A couple weeks ago, after going on a Daddy-Daughter park date that ended in a "mail walk" as we call it, Ellie came bursting through the doors with a bright pink box outstretched.
"Mommy, LOOK what I haaaave!!!!"
She knows how excited I get for my monthly Birchbox--it's kind of become a family affair. :) She likes the anticipation as we open it up and explore its pretty packaging and colorful products inside. When she was a baby she liked knowing if something was for eyes or lips, and would walk around holding them there on her face, haha.
This month, aside from my four beauty samples, the "lifestyle extra" I got was tea (I think there were three different blends). But somehow I lost them in my mess of a house. They looked yum though! Maybe I'll find them the next time I'm looking for the Apple TV remote...
I really like when Birchbox started including each product's "how" instructions. I remember one time using a clarifying shampoo as a daily shampoo, not knowing it was more of a once-a-month kind of a thing (thank you Kate, from The Small Things Blogs, for saving my hair on that one!)
I haven't opened these little guys yet, but I love that they're 100% natural and vegan. My sis just said the other day that we might as well eat what we put on our skin, and that keeps resounding in my head anytime I put a soap or lotion on, haha.
I am loving this Fekkai Advanced glossing cream. I have frizzy hair, so this works great for lightly taming that frizz, while not being too heavy or oily. And I love that it can be applied on wet OR dry hair. Plus that size?? With only needing a pea-sized amount, this should last me a while. :) Thanks, Birchbox!!
This INIKA eyeshadow is definitely a color I'd wear, and I really like what this product line is about. Plus I've always liked the versatility of loose eyeshadows in general (wet or dry, layerable.) [Tip: tapping the brush to dust off the extra, then "pressing" the brush into the lid tends to avoid it "spilling" under the eye.] I'll have to swatch this color for you guys and show it in another post soon.
This Nail Rock looks fun with all the trending nail styles right now, but the red and the glitter combined definitely seems like a way bolder move than I'd usually try. (Accent nail might be worth a shot... but even still not for an every day look--more for a special occasion.) Maybe if I'd gotten the pink? Except with teaching signing, I would imagine this would be SUPER distracting! :)
The background cards you see are perforated little cards that go along with Birchbox's theme for January--"It's Go Time!" Check out their 20 Things to Try in 2014 "Go List."
What was your favorite thing in your January Birchbox?
P.S. Today David and I have been married for 6 1/2 yrs. :) In other words it's the day he answers the "How long have you been married?" question with "almost 7 years." To my glass half-full husband, I love you. :)
My feet grew a 1/2 inch from my pregnancy with Ellie, so I've been trying to slowly get a couple pairs of shoes back in my wardrobe. Starting with some nudes.
Nude shoes are the perfect accessory for almost any outfit. You really can't go wrong with them. They're a secret weapon in elongating your legs. The key to finding just the right pair is matching it to your skin tone.
Suede and patent leather options give some diversity in styling your look. Suede can be more casual (although keep in mind they're tricky to keep clean). Patent gives a dressier, classic touch.
Below are some recent nudes I came across that I liked (though I haven't tried all of them on, so I can't vouch for comfort).
I purchased the gold-toed flats from LOFT (#6) and absolutely have loved them. Comfortable with a fun touch makes them my easy go-to flat.
I also snagged the suede Express wedges (#7)--my first heels since having Peanut!--and have loved how they go with everything from a dress to skinny jeans. (They're no longer available but I found a similar pair at Target.)
The ankle flats from Old Navy (#4), I picked up in blue--but I would've loved to grab them in their Clay Mate and Raspberry Twist as well! They're on such an amazing sale right now I still might! I like that the ankle strap can be slipped off or you can keep it on.
I'm back! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. I'm looking forward to the fun blog posts I have lined up for this month. And here's a tutorial to start things off!
During college, I worked for a couple years at David's Bridal (before I became David's bride, hehe!). You wouldn't realize it, but your hands and nails get pretty worked--so during that time I had an acrylic French manicure. After keeping it up for a good while I sat down to crunch the numbers on how much I was actually spending a year on nails. And yup, seeing the answer, I stopped then and there.
Fortunately when I became a teacher, my hands were no longer tortured and I didn't miss the acrylics one bit. But I did miss the look of the French manicure.
It was in David's and my beginning years of marriage--as we were especially trying to pinch pennies--that I thought, hey, I wonder if I can do a French mani myself?
And you know what? After a bit of practice I can honestly say I like how it looks when I do it myself just as much (if not more) than a salon manicure. (Of course, I don't dare trim my own cuticles and such, so it's still a treat to go in.) But if I don't like how thin or thick a line is, I can change it. Or if a line looks crooked? No problem.
Want to know the best part? All of these supplies can be purchased for a total of $17.55. And just think of how many manicures you'll get out of that!!
Most items will be at your local Target (buffer, polish, and acetone), but you'll want to add a quick trip to a craft store like Jo-Ann's or Michael's to pick up the paint brush (don't forget that 40% off coupon! always available in their smart phone app). And you may already have a small ramekin at home...
