An Edible Review

Influenster has done it again! Lots of yummy things in my most recent Bloom Voxbox. I did an unboxing video that you can see here. So, before we go on to the deliciousness that hit my mouth!, a little disclosure because - yah know..... FTC. 

Didn't buy it. Not being paid for this (unless you count payment in the form of delicious granola!). Not being swayed, coerced, or in any other way, shape or form bribe for my opinion. I just like eating things. 

Phew. Ok. Legalities out of the way! Now we can get onto the ever delicious granola that arrived at my door!

 

The Sunbelt Bakery raves that it uses no preservatives & is made/shipped daily to your local stores & comes in 3 flavored (did I mention one was chocolate?!). They retail for about 50c on their own & about $2-$3 for a box (I think there's 6 to a box? I've never actually found a box! Help a sister out because these things are delish!)

 

 

The calorie intake on one granola bar, while isn't the healthiest thing on the market, it could be a lot worse. One bar has 180 calories with 50 of it being from fat. So far so good, right? Lets take a look at everything else!

• Total fat; 6g (9% daily serving)
• Saturated fat; 3.5g (18% daily serving)
• Sodium; 75mg (3% daily serving)
• Total carbs; 29g (10% daily serving)
• Dietary Fiber; 1g (4% daily serving)
• Sugar; 12g
• Protein; 2g

Like I said, could be worse! This would make a great pre workout or an on-the-go snack for those trying to watch that they eat. 

The bar itself was nice & chewy, very soft with no weird texture or aftertaste. It's so soft I accidentally broke it while it was in the package prior to eating it. Oops! 

(Check out the video linked above to hear my rant on broken packaged food. Even though this was totally my fault!)

  

Im dying to get my hands on a box of these because they truly are delicious. HOWEVER! For those of you with allergies this may not be the bar for you. There are a ton of allergen triggers on here such as; coconut, soy, peanuts, almonds, eggs, milk, & wheat. The label also says other tree-nuts may be present in this bar. It's so sad that there's sooooooo many allergies in this one little bar. 

Bath & Body Works Candle Collection

Helloooooo beautiful people of the interwebz! I have decided that I wanted to share my (now) minimal Bath & Body Works candle collection with you. I use to have a lot more but I love my candles & tend to burn them frequently.... which isn't very smart when I'm burning through limited edition candles (like my London: lemon & tea candle or my Snow Day candle which is almost done). On a completely different side of that spectrum though, it gives me an excuse to always go buy more! ^_^  although, the only time I ever really stock up on my BBW candles is when they are on a sale 2 for $22... or whatever that reeeeeally good sale is?

Fresh Water & Sea Salt
PURCHASE THIS CANDLE

This lovely beauty was one of my most recent purchase during their latest 2 for $22 deal. This had to have been one of my favorite purchases. Bath & Body Works describes this as: Refresh a room with the clean fragrance of crisp water notes, sea salt crystals and a bright hint of citrus. Honestly, this is probably as best of a description as you are going to get. The candle jar itself is a gorgeous tinted blue & the throw on this candle is AMAZING. Its strong but not over bearing & it will fill a room thats approximately 10x12 (this is the size of the room that I was burning it in). The room where it was being burned was my dining room, so it was not a closed off room. It also seduced its way into my kitchen & even parts of my living room. As you can tell, I am almost completely done with this candle & all ready have plans on going to buy more.

Apple Flower
PURCHASE THIS CANDLE

I also bought this one on the 2 for $22 sale. I have yet to burn it so I can not attest to its throw but the smell in the candle alone is amazing! Bath & Body Works says this candle is a pretty springtime blend of soft pink apple blossoms, crisp apple slices and green citrus leaves. I smell more of the apples than I do any of the floral notes, but again, I havent burned it yet.

 

Oceanside
PURCHASE THIS CANDLE

I am fairly certain I have purchased this before! I may be crazy though.This candle was also bought during their latest 2 for $22 & now that I am surfing the website looking for the descriptions of these lovely smelly goods, I am quite depressed at how little of a selection of candles my B&BW had. & it wasnt that they were sold out... it was that our store just does not have good product selection. :/ Any how, the website describes this beachy candle as . If this is the same candle I bought last year this smells like the beach in a jar. Its like someone magically was able to make a beach candle without it smelling like suntan lotion - as apparently it is customary in most candle companies to make all beachy candles smell like horrible suntan lotion.

