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June 10 2013

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Pure Remedy Vitamin C Serum - sample from Goodebox. Lasted me about two weeks since I used it once a day. Skin felt soft and smooth. Not sure about long term benefits since the sample wasn’t big enough. #pureremedy #goodebox #subscriptionbox #skincare #skincarejunkie #makeup #makeupjunkie #beauty #igers #dailyigers #empties #greenbloggers #greenbbloggers #greenbeauty #naturalliving #healthyliving #iphone #iphoneonly #followme #followback

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#empties Sugar Rose Tinted Lip treatment - I love the subtle rose tint, it’s so moisturizing and has SPF 15! Received this as a Sephora birthday gift and absolutely love it ❤ #sephora #makeup #makeupjunkie #skincare #skincarejunkie #sugar #lipbalm #igers #dailyigers #iphone #iphoneonly #followme #followback

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Dear soup.io fans and users,
 
today, we have to share very sad news. Soup.io will stop working in less than 10 days. :(
 
It's breaking our heart and we honestly tried whatever we could to keep the platform up and running. But the high costs and low revenue streams made it impossible to continue with it. We invested a lot of personal time and money to operate the platform, but when it's over, it's over.
 
We are really sorry. Soup.io is part of the internet history and online for one and a half decades.
 
Here are the hard facts:
- In 10 days the platform will stop working.
- Backup your data in this time
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July, 20th, 2020 is the due date.
 
Please, share your thoughts and feelings here.
 
Your Soup.io TEAM
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Bee Organic Be Soft Body Butter - received two sample packs in Daily Dose of Green. 100% Shea butter, very nourishing, but a little oily. Great for elbows, knees and feet 💜 #empties #skincare #skincarejunkie #greenbeauty #greenbloggers #greenbbloggers #naturalliving #igers #dailyigers #iphone #iphoneonly #followme #followback #beeorganic

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Recent empties: 1⃣Rock Green laundry soap - it’s a great soap for soaking. Removes tons of dirt real fast. 2⃣ BerryPlus laundry soap - received two capsules which were good enough for two loads. Good stuff again! #naturalliving #greenbloggers #greenbbloggers #iphone #igers #iphoneonly #dailyigers #followme #followback #household #laundry #soap

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Goodebox spring cleaning box # 2 arrived this week a well. Did I mention life is good? #goodebox #greenbeauty #greenbloggers #greenbbloggers #subscriptionbox #skincare #makeup #followme #followback #iphone #iphoneonly #igers #dailyigers #starkskincare #lavera #benecos #revolutionorganics #yarok #bamford #metropolissoapco #simplesugars

Spirit Beauty Lounge - Samples review

I thought ordering a box of samples would be my first and maybe last purchase from Spirit Beauty Lounge. Hah! How wrong. So, here’s what I ordered - I received 9 samples for a flat rate of $25 (free shipping). I also received a $10 off coupon code towards any future order. It’s these coupons that almost always get me. For reference, I am in my late 20s with normal to dry skin and have some dry patches around my mouth and chin. I’m also break out prone with an oily forehead. 

