September Empties!

Be sure to enter my fun October giveaway while you're stopping by!! :D

It's that time again! Time to feel crazy while I take pictures of a month's worth of trash! 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!! 

Stuff the girls used

1. Victoria's Secret Give Me the Shimmer Body Powder - oh, this thing was soooo fun to use! Big soft fluffy poof that delivers shimmer powder. I loved it, and the girls did, too!!

2. Zenology Cleansing Body Wash - the black tube looks fancy for the kids, no? They love fancy! ;)

3. Cosmetics from their stashes - Hello Kitty glitter polish and Expressions glitter lip glosses that finally turned gunky, YSL Parisenne perfume. The tooth fairy brought this perfume sample and it was a huge hit! 

More stuff used by the kiddos...

4. The girls are continuing to work through some of our excess guest room supplies!

- H2O Aquatics Disney - Lotion, Shampoo with Conditioner, Bath Soap and Conditioner - love bringing bathroom goodies home from Disney!
- REN Grapeseed Jojoba and Shea Body Cream
- Heavenly by Westin White Tea + Aloe Conditioner - this stuff worked wonders on my oldest's hair! Surprisingly fabulous!
- C.O.Bigelow conditioner - smelled great, lavender + peppermint

Stuff used in grownup shower/tub

5. Zest Aqua Body Wash - great basic body wash! Hubs loves it, and I do, too! :) Kroger keeps giving it to me, so I keep taking it! Haha!

6. LUSH Karma Bubble Bar - oh Lush.... The stuff is so fab. Used this to take my first real bath in forever and it remains my favorite. The smell is just absolutely to die for and it lingered in my bathroom and adjacent closet for days! Need more baths!!!

7. Lulah Peony Body Wash - this body wash came in the August PopSugar. I sure do love getting something luxurious AND practical! It went straight in the shower and made me smile every time I used it! Smells super fab but the scent doesn't last long enough for me. I like my shower gel to last for HOURS, you know? So I enjoyed it but wouldn't buy again.

Body lotions

8. The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - looooove the body butters from The Body Shop. They are second only to Bliss in my book! Works wonders on my always dry upper arms, for sure, and this tub smelled just like summer should!!

9. P.S. I Love You lotion from Bath & Body Works - I was going to finish up this bottle that the girls had started and OMG. This stuff turned bad somehow and REEKED like old lady perfume. We got lots of family laughs - at my expense! - out of HOW BAD it smelled!! Haha!!

10. Lush Dream Cream - omg.... This stuff is truly divine. I received it in an awesome birthday kit this summer. This is Lush's number one best selling product ever and one whiff of the chamomile, lavender and oat milk combo will tell you why! It seriously makes me want to eat it out of the pot!! LOVE.

11. Prestiche Body Butter - I did a review on this product earlier and, sadly, never grew to love it any more than I did at the start! It was too expensive to not use up, though, so I worked my way through it!

Misc travel sizes

12. We spent a long weekend in LA for the Emmys and I love using trips as time to use up some sample/travel size goodies! 

- Aveda Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion - love anything Aveda and this smells just as amazing as all the rest
- Bliss bubbling body wash - love Bliss, have loved everything I've ever tried from them
- Flowerbomb Bomblicious Shower Gel - omg, Flowerbomb has been my favorite for years! I used this as an extra treat for my shower on Emmys day! :)
- REN Grapeseed Jojoba and Shea Butter Body Cream
- Lanvin conditioner and bar soaps - OMG!! Our hotel in Beverly Hills stocked Lanvin toiletries!! Whaaaaat??? Wanted to hoard but the place was too classy for me to ever see a maids cart! LOL! Stuff smells Ah-Mazing
- Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste - WHEW, this stuff is STRONG

Stuff the Schnauzer used! LOL

13. Andre Walker Hair Keratin Conditioner - I bought this shampoo/conditioner set with high hopes after reading about its smoothing and wonderful qualities. Um... Hair felt weighed down and greasy, the opposite of what I want for my big curly locks. I used about 2/3 and the remainder really did get used on the Schnauzer..... Just sayin'!

14. Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Conditioners - yep, used these on the dog, too. I'm trying desperately to fight her hair knots! Idk if you can see it, but there are teeth marks on the one in the middle. Boo Bitty is not the hugest fan of baths! LOL!

Tanners and Nails

15. Bella Bronze Self-Tanner - this stuff is... okay. Nothing special. Definitely not 3 or 4 times more special than some drugstore brands that are a fraction of the price!

16. Julep one-step polish remover pad - I received this as a sample in a Julep box and packed it to do my nails fresh on Emmys day. It was... Ok. Convenient to pack, but seemed like barely enough to get by and I didn't have much polish on my nails. Def wouldnt have been enough to remove ten fingers worth of one of the Julep glitter polishes or something like that!

17. Tan Towels - been a fan of these for years! So easy to use and nice, light, natural color. 

Randomness

18. Disney Princess Gummy Vitamins - I've been doing so well at remembering to give the girls their vitamins! Yay me! These aren't anything particularly fun but they like them! :)

19. Equate allergy relief - ugh.... Including this just to share the misery. I had no allergies when I moved to Louisville in 2001, now I drown in them twice a year! :(

20. Target Wet Wipes - is there a mom who DOESN'T love wet wipes??? I loved them long before I was a mom, too!! Haha!

21. Bath and Body Works Pocket Bac - I tried to ease off the antibacterial use through the summer but, alas, here comes fall and people around here are already having some weird ailments, so out come the pocket bacs! We have these stashed everywhere - cars, purse, backpacks...

22. Old Spice Fiji deodorant - still borderline TMI, still too good not to include it. Seriously. Hubs loves it - and me, too! ;)

Various cleansers

 23. Cotton Balls (in back) - omg, we go through so many. And they are always "Jumbo," which with these from Kroger still wasn't very big. Do they even make "regular" ones anymore??

24. Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes - I received these in my summer FabFitFun box and, I mean, how can wet wipes not be good?? I'm still not crazy about the super cucumber smell but these really wound up on my nerves due to their weird thickness and texture. They kind of balled/rolled up when trying to use them, negating the convenience for me. Wouldn't rebuy, for sure.

25. Cotton rounds - *sigh* I'm trying hard to squirt eye makeup remover on these to make them the same as the Simple wipes.... They just aren't. Need the Simple wipes back in my life.

26. Dickinsons Witch Hazel oil controlling towelettes - I received these wayyyy back in my Allure Summer box and am slowly working my way through them. They are do easy to pack and really feel so refreshing and cleansing for a traveling face wash alternative!

27. Simple Eye Makeup Remover Pads - package after package of these... I'll be back, oh yes, I'll be back!

28. Skyn Iceland Hydro Cooling Firming Eye Gels - I received these in my September Ipsy bag and was happy to see them! My allergies have been atrocious and school morning have come WAY early! I'm open to any eye help and these were nice and refreshing!!

29. Supergoop SPF 30 Everyday Sunscreen - yep, like everyone else, I love me some Supergoop. Their "healthy" approach to sunscreen with no controversial ingredients is much appreciated, especially when you use as much SPF as we do! And my sometimes sensitive and weird skin has never had a problem with one of their products. Love.

30. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC cream in Warm Glow - eh.... I've yet to find a BB/CC cream that I like more then my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. This one is kind of orange (I feel like these creams are orange in general??) and is definitely a little greasy in texture. One bonus of that, though, is that the stuff sticks together and slides right down in the tube! No excess stuck in the top/end that you cant use up! Lol!

31. Crest Whitening Toothpaste - still borderline TMI, still going to share since people are always curious about a dentist's family. My family uses whatever I buy and could pretty much care less! LOL!

32. Airbrush Refining Eye Cream - *only pictured in overall group shot* this is the second little tub of this that I've gotten from Blush Mystery box and it's growing on me! It's definitely a great, basic, moisturizing eye cream but, unlike the first tub, I'm pretty sure I actually felt kind of airbrushed a couple of times when I used this one! ;)

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 October! I'd like to start a monthly linkup for this, if anyone else wants to play along! Grab a bag and start saving them up! You might just be surprised at how much - or how little - you actually consume!! 

