Laura Geller Review Pt. 4: GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

I am a huge mascara fan. I love trying all kinds of new mascaras. It was kind of surprising to me that I had never tried any mascaras from Laura Geller. So of course, I was super excited to try the GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

Usually volumizing mascaras tend to have big fluffy brushes, so I was surprised to see this one used shorter bristles. But the cool thing about this brush is it has longer and shorter bristles. (but still not big and fluffy like Im used to seeing) The different lengths of the bristles are supposed to help separate, thicken and lengthen you lashes for "Starlet-worthy lashes."

This mascara is only available in black. Which I think is interesting, but kind of cool. Nothing is worse than going to the store to pick up a new mascara and getting home to find you grabbed blackened brown or just plain black rather than blackest black or jet black or whatever silly name they come up with for their black mascaras. I like the simple, no fuss black.

A lot of the time thickening or volumizing mascaras can kind of clump up and make you look like you have 5 thick Spongebob lashes rather than beautiful thick, full lashes. But this one really did separate and give me beautiful lashes. I did start to see more clumping once I got to 3 coats, however.

 1 Coat.

 2 Coats.

3 Coats plus eyeliner.

I never really put more than 2 coats of mascara on, but I know a lot of people do, so I wanted to show how it looks with 3. Personally, I think it looks amazing with even just one coat. Very natural but really beautiful. I was blessed with naturally pretty long lashes, so this mascara might look a little different on you, but I still think it will look great!

This mascara goes for around $24.00 for 0.28 fl oz/8 g (theres no ml on this tube)
Ive compared that to two of my favorite mascaras. Revlon Grow Luscious, which is $8.49 for 0.38 fl oz/8 ml and Too Faced Lash Gasm which is $21 for 0.4 fl oz/12 ml. The Revlon mascara has a very different brush, its much bigger and fluffier, but gives kind of similar results. It is a touch softer, but if you apply another layer or two you get much closer results. It is almost the same amount of product for over twice the price. The Too Faced mascara is just a little cheaper, and gives you a little more product. And again, the brush is different. This time the brush is smaller and stiffer. This mascara gives you long, beautiful, separated lashes. But it lacks in a little when it comes to volumizing.

The Laura Geller mascara to me is a really great product, but I hate to spend a lot of money on mascaras, especially because I tend to go through them so quickly. If it was a little cheaper I would definitely buy it..probably all the time, but because it is kind of pricey and I can achieve a similar look for much less I will probably only repurchase this product when I want to splurge and spoil myself a little.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other Laura Geller products you may have tried. So feel free to share in the comments below!

See also: Part 1: Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush, Part 2: Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick, Part. 3: Color Drenched Lip Gloss

Laura Geller Review Pt. 3: Color Drenched Lip Gloss

The third new product I recently tried from Laura Geller is the Color Drenched Lip Gloss. If you read my previous post, you should be aware that I am much more a fan of glosses than lip sticks. So I was pretty excited to try this one out. I tend to spend more money on higher end lip glosses over other products. I can buy drug store mascara, eyeliner, even foundations and powders. But lip gloss (as well as eye shadow and brushes) is one thing I usually buy high end.

They definitely named this product well. When I first swatched this gloss I was surprised at how rich and pigmented it was. They claim it is a non-sticky formula, and I agree. I cant stand the feeling of sticky gloopy or stringy lip glosses, and this was none of those things. It feels really nice on your lips. I got the color Guava Delight. Which matches the lipstick in my previous post, Tiger Lily, almost perfectly. So if youre someone who likes to layer lip sticks and glosses, that is a great pair! But, neither color look too good on my lips. Like I said in the previous post, I prefer lighter colors such as nudes or pinks and nudey pinks.

One thing I loved about this gloss was the scent! Oh my lord, it has a delicious subtle coffee scent. I am a huge fan of good smelling things, so I personally think makeup products that smell like food or candy are a gift from god! Also, this gloss has emollient oils and Vitamin E, which help protect your lips from environmental damage. Which, to me, is a major plus!

This gloss goes for around $19.00 for 0.3 fl oz/9 ml
Ive compared that to my two favorite lip glosses. NYX Butter Gloss, which is $5 for 0.27 fl oz/8 ml and Lorac Couture Shine which is $22 for 0.17 fl oz/5 ml. NYX is just a tiny bit less product for close to 1/4 of the price. I think the NYX Butter Glosses are amazing and super creamy and pretty well pigmented. The one thing though is they tend to wear off somewhat quickly. But theyre in a small enough tube (although they have almost the same amount of product) that theyre easy to carry with you for touch ups. The Lorac gloss is almost half as much product (in a slightly larger tube, which is really deceiving if you ask me!) for a few dollars more. I think it is probably just as rich and creamy, but not quite as pigmented as the Laura Geller one.
The Laura Geller gloss seems to be a pretty fair price for the product, and I really want to go check out some other colors!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other Laura Geller products you may have tried. So feel free to share in the comments below!

