I've been sitting on these pictures for a while, but with the inclusion of Arizona in this month's Glossybox, I figured it was about time to post these.
Ordered some Zoya shades~ They gave me a Sugar Scrub for free! It's actually really good and I've been including it into my daily scrubbing routine. The sugar crystals don't melt as fast as the salt crystals so it really helps to exfoliate my dry skin (skin is so smooth) Slight lemon scent.
Turns out I got 2 Pierres by accident. If you would like it, I'll send it to you for $6.50 SHIPPED in the US- email juicedmang0s@gmail.com
Why are they sideways? No idea. Left to Right, Top to Bottom.
Wednesday- Dries a shade darker than I would have liked (expecting it to be a bit more pastel). Not quite sure this is "me". Lovely color though. Opaque with 2 coats. NEEDS basecoat. I thought I didn't need one since I was just painting my nails to swatch, then take off. It stained my nails.
Tracie- The only one of the Beach Collection that has shimmer. It is a sour apple green, very cute. Opaque with 3 coats.
Shelby: Bright barbie doll pink, was not expecting this. Cream shade that applies fairly streakless.
Marley- I've seen the swatch for Marley and mentally I know it's not the lavender shade I want, but for some reason I got it anyways. It's very very very light with silver shimmers- a cool effect
Perrie- The most opaque and smooth application of the lot. Again, Pierre was bought as part of my lavender search. Clearly it is not anywhere near lavender as you can see here. Opaque with 1 coat, but use 2 for insurance. I may have to try Essie or something to find that color.
Arizona- Again, dries a shade darker than I'd like. Not sure this goes well with my skin tone. Opaque in 2-3 coats. This color was very bright, so when I went outside, I layered it with the Pink Chinaglaze Crackle Polish on top. No topcoat though- only planning to wear for a couple hours.
I'm just not feeling these colors compared to my skin tone. With the exception of Tracie, all the rest can be purchased for $6.50 SHIPPED in the US. EMAIL me at juicedmang0s@gmail.com.
It did arrive it May! =D Color me thoroughly surprised. Overall thoughts? I like it!
Let's start with the packaging. Woah. That's all I could think for a while. The box is substantially larger than the sample society/ Birchbox boxes. Out of the three, this one has the sturdiest box (then SS, Birchbox last). The outside cardboard is a bit flimsy, but your actual box isn't even flexible. I was expecting to get something similarly sized as SS/Birchbox, just with heavier or more expensive things inside. I'm going to mail my annual gift box to my friend in this- it's a waste to keep to myself.
Left hand in some pics so you can compare size.
What's Inside?
1. Marvis Whitening Toothpaste
Thicker and grittier than my Colgate
Claims to have a sharp mint flavor. It's not really that strong. If Colgate is an Altoid, then the Marvis is a tic tac.
There's no seal on the opening
Teeth feel clean afterwards. Maybe all the grit inside is doing something. Can't attest to the whitening aspect yet.
Full Sized 1.23 oz, worth $7.50
2. Zoya Nail Lacquer- Arizona
I can't believe there's a full sized Zoya!! I LOVE ZOYA! It's 4-Free (no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, or camphor). Read more at ZOYA. If you use my LINK to sign up for an account, they'll also give you a voucher for a FREE bottle of polish. Add in 2 more and you get free shipping!
Arizona was the color I was craving until I got it. It's a little darker in real life than what I expected. Too bad they didn't give me Roxy to try >.<
Full coverage with 2-3 coats
I already have this polish, so if you want I can sell it for $6.50 shipped in the US, email me at juicedmang0s@gmail.com.
Full Size 0.5 oz, worth $8
3. Burberry Lip Mist Lipstick- No.202 Copper
It's so cute! The tube is plastic but looks really sleek. The packaging designers must really be getting the big bucks.
I'll admit, the idea of a lip mist doesn't really interest me. I prefer dramatic changes in color or effect. Seeing that the color I had was "Copper" didn't help either.
Turns out, it's not really a "Copper" color. Sheer wash of color. It does add a bit of warmth.
Extremely creamy lipstick- not drying at all, quite the opposite. I would almost say it's a non sticky lip gloss/ very emollient balm.
Not something I would personally splurge on, but if you are looking a bit pale and still want to keep it natural looking, this is the way to go.
Full size 0.12 oz worth $30. Sample size .028 oz worth $7
If you want cute and interesting cosmetic packing, it has to be the Koreans. I'm sure you've seen through all my blog posts how design is a really big factor of their industry. This little one is no exception. Normally we think the "jar" aspect should hold the cream, and the lid be smaller. Not the case here as you can see. This is a quality container that can be used for something else. The top of the lid features a reflective area that can be used as a mirror! In the future I may put a couple pumps of BB cream in here for traveling.
