My Glam May Review

In May, I signed up for a MyGlam subscription for the first time and I was pretty happy with it, though I'm super-late posting about it because I've already received my June MyGlam bag.  MyGlam is a beauty subscription program in which you receive 4-5 full-size or deluxe beauty products in a little cosmetic bag for $10 per  month.  When you sign up, you take a quiz so they can customize your Glam bag.  You can cancel your subscription at any time, so it's pretty low risk!  It would also be a fun gift idea for a friend or sister!

May MyGlam Bag:
The makeup pouch was cute, but it has an awful smell.  I've had it airing out for a month, but it smells weird and chemically, so I'll probably throw it out - it can't be healthy.

• Philosophy Love Sweet Love Spray Fragrance - this has a nice clean scent - sweet,  but not coying.  The retail price is $42, which isn't terrible for a large perfume.  I don't wear perfume all of the time, so I never really buy big bottles.  I just use a sample-size when I do wear it. 
• Studio Gear Complete Color Lipstick in Warm Embrace - I worried that this was going to be a horrible shade, but it really isn't!  I actually love it!  It's definitely redder/darker than what I usually wear, but that's because I never find a red that I like.  It claims to plump your lips, though I can't say I noticed a difference.  I've worn this several times since I got it and would consider buying it again for $15.  This is a full-size product, so it exceeded the price for the subscription and made it well worth it.  The picture below is me wearing this shade - and no other makeup.  I also didn't apply the lipstick very neatly, but it still gives you an idea of the shade.  
• Miss Beauty Nail Bling - These nail stickers are cute, but I haven't worn them yet so I don't know how easy they'll be to apply.  I feel like they'll be a little much to wear on all fingers, as sparkly pink hearts, but they'll be cute as an accent finger.  I couldn't find the price of these, but I'd guess $10 or less.  I probably wouldn't buy this design/color, but if these wear well, they'd be fun occasionally.
• myglam Concealer Brush & Defining Eyeliner Brush - To be honest, I don't really know which brush is which because they aren't labeled.  One is a thin fine brush which could work well for applying small dots of concealer or for a fine line on your eyes, and the other is a thin, stiff brush, which would also work for both applications.  I've used these, but I still haven't determined which is which.  I think I used the stiffer one for eyelining and will probably keep it that way since I don't really do a very thin line on my eyes.  These are an exclusive myglam product, so I don't think you can purchase these separately, but I probably wouldn't anyway.  

Studio Gear Complete Color Lipstick in Warm Embrace

Final thoughts?  I felt like MyGlam compared pretty similarly to Birchbox - some hits and some things I wouldn't purchase, but I really love this lipstick.  After June, I'll pick one or the other to get for the month instead of both, but I haven't really decided which yet.  I may do another month of MyGlam since I've already received several months of Birchbox - or I'll try to find a new one.  Have you tried any beauty sample subscriptions?  What did you think?

Disclosure:  I purchased the MyGlam subscription on my own and am under no obligation to post about it.

Crème De Lys Chardonnay 2010

This is one my favorite white wines now, thanks to Kelley!  Other than the taste, the best part about Crème De Lys is that it's usually on sale for about $8.  It's a little hard to find, but one of the stores near where we now live carries it regularly, so I'm all set!  This is a nice light buttery wine with pineapple and apple notes.

Until about a year ago, I used to exclusively drink red, but I think it's because I'd only tried really sweet or really dry whites. Now I pretty much stick to chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and occasionally, pinot grigio.  I mostly stick to whites that I've had before, brands that I know are good (like Cameron Hughes), or whatever Kelley pours into my glass. 

Neutrogena Cosmetics Review

I'm not a super girly, nor am I "good" at applying makeup, but I love trying new products and playing around with them.  When BzzAgent gave me an opportunity to try new Neutrogena^® Cosmetics that claim to improve your skin, I was all about it.

While I wasn't holding out hope for huge skin improvements, but as long as a products aren't irritating or harsh, I'm usually happy.

