review

POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX APRIL 2014!!

April 14, 2014 & 5 Comments

Hi There! Happy Monday!!

I hope you’re having a wonderful start to your week! If you want to make my day, be sure to follow me on social media! The pink button links are at the top of this page! It’s LeahTackles everywhere!

Today I am very excited to be reviewing the April 2014 PopSugar Must Have Box! I have been receiving this subscription service since December 2012 and it is like Christmas every month! I personally love being surprised by what’s in the box, so I steer clear of spoilers! If your April box hasn’t come yet and you want spoilers, keep reading! Here is a little bit about Pop Sugar: The box contains full size items in all different categories…food, beauty, fashion, home, and usually an extra goodie of some kind, too. The PopSugar box usually arrives between the 10^th-15^th of every month for me…it ships via FedEx Smart Post, which means it goes out FedEx but arrives to my P.O Box. Today I will quickly go over the March items so you know what I loved and what was maybe so-so for me. When I go over the May box in a post next month I will do a mini review of the items from this month and talk about what I used, didn’t use, liked, or maybe didn’t like as much.

Product titles are also links for more information or to buy online.

Okay, here we go…

MARCH 2014 POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX OVERVIEW:

Must Have Food:

Snapea Crisps from Harvest Snaps

$3 Value

Verdict:

I ate these up quickly and really liked them! I was happy to find them shortly after receiving them in my box at my local grocery store. The listed value is $3, but I found them for less than $2, so keep your eyes peeled!

Must Have Beauty:

Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum from Jurlique

$30

Verdict:

I really like this serum! It is a very thin consistency, but I find that only 1-2 pumps is enough to cover my face, neck and décolleté. I have only been using it every few days at night, but I think I am going to be brave and test it during the day on my combination/oily skin to see how it goes! The serum seems to absorb into the skin quickly, so maybe it would work on me for daytime as well.

Must Have Fashion:

Lucky Horseshoe Necklace from Dogeared (*Similar)

$28

Verdict:

I love it! Very cute! I need to remember to wear it more often.

Must Have Fashion:

IKAT Scarf from Brokedown

$72

Verdict:

This is such a fabulous scarf! I have been reaching for it a lot lately, and it’s a great transition piece for spring!

Must Have Fitness:

Mini Stability Exercise Ball from Fusion Pilates (*Similar)

$9.95

Verdict:

I used this only once, right before writing this post so that I could tell you all at least a little something about it. The workouts for this Mini Stability Ball were fairly basic, but as most workouts not quite as easy as they looked! Now that I know how to use it, I need to grab this and give it a try with my exercise routine! I tend to get in exercise slumps where I do the same type of work out over and over! Time to change it up!

Must Have Home:

Elephant Ring Tree Holder from Bauble Bar

$12

Verdict:

I love this still! It looks so cute sitting on top of my jewelry box, and I have two little rings sitting on it looking pretty.

Special Extra:

Whole Wheat Fig Bar from Nature’s Bakery

Verdict:

This was yummy and came in handy when I needed a snack on the go! Would I run out and hunt down this exact bar? No, but it was tasty and I would consider grabbing again if I saw it at the store.

Okay, now onto the good stuff!! This months box!!

APRIL 2014 POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX:

Must Have Food:

Pop Sugar Must Have Mix from Nature Box

$5 Value

I have been curious about Nature Box for quite awhile now and was really excited to see something in this PopSugar Must Have Box to try from them. The mix is dried cranberries, corn, soybeans and almonds in it, and it wasn’t something I would have reached for myself, but I really liked it! I almost always have a snack while watching our favorite TV shows with my husband after our kids go to bed, and having healthy snacks like this around keep me from wanting chocolate or other not-so-healthy treats! The fat content is pretty high, it is a trail mix/energy snack after all, but otherwise it’s definitely a healthy option. They also included a coupon for a $9.95 trail month of 5 items, and I am definitely tempted! If you subscribe to Nature Box, do you like it? I would love to hear your thoughts! Let me know by commenting (click the link on the title of this post! Super easy!) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Must Have Home:

Caldrea Rosewater Driftwood Liquid Hand Soap

$10.50 value

I love seeing things like this in the box! I would feel guilty spending too much on hand soap, it’s a spot where I can cut corners or at least get the deals at Bath and Body Works, but I LOVE the little luxury of using them! It is a very nice rose smell, not too overpowering and not at all a fake floral smell that some soaps have.

Must Have Beauty:

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

$36 Value

I was SO excited when I saw this in the box!! I love Too Faced bronzers, lip products, and mascara but I have never tried the eye shadows! Speaking of their eye shadows, I am currently lusting over the Chocolate Bar Palette and know that eventually that must be added to my collection! Has anyone tried either of these palettes? Let me know by leaving a comment (click the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram ! Anyways, I love neutral eye shadows and was super excited until I noticed powder covering the box while I was opening it : ( One of the eye shadows broke! I know I could try to repair it, but I also sent PopSugar an email to see about sending it back and getting a replacement. It wasn’t wrapped at all sadly, which I was surprised about because I haven’t had that issue in the past. I have only had one other issue in the 17 different boxes I have had since December 2012, so as long as it’s replaced I am not concerned about it, and PopSugar has always had great customer service.

