New Beauty Test Tube!!!

What am I excited about?  My QVC edition of the New Beauty Test Tube arrived this week and I immediately found some new "love it, need it, want it" products.  This was a stellar tube.  NBTT is a subscription service through QVC where you pay $29.95 plus shipping (around seven bucks) and you get a tube filled with beauty products (many full sized!) and get to try out some things that you may not otherwise pick up.  There is also a separate version that is through New Beauty magazine and I fell so desperately in love with the QVC tube this month that I ordered the alternate version too so I'll be sure to post when I find my second tube in my mailbox!

Here's what's inside:

  There's a copy of New Beauty Magazine which has their product awards in it this month.  The mag is really expensive - I think on the news stand it is $14 and I love reading it and seeing all the ads even though I can only afford about 10% of the things in it.

A tube of Bliss high intensity hand cream.  This company has been featured before in the QVC NBTT - I also have received face wash and body butter in past tubes.

A Julep nail color - Melanie - a very pretty metallic denim blue and thankfully not a dupe or color I have ever seen before since I subscribe to the Julep boxes and have a ton of their polishes.  This is a $14 nail polish and a welcome addition to my collection because their blues are my favorite!

Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm.  Very expensive - I'm excited to try it, but probably couldn't afford to replenish the supply.

Ole Henrickson Truth Creme Advanced Hydration.  I have only heard good things about this luxury brand.  Similar to the Algenist it probably won't make my must have list due to pricing.

Nick Chavez Volumizing Conditioner.  Pricey, but the scent is knock me out amazing.  I want the fragrance as a perfume.  Seriously loving it and hoping to trade some other things for a matching shampoo sample on the beauty forums.

Mally High Shine Liquid Lip Color in Sunburst.  A shimmery gold pink that is really flattering.  I thought I had received the same color in a past tube but it didn't have the gold before.  I don't love click up color that comes through a brush but the texture is good and the color is really pretty.  Their eye shadow sticks are amazing.  I would consider buying a color set from this brand when they run their specials on QVC.

Philosophy Miracle Worker cleanser.  This small 2 oz. bottle is nearly $10 on Sephora.com and I have only heard good things about it.  I was given some awesome Amazing Grace Philosophy color cosmetics for Christmas from my friend Lauren so I am currently on a Philosophy brand kick.  I have tried and enjoy the Amazing Grace and Love scents of body wash so this should be great.  I also am interested in trying the Purity face wash and may pick some up with my Ulta gift card.

The last and BEST product was the smolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye liner from Tarte.  I can't tell you how much I love it.  It is super easy to control the thickness of the line with a fat pencil and a smudge sponge tip and the color I got is an amazing deep ocean blue that I would have previously shied away from but have come to love.  I just picked up a Tarte eye and cheek palette at Sephora and the colors are beautiful if a bit glittery.  I am so in love with their cosmetics that the full size Amazonian clay blush that is in the alternate NBTT was a major selling point - the full size Dr. Brandt+ cleanser also didn't hurt.  I can't wait for it to ship!!!

So - that's a wrap.  I am loving this quarter's tube.  At the moment it and the Ipsy Glam bag are KILLING Birchbox.  If I don't have a full size product this month in my Birchbox (hopefully an EyeKo skinny eyeliner) I am going to use my points and then cancel.  It hasn't wowed me for a long while, but I hope it does again.



I hope you all are having an amazing New Year and that you're keeping up with your resolutions.  Me?  It is going slowly and not as well as I hoped but I blogged!  Yay!  Go me!  Much love to all y'all and since Alabama won the National Championship game this week ROLL TIDE!

Happiest of New Years to you all!

 Here is hoping all of my friends and family will have a fantastic year in 2013!

  I am starting off the year by resolving to blog more.  I love writing about the cool, fun little surprises that show up in my mailbox and I also love talking about beauty products, so that's what you'll hear more of.  I really think I am going to look into a job at Sephora or Ulta or even at Macy's behind their cosmetic counter.  I know I love talking about beauty and I love being happy and swooning over the latest products to come on the market, so hopefully that will be a great fit for me.  I am going to try my hardest to write at least twice a week on things that I think are awesome or interesting.  Hopefully the year will be so full of this stuff that I will be on here all the time!

This year I'm also planning to love myself more.  It seems like a very simple resolution, but it isn't always the easiest of paths for me.  If I can make every day a little happier, a little less stressful and really redirect and focus on the things that mean the most to me I think I can take this year by storm.  I am going to start making better choices in terms of what I'm eating, how physical I'm being (which reminds me I really ought to inflate my balance ball to be using while I'm online!) and just take better care of myself in general.  This year I will see the inside of a doctor's office when I feel just fine and I will make lots of little changes to feel better about myself.  One of the first things I have done (which I started a few weeks early) is to wear a little makeup every day.  This is kind of a big deal for me because I LOVE makeup and I never took the time or bothered because I thought nobody cared.  Just recently I realized somebody cares a lot.  Me!  I want to feel better about all aspects of myself and I've always felt a little more confident in mascara and lip gloss.  So starts my quest to love myself a little bit more.  You know what?  The girl in the mirror has some really pretty blue eyes.