I was surprised at how many products they sent.  Here is what I received, along with the descriptions and my opinions.  

Neutrogena Healthy Skin^® Brightening Eye Perfector – this multi-tasking concealer immediately evens skin tone, conceals dark circles & boosts radiance, while a patented blend of antioxidants work over time to actually improve the look of skin. 

I like the actual product a lot.  I have dark circles under my eyes and I thought it made my eyes look brighter without looking cakey.  However, I didn't notice any particular skin improvement, as my dark circles are from genetics, so nothing is going to make them go away.  What I didn't like is the dispenser.  You twist the bottom of the tube to make the product come up through the brush, which has rather long bristles.  By the time you get enough product in the end of the brush to apply, too much product is in the brush and ends up being wasted.  You have to wipe the bristles after you're done or else the extra product kind of dries up in the brush.  I feel like a sponge-type applicator would be better.  My work-around for this problem is to get just enough of the product in the brush to smear it on my finger, and then apply with my finger.  I get better coverage because I can pat it into my skin and I don't waste as much product.  This retails at $13.99, which I feel like is a little expensive, especially considering the applicator wastes product.

Neutrogena^® Nourishing Eyeliner – instantly defines and brightens eyes with luminous, conditioning color that wears beautifully all day. Olive oil and rainforest shea butter nourish the delicate skin around your lashes, while subtle light diffusers make the whites of your eyes appear whiter.

I received this is Cosmic Black.  It also comes in Brushed Pewter, Spiced Chocolate, and Twilight Blue (which sounds fun).  I think I would have liked this product, but I also had a problem with the applicator, which in turn kind messed up the product for good.  It was mostly stupidity, but I can't imagine that I'm the only one whom this would have happened to.  The product is an eyeliner at one side with a built-in sharpener and a smudger on the other side.  The first time I tried the product, I lined and then smudged, but when I went to put the caps back on, I put the smudger cap (which is shorter) on the liner side and smushed the liner.  I didn't think it would be a big deal, but since the sharpener is built in, it doesn't sharpen anymore.  Now the tip is flat instead of pointed, which makes it less precise to apply.  That being said, I like the eyeliner a lot (especially when it was actually pointed).  It lines very smoothly and the light diffusers make it look shimmery without being sparkly.  It smudges well too, which is important because I'm pretty terrible at drawing a straight line, so I have to smudge any eyeliner so it doesn't look like a 4 year old applied it.  This retails at $7.99, which I think is a fair price for an eyeliner, as long as you don't put the wrong cap on the wrong side (if they made them the same length, it wouldn't be a problem). 

Neutrogena^® Revitalizing Lip Balm – sheer, moisturizing color that transforms the look of lips by making them softer, rosier and more defined. In just one week, it actually improve lips' texture, so lips look naturally beautiful – even after you take it off!

I LOVE these lip balms.  I'm super excited that I got three tubes since it was my favorite.  The shades that I got are Healthy Blush, Sunny Berry, and Petal Glow.  Every time I've bought tinted lip balm, the color is always weird, too bright or pink, and not really wearable.  I can wear every single one of these colors, even though I had my doubts when I looked at the tubes.  I have them stashed in various bags and don't even look to see which one I'm going to apply because they all look good.  The balm goes on so smoothly and has a nice light scent (I really hate weird, chemically smelling lip products).  It also has SPF 20, so I can wear it when I'm going to be in the sun without worrying about my lips getting dry and burnt.  These retail at $8.99, which sounds like a little much for a "lip balm", but is TOTALLY worth it.  Plus, makeup goes on sale all of the time, so I never really pay retail price.

This was a great BzzCampaign altogether.  I liked all of the products, even if I didn't like all of the dispensers, and I will definitely be buying the Revitalizing Lip Balm again.

Note: BzzAgent send me these items free of charge but in no way required me to give a good review, or any review on the products.  I chose to do the review because I liked the products.