Must Have Fashion:

(XO) Eco Shopper Collapsible Tote Bag from Lauren Conrad for Blue Avocado

$24.99 value

I wasn’t thrilled initially with this bag because I figured it would just be another bag that wasn’t any different than others that I have. However, upon further inspection it’s simple to use and an adorable print! This bag makes me so excited for warmer weather and hopefully heading to some farmer’s markets with my family! So many bags advertise that they fold up “easily”, but this one really does fold up without a struggle. I think it will be functional for so many things, for day trips or barbeques I always have extra stuff I want to bring along and this is a great way to look stylish while doing it. The company Blue Avocado works with other companies and they upcycle by using plastic bottles to make the Blue Avocado products. The Lauren Conrad line from Blue Avocado also has lots of beauty and travel items that are just adorable! She can seriously do no wrong!

Must Have Home:

Pocket Notes from Graphic Image (*Similar)

$20 Value

I LOVE this so much! It says “Run The World” (how CUTE!) on a small periwinkle leather notebook with silver glit edged pages and a little ribbon bookmark. I am already using this, and it’s a perfect addition to toss into my bag or have displayed on my desk.

Must Have Home:

TOTALLY AWESOME: 80’s Sayings Tea Towel Set by Fresh Pastry Stand (an Etsy.com site)

$18 Value

These are cute, and I will definitely use them a lot this summer in the kitchen. They are big enough unfolded that they can be very multi-functional, which I love! I think they’re a fun way to liven up and lighten up the kitchen for spring.

All in all it is another great box from PopSugar! The total value was about $115 (each month $100 value or more is promised!) and for $39 it is well worth it since I will use the products. I am not as excited as I was about last months box (I LOVED last months box, so pretty stiff competition), but I still think I will enjoy and use all of the products in the box! I will keep you posted and put a note at the bottom of this post when I hear from PopSugar about my broken Too Faced palette. If you liked what you saw here, you can subscribe to PopSugar Must Have Box and join in the fun too! It’s the only subscription box I have tried so far, but I am *SOCLOSE* to trying more! Everybody loves fun mail, right?! If you subscribe to any subscription boxes that you love, tell me about it commenting (click the link next to the title of this post), or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! As always, thank you so much for reading this and please subscribe! It’s easy, just enter you email and receive emails only when I upload a new post, and it’ll make my day!

***UPDATE*** PopSugar has emailed me back and are replacing my Too Faced palette! I am SO happy with the customer service and once I have my palette in my hands I think this will bump up to being one of my top boxes so far!! Makeup? Eeek! Too Faced makeup? EEEEEEK!

***ANOTHER UPDATE*** PopSugar sent my replacement and it arrived carefully packaged this time! So excited : )

Wet n’ Wild Limited Edition Spring 2014 Collection “And The Style Award Goes to…”

March 28, 2014 & 8 Comments

Hi There! Happy Friday!!

Today I am going to be showing you the Wet n’ Wild Spring 2014 Limited Edition Collection “And The Style Award Goes To…” I FINALLY got my hands on the entire collection with the help of a dear friend. I want to share it with all of you while it is still available in stores if you are interested. If you enjoy seeing posts like this, please take a minute to subscribe (enter your email in the subscribe box on the right and you will get emails each time my posts go up! That’s it!).

COLLECTION BASICS:

What’s in the Collection:

6 New Limited Edition Megalast Nail Polishes

2 New Limited Edition Eight Pan Eye Shadow Palettes

Where to buy:

The Wet n’ Wild Spring Collection is not at every drugstore so it can be a little hard to track down, but I suggest trying CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens Pharmacy or Big Kmart.

TIP: If you frequent a certain drugstore, it never hurts to befriend an associate in the cosmetics section. It sounds silly but I always make small talk with my local Walgreens employees! It makes it a lot more likely that they’ll actually want to help you find something, or mention your interest in certain brands to upper management. It can’t hurt!

MEGALAST NAIL POLISH INFORMATION AND SWATCHES:

This is without a doubt one of my favorite lines of nail polish, and definitely my favorite drugstore line of nail polish. They have a large brush that makes application easy, and they stay on the nails really well. I was super excited when I saw these new spring colors because most of my Megalast colors are brighter or bold shades, so it will be nice to have some more neutral, pastel colors from the line. These polishes retail from $1.50-$2.00

Sophisticated Lady 34359

This is a very light pink pearly frost polish. At first I thought I might be disappointed in this color, but I don’t have any other pinks like this in my collection and I ended up really liking this color on the nail. Frost polish can be hard to apply without getting brush strokes showing on the nail, but you can use a sponge tip eye shadow applicator to avoid this. If you are interested in seeing the sponge nail polish technique let me know in the comments (comment by clicking on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This color is shown with two coats of polish.

