Luster NOW! Instant Whitening Toothpaste

Hi All! 
It has been quite a while since I have been on here. As you all know, life happens :) I have been busy with lots of various things, but one has been wedding planning! A few weeks ago I qualified for the Something Blue, Bride to be Voxbox from the brand Influenster! If you have never heard of Influenster before it is a website where you can go and share your opinions about products. You take surveys, earn badges and build up your score. At least once a month Influenster sends out what they call Voxboxes to members who qualify. A Voxbox is a box full of free products! All Influenster wants in return is for you to spread the word about what you thought of the products!! For more info on Influenster check out the site- Influenster and/ or my previous post- http://livinglovely11.blogspot.com/2012/10/influenster-voxbox.html
I have a few invites left so if you're interested in getting an account just let me know!

My Something Blue Voxbox!

Now, on to the real reason for this post! In my Something Blue Voxbox I received a product that I really like! It is called Luster Now! Instant Whitening Toothpaste. Now, I know what you are thinking and assure you I was thinking it too...Instant Whitening, ha, not likely! I am a daily tea drinker, and ever since I got my braces off in high school I have had stains on my teeth that bother me. I have used many whitening toothpastes and even whitening strips. While my teeth aren't awful I have never found a product that truly amazes me with it's white as snow teeth brightening abilities. For this product I thought let's give it a shot, and I crossed my fingers tightly!

This product pleasantly surprised me! I actually had my sister take before and after photos of my teeth so we could see if it really lived up to the hype. I found this product to taste good (it's described as having a Happy Mint Flavor, which I found to be adorable!!), and that it left my mouth feeling extremely clean, and my breathe with a fresh scent. I will tell you it has a strong mint taste, and that the product is blue. I know that some people cannot stand the taste of mint, if so this product sadly would not be for you. I also saw some reviews saying it took them a long time to get the blue off of their teeth? I am not sure how these people were rinsing, but I haven't had that problem.


 You can buy this product on the Luster website for $7.99. I haven't seen it in other stores, but am on the lookout, because I would love to pick it up at a drugstore! Have any of you used Luster products? Did you receive the Something Blue Voxbox? I would love to hear your thoughts, and comments below! Thanks!!
Luster Premium White Website

Julep Maven November Boho Glam Box

Today I received what could potentially be my last free Julep box. Thank you all soooo much for the referrals the past few months!! Right now I have a few pending Jules, but am not sure if they will be usable by the December box? ::Fingers crossed:: Anyways, after calling customer service- which was luckily friendly and super helpful, I was able to order the Boho Glam November box using my Jules- reward points from referring people to the program.

I went with Boho Glam instead of my original American Beauty profile because I really liked the golden Amber colored featured, and was much more interested in the purple Nora than the silverish Brita which comes in the American Beauty box. This month Julep featured suede polishes which have a matte finish when no top coat is applied. I had never tried such a thing, so was anxious to give them a go when I found my box to have arrived today :)

 I thought the box was SO pretty this month :) The little crinkles of paper were different than normal, and the box included a pamphlet of available gift sets you can buy online as presents for Christmas. I was really excited to see three travel nail polish removers included!! I always get chips in my nail polish when I am visiting my boyfriend (well actually he is now my FIANCEE!!!!! I was proposed to on Friday, and said yes of course since he is the love of my life- I am SO happy right now) and need to get my polish off asap as I am ocd about that. These should come in handy!!

The polishes in the Boho Glam box were:

Amber: Golden Bronze Suede
Nora: Silver Aubergine Suede

The box also included a body lotion called Pink Grapefruit Body Frosting. It smells amazing and looks just like pink birthday cake frosting! The label says it is shea butter infused moisturizer with aloe vera and vitamin e. 

Both the nail polishes and the lotion apply nicely :) The suedes gave full coverage in one coat and dry almost instantly which I love. I am so intrigued by the texture and matte look of their finish- I haven ever seen anything like it! I put a top coat on my ring finger and the sparkle is so pretty- goes with my sparkling ring!! :) :) :) I wish the pictures below did them justice- it is sooo hard to see the finish in them, I am sorry!! The lotion's smell couldn't be better, and has thick lovely texture. I was happy it rubbed in completely instead of leaving a greasy oil residue like most lotions tend to as well.