What are your resolutions?  What can't you wait to do?

I can't wait to hear!

Influenster = Excitement!

Howdy!

I have found a new program that I am incredibly excited to share with you.  I originally heard good things about it on a Twitter feed that I follow by Daydreaming Realist where she shared about her experiences testing out beauty products through this program.  Without exception all of the products she was sharing about sounded like things that would be amazing to try, and I thought I would look into it and sign up to see if I could do it to.

The program is called Influenster.  The premise?  They send you a box of items that are catered to your interests and you test them out and send your feedback and reviews back to the companies that sponsor samples and products in the box for your honest feedback.  The VoxBoxes arrive at your door and then you spend time living with and using the products enclosed so you can report back and share your experiences with your friends.  I love the clever name - Vox meaning talk or voice your opinions about things in the box that are like little gifts.  I'm so thankful to be a part of this program!

When you go to the all new Influenster website (they've just revamped it to make it even more awesome and easier to share your experiences through social media) you work to earn badges that are specific to your interests.  Everyone can earn Life Stage badges by answering survey questions to get a feel for how well the products they send out for that particular badge might fit you.  For example I didn't sign up for the Mom badge but I did sign up for the Bow Wow badge and the Do Good-er badges because they reflect my lifestyle.  There are many options to pick from like Bride to Be or Baby Boomer that help them accurately decide where you are in your life and what the companies who work with them might select for a particulkar demographic.

There are also "expert" badges that are given to you to hone your interest areas.  PAY CLOSE ATTENTION - you are only given 5 keys to unlock badges so you want to make sure that the "expert" badges you care about the most are the ones that you sign up for first!  I made the mistake of getting so excited about unlocking badges that I didn't unlock my areas of primary interest - beauty and cooking, so don't let that happen to you.  Over time you may unlock more keys for expert badges but make sure the things you unlock are whatever you are the most passionate about.  I probably would've skipped the High Spirits and Fahionista badges if I would've chosen more carefully, but I also was already selected to participate in a VoxBox that was related to my Eco badge and that is an area I am very passionate about so I am still very excited to see what those other badges have in store for me in the future.

Speaking of VoxBoxes - my first box with the program was for the Palmolive Fresh Infusions Dish Soaps.  In my VoxBox I received three full sized products and was encouraged to share one with a friend to help spread the love.  I also received high value coupons to give out to the people closest to me to let them try the product at an amazing discount.

These soaps are naturally derived and come in amazing fragrances like Lime Basil (green), Ginger White Tea (peach), and Lemon Thyme (yellow).  I have enjoyed using them and have also enjoyed getting my sisters and friends excited about them too.  We have different choices of fragrances (my sister is excited about the more floral Ginger White Tea fragrance while I am in love with the zesty, fruity Lime Basil) but we both agree that it is great to see a naturally inspired product from this well loved brand.

If you love trying new things, sharing with your friends on social media and being able to provide companies with a direct response to their products through Brand challenges you might be a perfect fit for the Influenster program.  There is a Twitter party for the #PalmoliveFreshInfusions dish soaps sponsored by Influenster today at 1:00pm EST on Twitter that you can follow with the above hashtag if you want to check out more about the brand you can also follow @Influenster on or visit the Influenster Facebook page to follow and find out more about this great program.  When you get your first VoxBox you are off and running and can qualify for future boxes based on your participation and sharing of the brands you find inside.  It took about two months before I got a box and I joined when they were in their old format that was a little different.  I was patient and reviewed products from previous boxes other Influensters received that I had purchased and tried for myself already so I knew something about them.  There are tons of things you can post your opinions on - from stores like Bath and Body Works to products like Ritter Sport candy bars, there is bound to be a few things that you use, love, or maybe just gravitated to on your own.  You can also check out the posts and blogs that other Influensters post or join in a Twitter party or Facebook conversation about something you liked or disliked and share your opinions.  You can be rewarded with the opportunity to try something new or tell a brand you've loved for years how to make their products even better.

If you would like an Influenster invitation and you are my Facebook friend you can send me a request through a private message and I can send you a link to welcome you to this exciting program.  You can also request and invite through the Influenster.com homepage and then work hard to be rewarded!

