Julep Zigzag October Mystery Box Review

Julep Maven is a monthly subscription service that sends nail polishes and other beauty products based on your profile each month for a monthly charge of $24.99. If you would like to try your first month free (just pay the $3.99 shipping fee) use code FREEBOX. And thank you in advance if you use one of my referral links! :D

I didn't get the regular October box from Julep but I couldn't resist the mystery box this month! Each zigzag box is "powered by chevron" and contains fun chevron nail stickers! 

There were three box sizes available and I opted for the mini box, $19.99 for $50+ of product. One of my real motivations for this order was to add on Casper, the glow in the dark limited edition polish that I've been craving! And, also, to use a coupon that only happened on 10/10 - $10 off $25 or more! 

Here's first looks:

Such a huge outer packing box this time!

And the breakdown:

Clara polish, $14 - opaque peach creme

Marjorie polish, $14 - citrus orange frost

Doublestep, $22 - This stick is promised to prevent blisters. Nobody loves a monster heel more than me, so I'm hoping this will work well when the time of need comes!

Candy corn - Fun little bonus treat! The girls ate this right up!

Sea Salt Spray, $22 - Sea salt spray is a little hit or miss with my curly hair. I am currently using a Philip B. one that leaves my curls looking great even without blow drying. This one reviews well on Julep, so hopefully it's a good one!!

Chevron stickers, $2 - I'm not sure quite what I was expecting, but I'm surprised by the design of these and how versatile they are! The instructions say to trim them, apply on nail and top coat over. They are long enough to go on nails in any direction. They could also be used to provide neat edges to paint chevron of other colors. These are going to use this week!!  

Casper glow in the dark polish, $14 - fun add on!! My girls are going to flip out over this!! :D

My box contained $74 worth of product (plus Casper) and I was really happy with it! It was a nice combination of polish and other products and I'm looking forward to trying out my new goodies! Chevron nails coming soon!! 

Be sure to use code FREEMAVEN to get your first box for only $4 if you decide to sign up for Julep! 

August Empties

It's that time again! Time to clear out the junk from the previous month and fill up the recycle bin! Haha!!

Each month I save up things that the fam and I have completely used up and finished. We have tons of new and partially used goodies around our home and I started this project to motivate me to try some new things. It's so easy to just reach for the same thing again and again, you know?? It's actually been really fun and I hope you enjoy this monthly peek "behind the scenes," too! 

I include bath and body products - except things that are obviously TOO TMI! haha! - and some household things that I feel strongly enough about to share! Let's see what we got into in August!! 

Sunscreens

1. Coppertone Ultra Guard SPF 50 - ugh, I've said it before and will repeat it, not a fan of spray sunscreens. They always manage to stain our lighter fabrics and they never seem to last as long as regular containers. I guess you are paying for ease of application?? Idk. This stuff stung eyes, too, so all around fail. Best thing we used it for was to put a quick spray on scalps and it was fine for that... But in general, not a fan.

2. Banana Boat Sport SPF 50 - the winner this summer, my absolute favorite. Does the job, doesn't sting eyes, lasts a long time even on fair skin. Feels good going on, not so thick and white and crazy like some others we have used. Love this stuff.

3. Murad Essential C Day Moisture SPF 30 - I wanted to love this, I really did, to the point that I KEPT using it even after I saw how shiny it made my face. The 3rd or 4th time I exercised with it on and wound up with stinging eyes, though, I gave up. The last little bit goes in the trash. Fail. :(

4. Water Babies SPF 30 Stick - OMG. My kids HATE these sunscreen sticks. Like, for real. Hate them. Unfortunately for them they work really, really well and I have a stash of them that going to take us a while to work through, so too bad!!  LOL

5. SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 - eh, nothing special, and such a small tube. It wasn't enough for one trip to the pool! LOL

6. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 - oh my goodness.... This stuff is amazing. It is almost impossible to believe that it's SPF 40. It feels and smells like a luxurious lotion or serum. Absolutely loved it, turned it upside down to get last few drops out, so sad it's empty!!

Stuff the Girls Used

7. Bath and Body Works Honeysuckle Shower Gel - the girls used most of this then I finished it up. Great basic body wash and I love the honeysuckle scent!