See also: Part 1: Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush, Part 2: Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick, Part 4: GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

Laura Geller Review Pt. 2: Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick

The next new Laura Geller product I tried was the Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick. Now, Im not a big lipstick person, I prefer to use lip tints or lip stains with a gloss on top. I also tend to use nudes or nudey pinks. But I like to try new things, so I gave this lipstick a fair shot. I got the shade Tiger Lily, a creamy coral flame, which is currently sold out on their site so it must be a popular shade.

At first I thought, what the hell is an anti-aging lipstick? What makes it anti-aging and why would I need this? Then I read a little about it..it is "fortified with Resveratrol and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres that smooth the appearance of fine lines, making lips appear more voluptuous and youthful-looking." Now, thats not necessarily something I need just yet, but I still thought it was a pretty cool thing. You often hear about "lip plumping" glosses, but I havent ever seen a lipstick with those properties. (at least that I know of) So if youre someone who is starting to see those signs of aging and feel you need a little Resveratrol and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres, this is probably a great product for you!

The shade Tiger Lily isnt really a color I would typically use, I dont think anything other than nude tones and nudey pinks look right on me. But, like I said, I like give everything equal opportunity. I first swatched it on my hand, and I think the color is gorgeous, but I still wasnt sure it would look too good on me. So I went ahead and tried it on my lips, and the color is still gorgeous, but its still a little too much for me.

(yes I know I have weird things through my lip, if you have any rude comments about them please keep them to yourself!)

The lipstick had a pretty creamy formula, and it felt really nice going on. They claim that this product has a wine scent, but I didnt really smell anything at all. The one thing I noticed that I didnt like though was that it wasnt super pigmented like others Ive seen from competitor brands. Ive even seen some drug store lipsticks with similar color payoff.

This lipstick goes for around $21.00 for 0.14 oz/4 g
Ive compared that to another lipstick I own from Rimmel which is $5.49 for 0.14 oz/4 g and a Make lipstick which is $25 for 0.12 oz/3.4 g. Rimmel is the exact same amount of product for less than 1/3 of the price, but Rimmel is of course a drug store brand, and isnt as high quality of a product as Laura Geller. But, I must add, this lipstick has a pleasant sweet scent, that I could actually smell. I also compared it to another high end brand lipstick. The Make lipstick is a little bit less product for just a few dollars more. I find that the Laura Geller lipstick feels the most creamy, but is the least pigmented. I actually think the Rimmel was the most pigmented out of the 3 I compared, which was surprising to me.

(It is really hard to take a picture of lipstick swatches that show off the color without glaring, sorry!)

So, in my opinion, if you are looking for a lipstick that will fill out fine lines and plump your lips up a little, this is probably a good product for you. I know I will definitely be going to Ulta to check out a couple of the other shades it comes in. Also, none of the other lipsticks are "anti-aging."

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other Laura Geller products you may have tried. So feel free to share in the comments below!

See also: Part 1: Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush, Part 3: Color Drenched Lip Gloss, Part 4: GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

Laura Geller Review Pt. 1: Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush

I recently got a few Laura Geller products I was pretty excited to try.. Ive tried a couple products in the past that I wasnt blown away by, but Im a big believer in second chances. (which isnt always a good thing!)

So this first product I actually have tried before in the past. That products is the Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush. I looove baked products. Everything from foundation and bronzer to blush and eyeshadow. I think baked products are amazing and super versatile. I love the fact that they can be used both wet or dry!

I really liked the product itself, but the shade that I used in the past was too plummy and shimmery for my skintone, which is why I think I didnt like it. I believe the shade was called Apricot Berry, and I dont think they sell it anymore. But this time I got the shade "Boysenberry" Which, to be honest, I thought it sounded like a shade I wouldnt like. However, it actually happens to be a beautiful matte peachy-pink shade that looks wonderful on my skin! The formula is really soft and silky, it blends beautifully and adds a great, natural color to your face.

A few things I love about this blush in particular..first of all, its hand made in Italy. How cool is that?! It starts out as a cream and is baked for 24 hours on a terracotta tile, then it is hand finished. I find that fascinating, this product is a craft, and I really admire that! I also really love that it is Paraben-free and has "skin loving antioxidants Centella Asiatica and White Tea Extracts." That is definitely something I love to see in a product I am putting on my skin.