2) White polish | Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Extreme Wear Nail Color | White On| $2.49
[Note: I highly recommend this polish. It lasts several days before chipping and is an incredible price! When the bottle of polish thickens over time, add some drops of nail polish remover and shake to thin it again]
3) Clear pinkpolish | $2.49
[Note: I used a picture of OPI just to show the clear pink, but just browse your Target selection for a cheaper option]
4) Clear top coat | Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Extreme Wear Nail Color | Invisible |$2.49
5) Acetone | Target's Up & Up brand is my go to | $0.97
[Note: Regular nail polish remover isn't strong enough, so be sure you're using 100% acetone.]
(I don't show filing and buffing your nails, but just note that you want your nails to all be similar lengths. And I prefer a soft squared look for the shape, while others may do a more oval or a sharp square shape. It's all preference!)
And... Ta da!!
Get ready for people to be shocked after you get compliments on your nails and you tell them you did them yourself!
And now I have to share something else with you that's seriously awesome. After filming the video I learned a phenomenal trick for helping nails dry and really SET so they don't smudge. I tend to do my nails before bed and end up watching shows till late as I'm waiting for them to FULLY dry (like the no-longer-tacky-when-doing-the-touch-the-nails-together-test kind of dry)--or else I'll wake up with a slight imprint of my blanket on them. You may already know this trick but it's....
PAM.
Yup, you spray Pam right on your nails (I had a Crisco buttery cooking kind of spray that still did the trick)! After spraying I rinsed my hands in water to get off the excess, and then just kind of lightly dabbed my hands to clean and dry them.
We may need to mess with what works best--letting dry for a certain amount of time and then spraying, or is spraying right away okay--I haven't quite figured that part out yet. I probably let them dry for about 30 minutes when I read the trick and wanted to try it out.
So there you have it! I did this manicure a couple days ago and after a big day of cleaning yesterday I only have one tiny, barely even noticeable chip on one nail. Today I'm going to put on another coat of the clear and that should hold them over a few more days!
I love that I can still do my nails, but they're not a distracting color for my Sign Language families. Pretty hands for a beautiful language! And for so cheap, from the comfort of your own home. Love it.
Have you heard of Birchbox? It is seriously one of my highlights each month. I first heard about it from Kate at The Small Things Blog (my all-time favorite blogger whom I've learned SO much from. and yes, Ross would be proud of me for using "whom" correctly. *Friends reference*) :) The link will take you to Kate's review of Ipsy versus Birchbox (in her book, Birchbox wins).
And anyway, it's a monthly subscription for a beauty box that contains 4-5 samples of skin/makeup/hair/nail, etc. products to try out. They have an online store where you can purchase full sizes of things you love.
You even fill out a beauty profile so they're sure to send you the right shade of BB cream for your skin tone, a curly hair product if that's your hair type, or a neutral nail color or bold one depending on how adventurous your preference is.
I've been subscribing for a year now, and I really feel like it's the most valuable $10 a month I spend. It is super fun to try out a huge variety of products--and oftentimes they're ones I wouldn't have known about or thought to have tried (such as a clarifying shampoo for a once-a-month cleanse, or a bright lip color, or even eye creams).
I feel like I've learned so much more about taking care of my skin and hair--and it makes it fun again instead of feeling like so much work! It's a simple way to pamper myself with a deep conditioning hair mask, give my face an exfoliating scrub, or feel extra fresh with a new fragrance.
And after all, pampering ourselves is the FlyLady focus of the month. :)
P.S. You can refer friends to earn 100 points, so if you're thinking of signing up, I'd love if you wanted to use this link!
So now that I've done a novel-length intro on what Birchbox is and how much I love it, here are the items I scored this month:
One spritz of this and I was in love. I literally felt swept away when I read the precious description of the ingredients Harvey Prince selected and why. Seriously? A+ marketing team. Y'all should get a raise.
This balm is a part of their Winter Wellness kit, and is apparently awesome for healing "anything from windburn to eczema to minor nicks and cuts." Here in SoCal I don't get too dry, but I have noticed a little bit of a difference in my skin. This will be great for especially dry spots, and I'm curious about this whole putting it on minor nicks and cuts thing.
This is definitely going in the purse. I've been wanting to keep a travel sized Kenra 25 in my purse or car, and now I can try this little guy out! Will be perfect to spritz any hair that may come undone in an updo, or keep my bangs swept away from my eyes while out and about.
I'm really excited to try this one--I've been learning more about how to use bronzer, blush, and highlighter, and this is meant to act as a highlighter. On the Birchbox site it instructs, "with your fingers, blend sparingly on the highest points of your face (brow bones, cheekbone, cupid’s bow) and along your collarbone. Or, mix one pump with foundation for an all-over glow. Skip the finishing powder, though, since using it will undo your dew." Good to know--and can't wait to see how it goes! P.S. Did you know the little dip in the middle of your top lip is called a cupid's bow?? huh... #learnsomethingneweveryay
This is my first twistband hair tie, can you believe it?? I've been super curious what all the hype has been about. :) Seems like it isn't suppose to leave a strong crimp in your hair since it's wider, and it doesn't cut off circulation when you wear it on your wrist. Sounds pretty good to me! Plus the nautical look is super cute. Excited to test out the waters!
Well, there you have it! My December Birchbox. Oh--and that cell phone looking thing you might have spotted in the box pic? That's a fun little digi-mate. It clings to your phone and can be peeled off again and again, and the other side is microfiber for cleaning your screen. Fun, huh? #learntwonewsomethingsaday
