INFLUENSTER #SURFSUPVOXBOX

Influenster is a website that sends you free samples after you fill out surveys and connect with your social sites.   Everyone does not get every box, which they call Voxboxes.  I was happy to get the Surfs Up Vox Box.  I received these products complimentary for testing purposes:

The first glance: 

I received the following: Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration (which is an after sun care item); Not Your Mothers Beach Babe Shampoo and Conditioner; Sinful Colors nail polish in Anchors Away; and First Aid Shot Therapy. 

The Hawaiian Tropic after sun care smells amazing and it will be used since we are very pale in my household.  I love the Beach Babe shampoo and conditioner too.  I am looking forward to painting my toenails - a fun summer color!

Sun Safety Kit from Sephora!

FUN IN THE SUN

I mentioned the other day that I had purchased the Sephora Sun Safety Kit for $27.  This kit had three different variations with prices at the $27, $32, and $45 dollar levels.  I am happy with this version although I would have like to get the Sugar Lips that the $32 variation had.  I received 11 items for $27.

Tarte™ Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanner - I will be passing this tanner onto my sister as I am much to light skinned for it.  

 Ole Henriksen Protect the Truth SPF 50+ Broad Spectrum UV Protection - I love this size sunscreen for popping in my purse or my kids backpack for field trips and field days.  SO this is perfect for me.

 Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense® Lotion - I love moisturizers and will use all of this lotion.

 Supergoop! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50 - I have never heard of this brand and am very excited to try this out.  As a red headed, light skinned, blue eyed person, I can always use sunscreen.

Murad® Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 PA++ -  This is another sunscreen -  love the little size for everyday use.

Too Faced® Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer - Again, as a light skinned person, I could never pull off this bronzer - a gift for a girlfriend who tans. 

bareMinerals READY Touch Up Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Translucent  - I love that this powder has sunscreen in it!  And it is in a shade I can use!

 Algenist Regenerative Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 20 - Again, this is perfect for me as it has sunscreen and is a moisturizer.

 Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ For Face - Love that this is a sunscreen specifically for the face.  I can pop this in my purse as well.

Stila Stay All Day® 10-in-1 HD Bronzing Beauty Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 30- This is also to dark for my fair complexion and I have gotten it before in a set of Stila balms.  I will be passing it along to my sister.

St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse - I will give this a try but I am guessing it will be too much for my pale skin and be passed along. 

So out of the 11 items, I will only be passing along 4 of them.  That is really not bad for the price.  

Shopping Saturday!

MY DAY OUT!

I had gotten an e-mail yesterday about the giveaway at Sephora so I knew I needed to do a shopping trip! The deal was free Benefit bag with any purchase and they would have the Pore Professional to be used if you had 100 Beauty Insider points.  Thankfully, they had two left because I had been saving my points for awhile to get something I really needed.

For my purchase, I bought the Sun Safety Kit for $27 with 11 products, the Glamglow youth mud exfoliant treatment, Sephora pore cleaner, and the Two Faced Sexy Lips & Lashes.  

This Sun Safety kit is sold out online so I was very pleased to find it in the store.
Here is one side of the Sun Safety Kit with Too Faced Bronzing Powder, Tarte self tanner, Murad Day Moisturizer, Stila bronzing balm, Peter Thomas Roth Defense Lotion.

The other side:  St Tropez Bronzing Mousse, Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, Supergoop sunscreen oil, Algenist moisturizer, Ole Henriksen Sunscreen, and Shiseida sun protection cream. 

I ran over to Target and did some shopping for my Filofax - stickers, markers, Washi Tape and a pen. Infixinity markers were recommended by another Blogger and I cannot wait to use them in my Filofax.  I love Hello Kitty stickers and these owls are the cutest ever.

Bath and Body Works had $3 sale on their Hawaii soaps and these are my favorite for the summer.  Smell so Good!  I got Island White Pineapple, Honolulu Sun and Aloha Orchid.  I also picked up a little gift for my photographer who did our family photos last weekend.  

