Influenster Love VoxBox 2012!

HELLO LOVIES!
Super excited to be doing this post for you guys! So if you have not read my previous blog post I was picked to receive the Influenster Love VoxBox. For a little more info on influenster you can read my blog post on it (click here) or visit Influenster (click here) and see if it is something that interests you. Influenster is completely free to join. So lets get onto the goodies!!!

So like I mentioned before the theme for this VoxBox is Love/Valentines Day. Although I did get this box after Valentines day it was a good theme and the products fit it to a T. So lets get onto the products!

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor-Gillette Venus & Olay are coming together to deliver a gold standard in shaving with the new Gillette Venus & Olay razor! Olay Moisture Bars help lock-in moisture to your skin, while Venus' five blade shave you close. $8.99-$10.99

This was a pretty sweet surprise! The color is a gorgeous shimmery gold and the packaging just adds the gaudiness of it all. I love Gillette for their great products that truly deliver what they claim to. Now to see them partnering with Olay is pretty awesome! On the packaging it does say that you will love it or get your money back x2! This means they are super confident in the product and that you will love it! I have not tried out the razor yet but I will and I will surely let you guys know my thoughts on it.

Kiss Nail Dress-Fashion That Sticks- Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, the ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days. Available in 18 different styles! $6.99

Yes! Finally someone who decided to do the nail stickers but sell them for cheaper! Super excited about that. The ones I received are super cute! I will say I am not a big fan of prints but these are so cute! One thing that I noticed they did different and it actually a good thing is how the shaped the nail stickers. The top part is squared off which is perfect for using on your toes and the bottom part is rounded with is ideal for fingernails. This is something that I have yet to see other brands do. The packet comes with 24 nail stickers and a nail file. I am thinking about using these next so I will post a picture soon.

Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler- This sampler features some of Stash Tea's most popular herbal teas All are naturally caffeine free and made from 100% natural ingredients. Steep for 3-5 minutes at 190-209 degrees, and enjoy! $3.50

First off I will say that I am not a big fan of tea! However I think this is one of the items I am most excited about trying out! One of my new year resolutions was to expand my palette and try out new items, so, this is one to help me out with that resolution. It comes with 16 bags of tea in 8 different flavors. The flavors are Acai Berry, Blueberry Superfruit, Chamomile, Cinnamon Apple Chamomile. Lemon Ginger, Licorice Spice, Mango Passionfruit, Peppermint, and Wild Raspberry Hibiscus. I am very very iffy on the licorice spice but I will try it out. It is a very good variety of teas and a very reasonable price. I also love the fact that it is caffeine free which is perfect for me since I am on a no caffeine "diet". I will see how this goes but I will keep you guys posted!

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion Bar- The decadently rich and creamy 32% cacao milk chocolate in Creamy Devotion delivers an epicurean chocolate experience. Experience a moment of timeless pleasure with all natural Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Chocolate. $2.99

OMG! When I saw the chocolate bar I was in heaven :) This chocolate is so delicious and creamy! I must say it is my favorite out of the entire Ghirardelli chocolate family. I was also surprised at the price. That is a very good reasonable price for a big bar of chocolate. I have nothing but good things to say about it. Along with this new Gourmet Milk Chocolate line they have one that is called The Sea Salt Escape. Sounds very delicious and different. So I will be going out and purchasing more of the chocolates in this line and trying them out and letting you guys know what I think. I also noticed that on their Facebook page they are giving out $1 off coupons (click here to get one!).

Truvia Natural Sweetener- Truvia natural sweetener is refreshingly uncomplicated. made from the best tasting part of the Stevia plant. Sprinkle this no-calorie sweetener on your grapefruit. Spoon it in your coffee. It won't end up on your conscience or your thighs! $3.99 (40 ct)

I have heard of Truvia before but have never tried it out. Guess now is the perfect chance for it, right?! I will say that their advertising does kind of bug me a little. I don't think anyone should feel guilty for enjoying a little sweets and sugar once in a while. Anything in moderation is good for you. Other than that little tiny complaint I am looking forward to trying out this product and maybe trying it in my tea. I will fill you guys in as well.