 

Coconut Leaves
PURCHASE THIS CANDLE

I have had this candle for at least a year or so, so the new label is a lot more sophisticated but the smell is still the same. (: The throw on this is soft but still to where you can smell it. The website describes this candle as a tantalizingly tropical mix of coconut milk, macadamia nuts and fresh green sugarcane. It is a soft smell with hint on coconut & some fresh green notes. It is still a very pleasant candle & I am actually quite shocked this is still being sold because it is an old candle fragrance & B&BW is always changing out their candle selection.

 

Snow Day
NO LONGER AVAILABLE

I am actually saddened that this candle is no longer available. I lalalalove this candle & would honestly burn it year round if I had a never ending supply of this bad boy. According to the bottom of the candle (because it isnt even available online) it has a scent of a bright & joyful blend of spruce branches, peppermint & sweet vanilla that captures the fun adventures of a snow-filled day. They describe this perfectly. It reminds me so much of that sweet wonderful smell right after a fresh snow fall back home.

Pineapple Orchid
NO LONGER AVAILABLE

 

Watermelon Lemonade
PURCHASE THIS CANDLE
**Image for the B&BW Website**

I saw this sweet & sour smelling candle out sometime last year & was quite surprised when I walked into the store & they were STILL selling it! The B&BW employee wasnt sure if this was now a permanent part of the line or if theyre only bringing it out during the summer time. In either case, I will be making sure I purchase another one or 2 of these so I dont run out. If you are looking for the perfect summery, sweet candle, I HIGHLY recommend this one. It is very strong even in the jar, unlit. I can not gauge the throw on this one due to not burning it yet. This beautiful light pink candle throws out scents of a pleasing refreshment of watermelon, sparkling water and freshly squeezed Meyer lemons. Like I said, perfect for summer!

 

LEFT TO RIGHT:
Bonfire Maplewood, Frosted Cupcake (in the mini candle sleeve), & Marshmallow Fireside
NO LONGER AVAILABLE*
*At the time of this post, Frosted Cupcake is available in wallflower form

I use to have a full size of each of these, burned through them, & then was only able to find minis before not being able to find them at all. ): The Bonfire Maplewood & Marshmallow Fireside are the perfect fall candles. Theyre not smokey but not sickly sweet (considering on is named marshmallow). I really hope in the fall they bring these back this fall. I love those 2 candles!  Bonfire Maplewood is described as a cozy fragrance inspired by gathering round the crackling fires of fall combines sweet fig, cardamon, warm vanilla, & firewood notes. My nose detects some sort of cinnamon-esque notes. Marshmallow Fireside is described as a sweet-toasty end to a long cold day - toasted marshmallows & sumptuous vanilla cream blend with the comforting aroma of rich smoldering wood. This is pretty spot on. You can really smell the vanilla & toasted sugary scent. I reeeeeeally wish I could live in this fragrance forever.

Now B&BW getting rid of the Frosted Cupcake candle is quite a shock. This would have made the perfect permanent collection scent because - I mean, cmon! - who doesnt love the sweet bakery smell of cupcakes?! They describe this candle as delightful fresh vanilla beans, sugar, cake batter, & rich buttercream frosting. This candle had an amazing throw & smells just like you walked into a bakery. Yumm!

I am very much looking forward to expanding my collection of candles. I do have an AMAZING amount of wax tarts from Scents So Sweet (a homemade wax melt company). I will do an entirely separate post on my massive amount of wax tarts after I get settled into my new home next week.

Before I go, I also want to apologize for the lack luster photos. I wanted to try & blog from my tablet so I could blog on the road... Yeah, back to phone blogging on the go for me. My tablet takes crumb pictures. 

What are your favorite candles from B&BW or from any other candle company? I love candles & wax tarts... love them even more if theyre homemade!

PS

All thoughts are my own. I am not sponsored by Bath & Body Works(but hey! B&BW higher ups: if you're reading this I'm totally interested in being sponsored!) & bought all products with my own money. 

Revlon Lip Butters 2013 & Update.