This blush goes for around $27.50 for 0.176 oz/5 g
Ive compared that to another baked blush I own from Palladio which is $7 for 0.009 oz/2.5 g and a Benefit box blush which is $28 for 0.28 oz/8 g. Palladio is half as much product for less than 1/3 of the price, but Palladio is more of a drug store brand, and isnt as high quality of a product as Laura Geller. Which is why I also compared it to my Benefit blush. (I dont own any other baked blushes to compare it to.) The Benefit blush is a little bit more product for just $.50 more.
That being said, I dont think its too pricey for the amount of product you get when you look at the quality of the product and the fact that its hand made. You are always going to pay more money for better products.

Also, I almost forgot to add, how cute is that box packaging?! I love the kind of sophisticated look of the box, but the fun little pop of pink around the sides. It also has fuyn colorful lips all over the inside. Adorable. Another thing to note is the product packaging itself. I love when products have clear plastic tops so you can see youre grabbing the right shade and you dont have to search for a name or open five different things until you find the one youre looking for. This has half clear half black, and on the inside it has a little mirror on the black half which is so helpful if you like to carry makeup with you for touch-ups throughout the day.

So, final thoughts: I think this is a beautiful blush and this particular shade looks great on my skin. I can easily see this becoming one of those products I grab every day and go out and buy again as soon as I run out of it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other Laura Geller products you may have tried. So feel free to share in the comments below!

See also: Part 2: Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick, Part 3: Color Drenched Lip Gloss, Part 4: GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara Review

As most of you probably know, every year Ulta has their 21 Days of Beauty sale event. This year there were only a few deals that I even thought twice about checking out. (One of which was buy 1 get 1 free Clarisonic brush heads.) The other deal I went to check out was the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara for half price.

I have been a fan of Smashbox Cosmetics for years now. Ever since I got their Eye Wish palette back in 2009. I had also been running low on my current mascaras. So I figured, hey, for only $10 why not check it out? I'd been wanting to try out some new mascaras anyway; and if Im going to spend $10 on a drug store mascara, why not spend $10 on a better brand?!
So, I had all intentions of keeping it unopened in its box in my "overflow makeup drawer" and only opening it once I had completely run out of older mascaras. Well, I have as much willpower when it comes to new makeup as a 6 year old has with a big bowl of candy in front of them and no adults to tell them no! So after a few short days..I caved.

My initial thoughts on it were "oh wait, is this a fiber mascara?" I had done absolutely no research on this product before buying it..so I was going in completely blind. So after applying it, Ill admit, I wasnt blown away. To me it reminded me a lot of one of my favorite mascaras, Revlon Grow Lucious, mixed with a ..less awesome version of my all time favorite mascara, (which I think is discontinued?! whyyyyyy?!) Lorac Lotsa Lash. And while it reminded me of a mixture of 2 of my favorite mascaras, it just seemed to lack something. I was honestly really surprised I didnt love this mascara..and that kind of disappointed me. I really wanted to love it.

I will obviously continue to use it until its all used up. But I will just have to layer it a few extra times to achieve a look that Im happy with. If I didnt have a few other products that I love so much, I probably would really like this mascara. But for now, I will continue to buy the products I love!

What I liked about this mascara:

• Great brush.
• Separates and lifts pretty well.
• Fibers. I LOVE fiber mascaras!
• Goes on smoothly. No clumps or strings.
• Nice texture. Not watery or too thick.
• Buying it on sale for half price makes me feel much less guilty about buying "better" brands.
• Removes easily with water and cleanser.

What I didnt like about this mascara:

• Multiple coats to achieve desired look.
• Runs easily if your eyes tear up in the slightest.
• Bit pricier if not on sale.

Have you ever tried this mascara? What are your thoughts?
Im always on the hunt for great new mascaras. Let me know in the comments your favorite drug store and high end mascaras!

Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER OPEN!

I recently did a review on Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Repair System. The system includes Shampoo, Condition, Repair Mask and Argan Oil Treatment. The lovely people over at Pro Naturals have given me an extra bottle of their amazing Argan Oil to giveaway to one of my lucky followers!
The Moroccan Argan Oil leave-in treatment smooths the cuticle and helps fortify hair that is prone to breaking and split ends. A $60 value!

This giveaway will be open August 1st until August 15th. Winner will be announced within 2-3 days.

To enter:
Comment below what your favorite thing about summer is!

Rules of Entry:

• Must be subscribed (link to the left) and follow (link to the right) this page.
• Must like Pro Naturals Facebook Page.
• Must be 18 yrs or older or have parents permission.