Overall I love the box! Great products and amazing new things to try! I can't complain one bit! Like I mentioned before I will be going into more detail on the products I received as I try them out and get a better feel for them, so keep checking back for that. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and will go check out the products I mentioned and check out Influenster as well.


** Disclaimer:  These products were sent to me for free to test and review from Influenster through their  VoxBox program.**

My Haircare Routine (And Mini Reviews)

HELLO LOVELIES! So this month I was super busy with work that I didn't write much of anything. Sad day! Everything is back to normal, or as normal as it will ever be. So yeah. For this post I decided I wanted to share with you my haircare routine.

A little background info on my hair before we get started it is coarse, dry, and color treated. I have breakage and split ends, and well its not the most healthy hair out there. It is shoulder length. My hair is also naturally wavy. As for my current color it is a dark brown with ombre technique using a caramel color (which needs touched up bad ). So lets get right into my hair care routine.

I like to switch around my haircare products often. I cant stick to the same one for a long period of time. Technically you want to switch up the products so that you don't get too much of one all the time. Too much protein (found in anti-breakage products) can be harmful to your hair. Even using too much moisturizing products are harmful.

CLEANSING:

I like to wash my hair every other day. You don't want to wash your hair daily because you will be stripping your hair of daily essential natural oils that it produces. These natural oils help your hair grow, shine, and stay healthy. Currently for my daily shampoo I am using the TRESemmé Anti-Breakage shampoo. I chose this product line because I have some of their other hair care items and thought I would give their shampoo a try. I am not completely in love with the shampoo but I don't hate it either. Sure it cleanses my hair but I don't feel the anti-breakage part of the shampoo working. Seems to me like it does not have enough protein in it to strengthen my hair. I ended up purchasing a big bottle of it so as soon as I am out of it I will be switching to something that helps a little bit more. Before using TRESemmé I was using Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo. It was a super gentle cleanser and it left my hair smelling clean and fresh. I did feel it moisutrized my hair. Like I mentioned before, I like to try out new products.

I also use a clarifying shampoo twice a month or less, depending on how my hair feels. A clarifying shampoo is good to remove the hair of build up of products and impurities. Bonus of it is that if you have an oily scalp this shampoo helps control it over time. I have been loving Paul Mitchell's Shampoo Two. For the blonde hair women out there that go swimming and their hair turns greenish Paul Mitchell also has a Shampoo Three that is perfect for that. Shampoo Two is okay to use every other day or even once a week but I prefer twice a month. Once again I don't want to strip my hair of its natural oils. It leaves my hair feeling super clean and lightweight. It does not weigh my hair down at all. Best of all I enjoy the lemony scent of it!

Now onto my conditioner. Usually people like to pair moisture with moisture, color treated with color treated but I like to mix them up. For my conditioner I am using another TRESemmé product. I am using their Remoisturize Conditioner from their Classic Care line. Once again I am not too happy with this conditioner. It makes my hair feel waxy and super oily. I made the big mistake of buying this in a bigger size as well so I am just waiting to finish it up to switch it up. When something claims it remoisturizes it should not make your hair feel waxy. Soft and silky is ok but waxy is a big no no! Before this conditioner I was a huge fan of Paul Mitchell The Detangler. If you ladies are fans of teasing your hair but don't like the whole washing out process because it may still be super tangled, try this baby out. You don't need a lot of product to detangle the most tangled of hairs. It lets your comb glide through your hair and leave hair super silky soft. I love this conditioner!

HAIR MASKS & DEEP CONDITIONER:
I will say I use to be super good about doing a deep conditioning every month and a hair mask too, but recently it has been whenever I find time for it.

All my hair masks are D.I.Y. masks. I have several recipes from family members. My most used one is blending one egg with mayo. Sounds disgusting but this recipe is perfect for moisturizing hair. Great if you have super dry and brittle hair. Just leave it on for 15 to 30 mins and wash it out. My other favorite hair mask is a honey and avocado mask this is another moisturizing hair mask.

