Review: Winks by Georgie False Lashes!

It’s time for me to review my second Bloom.com Beauty Ambassador Kit! This time it was all about the eyes, with a set of Winks by Georgie false lashes and a tube of Lashfood. I will have to review the Lashfood in a separate post because it takes awhile to see results, but I am all about these falsies today!

I received Style no.2, “L’Avant Gardiste”.  They also have 2 other styles available at Bloom.com. The instructions on the site are thorough and really helpful. The packaging is gorgeous and I love that you get a nice clean and convenient compact to store your lashes!

Gorgeous, right?

As always, I did a quick ingredient check. These lashes are free of formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrances. They are dermatologist tested and PETA and vegan certified. The adhesive is made of USDA certified organic blue chamomile, which soothes delicate skin and ensures maximum adhesion of lashes along with natural latex, a new technology to remove allergens found in other latex products. It’s made with the first and only botanically-infused adhesive. So…green light!

Now I had to get down to business. I was a little wary because I have only attempted to apply false lashes once before and it was a disaster. Even at my wedding, when a pro was applying them, my eyelids got glued together and it was, you know, a disaster.

Check the lashes before you apply them to see if they will fit your eye. These fit mine, but you can trim them a bit if they are too big. I love the tube of glue – it works really nicely. A big glob did come out at first, but then I just spread it over the lash and it worked great. Since these are reusable, I recommend using a clean q-tip to spread the glue so you don’t get any bacteria on the glue tube itself. Here’s a pic of how much glue I applied:

I read up on Bloom.com for tips on applying falsies. I didn’t know that you are supposed to do your eye makeup before applying these, and if you put mascara on them it will actually make them wear out faster. Trust me, you don’t need to add mascara – they look great!

The best tip was once you have the glue on the lashes, wait about 30 seconds so that the glue can get a little tacky. I think that is really what makes the difference – plus you decrease the chance of glue dripping in your eye.

They weren’t tough to position since the glue is sticky but not dry you have a little time to make sure you get them on just right. However, if you move them too much the glue doesn’t stick at all. On my first attempt, I didn’t get the glue to stick to the outside corner of my eye, which you can kind of tell in this picture (you can see the line where the lashes didn’t stick on the left). Then I realized I put the left lash on my right eye. duh. This may have had something to do with my troubles.

falsies. backwards.

So, I tried again. And the second time, they were perfect. They were also on the correct eye. Cue creepy eye close-ups.

Can you tell I'm smiling?

They were also very comfortable. The only other time I have worn falsies I was totally aware of them until the moment I removed them. I forgot I was wearing these. When I was done, the lashes peeled right off. It wasn’t painful, and they didn’t take any of my natural lashes with them.  To remove any excess adhesive from your eyelids, the manufacturer recommends using a tiny bit of olive oil on a cotton swab.

Needless to say, I am really impressed. I am going to pick up the other styles to see how they look. They retail for $28 and I think it is well worth it, since they are reusable.  I can’t wait for my next excuse to get glamorous – I will definitely be donning these!

Cheers,

Caroline

Pin of the Day: one glitter nail

What do you think of the one sparkle nail trend? I see these pictures on Pinterest all the time and I am kind of tempted to try it! Here are some of my faves!

I like it the best when the glitter is the same hue as the other polish (or close to it), so that it doesn’t stand out quite as much, it is more of a subtle touch. How would you wear it?

Pinterest strikes again!

Cheers,
Caroline

Review: Bloom.com Beauty Ambassador Exfoliation Kit

I am thrilled to get the opportunity to review these products as a Bloom.com Beauty Ambassador! The first assignment I received was called the Exfoliation kit. It contained Sara Happ lib scrub, a GLAMGLOW Mask, and BeFine Exfoliating cleanser. Check out my loot!

Lip Scrub by Sara Happ

Sara Happ is famous for her lip scrub and now I know why! I was excited to try it out but wasn’t sure how much a scrub could really do for your pout. Turns out, there’s not much it doesn’t do.

Rub it on your lips, your lips feel great! Wash it off, your lips feel great! Wait a second- your lips LOOK great too – all naturally rosy and smooth. All I added was some very moisturizing Pangea Organics lip balm and whoa! My lips have never been so silky. I just left them at that point because for a day out running errands or something, that would be more than enough. One thing I would recommend is to use a washcloth and not a tissue to remove the scrub from your lips.