Extra Entries:

• Share this post on Facebook.
• Share this post on Twitter. (Be sure to include my twitter handle @MakeupByLaraLee)
• Share this post on any other social media. (Instagram, FourSquare, Google+, Pinterest, etc.)

This giveaway is open to US and Canada only. (dont worry international friends, Ill be doing a big International giveaway soon!)
Anonymous entries will be void.Winners are chosen at random, if the first chosen winner hasnt completed the above another winner will be chosen. I will be checking, so be sure to follow all rules!
The winner will be announced on this post and on Twitter. You will have 24 hours to contact me with your shipping address before another winner is chosen.

Huge thank you to Pro Naturals for this giveaway opportunity!

Venus Snap - Influenster Review

With summer basically here, we all want our skin as smooth and hair-free as possible. So when I heard about this nifty little product from Gillette I was super excited to check it out!

Gillette is probably my favorite go-to brand for razors. I love that the Venus razor has interchangeable heads, meaning you can use any type of Venun razor head on the same old handle. Making it nearly impossible to buy the wrong heads! Nothing is worse than spending a buttload of money on new razorheads only to find once you get home that they arent for your razor! I cant believe no one thought of that idea sooner..

Gillette seems to be ahead of the game in many ways, and theyve just taken another leap ahead of their competitors. Gillette just released a brand new products called the Venus Snap, the first portable razor for on-the-go smoothness.

"This portable stylish compact features Venus' best Embrace blades on a mini-handle that conveniently tucks into any bag"

This new razor has a small handle with a, kind of squishy, grip for easy handling. It comes with the Embrace razor head on it, but as all Venus razors the heads are interchangeable. The whole thing fits right into its little compact carrying case.

I think the whole idea is pretty great. Its perfect to take with you to the beach, on vacation, camping, pretty much anywhere. You could even keep it in your makeup bag right in your purse if you wanted to.
Missed a spot shaving? No problem! The Embrace razor head makes it easy to touch up literally anywhere, just wet the razor and youre good to go, no shaving cream needed.

I definitely look forward to taking this little guy on vacations, beach trips, and little getaways with me this summer.

Venus Snap with Embrace is available at any retailer where you normally find Venus brand razors. Ive seen it at Target, Walmart, most grocery stores and drug stores. You can even find it online. It retails for around $9-$12.


This product was sent to me in an Influenster VoxBox for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Repair System Review

I have never really used any Argan Oil hair products before, but I have heard soo many good things about it, I recently tried out the Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Repair System, and I am totally sold!

Argan oil is the oil extracted from the Argan fruit through crushing it. There are many benefits for both hair and skin. Argan Oil moisturizes the hair in a natural way, making hair softer, silkier and shinier. It can also help treat split ends and damaged hair, and also tame frizzy hair.

The Pro Naturals Hair Repair System is all natural and free of harmful silicone and sulfates. It is made with the finest of natural high quality ingredients including 100% pure moroccan oil, one of the rarest oils in the world.

A lot of products out there now claim they use pure argan oil, but it is very common for them to actually be fake, diluted or over-processed. I found a great article which helps you know when you're buying the real thing! Check that out here.

The Pro Naturals Hair Repair System includes a shampoo, conditioner, hair mask and oil treatment. The system is a little pricey, but for 100% pure argan oil you cant expect it to be cheap. It is a very labor intensive process, so all good pure argan oil is pricey. Plus, you get what you pay for, and this system is soo worth it!

Ive heard so many great things about argan oil, but I was a little skeptical about this product, I didn't ever  think it could be a miracle product. Boy was I wrong! The very first time I used it I was amazed.

The shampoo and conditioner seem a little thick, so I used a little bit and thinned it out with some water, then added more if i needed to.. My hair is always dry and dead at the ends, so usually after shampooing it still feels a little rough when I rinse, but after I rinsed this it already felt smoother and softer. I left the conditioner in for a little longer than it said to, just to make sure my hair absorbed as much as it could. After rinsing I was immediately sold on this product. I could tell already my hair would be so much more manageable once dry.

The first few times I used the system I just used the shampoo and conditioner. I gave that about a week before I tried the other products in the system. After trying the shampoo and conditioner I had high expectations for the hair mask, and I wasn't let down once I tried it. The Oil Treatment on the other hand, I wasn't too impressed with. I think I may have not used enough, my hair gets oily on its own veryy quickly, so I dont like to use any oil products on my hair. So I just put a tiny drop on my hands and combed it through the very ends of my hair. But I ended up needing to use my other every day products also. I will have to try it again and let you know if my thoughts on it change.

