Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser & Muslins
my order weirdness

Posted in Beauty & Skin, Makeup / Cosmetics, Subscription boxes

I will be doing a separate more thorough review late of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser & Muslins. This is just a quick update on my ordering process weirdness.

Ok so I LOVE the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser & Muslins from the October Birchbox enough to buy more of it before I run out of the sample. That says a lot to me. BUT it seems that everyone else wanted to try this product too! I went in and bought the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser & Muslin KIT and then the next day I received the following message:

Ooook, so this is a good effort on Birchbox’s part for customer service by basically giving me $10 since the order had processed before they found out that they were out.

But I did feel a bit like they were taunting me when I got the email that said that I would get 50 points if I spent more than $35 on October products.

I tried throwing the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser without the muslins into my cart and then added a few more repeat buys that weren’t part of the October box. Nope. Coupon code doesn’t work.

And I don’t want to buy two of the Cleanse & Polish without the muslins. And I wasn’t thrilled enough by the other products in my October Birchbox to buy those so apparently that coupon code really only matters if you were in love with many of that month’s Birchbox items.

So I removed the nail polish remover and the chocolate and bought one bottle of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser which ended up only costing me $1.50. Yes $1.50 since the item had free shipping AND I had 100 points from reviews and affiliate subscribers AND they gave me 100 points for the earlier snafu with the kit no longer being available (“Join Waitlist” was not showing at the time that I ordered … this is not a loophole you can abuse.) I was ready to pay for the kit in full but ended up with a bargain.

So while I ended up with a great deal, I DO hope that Birchbox gets more of the kits and the muslins in! If you shop from Liz Earle’s site there’s no free shipping option so the kit that’s $24.50 with Birchbox ends up being $32 on the Liz Earle site because of shipping.

Look for a review here soon on the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser & Muslins! Don’t forget to subscribe using your favorite RSS reader or Bloglovin’!

Update 10/30/2013: Seriously?! TODAY you get more back in the Birchbox store? After my order for the non-kit version has processed? Could you not have just sent me a message saying that my order was delayed for a few days due to high demand and the need to restock? It was only a delay of one day!!! Apparently I should have waited a day… I thought with the first message it would be more than a day though!! Sigh and an eye roll.

October 29, 2013

Bespoke post review – Crisp + OOTD

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Accessories, Clothing, OOTD, Scarves, Subscription boxes

This month’s Bespoke Post Box of Awesome is “Crisp.”
Technically this box is usually Tim’s box but I’ve taken a few of the items from his box this month and wanted to share and review.

First, a little bit of background on Bespoke Post’s “Box of Awesome”

Bespoke Post operates a lot like JewelMint does in the sense that you have the option to skip a month but it’s mixed with a set box of curated style and discounted products like Birchbox or Ipsy.

Each box has a strong theme to tie the items together whether that’s coffee (link to Tim’s review) from the Bespoke Post “Roast” box or getting a closer shave with the Shave set. Each Bespoke Post box is $45 and includes products that are often worth way more than that. Like JewelMint, you DO have to remember to skip a box but you will get an email reminder as well as information about that month’s box.

There are definitely some Bespoke Post boxes that are more unisex than others (if Tim hadn’t bought the Bespoke Post Roast I would have … oh wait … I think I started him on this subscription so I may very well have paid for that box!) But the intended audience IS men. You can take a look through past “boxes of awesome” here.

On to the review of Bespoke Post “Crisp” box
and my Outfit of the Day (OOTDOOTD Outfit Of The Day)

My favorite from the box is a scarf “exclusively made for Bespoke Post by vintage-inspired clothing label Gilded Age, this scarf captures the perfect mix of rugged and refined so you can go from yard work to a night out and anywhere in between.” It retails for $119 and it is a 17″ Wide Scarf. Solid charcoal chambray on one side and Striped charcoal/white on the other side with 3″ long tassels. “Yard work” seems a little far fetched but maybe that’s because I grab the cheapest scarf I own so it can get all sweaty if we’re talking yard work…

To me this scarf looks very much like something that would sell at Madewell or Fossil but even better quality and my first thought when I saw it was that it looked like it came from Anthropologie. The scarf’s style is a bit laid back but still a classic style given that it’s chambray. The material is excellent and you can see the quality in the details like the sewn edge and how they’ve added the tassels. I expect that this scarf will last a very long time.