I have some exciting news - well, hopefully it's exciting to you. I am going to try & blog at least twice a week & have a new YouTube video 3 times a week. Aren't you excited?! I know I am! I am hoping to get more dedicated & bring you the most awesome of awesome EVER. Yep. I just went there. & now I'm going here... ↓↓↓↓↓↓

It's that time of year where all the new goodies come out! I'm so excited! Living in Oklahoma, I tend to feel that our state is the last to get all the cool new stuff. Needless to say, I was pleased to find the new Revlon 2013 Spring? Summer? Spring? {heck, I can't remember!} Lip Butters! The new collection contains 4 lip butters; a watermelon red, a vibrant pink, a coral, & nudey-pink. Lets get onto the swatches & thoughts, shall we?

LEFT TO RIGHT: "Wild Watermelon", "Sorbet", "Juicy Papaya", & "Pink Lemonade"

 The new Lip Butters have the same formulation as the full line. The pigmentation is amazing & the feeling is great as well. Let's see some swatches, yes?

"Wild Watermelon"

"Wild Watermelon" on lips

 "Wild Watermelon" is a gorgeous, well, watermelon red. It's pigmentation is buildable but even the first swipe across the lips gives a generous pay off of color. I'm not sure if my sniffer is broken but the lip butter doesn't have any sort of scent to it.. I was hoping it smelled like watermelon - you know, because it's name is watermelon? Although, I don't think any of the Lip Butters have a "scent" to them. Hmm...

"Sorbet"

"Sorbet" on lips

  "Sorbet" - despite the picture - is a gorgeous, deep pink. Pigmentation, like any Lip Butter, is superb. I wore this one to work today & noticed that it did have a tad bit of a staining power... sort of. It seemed to have migrated into the lines on my lips despite exfoliating. "Sorbet" looked gorgeous paired up with a neutral eye & bright pink blush to tie it all in.

"Juicy Papaya"

"Juicy Papaya" on lips

  I was really excited when I saw this color. I was hoping it would be a gorgeous corally color with amazing payoff like the rest the Butters. Now, don't get me wrong, the color is very pretty - at least when I swatched it on my hand - but I did not get the coral finish I wanted on my lips... then again, I did this swatch after the "Sorbet" that stained a little even after I used an exfoliating wipe to get it off. Still a gorgeous Spring or Summer color, just not the color I was hoping for.

"Pink Lemonade"

"Pink Lemonade" on lips

 Nevermind the tube picture that makes it look orange; I couldn't find the memory chip to my DSLR so I had to use my iPhone & apparently my lighting was horrible. :/  "Pink Lemonade" is actually a super pale nude pink & it seemed to have only added a shine to my lips with no real color pay off. I can see this being the perfect every day color for someone who wants that gloss finish but no color payoff.

If you can forgive the poor photography, these Butters are actually really great! The pigmentation is amazing, the feel is amazing... these definitely do NOT disappoint. Make sure you grab these while you can because they are limited edition!

No Flash

With Flash.

60 Second Nail Polish? How Absurd!

I was in Walmart the other day & saw Rimmel London's new line of 60 SECOND NAIL POLISH! Say what?! Nail Polish that dries in 60 seconds?! No flipping way! As a working mother with 2 toddlers, I need a quick drying nail polish. But just how great can the coverage be & the staying power? Welp, I put Rimmel's "Sage All the Rage" to the test!

2 coats. Day 1. No undies & no top coat.
"Sage All the Rage" by Rimmel London

I did 2 coats of this lovely sage-y green color {which, for some off reason looks teal from my camera. grrr}. Did it dry in 60 seconds? Umm... Maybe like 90 but I didn't allow the first coat to fully dry either before I slathered on a second coat. Still not bad for a $1.50 polish. (:

I'm expecting the polish to start chipping like crazy when I go to work later that day but take a look at this! 

2 coats. Day 3. No undies or top coat.
"Sage All the Rage" by Rimmel London

Absolutely NO CHIPS & NO FADING! 3 days in & it still looks fresh & clean! I am LOVING this polish. Hands down. To give you a better idea of how often I use my hands: I work in a call center taking insurance claims for about 10 hours a day meaning my nails are ALWAYS typing which should cause usual wear & tear on the tips. I am also a mother to a 2 year old & 3 year old little boys who are rambuncious from the time they get up until the time I leave for work. So top regular household chores with 2 toddlers & a full time job. Nails should chip... alot! Right?