Claims to be formulated without oil or water
It is indeed cooling. This is great timing on Glossybox's part because the heat wave of summer is coming >.< we've already experienced a couple 90 degree days. The effect is most likely due to the alcohol.
For normal to oily skin, hope it doesn't dry out my dry skin. Interestingly enough it has a lotion-like consistency as well.
Full size 1.7 oz worth $100, sample size 0.28 fl oz worth $16.47
5. Phyto Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask for Dry Hair
Light lemon-y? scent. Thicker consistency. Tube is like those foil toothpaste/ hairdye tubes.
It works nicely. I've been using conditioner for hairdye, so my hair is used to strong conditioners. This one is a couple steps up from your normal conditioner in regards to conditioning power.
It's not extremely different or special so I won't purchase this
Full size 6.7 oz worth $38, sample size 1.7 oz worth $9.64
6. Glossybox Blush Brush- Goat Hair
I have been considering purchasing a blush brush so this is a nice surprise. Admittedly, I thought the hairs were synthetic. It's not a very soft brush =/.
Overall Box Thoughts
Love the packaging. Love how the items are large enough for you try the products a few times (even full sized ones).
Not sure how many of the items I'd actually use. I'm still continuing with Sample Society because they have introduced me to a couple products that I adore.
VALUE: Total Box Value ~$48.61. It's mostly the really expensive Hydra-Gel. Take that and the expensive hair mask away and you basically got what you paid for.
FAVORITE ITEM: Amore Pacific Refreshing Hydra-Gel
Wasn't particularly interested in the toothpaste
LOVE LOVE LOVE how they have items from different countries. I hope they continue with this, it's really cool! And that is something that would set Glossybox apart because they are an international company so they can use this to their advantage.
I'm definitely cancelling my second Birchbox (to heck with the points transfer), and will wait a couple more boxes to decide whether Glossybox is right for me! -___-;; I do really have to narrow it down to like 1 subscription box soon.
More on Glossybox
A pricer subscription box ($21), but offers larger samples in comparison to Birchbox.
Also supposedly has a points system (through reviews), where you can get a free box after accumulating points... maybe because the site is in beta, but I don't see where you can do this.
Claims to be tailored to our beauty profiles, but as we are yet unable to fill those out I'm assuming everyone gets the same box this month. It would be interesting to see what different things they come up with though
Yet another slice of life post. And yes, it is mopey and kind of ranty. Because that's just how life is right now- in the pits.
Well first, good news. My Glossybox has shipped! They sent me two emails telling me as such -___- really big on email spam I see. If they do ship from New England area, I may just get it before the end of May. Maybe. This box will determine whether I drop the 2nd Birchbox (still holding onto the hope that I can transfer points...) or Glossybox. Or Sample Society if June is not exciting.
Summer, oh summer, you bring with you so many insects. Randomly I'll feel a tickle on my leg, and look down to spot a huge carpenter ant crawling up -___-. Then yesterday, I collapsed in bed tired from walking all day and felt a tickle on my eyebrow. I quickly tried to brush it off, and something with 8 legs fell down onto my pillow X_X. I managed to get it onto a piece of paper, but then it slid off and disappeared. When I'm sleeping either I'll eat it, or it'll eat me. We shall see.
Something that I've been meaning to write about is "constructive criticism". It's something I've been thinking about for 5 years. Most people do not know how to give constructive criticism. They think they do, but they don't. Instead, they just dish out plain criticism, which is not constructive but on the contrary very destructive. Telling someone what they've done wrong is not constructive criticism. It is plain criticism. The constructive version would be to tell them what they're doing good, tell them what is not so good, and then offer suggestions on how to improve. Tone is also very important. Yelling beats a person down, gentle tones build them up. Keep that in mind. It's so easy to come down on people without realizing it. I've done it before- not that I'm proud of it.
The phrase "we're telling you this because we really care about you" is bullsh*t most of the time. If it's a family member or a close friend saying this, it has a higher probably to actually be true, but for everyone else, it's most likely BS. Whether they realize it or not, it's actually just another way for them revel in pride. By saying what they say (even if it's true), they build up their own sense of self-righteousness. "I'm better than you in this sense, so you should listen to my very important advice". It's not really because they care. Again, I can say this because I've done this before. In my instance, it was even self-righteousness tinged with envy.