The next day I went to work and beforehand I scrubbed my lips again and this time added color after the balm soaked in. I was really impressed with how well it went on and that the color stayed on my lips and, well, it just looked better.

What I really love about this product is both the brand and the ingredients! At sarahapp.com my favorite line about the development of the product is: “There had to be a better way. So I went to my kitchen and made it myself.” What did she cook up in her kitchen? Sucrose, Petrolatum, caramel, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, and Flavor.

I HIGHLY recommend this lip scrub – you can pick it up soon on Bloom.com! It’s well worth he $24 price tag – you only need a small amount with each use so it will last a long time. It easily made its way onto my Green Goddess Board.

GLAMGLOW Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask

The second item in my Exfoliation Kit was the Celeb favorite GLAMGLOW Mud Mask. I got 2 uses out of my sample and I was pretty impressed. It’s not called a “Tingling and Exfoliating” mask for nothing though – once you rub it on your face, there’s a minty tingling feeling for several minutes that can be intense but is not overwhelming. Then, once the mask is dry, you wet your face and scrub it off with some of the best exfoliation I have ever felt – your skin really does glow afterward!

For the most part, the ingredients in this mask are great and very unique: volcanic pumice rock, French sea clay, green tea leaf pieces, camellia leaf extract – but then I get to the end of the list and see: Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaen, Isobutylparaben. I wish they would work on removing these preservatives because it truly is an impressive product. I’d recommend giving it a try.

Befine Exfoliating Cleanser

I have used this cleanser before and it has some really impressive results – one of which is the silky soft feeling your face has after using it. I was happy to try it again! Befine is one of my favorite brands, with one big caveat – their use of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or SLS. It can be very irritating to a lot of people and is not necessary for a face wash.  It is one of those products that leaves me on the fence because it works so wonderfully. Bottom line – I would have to recommend it!

I would like to thank the folks over at Bloom.com for giving me this opportunity! Keep your eyes open for all my future reviews!

Cheers,

Caroline

The Rainy Day Box and Green Beauty

Recently I announced I was chosen as a Bloom.com Beauty Ambassador! I am incredibly honored and totally excited to start posting reviews! Look for my first one this afternoon.

Before I post, I want to make myself heard on one issue I am incredibly passionate about and one that will make it’s way into every review I write: Green Beauty. You can check out products and companies I think are fabulous and green on my Green Goddess Board.

What it is:

I’m a huge fan and advocate of “green beauty”, meaning I believe quality beauty products should be free from harsh synthetic chemicals including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), fragrances or dyes, should be friendly to the environment, and should never be tested on animals. That doesn’t mean I have a completely green routine (yet!) or that I don’t occasionally get “duped” too. It’s a huge amount of information to take in and understand. It’s hard, y’all.

Who I am:

Before I preach about these issues, I’ll give you a little background about myself: Back when I was a grad student studying Public Health education (think designing smoking cessation classes and breast cancer support groups), I read case study after case study on topics I thought were no big deal and finding out how big an impact they actually have on you and the world around you. I learned to design health-related programs, which is actually really tricky because you have to make it easy for people to access and even easier for them to participate. If you’re trying to do something that’s already tough (like giving up smoking…or giving up your favorite blush, no judgement!) anything that stands in your way will be just another reason to give up. Especially if you don’t totally believe what you’re doing is bad for you.

Moving toward green beauty is the same. The beauty industry is totally saturated with every product imaginable and some of it is great, can’t-live-without-it stuff. Some of that same stuff is filled with harmful substances. Once you decide to “go green”, where do you start? As soon as you find out your favorite shampoo is packed with Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), you might be ready to throw in the turbie twist. I understand, I really do. I hate bad hair days.  Things will stand in your way on the journey to green beauty, and it’s up to you to decide what to do about it. My goal is to help sort through some of the confusion and give you the bottom line on these products.

Why I care:

For those of you who have never even thought about the ingredients in your cosmetics, or those of you who have but still need to know more, there are a lot of resources. We need help! But it is hard to find. Sometimes there is conflicting information. Sometimes you’ll find out that NARS Orgasm Blush has enough chemicals to burn your face off. Sometimes I just buy it and use it anyway. Sometimes I freak out and think I shouldn’t really be using it and then I use another blush I don’t like as much and then get mad that NARS doesn’t just remove the BHA, triclosan, and parabens. Sometimes I look GREAT in that color, ok? I digress.