8. H2O Disney Bath Soap - I always horde all the bathroom goodies while we are at Disney so the girls will have some fun things for their bathroom at home. The round soaps embossed with Mickey and bubbles are always a hit!

9. Flintstones Multi Vitamins - these are the girls' favorites. Probably because sugar is an ingredient and I think maybe they taste like Sour Patch Kids?? Still vitamins, though, and the only ones they REMIND me to give them, so they are a win for me!

10.  Still working on working through the build up of travel sizes in our guest bathroom!

- Zenology Vitalising Conditioner x 2 - not a big fan of this sycamore fig scent!
- Bath & Body Works Energizing Conditioner - this orange ginger scent was nice!

Hair Supplies

11. Tresemme' Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray - oh Tresemme'. This brand is an official sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion week so I have brought home boatloads of freebies over the last few years. They have yet to give me supermodel results, but I use it all up eventually! I used this spray on damp hair to detangle and protect from heat styling and it seemed to work well enough. Wouldn't go out of my way to hunt it down and buy it, though!

12. Moroccan Oil Light - ok... I didn't want to be a Moroccan Oil believer, but I am. The stuff is incredible. I used it on off days between washings as sort of a leave-in therapy and my hair is transformed. It looks overall healthier, thicker, so much less dry. The stuff is fabulous and worth every penny. I have a bottle of the Suave version that came in the Allure Summer Must Haves and I'm trying to give it a fair chance... Maybe it will surprise me!

13. Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner - I received this set wayyyy back in the Allure Summer Must Have box and finally got around to using it up. It's actually pretty great! My curly hair seemed moisturized without ever feeling weighed down and my often dry scalp was never an issue! Will rebuy when work through some of the stock around here! :)

Body Cleansers

 14. Bliss Mini Blue Bar - hubs loves a good bar soap and there's nothing from Bliss that I DON'T love, so this is a win win! Smells soooo good, is nice and scrubby like he prefers! Awesome product!

15. LUSH sea vegetable soap - love me some Lush! I kept this one mostly to myself, using in at my vanity in place of my usual pump hand soap

16. Coconut Island Quench Body Wash - smells sooooo good, like summer in a bottle! Loved this!

17. Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towlettes - I received these in my summer FabFitFun box. The strong cucumber smell of these is not my favorite but they are nice, thick wipes and they were perfect for cleaning dirty flip flop feet!

18. Ivory Bar Soap - I had to buy a huge Multi-pack of this stuff for the girls to do that experiment where you microwave it. Have you done that?? It's awesome, for kids and grownups alike! LOL! We are slowly alternating the remaining bars with other soaps in both kid and adult showers!

Misc Household

19. Target Moisturizing Hand Soap Aloe Vera - We've gone through tons and tons of hand soaps from Bath and Body Works and I bought this big refill at Target to try to cut down on our anti-bacterial use. I'm under the impression that this has helped build our immune systems a bit this summer? Is that true?? Lol! I bought the honey one to use now, hopefully it will be moisturizing as we head into fall!!

20. Henri Bendel Wild Roseberry Candle - love these candles! I got this one in the PopSugar Summer Must Have Box and it was thoroughly enjoyed! However, it's a higher price point than the 3 Wick candles at Bath & Body Works and I don't think it scented the whole area as well as those do (and you can grab those all the time on 2 for $20 deals!).

21. Bath & Body Works Mint Chocolate Foaming Hand Soap - love these foaming hand soaps, and the ones like this that smell yummy enough to eat are the best!

22. Kroger brand Wet Wipes - like every other mom, love me some wet wipes. This canister got used up in the car. Also like every other mom, we are busy busy busy and way too often find ourselves eating while driving around!

Body Stuff

23. St. Tropes Self-Tanning Lotion - Boo!! So sad this bottle is empty!! As I mentioned in an earlier post on tanners, this brand is my absolute fave. Don't worry, though, I have a backup! ;)

24. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad (exfoliating face tanner plus active vitamin D) - I have continued to love these things. I got them in my July Blush Beauty box and they are perfect for the face! Such natural color and a healthy glow!

