beauty blog

Review: Allure Beauty Box July 2015

This month is the first time the Allure Beauty Box has been put out under its new name – it was previously Sample Society. I LOVED this month! Such great brands, and decent sized products. WTG Allure!

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer – Full Size $27

I found out about this from my salon and already have the full size and a travel. So glad to have another! It makes my hair silky soft and really protects it. I won’t travel without it!

SuperGoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50 – Full Size $28

I feel like I’ve been SuperGooped out, but I saw this product on one of the talkshows recently and really wanted to try it. I’m really into setting sprays and so excited this was in the box.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Synchronized Complex II – Full Size $65

I’ve love these serums forever, and already used a different one. I swear by them and believe they make my skin look so much better.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray– Full Size $25

I’ve had this in a bunch of boxes, and it works pretty well so I’m always glad to have more dry shampoo.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara in Black – Full Size

I just tried this and love it. It definitely brings the volume.

Invisibobble – $8 for 3

This is a clear hairtie that looks like a telephone cord. Super weird, not sure how I feel about it.

Overall I LOVED this box. Keep it up Allure!

Review: Stitchfix July 2015

I decided to try this based on a friend’s recommendation. Basically you sign up and fill out an extensive profile and link your social media and pinterest to the site. Then a personal shopper selects items for you and ships you out a box based on your likes. I was really intrigued by this idea. At $20 it costs significantly less than Le Tote (which I hated, btw) and seemed like a good idea. I even wrote my stylist a note at their prompting telling her my favorite colors and what I was looking for. What came in my box was far from what I wanted.

They send this card describing how to style your pieces:

This was the first piece I pulled out. I’m not a fan of the pattern and its cheaply made. They were asking around $50 for it….

I included that I have a really short torso, and things like this next piece wouldn’t be possible. Not great:

I did say I liked dresses, but due to being bigger on the bottom this wasn’t the best choice for me, but nice color though:

This next shirt wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great:

The only thing I LOVED was this necklace. Gorgeous color! I purchased it for sure. The nice thing is that the $20 you pay for the box goes toward the price of the item. So it was $34 and I paid an additional $14. If you buy all the items you get 25% off the order.

Who else has tried Stitchfix? Thoughts?

Review: Southern Lilly Lady

On Instagram I follow @southernlillylady, a blogger who recently started her own subscription box. She dresses primarily in Lilly Pulitzer in her photos, and I thought I would fall IN LOVE with this box without ever even knowing what was in it. It is $20 per box and you need to commit to three boxes (I got so excited I only read the fine print later…) You can buy the box here. FullSizeRender 18

Anyway, when the box arrived it was totally crushed and partially opened. So that was bummer #1. Then I opened it and was super bummed with the contents. There is no booklet or anything, just the products.

It came with a mason jar with a lemonade recipe, a bunch of paper straws, some tropical bath powder, pineapple earrings and a sparkly bracelet. The jewelry aside I’m not that into the other items. Its not like the drink came with a mix or was immediately useful. I can go to the store and buy a box of mason jars for nothing. I adore the concept though and am hoping next months is much better, and perhaps a little more luxurious to reflect the title of the box.

Review: Birchbox July 2015

This month I absolutely hated my Birchbox. Super disappointing. I either have the products already, or can’t use the new ones. I really wish I had done the curated box, and regret missing the deadline for it.

Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil – Full Size $39

I love this B&B line, but I have SO many samples of this stuff that it will take me forever to get through it!

Harvey Prince Hello Body Cream – Full Size $22

I have so many bottles of the harvey Prince perfumes, and I’m not a huge fan of the scents. This lotion is no different. The smell is long lasting, and I’m just not into the citrus-floral scent.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive – Full Size $39

I have this already, and might be able to use another tube. I barely use the one I have because I’m not fond of the scent. But I think I might be able to use this.

stila look at me liquid lipstick trio – Set of 3 $20

I received the bright red version, and the color won’t work well with my skin color. I wear a lot of red, but I just don’t see this working. Its going in my swap pile!

Supergoop! Anti-Aging City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30 – Full Size $42

I feel like all boxes send Supergoop! in the summer and I’m incredibly overloaded with it! I definitely like the brand but I need to unload a few of the products.

How were your Birchboxes this month?! Let me know in the comments!

Review: Sephora Sun Safety Kit

When I first heard this was being released, I was so incredibly excited. I love sets like this, and appreciate the chance to test out products before I make a big purchase. [Note: This is the full kit, not the one from JC Penney which was smaller]. Now that I’ve had time to play with some of the products, I want to offer my mid summer opinion. Those I know or have tried are in bold.

The Sephora Sun Safety Kit includes 16 products:

– 0.2 oz AmorePacific Natural Protector SPF 30

– 0.3 oz Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Broad Spectrum SPF 50

– 0.5 oz Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Light Medium

THIS IS MY FAVORITE. Okay, so I got a little excited, but I’ve been using this as a foundation because it covers so well and I absolutely love it. It makes my skin look flawless, and it is definitely full coverage.

