Ok, so when I saw these babies in my Influenster Beauty Blogger Voxbox, I have to admit, I was a little sad. Just a few weeks before I got my box in the mail, I got a hair cut. Not just a trim either, I'm talking about over 12 inches of hair cut off. I was worried about how I was going to test the Spin Pins out. So I sucked it up, pulled what was left of my hair back into the tiniest bun ever and 'screwed' in the first pin. So far so good, so I went for the second pin and wowza! My tiny bun stayed in place! I kept the pins in for most of the day and they didn't move and my hair didn't fall. I was definitely impressed and I wish I had these before I got my haircut. I may not had gotten it cut at all! These pins are so very easy to use, aren't expensive and they blend in with your hair so you can't even tell they're there. Great option for those with medium or long hair. I'll be keeping these around as my hair grows out!

Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves

In my Beauty Blogger's VoxBox, I got a sample of Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control cream.
I wasn't really thrilled because it contains coconut extract and I'm not a fan of coconut scents. I was however, pleasantly surprised by how well it worked. The first time I tried it out, I didn't follow the directions (they say to wash and towel dry your hair, then apply, blow dry and style). My hair was already dry but I went ahead and worked a small amount of the cream  through my hair and then styled it like I normally do (I hit my hair up with some heat protection spray and then curled the ends with a 2 inch barrel curling iron). It worked pretty well but I still had a bit of frizz and a few fly aways. The next time I tried it, I followed the directions and it worked even better. I would recommend not using too much of this because your hair might end up feeling a bit weighed down. The NYM product line is reasonably priced, which is always a great thing!

NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact

I am really impressed by this little pallete! It came with my Beauty Bloggers Voxbox.  I have the Dark Shadows version and the colours work great together. They blend easily and last a good while. While I'm not a big fan of the primer (it's sub par and doesn't make the shadows last any longer than no primer at all) included I do love the illuminator. It gives you just enough sparkle without overdoing it. It also comes with a plastic cover that tells you what colors go where which makes it great for those who are just getting into makeup. The included brush is just a basic sponge applicator & isn't all that great but certainly would do in a pinch. Use these shadows with another primer like Urban Decay, E.L.F. or Too Faced & use proper brushes to blend. Overall, I will definitely be picking up another palette in the future!

Pros:
The illuminator and complimentary shadows

Cons:
The primer & sponge brush

Dino Lingo

I recently heard about Dino Lingo via Influenster . They sell language kits for children. They have videos up on Youtube for people to check, so I decided to check out the Spanish one just to see what it was all about. It featured 2 dinosaurs learning about animals. The kid also includes lessons about colors, numbers, and a variety of other subjects. It seems like a really cute series and I think my youngest would like to watch it. I am a bit concerned about how long it would capture his attention though. It is a bit pricey at $99.95 a set but if you're serious about your young children learning another language, this would help. They pronounce the words clearly and repeat them. Parents may even find themselves learning new words!

Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox 2012: Bath & Body Works Mini Candles

FYI: I got my mini candle up there for free from Influenster! 

The mini candle I received in my Voxbox was the Black Pepper and Bergamot. I love this scent! It has hints of pepper, bergamot and a bit of lavender in the background. Bath & Bodyworks currently has these on sale for 2 for $5 or $3.50 a piece. The variety is amazing! They currently have 51 different scents and as you know, they rotate seasonal scents. These mini candles are great to give as gifts or just to keep around the house for a scent pick me up! I love these mini candles because they’re pretty cheap and I love trying out new scents. I usually keep them in the bathroom or on my desk in the bedroom because they work best in smaller rooms.

Pros:

• They last a surprisingly long time for such a small candle
• The scent variety is great (51 scents!)
• They’re inexpensive if you want to try out a new scent
• Great for stocking stuffers 
• Small enough to stash away or pack on a trip
• You can reuse the glass jar it comes in!

Cons:

• The scent doesn’t spread in a large room, best for smaller rooms
• They don’t come with solid lids

What are your favourite scents? Any new ones out I should try? 

Beauty Bloggers VoxBox 2012

(I got these samples free from Influenster to try out and review)  

I received my Voxbox last week, but as you know, I was sick. Just did a quick video to show what was in the box and I wanted to add a short note here in case you don’t want to witness my akwardness
:P

In my VoxBox, (that I got free, did I mention that? ;) ) there was a sample of eBoost dietary supplement. It has a variety of minerals and vitamins and is supposed to help give you energy and boost your immune system. There was also Goody’s Spin Pins for buns and updos. I’m not really sure how I’m going to test this one out to review it, seeing as my hair is short, but I’ll give it a go! I also received a deluxe sample of Not Your Mother’s Smooth Moves frizz control cream. I’m itching to test this one out because my hair is frizzy if I don’t blow dry and straighten it out. I try to let it air dry as often as possible and have tried a number of different frizz control products out there.  I’m always game to try one more. I got another NYC Individual Eyes Palette, which I’ve reviewed before. My box also came with a little Bath & Bodyworks candle by White Barn (I said White House in the video, I’ve got politics on the brain!) The scent is Black Pepper Bergamot and I can tell you already that I LOVE it! The candle came with a couple so I will definitely be picking up the full size version! Lastly, the product I’m most anxious to try is Kiss’s  Ever Pro Lashes. Me and fake lashes usually don’t get along so I’m hoping that these are easier to put on and the 24 hour glue actually lasts as long as they say! 