Nope! Take a look at this ONE WEEK OLD mani!

2 Coats. Day 7. No undies or top coat.
"Sage All the Rage" by Rimmel London

Thats it! Minimal top fading & the only reason my pointer finger on my RIGHT HAND ONLY chipped at the corner was due to me chewing my on nails. Can you believe the staying power of this cheap-o nail polish?! I do believe I will be going back to Walmart & grabbing one of every color. (:

Have you tried the 60 second nail polish? What do you think of it? What is your favorite color of the line?

Do I INFLUENSTER You?

I am so sorry for being away for so long.. I have had a lot of personal things pop up & now that it's the holiday season things are bound to take over my life more so; so! I am going to start off by saying I am so sorry things are slow going! Hopefully after the New Year I can start regularly updating the blog & YouTube channel. Now onto the reason of this blog!

On November 27th I got an email from Influenster stating that I had been selected to receive a Cosmo Voxbox! I will admit, I was bouncing around in my seat like a giddy little school girl because - c'mon now! - who doesn't love FREE stuff!? But Becca, what the heck is Influenster?? Uhh... yes! Hah hah. Influenster is a site where you, well, influence people. :p  It's a completely free website where you answer questions regarding various products, leave reviews, take survey's etc & they randomly choose people to receive a box {based on what you participate in}. When you receive the box you need to review it, take pictures, vlog/blog, whatever! They will send emails regarding what steps to take next.

So were you paid to do this? Heck no! I got this box by simply filling out reviews, surveys, & other random doo-dads on the site.

So how long were you on the site until you got a box? & does everyone get a box? Um.. I think I was on the site for about a month if not less when they selected me. Again, it's completely random - so no, not everyone gets a box. BUT! That's enough rambling! Let's take a look at what I got in my box, shall we?

I received my box December 4th - the day before my 24th birthday! Thank you for the early birthday gift, Influenster! I got the 2012 Cosmo Voxbox & in my box I got the following:

» 2 FriXion by Pilot Pens {a black & an orange}
» .25 fl oz of Bath & Body Works new perfume: Forever Red
» a full size bar of Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape

» A Venus disposable razor with an extra replacement Venus & Olay head

First things first: those pens! I will be the first to admit, I am very picky with my pens. The casing of the pens are pretty cool - A solid color pen indicating the color of the ink & then a silver tribal type design. The pens do have those squishy-ish type of grips which are a lot softer than other pens I've seen; so nothing fancy there. I did write a little bit with the pen & while they write nice, I just don't like them. I love traditional ball point pens {especially the colored ones from Bic}. I'll probably end up giving the black one to my husband for work & just throwing the orange one in my purse as a "just in case" type thing.

According to the Influenster Card:

a 3 pack of these pens are $4.50 / $1.50 per pen ;; $11.00 for an 8 pack.

Box Total So far: $3.00

The next thing on the list is the New Bath & Body Works perfume: Forever Red. It is a very grown up-y smell. Not something I that I thought I would like but the more I smell it, the more it's growing on me. It is very potent so a little would go a long way. I have not tested it's staying power because, to me, this is the type of perfume you would wear out on a date night or something. According to the card, the notes are as follows: "a passionate blend of pomegranate & red osmanthus with a sexy surprise of vanilla rum". All I smell is a powdery floral & MAYBE a vanilla musk scent. Again, it's not a bad scent.. just definitely something I probably would've passed up in B&BW.

P.S.: It's husband approved. Hah Hah.

According to the Influenster Card:

.25 fl oz/7ml bottle is $10.00 ;; $44.50 for a full size

Box Total So far: $13.00

My next item was the Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape bar &, to be honest, I was expecting to not like this at all. I mean, c'mon! Sea Salt & CHOCOLATE!? It just sounds gross. But! I am have munching on this bar since I started this review so that I could give an honest feel for this delictable confection. &, well, the consensus is.... *drum roll* I LOVE THIS BAR!  It is so freaking delicious! It is a slightly crispy bar {loaded with almonds! yumm!} & the "salt" taste is really only there is your looking for it. Not really sure what else to say expect: YOU NEED THIS BAR IN YOUR LIFE. Go. Now. Go on. I'll wait....