25.  Philip B. Chocolate Milk Body Creme - not very moisturizing, but smells good enough to eat!!

26. Julep Instant Warming Foot Scrub - I got this all the way back in my Julep Boho Glam intro box! The little tiny sample pack really wasn't the massive glob I would have loved to have split between two feet, but it was enough to tell that the stuff is awesome. I've never felt a product  warm up like this before??? It's fantastic and left my tootsies super smooth. I'll be ordering a full size one!!

More general stuff...

27. Crest White Strips - ugh.... Including these just because I'm curious if ANYONE can use these without major tooth sensitivity??? They kill my teeth every time. I can't make it anywhere close to the recommended 30 minutes, usually peel them off about halfway through. Wish I knew a good dentist that could just whiten for me! Oh... Wait.... ;)

28. Target women's daily multi-vitamins - Girls have their vitamins, I gotta get myself in good shape, too! ;)

29. Neutrogena Mouthwash - travel sample that finally got used. Comments... um, it's mouthwash!? LOL

30. Old Spice Fiji Deodorant - ok, still borderline TMI, still my favorite in forever. I can't be the only woman who uses men's products, right???

31.   Crest toothpaste with Scope - I know, I know, toothpaste is borderline TMI, too, but people are always curious about a dentist's family, so I usually include it. As I've said before, the fam uses whatever I buy and I buy whatever's on sale. I tend towards Crest but am feeling a change of heart recently towards Colgate! ;)

Face/skin care

32. Canyon Ranch Balance Light-Weight Moisture - a great, light moisturizer for summertime! I don't think it did anything particularly remarkable for the $75 price tag, though, so wouldn't buy again

33. Clinique Seven Day Scrub Cream - this stuff is has a super fine, gritty texture that always seems too rough for my skin.... I like a good scrub every once in a while, but this it too severe for me (and I'm usually not super sensitive to that sort of thing!)

34. Olay anti-aging eye roller - I always have such high hopes for eye rollers and their claims to massage and de-puff under eye areas... Have yet to find one that wows me. Suggestions?? 

35. Airbrush Refining Eye Cream - received this deluxe sample in my July Blush Mystery Beauty Bag and... Its fine. But I want more than "fine" from an eye cream. This seemed like a basic, decent eye cream. I never felt wowed and I definitely never felt airbrushed! Haha!

36. Simple Eye Makeup Remover Pads - yep, officially hooked on these. I got the first pack in the Allure Summer Must Haves box and have now bought my 3rd pack. They contain vitamins and my lashes have never looked better - probably in part from the fact that I actually take my mascara off consistently now! Lol!

37. Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - I picked up this free sample in the Atlanta airport with the Foursquare app. I'm always up for free!! Haha! Idk what it is about me and Kiehl's.... I know people love the brand but I've never found a must have item here. This one was no exception. Nobody loves avocado more than me but the waxy, weird texture of this eye cream that refused to sink into my skin? Not a fan.

Makeup/color

38. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - I've been obsessed with this stuff for years and have used tube after tube after tube. It's what I think so many of the BB (and CC and DD...) creams try so hard to be! Seriously, it's lightweight and uber flattering and PERFECT. I'm in the process of trying to be open-minded to competitors but my standards are HIGH because of this product!!   

39. Carnelian Lip Balm - well, not technically empty, but I finally gave up! I got this stuff in the May Our Local Box and it has seriously taken me two months to get about halfway through it! And I don't even like it! LOL! It's a natural product, which is awesome for lips, but it's super hard and waxy and I had to press and smush and work it to try to get some coverage... Not a fan!

40. Cargo blu_ray Lip Gloss - I've heard about Cargo glosses forever but this is the first I have tried one. If this little sample was a true representation, the stuff is amazing. Slight minty smell/taste, great smooth coverage, never sticky. Seriously awesome, I scraped every little drop out of the container!!

41. Lip Fusion Micro Collagen Lip Plump in Bare - love love love this stuff! It's so rare to actually use up an entire lip gloss but this stuff is perfect. Somewhere between lip gloss and stick in coverage, it's nice and tingly and gives a plumped effect!

42. OPI Nail Lacquer in Absolutely Alice - how rare is it to actually use up an entire nail polish??? This stuff was fabulous and was a hit with grownups and kids alike. Such a deep, rich stunning glitter. Loved it!!