Burger King New Menu Review and BK® Crown Card Giveaway

As a member of MyBlogSpark, I was given the opportunity to participate in the Burger King New Menu Spark.  Burger King has recently added several new menu items including made-to-order Garden Fresh Salads, Snack Wraps, Real Fruit Smoothies, Frappés and Crispy Chicken Strips, and MyBlogSpark sent me a $20 BK^® Crown Card to try out the new items.  Plus they want to reward one of my readers with a $20 BK^® Crown Card too!

Chicken, Apple and Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad

I don’t generally eat a ton of fast food.  It’s especially hard to find something that I want/can eat on the menus now that I know I’m gluten-free.  This definitely put a limit on what I was able to try from the new menu, but I was excited about trying the Chicken, Apple and Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad and the Mocha Frappé.  Salads are usually a fairly safe option at fast food places since croutons usually come in separate bags, but I do have to watch out for the dressings.  Burger King has a pretty decent allergy/nutrition chart, so I knew my choices would be safe.  The other reason I hesitate on ordering salads at fast food places is that the lettuce is often iceberg, which is pretty worthless taste-wise and nutritionally, or it just doesn’t seem very fresh. 

We went to Burger King for dinner the week after we closed on our house and were very busy getting everything ready to move in the following weekend, so we go it to go and took it to the apartment to eat.  Lo ordered the Crispy Chicken Strips with honey mustard and sweet and sour sauce, and I got the Apple and Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad and the Mocha Frappé.  

I sipped on the mocha on the way home.  It was pretty good, though VERY sweet.   And while I love whipped cream, I hate how it comes standard on mochas and milkshakes everywhere these days – it’s good, but fairly unnecessary and unhealthy…but I still ate it.  It had a good mocha flavor – I’m just used to drinking black coffee, so the sweetness was a bit much for me.    

Chicken, Apple and Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad

I ate the salad when we got home and it was delicious.  And huge!  There were two TENDERGRILL^® chicken pieces sliced on top (TENDERCRISP^®  is an option too).  It was SO filling.  I actually couldn’t eat all of it – which is shocking because I can finish almost any salad except one from Chipotle.  I was very impressed with the lettuce – it was very green and crisp.  The tartness of the apples and cranberries paired perfectly with the saltiness of the bleu cheese.  Instead of the Apple Cider Vinaigrette, I chose the Ken's® Lite Honey Balsamic for the dressing because I wanted a lighter option. 

Lo enjoyed his Crispy Chicken Strips, though it’s not something he’d normally order.  He said that it was the perfect portion of breading to chicken and the chicken was moist, but the breading wasn’t soggy, which is surprising considering he didn’t eat them until we got home.  I thought they have a pretty impressive selection of sauces for the strips and made fun of him for initially choosing honey mustard, which is one of the more boring/standard sauces.  I thought the Kung Pau and BBQ Roasted Jalepeno Dipping sauces sounded better. I meant to take a picture of his, but I forgot!

I probably hadn’t eaten at Burger King for well over a year.  I used to love the breakfast, but now that I’m gluten-free, everything is pretty much off limits for breakfast.  I still love their iced tea the best (I think it tastes like roses, which doesn’t make sense OR sound good, but I love it), and I’m happy to know that they have great salads now. 

MyBlogSpark is offering one of my readers a $20 gift card pack to try out the new Burger King Menu.

To enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you’d order from the menu, or what you’ve already tried.

Additional optional entries: you MUST leave me a comment for EACH extra entry that you complete.

• Sign up for RSS feed or email updates and leave me a comment letting me know
• Follow me on Pinterest and leave me a comment to let me know
• Follow me on Twitter and leave me a comment to let me know
• Follow BURGER KING^® on Facebook and leave me a comment to let me know

Contest ends June 17, 2012 and the winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email.  Good luck!

*MyBlogSpark provided me the a $20 BK^® Crown Card to try the new menu items, but I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, or any review at all.  If I wasn’t happy with the new menu, I wouldn’t have posted anything.  While I don’t think fast food should be a regular part of anyone’s diet, I feel like there is a time and a place for it, and I’m happy to have a new option when we are eating on the go. 