Pictured above: Gilded Age Chambray Scarf, Lands End cashmere cotton blend sweater (this sweater was also Tim’s – accidentally run through the dryer so it shrank, sleeves rolled up so it didn’t look too baggy on me), Kohl’s Sonoma life + style red velvet ankle pants, Ugg leather and shearling Antora metallic pewter ballet flats, faux diamond bezel earrings from Curacao, and barely in the picture, the new hair donut bun.

Don’t worry guys, my photo doesn’t doom this scarf into the girly category. I should probably take a photo of Tim wearing the scarf too. It does look fairly unisex and how you tie it can be an important factor in how it looks on. (Photo of the scarf on a dude over at Dappered in case I don’t get around to photographing it on Tim.)

My next favorite item in the Bespoke Post box was the Microfiber Sheet from Declan. (Show in the first picture at the top.) It had a printed chambray pattern on it and it’s EXCELLENT for wiping down electronics. Even better than my last microfiber cloth (which Tim accepted as a consolation after I grabbed this one from his box.) Declan has a lot of great patterns on their website. Again, good quality product… I keep thinking that if they made them square they would nicely double as pocket squares for Tim.

And the last thing I took from Tim’s box was the Men in Cities Card Holder Wallet. I’m very basic when it comes to my wallet. Less is more. Small is better. I want to be able to throw it in my purse and find it but also be able to throw it in a pants pocket quickly. And with women’s pockets being even smaller than mens, a tiny wallet is a must. I haven’t migrated my stuff over to this gray leather wallet yet because it’s just a hair smaller than my current wallet but more importantly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the couple of keys that hang off the current wallet…. so Tim might get this wallet back for that reason alone. I’m not sure yet. I’m not even sure I can buy yet another of the wallets I have been using for the last 5-ish years. I asked for one for Christmas one year and got two of the same thing … I kept the second and upgraded to it after much abuse of the first one. And I’ve not seen a lot like it so even without the keys, this Men in Cities card holder wallet may be my best bet. (I’ll try and post a photo soon of the two side by side.)

The one item Tim is for sure getting from this box is the Charcoal Striped Socks from Mack Weldon. There’s no way they would fit my feet! 🙂 And he needed some more nice dress socks anyway. These are nice and they appear to be a good quality. We’ll see how they hold up and if they can beat out the golden toe socks he owns.

The box also came with Carmex Lip Balm + Lotion which neither of us will use (he’s allergic to one ingredient, I react to another.)

Anyway – another great box from Bespoke Post Box of Awesome!

Like what you see? Sign yourself (or your man) up for a Bespoke Post Box!
http://bespokepost.com/r/1c10f6
(full disclosure this is an affiliate link though it’s Tim’s account)
coupon code “WINGMAN? should save you 25% off your first box!

October 24, 2013

Hair donut bun { Great Tools }
(or “I keep calling it a sock bun but it’s better”)

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair

I have recently been noticing hair donuts here and there lately for some reason.

I’ve know about sock buns for awhile now which you do with a rolled up sock. But that always seemed too loose for me. Maybe it’s because my hair is just a little longer than shoulder length not mid-back and it’s not as thick as it used to be.

A hair donut is different. It doesn’t really seem to matter what brand it is as most look and feel pretty much the same. There might be some difference in size or lasting ability but for the most part what you are buying is a plastic mesh scrunchie thing.

Why this seems to work better: One reason in my opinion, it grabs/grips the hairs better because of the mesh than a sock does. Because it’s grabbing the hairs better, you end up with a tighter but still full looking bun. It’s easier to get a perfect bun. A ballerina style bun as many people have called it.

So usually hair donuts run around $5 at the drugstore. It’s not much but since I hadn’t had good success with the sock donut I didn’t give in and buy one. Then I saw a hair donut at the dollar store and I was like “just buy it, get it over, stop thinking about it and try it.” So I bought one. I tried it. I loved it. Should have bought one awhile ago at the drugstore.