For deep conditioner I have been using and really enjoying the Joico K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor. This was recommended to me by a fellow cosmetologist. She uses it religiously and swears it helps strengthen her hair. I have really been enjoying how conditioning it is. I cant really speak much on the strengthening part because I have not tried this product all by its self, as in not putting in more products in my hair after I use this. I put this in my hair while in the shower and leave it in for 5 to 10 minutes. The steam from the shower helps it penetrate the hair shaft better i feel.

STYLING PRODUCTS:
This is where I kind of cocktail lots of products together. I love love mixing products! I have quite a few things that I use in my hair to help with various issues my hair has.

Once my hair is towel dried I like to spray in a leave-in conditioner. This works as a detangling spray as well. I have been using Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-in Conditioner Spray. It smells amazing! It was one of the only leave-in conditioners that I found that had ingredients that truly do help your hair. To me it was the closest thing to natural that I was able to find and I love it. I only do 3 to 4 sprays.

Next step is to apply my hair oil to my split ends. I have tried the morrocan oil from the brand MorrocanOil and from Organix. I cant really say I complain of either of them really. However I didn't feel I was getting the full effect. Morrocan Argan oil is great for damaged hair, gives shine, strengthens and nourishes hair, and it helps prevent hair from frizzing. Like I mentioned before I felt like neither on of the products was helping out with the full list of things it was suppose to help out with. In one of my Birchboxes (my first one) I received a small sample of a hair oil. I tried it out and it has been working amazingly for me! I have even purchased the full size one and I am not even done with my sample size. The sample size had even spilt in the box, so I was out 1/4th of the product to start with and I just hit the half way mark of that small bottle, and this was in December! So my favorite hair oil is the Amika Obliphica Oil Treatment. This baby smells amazing! Very very floral but not overpowering at all. Makes applying it enjoyable. This oil treatment has morrocan oil in it along with vitamin C. I apply this only to my split ends because they need a lot of love! I take a small amount, probably a pea size if not smaller, into the palm of my hands, rub my hands together and spread it evenly from the middle of my hair strands to the ends, focusing mainly on the ends. Whatever is left over on my palm I put on the rest of my hair, avoiding the roots of course. I absolutely love this product! My only complaint is that there is no pump to dispense the product so you have to be careful when you pour the oil into your hands.

Finally before I blow dry my hair ( if I decide to) or before any heat touching my hair I use a heat protection spray. This is very very important if you curl your hair, blow dry it, or flat iron it. Any sort of heat that touches your hair can damage it if you don't apply the proper hair care product to it. For the past year or more I have been a fan of the TRESemmé Instant Heat Tamer Spray. It is super inexpensive and a great dupe for the Chi 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray. I like to spray this all over my hair and once again I focus on the tips of my hair. I usually do 2 to 4 sprays. I then use a wide tooth comb (detangling comb) to comb it through so that my hair is covered evenly. I then proceed to style my hair how I want.

NO WASH DAY PRODUCTS

So for my dirty hair days I have a dry shampoo from TRESemmé as well to help clean my hair a little. I like to use the TRESemmé Dry Shampoo in both formulas, for straight hair and for curly hair. There are days that I don't want to flat iron my hair at all so I will use this to give my natural wavy hair a boost. For days that I want to keep my hair straight and just retouch I will use to dry shampoo for straight hair. The formula for straight hair is an aerasol bottle. Just shake the can vigoursly before every spray. Leave it in for about 2 minutes and with a brush brush it through. For the curly formula it is a foam type. So just dispense a dime size amount and distribute through hair evenly. With a towel gently remove any excess product and oil/dirt from your hair.

So that is my daily/every other day routine! Long, I know, but I love my hair and I want to keep in semi decent. What do you guys use on your hair? Any products you absolutely love?

XO,

Espy

REVIEW: Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer

HELLO LOVIES! Hope all of you are doing fabulous! So here I am again w another product review that was just recently released. I purchased mine from Ulta about a month ago or so. I have been trying it out every day since and finally feel ready to do a review. So lets get right to it!

WHAT IT IS:
A face primer that neutralizes redness and brightens skin tone.


