Hooray! My April Julep Maven box arrived early this month. For this months style I switched from my usual bombshell box to the boho glam style because I love blue and orange!
This months collection is all about brights! I loved the collection photos. Julep has also added a new maven style called the modern maven. This box doesn't include polish but has extra products. They released a nail strengthening serum and also a dry shampoo!
My boho glam box was stuffed with goodies!
This box included Julep Lena, Julep Kaylen, the new Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum and rock candy!!!
Julep Lena is a teal blue filled with gold shimmer that really comes to life in sunlight. The formula was great on this one and the coverage is veryyyyy nice! I used two coats but its almost a one coater. However, warning on this one...staining alert! When I removed this polish my cuticles were dyed green! I don't even want to think of what might happen I didn't use a base coat. Base coat is a necessity with this polish!
Julep Kaylen is described on julep.com as a neon orange creme. The neon pigment is very bright! But, I was slightly let down when I was it wasn't much of a creme. Even with three coats you can still see the visible nail line. This polish dries to a rubbery finish because of the neon. The formula is interesting. I can' of any other polish like this but the sheerness does kinda bother me. I'm on the fence about this one!
The product in this month is Juleps Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum. Julep suggests you apply their serum everyday on the naked nail or cuticles for two weeks to strengthen them and help prevent peeling. I can't wait to see how it works. Full review of this in a few days after I get to see it's effects!
To try a Julep Maven box for FREE go to this link and sign up for their maven program by taking the Julep style quiz. At checkout use the code FREEBOX and your first box will be free! After that you can keep the free box and cancel the subscription or you can continue to get a box of polish and products every month to your doorstep for $19.99. You can't lose!
I qualified for the Influenster Sugar and Spice Voxbox! I've gotten a few voxboxes before and I always have a lot of fun with them.
The size of this box surprised me when it arrived at my door. It was much larger than previous boxes.
Wow! Full size products! I was very excited. The box contains a sample belVita breakfast biscuits, Colgate Optic White toothpaste, Colgate Optic White mouth wash, Colgate Optic White toothbrush, Vaseline Spray & Go moisturizer, Dickinson's Which Hazel oil controlling towelettes and Nectresse, a no calorie sweetener.
In past Voxboxes I've gotten mostly sample sizes and four or five at a time. This box has six full size products and one sample! Influenster is really stepping up their game. :)
First I tried the Colgate trio. I love that they included three products that can be used together! I opened my Optic White toothbrush and have been using it twice a day along with my Optic White tooth paste and mouthwash (all in sparkling mint flavor). I just finished using my Whitening Lightning tooth kit so I want to make sure my pearly whites stay bright. I really like the toothpaste, it foams up nicely and the toothbrush has a built in gum cleaner on the back of the brush.
It has a nice massaging feeling. The mouth wash is alcohol free but still very strong! Sometimes I have a hard time keeping it swishing for the full 30 seconds. I feel like this is a good sign it is working great! I love the trio and will probably continue purchasing these products when I'm out.
I'm loving everything in my box so far but Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel oil controlling towelettes is where I had a dislike. :( The box opens to reveal individually wrapped towelettes (20 per carton). To test them out I threw a bunch of the little packets in my gym bag. After working out I opened up the packet which was easy with a small tear incision. I wiped it over my face and arms to clean up and cool off before going home. I really like how the wipes make my skin feel. It is a clean without being dehydrated and leaves my skin feeling soft. However, as soon as I opened the packet this overwhelming smell hit me. I've decided it is a mix of black licorice and alcohol. Like if I went to a bar, and ordered black licorice vodka shot, that is what these wipes smell like. The smell is so overpowering for me I just don't think I could every buy these again after my test box runs out. If you like black licorice then definitely try these out! I just can't get over the smell.
Nectresse is a natural no calorie sweetener from the makers of Splenda. This sweetener comes from monk fruit and this box contains 40 packets. One paket is the equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar. So far I've used it in tea. The sweetness is very light and isn't overpowering or fake tasting. I definitely like that it comes from a natural source and isn't a manufactured fake sweetener. I've been trying to eat clean recently and have been using Truvia, another natural no calories sweetner. So far I think that Truvia and Nectresse are pretty similar. I am going to try a recipe for apple chips where you slice thin pieces of apple and bake them in the oven. I wills sprinkle some Nectresse and cinnamon over the top and let you know how they taste!