I hope this find you well and gearing up for the holidays.  I'm sending much love out to everybody and hoping that you are all safe and sound after the storms of the past few weeks.  Have fun and I hope that there are some future Influensters reading!  XO

A Wonderful Freebie Site

Hi folks -

I talk a lot about being thankful for the little things, like the wonderful free stuff that pops up in my mailbox because I follow numerous Facebook pages and hear about offers for free samples and contests.  Cher at My Free Product Samples is a really fun blogger who posts all kinds of offers on her Facebook page and her blog.  She is genuinely excited to get free stuff and loves to share her passion with her readers and followers.  She runs a blog at http://www.myfreeproductsamples.com/ that has tons of links to freebies, and has great offers and she often does awesome little contests that are flash giveaways or even just fun stuff to keep her readers interested.  You can sign up for her daily emails and get a round up of all the deals sent to your inbox.  She also loves a bargain and will post offers that she sees for inexpensive deals and bargain basement prices on sites for things like clothing and electronics.  She always tries to check out her offers to make sure they are the real deal and will try to fill out the forms to make sure they are legit freebies.  She even does super cute videos on Fridays called "Friday Freebies with Cher" where she shows you all the cool things you can find for free and posts links to them.  When she gets something awesome (like the iPad she won for being a top promoting Glyde ambassador) she shares the information on where you can sign up to try these things for yourself.  Thanks to her I am a BzzAgent and I have a great time trying products for that company.  It is worth your time to check her out.  Follow her Facebook page too and you can often get in on super fast limited time deals where you have to be one of the first 1000 people to sign up.  She posts them quick and I have gotten some super stuff like the 3oz. Eucerin lotion I got in the mail today.

On a personal note, I wish you all much love and I hope that you hug your folks today.  My mom and dad are both doing okay but are struggling with aging, Alzheimer's and their health.  I can't be there to hug them every day but I hope if you are anywhere near your family that you take this opportunity to tell them how much you care about them and give their neck an extra squeeze for me.

My mom...

      My sister had to step in and take my mother's car keys, cash and credit cards away today.  I feel bad for  both of them.  I have been really under the weather for the past few days and there has been lots of family drama to feed the ill feelings as there always seems to be when I get feeling poorly.  If I'm down I always wait for the kick because I know it is coming.

      On Monday the home my father is in caught on fire.  It wasn't really serious but it took them forever to respond because of the parade and the huge shindig that is "Buhl Day on Labor Day" which happens in my home town.  The residents in the wing that had been filled with smoke were transferred to my Dad's wing and they wouldn't allow visitors in or out which caused a ton of anxiety for my Dad.  Then, today, my sister was told by several neighbors and employees at the home that my mother's driving had really become dangerous and erratic and that she was going to be harmful to herself and others if she retained her license.  Also she had been giving money away and giving food and rides to people who were out to take advantage of her.  My sister had to step in.

     I remember this stage in my Aunt Nunny's Alzheimer's experience better than I care to.  I remember the one day we found my Aunt in the park by her home holding a large "cobblestone" bread that was intended for the ducks that she had been given by a man in the park who thought she had nothing to eat.  I felt helpless to see my Aunt desperately clinging to this stale, moldy round of dinner rolls.  I felt terrible for the man who tried to help her by letting her take the food for the ducks and mostly I felt for my mother who was left in charge of a woman who was losing her mind.  Now my sister is the woman in that position and my mother is losing her mind.  I don't think I could deal with the pressure my sister is now under, and I don't think I want to live long enough to have my mind ravaged by this illness.  I feel just as helpless and it isn't a good feeling.

       I hope that all of you appreciate the health and sanity of yourselves and you loved ones while you can.  Much love to all of you.

Yay!

      So today was a great mailbox day, but the odd thing was all three awesome things came from the same company!  Black and Mild (the cigarillos) has a summer sweepstakes taking place right now and all three things were prizes or premiums from L&M.  Even though I am not a smoker, Andy is, so he usually reaps the benefits but all three prizes from today were useful and cool and not only smoker friendly.

      The first thing they sent was an ashtray which is very interesting and is curved steel with a wood laminate on the outside.  "How is that useful to a non-smoker?" you may ask... well, it just so happens that it is the perfect size to keep tiny things like hairpins organized and it also makes a really interesting business card stand because it is just the right size.  When I take advantage of my Klout perk for business cards I will be able to send it and them along with my sister Marcia when she sells my jewelry at craft shows.  I am very excited that she took almost all of the jewelry I had finished and is going to try and sell it next time she does a show - awesome!

      Next was a cool set of wooden ear buds for my Ipod.  They are made of a really pale blonde wood in the casing near the top and the company (Sentry) says that it really improves the sound quality.  We shall see!

      Last I got my ridiculously fabulous Zippo lighter.  It is sleek and gunmetal metallic grey and I LOVE it.  I use lighters to light things other than cigarettes like candles and the tips of my fingers.  I am going to have some blisters for sure but I have always wanted my own Zippo and this one is impressive.