Ulta always has great bargains and gifts with purchase and I have been eyeing this Benefit mini package for awhile - Only Online Beauty Score -  it includes Pore Professional, That Gal, Hoola, Bella Bomba, It's Potent, They're Real mascara, Ooh La Lift, Stay Don't stray, Benetint, and High Beam  - 10 mini's all for $36.  I have only tried the Pore Professional, That Gal, Benetint, and High Beam; so very excited to try the other 6 products.

 And with any $35 Benefit purchase is this cute Benefit coin purse - which is actually a very nice size - super excited to use this in my purse!

And of course a trip to town would not be complete without a cake pop and a Starbucks Frappachino! 

LIP MONTHLY MAY 2014

WHATS IN THE BOX?

This is the first box for Lip Monthly! They are a brand new subscription box for $10 a month.

GLAM NATURAL CREAM BLUSH -  This is a small blush sample by the same brand that has a lip gloss in the box as well. 

STILA GLAZE LIP LINER - (fuschia) I love Stila brand anything - not sure if I am crazy about the color of the liner but it can be blotted and toned down.

ULTRAFLESH PANTHERA MASCARA - (JET BLACK)  This is a very convenient sized mascara - can throw it right in my purses makeup bag.

HARD CANDY LIP TATTOO  - (FANTASY) I have seen this brand everywhere but never tried one of their lip glosses.  I like the shade though.

GLAM NATURAL POCO LOCO LIP GLOSS - this is the same brand as the cream blush - love the shade and will use this too.  It is a nice coral color.

This is a very nice box for the value - several full size products and variety makes this box well worth the $10 a month.

BIRCHBOX? WORTH THE MONEY?

BIRCHBOX? WORTH THE MONEY?

SO a few months ago, I signed up for Birchbox.  My first box was pretty much a complete waste. (see top photo)  The photo does not show that I got a liquid eyeliner in the box which I do not like.  The Ayres soap stunk up the box so I threw it away.  I do not drink tea so I gifted it to my sister's friend who is in Africa.  And I can not tolerate most perfumes because I am asthmatic; that went to a girlfriend.  So basically that left me with the small bottle of hair stuff. WOW. 

Month two was a little better.  My daughter stole the Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle.  The packets were barely enough to sample the Dr Hauschka Regenerating Eye and Neck Cream.  About the only nice item I liked was the Stila lip glaze for $8.

I say all of this to say I did close Birchbox only to start it back up again last week.  I knew nothing of the point system at the time of my subscription.  You earn points for subscribing and reviewing items.  These points turn into cash to buy items on the site. WIN WIN! 

So I will be trying to earn as many points as I can to save some money on my favorite makeup items.

Really hoping I get a Jouer lip gloss in this month's box....stay tuned!

New Ulta Purchases!

ULTA BUYS THIS WEEK

Ulta is nice because they give you surprise samples with every purchase.  Here is the view of inside my box:

I couldn't resist picking up some of these Body Shop lotions - buy 2 get 1 free!

Ulta also has drugstore makeup brands - Maybelline is my favorite drugstore brand and I wanted to try this Maybelline Hi-Lighting Blush $9.99:

And this Jane Multi-Colored Cheek Powder Color Correcting Powder $12:

I also bought this Stila pack: Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm that was on sale for $12:

As I said, in every Ulta purchase you get free samples; I got some hair softening oils and shampoo and conditioner - LOVE!!!: 

And last, but not least, as it is the reason I was buying the Ulta products,  Urban Decay Travel-Size trio for $19.  It included the setting spray, eye shadow primer, and 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar.

First trip to Sephora!

So my first trip to Sephora was a huge success in the samples department.  The sales lady was unable to help me find an item in the flier I had received in the mail - so she loaded my bag with freebies:

    I purchased the box of Stila lip glosses and the Sephora baked eye shadows.  Everything else was a freebie given to me by Sephora.  My fave of the haul:  the buxom lip gloss!  Terrific!