THEY DESCRIBE IT AS:
"new multi-tasking face primer intuitively adjust to smooth and soften skin while correcting skin's most common problem with visible color correcting strands. Green ribbons neutralize redness, while swirls of lavender pigments even out and brighten skin tone. Imperfections are diffused and skin is up to 265% more hydrated. This lightweight, non-oily formula works for all skin types but is specifically formulated for sensitive skin. Wear alone for a flawless finish or underneath foundation for the first step to perfected skin."

MY OPINION:
I must say I had some really high hopes for this face primer. So first off the packaging is great! I love the fact that it comes with a pump which makes for easy dispensing of the product. The look of the helix coil of the two shades is pretty eye catching. Kind of reminded me of Stila's One Step Correct.

So getting past the nice design lets get into what the product does for you. At first glance you would think that it would do what it claims to do, correct and perfect. However that is not the case at all. When you apply the primer it does not reduce or neutrilize any redness. I feel like after I apply it I still have the same amount of redness, no more no less. I also do not see any brightening of my skin. Just looks normal. To be honest I think my morning face wash brightens my face more than this primer. The primer is lightweight and do not feel oily at all.

When applied it makes my face feel super soft. Still that is not what I was expecting when I purchased this primer. I also noticed that it does have a smell to it. I cant quite describe it but I will say that to some of you it may not be too pleasant. To me is smells almost the same way that my Laura Mercier face primer smells. In conclusion this is just a face primer. It does not do anything it claims to do.

RATING:
*Product: 3 out of 5
*Packaging: 5 out of 5
*Quality: 1 out of 5
*Would I buy again?: No, the packing is great and it works well as just a primer but does not do anything it claims to do.
*Price: $13.99
*Where to buy: Ulta or any drugstore

Influenster VoxBox

Hey lovies! I am so excited to share with you that I have been preselected to try out the products for Influenster's Love VoxBox! This will be my first VoxBox I receive and I can not wait! For those of you that have not heard of Influenster or the VoxBox's here is the breakdown:

Influenster is a community of people that love to try new products, give feedback and spread the word about the stuff they love. You sign up (which is completely free) and earn badges that give Influenster a little insight of you. The badges range from following Influenster on social media sites (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter), to personal lifestyle preferances (dog/cat lover, outdoorsy, makeup lover, etc). To me the badges replace the questionnaire monthly subscription boxes make you fill out. Those badges then give you the chance to be selected to receive a free VoxBox with new products for you to try out. You get the chance to try these products and give your feedback to the community and to Influenster. The more you share the better the chances are for you to possibly get selected for the next VoxBox.

Once again all of this is FREE! This is ideal for those that have a very social lifestyle online and off. So if this is you, I would consider joining. Like I said before I am super excited to be selected for this months VoxBox and cant wait to share the goodies with all of you! Visit Influenster (click here) and see what it is all about! I must say that it is absolutely amazing!

Hope this is informative and like usual I will let you guys know and share what products I received in the Love VoxBox! Have a wonderful week and hope everyone Valentines Day was AMAZING!


XOXO,
Espy

NOTW: Zoya Carey

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."~ Anne Frank

HELLO LOVIES! I am finally back and ready to get started on my new blogging schedule. A couple of days after posting my new blog ideas and what not I ended up getting sick and I am barely getting over it. Not trying to make excuses but I am wanting to let you all know what was going on.

SO! For this Nail of the week look I decided to keep it simple and pastel! I have recently started loving pastel colors more than usual. I ordered 3 Zoya polishes from Birchbox since at that time they were offering free shipping and I had never tried Zoya polishes but had heard great things about them. This is one of the colors that I purchased. I believe it is from their Fall/Winter Collection.

I must say I absolutely LOVE this color! It is a perfect pastel purple color. I would say it is lavendar but it seems to have more of the grey to it. The picture is with 2 coats of product. I love the formula of it, it was just the perfect consistancy. Drying time was about 2 minutes, which is not too bad. I think this is the perfect color for this time of the year, its not winter but not spring quite yet, its in between.

I would recommend this to anyone that is into the pastel colors or wants a totally different hue of purple. LOVE!



Love,

Espy

Nail of the Week (NOTW)

"Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic."~ Rosalind Russell

Hello lovelies! I am so excited since this is the very first nail of the week post of this year! 