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  • Kahina Giving Beauty Toning Mist - Very watery with a light floral scent. The sample was good enough for 2-3 uses. It was equivalent to spraying tap water. I will not be purchasing this. 
  • Kahina Giving Beauty Antioxidant Mask - This was a single use sample. This mask goes on very smooth and dries without stretching your skin in about 20 - 30 minutes. It has very small granules that help with mild exfoliation when you take the mask off. I liked this mask quite a bit, but my skin wasn’t any better compared to what it looks like with cheaper, organic and natural masks. I will not be purchasing this.
  • MUN No. 1 Aknari Nighttime Dream Youth Serum - I really love the fragrance of this how and how moisturizing it was, but the oil didn’t make my face”glow” the next morning. I also had some tiny breakouts. The sample was good enough for 3 uses (about 2-3 drops each use). I think this oil can be used both AM and PM. I will not be purchasing this. 
  • Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence - The sample was good for 2 uses. I’ve read reviews elsewhere on beauty blogs where some have called this mist the Cadillac of toners and I couldn’t agree more. It has a lovely floral scent which I personally loved, but I can see how some might take offense since it is rather strong, but dissipates quickly. It’s really hydrating as well. It is definitely quite expensive; so, this will have to be a rare splurge when I am in the mood. 
  • Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask - I have used it once so far and can easily squeeze in another use. The mask has a strong floral fragrance, just like the floral essence. Very cooling. After I took the mask off, I definitely saw a slight glow, but nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe I’ve just been using stellar skincare everyday which is why these masks don’t really wow me like the way they would if I were to use mediocre skincare. I might buy this just for the fragrance once I get through my huge stash of masks. 
  • Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient Complex - This is a very rich face oil that’s supposed to be used only thrice a week. It has the trademark Tara Harper jasmine-rose floral scent which I absolutely adore. So far, I’ve used it thrice during night time after cleansing and toning and have barely made a dent in the sample. I think I can get at least three more uses out of the sample. Next morning, my face had that glow/radiance that we all crave for and zero breakouts. The full size product retails for $45 for 10 ml, which is definitely pricey, but I can imagine this oil lasting for a really long time. I will be purchasing this when I want to buy another face oil. 
  • Amala Rejuvenate Treatment Oil - I’ve used this oil thrice and barely made a dent in the sample, which I think is about 1.5 ml. I can probably get another 3-4 uses out of it. All three times, I’ve comfortably used this oil as a morning moisturizer, sometimes under my sunscreen. It didn’t make my face shiny or oily. The oil doesn’t seem to have any fragrance, except for the natural oil smell. I am huge into lovely, heady fragrances and it’s just a little disappointing to sample such an expensive oil that doesn’t even have any fragrance. I really don’t know if it’s worth $186, at least not at my age when I’m less than 30, with no fine lines or wrinkles to turn back. For this price, I need an oil to be super duper special. I will not be purchasing this. 
  • A Perfume Organic Perfumed Wine Rose - This is described as “An Oaky and Spicy Fruity Wine”. All I can smell are the spices, especially the peppers and clove. I can’t detect much rose, even after the spices have worn off. This is too spicy for my liking. I will not be purchasing this. 
  • Honoré Des Prés Sexy Angelic Verrine Eau de Toilette - This scent is described in SBL as “baby powder soft, subtly sweet, feminine scent”. The description is pretty much bang on. Unfortunately, I could hardly smell anything on my wrist 20 minutes after applying this. It’s way too soft and subtle for my liking. It’s way too expensive at $84 for 1.7 oz. I will not be purchasing this. 

In summary, the only products I will think of repurchasing are the three Tata Harper products. I am glad I got these samples since most of these products are so expensive and it would be sad to spend all that money and not like anything. 

June 08 2013

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Birchbox June - the only thing that I will use is the suki foaming cleanser. Everything else is filled with nasty chemicals 😞 that lip color is too bold for my liking. All I get are bright pinks and reds. #birchbox #bbwanderlust #subscriptionbox #skincare #makeup #skincarejunkie #makeupjunkie #igers #iphone #followme #followback #sukiface #colorclub #davines #laqaandco

June 07 2013

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My current obsession: face oils! These are some new buys along with free samples from @spiritbeauty ❤ #skincare #faceoil #starkskincare #suti #ila #dralkaitis #greenbeauty #greenbbloggers #skincarejunkie #iphone #iphoneonly #igers #dailyigers #followme #followback #instamood #instapic #instabeauty

June 01 2013

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My June Goodebox arrived today! I’m a little bummed to have not received any item from Inika cosmetics (even though I wouldn’t have used the brow pencil, but the eyeshadow would have been nice). Very excited to try the KYI Argan Oil Serum. #goodebox #subscriptionbox #greenbeauty #greenbloggers #greenbbloggers #suntegrity #smbessentials #hollybethorganics #phreshdeodorant #kyi #yestocarrots #skincare #iphone #iphoneonly #followme #followback #igers #dailyigers #iphoneonly

May 31 2013

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Sneak peak - This package from Spirit Beauty Lounge made my day 📦❤ I ordered a sample pack for $25. So excited to try samples from Tata Harper, Mun, Amala, Kahina, A perfume organic and Honores Des Pres 💜 #tataharper #spiritbeautylounge #kahinagivingbeauty #organic #skincare #greenbloggers #greenbeauty #aperfumeorganic #amala #mun #honoresdespres #samples #subscriptionbox

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Words cannot describe how much I hate this month’s anniversary special Glossybox. I don’t even know why I bothered to order a box! #glossybox #subscriptionbox #makeup #skincare #makeupjunkie #beautyjunkie #iphone #iphoneonly #followme #followback #igers #dailyigers

May 29 2013

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And I can see Russia from my house 🏠🏰 #russia #viewmaster #travel #instatravel #instapic #potd #instamood #instabeauty #igers #dailyigers #iphone #iphoneonly #followme #followback

May 27 2013

Another order from Tatcha (Gold Camellia Face Oil)

I finally gave in and ordered the new face oil that the lovely lady Vicky Tsai put in front of me. I’m such a sucker for all things Tatcha! Of course, my order was delivered with a hand written note (not from Vicky though…one of these days maybe she’ll write me one?) and a free box of Aburatorigami papers, which if you’ve read my previous reviews, know that I absolutely love! I’ve been using the only since the past couple of days and nearly not for a long enough time to write a solid review. I can tell you that so far, I love how light it is, how it doesn’t break my skin out and managed to impart a dewy glow which no other moisturizer has ever done. And yes, those are real gold flakes. 