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Recipe and Berio® Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review

As a BzzAgent, I was given the chance to try out Filippo Berio^® Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  I'm a big olive oil fan for the nutritional benefits and versatility.

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a great product because in addition to being a 100% natural product with a neutral taste that can be used in most recipes, it also touts these benefits:

• Is high in monounsaturated fats (also known as "good fat")
• Contains no trans fat or cholesterol
• Contains no sugar, salt, or gluten
• Can help reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as help control blood pressure and blood sugar levels

I use olive oil in most recipes that aren't cooked at high heat.  While I haven't used olive oil in baking very often, this conversion chart on Filippo's site will make it easier in the future.

The first recipe in which I used the Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil was Mediterranean Chickpea Salad that I made for a co-worker's Mediterranean-themed wedding potluck.  I loved it so much that I made it again a week later for a Memorial Weekend picnic!  The recipe came from a combination of chickpea salad recipes that I found online. This recipes serves 10-12, depending on serving size.  Leftovers are good and it can be eaten cold, room temperature, or warm.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

• 3 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 pouch sundried tomatoes, julienned or chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 red onion, chopped (more if you love red onion)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped), I used 6-7 frozen cilantro cubes from Trader Joes
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsps lemon juice
• pinch of thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

In a bowl, mix the garbanzo beans, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, garlic, and cilantro. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt, pour over the salad, and stir. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving for flavors to blend.

This recipe is pretty adjustable - whip up more dressing if you'd like it more moist or squeeze some fresh lemon over it for extra zest.   


This was a big hit at work and the party - Lo even liked it and it isn't usually a fan of "salad"-type things like this.

OXO Good Grips Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer Review and Giveaway

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner - I had a hair appt. after work today.  The winner is M!  Congratulations - I'll contact you by email.  There is another great giveaway coming up this week, so stick around!

I'm a member of the OXO Blogger Outreach Program and was super-excited when I was chosen to review the OXO Good Grips Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer.  I've wanted a mandoline for so long, but could never decide which one to buy.  I was even more excited when I opened the package and saw that in addition to the mandoline that they sent to me - they included another to give to one of my readers!

Sadly, I've been in the process of moving for the last few weeks so I haven't had a chance to use it as much as I've wanted, but one of the recipes that I was excited to try first was baked potato chips!  I can't really call it a recipe, because I just sliced up some potatoes on the thinnest setting, sprayed them with the oil mister and sprinkled them with a variety of seasonings.  When it comes to spices, I just grab and shake, so I don't really know exactly what I used. I spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and baked at 400 degrees until they started to brown.  I flipped them over using a fork and cooked until the other side was browned.  They were excellent!  I've also used the mandoline slicer a few times to slice up peppers and I'm so excited to slice up turnips for turnip chips and au gratin once they are in season.





















The mandoline slicer has 3 levels of thickness, though the thickest isn't as thick as I'd prefer.  That's not a big deal because I can just use a knife it I want it that thick.  Thinner is so much hard with a knife.  Once I got the hang of using the food holder to protect myself from the blades, it was simple.  I'm prone to cutting myself with a knife as it is, so I'll definitely be using this with the food holder - those blades are SHARP!  The food holder also slides over the blades for storage, which is key for protection.  You can use the slicer angled on a plate or cutting board like I did below, or you can hook the foot over a bowl and slice into the bowl. 

Like I mentioned, I haven't had an opportunity to use this with very many vegetables yet, but it worked great for potatoes and peppers!

If you'd like to enter to win an OXO Good Grips Hand Held Mandoline:

• Leave me a comment telling me what you'd slice with it if you had one!

Additional entries:

• Sign up for RSS feed or email updates and leave me a comment letting me know
• Follow me on Pinterest and leave me a comment to let me know
• Follow me on Twitter and leave me a comment to let me know

Contest ends June 3, 2012 and the winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email.  Good luck!

April Birchbox Review

Another month, another Birchbox!  I was excited to open this month's Birthbox and wasn't disappointed!