*Added May 2014* I gave the Oil treatment another shot. This time I just applied it to the ends of my hair and let it air dry. My hair was so dang soft and smooth! I used a little bit of heat protector and straightened it afterwards and I was in love! I tried it again a few times after and Ive noticed if I use other products with it such as a heat protector and try to blow dry it doesnt work too well, but when I use it alone and let it dry completely before using additional products it works amazingly! For me its just about finding the right routine!

Overall, I really love this system. Since it is so pricey I cant use it every day, but I do keep it for special occasions or when I feel like my hair really needs it. In between uses I continue to use my Redken Extreme Line.

*You can also purchase the products individually, instead of the kit. But it is cheaper to purchase the whole kit, rather than each product individually. 

To purchase this system or find out more about Pro Naturals products go here!

I'M GIVING AWAY A BOTTLE OF PRO NATURALS MOROCCAN ARGAN OIL! Please click here to find out how to enter!

Graze Box Review - Get your first box free!

Healthy snacking made easy! Graze was started by 7 friends tired of chips and candy, who wanted a better way to snack. And what they came up with is simply amazing. 

Keep reading to find out how to get your 1st and 5th boxes free!

Graze is unlike any other "subscription box" I have ever seen before. They send you healthy snacks right to your doorstep every week. (or every 2 or every 4 weeks if you choose!) They have 2 box options, the nibble box and the calorie counter box. Both cost only $6 per box! The nibble box is the one I got.

In the Nibble Box you will receive 4 hand picked healthy snacks. They have over 90 snacks to choose from! And at only $6 a box each perfectly portioned snack is only $1.50! For the same price of a candy bar or bag of chips from the vending machine, you can have healthy delicious snacks delivered right to your home.

The Calorie Counter Box has over 50 options to choose from and are all between 50 and 150 calories per snack. Each snack also equals out to be $1.50 but is much healthier and tastier than anything you could get out of those vending machines.

After youve tried a snack you can go on the website and rate your snacks based on how much you liked them. You can select Try for things you havent had yet but would like to try, Like or Love for things you enjoyed or Trash for things you didnt like or dont want them to send. I hate spicy food, so before I got my first box I trashed anything that sounded spicy so I wouldnt get them!

My first box arrived within 10 days of ordering. All boxes come USPS and are designed to fit right in your mailbox. All of the snacks they picked for me looked soo delicious! The first snack I tried was the Cookies and Cream.

This had mini chocolate cookies, roasted hazelnuts, white chocolate buttons and sunflower seeds. And ohhh myyyy goodness, this was seriously SOO GOOD! I am a big sweets person, I love chocolate and cupcakes are like the greatest thing in the world to me. So I was very excited to try this snack in particular to help fulfill my sweets craving. I never thought to put sunflower seeds with cookies and chocolate, but this little mixture was literally perfect. And the portion size was also perfect! Its so easy to overeat when snacking, so having these things portioned for you is so helpful!

The next one I tried was Chocolate Orange.

This one had roasted hazelnuts, orange infused raisins and dark chocolate buttons. Anytime I had ever had chocolate and orange together I didnt like it. You know those cheap valentines chocolates that have orange filling, the worst! But this was absolutely heavenly. The raisins added the perfect sweetness to the dark chocolate (which btw, dark chocolate is my favorite! and its better for you than milk chocolate) and the hazelnuts added a nice little crunch and made it a little more filling. The flavors went sooo well together. This might have been my favorite out of the whole box. 

Then was the Cherries & Berries.

It was a mixture of cherries, lingonberries, cranberries and jumbo raisins. This was probably my least favorite of the bunch, but it was still pretty good. I just think personally I would have liked a little more texture. I had never seen or heard of lingonberries before, but they were the cutest little dried berries I had ever seen, and they tasted great mixed in with the other berries. But, to me the whole thing was a little..mushy, because it was all dried fruits, so there was no contrast in texture. I always like a little crunch..

The last snack I tried was the Olive and Rosemary Bruschetta. 

The perfect mixture of mini tomato breadsticks, rosemary and garlic cashews and kalamata olive croutons. In my house we LOVE bruschetta and make it all the time in the summer, so I was very excited to try this one! I was never a fan of olives, but those little croutons were damn tasty. Each ingredient by itself was soo good, but all of them together at once was seriously amazing! The croutons and breadsticks were perfectly crunchy and the cashews were slightly softer in texture, so it gave it a nice contrast. All of the flavors blended together perfectly. If you prefer savory over sweet this would be a great one for you to try!

I was so impressed with this sub box! And with over 90 options to choose from Im sure you wont be disappointed either! Oh, and I forgot to mention, they also include a little card with all of the nutritional information for all of the snacks in your box, so if you like to keep track of calories you wont have any problem adding these snacks. :)

You can sign up here and receive your first box free! You can cancel at any time, even after your free first box if you so wish. But if you stick around, you will also get your fifth box free! 