Now my favorite! Vaseline Spray & Go moisturizer is a non-greasy, total moisture spray that is advertised to moisturize in seconds so you can put your clothes right on afterwards. I like to moisturize with lotion after I shower to keep my skin hydrated. Usually I spend several minutes after my shower dispensing greasy lotion on my hands and rubbing it all over my legs and arms. Vaseline Spray & Go is a GOD SEND! The aerosol can dispensens the moisturizer very quickly and easily in a mist. Once its on rub it once or twice to massage it in and you are golden! It isn't greasy or sticky like mannnny lotions can be and I really can throw my pajamas on afterwards without feeling like a greased pig. I have been using this after every shower and I am definitely, definitely purchasing this after my bottle runs out. It makes my before bed routine fun, clean, quick and easy. Here is a video of the Vine I made showcasing Vaseline Spray & Go moisturizer.
Picture credit to belVita....because I ate mine as soon as I got it X_X
Finally are the belVita Breakfast Biscuits. I have seen belVita before in the store but never actually tried it. I got one biscuit packet in cinnamon brown sugar. There are four biscuits in each packet. I ate them straight out of the wrapping and they were great! I have so many ideas. You could crumble it up and put it in your cereal, grab it on the go, spread some peanut butter between two biscuits for a quick snack. The possibilities are endless and delicious! As a plus belVita breakfast biscuits include 18-20 grams of whole grain, 3 grams of dietary fiber and are a good source of four B vitamins and iron. With my clean eating I think this could be a great product to invest in!
Please note, this item was sent for review and is based on my honest, individual opinion.
Today I have swatches from Polish Me To Go! These polishes are glow in the dark and also react to black light. Each swatch is shown in regular light, black light and then the dark!
Pinky Promise is a pastel pink perfect for spring. In black light it appears neon and in the dark it has a faint glow.
Yell, Oh Mint! is a pastel yellow. This is a pretty color on the nail and faintly glows neon under black light. In the dark it grows a vibrant green!
Oh Cool Blue is a pastel blue. Under black light it appears more neon and in the dark it glows a beautiful teal!
Lucky Me! is a neon orange. This one had a little bit of clumping from pigment in the formula which got in the way. Under black light these really reached brightly and in the dark they glowed strong.
Orange You Glad? is a neon orange. No formula problems here! Under black light they were very bright but these one was a bit of a let down in the dark. The glow was extremely faint.
Like Grapes? is a neon purple. I had some pigments in here again that clumped. In black light there is a strong purple reaction and in the dark there is a deep violet glow that was hard to pick up on camera.
I had the most pigment problems with I'm So Blue. This really clumped up for me :( Under black light I got a neon reaction and it glowed blue in the dark.
To show some of what you can do with these I created a three color tribal using Like Grapes?, Orange You Glad? and Lucky me!
In the dark they glow bright and strong and give an awesome effect!
My Ipsy glam bag is here! I cannot get over how cute this months theme is, they pulled it off beautifully! Something was up with my camera because all my pictures came out strange. Hopefully I'll fix it by next post!
This months theme is The Great Escape. How cute is the nautical print bag they included this month!? It is giving me manicure ideas ;) This may be one of my favorite bags to date. All the products this month fit inside perfectly.
Here they are! I got a Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist, two Yaby eyeshadows in Sand Dune and Vein, a GlamRX magnetic palette and a pack of LA Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. Everything you need for on the go beauty!
The GlamRX case is about the size of a credit card. It is adorably pink. Inside is a mirror on the inside of the flap and a well to place eye shadows or other makeup on the go, but more on that later.
My Yaby eyeshadows are a sandy nude in Sand Dune and a teal in Vein. I really like both of these colors. They are matte and I will definitely be using them in the future.
Now for the fun part! I placed my eye shadow tins on the magnetic palette and they stick! I'm holding them vertical and they are staying put very nicely. You could also fit a small blush or bronzer, basically anything you need for a makeup touch up on the go. How is this not in every girls purse by now? Genius! I also now have a way to house all the mini Coastal Scent eye shadows Ipsy has sent me in previous bags.
I also got LA Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. I tried these out when I got home and they worked pretty will for a quick freshen up. It didn't remove the hard to reach makeup like eyeliner and mascara that my Lush Superbalm face wash gets but this is easy and portable to have on hand.
Finally is the Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. At first I thought this was for hair but after reading the bottle I found out it is a face spritzer. This is a toner and hydrator that you can spray on your skin. I will definitely be trying this out.
Blek, I am sorry for these terrible pictures. I may have to switch cameras until I figure out what is wrong!
Today I'm delving into a beauty review! I was lucky enough to get to try out the Dial A Smile Whitening kit from Whitening Lightning. If you want to skip to the bottom be sure to check out my discount code to get this kit at a huge steal!
The kit comes beautifully packaged in a neat black box. This kit has three whitening treatments that you can complete in 20 minutes per treatment and claims that it will brighten your teeth 4-7 shades per treatment. It is a fantastic kit for smokers, wine enthusiast coffee lovers or teens that have just gotten their braces off. Or you could just be like me who wants a little tooth whitening touch up at home without going to the dentist and paying loads of money.