Julep Maven September Bombshell Box Review

I took a little break from Julep and - OMG!! - what a difference a little time made! I was blown away by this box and couldn't WAIT to share it with you!! 

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 or FREEMAVEN. And thank you in advance if you use one of my referral links! :D

Here's first looks:

And the breakdown:

Look at this fancy packaging! 

These look PERFECT for gifting! Love the little individual boxes!
* Daria, $14 - Dark slate grey creme. Gorgeous.
* Karmen, $14 - Golden crimson microglitter. So shimmery and fun! This is the color that made me select this box this month! 

* Bare Face Cleansing Oil, $28 - I have so many friends who swear by oils for cleansers but I've never tried it! Excited to give it a go!
* There was also a sample of a polish remover pad, $1

I came up with a value of $57 for this box. It really felt like opening a gift this month! I am in love with the fancy new packaging and I am so so happy with the September Bombshell selections!! Can't wait to try all my new goodies!!! Thank you, Julep!! 

Julep Mystery Box - Miami #4 Review

I've seen such mixed reviews on the Julep Mystery Boxes but decided to take the plunge this time. The themes were Hamptons, Laguna Beach and Miami. Boxes cost $24.99 each and were supposed to contain $70-$200 of product with a few of the boxes having a bonus $600 United Airlines gift card! I was torn between Laguna and Miami, but settled on Miami and was sure I'd get the United card in mine (I didn't! LOL). Here's first looks:

More fun if it contained $600! LOL!

Definitely not a ton of product...

First thought: Boo, no gift card. Second thought: Um, okay, this is not even $70. Third thought: This stuff looks like leftovers that Julep was just trying to get rid of.

The box included a lip balm ($6) that is discontinued, so that totally felt like crap that was lying around that they just needed to get rid of. It also contained a Rock Star Hand Creme ($20). And there were three polishes:

Esmerelda ($14), a green glitter that is no longer on website either. It was last week's nails of the week! 
Drew ($14), a bright pink that looks a lot like Raegan from my box last month. I already put last month's up to give away since I have several similar colors, the same now for Drew.
Tina ($14), a weird purple that I'm hoping is a pleasant surprise when I use it.

What do you think? Were you happy with your box? I'm pretty annoyed with mine and its $68 value, even if that's a good deal for $25, since I heard "$70-$200" and was expecting more. And with "Maven" Pricing, I would have only paid about $54 for this stuff, which is what I feel like the "real" value should be when purchased by a member. 

I've yet to see a box reviewed that was even $100 value, much less $200.... Not that they don't exist, but they should be advertised as a "prize" if there's just one or two of them! 

You can try Julep for only $4 for your first box ($.01 + $3.99 shipping) with code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN. It's definitely worth a shot for $4! Then cancel if you aren't thrilled! Please use my link if you go for it!! I'll be passing on these special edition mystery boxes but keeping my regular subscription going for now! :)

Nails of the week! Yay summer!

I got my polish done early this week! I snuck outside last night during cheer practice and painted nails and listened to talk radio! FUN!! (It really was, though... haha)

Nails this week are Julep Natasha (perfect summery orangey red) with Julep Abbie (neon yellow) for accent. I got this set from the Julep warehouse sale for $5 last week! Score!

Today for the first time I tried the Sally Hansen Dry & Go Drops from the Allure summer beauty box. This bottle comes with a little dropper and the drops are supposed to work like a quick dry top coat (like my favorite Out the Door) with the added benefit of not having to actually touch a brush to still-wet nails. Um... I was super careful for at least 15 minutes after the drops and still somehow wound up with lots of nail smudges. Same for the girls, who used it on their toes. We will try it again, though, maybe better luck next time! It says 1-2 drops per nail and I'm thinking maybe we over-applied??

Lots of smudges and still glitter remnants from last week, but still cute! :)

Super happy with these bright summery colors!! We are in full summer mode around here and these colors were made for the pool!! Are you doing anything fun with your nails this week??