Here are some pictures - soak them up and go order yourself some! :)

Subscription Boxes - Quick update

I have made a decision to cancel almost all of my monthly boxes, not because I cannot afford them, but mainly due to the fact that I have way too many samples that I accumulated over the past 6 months. I am sure there are many others who have bigger stocks, but I don’t rely on these samples for my primary skincare and beauty needs. I have other full sized items that I need to use up as well! All my samples can comfortably fit into a big drawer of dresser, but for me, this is a lot. 

So, starting next month, here’s what I’ll be receiving in the mail (and reviewing on this blog) -

Birchbox (2 accounts) - I might cancel the other account…not sure at this point

Goodebox - Love and it fits into my eco-friendly lifestyle

Pawalla mini - Sasha subscribed to this, not me!

Graze box - Currently set to every 2 weeks. 

I plan on reviewing my other skincare items in rotation - so stay tuned! 

May 23 2013

Graze Box # 1 - May 2013

I was able to get a free code to sign up for Graze Box through my coworker, who loves his! :D I am so happy! For now, Graze Box is invite only. It costs only $5/box and you get to choose how many times you want to receive one (once per week, once every two weeks, once a month). You can even choose to skip weeks or months! You get to rate the snacks into “Try”, “Like”, “Love”, “Trash” and based on your ratings, your snacks are selected. They even have a healthier version (Light box) that you can choose. I went with the Nibble box for now since it has more variations and I wanted to see just unhealthy these snacks are before switching over to the Light box. 

Here’s what my first box looks like - 

My box contents:

  • My Thai - LOVE! The sauce is a little too sweet though and the quantity doesn’t seem sufficient. Healthiest snack in this box. 
  • Black Pepper Pistachios - Love my dry fruits!
  • Fruit & Seed Flapjack - Thought these would be crunchy, but no. These are the softer type of granola bars.
  • Super Berry Detox - These will probably be sweet…I might trash these so that I never receive them again! 

I love that they’ve included nutritional info! 

These are such cute fliers - The idea is to tear a small flier and gift it to someone along with a mini snack box. Hah, as if that’s gonna happen. 

This box was free for me. If I stick around, my fifth box will also be free! So, it’s working out to be $3/box for the first five boxes :D

I might actually switch the address to my office address. I can eat one snack box every work day! 

Eco-Emi - May 2013

I’m so glad to have received the EcoEmi within 2 days of the box being shipped - Yes, you read it right. The box shipped on a Saturday and I received it next Monday. A lot folks have had shipping issues (not receiving boxes, being charged twice without receiving a single box etc), but I haven’t had any such issues. 

This month’s box is probably my personal favorite -

The Seaweed Bath Company Bath Powder - I am not a big bath fan (more of a shower person), but my husband will probably like these. I do love anything Lavender though. 

Athena Gree Yoghurt Bar - This was delicious. 

All Terrain Aqua Sport SPF 30 - It’s summer time. It’s the season of sunscreen. Every box is sending one! I am experimenting with a couple currently (Suntegrity, MyChelle, Josie Maran) and this will get gladly added to my sample pile.

All Terrain Insect Repellant - How cool! I usually just dab some lavender essential oil. I will give this a try next time we’re out in a park or something. 

Suncoat Natural Mascara (full size!) - I gave this a try. Sadly, I didn’t like it a whole lot. It didn’t hold up my curls, felt too sticky and smudged onto my upper eye lids :( It gives you a very natural look. I’ll use it some more though before calling this one a fail. 

Suncoat Nail polish (full size) - It’s supposed to be water based without any of the toxic fumes found in other brands. It’s because of the toxic fumes that I actually hardly ever put nail polish. I’m excited to give this a try.

Mongo Kiss Lip Balm by Eco Lips (full size) - I don’t really need another lip balm, but I’ll definitely use it some day! It’s a huge, jumbo size. 

Lauren Brooks Eyeshadow (full size) in Pink shimmer - I am loving this shade, even though I’m yet to try it. Between all the eyeshadow samples that I receive in my Goodebox and Eco-Emi, I don’t think I ever need to buy another one! 

Beauty Without Cruelty Rosemary Mint Tea Tree Hair Conditioner (2 oz) - I have always wanted to try this brand, but I just wish I’d received the body lotion or the shampoo!!! I don’t use a lot of conditioner since I have thin hair. So it takes me a while to get through my bottles. 