As you can probably tell from the picture this is a Sephora by OPI polish. The color is Mash Up. This specific color is from the Glee collection Sephora had for Spring 2011. I don't think they still carry it since it was limited edition but some stores may have it in stock still. 

The color itself is a silvery, greenish, purple duo-chrome.  I did find it to be fairly sheer but still gorgeous. This is one of the pictures where you could see the range of colors this polish gives and once again it is absolutely GORGEOUS! 

Like I mentioned before this is a fairly sheer color. In my pictures I only applied two coats of polish. If you want a fuller coverage three would be perfect. The consistency of the polish is perfect! Its not too thick and not too runny. It applies evenly so streaking will not be a problem. 

The price of the polish was $9.50 for a .5 fl oz bottle. This is not bad if you compare it to other polishes out there that can cost up to $20. I absolutely love the color and the fact that it is subtle enough to wear to work or a date and still fun to wear on a night out with friends. If you can still get your hands on it I would totally recommend getting it. Its so worth it :)

What polish are you currently sporting? Post a picture or comment below. Take care lovelies! 

Love,

Espy <3

January 2012 Birchbox & MyGlam Bag!

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness"~Maria Mitchell

Hello beauties! So excited to be posting this today! I want to apologize for posting this late. I want to do a post for both beauty boxes instead of individual posts. Even though both are sent on the 10th of the month I do live on the west coast and they are not shipped at the exact same time. Therefore I will be a little late in the posting thing, unlike others who receive their beauty boxes in a couple of days. So my apologies before hand.

So a little bit of information about both of these beauty boxes. Both of these beauty boxes are a monthly subscription of $10.00. With this you also have the option to cancel at any time. You can buy an annual subscription if you would like and I believe they both offer a month or two free. They get shipped following the magazine schedule, the 10th of every month. You fill out a beauty profile that lets them know a little bit about your skin, hair, and beauty needs in general. This helps the companies pick out what samples best suit you. In both boxes you get 4 to 5 deluxe size samples or even full size products. Every month the credit card on file will get charged if you do the monthly subscription.

Birchbox likes to send samples to cover all areas of beauty: makeup, nails, skin care, hair care, and even snacks. Birchbox also likes to set a theme to the monthly boxes, which is very neat. I guess I should say that their products always come in a box with their logo on it, just so everyone knows. Also the box that surrounds the box you get (yes a box inside of a box) on the label says what box you received. I think you can get one of 15 or something like that. In your box they provide a card explaining why they picked that specific theme. On the back of the card you have all the products you received listed, with a description, and the price of the full size item. Birchbox also likes to includes a little extra surprise, which I have noticed, is always a snack of some kind. Sometimes in the boxes you will get discount codes but for that month if you purchase anything that you received in your box full sized you do get free shipping, which is pretty sweet. On the website they have a one stop shop to purchase any item you received in your current or previous boxes. Every dollar you spend in the Birchbox Store equal one Birchbox point. Every 100 points you earn turn into $10 to spend in the Birchbox store. There are many other ways to earn points which include reviewing the items you received in your box (10 pts), getting friends to sign up for Birchbox (50 pts), even giving a Birchbox as a gift gets you points! Simple, right?!

MyGlam Bag is all cosmetics. So far they have only sent out 2 boxes since they just got started in November. With MyGlam you receive 4 to 5 products, sample or full size. All these goodies come in a cute makeup bag, which is an amazing idea. Along with the products you get a description card, somewhat similar to Birchbox, and discount codes from the companies featured in the bag. As far as themes go, I am not sure if it will be a constant thing. This month it seemed to have a theme to follow, which is neat, but like I said I am not sure if it will be a continuous thing. With MyGlam everyone is currently receiving the same products but maybe the shade may very. I think that this is due to the fact that they are so new they are building up their stock and the companies that they are associated with. So far with MyGlam I have recognized every brand they put in their bags, unlike Birchbox where some of the brands I have never heard of. Once again this might be due to the fact that MyGlam just started. They do not have an online store or point system like Birchbox, which I have to say is the only thing I kind of wish they had.

Both of these monthly subscriptions are amazing. You get to try out stuff that you may not normally want to try or maybe from companies you have never heard of.