Last  month is still my favorite box, but this one was pretty on-target with what I would want.  I was disappointed that there were only 5 samples instead of 6, but the website says 4-5, so it's not off target.

Birchbox is a monthly subscription service for upscale beauty products.  For $10, you get a box with 4-5 generous samples including makeup, skincare, fragrance, body, and hair care.

Wanna try Birchbox?  I'd love it if you used my referral invite: Click here

1.  Wonderstuck Taylor Swift - this perfume was a strike-out for me.  It smells like cotton candy, which is exactly what I would expect from a perfume created my Taylor Swift.  I'll give this to one of my nieces - she'll be perfectly happy with it!  Full size- $49.50-$59.50
 

2.  Zoya True Spring Collection in Lotus - I love this color.  I've been wearing bright and unique colors on my nails lately and this is perfect.  It's supposed to go on opaque, so I won't have to use as  many coats.  I haven't tried it yet, but I think I will this week.  I really like Zoya nail polish, so I was really excited for this!  Full-size- $8

3.  Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer - I haven't used this, but I'll throw it in my travel toiletry bag for overnight trips.  My skin isn't super-picky and I've tried other Juice Beauty products, so I'm sure it will be fine.  Full size - $28, which is more than I prefer to spend on moisturizer.

4.  amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask - this contains rare omega acids and vitamin C and claims to boost shine and helps repair split ends.  I haven't used this yet.  I don't normally use deep conditioners, but since my hair is longer now, I'll give it a try.  Full size - $40, which I'd never pay.

5.  Lifestyle Extra: dropps Laundry Detergent - these are eco-friendly, single use detergent packs.  I thought this was a neat offering, considering April is Earth month.  Pack of 20 is $6, which isn't a bad price considering it's a measured dose.  It's easy to use more than the recommended amount of powdered and liquid detergents, so you don't necessary get the amount of loads out of a package that the label claims.  Update: I used these a few weeks ago and love the scent!  I would consider buying these in the future if they were on sale or I had a coupon. 

Best All Purpose Cleaner (according to Cook’s Illustrated)

For those still needing to do some spring cleaning, Cook’s Illustrated did a product comparison for all-purpose cleaners, specifically testing on tough kitchen tasks.  They tested natural and antibacterial cleansers on a variety of messes.  There was only 1 that was highly recommended (that I went out and bought), 1 recommended, 4 recommended with reservations, and 3 not recommended.  I love that the highly recommended one is natural and a decent price (hint, it’s Method All-Purpose Natural Surface Cleaner in French Lavender).   Click over to check out the results!

I seriously love these Cook’s Illustrated product/equipment comparisons and often look for the recommendations when I need to buy something.  While their past comparisons aren’t available unless you’re an online member, the newest tests are often included in the free Notes from the Test Kitchen email newsletter.  

Columbus Food League Bike Tour

 We are majorly in love with 5 restaurants around downtown that are part of a “family” of restaurants called the Columbus Food League.  Last fall we talked about how we needed to do a bike crawl to that group of restaurants on afternoon, at which we’d get a drink and something to eat.  We never got around to it, so we wanted to make sure we were able to get it done as soon as possible. 

The last few years we’ve stayed home for Easter – meaning we didn’t drive 1.15 hours to visit Lo’s family or 3 hours to visit mine.  Traffic is always so sucky on Sunday coming back to Columbus, and it was just nice to have a holiday for which we didn’t have plans.  The first year we went to Betty’s Fine Food and Spirits to eat – because they posted a pic of a martini with a marshmallow Peep floating in it.  The next year we went to Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace, because we’d been wanting to try their brunch and it seemed like a perfect day that probably wouldn’t be as busy as normal. 

This year, my mother-in-law’s birthday happened to fall on Easter, so we decided that we needed to break our tradition and visit his family on Easter.  BUT since Saturday was going to be so beautiful, we decided to do our Columbus Food League Bike Tour that day.