It might take a few tries the first time you attempt this just to get used to it but after that, it’s really easy and fast to put your hair up. And it looks perfect almost every time. I remember being in dance class as a kid and we didn’t know about these or use these and I remember that buns tended to take awhile and TONS of bobby pins to do.

With this, I haven’t had to use a single bobby pin. I guess I could use a bobby pin if I miss a strand of hair and want to tuck it in but so far I’ve just started over and not missed a second time.

A hair donut bun is great for:

a quick and easy
polished looking and looks like you put in more effort than you did
super secure bun – I’ve worn this three times now and it was still going strong at the end of the day
great for disguising a bad hair day
great for disguising second day hair when you didn’t have time to wash your hair
great for disguising slightly damp hair when you don’t have time to dry it completely
an updo that doesn’t give you a headache! If you’re using something like a twistband or other, this really can be a great updo that doesn’t pull too much

There are plenty of videos out on the internet of girls showing how to use these to put their hair up so I’m not going to be a klutz at the moment and try to show you. Just check youtube if you’re looking for a tutorial!

Will it work for your hair? I’m no expert but you probably need approximately shoulder length hair or longer. If you have layers, you may be doing a bit more tucking in of strands here and there. If you have trouble getting your hair in a pony tail, pass on this.

I’ve only seen hair donuts in dark brown, black, blond / beige. I’ve never seen any for redheads for some reason which would be the only drawback. You ARE covering the hair donut with your own hair but the main reason you want to pick something close-ish to your hair color is so it won’t be noticeable if a tiny amount shows through.

The hair donut is a really GREAT tool to add to your collection.

If you have shorter hair but enough to still make a bun or you want to do something a little different but still bun-like, I also recommend the Goody Spin Pins. I’ll probably do a post on those at some point. I really like those for creating secure buns as well but they take a little more time and you need at least 3 or 4 of the pins and they sell the longer ones in sets of 2. They last a lot longer than regular bobby pins you don’t have that issue of trying to pry them open to shove them into your bun. The Goody Spin Pins will also be a little more versatile than the hair donut and you can create more styles with them. 🙂

October 21, 2013

Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair, Makeup / Cosmetics, Nail Polish, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013

In my Ipsy Glambag for October 2013:

Zoya Nail Polish in Neve – as always, another great Zoya color. Perfect for fall and winter and really great because it’s a classy cobalt blue shade. All Zoya polishes are 3-free.

Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel – dimethicone, can’t use it personally. Cosmetics database rates it a 6! Remember, lower is better!

Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush – this is going to be my goto eyeshadow brush. I love this shape brush and previously had been buying the ELF brushes that are this shape (a brush doesn’t always have to be expensive to be quality.) The quality of the ELF brushes has gone downhill however as my last purchase of these brushes from ELF, the brush bristles were a little mis-shaped. The Coastal Scents brush is a little long but otherwise it’s a real step up from the ELF brush in terms of quality. The bristles are in the perfect shape and size and the handle coating is much better. This seems like it will last a much longer time and I’ll probably be buying a few more in the near future. It is a synthetic brush in case that is a deciding factor for you.

La Fresh® Eco-Beauty® Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes – I haven’t used this yet but I’m looking forward to trying it. I think they’ve changed the ingredients some since the last time I checked out this product because the current ingredients are healthier than what I remember. I’m already a big fan of the LA Fresh nail polish remover wipes. Cosmetics Database rates this a 4 … I suspect the real life rating would be lower if EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. would account for natural scents. Checked without the “fragrance” this was a 2.

Wet n Wild Photo Op Eyeshadow – dimethicone, can’t use it personally. Cosmetics Database rates this a 1! I’m surprised! But I still can’t use it personally. :/

Sign up for Ipsy:

http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

In my Birchbox October 2013:

Bain de Terre macadamia oil NOURISHING CONDITIONER – argh dimethicone, so I can’t personally use. Cosmetics Database score is a 4.

POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer – nothing to keep me from trying this but it’s not exactly healthy either. It uses mineral oil, propylparaben, and fragrance. The color is a fun color that reminded me of a cherry lollipop but goes on a little more subtly like a thin layer of something that should pop over neutral lip tone. The color is good. It is fairly sticky sticky however so even if I hadn’t looked over the ingredients, I’m not sure I would choose to wear this regularly. Cosmetics Database score is a 4.