Birchbox:

This months theme for Birchbox is Clarity. Nice theme since its a new year and with new year new resolutions and of course time to clear the mind and body. For those of you wondering the box I received was box 7. So lets get right into what I received in my Birchbox for this month and my thoughts on the items. 

Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap- Laced with good-for-you pomegranate extracts, this triple-milled soap smells divine and leaves skin feeling clean, not stripped. Full size (6.9 oz) $12.50

OMG! This soap smells absolutely amazing! When I first took my box out of the shipping box I could already smell it. Wow! It has the pomegranate smell along with some other citrus smells. Very tropical I think. The sample size that I received is 1.8 oz which comes up to approximately a $3.26 value. It is a really good sized sample if you ask me. I have really never heard of the brand before, let alone the product. I absolutely love it that I am going to purchase this item full size, well whenever Birchbox has it back in stock.

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream-Dull skin no more, thanks to the glycolic acid in this exfoliating moisturizer. The gentle tingle means its working. Full size (1.7 fl oz) $115

This is the most expensive item I received in my box. I did apply this on the back of my hand and it is very smooth and soft. It has a very clean smell to it, kind of smells like baby powder. When I was reading the description I had to stop and think if I have ever used or tried a moisturizer that also exfoliates and I must say that this will be the first. On the instructions on the jar it does say to not apply to red or peeling skin, which I think is due to the glycolic acid. It also recommends to be applied twice daily and apply SPF over that. Although the jar did not have a weight on it I am guesstimating it is about $4. Would I purchase this? I honestly don't think so. That is a very steep price to pay for a 1.7 oz jar. My current moisturizer for the same size bottle cost under $40 and that to me was expensive. So I will have to pass on the product but will use it very sparingly.

Juicy Couture Juicy Couture-Juicy's signature fragrance is a blend of sweet floral notes. Sophisticated and feminine, it's perfect for day or night. Full size: 1.7 oz $69 or 3.4 oz $89

No need to say it, but I am a big Juicy Couture fan! I love love love all their fragrances, specially Peace, Love, and Juicy. This was a pleasant surprise though. I love perfume samples because you can just put it in your purse and go or, in my case, keep one in you car for those days that you need an extra spritz of smell good stuff. The sample size I received was a .05 fl oz which is an estimated value (and I am going off the 1.7 oz bottle price) of about $2.03. I am considering purchasing some of these amazing perfumes in the near future.

stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner- It's time to put down the black liner. This colorful pigment makes eyes stand out and stay put for hours. Full size (0.01 oz) $20

This was an amazing and wonderful surprise! Not only does Stila make amazing, long lasting and creamy liners but this was FULL SIZE! This was an item that was included in every Birchbox, unless you were a new member. Everyone got a different color. The color I received is Blue Ribbon. It seems to be a gray or slate color and has a blue sheen to it. Very gorgeous. It is dark enough to wear on a daily basis but also light enough to just get a little pop of color. The staying power on these eye liners is amazing! I already own a Stila Smudgeproof eyeliner in Peacock and love the quality of them. Of course since it was full size there is no estimated value. It is $20 for sure! I will purchase more of these amazing eye liners as needed :)

Larabar Mini Bar-you wont find any artificial fillers in these natural bars: just dried fruits, nuts, and other wholesome ingredients. They're as tasty as they are healthy. Full size (12 mini) $14.95

This little yummy bar was the Lifestyle Extra in the box. The flavor I received was Chocolate Chip Brownie. I have seen these bars before at my local Co-Op and have been intrigued but never purchased a box of them. After trying this deliciousness I must say I am definitely going to purchase it! It had some nuts in it along with a few raisins. I am a chocolate lover so these minis are a great idea. Not only are they healthy but have just the perfect amount of chocolate. The estimated value of this mini bar is $1.25. Like I mentioned before I will definitely purchase this soon and try it in other flavors.

So my total Birchbox value was about $30.54. Not bad!