If you'd like to try your first box from Julep for only $4, please use my referral link and the code FREEMAVEN or FREEBOX.  I'm soooooo excited for the red white and blue glitter top coat coming in my July box!! :)


** post contains referral links chica so help a sista out! ;)

Nails of the Week! Julep Esmerelda glitter experiment!

This week's polish is Esmerelda, a green glitter polish, the 2013 Color of the Year from Julep. I received this polish in my Miami Mystery Box last week and I was anxious to try it! We've used lots of glitters from OPI, etc., but this was my first Julep glitter! 

I put on a first coat over bare nails and it was really pretty and interesting! The glitter is really varied, some tiny flecks, some big sparkly chunks. Would be super pretty over another polish as a top coat!

A second coat started providing a little fuller coverage.

A third coat? Sure, why not. Let's see what happens! LOL! Pretty solid glitter coverage, but it took strategically moving some chunks around before it dried. A coat of Out the Door and the result is super sparkly and fun! Love! 

I'm trying to figure out where I want to go for my birthday weekend next month and this would be a perfect polish for a Vegas pool party, don't you think? ;)

Julep boxes are typically $24.99/month but you can try your first month for only $4 with this link and code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN. Then cancel if you aren't wowed! 

Any fun plans for your nails this week?? And any great recommendations for a fun three day weekend getaway?? ;)

Julep Maven June Bombshell Box and DD Creme Review

For this month's Julep Maven Box, I opted out of my usual Boho Glam and opted instead for the Bombshell selections. So glad I did! Here's first looks:

All of the little cards included this month are SO cute! There's a contest on Facebook that is themed "Be Good to Yourself Challenge," that gives entrants a chance to win 3 months of Maven ($120 value) and one little card with this inspirational quote from Lilly Pulitzer: "Style isn't just about what you wear, it's about how you live." I'm not a big fan of Lilly - or inspirational quotes in general - but I appreciate the effort/gesture! LOL! I also LOVE that they included a few pieces of salt water taffy in the box this month! Perfect summer treat!

The Bombshell selections this month are Payton, a great kelly green, and Raegan, a fun bright fuschia. Raegan looks a lot like several other colors I already own, including the Sally Hansen polish I used last week and loved, so I'm undecided about keeping it at this point. It may be going into a future giveaway! ;) I also added on Bunny, a great white polish with subtle gold shimmer. You can see my manicure with Payton and Bunny here.

They all look alike, right?? ;)

The box also contained a tube of Julep's new DD Cream in Medium. I've been using this the last few days and.... meh. Not a big fan. I've used Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer for years and am a BIG fan of it, so I was admittedly going to be a tough sell. That being said, I went into this open-minded because 1. all of the claimed benefits of "DD" and 2. increased SPF protection (25 instead of 20). First look, though, had me concerned. The stuff is VERY orange....

Sorry for the grody upclose face photo, just wanted to show you HOW ORANGE it is. The instructions on the box read mostly like a sunscreen package, talking about water-resistance, reapplying after towel drying, sun protection measures, etc? Seems weird on the back of a package that has "dynamic do-all makeup" on the front? And the website describes it as having "patented anti-aging ingredients designed to decrease appearance of pores and fine lines," etc? Back to the color, though, it's just crazy to me. I even wrote Julep and asked them if the intention is more of a bronzer/self-tanning effect (no response yet). Maybe they are relying on the color to just cover everything up and provide some dramatic result?? And, as a final thought, my face was GREASY by afternoon (which it never is) and required major blotting (which I never do).

Overall, I'll use it up, but would never re-buy. I'm curious to see what everyone else thought of the DD Creme! 

I paid $24.98 for this box (19.99 monthly box charge + 4.99 add-on) and got $78 worth of product. Are you interested in trying Julep Maven? You can get your first box free and just pay $3.95 shipping charge with code FREEMAVEN then cancel anytime if you aren't a fan!

Nails of the Week: Julep Payton and Bunny

Got to spend some quality time last night offering fun and hopefully some comfort to yet another family in our circle of family and friends that has been ravaged by a family member's selfishness. Please, please, please be kind to each other and give the very best of yourself to the people that cherish you!! 