      I also got a notification that I won a VitaVault from the Appetite for Health Facebook page giveaway.  If you think of those neat little dump bins for candy at places like Dylan's candy bar where they load from the top and have a clear lid that lets you pull them from the bottom that is what it's like but on a smaller scale so you have your vitamins and supplements in plain view and you don't forget to take them.  I need the reminder and I have a bunch that I should take but I don't because they are "out of site out of mind".  This should be a really good healthy step for me and I can't wait for it to arrive.

      Last but not least I won the DSW new store instant win game again *I think!  The game freezes after the three icons pop up but again I have sent a screenshot to the shulovers to see if they can fix the error.  Right now I am looking at a whole stack of gift cards and a reward certificate so I am going to get some awesome new fall boots.

      A few small crummy things happened today - I bought a new wok that I was terribly excited about but it got a black spot that I could not scrub off on the very first use, and I didn't even have the heat higher than medium!  Plus the "paint" or coating chipped off the bottom as soon as I tried to rinse it off.  I have always bought Nordicware bake ware, but I am never buying a pan or pot from them again.  It's insane to me that a $30 "Green" wok could be so horrible.  I think there was something wrong with it or it was faulty.  I was going to return it tomorrow but I think I am going to photograph it first and post it for them to see.  Also the beautiful birdbath that my mother-in-law Lana got me started cracking and almost all of the paint that was in the interior of it is now chipped horribly or completely missing.  It started to develop an algae problem no matter how often we changed the water and it has eaten away the colorful finish.  It was also terribly expensive and I hope that I can salvage it in the spring by repainting it myself.  I will have to look into some enamels to fix it.  Cinna also decided to catch a possum this morning and almost caught a rabbit tonight but luckily I was not a witness to either and she is fine and was not bitten, scratched or otherwise injured.

      Much love to you all - I hope you had a very good day and that you are all ready to have a smashing weekend.  Lauren and I are going to visit the grand opening of an Ulta store in Winchester, VA so hopefully we will score some excellent swag and I will have a great makeup post this weekend - wish us luck!
   

Friends and acquaintances

      I fear that my definition of "friend" isn't really accurate anymore.  I call so many people my friend.  I have always applied the term to the people I know and nearly always start a story I'm telling my husband "My friend ______ said..."  The time has come to reevaluate that.

      As I grow older (which I am extra conscious of this week) I am realizing that nearly every person I apply the term friend to is merely acquaintance.  It is a distressing realization in more ways than one.  Many of the people I have been closest to friendship wise throughout my life are now people I rarely hear from.  When I was younger and more outgoing I could strike up an instant rapport with people and easily adjust to changes and new settings, but now I find it very difficult to get to know new faces and even more difficult to find people willing to reciprocate the time and effort I put into relationships.  If I am your friend you can count on me.  Many of the "friends" I have had in the past take advantage of that knowledge in different ways.  At the end of the day the people I should be calling my friends are few and far between.

      I'm going to try an experiment.  For the next week I'm going to do my best to remove the word "friend" from my vocabulary.  I am going to replace the phrase "my friend" with the person's first name and a few adjectives as to where I know them from if necessary when speaking to my husband.  I'm also going to stop referring to the folks on Facebook as my friends (even though of the 480+ people who are listed as my Facebook "friends" I actually know and have more than a passing acquaintance with 99% of them) even if they are.  I'm just going to think of how these people really fit into my life, and evaluate if they are important to me and if I am important to them.  Unfortunately a large percentage of these folks would probably classify me as unimportant no matter how I try to please them.

      I'm also going to try and let go of the need to be accepted  and place less importance on it.  Hopefully it will help me form healthier relationships.  I am sure it is going to be a long haul, but I am just as sure that it needs to happen.  I can't even count how many times I have gone out of my way to to something nice for someone or to cater to people who have no appreciation for me.  I see those memes on Facebook all the time that say something to the tune of "I could car less what you think of me and my opinions" and wish that I could literally care less about some things and some people.  I am too much of a bleeding heart and it is probably one of my most mixed qualities.  It can be a blessing to be sensitive to others and it can also be a curse to care so much that I place their opinions above my own.

      Hopefully some of you will be able to help me with this.  All of my family members that have told me that I'm a pushover and I need to get a backbone and to "stop giving so much of myself away", take note: I need some people around pointing out my flaws as much as I need people who are willing to help me change my destructive patterns.  If you are a true friend to me it would help to know that you're excited that I am taking this step.

      In the coming days I will head back to the thankfulness posts that you're used to.  I am thankful that I have had all kinds of relationships in my life - good ones, bad ones, and those of the screwball comedy variety.  I am thankful for the people who have crossed my path, good and bad because they unknowingly have done much to shape the person I am.  Much love to all of you.