You can choose to get your boxes every week, every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks. You can also postpone shipment of your box if you are going to be out of town.

Sign up by clicking the link above or use the code LARAS51XU to get your 1st & 5th boxes free! :)

Enjoy healthy snacking!

Other pages to check out:

- My favorite sub box!

- My pamper day routine!

- My current foundation routine!

Colgate Optic White Toothbrush + Whitening Pen Review!

I've tried many different tooth whitening products. This one is unlike any I've tried before!

The Colgate optic white line just added a new product! This is a tooth brush with a built in whitening pen that goes right in the bottom of the brush! 

Super convenient!

It says you'll have whiter teeth in just 2 days! Which is awesome.

A lot of other products claim to whiten in just 2 days but that's using time consuming products 3 times a day for 15 minutes each time. This pen is as simple as applying a gel over your teeth and you're done, it absorbs in seconds. You don't have to worry about rinsing or using a mouth guard or your teeth rubbing the product off! 

I have used te tooth brush and my only complaint is that it's a little large for my mouth, I prefer a slightly smaller brush. And the handle is pretty big, but that's because the whitening Pen goes in there!

I haven't really used the whitening pen but when I do I'll be sure to include before and after photos! I did test it out and it seems quick and simple.

I got this sample in a VoxBox provided by Inflenster. If you are interested in becoming an influenster member and getting free VoxBoxes packed with fun new products leave me your email in the comments (ill leave it unpublished so no one else sees it!) and I will send you a referral! 

Twilight Teeth Whitening System Review

Ive tried a few different whitening products over the past few years. Some worked, some didnt. Some were much too time consuming, some were quick and easy. Some caused sensitivity, some didnt. Some were affordable, and some were ridiculously expensive. It isnt easy trying to find a combination of those things that worked for me.

So over the summer I tried a new product I had never heard of before. Twilight Teeth. It was also a new kind of system that I hadnt used either. Twilight Teeth uses whitening gel, a mouthpiece and an LED whitening light. Everything I had used in the past just used a mouthpiece, I had never used an LED light before. I had heard of it, but thought that was something only used in dentist offices.
The idea of using an LED light at home was so interesting to me. So I did a little more research on Twilight Teeth and found that it was use in a tanning bed, so you can whiten while you tan. You place the mouthpiece in and apply the gel just before getting into the tanning bed.
But they also have an at home version which comes with the LED light to use at home! Which was perfect for me, because I have never in my life used a tanning bed.

Over the summer I started using the system every night.
All you do is (on clean teeth) put the mouthpiece in, apply the gel, then insert the light. Let it sit for 20 minutes and youre done. You dont even have to rinse. I did find that if youre sitting up while using it you will drool an awful lot, so I just do it while Im laying in bed at night.
I had only been using the system for 3 or 4 days when my bestie said to me "your teeth look really white!"

One thing I dont like though is the mouthpiece isnt very wide, so I feel like half of my teeth that show when I smile wont be as white as the rest. I just kind of stick the brush back in there and get some gel on them and hope that its still working!

After a few weeks of using it I went on vacation and had forgotten to bring it with me, so of course when I got home I couldnt get back into the routine of things >:(
So I gave it a break for a little while, and noticed my teeth werent quite as white as they had been, so I think this product really only whitens temporarily. I dont think it gets the deep down stains, so the whiteness kind of fades after a while. So to keep your teeth white you really have to do it on a regular basis. But after you get to your desired whiteness Im sure you could just do it once a week or so to maintain your white! And that is no problem for me, because it didnt cause any sensitivity or discomfort.

While this is a wonderful system that gave me noticeably whiter teeth, I still dont think its the system for me. I am looking for a whitening system that lasts and gets the deep down stains, not just surface stains. I will continue to use it until I find the right system for me!

What whitening products have you used? What is your go to product?

Wantable Makeup Subscription Box Review

There are a LOT of monthly subscription boxes around anymore. With all those options its hard to choose which is the best offer. I have tried the beauty box five, which is around $12 for 4-5 samples of beauty, hair care or skin care products.

One of the newer boxes Ive recently heard of is from Wantable.com.
Wantable.com offers 3 different boxes; makeup, accessories or intimates. I chose the makeup one, of course. You an get the subscription for $36 a month or a one time purchase for $40. Inside the box you get 4-5 full size premium makeup products hand picked to perfectly match your preference.