So... on to a new week! This week's nails come from the June Julep Maven box I received this weekend! Fun!! The box also came with a tube of their new DD cream, so I'm going to wait to review the box until I've given that a try!

The main color I used is Payton, a fun Kelly green that is such a fresh addition to the MASSIVE (no, really) nail polish collection around here. I've been loving all the accent nails I'm seeing around, so I did an accent on my ring fingers this week in Bunny, another Julep color that's white with a subtle gold shimmer. I finished off with a coat of my beloved Out the Door. Can't get smudge free without it! ;) 

These polishes were a little runny and difficult for me to get right, but two coats gave a nice, solid color. Im first to admit, I'm no expert! Shout out to the hubs who pulled off my Biore' nose strip while I was drying (haven't used one of those in probably ten years, left it on too long and it HURT, but his help is a perfect demonstration of true love! Haha!). I'm pretty happy with the nails this week. I'm kind of in love with this green!!

If you are interested in trying Julep, be a doll and use my link: Julep Maven sign up (pretty please! ;)!  You can use code FREEBOX to get your first box for only the $3.95 shipping charge and then cancel anytime if you aren't crazy about it. This green polish is part of the current Bombshell 

box which will be one of your options if you sign up! :)

** Bigger font? Yeah? Loving it! 

June Maven Selection Window

WhoooHooo!!

So excited about the new Julep Maven boxes!! They are going to include the usual two nail polishes ($28) AND the new Julep "DD Cream" that will retail full-size for $36! I LOVE a tinted moisturizer with SPF, never leave the house without it!! If you haven't tried Julep yet, this might just be the month to do it! Use code FREEBOX and get your first month for free (+ shipping) then cancel if you don't love it. Here are the polish options! I opted out of Boho Glam this month and am getting the Bombshell kit instead. I also added on the great Bunny color for $5! Super pumped!! 

** And a little blurb that was included on the DD Cream and Concealer:


INTRODUCING THE WORLD'S FIRST DD CRÈME & DD CONCEALER!

We combined the coverage of a BB cream with the complexion-boosting properties of a CC cream to create our new dynamic do-all makeup—also known as DD Crème.

Disguise & diminish skin flaws with our new DD Concealer. The concentrated formula is enriched with illuminating and anti-aging ingredients. Available in the Modern Beauty box or as an add-on

Julep Maven Boho Glam Intro Box

Julep Maven is a service that provides a monthly box with at least two high end nail polishes and a couple of other products for $19.99/month. When you sign up for the service, you take a fun quiz that places you in one of several style categories and your monthly box is personalized for that style (unless you want to try a different one, skip a month, etc.). I flew through the quiz and was labelled "Boho Glam"and got to see a preview of my intro box. The colors were.... interesting. Not what I would have normally picked but the point is to try something new, right?? So I stuck with the recommended box and have turned out very pleasantly surprised!!

Here's what the box looked like:

The box included Julep polish in Debra ($14) and Leila ($14), Julep Mascara ($24) and a sample of a foot scrub ($2?). The colors are way more muted than what I would normally pick but they really add something different to the massive nail polish collection in my house (which I thought was pretty much impossible at this point! haha). They look fresh and unique and I love them!

Of course, I was home with the 7 year old when I opened this box, so the first attempt at these polishes turned out a little unexpected....

Hers alternated the new yellow with a neon yellow and then all covered in purple glitter:

Then she painted mine turquoise and alternated freehanded tips in new gray and yellow with (of course! ) purple glitter over everything:

This weekend I'll be trying the foot scrub and a more traditional use of the polishes on my toes ;). And I'm a mascara FANATIC so I'm always curious to try a new one!

All in all, I'm definitely interested to see what comes next! And the fact that I got my first box for $.01 and only paid $3.99 shipping for $54 worth of product definitely made it worthwhile!

If you would like to try a box for for the same awesome price, go to Julep and sign up to be a Maven. My referral code is 13467839 if you want to be a doll and help me earn free boxes. When you sign up, you'll get a code to refer friends, too! Use code FREEMAVEN to get your first box for only a penny plus the shipping fee and then cancel at any time if you don't love it!