MyGlam Bag:

I am so excited because this is my first MyGlam bag! This month they had a theme which is Back to Nature. Once again a great theme for me, since my goal is to try to go green as much as possible. It also helps us learn about more eco-friendly products out there. The makeup bag feels like canvas, which is nice. At the bottom it has a little bit of detail with some leaves. It has the MyGlam logo and then also says on the top Back to Nature. Cute, right?! Also included in the bag was a card from some of the companies in the MyGlam bag with special offers and discounts. Now onto the products.

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer- A unique pigment and mineral complex that provides full coverage with a sheer,  flawless finish. Full size (.05 fl oz) $29

So I have heard of Sheer Cover but I have not tried out their products yet, so this concealer is a good way to start. Upon receiving the product I decided to kind of do a swatch and test it out. The consistency of it is super creamy and seems to have great coverage. The sample I received is in Light/Medium. I want to say that Sheer Cover does have other color combos. This seems to be a little to light for me but the colors are intermixable so you can custom make your shade. The sample I received is the full size which is pretty good considering the price of the full size item. This made it into their themed bag due to the fact that Sheer Cover is a mineral based makeup company. I guess my only complaint is that the colors were not customized to the subscriber, but I can live with this :) I can not say now if I will purchase it since there are a lot of other concealers I own that I like so I will have to update you all on this.

Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner- A single-step hair cleansing conditioner made with natural ingredients. It won't strip hair and scalp of natural oils and leaves hair thick and hydrated. Full size (16 fl oz) $36

Once again another product I have heard of but never tried. This cleansing conditioner smells amazing. I can definitely smell the mint in it. I have not used it yet but already received a threat from my husband who said he may just steal this from me. Wen makes products with out any detergents or sulfates. This means the product has no additives or fillers that make it foam and make the cleanser gentle enough to use on any hair type and will not strip hair. I am pretty excited to try this product since it is made with out sulfates and its gentle on the hair. With Wen you usually have to use a large amount of product so I am not sure if with the deluxe sample I will see any immediate results. The deluxe sample size I received is 2 fl oz, which brings this to a value of $4.50. Not bad, right? I would love to purchase this item but if both my husband and I use it it could be very very expensive so this one I will have to think through.

Freeman cucumber Facial Peel-Off Masque & Sachets- Nourish, hydrate, and replenish with these peel-off masks that leave skin with a gorgeous glow. Full size (6 fl oz) $8 (or $4-$5 if purchased at a drugstore)

This product I already own so this is not a new item to me. This was not a sample size at all, it was the full size item, which is great! Freeman offers different scents for the peels and mine was the cucumber one.  I love the smell of it. It is a great and inexpensive peel that works on all skin types. You just have to apply a thin even layer to the entire face (avoiding hair and eye area) let it dry for about 10 to 15 minutes and peel. When you peel it off you can actually see the impurities that come off your face. It leaves my face feeling very soft, clean, and gives it that glow back. I absolutely recommend this to anyone. What makes this a green product is that it is Cruelty Free since it does not test on animals and it is full of botanical ingredients. Now as far as value goes I can tell you right now that it is cheaper buying it from a drugstore than online because I only paid $4 for mine. I will, however, go with the price quoted on the card. No need to purchase another on since I just received my back up :)

theBalm Cosmetics Hot Ticket Nail Polish- Long lasting, eye-popping shades to flatter and transform your fingers and toes. Full size (0.5 fl oz) $10

Now this is the one item that I know varied in all the bags. You either received the polish or the Shady Lady. I, of course, received the polish and the color is in I'll Pink To That.  theBalm is not a unknown product to me. I love their highlighter Mary Lou Manizer, and well all their products are great. The style of the art on them kind of seems to follow the Pin Up Girl style, somewhat similar to Benefit Cosmetics. So yes, absolutely love the polish. It is the perfect bubblegum pink and look forward to using this, specially for the summer. Once again another full size item! Nice!!! I may purchase more of theBalm polishes since I am a polish lover. It kind of depends on how well this wears.

So the total value of MyGlam bag for this month is: $51.50 (this is not including the makeup bag)


Overall I am very pleased with both of my box/bag. The value is way more than the $10 I pay and that is a major plus for me. I am excited to see what next months box/bag brings. Stay gorgeous lovelies!


xoxo,
Espy <3



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