Before you order your box, the first step is to take a little quiz. In this quiz you choose your skin tone, category preference (you rate love, like or dislike different categories such as brows, blush, lash products, tools, etc.) then you go into preferences for each category; such as colors, textures and tones.
This allows the people who pack your boxes to choose exactly what products match your personal preference, and each box is personalized to you.

Once I placed my order for my box, I received a confirmation email. The very next day I got a shipment notification. The day after that I got my box in the mail! It literally only took 2 days.

I opened my box and first found a few cool little things. A sweet little note card that shared a great quote! A card telling you about their app. (you know its a great company when they have their own app!) And a paper with info about each product, as well as retail prices.

I was honestly so surprised by the products theyve included in my box! 5 full size products and one little sample. Right away I was like "this is a subscription box I would definitely buy every month!" Most of the companies I had never really heard of before. I think the only company I had heard of was Color Club, the nail polish.

This is the one product I was somewhat familiar with. Ive never actually used any products by Color Club though, so I was excited to try. This color is a really pretty soft greyish brown. Not a color I would normally choose for myself, but once I swatched it on my nail I really fell in love! Its such a soft beautiful color. Great for Autumn. This product retails for around $8.

Next was a sample from a company called Skiin. I had honestly never heard of this company. So the sample is a 'Instant Skin Tightener and Line Filler.' I thought, "well, I dont relaly need this, I dont have wrinkles. But Ill try it anyway." So I put it under and around my eyes. I literally did immediately feel it working. It almost felt like my skin went slightly numb, and I could tell it had tightened up. Im going to be giving this sample to my mom to see how she likes it, since she has more "aging" skin than I do.

So the next products is a lip treatment by another brand Im not familiar with, DEX New York. The box said lipstick, but technically its not really a lipstick, it has no color. Its just a moisturizing treatment with a bunch of vitamins and stuff. I did try it out, and it applies very smoothly and feels soft on my lips. You can wear it alone or under your favorite lipstick. I personally wore it alone and it has a slightly glossy finish, so you can totally get away with wearing it alone. This product retails for $25.

I think I may have heard of this brand, but it apparently didnt leave an impression because I cant really remember. But this is the product I was most excited about trying. I am a big fan of blush and bronzer, so this little duo from Somre was a great product for me to try! The colors are honestly perfect. The bronzer isnt to dark, and theyre not shimmery or glittery. Im not a big fan of having disco ball face..my skin is naturally pretty oily so I like to stay away from shimmery face products. The blush is also a really nice color. Its a great pinky shade and looks nice on my skin tone. This retails for $28.

Next was a felt-tip liquid liner in the color Espresso, a nice dark brown, from the company Be a Bombshell. (who once again, I havent heard of) I usually stick to blacks on my eyes, but its always nice to have a brown liner. So I was pleased with this product as well. I swatched it on my hand and it applies easily and is well pigmented. I could definitely see myself buying this in black as well. (and hello little Darla peeking in in the background :D) This retails for $14.

And the last product in the box was a blue mascara from Golden Rose. I honestly thought to myself, I will never use this. I have never owned a blue mascara, I probably will, and I cant see any situation where I would use a blue mascara. But I will keep it around for a little while and see if it will ever be of use. The one thing I can say though is that I like how the tube is clear so you can see the product inside. I feel like a lot of the time mascaras are like half empty in there, so its nice to be able to see a full tube of mascara. This product retails for around $11.





So the total price of the products if you were to purchase them would be around $86. Making this box a great deal at only $36! I will definitely be subscribing to this box!

Pamper Day!

SNOW DAY! We got about 14 inches of snow yesterday, so what better excuse to stay inside and pamper myself today!

For my pamper days I do treatments for my hair, skin and nails. I deep condition my hair. Exfoliate my skin, do my favorite facial mask, and use a deep moisturizer. And give myself a little mani/pedi. Candles are essential for setting a relaxing mood, as well as filling the room with my favorite scents.

I start out with a relaxing bath or foot soak. I love to use bath bombs and/or bath salts. You dont have to go to places like Lush to find decent bath products, you can find some pretty good ones at your drug store, or even walmart or target. 

While Im in the bath or soaking my feet, I like to do a deep conditioner or mask on my hair, while using a nice exfoliating mask on my face. After cleansing and exfoliating, I use my favorite eye cream, and intense recovery treatment. Im using my Evologie cleanser, Splurge scrub, Merlot mask, Dermalogica eye cream, and RevaleSkin moisturizer. As well as my favorite Fekkai conditioning hair mask.

After soaking my feet, I give them a good scrubbing with a pumice stone to remove any dead skin. Then once theyre soft and dry, I give myself a little massage while rubbing on some foot cream. The one Im using today is by Udderly Smooth.

