January 2015 Horror Block Unboxing - Spoilers!

Ready for a totally different unboxing that is 100% not beauty related? I hope so because this is my Unboxing of the January 2014 Horror Block. Horror Block is a Horror (how many times can I type that?) related subscription box. The box includes four to five horror related items (like a PoP doll) and a t-shirt (male or female in various sizes – your choice) for $19.99 plus shipping (dependent on where you are). Horror Block is a box offered by Nerd Block. They also offer a Nerd Block, Nerd Block Jr. for boys, and a Nerd Block Jr. for girls. Check them out here https://www.nerdblock.com/horror. Again, I pay for this subscription with my own money and I don’t get anything from the link above. 

Now onto all the things! 

This month’s box contained not one but two t-shirts! I love these t-shirts (I’m a dork). The first is this creepy clown with the caption “Normal People Scare Me’ and this lovely Good Guy shirt (Chucky for those who are unfamiliar). These are very colorful shirts but I will say I’m not that happy with the silkscreen on them. It seems a bit low quality to be honest. I’m not expecting perfection but if it’s a choice between a higher quality black and white shirt or a low quality color shirt – I’d rather have the black and white shirt. I’ll see how these do in the wash but I’m not expecting the images to last. A bit of a disappointment from the quality of the black and white shirts I’ve been receiving. 

This Living Dead Dolls Pink Posey figure is awesome. I really love the look of her and her details – all the way down to the little rose. I’m a dork and she’s already on display. 

We also got two MadBalls. These are balls that you can bean people with or just display (my dogs want to eat them). Ok, let me go off track for a second. They came in those plastic ball containers. I remember these from childhood where you put a quarter in and then you get a surprise out of the machine. Who the hell made these though? Two adults couldn’t get them apart and we literally had to use a hammer. What kid could open these? I digress. 

The two I received were Brain Rot and Deck Head. I like them but like I said they remind me of the 25 cent toys you can get out of a vending machine. 

Next we have the Twilight Zone Comic. I love comics but this isn’t a great addition for me. 

And last but not least an issue of Rue Morgue which is a magazine about the Horror Genre. 

So, this box was just OK. I’m really thinking of canceling my subscription because I pay $29.99 with shipping for my box and I’m not seeing the value. I do love the idea of a Horror themed subscription box but I just don’t see how this box comes close to being worth $29.99. 

Clarisonic Opal (oh yes I got this too as a gift) Is it Worth it?

You received TWO Clarisonic gifts for Christmas? Why yes, yes I did (my Oma gives awesome gifts – and seriously check out the Dillard’s at the Seminole Towne Center in Sanford Florida). It was a Clarisonic Christmas at my house! However, the Opal is not a toothbrush for your eyes. What the Opal is an amazing device that gently (and fast) pats product (eye serum) around your eye area. You know how we pat our eye area with our ring feather for our product to absorb well? This is like a ring finger on steroids. 

No it’s not pounding into your face. The Opal has a silicone tip. You place product into this tip and then apply the product around your eye area. The Clarisonic Opal comes with an instruction guide. Read this instruction guide. Don’t get all excited and sonic your eyeball or anything - Beauty safety people! 

I’ve been using the Opal for about a month now but one caveat. I don’t have wrinkles around my eyes. I’ve been blessed by my parents and got lucky in the genetic pool. So I can’t speak to how/if it reduces eye wrinkles. I can say this though. My eyes have experienced a lifting effect from the Opal. I have hooded eyelids and they’re tighter now. My under eye discoloration has also reduced significantly. I experience no irritation using it around my eye area but it does tickle my nose sometimes (which makes me sneeze and laugh). 

This is Clarisonic's video on how to use the Opal if you would like to see how it's used correctly.

Note: The Opal comes with its own eye serum (the Anti-aging Sea Serum) but I have not used this serum. I’m particular about what I use on my face. So, for my Opal I rotate between Clinique’s All about Eyes and the Repairwear Anti-Gravity eye cream. 

I also use my Opal on a few other areas of my face. I use the Opal on the worry line that develops between my eyebrows and on my laugh and frown lines. I also have discoloration around my chin at the corners of my mouth that go down from the lower corner of my lips to about a quarter of the inch down. Now I do this myself. No one told me it was ok and Clarisonic doesn’t say you should do this. So, if you choose to do this and the skin on your face sloughs off (I that word) don’t blame me or Clarisonic. 