Overall - I loved this box so much! I haven’t ordered a May box, since I’m still deciding between Eco-Emi, Petit Vour and Vitacost Be “Beauty” box…I am only allowed to order one of these. Decisions, decisions! 

BarkBox - May 2013

This is going to be my last BarkBox, unless I find another fab.com deal. I had subscribed to a 3 month deal for small dogs at $49 through fab.com. I’ve (rather, Sasha), have really liked all their boxes so far. We had a slight issue with one of the toys that was sent in the last box, but the BarkBox team reached out to me and sent a lot of replacement toys and treats for Sasha as compensation. I almost feel bad for leaving them, but I would like to try something new for now. Luckily, I found a deal for Pawalla mini at Living social. For the next two months, Sasha will be receiving the Pawalla mini box in the mail!

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This box has been declared a huge hit by none other than my beloved boy, Sasha! He enjoyed the Barkworthies chews for several hours and loves his Orbee-Tuff as long as I stuff it with some treats. He hasn’t received alot of the Grill-icious Beef Treats and the Green Smoothie treats yet, but he liked the small samplings so far. 

Overall, I’m sad to bid BarkBox a goodbye for now - maybe we’ll give them another try if we come across a good deal. 

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Precious 💜 we found the bird struggling on some hot asphalt. Poor thing probably fell of its nest. #birds #nature #kindness #beauty #innstamood #instapic #potd #followme #followback #iphone #iphoneonly

May 22 2013

Ipsy - May 2013

Because of the subscription box addicts at MUT, I ended up resubscribing to Ipsy. Not just that, after seeing all the spoilers, I found myself subscribing to a second bag…only to learn a couple of days later that all new subscribers will be receiving a generic “crowd pleaser” bag. Technically, with both my accounts new, I now find myself stuck with two  bags that are *almost identical. 

Thankfully, I’ve traded a couple of these items already. 

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Discounts available through Ipsy for the month of May

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Products received across TWO Ipsy May 2013 Bags

So, here’s what I received:

Bags # 1 & 2

  1. Zoya Nail Polish in GeiGei 0.5 fl oz (full size) X 2 - I hardly ever use nail polishes…
  2. Anastasia Clear Brow Gel (mini) X 2- I have never used a brow gel. I don’t see any reason to start using one anytime soon.
  3. Mirabella Colour Sheer Lipstick in Posy (full size) X 2 - This is a pretty sheer red shade. Too bad I don’t wear such deep colors. I have a habit of coating my lips 2-3 times and by then, this lipstick will no longer remain sheer. 
  4. Yaby concealer in Honey X 2- Mehh. The shade doesn’t suit my skin tone.
  5. Pacifica Roller ball in Island Vanilla - Yay!! I was really hoping to receive a roller ball perfume since I’ve been on such a Pacifica kick recently. 
  6. Pacifica Roller ball in Tahitian Gardenia - A lot of folks find this to be too strong and floral. I love it though :D Thankfully, the fragrances I received were different.

I spent a total of $20 and the only items that I am going to use are the Roller balls that cost $12 each. So, my personal ROI = 24/20 = 1.20. Very low. I ended up unsubscribing again even though this is supposed to be the best bag they’ve sent out in the longest time!

Tatcha - The Ritual for Normal/Combination Skin

Like many others, I was introduced to the world of Tatcha skincare through their Japanese Blotting Papers, aka. Aburatorigami. As most of you know, these are no ordinary blotting papers. These are made of 100% pure Abaca leaves and fine gold flakes that miraculously don’t transfer on to your face skin, don’t disturb your makeup, don’t dry up your skin like many other cheaper alternatives in the market. In fact, until the day I started using these, I didn’t even know I needed them! That to me, signifies sheer genius. How did I go through all these years with these and now that I’ve discovered them, I use them at least once every day?!

Soon enough, I found myself investing in full sizes of their main skincare line, called “The Ritual” set. Let me pause here to explain my skin. I have normal to dry skin, that’s acne prone. My T-Zone is normal, whereas my chin is oily. My cheeks and chin are acne prone. Simple enough? I bought the Ritual Set for Normal + Combination skin since it seemed to most closely match my skin type…just in time before they were declared sold out on the website. It seems like they’re still sold out. These products are made in Japan and take a while to be stocked up with. If I were the CEO,  I would solve these inventory issues first and foremost.