If you look at the “Black List” from Julie Gabriel’s Green Beauty Guide you might really start sweating. Type your favorite cosmetics into The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database and you might just give up the whole endeavor.

Don’t. Let’s take it one product at a time.

What I’m going to do about it:

I’m going to review the products. If I get one that is a particularly good example of a company doing something they shouldn’t (in my opinion). I’ll write it. You take it as you will.

My reviews and recommendations will focus on 3 things: the brand behind the product, how the product performed, and how safe I feel using it.

I hope everyone shares their thoughts, tips, and resources too! Thank you for reading!

Cheers,

Caroline

Bloom.com Beauty Ambassadors

Hello Rainy Day Boxers! I have super exciting news to share – I have been selected as a Beauty Ambassador for Bloom.com! Check back for reviews of all their latest products and for anything I share about Bloom’s MANY special events and promotions. If you haven’t checked out Bloom.com yet, be sure to read my Website to Watch: Bloom.com post.

 Can’t wait to write my first review!

Cheers,

Caroline

Pin of the Day: Polka Dot Nails!

How cheerful! I came across this on Pinterest and it really caught my eye. I snagged this idea from alllaqueredup and investigated it on Birchbox, which I reviewed just today! If you’re interested in trying it out, here is a fabulous video tutorial from Miss Ladyfinger on Birchbox.com.

Pinterest strikes again!

Cheers,

Caroline

Website to Watch: Birchbox

Meet Birchbox, a beauty subscription service that delivers deluxe samples to your door every month…for just $10!

I have been a Birchbox member since December of 2010. Since then, I have seen the company grow and change in so many ways! Every month I look forward to seeing that pink box in my mail…it is always full of great stuff! Don’t just think makeup: it’s all beauty products, (face, body, nails, hair), but also great fragrances, beauty tools, lifestyle products (tea, snacks, laundry detergent, notebooks, mp3 downloads), you name it! When you find something you can’t live without, you can buy the full size in their shop.

Here’s the thing: To subscribe to Birchbox, you need to have an open mind. Sometimes what you get will not thrill you. Your Birchbox is only $10, shipped to your door, and I believe my subscription is well worth the money. Here is a photo of my March Box:

It contained a Twistband Hair Tie, a sample of Annick Goutal Petite Cherieessie® Luxeffects Nail Polish (I got “set in stones”!), Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Papers, and tarte LipSurgence™ lip tint. Both the nail polish and the tarte lip tint were full-size. That is worth $10, no?

You many notice the Teen Vogue logo on the box. Birchbox often partners with other companies (Like BaubleBar!) So I’ll begin my review of Birchbox’s features with partnerships!

Partnerships and Promos:

Birchbox does a great job of connecting you with other amazing companies. Off the top of my head, I remember collaborations with Cynthia Rowley, BaubleBar, Poppin, and Teen Vogue. When you go to buy products in their shop, check to see if they have any kind of promo happening, either for a free product or for extra points. I got a notebook and pen from Poppin for free once when I placed an order on Birchbox. Now I swear by their pens!

Beauty Profile:

Fill out your beauty profile to make sure Birchbox will send you samples suited to your beauty needs and preferences. A tip I’ll give about the Beauty Profile is: be careful about your answers. For example, I answered that I have curly hair. Which I do. But there was no way to add “Curly hair that I blow-dry straight”. So for months I got samples of products for curly hair. That is, for women who wear their hair curly. Once I changed it to “straight hair” I got some truly awesome samples, more than one of which I now use regularly. So really think about your answers!

Reward Points:

I love any company that rewards you for using their service. Bloom.com has their Bloom Dollars, BaubleBar has credits, and Birchbox has Points. For every 100 points you earn, you get $10 off in their store! Points add up quickly – you get points for purchasing your subscription, referring friends, answering surveys, giving feedback, and purchasing full-size versions of your samples. Make sure you review everything in your Birchbox every month to get 10 points per review!

Videos:

Birchbox has a library of videos to help you use the products that come in the box and tutorials for makeup trends. They are a great added resource even if you do not subscribe.

Blog:

Checkout Birchbox’s Blog for even more tips, to get connected to their fantastic community, and to hear about their many giveaways and prizes!

Birchbox Man:

Birchbox even has something for the men folk. Soon they are launching Birchbox Man, which has samples geared toward men. If you can convince your man to get one, good for you. I will be very interested to see what this service will offer!

So, have I convinced you? If you want to sign up, go here and start getting your beauty on!

Cheers,

Caroline

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