– 0.25 oz Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare™ Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen

– 0.17 oz Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45

– 0.08 oz Fresh® Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

I LOVE THIS. I had never tried a Fresh lip treatment before, and generally don’t wear lip balm type products. This has the BEST smell, and I always through it in my bag to head to the pool or beach. Can’t be beat.

– 0.5 oz Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47

I love the consistency of this, but haven’t used it enough to have a strong opinion.

– 0.34 oz Korres Yoghurt Nourishing Fluid Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 30

– 0.17 oz Murad® Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30

This felt pretty great when I applied it. I’ve never tried a Murad product before this. Anyone have any thoughts?

– 0.1 oz Ole Henriksen total truth™ eye crème SPF 15

I used this every night before I picked this bag up, and am thrilled to have another sample.

– 0.5 oz Origins VitaZing™ Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer with Mangosteen

I am a huge fan of Origins face creams, and this one is just as good as anything I’ve tried.

– Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense® Lotion SPF 30

– 0.6 oz Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ WetForce Broad Spectrum Water Resistant (80 Minutes)

– 1.69 oz St. Tropez One Night Only in Light-Medium

Can’t wait to try this! I’m a little afraid it might transfer, but St. Tropez is a favorite brand of mine.

– 0.34 oz Supergoop!® City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30

Supergoop! is always great. It does its job, but this doesn’t make me jump up and down.

– 0.34 oz Vita Liberata Passion Flower & Argan Dry Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50

– Travel bag

I threw this out after I unpacked it. It is large, and could definitely store a lot of stuff, but I just didn’t have room for it.

16 products for $32! I’m working my way through the other products. Who else picked this up? Thoughts?

Room Tour- Southern Style

My parents live part time in South Carolina, and when they built their new house over a year ago they gave me the loft as my bedroom. Due to my work schedule I don’t get to go down there that often. Last summer I picked out furniture and the color scheme (gray and yellow). The skeleton came together over this past year, and on my recent vacation we went shopping to pick out some finishing touches.

The bed and dresser are from a local furniture store in SC, and I fell in love with the mirrored style right away. All of the pillows and the comforter are from Home Goods, as are both of the night stands.

The nightstand on the right I picked up first, and it had awful drawer pulls. I instead found some on sale at Anthropology, and the piece now matches the decor much better!

I still needed another night stand, and when I went back a year later I found many more mirrored options. This one was perfect:

Last year when I was shopping I also found this gray chair at Home Goods, along with the lamp and table pictured below. When I went back last week I found that ottoman in Target, and thought it would highlight the yellow on the bed.

The dresser us gorgeous and has large drawers for storing clothes. I found a lamp this trip that matches the lamp I picked up on my last trip. Home Goods also had fun mirrored boxes, and I picked up one for the dresser. The jewelry hanger I found at Target. (Sorry for the yellow quality of the picture!)

I found this gorgeous piece of art at the local Ross – it was apparently hand made in Indonesia, and I can’t wait to have it hung on the wall:

There was one wall that had me stumped. I thought to put a large mirror there, but considering everything else is so heavily mirrored, I instead opted for a desk. I found a white desk at World Market, and it wound up being their last in store. We got it heavily discounted (score!) and picked up one of their dining chairs that had a fun pattern for the room. Click on the words “desk” and “dining chair” for links! The elephant, lamp and flowers are of course, from Home Goods.

I hope you enjoyed my room tour and design thoughts!

Review: Sample Society June 2015

June was the last month that this would be the Sample Society box. I was hoping for a nice ending before they switch to being the Allure Beauty Box solely, and this didn’t disappoint.

St. Tropez Self Tan Express – Full Size $44

I love St. Tropez, and have purchased other products in the line, so I was ecstatic when I saw this in the box.

ESalon Perfect Ending Leave In Conditioner – Full Size $15.00

This smells FANTASTIC! And I really believe it helps my hair feel softer. Total Win.

E.L.F. Studio Small Stipple Brush – $3

I like E.L.F enough, but I always question the quality. I will probably swap this brush.

Lauren B. Beauty Nail Couture in Polo Lounge Punch – $18

Gorgeous color! I can’t wait to try this in an upcoming pedicure.

Completely Bare Wax Strips for Face, Bikini, Body – $12.99

I can’t use wax of any kind because it usually makes me break out. I will be swapping these as well.

Cotz Face Sunscreen SPF 40 in Natural Skin Tone – Full Size $19.99

I haven’t tried this yet, and can’t decide if I will purely because I have so many sunscreens for my face.

Can’t wait to receive this month’s box!

Summer Fun: Festival Style

Two weeks back a group of us went to the Big Barrel Country Music Festival in Dover, Delaware. The festival is the sister to Firefly, which also takes place in Dover Downs, just with more mainstream artists. I was so excited for Big Barrel, and it was my first festival experience. I had NO idea what to really bring, and should have prepared better beforehand. Firefly was the weekend before, and the storms were so bad they had to evacuate. We were SO nervous about how to cope if it rained. (And it certainly did!) So I wanted to put together a post about what I brought/wore, and what I should have had with me!

