BEAUTY BOX 5: November 2014

November's "Gracefully Grounded" box from BB5:

i guess another term for grounded is boring.. because many of the items included are really regular day to day hygienic items.

1) Afterfeather : Refillable Travel Bottle - 2 fl. oz.
size: 2 fl. oz. bottle 
retail value: $8.95 (set of 2)

very cute bottle for traveling! i love the dandelion print. this would have been very handy if only i did not have an empire of sample sized beauty products waiting on hand.
this is the prettiest and most exciting item in the box... prepare to go downhill from here.

2) DenTek : Floss Floss Picks & Case
size: 6 picks
retail value: $2.49 (4 picks)
promotion: $1.00 off any Floss Pick & Case or $1.00 off any product over $2.00 (manufacturer's coupon); expires Dec 31, 2018

leave it to BB5 to include items that you have never gotten in a beauty box subscription. yes, these are floss picks. BB5 tells you to bring these on the go and 'floss in style'. i guess if you are worried about how you look when you floss then these are for you! in my opinion, there is no sexy/trendy way to floss.

3) HASK : Macadamia Oil Revitalizing Shine Hair Treatment 
size: 18 mL (full size!)
retail value: $2.99 

i have quite the collection on hair oils now and i definitely do not use them enough. i find my hair gets shiny (aka greasy) enough on its own.

4) Laura Ashley : Body Butter in "Sweet Peony"
size: 50 g
retail value: $20.00 (set of 6)

in junior high, i was all about perfumes from Gap. this body butter reminds me of that - soft and sweet.
i would call this a lotion more than a body butter since it is not exactly thick.

5) Dove : Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash
size: 53 mL 
retail value: $6.49 (650 mL)

it's body wash! very similar to all the other drug store brand body washes i have gotten from BB5 - it cleanses and it smells good.

see what i mean? lotion, body wash, floss picks... all day to day items we use so nothing special here.
the box included a 30% off Sparkles & Pop (online jewelry store) promo with code BEAUTYPOP (expired Dec 31, 2014).

AT THIS MOMENT ...
currently listening: Impossible Heart - Paloma Faith
just watched: Miracle in Cell No. 7 (Korean - actually watched this last time after Titanic... very sad movie - you need to be prepared with the tissues; reminds me of I Am Sam; the girl actress is soooo adorable!) // Cast Away (first time watching this Tom Hanks movie. saddest i ever felt about a volleyball...)
still watching: Doctor Who Season 5 // Walking Dead Season 5 // Vampire Diaries Season 5 // Marco Polo Season 1 (started a new series with the boyfriend!)
now reading: nothing!! taking a break :P

BEAUTY BOX 5: July 2014

oopsie daisies - looks like i somehow skipped a box from July!! i apologizeeeeee!

today, a Christmas tree popped up at our building so i am taking it as a sign that i need to start shopping. for the past few years, i have been that person running through the mall on Christmas Eve and begging them not to close yet. i hope i learn this year... where are you planning to get your shopping done? online or at a mall?

let's do a topic switcheroo here from Christmas to July - here's a quick recap on July 2014's "Defining Moments" box.

1) Revlon : Bold Lacquer Mascara in "001 Blackest Black"
size: 7 mL (full size!)
retail value: $7.99
promotion: $1.00 off any Revlon mascara with coupon

drug store brand but i'm not disappointed. my main mascara is starting to dry out so i am reaching for other tubes - i've forgotten how nice it is to use a fresh and new mascara! i've tried a Revlon Grow Luscious mascara before and i was not overly impressed but the idea is always appealing.

2) Hask : Argan Oil Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment
size: 50 g (full size!)
retail value: $2.49

i need to get a plastic bottle to pour this sample in since now that my hair is much shorter, there is noooooo way i can use this all at once.

3) Body Drench : Candy Licious Moisturizing Lip Balm in "Lime Gumdrop"
size: 2.55 g (full size!)
retail value: $3.99

hmmm lime gumdrops sound like they could smell quite tasty... although i am not a huge fan of limes. up for sale on the blog sale page!

4) Anna Naturals : Glowing Mama Walnut Face & Body Scrub
size: NA (1 small tub)
retail value: $10.99 (118.3 mL)

reminds me of the St. Ives Apricot Scrub.

5) Starlooks : Lip Pencil in "K308 Bare"
size: 2.4 g (full size!)
retail value: $12.00

"Bare" is a matte shade that i thought would look like a nude color. looking at the pencil, the lip liner looks sort of like a dusty brown-grey. when applied, it is much darker than 'bare' should be. i look sort of zombie-ish with just the pencil but on a positive note, it is very pigmented. the color is not an issue once i apply a lipstick over it - or just anything to warm it up a notch.

tada! it is an alright box - nothing really notable. it was my first time trying a Starlooks lip liner and i am happy about how pigmented it is.

AT THIS MOMENT ...
currently listening: "The Heart Wants What It Wants" by Selena Gomez
just watched: Saving General Yang
still watching: Doctor Who Season 4 // Walking Dead Season 5 // Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 1
now reading: "When God Was a Rabbit" by Sarah Winman