Candid Affair 34360

This is one of my favorites! It is a beauty with a cream base and lots of shimmer! I love lavender nails in the springtime. This color is shown with two coats of polish, but I will probably do three in the future.

Silver Lining 34358

This color looks really nice in the bottle, a blueish gray color with a hint of shimmer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come off that way on the nail. It is very sheer and required three coats to get any sort of real pigmentation. With three coats it still isn’t what I expect by looking at the bottle and still isn’t opaque. I will still wear this, but don’t let the bottle fool you! This is shown with three coats of polish.

Valet Tag 34361

I love this color! It’s a gorgeous taupe cream with just a hint the right amount of shimmer. It applied very easily and was opaque. This is shown with two coats of polish.

Champagne 34362

This is a beautiful champagne pearly frost. It is not opaque, but I don’t mind that at all. I think this is a great neutral color that would look great with lots of different looks.

Elegance 34357

This is a white frost that is very pearly looking on the nail. I am happy to have this color because usually when you see true whites they are pretty plain.

Overall, all six of these colors are either shimmery or a frost, so be aware of that. I think they are very different for the Megalast line and I can’t wait to wear them for spring!

8 PAN EYE SHADOW INFORMATION AND SWATCHES:

I love Wet n’ Wild eye shadows because the prices really can’t be beat, and they are very pigmented. These retail for about $5. All of my swatches are shown without an eye shadow primer to try to show exactly what you get, but I would highly suggest using one with these eye shadows.

Flirting at the Afterparty 34356

This is a purple palette that I think is very on trend with the Pantone Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid. I typically stick with neutrals, but I think that this will be a lot of fun to play around with.

Walking the Red Carpet 34355

This is such a stunning neutral palette! This is perfect for everyday wear. The glittery gold shades were a little more sheer swatched than they look in pan, but if you packed the color on the lid I think you could still really build it up.

Do you like limited edition makeup collections? They kind of drive me nuts because they can be so hard to find, but I also love having new options out all the time. Let me know your comments, questions, or thoughts in the comments (click the link by the title of this post to comment) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Friday Favorite: Benjabelle Brush Tree Information and Review

March 21, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi There! Happy Friday!!!

I have a Friday Favorite for you all today! I want to review a very handy and innovative product: The Benjabelle Brush Tree.

The Benjabelle Brush Tree is a product that allows you to dry your makeup brushes vertically so that no water gets into the ferrule of your brush. You should never dry your makeup brushes with the brush part up because water will run into the ferrule, causing it to eventually start to fall apart. Before receiving my Sunflower Benjabelle Brush Tree for Christmas, I would dry my brushes horizontally on a towel. That option works, but takes up a lot of space and can cause very large powder or kabuki brushes to become flat on one side.

One of the things I liked instantly when I went to the website www.benjabelle.com is how personable the creators, a husband and wife duo, seemed. The about us page is completely adorable and just warms my heart. The Benjabelle Brush tree comes with easy care and cleaning instructions. The brush tree also has a money back guarantee. Three pieces come that piece together: two for the trunk or the base, and one for the top. The Benjabelle Trees are made in America with American made materials. There are four different brush tree models: The Original, The Mini, The Daisy, and The Sunflower (they can be seen here and I have The Sunflower). They also sell two different brush cleaners, which I have not tried so I cannot speak to, and a brush tree base spinner that is not necessary, but I think it is really cool!

How It Works:

To use the brush tree you slide the two trunk pieces together and then I like to put the top piece onto my vanity before pressing the trunk into a slot at the top. It is really easy and very secure.

You then go ahead and wash you makeup brushes as usual (if you would like to see how I wash my brushes, let me know by leaving a comment at the top of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!) and then insert the brush handle from underneath the brush tree. When the brushes are dry, pull the brushes up through the top!

I think that the brush tree is an amazing, simple, and brilliant invention! I think any makeup lover or makeup artist would be happy to have it in their beauty arsenal. Also, this isn’t marketed this way that I know of, but I think that it would be awesome for artists out there as well! I am not really an artist (read: I draw stick people…) but my husband is, and I know that this would be something that he could use for his paint brushes, so thought I would throw that out there.

Obviously, I really love this product and can’t stop gushing about it! But that is because it is THAT good.

How do you dry your makeup brushes? Tell me in the comments (comment at the top of each post), or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! If you have any thoughts, questions or if there is a product you would like to see me review, please feel free to let me know! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe by entering your email in the subscribe box on the right hand side of the page. For those who have subscribed, thank you! I hope you all have an wonderful weekend!