Upon first look everything included is held in the box well in insert spaces.
On top of the box was a Whitening Lightning tooth shade chart, three Oral Brush Up cleaning teeth wipes and the instructional booklet that easily walks you through the whitening process.
Also included are a brush to apply gel, a small capsule to hold the whitening gel while you are applying, a syringe filled with three treatments of gel, three q tips filled with vitamin E and a blue light activator that will get the gel going.
First I used the cleaning brush up to rub my teeth clean and dry. Next I cracked the Vitamin E swab and applied it to my gums and the inside of my lips. I squeezed the gel out into the holding well and used the brush to apply it to my teeth. Since this was the first time I was using it, it was warm and a little bit difficult to apply. The remains of the gel are stored in the fridge and when I used it the second and third time it was much easier to apply after refrigeration. After that I was good to go and ready for the blue light! It comes with the battery already inserted so you just have to unscrew it and turn it on. The light can be used hands free for activities or you can hold it.
After 20 minutes of the blue light voila! Just brush off the gel by brushing your teeth and you're done! I was worried mainly about sensitivity. Because of some events in my past I don't have a lot of enamel on my teeth and I am prone to sensitivity. However, I had no issues with this kit any of the three times I used it. I felt a tingling sensation but nothing painful, just an 'its working' tingle.
Here are my results after the second treatment. My teeth on the right are before any treatments and my teeth on the left are after two! I noticed such a difference I didn't even really think I needed the third treatment. From the tooth whitening scale included in the kit I'd say I went from a 7 or 8 to a 4, maybe even a 3!
Just for good measure I used the third treatment a week later. My final smile is gorgeous! I can see a definite difference in brightness and just look at this final picture versus the before picture above! I'm excited with this product! I would recommend this and will be returning to Whitening Lightning when I feel my teeth are in need of a little sprucing up.
Whitening Lightning's Dial A Smile kit is usually $400. :( But good news! I have a special discount code that will bring the Dial A Smile kit down to only $69 for a total steal. At checkout just use the code 'glitterkit' and your price will be reduced. I've seen whitening strip kits at the drug store for around the same price which I have tried. They definitely don't hold a candle to Whitening Lightning.
Today I am swatching three beauties from Nail Polish Couture. I got Sunshine on a Cloudy day, Taylor and Galaxy.
First I swatched Sunshine on a Cloudy Day in three coats on my naked nail. The formula is sheer and will show through to the naked nail so it would be best with another color underneath to amp up the color or accentuate. This would also be a great polish for a jelly sandwich effect. A light shimmer highlights the polish and really catches the sun.
To get the best most out of this beautiful color I laid a base coat of Ruby Wing Birdie, a lemon yellow that changes color in UV light. I topped Birdie with two coats of Sunshine on a Cloudy Day to give it the beautiful shimmer that is so gorgeous about this polish. For some nail art I added white stripes on the duel accent nails and painted some rosettes along the tip. Such a perfect spring look!
Taylor is a beautiful deep red in the bottle. One the nail in three coats there is a slightly sheer bright crimson that shows through to the nail a bit. However in warmer temperatures this polish will fade to an extremely sheer lightest pink. This thermal changes very fast! You can see in the lower pictures that the tips of my nails are already fading to dark red. There are so many possibilities with this polish, it is exciting!
To show some of what you can do with this polish in a peekaboo manicure I layered a special surprise mani with two coats of Nail Polish Coutures Taylor. In cool temperature you see the deep red only with a few hints of darker glitters but it hides almost everything. Underneath that I dipped this same manicure in hot water. The red melted away to reveal my red glitter gradient with a cute red heart on the ring finger. For the full mani I used two layers of Zoya Purity and Deborah Lippmann's Do You Think I'm Sexy? for the red glitters. How fun!
Next up is Galaxy. This is a sheer charcoal base full of holographic shimmer. On the nail in three coats it was very sheer so I would sugest this one as a topper to accentuate any manicure.
I used two coats of Zoya Raven followed by two coats of Nail Polish Couture's Galaxy. Lastly I added some gold round studs from Polish Me To Go's online store while the nails were still wet. My black polish got a really beautiful look with the silver holographic on top and it went along beautifully with the studs.
Overall these are some nice polishes. They are all very sheer so plan on using them with an undercoat or other colors. All the formulas were very nice! Taylor had some slight, very small pigment clumps but they were only visible when the nails were hot and turned pink. Taylor was amazing with it's color changing beauty and very versatile so that would have to be my favorite! Followed by Galaxy and Sunshine on a Cloudy Day tying for second.
For the month of March use the code 10POFFA on Nail Polish Coutures website to get 10% off your entire order!