It is also bullsh*t when people say they want you to be yourself at interviews. Well, that may be what they want you to do, but that is not what's going to get you the job. I was watching auditions for The Glee Project. They said ohh, you should be yourself because that's what Glee is all about. NEWSFLASH: You have to be interesting. Let's face it, some people are not visibly interesting. You have to dig a bit deeper to really understand them, and that's not going to happen in 10 minutes or even an hour. So people try to make up for that by exuding a different persona during the interview/audition process. You say you don't like it, but let's face it, you do. Hypocrites. People are complex, it takes a while to even get to know them a little bit.
The results of my interview finally came, and as expected, rejected. Wonder why they couldn't send it after Memorial Day. The interviewers gave me their email addresses and told me to email any questions. I did, but they didn't even dignify it with a response. What's that all about? I'm rooming with a random person during this weekend- she's totally going to think I'm a freak if I start crying randomly. So, that's another year of waiting. The hardest part is waiting and not knowing. I spoke with a girl recently who told me that she took a year and a half break before continuing onto grad school. She asked what I was doing, and I said nothing for now (no full time job, no school). She replied "Oh that's good, getting some rest". This is a reply that I get from people often when they hear that I'm not working full time. So I asked her did she feel relaxed and rested during her year and a half off. She paused and replied, "I was actually really incredibly stressed". Exactly. People think that if you're not doing anything full time then you must be taking life easy. It's the opposite. The mental stress of not knowing and having to wait is really terrible. It's worse than school stress or work stress, because at least for those you know what you're working towards- and most of the time you will see some sort of reward.
Some people will brush things like this off and call them "first world problems". First world problems are still problems. The mental stress might even be more terrifying than physical pain and stress. If you are in good mental health, then you will have the strength to continue on. If you are defeated mentally, then it can be very difficult to continue.
The most difficult part for me is trying to understand. I really believe that God has blessed me so much thus far. It's like the path was cleared for me up until this point. I miraculously made 5s on both AP tests which I was sure I'd barely make a 2 and a 3 for. I successfully entered into my desired major- I only heard later that many people were rejected: I didn't even realize you could be rejected. They said that if you didn't have a B in Organic Chemistry, you'd be rejected. I didn't have anywhere near a B. I was miraculously able to find a lab to join last minute- my class professor was so angry that he threatened to have me drop out of the major and even CCed an email to the department head. In my defense, it wasn't mandatory for us to have joined a lab earlier (just STRONGLY recommended). Then I somehow managed to graduate on time. All the while, I was able to gather some opportunities volunteering and shadowing here and there. After deciding on what I want to do, I applied and tried to look for somewhere to shadow and learn more about the occupation. Nothing was working, I called so many places and people just ignored me like a bug. I finally found somewhere to shadow.
Now what? I'm mostly restless because I feel like ok, God has obviously been preparing me thus far, but for what? What is the ultimate culminating goal? All the while I've been trying to stay positive. For every flat out rejection, I thanked God that I didn't have to spend all the time and expense traveling to the interview. I thanked Him for allowing me the experience so that I could understand what others have gone through. I've been praying that He will help me to love Him more. God says to love his people, and although painful, I think this is His way of showing me. I'm reminded of the song Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath.
I wouldn't mind a thousand rejections if I knew that on the 1001th time I'd get a "yes". You hear about people trying for 3 years and still not making it. I really don't think I have what it takes to go that long. Just through this whole process, I feel so tired, so exhausted. And it's really easy to lose hope.
I try to look at the bigger picture and thank God continuously. Even though I'm crushed right now, I can just see someone else in my shoes some other time in need of someone who understands. Someone who has gone through the exact same thing. So I look forward to the day where I can offer hope and comfort to that person. To be able to let them know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and persevere just a little bit longer.
Maybe a month ago, I read an article about Tablo. He's a korean hip hop artist who soared to stardom. On top of that he graduated from Stanford University in 3.5 years with both a bachelor's and master's in English. Asians eat that up. Then someone (his jealous cousin?) started rumors questioning his credentials. It became a huge crazy witch hunt. Hoards of people started calling his professors and the academic office at Stanford trying to confirm whether or not he even attended Stanford (during this time, people were especially sensitive about celebs and such falsifying their credentials)- the people at Stanford defended him, and confirmed that he was a student: people still wouldn't believe. His agency held off on responding for a while, then told him that they would back him and handle the situation. Well, they backed out and left him hanging. He thought the best solution would be to come out and release his transcripts to the public, but even then people didn't believe. They scrutinized the placement of the commas and said he faked it. A LOT of cyber bullying played into this. One person paid someone a year above Tablo to say that he never saw Tablo on the Stanford campus. It was true since the campus is big- that person signed a statement and got $10,000 for it. It got to the point where Tablo had to stop performing. For two years he lived in absolute misery holed up in his house- no one would believe him, even with all the proof in front of their faces. He said everywhere he went people would give him dirty looks. At the hospital he was afraid for his new baby because he didn't even know if the people administering the shots were the ones attacking him online.