What do you think?? Do you see anything you love on this list?? I'm so nosy by nature and I'd LOVE to see your empties for September! Grab a bag and start saving them up! You might just be surprised at how much - or how little - you actually consume!! 

August Giveaway! $110 Value!

Yay!!! Giveaway time!! I appreciate my readers so much and love giving back to you! I have some exciting things in the works over the next couple of months so stay tuned!

This month, instead of gifting a ready-made box, I have put together a little box of my own! I have SO much fun stuff around here and I can't possibly use it all. I'm excited to share and I hope you are as excited about it as I am! This month's giveaway will include:

* Philip B. Self Adjusting Hair Spray ($22)

* Too Faced Matte Bronzing Powder with real cocoa in Chocolate Soleil ($30)

* NYX Cream Blush in Bronze Goddess ($7)

* Catalina Su Lip Gloss ($14)

* Julep Nail Polish in Drew ($14)

* FEED for Target reusable market tote bag ($7)

* Aveda travel set ($16) - includes travel size Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner, Refreshing Bath Bar and All-Sensitive Lotion



To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. There are ways to earn additional entries each day so check back daily! Contest is open to legal US residents 18 and over. Entry will be verified so please be sure to complete the form correctly! Good luck!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ipsy Glam Bag July Review - LOVES IT!

Ah, Ipsy.... How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.... Only $10 a month? Check. Products that are often FULL-size? Check. Tons of value for my money? Check. Super fun products? Check. On and on and on.... If you are thinking of trying a subscription service but you don't know where to start, start HERE!! Enough of the love letters, let's get to what was in the July bag!

Here's first looks:

And the breakdown! 

Theme is "beach beauty"
As always, back of card is discount codes for included products!

Nicole by OPI polish (bonus item), $7 - this is currently on my hot mess nails! LOL!
COOLA mineral sunscreen, $5 - LOVE tinted sunscreen!
Big Sexy Hair weather proof hairspray, $5

BH Collection eyeshadow, $2 - little scared of that purple but it's gorgeous!
Benetint, $6 - not full-size like advertised, but still excited about it
Pop Beauty Lip Crayon, $4 - lip crayons are all the rage, excited to try it!

This month's bag had a value of $29 (with bonus product). Not as high as previous months, but I like everything included! If you would like to try Ipsy (and really, it's $10! Who wouldn't??), please use my referral link and GO FOR IT! It's a little present to myself that I look SO forward to each month! Can't wait to see what August brings! 

DIY: Kool-Aid hair color!

The girls go to private school and have to dress pretty conservatively, so in the summer they LOVE the chance to cut loose a little with their appearances! One of their favorite summer traditions is dying their hair tips with Kool-Aid! I feel better about it than regular hair dye and it pretty much washes out over a month or two, especially with time spent in the pool. And if it's NOT all gone, we only dye the last few inches that will need to be trimmed before school starts anyway! It's so cute and fun and I thought we'd share how easy it is with you!! 

1. Buy packs of Kool-aid at the grocery store. You need three packs of the same flavor per color. Just about any color is going to show up great on blonde hair, brown hair needs a darker color like red or purple. Each color needs its own small plastic bowl.

2. Put hair in a ponytail at base of neck then a second ponytail holder to mark the point that you don't want the dye to pass. My girls think this hairstyle looks like Jasmine! ;)

3. Dump the Kool-Aid into the bowl and fill the bowl about halfway full of warm/hot water. It will be THICK, so give it a couple stirs to dissolve the Kool-Aid. Then microwave the bowl for about a minute to get it really good and hot. 

4. Dunk just the part you want dyed into the bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. I kind of swish it around every once in a while to make sure the color gets all the way through the hair. We can't do this step without making a MESS so we usually do this on the floor/seat of my walk-in shower with the girls in minimal clothes! LOL!

5. Leave ponytail holders in and rinse the hair with cold water. 

6. Leave ponytail holders in and dry with a hair dryer. I take it down when it's still a little damp and then finish drying completely to make sure it doesn't get on any clothes, etc. 

Purple is kinda subtle on brown, but so pretty! 

Wild and crazy for Pep! LOL!

7. That's it! Enjoy! Happy summer!!