My new favorite

Ok so I haven't posted in awhile sorry for not keeping you all in the loop. But... today I got something in the mail so amazing I had to take pics and post before opening anything...even though it is tempting me as I type. I just received my julep maven box for july. When I opened it I noticed there were multiple cards telling me about all the different boxes of the month instead of just my selected box. I immediately started thinking about how they must be cutting back on quality control. This was until I flipped through them to see one that stated I had won the golden box! It's a promo they run monthly where you can win all the style boxes they have given that month, in your box. And literally the box is gold! So for my $20 that would have gotten me 3 polishes and the bonus for 4th of july... I have about 12 different polishes and 4 matching lip glosses. I want to try them all. I am immediately going to remove my 2 day old polish I'm wearing and test them out. The consistency of their polishes is creamy, goes on smooth and doesn't chip easily. I love them so much. This just made my week!

DR. SCHOLL’S FOR HER - BALL OF FOOT PADS

OK so another product I received from the Spring Beauty voxbox was the DR. SCHOLL’S FOR HER - BALL OF FOOT PADS. I loved how soft the material was when I took the insoles out of the package. And they were easy to apply to shoes as I decided on what pair to wear with my outfit. Although the were soft and cushioned the bottom of my foot it created another issue for my feet. I wear my shoes with little extra space, especially pumps so they don't go flying off my feet when I walk. But, this made the top of my foot press into the top of my shoes and made my feet go numb even while sitting down eating dinner. I ended up having to take my shoes off halfway through the meal to alleviate the feeling so I'd be able to wear them back home. I wish they were somewhat slimmer with the same amount of cushion and support provided. I realistically don't know if that would be possible. And this is the first issue I've ever had with this brand's products. Perhaps I could try them with a looser pair of shoes of sneakers which would almost defeat the point of extra padding in that area of the foot!

Sally hansen nail effects

So I got my spring influenster Vox box a little over a week ago and it had some great products inside! The first product I used was the sally hansen nail strips. I have used them before and have liked them and I received the lace design. I like this design because its different but not over the top. I have been receiving compliments for the past week and a half that I've ben wearing them. As you can see from the picture I posted, the product will not last 2 weeks without chipping. I am however  pretty rough on my nails as I removed my weave, washed and styled my hair, did various intricate things at work and they did not totally peel off! Because of the design the chips don't make my nails look too bad. Last time I picked some up they were about $10 a pack. But they often have sales  and if you have short nails then you can get 2 applications although it's only meant for one.

Best shopping site ever

Ok so I've recently getting a lot of different things in the mail that i haven't posted my thought about yet because I've been tied up at work and trying to get in shape for Vegas next month. But, since summer has officially began here in San Diego I thought I'd share a site I've been checking out that i haven't bought anything from (until today) with you all real quick. its called Beyond the Rack and you have to subscribe (free to join) and they have the best deals. They have high end designers and new inexpensive brands but everything they sell you are always getting a steal! i bought a cute pair of sandals to match a few summer dresses i bought recently for $15, you really can't beat that! So I'm including their link so you all can check in out and tell me what you think. Also, some people have been requesting me to do youtube videos, so I may just give in so look out for those soon. Don't forget to subscribe so you'll be the first to check those out.

http://www.beyondtherack.com/member/invite/B8640C69

Birch box may

Got my birch box today so as always am very excited to use my new samples. They sent me the "gossip girls" inspired box this month which seemed to include alot of moisturizing products. Including a hand cream, clear lip moisture, conditioner and a few other goodies. I like feeling like I'm opening a gift when I receive my box because they wrap it pretty tissue paper. I will review these items but just smelling them so far I'm liking this box... As if I dont always love it. :-)

Dry shampoo

Ok so I know what your thinking, how can shampoo be dry? Ok maybe your not thinking that and maybe I'm the only one who googled it intensely after hearing about it a few years ago on a reality show. Well, let me tell you it's the best thing since sliced bread if you have fine or oily hair or are wearing a weave. First off there is no water involved is the best part, so no sitting under a hot dryer either like I'm currently doing as I inform you guys about this product :( It's not as easy to find unless your looking for it because the bottles look so similar to hair spray but what I use is Tresemme dry shampoo. They often have it on sale at CVS and target but otherwise it runs around $17 (I think, I'm still on my first bottle I bought last year). After a good workout or a few days of your being unwashed it will build up oils in the hair that may make your look greasy and dirty. So to get the hair soft, bouncy and flowing again spray the product all over your hair (real or not) and finger it through lightly, then just let it sit for a few minutes. It will start to absorb the oils and moisture. Then brush the product out of your and your done. Your notice that it looks fresh again and you'll be on your way without worrying about wetting your braid underneath. Warning do not buy the version that says foam on it as it will not give the same effects am describing! Also the product will spray on white and if you have dark hair make sure not to use too much because you'll end up with a dusty look instead of a fresh one. I have only tried the Tresemme brand but i am planning on buying the Batiste dry shampoo because it comes in different versions for for blondes and brunettes. So, tell me how it works out for you with this product or if you've found something better!

