticed anything, but it got me through until I could buy more 3 minute miracle...

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish - Leslie : Another nude-ish lipgloss! That's two this month. Haha. I like this one better than the Stila I got in my BB. It smells really good, goes on easy and I really like it.

Circus by Andrea's Choice Nail Color - Somersault : Beautiful yellow color, perfect for summer. Like any other yellow it takes a few coats to get it to not be so sheer, but still really good. And I LOVE the packaging. Too cute!

MyGlam is so worth the $10. Definitely. The bag this month was a cute striped mesh bag. LOVE.

July 2012 Birchbox

This month Birchbox teamed up with Glamour magazine for a 5 senses theme... Here's what I got:

Cute box, looks promising.. Let's check it out!

Tea Forte Minteas - Reboot Cocoa Mate : Okay at first I was not thrilled about these. They smelled like a multivitamin and I thought they would be gross. But after using them for a few days.. I love them. I'm not sure they give me energy, but they are really good. I might just re-purchase these.

Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds : Cute, but I don't need earbuds. I will probably put these in someone's Christmas present. Really cute colors though.

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint - Pearl : Okay... I know we are sampling products in these boxes, but this is the smallest little thing ever. It's seriously smaller than a flash drive. Teeny tiny. And WAY too light for me. It's very light, so maybe I'll give it to my mom or aunt (who are both fair skinned).

beautyblender : This is a really awesome pink color, pretty big and apparently great for applying foundation. Only one problem there... I don't wear foundation. So I'll hold onto this and either give it away or let my husband use to apply special fx makeup with.

Harvey Prince - Hello : This perfume, at first, smelled like the Pez candy. I loved that, but on me it smells different. Not quite as good on me. But I love that it has a little sprayer and is not just a vile.

Stila Lipglaze - Camera : I was so excited to get some Stila gloss. And the color is very pretty, but has lots of glitter in it. It's very sticky, and it's the twist up kind of applicator. So it's okay, but nothing super awesome. Also... I had to click/twist it up so much for any to come out that it ended up looking half gone by the time I got to apply any. So you aren't getting much. Probably won't buy again.

*This is after twisting it up to use it ONCE. For a SWATCH. Yeah...

All in all, not a bad month for BB but ... not the best either. Maybe next month will be awesome!



Photo Of The Day 7/10/12

Birchbox and MyGlam June 2012

So this month was freakin' awesome for my beauty subscriptions! They are each $10/mo but added up for my $20 total spent this month--I got almost $80 worth of stuff. Hell yes. Full size products = AMAZING. I was beyond satisfied with this month for both Birchbox and MyGlam. BB more than made up for last month haha. So I guess I will dive in and start showing you guys what I got!! :)

MyGlam Glam Bag June 2012

"Out All Night"

The gold glittery bag is really cute but it sheds a little.. I've heard that if you spray it with hair spray, that will stop the shedding. I'll definitely be doing that. It's a cute bag, but I'll probably use it in the winter. I think I've mentioned that I feel like warm tones and shimmer are, in my opinion, fall and winter colors. I like matte and pastels, neons, or neutrals in spring and summer. This bag was very exciting. I love NYX, especially their lipsticks.. I have quite a few haha... 

Products:

NYX Round Lipstick in 639 Eucalyptus: This isn't a color I would normally purchase.. ever.. but it is beautiful and who knows.. maybe I'll feel adventurous and wear it!

Philosophy Take a Deep Breath Moisturizer: Smells sooooo good! It makes my face so soft and doesn't at all leave it oily which I love... and it IS oil-free.. so that makes sense. Duh.

Living Prood Nourishing Styling Cream (Anti-Frizz): I have not heard of the company prior to this and have not tried it yet, but I will let you know how it works. My hair definitely needs some frizz control in the summer. Damn you humidity. This also smells good. It smells familiar if that makes sense. It smells like something I've used before, and it's a very clean smell.

Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen (Black): This pen is very precise and is pretty much a marker. I'd never heard of this brand either but I like how easy it is to use. I'm just not sure how I feel about the "permanent" aspect. If nothing else, this will go in Brandon's kit (for special fx). TIP: Don't try to smell the marker. I accidentally touched it to my nose. Yay.

You can't really tell from the swatch but it's a fuschia/hot pink with subtle red undertones. 

Very pigmented and vibrant.

This bag also came with two coupons: Living Proof Anti-Frizz set for $35 instead of $46 & a Philosophy coupon for free shipping.

Birchbox June 2012

"Jet Set"

I was VERY pleased with this box. OMG the full size Stila made this box for me. 

Products:

Stila One Step Bronze: (FULL SIZE!) It's 3 in 1, bronzer-primer-serum that makes you (obviously) look more tan and I love it as a foundation. It's pump bottle and it comes out multi-colored until you blend it. A little goes a long way so start with a pump or two and you probably won't need more than that.