Good thing I am on a no buy or the other matte polishes would totally at least be in my cart right now! Julep promises some great polishes for the month of December, and a few are available at reduced prices in gift sets right now at their newly revamped site. The gift sets come pre wrapped in cute little boxes with ribbons and tags. If you are interested in these products, or trying out this service for a PENNY, you can go to : http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/44511/ take a short quiz to figure out your style (which polishes you will receive) and then at checkout enter promo code COLOR2012. 

Any other Mavens out there get the suedes this month?? What do you think? Until next time, thanks so much for reading!!

Influenster Beauty Blogger Voxbox 2012

I am SO very excited today as my first Voxbox from Influenster came in the mail!! As mentioned in my previous post Influenster is a website where you can sign up to be sent sample boxes for free! All you do is fill out some surveys, and hope to qualify for one of the boxes they send out. I qualified for the Beauty Blogger Voxbox and am thrilled. It really is amazing that a company would send me all these things for free. Now that I got the box I just have to tell them I received it on my account, and give feedback on the products via a survey they should have up soon. Easy as pie!

Look what was in my box!!!! :

As you can see the box was jam packet with free "samples". Most of these products are full size which is just so crazy awesome!! Inside the box was a card similar to that in Birchbox which listed all the products included, a description of them, and the price of the full sized product.

Here is a list of the goods:

• NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact: $4.99

This gorgeous eyeshadow compact came with a primer, illuminator, and four colors- two crease shadows, and all over lid shadow and a highlighter shadow. The little card says they are specifically coordinated to intensify and enhance your eye color. Hmm, the package does not say what color eyes this set is for, but the colors are dark to light grey- black. They look very pretty and slightly shimmery. I am excited to try them out especially with the primer! I haven't tried a primer before, and usually do not use eyeshadow so this is an excuse to experiment :) The box also says this is a limited edition product.

• Kiss Ever Pro Lashes Starter Kit: $5.99

I have never tried out fake eyelashes before, and am hesitant, yet kind of excited to try these. The kit includes a pair of fake lashes, latex free glue, and an applicator.  It says they last up to 24 hours so I suppose I will have to put them to the test soon!
 

• Bath & Body Works Mini Candles: $3.50/ Coupon for a 3 Wick Candle for $10

The candle I received is called Black Pepper Bergamot. I have no idea how to pronounce Bergamot, and had no clue what it was so I looked it up. Apparently it is some kind of orange? I am just going off goggle info for that though so I could be wrong. Anyways it smells decent. I love, love, love the most recent candle I purchased from Bath and Body Works which is the Pumpkin Cupcake candle. I am interested to try this one out. The coupon was for sure a nice extra touch as well!

• EBOOST- $28 for a box of 20 powders, $39 for a box of 30, and $39 for a box of 12 shots

Apparently this powder is supposed to boost your mood, focus and immunity. I got mine in an orange flavor. I wonder how it taste, and if it really works?? Interestinggg.

•  Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin: $7.29

I am not sure if I will be able to figure out how to use these little guys haha. They are spiral bobby pins you are supposed to spin into an updo to hold it. I put them in before I started this post and so far so good with the simple bun I did. A few pieces of hair are slipping out so I curious as to whether these will hold my thick hair. I will keep you posted- no pun intended!

 

• Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream: $6.00

My friend recently bought shampoo and conditioner from this brand while we were at Ulta so I am familiar with it, but have never used it out. I tend to get frizzy hair- I think from the damage I have created with my straightener, so I am excited to use this out. It has a strong coconut scent even with the wrapper on so maybe it will make my hair smell nice as well as hopefully fighting frizz?


So, overall this is an amazing box, and even more incredible because it was free!! Please let me know if you would like to sign up for Influenster- I have a few invites left. I would also love any comments about Voxboxes you have received/ if you got this one, as well as what you think of these products!! I will update this post once I have a chance to try out my new things :) so stay tuned!