According to the Influenster Card:

a full size bar is $2.79

Box Total So far: $15.79

The above items.

My final product is the Venus razor with the Venus Embrace blade & the Venus&Olay blade refill. I've used Venus before & they are probably my favorite razor! I don't really have a favorite blade, but I've been loving the Olay for the winter time when I start to lose moisture in my legs. It gives a really close shave. Yayy!

According to the Influenster Card:
for a month of blad refills: $3.50 - $4.50
SIDE BAR: I don't remember them being that cheap. Hmm... Will definitely have to look into that.

Box Total: $19.29 - $20.29

It came with a $2/1 coupon! I am a happy happy girl!

So my box was worth about $20! How cool is that!? $20 worth of free stuff for just filling out surveys & reviewing products. You don't have to have a blog or YouTube, but it does help because it adds to your influenster score. So get on over to Influenster.com & sign up!

Have you tried any of the above products? What are your thoughts??

Until next time, loverlies!

♥ & all things vintage: Becca

& on the 12th day of Christmas!

Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their time with their families. Things have been a bit slow on the blog, FB page, & YouTube because I've been dealing with sicky kiddos. ):  There are some very special things coming up but what I'm most excited to share with you guys is this GIVEAWAY by my good friend Shelby of (not) making it up! She is hosting a giveaway with TWELVE Rockeresque Beauty Company full size eyeshadows!

Be sure to check out both Shelby & RBC!

Picture Swiped From (not) Making it up!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

The Perfect "Sally" Polish

Hi doll faces! ♥

With Halloween a little less than a week away, I have been on the hunt for the perfect nail polish for my costume. What am I being? Why Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, of course! & since Sally isn't all lively & colorful, I was on the hunt for the perfect Sally-esque color without it washing out my skin & looking all grungy. Welp, I FOUND IT!

 

This is Wet'n'Wild Megalast Nail Polish in "Wet Cement". My picture is a bit blurry because there's something horribly wrong with BOTH of my cameras {oy} but the color is accurate. This is 2 coats with 1 coat of Coastal Scents base coat & top coat.

I found this at my Dollar General on CLEARANCE for $1.75. ♥ I am a happy happy girl!

You Fail, BirchBox.

Another month has passed & it is now time for my September Birchbox! As you can tell from the title, I was not at all pleased with this month's box. Not that there's anything wrong with the box, it's just that the products didn't appeal to me this month. :/  If you want to see my open box review {aka: my first impressions of this months box}, check my YouTube video here. Forwarning: this is a looooooooooooooooooooooong indepth post from my quick review on my channel.

I want to start off by saying that the employee who responded to my email at BB was quite nice. I emailed them on the 12th of September inquiring where my box was. The site {& my confirmation email} both said that the box shipped on the 8th & that it would take up to 10 days to reach the west coast. Well, I don't live on the west coast, I live in the smack dab middle of the country so I figured MAYBE by the 15th. I constantly check up on my tracking numbers {because I'm paranoid like that. Hah Hah} & kept finding my tracking number being marked as "Computer monsters have stolen this ID number & are refusing to let any information go" {totally joking!} not received by UPS/UPS Mail Innovations. Well, if it shipped on the 8th like the site & my confirmation said, shouldn't it have updated that it was at least at the origins sorting center? Mind you, BB is located in New York - my parents live in New Jersey. It takes a package from my parents approximately three days to get from their house to my house in Oklahoma; I'll give BB another day or 2 because it is UPS to USPS & that usually takes a bit longer so shouldn't my BB have been in my mail box by we'll say the 15th or 16th at the latest? Well, this day was the 12th & there was no update on where my box was.

Emails - nicely - ensued. They responded rather quickly saying that if I have not received my box by the 19th to contact them again & they shall send out another box. Two days later I checked my tracking number again & lo & behold! My number had updated that it had just left the New York UPS sorting center the FOURTEENTH. the FOURTEENTH PEOPLE! That's 6 days after they said it shipped. WTH!? All I was thinking was that this box better be worth it. It finally arrived on the 20th - 12 days after it allegedly shipped & 6 days after my tracking number updated that it actually left New York. Fishy. Hmmm..