He spent two years just making songs and singing them to himself. Finally his wife's company (entertainment company) decided to take a chance on him and released a new album. It was an instant hit, and people say his songs are better than before. I listened to them and didn't think it was anything too special muscially, but if you read the lyrics- wow. Is it worth it? The two years of absolute mental pain and suffering to mature his music this far? That's something I always wondered, is all the pain and suffering that people go through worth how much they've changed after? Are you that much better of a person? Although I'm not really a fan of hiphop, I'm definitely a fan of Tablo now. Still, I can't even imagine the nightmare that he went through. If he's not crazy yet, it's really a miracle.
I encourage you to read the lyrics through at least once all the way through, it's pretty thought provoking. I like how he doesn't sing about degrading women, or shooting people, but issues in society. Airbag is my favorite, followed by Dear TV. Dear TV is satire if I'm not mistaken, and I was really tickled to see him make use of his English degrees ^^.
Oddly enough, I've been comforting myself through reading Psalms. For most of my life, I've just been avoiding that book. I was under the impression that it was all songs about how great king David's life was. I was so wrong. There's numerous psalms where king David voices out his struggles and hardships. People trying to kill him, people mocking him. He always ends by praising God though. He says that he knows God will take care of things because He always has. That's what really got me to look back and start counting my blessings. This may be my most difficult struggle yet, just because it's gone on the longest. There's not a day that has passed where I haven't worried and fretted, and been miserable. This is something that has constantly lurked in the back of my head. I pray constantly to find something in which I can really sink and submerge myself into.
I'll need to have a solo pity party, but I should be ok after haha.
Firstly, congratulations to Amanda Cook for winning the Birchbox giveaway! ^^
Secondly- Wow. I had an interview, so to tame all the random frizz I put on some of the Oscar Blandi Jasmine scented hair oil. My hair looked so polished and put together after, haha. I may just invest in buying the full sized. Speaking of interview, I uh... kind of messed up on all the important parts X_X. So keep me in your prayers because I really need a miracle.
Third- Thanks to all who made my Free Things sale a success. New homes were found for most items!
Fourth- even though the customer service person I emailed said that they canceled the Allure subscription for me, I got the June issue >.>. Ugh, at least I got the rebate. It's just that 80% of this magazine is advertisements, so really getting these month after month is annoying and more work to throw out. If you're bored, it's not bad to look through. Let's take a look.
The Covergirl lip product below I've just always found weird. It initially sounds cool, but ehhh not digging it too much.
THIS I thought was a cool nail effect. Almost makes me want to buy the two products to try it out. Love how the gold glitter fades out.
I honestly never knew you could insure body parts.
After colored pants, it's now colored clutches. I wouldn't mind having a couple of my own.
This surprisingly smells nice. Both scents. The male scent is sharp, crisp, business like. I really like it- if there were another guy on the elevator with me, I'd want him to smell like this haha. The female scent is less sharp with a hint of sweetness. I wouldn't mind having this scent, but it's not making me obsess nonstop. Neither have that "hollow" scent that quite a few perfumes seem to have these days (not complex enough scent), so that's good.
This is the fattest sample I've ever seen in a magazine. Thank you John Frieda. Something about Repair. I'll have to test it out- it comes out in drops apparently.
Admittedly I'm enticed. And now I'm trying to find a way to get to Kohls to check out Vera Wang's makeup collection.
Essie has a few of these themed ads in here. The setup is different to showcase the respective colors.
@.@ Pretty.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to try, but I'm kind of tired of trying out tints. I have a couple that I like and that's good enough for me. (yay tony moly!)
These photos in the back are the reason why I go through Allure mainly. The spread in the very back for this issue had a model that I wasn't really interested in, but the shoot below is lovely.
It's mousse themed. Yes, I'm from the generation where girls went around in high school with the exact same blonde beach wave perm (exact size, specs, everything. they might as well as have been wearing wigs), and slathering on mousse for a constant wet look. Personally, I'm for the natural curl look. I would curl my hair and put just enough mousse in to hold my style without adding any crunchiness. It looks really nice and natural (like the photo below). Seeing this is a bit surprising because of that. My hair had that "perfect curls" effect and once a friend (who I saw every week for 3 years) came up to me and asked if I were wearing a wig. She didn't believe it was my natural hair.
Love the eyes especially in the shot below.
This is a gorgeous shot. The earrings rock! It says they're " Brass and rosewood earrings by Herve Van der Straeten". Couldn't find how much these earrings are, but the matching necklace is $835.