Day One: Blake Shelton

The night before we discovered that there would be a ton of mud because of how bad the storms were. We went out and bought rain boots/sneakers to help us get around. I bought some fun tank tops before the concert because I really wanted to be festive! Below is the one I wore to Blake Shelton, and I bought it on Etsy. The temperature dropped a bit, and we couldn’t even wear shorts. If I didn’t wear jeans, I would have been pretty cold that night. Also, I chose to bring a backpack to have a hands free night. This wound up being great, and made it very easy to tote along all that we needed.

* Make sure to bring camping chairs! Double check they are allowed at other concerts, but we loved having them because they didn’t sink in the mud.

Overall the first night was so fun! We took pictures, and began to sample all of the different food trucks. [BBQ was amazing…] and my non-country music loving boyfriend really got into the Blake Shelton concert! Major win.

The Etsy shop is InkLabPrinting, and the shirt was PERFECT! Big thanks!

My backpack is from Macy’s made by Steve Madden ( I got it on major sale and paid much less!)

Day Two: Miranda Lambert

It POURED all day. I bought ponchos from Walmart before we left for Delaware, and made sure we had the thick kinds with hoods. And boy did we need them. We were staying near the outlets, and I stopped at the Bass outlet and picked up a pair of shoes for $30 which was the cheapest we could find. I got them so nasty with the mud, I wound up leaving them in the parking lot after the third night. A hat was also something crucial. It kept the rain out of my face, and allowed me to see in the storm. I bought a shirt from Etsy for this night, but wound up wearing a more comfy t-shirt because it was raining so hard. Below is what I originally bought. I purchased the hat from Marley Lilly!

The rain subsided for Miranda Lambert, and we were able to just relax and watch the concert. We were wiped that night!

Day Three: Carrie Underwood

This was by far, the most gorgeous day of them all. We got there very early, and everyone got to see their favorite performers. We went and bottle fed some goats and lambs, saw the Budweiser Clydesdales and then secured our spot for Carrie Underwood. We wound up getting bumped to VIPS and were only a few feet from the stage.

I bought a shirt in a boutique in NYC that I thought reminded me of Carrie Underwood’s style, and was so excited to wear it! If I can find a link, I’ll be sure to add it!

We had the BEST weekend, and can’t wait to go back next year! What are your concert must-haves?!

Review: Birchbox June 2015

SO sorry I didn’t post this last month! I’m working on a regular posting schedule. Last month I wasn’t super thrilled with my Birchbox, and ultimately was the reason I forgot to post.

Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner – Full Size $11

This came in a gray color. Not my style – to swap it goes!

Supergoop! Everyday SPF 50 with Cellular Response Technology– Full Size $19-$48

I actually like Supergoop! so I think this will be great for the summer.

Temple Spa Shampoo and Conditioner – Full Size $14 each

This smells ok, and I’m glad I got both the shampoo and conditioner. I figure I can use these deluxe samples for travel.

W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Mascara – Full Size $23.50

I wasn’t really into the brush when I first examined this. Much too small for my liking. This too goes to swap!

L. Erickson Narrow Grab and Go Ponytail Holder – Full Size $12

I can always use another, so this was a good extra!

It would have been much better to have more summery products. I think they were trying here, but it didn’t quite deliver, in my opinion! How were your Birchboxes last month?

Vacation 2015: Myrtle Beach, SC

This year I wanted to take a really relaxing vacation. My parents have a summer home in Myrtle Beach, SC, and I decided to go down for a week over July 4th weekend. Luckily, my boyfriend was able to come down for a few days while I was there, and we could celebrate the holiday together. We made sure to capture our vacation with lots of photos! If anyone is headed down to MB this summer, I’ve included some places you must go!

Broadway at the Beach! Dress: Francesca’s Collections

One of the best (and most tourist-y) places is Broadway at the Beach. It is a mix of shopping, attractions, restaurants and a lot of walking. I’ve been going down to MB for years, and always make sure to stop here each time I visit. About a year ago Carolina Vineyards opened up a shop there, and we decided to stop in for a wine tasting. It is super affordable, and the wine slushies are a MUST. Later in the weekend we went for a ride on the speed boat there – I was terrified, he loved it.

Myrtle Beach State Park! Bathing Suit: Amazon

On the 4th we made sure to do a beach trip! We had gorgeous weather, and we definitely got a little tan from our time there. Later on that day we played mini golf, and went back to Broadway at the Beach to walk around and watch some fireworks. I made sure to bring red, white and blue clothes just for the occasion!

Back at Broadway for fireworks! Dress: Kohls

I couldn’t have him leave without us doing an all you can eat seafood buffet. We LOVE seafood, and I know that Captain George’s in MB never disappoints. We truly dined #southernstyle.

Dinner at Captain George’s! Top: Express

I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation! Where are you all headed for vacation this summer?

Perfect way to end vacation!

GabGoesGlam

Beauty. Lifestyle. Fashion.