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The set contains the following -

- PURE Camellia One Step Cleansing Oil - 150ml | 5.1oz
- POLISHED Classic Rice Enzyme Powder - 60g | 2.1oz
- RADIANT Deep Brightening Serum - 30ml | 1oz
- SUPPLE Moisture Rich Silk Cream - 50ml | 1.7oz
- PETAL FRESH Original and Evening Beauty Papers - 1 pack each

In addition, I also bought Nonie Creme’s Favorites set

This set contains the following -

- LUMINOUS Deep Hydration Lifting Mask (4 mask set)

- LUMINOUS Dewy Skin Mist (40mL / 1.35 fl oz)

- PETAL FRESH Original Original Aburatorigami - Japanese Blotting Papers (1 Pack | 30 Sheets)

I’ll only be reviewing The Ritual Set in this post. 

PURE Camellia One Step Cleansing Oil - 150ml | 5.1oz: This cleansing oil can be effortlessly used to clean my face and ALL waterproof makeup at the end of the day. All I have to do is start with dry hands and a dry face, take about 6-7 drops of oil and massage it gently on my face. Once I’m done massaging, I run the tiniest amount of water on my face, which emulsifies the oil into a milky white paste. After this, you can just wash off the oil like any other face wash! Now, you’ll wonder, what’s different? Why should I pay top dollar for this oil when I can use jojoba, coconut or any other oil in the market that’s readily available and costs a fraction? I’ve used Grapeseed oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil in the past to clean my face and it was not convenient. I had to first massage the oil, then take a damp cloth or at least 2-3 pieces of dampened cotton wool to wipe off the oil. I cannot just splash water on my face and remove these other oils. For someone who is usually very tired (and lazy) at the end of the day, Tatcha’s Camellia Oil is really a one step cleanser. The fact that is removes the most stubborn eye makeup is a plus. I only use this oil at night time when I have some makeup on. I could possibly use this in the morning as a light cleanser, but I don’t think I need oil in the morning. 

POLISHED Classic Rice Enzyme Powder - 60g | 2.1oz: The Polished Rice Enzyme Powder comes in three variations - Gentle (very fine rice particles), Classic (moderately fine rice particles) and Deep (Coarser rice particles) - and are designed to be used daily after the Cleansing Oil. My set came with the Classic type of powder. I primarily use this every night since my skin needs a deeper cleaning at night time. I have also tried samples of Deep and Gentle. I really like Deep for a one-off deep cleanser. Gentle is gentle enough to be used twice a day, both AM and PM. In fact, it would be great for me to invest in a separate full sized bottle of Gentle for my morning skincare ritual since I feel the Classic type of a little too much for my morning routine. Right now, I used a different cream based cleanser for AM and the cleansing oil and Classic Rice Powder at night. 

To use the Rice Powder, you need to pour a small amount into your wet palm and gently rub both your hands together to make a foamy paste. To see this transformation from powder to foam is magical (almost like molecular gastronomy in food kitchens!). I rub the foam onto my wet face for 20 - 30 seconds and then wash off with lukewarm water. I am not hallucinating when I say that I skin simply glows after I use this powder. Nothing else that I’ve used so far even comes close to the way this rice powder makes my skin feel. You could leave the powder on for a longer time to use it as a face mask. The rice powder is much reasonably priced compared to the rest of the products and is a wonderful buy for all. 

RADIANT Deep Brightening Serum - 30ml | 1oz: I really like the thin and light consistency of this serum. It’s neither sticky nor does it make your face feel unnecessarily tight. Having said that, I haven’t used this serum long enough to really tell a difference. I guess I need to get through at least more than half the bottle before I can expect to see any results. I am always scared that the serums will be too heavy or sticky or drying. Well good news - at least my skin feels very luxurious when I put this on. All it takes me is 1 pump per application. 

SUPPLE Moisture Rich Silk Cream - 50ml | 1.7oz: This product provides just the right level of moisture for my skin. The jar itself comes with a very pretty gold colored spatula. All you’re supposed to use is 1 spatula per application. Anything less is too less, and anything more is too much, believe me. I usually like to use this at night time after using the cleanser, rice powder and the serum. The best thing about this cream is it hasn’t made me break out, which is quite an achievement! I would like to use this in the morning as well, but it has no sunscreen. Since I walk my dog in the Texas heat every morning, I don’t feel comfortable without SPF (even though I hate wearing SPF). If Tatcha were to come out with an SPF version for day time use, it would be awesome! 

OVERALL - If you are hesitant to buy the complete Ritual set, I suggest that you definitely buy the Rice Enzyme Powder because there is nothing like it in the entire US market! I am still debating if the serum and moisturizer are worth the moolah, but haven’t reached any conclusion yet. I’ll write a separate post after a couple of months, once I’ve made some more headway into using these wonderful, luxurious products. 

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