Influenster/ Voxbox

Source- http://www.influenster.com/about

Hello everyone :) I am very excited for my mini post today! In a couple days I hope to do a better review of a website I first saw mentioned in a Youtube video quite a few months ago. Influenster is a site both men and women can use to look up new products out there on the market and then give their feedback. You can even ask other consumers of the products questions you may have.  What drew me in to Influenster though was the mention of FREE stuff!!

http://www.influenster.com (Here is the link)

That is right FREE STUFF! I signed up for an account thinking it must be too good to be true. I figured the girl on Youtube was lucky enough to get a Voxbox- more on this in a bit- because she did so many videos and the company wanted her to spread the word so they could get more business. I have since found out this really is not a scam- it is an amazing way to try new things and get your opinions out about products as well! Last week my friend who signed up at the same time as me got an e-mail saying she had qualified for the Bride-To-Be Voxbox and should be expecting it in the mail soon!

Now, what is a Voxbox you ask? A Voxbox is a box shipped to your house with lots of various products in it that you get to keep for free!! On the Influenster site there are many surveys you can take once you sign up for an account. You can earn badges by taking the surveys, and then Influenster will keep track of your answers on there and let you know if you qualify for one of their upcoming Voxboxes. There are surveys on there for everyone from people who are all about living a healthy lifestyle, moms, men, dog and cat lovers to college students, and travelers. You are sure to find something on there that applies to you in some way!

Here is a picture of what my friend received from the Influenster Facebook Page

From what I can tell there is at least one Voxbox every season, but Influenster seems to be sending out more now then they were in the beginning. My friend received a box with products such as shampoo, conditioner, fake eyelashes and beauty water in it for free! On the site there is not even a single spot for you to put your credit card information, and therefore no way for you to be charged :) All she has to do in return is fill out reviews on the products she received after trying them out!


I have even better news for you too! Influenster just re-did their entire website! I found the website hard to figure out when I first signed up, but now I really understand the "company" (I am not sure if that is what they would be called?), due to their new set up. It is much easier to figure out what you should do to move yourself closer to being chosen for a Voxbox. Influenster gives you a score based on how many surveys you have done, you influence through Youtube, Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter as well as product reviews. The more points you have the better!!

I am thrilled, because just the other day I found out a Beauty Blogger Voxbox is on it's way to me!! All I had to do was follow the simple task directions on my account page, and now I have surprise products being sent to me. I cannot wait to receive them and share with you what I got in a post soon!

I will have more details about this service once my first Voxbox comes, and if you have any questions feel free to ask! I believe they just changed the website to being by invitation only. I have four invitations left if any of you are interested so please let me know!! So many of you out there influence others in positive ways through social media, and I think this is a great way to be rewarded for all that you do! I will be sure to let you know when my Voxbox is here :) Thanks for reading!

October 2012 Julep Maven

Whew, it has been quite some time since I have been on here! I am so happy that I heard from some of my readers asking when I would be doing the next post (it always shocks me to find I actually have readers ;) ). I truly appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to even scroll through the pictures on here, and apologize it has been so long. Summer was the perfect time for me to post as I am a teacher, and now that school is back in full swing grading papers and lesson planning are I use my computer for all day everyday it seems.

Anyways, today both my October Julep Maven box, and add-ons came in the mail! This month Julep went hardcore on the Halloween theme, and the polishes were labeled as simply bewitching. I was really torn as to which style to go with as the featured polishes this month were crackles. I have only had one experience with crackles in the past- my sisters bought a bottle and let me try it out- I thought the effect was really cool, but not something I could see myself wearing too often, and sadly the whole bottle dried up in less than a month. I was debating with a friend which box to go for since I had a free monthly referral left - THANK YOU!!! Then, just when I thought I had my mind made up Julep decided to be even more awesome and come out with a Maven's Choice box featuring zero crackles!  The same day I also found a black OPI crackle at Ulta for $3- yipee!! :) Now I can still do the orange with black crackle on top mani I was planning for my kiddos Halloween party, and get a Maven box with colors I will use on a much more regular basis! Oh happy day!