Pauline's hair is it worth it?

Ok so a few months ago I decided that I was tired of styling my hair everyday and needed something quick, simple and fabulous! The only option I came up with was to get a sew in weave/ extensions. This way my own hair (which is a little past shoulder length) could grow and I could give it a break. I researched tons of YouTube videos and sites to find what the best hair was to buy to blend with my hair and that I could reuse. I found a place in Los Angeles called Pauline's which apparently all the stars get their hair. Or at least that's what they claim. The shop was a hole in the wall and in a sketchy neighborhood and I was wishing I had brought someone with me. They did however have very helpful staff and almost every length and texture of hair you could image of virgin Indian hair. They sell by the ounce and I bought 8oz but they gave me about an oz for free so I was very happy. I purchased 4oz of 20" natural wave which ended up being about 24" when straightened! The remaining hair was half 12" and 16" so I could get a fuller look and not have to layer the hair. I did have it installed professionally at Isis hair salon in Los Angeles and a month later all tracks are still in place and not requiring to be tightened. The hair does shed a few as a regular humans hair would when being brushed in the morning. However I do not find hair all over the place like previous installs with beauty supply hair! Also it does tangle whatsoever even with it being waist length (I am 5'11"). I get complimented everywhere with this hair and it does in fact blend great with my natural hair color and texture even when not fully straighten. I do go to the gym 4-5 days a week and it is easy to quickly gather myself when needing to go to work shortly after. I would definitely recommend this product. I will let you know what tricks I have to maintain it in future posts do stay tuned!

Nail game

Anyone who knows me knows I love nail polish. I think I change the polish at least once every other day. And everyone is always commenting on my nails so I figured I'd keep you all updated on what I'm doing with them. Also I've gone through a lot of trial and error with them so it's only right to share some tips and maybe save you all some money. St this point I have collected so many polishes however I am still trying to wear them all so I have some favorites which I will mention as I review them. Today however I am wearing a polish I got about a year as part of a trio set. I decided to switch it up because I feel like I've been only getting  and wearing purples the last few weeks so now I'm Zoya in Pheobe. I like it because it is a bright matte blue and it goes on really creamy with a satin finish so I only needed 2 coats. To add some flare I used my Essie luxeffects topcoat in "as gold it gets" on my ring fingers. I did get this to coat from last months teen vogue edition birch box and it goes greatwith almost every color. I really was tempted to use a topcoat on the other nails but I resisted to stay true top the matte look!

My Birch Box

So at the beginning of this week I received April Birch Box! Since earth day is tomorrow they decided to go with the Eco friendly theme. The box lived up to my standards and provided a new full sized Zoya nail polish for me to try as well as about 4 other deluxe sized samples. This is the second month I've subscribed and have not been disappointed yet. If you're not familiar the subscription costs $10 a month here in the US at least. They are said to have about 25 different boxes go out each month with a variety of different samples of beauty products, so based on your original profile it's unlikely you'll get the same box contents as your friends. This does make it pretty exciting because it is sort of customized. This also makes the service pretty unique unlike services such as my glam bag which I received last week, where every member gets the same exact samples. I took a few pics of the what I received this month and I will be reviewing the products as I use them.




Welcome card with descriptions of product on back



All my beautifully wrapped goodies!

Left to right: Taylor Swft Wonderstruck perfume; Juice Beauty moisturizer; Amika hair masque; Zoya polish in Lotus; and Dropps laundry detergent

My glam bag april

So I do subscribe to a few monthly beauty subscriptions including my glam bag, birch box and most recently julep maven. If you aren't familiar these are companies that send you a handful of deluxe samples or full sized products. My glam bag arrived earlier than ever yesterday, and to my surprise I received 2 bags. I think they were attempting to make up for not being able to send me my bag last month due to the fact that they didn't have the capability of updating my billing info when my card expired. I was pretty upset that they hadn't notified me that payment didn't go through until I inquired about not getting the bag. I dint really need 2 of the same bags as they don't mix up the samples as birch box does. So I probably will just send one to the first person that subscribes and asks for the bag of goodies. the bag included a lip moisturiser, 2 makeup brushes and and few other items which I can't recall at the given moment but will post pics of soon. Last month in which I missed included another makeup brush and brush holder so I wish I had that to complete the set and store the brushes. But since that won't happen I guess I will keep then in the little bag all the items came in for now.

Hello all!

This is my first blog post and so I figured it'd only be right to introduce myself. I am a little bit of a shopping addict always on the hunt for new things to make my life easier and more beautiful. But while searching for the latest and greatest of anything from nail polish to shoes to electronics, I love to use my techno savvyness (I think I made up that word) to search for reviews and opinions before I take a leap. That's not to say I don't impulse buy, because I do! But, why not spend a few extra minutes and potentially save myself disappointment by googling a few items in advance. Though many times there seems to be no one out there reviewing or telling about the things I want and need! So, I decided hey, why not tell the world about all the things I've tested and save you all some cash and headaches.