Lets take a peek in the box to see if it was worth this odd wait time.

This month's outter box is a goregous hot pink box! I looooooooove pink! So far, so good on the wait. (:  Last month's box was a Tangerine Orange. Let peek inside, shall we?

This box came with the standard post card with information on what each product is & on the opposit side it tells you a little bit of information on why the articles that are in the box are, well, in the box. This box also came with a little magazine called "The Fall LookBook". It gives tips and tricks on how to wear your hair, different outfits, & makeup tricks for fall as well as current trends. It's cute. :3 After you do away with the reading material you are greeted with nice bright teal tissue paper. Then your eyes meet the goodies!

This looks like slim pickin's to me but I'm most excited about the ColorClub nail polish! I love nail polish. (: First item on the card is the Color Club Birchbox Custom Polish. I got the color #5786 Insta-This. The card says "We teamed up with Color Club to create this custom shade, inspired by the Fall 2012 collections" & that a full size is $8. I do believe the size I got {7ml} is full size - please correct me if I'm wrong. 

Side Note: I watched the "Sneak Peek" video & they gave a little snippet about these colors - they were designed & named after social networking. I just happened to get "Insta-This" which is based off of Instagram, of which I am obsessed. ^__^

Next item up for grabs is the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint. If I stopped swatching the gosh-darn thing it might be enough for a once or twice all over face application. "This SPF 15 oil-free tinted moisturizer blends in beautifully to even on skin & control shine" - a full size retails for $38. As you can see from the picture below {er.. just barely, but in person it's noticable!} you can tell that this color is like a shade or two darker than my natural ghostly white self.

The moisturizer is on the upper part of my hand {the side closest to the Jouer photo} & the bottom half has nothing on it.

This would be a great moisturizer when I get a tan {which only happens in the summer months & well, we just entered fall - kinda.}

The next item on the card is the Kate Spade New York Fragrance in Twirl. The card reads "A blend of fruity & floral notes, this modern classic feels joyful & carefree". It says the full size is anywhere from $18-$80! ...which is why I will probably only ever own a sample.  This sample has a nice little spray top instead of the usual ones where you have to pull a plunger & then dab the stick on your pressure points. I like that. ^__^ Inside the sample card is adorable. It says "She had a cocktail in her hand & confetti in her hair". How cute!! ^.^  I'm not too sure how I feel about this perfume; definitely smells more floral than fruity. It's not bad! Definitely a feminine-date-night scent {which I did wear on my date the day I got the box. Tehee! Husband approved.}

Next item up for bid is the Skin, An Apothecary Soy Body Whip in Poppy, "infused with vitamin C & soy proteins, this mousse-like lotion soothes dry skin without feeling greasy". It is a very floral scent! But a clean floral - does that make sense? I'm assuming since it said "in Poppy" it means the scent is Poppy. It's definitely not my cup of tea but it's a nice soft scent. It does stick with it's description of a non-greasy texture {which I like} & I feel a slight difference in skin feel after I applied it.  Still not too keen on the scent. Blehk. Full size is $27.

Final product in the box is a twistband Birchbox Custom Lace Hair Tie, "Designers went gaga for lace this season & we don't blame them. Get on board with these outch-free hair ties". A set of 6-12 is anywhere from $14-$22. Honestly? It's a rip off. It's a piece of decorative elastic. Total fail. 

Oh! At the bottom of the card is says Lifestyle Extra: Hollywood Fashion Secrets Hollywood Fashion Tape - aka: double sided sticky tape to hold your strap strap, hem, or blouse in place. Full size ranges from $4.99-$8.99; another fail, BB. & at the veeeeeeeeeeeery very bottom, there was a card they claim is a gift card. It's a COUPON code for $25 OFF an order of $75 or more off Madewell! Totally not worth it, at least in my opinion.

So overall, between the odd shipping fiasco & the lack luster box.. I'm not quite happy. Yeah, I got my $10 worth {MAYBE a bit more - not sure how much the size of the Skin lotion is worth} but last box was a million times better. Here's hoping October's box is so much better! & considering next month is Halloween, i hope they do something spooktacular! 

Did you get a box? What all did you get & what do you think? What color polish did you get? I'm dying to know!

HugsxoKisses