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift: This actually reminds me of Britney Spears' Fantasy (which is one of my favorite perfumes!) So I'll definitely be wearing this and maybe buying it.

theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen: This is a two in one cheek/lip stain. There were 3 shades, and I ended up with the only one I wouldn't buy.. but again.. it's a pink/red shade so maybe I'll feel adventurous and wear it with the NYX lipstick. Using it for blush and lips, will definitely make this perfect for purse or travel carry. I'm going to throw it in my purse and I can see this being a beach bag must have. The other shades are a light pink and a nude.. so I think I might have to buy those.

Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelettes: I love tanning. I had a blog all about it and I cannot wait to try these. I'm always open to try self tanners because I don't want to always be in a tanning bed or the sun. When I try these, I will post a review with pics.

LUNA Bar Peanut Butter Cookie: It's a peanut butter cookie... do I really need to say more? This was kind of random but it tastes pretty good and it's 80 calories so that's an added bonus.

That's the Stainiac on the left beside the NYX swatch.

STILA!!! My first ever Stila product and it's a bronzer! Perfect!

I'm not sure if you can see the different colors when you pump it out, but this is one small pump.

This is lightly rubbed in, just so you can see the bronze look. When I rubbed it all the way in, it covered my hand. A little goes a long way.

I loved my goodies this month! If you have MyGlam or Birchbox, leave me links or comments so I can see what you got! Thanks!

Interested in trying them out?

If you guys want to get a MyGlam account, go to:

https://www.myglam.com/

For Birchbox:

https://www.birchbox.com/?raf=hz7hw

Erin 

Birchbox May 2012!

So it FINALLY came ... YAY! It's my first box and I'm so excited to open it.... wait, what? Really?

Ok.. I understand that for $10, I did get more than my money paid, but I guess after reading all these other blogs I just had my hopes up or the bar too high. It was a GossipGirl themed box so I think that's why there were post cards and notes? I like the lip balm and yes the hair tie is cute.. but for ten dollars... I could have bought a whole lot of softlips or carmex and a huge pack of hair ties.

I've been looking at forums and blogs ...some people got Dior mascara.. people got Stila products... Benefit... and I'm a little disappointed that for my first ever box it wasn't even special. I'm hoping for a better box next month and we'll see how it goes... I don't want to cancel but I don't want to get products I can't use or never be one of the lucky ones who gets awesome stuff. I'll give a month or two more to see if it gets better. *fingers crossed*

What I got:

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+ 
To be honest... I didn't like this. Everyone was wanting it, but it was cakey and smelled kind of bad... and was entirely too light for me. I gave mine away.

fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
I do like this, but I probably won't end up purchasing it. I mean, it works great, very moisturizing.. but I can't spend $22.50 on chapstick.

Color Club® Foil Collection
I got the Disco shade (gold) and it's cute.. but I probably won't wear it until winter or fall. For some reason I just think golds and shimmery nails look better in the fall.

Twistband Hair Tie 6-pack
You get one in your box, I got the orange one. It's cute.. but again.. I cannot spend $10 on just 6 hair ties.

Birchbox Notecards
I got a pink notecard. Haven't used it. Maybe for a birthday note one day? I don't know.

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée Petite Cologne Absolue
This came inside some postcards... and I didn't even know it was there until a week later. It smells good though but the sample size didn't last but for 2 days. But samples are like that ;)

So all in all.... The value of the box was more than $10, definitely, but... I wish I had gotten mascara instead of bb cream. Better luck next time I hope! I was a little disappointed but okay with it overall. Like I said, I'm going to give some time and see how the boxes go since I think they are kind of random. We'll see what I get next month!

Want to try Birchbox? Go check it out!
https://www.birchbox.com?raf=hz7hw

MyGlam May 2012 Unboxing!

Okay, so first off... my Birchbox is still not here... and the tracking has said unavailable this entire time. Frustrating. Hope that gets resolved soon.. I emailed them so ... we'll see. **UPDATE**5/18/12 it apparently is finally on it's way. YAY.**

On to MyGlam, which came super fast.... First thing, the packaging has to be the cutest I have ever seen.

I covered up my address (of course) but look at that metallic hot pink! So freakin' adorable.

Now onto the goodies!!!

1. Philosophy Love Sweet Love Spray Fragrance: This smells REALLY good. Kind of like a fruity candy and my husband really likes it.

2. Studio Gear Complete Color Lipstick (Shade-Smile): I love that it's a full size product, I haven't worn a color like this one before... I tend to stick to nudes and light pinks, but it's pretty cute so I'll give it a try.

3. Miss Beauty Nail Bling: Normally, this is NOT something I would buy... but that's because my nails usually get the least attention. They're cute though, and I will wear them at some point... maybe on my birthday.