ChapStick® Hydration Lock – dimethicone, can’t personally use. Cosmetics Database score is a 5. Remember, lower is better.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit – INCREDIBLE ingredient list. The only one I wasn’t sure about in terms of personal allergies is hops. I know I have some problems consuming hops but I’ve never had the occasion to try anything topically so I don’t know if I have a skin sensitivity to it. I HAVE used this though for the last 4 days both morning and night and so far no problems. I’m in love with this. My face looks and feels healthier. It doesn’t cause my face to get oily, it doesn’t strip away like a regular soap cleanser might AND I still feel clean after using it. This is a tough thing to accomplish, healthy natural ingredients and not left feeling like you still need to clean.

Really – my face has a nice healthy glow to it now. I can’t tell how much of that is the muslin cloth and how much is this cleanser but this cleanser is definitely good still. Liz Earle has done an excellent job with this product! Cosmetics Database score is a 3.

Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloths – LOVE this. Already tried this and absolutely love love love it. This is just the right amount of exfoliation for 1-2 times per day use. It’s surprising because holding the cloth I really didn’t think I was going to be that impressed by it. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to scrub much but somehow it does. I don’t know if all muslin would be scrubby or if Lis Earle has just sourced the perfect cloth but I think I’m in. As long as I can find a better way to store / dry these I think I’m going to buy a few more to have on hand / keep as backups!

Still not signed up for Birchbox?

http://birchbox.com?raf=3l3e7
{ yes it’s an affiliate link, I get 50 points which equals $5 credit – share the love! }

October 17, 2013

Congratulations to the winners of the
October Mystery Birchbox & Ipsy grabbag!

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair, Makeup / Cosmetics, Nail Polish, Skin Care

Since I had a few more products come in to send back out, I decided to do two boxes. This also kept my shipping weight under 1 lb for each box AND allowed me to fit everything into two boxes.

So on to announcing the winners from the October Mystery Birchbox & Ipsy grabbag contest…

Julie won the “grand prize” … which meant she got to pick her box. She chose box # 1
(Link to Julie’s blog: http://cautiouslyoptimisticreviews.blogspot.com/ )
AND
Tina came in second and will receive box # 2

And seeing as these were the only two people to enter the mystery contest, I thought I would make you all jealous of what they were sent by sharing the photos below. 😛

Shame on me for making it a mystery grab bag, no photos and no products listed… not good for SEO, yes I was being lazy but I STILL figured I would still have more than 2 people enter!!!
Sheesh y’all…

You can follow this blog via bloglovin’
or other rss reader to catch future contests! And everything else I post.

October 16, 2013

Win Diamond Earrings!
Gem Source Inc. • Lexington KY

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Accessories, Jewelry

It’s not often that my job and my love of clothing and accessories overlap, but today they do. One of the clients I’m consulting for is running a giveaway … for a pair of diamond earrings!
I figured my blog readers might be interested in this so I’m posting it.

Win Diamond Earrings Gemsource Contest Oct 2013-500x500

Win Diamond Earrings!

GO STRAIGHT TO THE CONTEST:
https://www.facebook.com/GemSourceInc?sk=app_152045414852131

If you have questions, more contest details can be found here: http://www.gemsourceinc.com/blog/October2013-diamond-earring-giveaway/

Contest ends October 22, 2013

Full disclosure, I’d say this probably counts as an ad according to the FTC. Even though I’m posting this because I think my readers might like to win. I won’t get compensated for it based on pageviews etc. My contract doesn’t even include anything about this blog. And I didn’t ask before posting it here BUT they are a client of mine.

(Comments have been closed on this post due to the number of spammers commenting. If you need to contact me about this post, please use the contact form on the contact page.) 🙂

First, a little bit of background on Bespoke Post’s “Box of Awesome”

On to the review of Bespoke Post “Crisp” box and my Outfit of the Day (OOTDOOTD Outfit Of The Day)

A hair donut bun is great for:

The hair donut is a really GREAT tool to add to your collection.

In my Ipsy Glambag for October 2013:

In my Birchbox October 2013:

On to the review of Bespoke Post “Crisp” box
and my Outfit of the Day (OOTDOOTD Outfit Of The Day)