We had brunch at our friends’ house and came home a couple of hours later in need of a short nap before we embarked on our journey.  I woke up, and after a quick scan of Facebook, realized that it was Gallery Hop day.  Our intent was to start our tour at the further point from our place and work our way back – but that was going to put us in the Short North right around the time that Gallery Hop would really be hopping, which could make getting a seat at Betty’s and Surly Girl difficult.  We decided to change our order to Surly Girl, Betty’s, Jury Room, Dirty Franks, and finally Tip Top. 

I got dressed while Lo started to fill up the bike tires.  That was a problem because one of his tires was completely flat AND the pump was suddenly broken (it worked fine last year).  After a quick online search, he found that a lot of people had the same problem with this pump and there was no fixing it.  That was annoying.  Off to Target we had to go to get a pump and a tube (in case it was bad too).  He got everything fixed and off we went.

We got to Surly Girl Saloon around 5 and grabbed a spot at the bar – right before a group traveling on the Cycle Tavern got there.  They were D-Runk.  I had a Surly Temple (Red Pop and Vodka) and we ordered Frito Pie with the veggie chili (because it was GF). 

Our second stop was Betty’s Fine Food and Spirits.  It was clear at this point that Gallery Hop was really picking up.  We got a table, but within minutes, there were people waiting.  I had a Berry Betty, which was Blueberry-Strawberry Infused Finlandia Vodka & Pink Lemonade.  I didn’t realized that the berries had actually been soaking in the vodka until I started eating them and realized how boozy they were. So I ate all of them.  We didn’t get any food this time since we just had Frito Pie at Surly Girl.  We had some good people watching from our window table including a guy wearing a leopard print fur shrug with a very casual outfit (he ended up coming inside briefly, so I snapped a pick), and a guy wearing an American Flag tracksuit (old school with the tightly cuffed elastic bottoms) and a tshirt with an American flag and 3 wolves.  Luckily his tracksuit jacket was tied around his waist so I could see his fantastic shirt (I have no idea what American flags and wolves have in common).  Sorry, no pic – I was too slow.  Traffic was packed through the Short North, but we just rode in the lane beside the parked cars and it was fine.

We went to Jury Room next because we wanted to go to the furthest one left in this direction and then work our way back.  Jury Room is awesome because it’s a little out of the way, so it’s never too busy.  Plus they mark their gluten-free items on the menu, so I know what I order is safe.  We just got the Truffle Fries and I had an Executioner, which is XRated Liqueur, Citrus Vodka, and 7up – though I had him sub club soda for the 7up so it wouldn’t be so sweet.  Very good substitution.  

On to Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace for our 4th stop.  We weren’t surprised to see a line outside, as it’s a tiny place and we were getting there around prime dining time.  We put our names in and stood inside so we’d know if anyone got up from the bar (it’s first come, first serve to sit at the bar).  Within 10 minutes, we had a seat at the bar and I was enjoying a Vodka and ½ red pop ½ club soda.  I ordered a Whoa Nellie in a GF wrap (beef dog topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce), while Lo had a Doginator (bacon-wrapped dog –seriously- topped with beef brisket, bbq sauce, cheddar, and onion rings.

Our final stop of the Columbus Food League Bike Tour was Tip Top.  It wasn’t crowded at all and they were playing obscure-ish hip-hop, which was pretty great.  I had a “Commit to be Lit” for my final drink (Orange, vanilla and raspberry vodkas mixed with cranberry juice and a splash of 7up, served tall).  We were still hungry since we’d just been snacking all day, so we ordered Ohio Nachos and the Salmon Dinner to split. 












That was a tour!  The ride home was a little chilly, but it was a great evening!  We hung out at each place for awhile, so we were gone for 5+ hours.  I’m already looking forward to having our friends join us for this tour next time! 

Wine Love - Cameron Hughes

Cameron Hughes is one of my favorite brands.  They buy the oversupply of ultra-premium wines and label them into lot numbers and sell them for way less than the wine would have originally sold for.  Most I've seen are around $12-$15.  I've never met one I didn't like, and I've certainly loved many of them.  This is one of my favorite whites: 

 

If you want to splurge though, splurge on this:

SO good

Or drink all of these (in one night):

But I warn you, don't schedule a massage for the next day because you will be miserable. 