Then, I move onto the nails. I clip, file and smooth out my nails before applying a few coats of my favorite nail treatments and polishes.

I like to finish off my relaxing day by lounging in bed with my favorite scented candles burning, and a good book to read!

What are your favorite ways to relax on pamper days? What are your favorite pamper products?

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

What happened to H.Wood.Beauty?!

A while back I got to try out a free month of Beauty Box Five. You can check out my review here! In the box that month, there was a sample of lipstick from a new brand, H.Wood.Beauty. At the time I hadnt really tried the lipstick much, so I didnt give much detail about the product in my initial review. But, lately, Ive been wearing it more and more often. It has become one of my favorite lip products I currently own!

Photo: Amazon.

Ive tried doing some research, and I cant seem to find a working website for this company. All I could find was a facebook page and twitter account, both havent posted since September of 2012. :( So, I couldnt find out more about the product, and Im not sure where you can find them. Which is a suuuper bummer. Im really hoping the company didnt go under!

This lipstick isnt like any Ive ever tried before, its not super pigmented, it just gives a very light color, and a glossy finish. When I first tried it, Ill admit, I wasnt impressed. But in the past few weeks, Ive been using it more and more, and have honestly fallen in love with it!

The lipstick goes on super smooth, and looks like a gloss. Its a beautiful light pink shade called "rose." Its not sticky at all, and it doesnt feel dry or anything like some lipsticks tend to feel. I think H.Wood.Beauty products are all-natural, but since there is no site, Im not 100% sure.

(Im sorry if anyone is offended by my lip piercings, I know a lot of people dont like them. but I do, so any rude comments I kindly ask you keep to yourself!)

If anyone knows what happened to the company or where I can find their products, I would love if you could let me know! Im very interested in trying out more of their products!

Curly Hair Solutions Review

Although I wear my hair straight almost every day, my natural hair is actually slightly curly/wavy, and very frizzy. Ive tried for years to find a way to wear my natural curls, but I can't seem to find any products to help with the frizz! And those that do just leave my hair much too stiff and "crunchy."

I recently got to try out some products from Curly Hair Solutions.

The first product I got to try was the RevUp Volumizing System.

The RevUp system comes with a volumizing shampoo and Volumist. The RevUp System is a sulfate free formula, that is supposed to add volume to your hair with the same invigorating energizers that ocean air has on the hair. The "curl building energizers" attract moisture in the air, which is essential for creating extra bounce to your hair.
The shampoo is a gentle sulfate free formula. To use, apply to wet hair from root to ends and lather for at least 30 seconds for the ingredients to activate. The instructions didnt say whether or not to use conditioner, so I went ahead and used it anyway, because my hair needs it! My mom, however, did not use conditioner.
After I used the shampoo, my hair didnt feel clean, so I went ahead and used another couple of drops and repeated the process. The second time around it was much more lathery and bubbly.

Once I got out of the shower, I sprayed the Volumist all over my hair and followed the directions, scrunched my hair and let it air dry.
My mom, who also tried the system (she has much shorter and curlier hair than me, so I wanted to see how it worked on her hair) her hair was so dry she couldnt get a comb through it. She said she didnt want to use a conditioner because she was afraid it would weigh it down.
We both next used the next product I was sent, The Curl Keeper.

The Curl Keeper is a gel like product that controls frizz and defines curls. It is a water based formula, so you can use it every day without build-up, and you can reactivate it with water. Just wet your hands and touch up any frizzy areas. This allows you to go more days between washes!

I tried this product with the the RevUp system, after applying the Volumist I combed the Curl Keeper through my hair and let air dry without touching.
I personally did not like this product, Im not sure if its because my hair is thin/fine, or if its the cut, my hair is also longer. So it made my hair look kind of (for lack of better words) straggly and piecy. I do admit it was mostly frizz free, and pretty curly, but with my hair down it just didnt look nice on me. I never really wear my hair curly, so I dont really know how to style my hair curly, unless Im curling it with a curling iron, but thats a completely different kind of curl.
My mom, on the other hand, does style her hair curly more often, and she liked the way the curl keeper worked on her hair. The only thing she didnt like was the shampoo, but she is going to give it another shot, this time using conditioner, and she is going to let me know how she likes it. (so look forward to an update in the next few weeks!)

I love the idea behind these products, and theres no denying that they define your curls. I just dont like the way they work on my hair, and I definitely need more practice with styling my hair wearing my natural curls.

You can find out more about these products and other Curly Hair Solution products at FrizzOff.com!

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for free from Curly Hair Solutions in exchange for a review. This does not change my views or opinions on the products! No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for this review!