The Maven's Choice box included:

• Eloise- Smokey indigo blue crème
• Lisa-  Warm pebble grey crème
• Keira-  Deep merlot red crème

 







I had my eye on the blue (of course) and the reddish Keira so I was quite happy with this box minus the fact that it did not come with the monthly product of quick dry drops, so naturally I had to add those on. . .and Leslie since I have been wanting a black, and don't forget Caroline the lovely shimmery red that reminds me of the song Sweet Caroline and takes me back to college hockey/ football games ;)

Here is what my Maven's Choice box looked like:

 Julep threw in two glitter pots- an orange, and black as well as candy corns!! Have I mentioned I LOVE Fall? It is the very best season, and I adore everything associated with it so cannot wait to eat up these candy corns haha. I like my Maven's Choice colors (Lisa is for sure more gray than it shows up in this picture- I apologize that I still do not have batteries for my good camera so used my phone).

I am most excited about my add-ons however :) 

 

• Leslie- Black and silver specked shimmer
• Caroline-  Darkest burgundy shimmer
•  Quick Dry Drops

I felt the need to paint my nails with these right away. They are gorgeous in the bottle, and I wish you could see them better in my picture!! Both really shine, and Caroline does look, well, bewitching. 

Both polishes applied quite nicely and gave full coverage in one coat :) The shimmer in Leslie is very faint, but you can really see a silver shine as the light catches it. Caroline has more silver shimmer, but keeps the rich burgundy color you see in the bottle as well. I thought Leslie would be my favorite, but Caroline has trumped her. The quick dry polish drops were fun to use, and spread out nicely on my finger nail. I just had to put one small drop near the cuticle. My polish dried right away as promised. The smell reminds me of a bathroom cleaner scent, so is not so great, but it is also not turbo strong or nasty either. I can deal with it much more than the scent of my recent fast drying top coat from Julep.

Leslie, Caroline, Leslie

Here are my finished nails. Again, I apologize for the jankity picture taken on my phone!! You can see though that both colors are quite dark. My accent nail doesn't really pop like normal, but I like the suttle look. I can see myself using both of these colors frequently :) I am so happy they only take one coat per nail and will last me longer!

What did you think of Julep this month?? Did you get a box, and if so which style? I would love to hear from you below and also see what you do with your October colors!!

If you would like to try out Julep for a penny the offer is still on! Just go to http://julep.com/?r=21739311 and enter promo code COLOR2012 at checkout. I hope you enjoy it as much as me!! :)

Supergoop Review

Source

Talk about SUPER!! Recently I e-mailed the company Supergoop to see if they sent out samples. I had heard about the creatively named company via Birchbox, but sadly had never been the lucky recipient of their monthly samples. Skin care has always been important to me ever since I was little. My mom did an amazing job stressing the importance of ALWAYS wearing sunscreen to me and my siblings from a extremely young age. I have never been to a tanning bed, and like to tell people it is because I am anti-cancer, which is true. When I saw a company focused fully around protecting skin I was immediately intrigued.

Back in the day when I was working at a summer camp getting a great tan, minus the tan lines from socks haha, was no problem for me. Although I have always worn sunscreen, I was blessed with a golden complexion, and would tan right through it. The only time I can remember getting burnt was when my group of friends fell asleep on the top deck of a boat when we went to Mexico on a school trip. Sadly my days of easy tanning seem to be behind me as I am rarely out in the sun anymore. I highly dislike wearing shorts as well so my legs are becoming more Casper the ghost pale with each passing season. 

Supergoop Self Tanning Sunscreen Mousse on the right

When I first inquired about Supergoop I figured they just had sunscreen type products, but I was pleasantly surprised when Supergoop Self Tanning Sunscreen Mousse showed up on my doorstep!! I had to give this a try straight away especially on my legs! Upon researching the product I found that not only is it a two in one self tanner/ SPF 20, but it also includes antioxidants which are great for your skin, and is towel and clothing safe. I have tried many other self tanners, and have always had to be so careful about washing my hands right  away after application so they wouldn't turn orange, and allowing it to dry thoroughly before getting dressed. With this product I didn't have to worry about rushing to the sink or postponing getting ready for 10 extra minutes which was the first of many great qualities about it.