                                                     

But I warn you, don't schedule a massage for the next day because you will be miserable, like this:

                                                       

Just kidding, he doesn't even drink wine - it was just one night after a hard Crossfit class.  But I was horribly miserable in my massage after that wine-binge hot tub night.  I tipped the girl way extra because I felt bad that I probably had alcohol coming out of my pores. 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream Review

As a BzzAgent, I get the opportunity to participate in campaigns for which I try out different products, review them, and try to help spread the word.  My current campaign is for Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream, which is a tinted moisturizer with SPF that “renews, brightens, evens, hydrates and protects”.  

I was really excited about this campaign and received the product in “medium” shade.  I was concerned that this would be too dark for me, but I’d rather have it slightly darker than too light, especially since warm weather is coming up and my skin will turn a shade or two darker.  This sounded like the perfect thing to wear when I didn’t want to apply makeup, but wanted a little color and sun protection. 

Tinted moisturizers have been too thick for me in the past, and unfortunately, this cream was too thick as well.  My skin definitely leans towards the oily side (except in the dead of winter) and it just felt too thick.  I felt like I needed to use my mineral powder foundation on top of it just so it wouldn’t look sticky, thus defeating the purpose of using a tinted moisturizer in the first place.  Even after wearing it for hours, it felt like it never sunk in.  It looked good and the color, though it look rather dark, blended really well.  I think it would be perfect for people with slightly drier skin.  My mom has darker and drier skin than me, so after trying it for a few days and realizing it just wasn’t going to work for me, I pass the remainder of the tube (and a coupon) on to her.  She loves tinted moisturizers, so I expect she is going to be really happy with this one. 

I definitely recommend this product for those who have dry skin and want sun protection and light coverage – and at $10-$12, it’s a great price.  Those with oily skin probably won’t be happy with this. 

Pros:

Moisturizing

Contains SPF

Light dewy coverage

Color blends very well

Non-irritating

Cons:

Too thick for oily skin

Never feels like it sinks in

Colors and Bottles 2

A few months ago, several friends joined me for a Colors and Bottles event at Camelot Cellars because it was a great deal and a cool painting.  Shortly before that 2 other friends and I made plans to go to a class in March using Eversave vouchers that we'd bought. 

We picked the class based on our availability and which painting we liked on the website - and this one was even better because it was BYOWine.  It was held at 83 Gallery, which is a neat art gallery in the Short North near Bodega.  There were so many cool paintings on the walls that were really inspiring.  Kelley and Ashlee brought some wine and I put together some snacks (cheese, gf pretzels, and blackberries). 

My painting, minus the shadow on the bottom right

I knew ahead of time that I wasn't going to want to use the colors in the "model" paintings - purple and white.  I wanted to go with blue/green tones to match an original painting from a talented client that I used to work with - and also my first Colors and Bottles painting.  Unfortunately, the green was too "hunter" and I couldn't get the color mixed that I wanted consistently.  I tried mixing a bunch at a time, but I kept running out anyway.  So I'm not thrilled with this painting, but it's okay.  I'm also annoyed that it's so similar to my first painting - completely my fault, as I didn't follow along with the instructor in either case.  I guess the swirly waves are my "style".  I really liked Kelley's striped paiting - she actually used one of the painting hanging on the wall as inspiration, instead of the "model" painting for the class.   

My client's painting



My First C&B painting

Regardless - it was an awesome event with awesome friends (and a super-nice woman who joined our table).  I highly recommend these classes for just something different to do.  It's a great ladies-night event or date night idea.  Our husbands (fiance in Ash's case) met us at Marcella's for dinner - their gluten-free menu is REALLY good.  I had the chicken piccata and it was delicious! 