4. MyGlam Concealer Brush & Defining Eyeliner Brush: It says these are the final brushes.. so that sucks that they are my first ones and apparently my last. The brushes are very small, so I probably won't be using them that much, but we'll see.

The bag itself is cute, with all the little kisses on it. I look forward to my next one!! Below are more pictures of the goodies!!

Erin

If you guys want to get a MyGlam account, go to:

https://www.myglam.com/

For Birchbox:

https://www.birchbox.com/?raf=hz7hw

Beauty Boxes

Okay, so I was on the waiting list for MyGlam & Birchbox. Both became active this month! YAY!

My Birchbox said it has shipped and MyGlam should be on its way too! I'm so excited. I'm trying to save money, and not go out and buy all these new things to try... so this is great for me. I'll get sample size, and occasionally full size products, for $20/month (for both services).... Just $20 a month really isn't that bad in my opinion, because if I saw a mascara, a lotion, a lipstick, a perfume, and a shampoo and wanted to try all of them.. that would definitely cost me more than $20. Each one comes with like 4-5 products to try out. So... YAY!

Hoping for the best here!

Photo of the Day: Cousins!!

My cousin Amber and I hanging out after a musical night out! :)

UPDATE: Weight/Diet

Okay... So... I hated the Jillian Michael's DVD. HATED it. I definitely think you could get results from it, but... I like feeling the burn after a workout. That good kind of sore where your muscles are just working away. With that DVD, I didn't feel the burn. I would sweat and ache. It made my body just hurt. I actually stuck to it for a little while and wasn't seeing any results, other than losing 2 pounds. To me, it was just hell. Not fun, and just painful.

So I decided to give Pilates a try. Oh my god, you guys, Pilates is AMAZING. You feel the burn, and it's so soothing. 40 minutes of Pilates and it feels like it's only be 10. I enjoy it, I look forward to it, and I am actually a little sad when it's over. I do it every single day. The BEST workouts I have ever done. I never understood how people could tone up and lose weight with "slow" workouts like Yoga and Pilates. But after that first session, I knew it was more than possible.. it was inevitable. I started Pilates 10 days ago, and have done it 9 out of those 10 days.

I'm still doing the shakes, and eating healthier at home. I make a lot of veggies and chicken (Haha) and I'm very obsessed with cashews and FiberOne anything. Those FiberOne granola bars are the best and their brownies are perfect for when I'm just craving some chocolate. And with them only being 90 calories, you can't go wrong.

My favorite foods this month:

Snacks:
FiberOne Bars
FiberOne Brownies
Bananas
Cuties Oranges
Cashews
SunChips

Meals:
Home-made Asian Stir Fry (Steak, Chicken, Rice, White Corn, Carrots, Squash, Zuccini)
Grilled Chicken with Salad and Corn on the Cob
Grilled Steak with Baked Potatoes and Broccoli

YUM YUM YUM :)

I actually gained back 4 pounds of the 9 I had lost, then lost 2 .. and now I've lost the other 2. So I'm still at only 9 lost. But I've lost 2" around my waist, 2.25" around my hips and 1.5" around my chest. Yay! AND... goodbye sizes 14-16! I bought a pair of ridiculously cobalt blue jeans in a 12! That's not anywhere near the size I want to be but hey.. we all start somewhere! ;)

60 more by December!! Let's do this! :)

Erin

Photo of the Day! Curly Girl..

So this was in the backseat headed to GITM band practice about a week or two ago... I just let my hair air dry naturally and this is how it looks. But apparently it's a good picture, people loved it. LOL

Hot Topic Mini Haul!

Brandon and I were at the mall and decided to go in Hot Topic and browse around. I'm really glad we did! Back around Christmas I found some NYX glitter cream palettes for $3 on clearance, so I always check their sale makeup. He found some great stuff for special effects makeup and I found a few little things too! (All of these were on sale, so prices may vary in other stores and online)

Brandon bought: Mehron Barrier Spray (makeup setting spray) $3 Mehron Paradise MakeupAQ Body Paint (use with water) in Black BAB-39 $5 Warpaint Beauty Eyeshadow in Spanked $2

and I bought: Hot Topic Foil Lip Gloss in Batch #F1711?? It's a pale greenish color.. $3 Beauty Treats Color Changing Lipstick in Aloe Vera for $1 Below are some swatches of my lipstick and lipgloss.

$14 mini haul! :) I love the lipstick, it's green but goes on pink and gradually gets darker (for some reason). But my only complaint, is also a benefit in a way. It stays on for a REALLY long time. So I definitely like the long lasting color and that it doesn't smudge off, but it is really hard to get that color off! But anyway, check out your local Hot Topic. You never know what makeup you might find! :)