Tamale Pie

Funny Face Beauty is having a giveaway!

Just learned that FunnyFaceBeauty is having a giveaway to celebrate her 30th birthday! She's giving away 30 awesome beauty related prizes from Essence, MAC, YSL and a slew more. Her rules for following are pretty simple:

1) You must be a subscriber of Funny Face Beauty (no anonymous comments please). 

2) Mandatory Entry: In the comment section below, let me know which of the items above, you would be most excited to win. 

3) Leave your email address in the rafflecopter form so I can contact you if you win. 

3) This giveaway will run for three weeks and end May 8th, 2012. 

Head on over to her blog and check it out!

MyLip Candy Body Frosting Review

Just a new review for MyLipCandy's Body Frosting!

Review - Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie

Thanks to Influenster’s 2011 Holiday VoxBox, I had the chance to try out Montagne Jeunesse’s Fruit Smoothie masque, which contains crushed raspberries, pomegranate and mango. All of their products are suitable for vegetarians and many are vegan.

The masque is supposed to deep clean your pores and I would suppose regular use of it would do just that. It was easy to put on and dried in about 20 minutes. It took a bit of time to rinse it off completely but nothing that would turn me off from using it again. I didn’t really notice a difference in my skin but the masque felt nice while it was drying and having an excuse to have 20 minutes to myself was pretty nice. Would I use another Montagne Jeunesse product? Yep! They’re pretty inexpensive and even if you don’t notice an improvement in your skin, it’s always good to take a few minutes for yourself to recharge and relax.

They’re available at ULTA Beauty, Walgreen’s, Claire’s, Walmart, Kroger, CVS Pharmacies and other retailers across the US and they’re available in the UK at Asda, Boots, Claires, Morrison, Sainsburys, Superdrug, Tesco and Wilkinson.

You can check out their website here

For New Year's Day, I bought stuff

I just placed an order at E.L.F. . I just snagged their 11 piece brush set for $2.12 . You do have to order $20.12 worth of other products but E.L.F. has some pretty good stuff for cheap so it makes it worth it! Some of my favourite (and cheapest) make-up brushes are E.L.F. The sale ends on the 2nd so if you’re interested, head on over! They take paypal too!

E.L.F. Hits

• Waterproof Eyeliner Pen - $1. I’ll be honest, the pen dries out quick BUT it goes on smooth, like a liquid and lasts a long time. Store it upside down (tip down) to help it last longer. The black is good for daytime use because it’s a lighter shade of black. I’ve not tried the other colours yet so I don’t know what their pigmentation is like.
• Essential Liquid Eyeliner - $1. This is my FAVOURITE liquid eyeliner ever. It lasts a very long time, and stays put. The colors are pretty pigmented. The applicator does suck though…which brings me to the
• Studio Angled Eyeliner brush -$3. This is the best eyeliner brush I’ve used to date. The bristles come to a very thin point and they keep their shape very well. I was using a Sonia Kashuk, which was okay but just wasn’t getting the thinner line I wanted. So I splurged on the $20 Sephora #23 because I had read a ton of reviews online saying it was a great angled eyeliner. It SUCKED. For $20 bucks, I expect a brush to keep its shape after more than 3 cleanings. The bristles are all over the place. I’m pretty careful when it comes to washing my smaller brushes so this doesn’t happen, so it’s not user error. My elf angled brushes that I picked up have lasted through a number of cleanings with no loss of shape or bristles. If you’re going to pick up some E.L.F. brushes go for the studio line instead of the cheaper essential line. I’ve had a few of the essential brushes and I’ve had to glue the handles back into the ferrules on all on them because they either fell off or were glued on crooked.
• Studio Eye Transformer- $3. This has 4 opalescent shadows that you either put on or under your eyeshadow. Depending on the transformer colour you choose, your eyeshadow will have green, golden, pink or purple opalescent tones. It’s a great way to create new colours using the shadows you already have.
• Mineral Infused Face Primer - $6, currently out-of-stock. Does exactly what it says it’s supposed to do (combat against excess oil, flaky dryness, enlarged pores and fine lines). After I put this on, I honestly can’t tell the difference between this and Too Faced Primed and Poreless or Olay’s face primer.
• Studio SPF 45 sunscreen UVA/UVB protection loose powder & Studio High Def Powder - $6 each. I use the sunscreen powder more during the summer and the hi def during the winter when I spend more time inside. Both are a great, inexpensive loose powder. They don’t fill up the jar (which is kinda massive) but a little goes a long way with both.
• Mineral Eyeshadows $3 each. They’re not the absolute best mineral shadows out there but I added these because they’re great for daytime use and they’re inexpensive. They don’t last a long time on their own so an eye primer is a must.

Misses. Don’t bother, even for a few bucks.

• Essential Brushes $1 each. These just aren’t worth it, like I said above. Every essential brush I’ve had, I’ve had to reglue the handle back into the ferrule. Spend the extra $2 and get the Studio line.
• Tone Correcting Concealer $1. Unless you have VERY light red spots, this isn’t going to conceal anything. The scent is nice though.
• Tone Correcting Powder $3. It’s supposed to neutralize any problem your face may have (red spots, under eye circles, sallowness etc) but I think it’s just too light to do anything.