Although the product says it is a mousse I would describe it as a rich tinted lotion.  Application was easy as the lotion went on smoothly and evenly without extra effort. A little went a long way, and it didn't leave me with a greasy feeling or take forever to rub in completely. I was also pleased by the refreshing smell of the product. It does have a slight beachy, sunscreen type odor, but compared to other self tanners it is very mild and covered almost completely by other scents of green tea and cucumber. I have been using the tanner for a few weeks now and it has not turned me orange :) I am always weary of turning into an oompa- loompa when using self tanners!! The effect so far has been gradual as the name of the product suggests, but I can see a difference. I have to say I am loving this product! It is giving me the tan look I long for, and provides protection from the sun all in one. I would highly recommend you trying it out!

The product I was sent is a very generous size so I am still using it, and will be sure to post an after picture when I am out. Here is the before (sorry for posting my leg, this is daring for me as I am not a huge fan of them) and in the middle of use pictures :

Before starting to use the product

After about a week of use

I apologize the pictures are facing different ways, but hope you can see some difference between them as I can in person! :)

The second product I was so graciously sent is adorable, and so handy. It is called Supergoop SPF 30 Sunstick.  What a great idea!! This little gem can easily be thrown in my purse for on the go, and gives great protection. There is good amount of product included in the sturdy packaging as well, and the user simply turns the yellow knob at the bottom when they are in need of more. No messy liquid to apply either with the sunstick so you do not have to worry about it leaking in your bag.  I have found myself reaching for this little guy many times since receiving it. I quite enjoy not having to remember to bring the bulky container of sunscreen that weighs done my purse every time I think I might be outside. The sunscreen applies well without the greasy residue most leave behind or the overwhelming scent. A must have for busy individuals frequently on the go, or with children!!

Overall, I have to give Supergoop an A+ rating. Their products are are creative, time and money saving. So far they have also proven to be highly effective giving the exact results they claim to be able to give users :) Have to love that! I truly cannot thank Supergoop enough for allowing me to test out these products!!! It is amazing to be sent full size products to test. I am extremely grateful and I will surely be purchasing more! These are only two of the many products this innovative brand carries so be sure to check out these and others at www.supergoop.com. I hope you enjoy them as much as me! Please let me know if you have used anything from Supergoop before. I love hearing from you!

Julep September 2012 Surprises

So, this month of Julep is crazy!! I was lucky enough to win a golden box a few days ago via the Julep Nail Parlor Facebook page, AND found the September box previews early! The official previews came out today on their site/ blog and in e-mails to Mavens. Thankfully they are the same as the leaked previews I found early and wrote about in my previous post!

Julep told me upon winning my golden box I would still need to specify a style to them, as they were doing something different with golden boxes for the month of September and they are to be style specific. Very, very sneaky Julep ;) Today on my account I saw this:

Normally this would be a golden box as it is all the products for the month of September. This month however you can get your regular monthly box for the standard $19.99 and purchase the whole collection for an extra $30- so essentially buy yourself the old version of the golden box.

Somewhat sadly, the golden box this month will only have five polishes in it. From this small picture I believe it will be the five polishes featured on the Trina Turk site- Otte, Delauney, Hoch, Alma, and Gunta. It will also have a special surprise in it though! It says the box is a $108 value which means the surprise is worth $38!  Knowing Julep the surprise will probably rock. I am assuming it is a different surprise for each style profile, or they wouldn't have had me pick a style?

Since the golden box won't have the mascara that made me the lucky winner of a golden box (I guessed first on the Julep FB page that mascara would be the new product for Sept), and I have a free credit for the month of September- THANK YOU for using my referral link to sign up-http://julep.com/?r=21739311, I decided to to switch from my regular American Beauty style:

I think Hoch is coming in the golden box (fingers crossed as I LOVE it, and I don't need another white- I recently got Kate)

Source

 To the Boho Glam box since I want to try the mascara, and really want Popova!! Blue is my very favorite color so I am not sad to be getting two Guntas this month, and I had to have the mascara! I have never tried brown so I hope it will look good with my green eyes, brown hair, and dark eyelashes??

Source

 I am very curious to see what the surprise bonus is for the Boho Glam box as with all the styles, and hope I chose a good style!! What do you think about the option to buy the whole collection this month? Do you like the smaller golden boxes? What are you getting?? I would love to hear your thoughts below :)