I haven’t been using the Opal on the areas I mentioned above for as long. However, I have already noticed a significant improvement in these areas. I am going to post an updated blog on the specific areas (brow, smile lines, frown lines, and discoloration) with photos in a few more weeks. I want to use the Opal on these areas for at least four weeks to see how much these areas have improved/not improved (but I can already see the change). Again, no irritation on these areas of my face either. 

The Opal is another Clarisonic product that I 100% feel is worth it. Clarisonic, you’re doing a great job with your products!

Clarisonic Plus - Is It Worth It?

I received a Clarisonic Plus for Christmas (or as I like to call it a toothbrush for my face) and I was so excited! However, my excitement was tempered by the fact that I have a sensitive face. I had flashes of my skin turning red and sloughing off my face (I like the word sloughing - there is just something about it). This set did come with a sensitive brush head but I decided to throw caution to the wind and use the regular brush head. 

I won't bore you with the in-and-out of what I do to my face. The basic jist is this:

1. Wash it with Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild (pea sized amount on the Clarisonic)
2. Dry it (duh)
3. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence
4. Clinique Smart Serum
5. Kiehl's Skin Rescuer

I'm happy to report that my rosacea and sensitive skinned cheeks have no problem with using the Clarisonic. My face had absolutely no problem with the Clarisonic from day one. I would still get dry patches but not now. I know the Clarisonic is not an exfoliator but my dry patches are gone. 

A second use for the Clarisonic Plus is for the body (yes a toothbrush for my WHOLE BODY). I have keratosis pilaris (because I need every skin problem) or what they call chicken skin, Keratosis Pilaris is called chicken skin because it’s these lovely tiny bumps on your skin that are pimple like and can be red and inflamed (amazing skin I have). 

Since using the Clarisonic Plus my bumps have gone down significantly! Also my dry elbows are gone. I do need to use lotion, the Clarisonic isn't some magic lotion wand, but the dry rough skin, the bumps, and my skin has been so much better since using the Plus in the shower. It also has a nifty handle so you can get your back. I haven't seen my back but I bet it's amazing. 

My overall take for this product is that it is 100% worth it. I was scared to try it but now that I have I don't think I could live without it! So many years wasted....smile.

Quick plug - My mother is Korean and English is not her first language. She purchased this from the Seminole Towne Center Dillards and had a great buying experience (she also got me a Clarisonic Opal). Check them out if you're looking for beauty products (I'm not paid to say this I just wanted to do a shout out to some great customer service)! 

January 2015 Boxycharm Unboxing and Review - Spoilers

This is my unboxing and review of the January 2015 Boxycharm subscription box. Boxycharm is a monthly subscription service which sends you five full sized products a month. The cost is a bit more than Ipsy or Birchbox ($21.00 plus tax for Florida residents) but I think it’s well worth the money. Check them out here http://www.boxycharm.com/. 

Now on to all the things!

It’s official that I love this subscription service. I love these Pur-lisse Skin Sparkle Flash Tattoos (1 sheet - $12.00). I used them at Halloween this past year and I got so many compliments. They look nice on and I can’t wait to use these. 

Mirabella Face Prime (full-sized product $29.00), infuses your skin with Vitamin E while minimizing the appearance of large pores and fine lines. The product is a clear gel with a texture that reminds me of the Hourglass Mineral Primer. The only potential problem I see is that it is scented. It’s a light smell and not offensive but I’m not fond of overly scented products. I’ll patch test it and see how my face reacts. 

We have two Beauty For Real product’s in this box. The first is The Perfect Pencil (full-sized product $14.00) and they tout it as the only lip liner you will ever need. The claim is that this Pencil special shade compliments and enhances the natural shape of your lips for the perfect pout. It is a nice reddish brown color but I’m not sure it will go with every shade. I’ll try it with a few shades tonight.

Our second Beauty For Real Product is the True Color Lip Cream in “Always There” (full-sized product $22.00). This color is said to enhance and define lip color for a gorgeous natural look. I like the color and it looks pretty close to this year’s Pantone color of the year. The cream is very opaque but it is sticky so if you don’t like sticky you won’t like this product. It also has a mirror on the tube which is handy if you keep this in your purse or in a pocket for touch ups. 

