current product routine

wow, the past week has been a flurry of activity and travel. it's hard to believe that it has only been 7 days since i moved back to florida from boston. in between re-acquainting myself with the glory of the beach, car rides, and searching for apartments, i have also had the added pleasure of squeezing in some sephora and ulta time. after picking up a few new products, i have put together my new make-up routine! 


eyes

1. urban decay naked eyeshadow palette
2. urban decay eyeshadow primer potion
3. stila all-day wear waterproof eyeliner in black
4. maybelline master shape eye pencil
5. maybelline 24 hour super-stay concealer
6. maybelline falsies volumizing mascara

face

1. l'oreal true match blendable foundation
2. NYC smooth skin bronzer in "sunny"
3. maybelline dream bouncy blush ***
4. benefit "high beam" highlighter

etc.

1/2. revlon matte balm stains, in both "sweetheart/valentine" and "elusive"
3. urban decay "de-slick" make up setting spray


*** i do have to say that although i still have the maybelline dream bouncy blush in my current routine, it is only because i have yet to purchase a new blush to replace it. i have been using this blush for over a year now, but honestly it is because i am not a huge proponent of using a heavy amount of blush. however, i do plan on making blush my next item to purchase after i let my wallet take a rest from the past few days.

do you have any suggestions for blushes for me to check out? opinions/questions on the items i am using currently in my routine? what are you using right now?

julep maven "it girl" welcome box

2 boxes arrived for me in a row! i will admit, for the past 2 months i have been on a real subscription box kick. i just cannot get enough of them and am constantly scouring the net looking at blog reviews and figuring out which boxes are the best! after starting with birchbox in december, i finally cancelled it after being incredibly let down with the february box. i am currently an ipsy subscriber - and LOVE ipsy. (you can check it out HERE). but i recently came upon julep maven and was pretty curious to see how i felt about it as i am a nail polish addict, although i usually stick to primarily essie products. really, i have about $200 of essie nail polish at the moment.

anyways, julep is a monthly nail polish + beauty subscription box that provides you with a "style profile" after you fill out a quiz. every month, they will open a window where you can see what all of the boxes for the month look like and you can pick which one you would like to receive. the best part being that you can change your style at any time if you do not like the one chosen for you! it retails at $19.99/month but they are doing a promo right now to try out your first box free! you can head to julep HERE and use the code "freebox".



the package arrived in a cute little pink box! woo-hoo!


opening the box, i was presented with a little welcome card and a booklet containing more information on the company. i chose the "it girl" box, which comes with 3 nail polish colors every month.


the contents of the box! i already knew what to expect being that i chose which box to receive, but i was pleased with how all of the colors looked in real life. i swatched them (and silly enough forgot to grab a picture of it) and they are pretty much exactly what you see in the bottle. very vibrant and have a great consistency. the three colors i received are bunny, libby, and elle (from left to right). they also threw in 2 small nail file/buffers. fun extra!


all in and all, i was very happy with my welcome box- especially because it was free! the total value came out to an estimated $45. however, i do not think it is a service i will be using from month to month as i do not feel it is necessary to spend so much money on nail polish colors. but i am sure i will choose to use it every once in a while!

as a special treat to myself, i also went over and picked up Maybelline Falsie Volumnizing Mascara and the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in "Sweetheart/Valentine". i only recently tried the falsie volumnizing mascara but fell in love after one use! i've been using the same revlon mascara for 3 years, so this was a big change up. and i cannot put into words how much i already enjoy the just bitten crayon. if you haven't picked up one of these yet, you're truly missing out.

J'Adore VoxBox Review

After a lot of hemming and hawing over what to make my first true post about, my Influenster VoxBox showed up! Sounds like fate to me. If you don't know what Influenster is, you can head over here and check it out. Basically, it is a review program for you to critique your favorite (or not so favorite) products and then you get a score on how influential you are online. Eventually, if you get your score high enough, you can qualify for free boxes of items for you to review. I only signed up in January 2014 and this is my second free box I have qualified for- so I am ecstatic! Lets begin... 


All of the items featured below were sent to me free by Influenster for testing purposes.


What the box looked like - the theme of this box is J'Adore and has a Valentine's day swag. 


Here's what I got..

KISS Looks So Natural Lashes ($3.99)
"KISS Looks So Natural Lashes are made with Tapered End Technology so lash strips blend seamlessly with your own lashes, inconspicuously highlighting your eyes-they're so luxuriously light and comfortable, you'll forget you're wearing them!"

Honestly, I have never used false lashes and probably never will. I just do not have the need - my lashes are long and full on their own and a good mascara will always do the trick. I did take them out of the package though and noticed they seemed a little flimsy. Although, they are made to be light and flimsy so I guess that is a good thing for them.

Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray ($9.99)
"Revolutionary heat-activated formula wraps each strand in long-lasting straightness for up to 3 days without weighing hair down. Formula, infused with Keratin, protects against heat damage and blocks frizz making hair glossy, smooth, and swinging with body"

This is something I can definitely get use of as I almost always straighten my hair. I haven't had the chance to fully use it but it smells great! 

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask ($9.39)
"Treat your skin to deep cleansing with this mineral-rich clay mask. Designed for use on normal skin, the unscented , hypo-allergenic formula absorbs excess oil and deeply cleanses skin. The oceanic clay exhibits a negative electrical charge, which helps to draw out impurities without overdrying your skin feeling softer and smoother."

My first instinct is that this is a product I will try once and then probably never use again. I am lucky enough to be blessed with pretty nice skin, I do not need to use much products daily to keep my skin acne-free and clean. But it's something I will give a go, even though the consistency of the mask is kind of funky to me.

HERSHEY'S Kisses Milk Chocolates ($5.29)
"The right words don't always come easily. And sometimes it's impossible to say what you really mean. But give someone HERSHEY'S KISSES chocolates and you'll instantly say it all."

Win! These are pretty self-explanatory but I am all about receiving them! They are definitely one of my favorite types of candy and incredibly addictive for me. When I was younger I used to eat 5 at a time- yikes! I opened the bag about 5 minutes after unveiling this box and taking pictures.

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas (about a $1.00 for 4 bags)
"Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas deliver rich decadent flavors in a premium black tea blend. Enjoy this indulgence in a cup, with none of the calories and none of the guilt."

Also a win - I love tea and I actually had just ran out of the tea I had previously so receiving these was perfect timing. I got 3 Creme Caramel flavored bags (yum) and 1 lemon chiffon. The only one I will probably not be drinking is the lemon, I just really do not like lemon-flavored drinks.


Overall, this was a fun box to receive during the month of love and was a treat for a single girl like me. The total value of the box came out to $29.66. Not too shabby for a free service! If you're not already a member of Influenster, I definitely recommend checking it out. I do believe it is on a waitlist right now however.

What do you think? If you're already an Influenster, did you receive a VoxBox this month?

pulling everything together

On the off-chance you've happened upon my blog in the pre-stages, thank you for visiting and I hope that you will take a chance on me once I have gotten everything together. Until The Start Sticks will be a lifestyle blog dedicated towards my journey on discovering who I am through adventures in life, food, style and more. 


Stay tuned.