New Planet Off Grid Pale Ale

I was a major beer lover before I found out that I couldn't have gluten.  I've been able to find substitutions for almost everything with gluten - except beer (and Combos).  I've tried about 8-10 gluten free beers and so far Daura is my favorite.  I don't like Redbridge very much, but it will do in a pinch on a hot summer day - and it gets credit for being the first easy to find gluten free beer. 

New Planet has three gluten free beers: Off Grid Pale Ale, Tread Lightly Ale, and 3R Raspberry Ale.  My friend said that the 3R Raspberry Ale is gross, so I'm not going to bother with that one.  I had an Off Grid Pale Ale tonight and I'd rank it in the middle - about a 5 or 6.  It taste more like an Amber beer to me (if I remember what regular beer tastes like), but it has a bitter aftertaste like a pale ale.  It's made from sorghum and brown rice extract, and I can definitely taste the sorghum.  Gluten free beer is not "light" and this follows suit at 170 calories for a 12 oz. bottle - which is the same amount as a PINT of Guinness.  I miss Guinness so much...

March Birchbox Review!

I'm way late in reviewing March's Birchbox delivery, which is bad because I REALLY liked this box!  I didn't think February's box fit my profile very well, but March was way better.





Birchbox is a monthly subscription service for upscale beauty products.  For $10, you get a box with 4-5 generous samples including makeup, skincare, fragrance, body, and hair care. 

Wanna try Birchbox?  I'd love it if you used my referral invite: Click here
















1.  Color Club Nail Lacquer in Age of Aquarius:  I didn't think I was going to like this on my fingernails, but I went for it anyway.  It felt a little thick when I was applying the second coat, but once a topcoat was added, it looked really smooth.  I used CND Stickey as a basecoat and used various topcoats throughout the week.  I've had it on for 6 days and I've only had to touch up one nail that chipped this morning.  The color was way brighter than I usually wear on my nails and took several days for me to get used to it.  It's definitely great for a toenail color, so I'm sure I'll continue to use this throughout the spring and summer.  I'm impressed with how long it has lasted - and at $8 for a full-sized product, it's around the price I usually pay for OPI and other salon brands.







2. Harvey Prince Ageless Perfume:  I don't wear perfume all of the time, but I did like this nice fresh scent.  It wasn't too powerful or flowery/sweet.  I'll definitely use this sample, but rarely buy a larger size perfume.








 3.  Lulu Organics Lavender + Clay Sage Hair Powder:  I was incredibly excited about this because I love dry shampoo.  My hair is fine and on the oily side, so I can rarely go without washing my hair everyday, which is totally annoying (and bad for highlights).  I love having no-shower Sundays, so I used this in my hair before we went to the movies on Sunday to see Hunger Games.  While I was thrilled with the movie, I wasn't thrilled with this product.  It seemed too heavy for my fine hair, so it still felt heavy and greasy.  I think it looked okay though, so it wasn't a failure.  I did like the scent a lot.  I normally use Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo, which feels really light in my hair, and I won't be switching brands. For those with thicker hair, at $20 for a full-size product, it's a decent deal.





4.  One Love Organics Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm:  I haven't used this product yet, but I'm excited about the possibilities.  Its a two-in-one cleanser and moisturizer that can be used as a waterless cleanser with a shammy that wasn't included, so I'm not sure if a wash cloth would work the same.  It can also be used as a moisturizer or mixed with your mineral foundation for a custom cream foundation.  I hope that I don't love this, because at $68 for full-size, I can't afford it!







5. Supergoop! Sunscreen Swipes:  I've used Supergoop Sunscreen before, so I'm excited about these "Swipes".  This sunscreen is one of the few skin- and environmentally-safe sunscreens on the market.  A $40 pack of swipes is $34....a little pricey, but for a convenient, safe sunscreen, that's not too bad. 







Lifestyle Extra  Tea Forte:  These antioxidant teas are supposed to be beneficial for your skin.  I haven't tasted them yet, but I took them into work, so will probably try them soon.  At $6 for 16 bags, I probably won't purchase these unless I really love the flavors.