The last product makes me way happier than it should. This is the Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum (full-sized product $47.00). The Maracuja Bronzing Serum claims to hydrate and even skin tone to help fight signs of aging for a firmer, brighter appearance. The gradual self-tanning complex delivers instant radiance as it naturally bronzes for a healthy, glowing complexion. This also has a scent but it smells natural and medicinal and not perfumy. The serum is clear and goes on very smooth. I am totally excited about this product and I’m going to patch test it today. 

I love this month’s box and I have to say that Boxycharm is my favorite subscription box. What did you guys think of your boxes?

January 2015 Birchbox Tone it Up Unboxing. Spoilers!

Hi everyone! I finally got my January Birchbox (the crowd goes wild). To be honest I not only got Birchbox but my Boxycharm and a Korean Beauty haul (yes I’ll blog about them all). So this was a good beauty day!

I feel like I explain what Birchbox (and all the sub boxes) is every month. So, if you want me to stop doing that please let me know. Birchbox is a $10.00 a month beauty subscription service that sends you five sample to deluxe sized samples a month. You also have a chance to pick one of your samples every month or choose your box. This month I decided to get the special Tone It Up box. This box claimed to have gym essentials in it. 

Now on to all the things!

I have heard so many things about the Klorane Dry Shampoo that this alone made me choose the Tone it Up box. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk sample (Full-sized $19.50) is said to absorbed grease and put the bounce back into second-day or post-gym hair. I’m so excited about this dry shampoo. I’m going to use it tomorrow on my “second-day hair”. 

Whish Three Wishes Body Butter in Lavender sample (full-size $24) is an antioxidant-rich hydrator that softens, soothes, and firms. The smell is not something I personally like for a body moisturizer. It’s very perfumy and smells a little like baby powder. As an adult woman, baby powder isn’t my go to scent – smile. 

Aquareveal Satin Bright Soft Water Peel for Face sample (full-size $49.00) is a gentle treatment that removes impurities and exfoliates without irritating skin. This I’m excited to try. Yes I know face stuff is iffy for me but this is a clear gel with no scent and no abrasives. I am going to try this tonight to see how my face reacts. 

Next we have the COOLA Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion (long name) sample size (full-size $32.00). The lotion is soothing with agave to moisturize, protect, and calm and post-sun woes. I’m not a sun worshiper (I’m in Florida and I don’t like skin cancer) so I’ll keep this just-in-case something happens this summer. 

I’m really enjoying Costal Scents palette’s lately. This sample palette in Latte by Costal Scents (full-size palette $19.95) is no exception. The colors are great and the pigment is spot on. No fallout to speak of and it’s the perfect size to throw in a travel bag or purse (or gym bag). Great little sample!

I have to say that Birchbox has been hitting them out of the park for me these past few months. Keep up the great work Birchbox. What did you think about your Birchbox this month?

January 2015 3b Bag Review! Spoilers!

This is my January 2015 3b Beauty bag review. 3b is a monthly Asian Beauty Bag subscription which sends you 5 Asian beauty products (Sample sized to full sized) for only $12.00 a month. Check them out here https://the3bbox.com/. They are a new company and this is their second monthly bag so let’s get to ALL THE THINGS! 

So, first thing I saw (of course) was this Tony Moly product. How could you miss it? I also know what this is because I see it all the time. This is the Tony Moly Peach Hand Cream and is a full sized product. If you’re unfamiliar with the Tony Moly fruit hand creams I’m here to tell you they’re great. They smell amazing and are really hydrating. I didn’t buy the peach hand cream because I’m not a fan of fake peach smells but I shouldn't have worried. This smells amazingly like fresh peaches. I just love it. 

The second product is the My Beauty Diary Hyaluronic Acid Mask. This is a Taiwanese mask which restores moisture. I have not used any My Beauty Diary products but I have been going mask happy lately. This will be the next mask I use. 

The Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara is a waterproof Japanese Mascara. I have not used this brand before either but I am not opening this just yet because I am trying out a Dior mascara at the moment. As soon as I do I’ll post a review (wow…that rhymed). 

I am super excited to try the Laneige Firming Sleeping Pack. Laneige is a Korean brand and this mask is said to restore intense moisture as well as sealing it in overnight. I will use this tonight. 

Last but not least is the Nature Republic Flower Jelly Drop Gloss. Again another product I will not be opening right away because I have a ton of lip products open right now. I’m also not a fan of flavored lip glosses so we will see how this one fares. 

That’s my 3b bag for January! The second bag was great and I can’t wait to see how they grow!