February 2013 Glossybox: International Style!

This was my first experience with Glossybox (I've been getting Birchbox for a few months now and I also just signed up for the PopSugar Must Have Box too! - posts on those to come).  I just signed up for a 3-month subscription to kind of try it out!  Overall I was really satisfied with this month! 

So, without further ado, here's the "unboxing" together with a little review since I'm a few months behind!

Products Received:

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc Soap  (Full Size $30.00 / 5.3 oz.)

       I've just about used up this soap!  The sample itself was luxury sized (I'm not sure on the exact 'ounce-age').  It lasted me about a month in the shower, but partly because I switch back and forth between soap and body wash!  It had a really light scent, and I found that it really did moisturize my skin!  If I ever win the lottery and can fathom spending $30 on a single bar of soap....I'd probably revisit this one!  Otherwise I'll just stick to my yummy Philosophy and Body Shop washes!  Definitely fun to receive this in my box though, since I'll never probably go out and purchase this for myself!

Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder (Full Size $15.00 / .06 oz.)

     I really like this product as a highlighter!  I've used it under my eyebrows, on my cheeks and near the corner of my eyes for a little something extra!  It provides a warm, subtle glow that's not too in your face (like some highlighters can).  The sample size is pretty decent too (luxury sized), since a little goes a long way here...I'll definitely have this stuff around for a while!

LISI Eye Definition Cream Eyeliner (Full Size $10.00 / .14oz)

     I think overall I prefer felt-tipped liquid liners to gel liners.  I just think they're easier for me to apply and control (I'm definitely not what you'd call an expert!)  But I have used this (I just applied it with a slant-edge liner brush), and it did work pretty well.  I can see how using this with a smoky eye would be great, if that's your thing!  It's much easier to smudge than a traditional liquid liner!  Plus, the product seems like it'll last a while (again, another luxury sized sample!!) so if you're in the market for something like this to try, $10.00 isn't bad at all!

Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Hydro Gel Mask (Full Size $6.00 / .98 oz) 

     This was probably my most intriguing and favorite item I received in this box!  I was so obsessed with the idea of snail slime and masks in general!  They're a bit of an obsession for me!  This one didn't disappoint!  It was really, really moisturizing and felt amazing!  I felt like I was wearing a whole new face after using this!  No wonder it has a huge celebrity following!  I'd definitely recommend this to any fellow mask-lovers out there!

Nail Rock Nail Wraps (Full Size $8.00 / Full Set)

     I did receive a full set of these in this box.  Although, sadly this was my least favorite product.  At first I was really excited to try nail wraps, since they were a pretty foreign idea to me, but upon application, I quickly became disenthralled with the whole idea.  These were kind of like stickers you put on your nails, they weren't real nail polish strips like some I'd seen before in the drugstores, so they didn't allow any stretch (without snapping in half).  I had a hard time matching the sizes to my fingernails, so I had to attempt to trim most of them.  I will say, they did have a sort of (to quote Clueless) a "full on Monet" effect.  I kept getting compliments from people who saw them at a distance, but at a closer look, they were a hot mess!  Anyway, I was about to write off the whole nail wrap genre, but I received a set (different brand) in my Birchbox, which were actually real polish strips.  Needless to say, these were much easier to apply and looked a whole lot better - both up-close and far away! 

That's everything for my first Glossybox!  I hope you enjoyed it!  I know I really did!  If you're interested in Glossybox, check out this LINK for more information or to sign up for your own little monthly gift to yourself!  Please comment below with any questions or let me know what type of beauty box or other box subscriptions your obsessed with!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

xx

We skipped the Butterbeer for the real thing, but still Potted our Potter in the D!

My best friend took me on a bit of a gal date this weekend into Detroit to see Potted Potter (For those of you who don't know, it's a 2-Man Harry Potter themed parody show: All 7 books in 70 minutes!). It was a terrific show! We ran into a tiny snag when we arrived to find a couple of floozies had stolen our seats!?! Anyway, the theater provided us with seats in the row behind where we should have been, so all was not lost...albeit a bit further from the center. You know, the show must go on! And I'm glad it did! It was great! We laughed the whole time and even played a spot of 'Quidditch,' well an interpretive version at least involving a couple of hoops, a beach ball, a human snitch, and two pretty enthusiastic audience volunteers (portraying the Seekers or each team). After leaving the show, sides still aching, we actually ran into the shows production manager on the sidewalk outside the theater. He generously gave us each a free program from the show to make up for our seat mishap! I'd definitely recommend this show for anyone who calls themselves a Potter Fan (all ages, young and old)!!  Be sure to check out their website here for information on shows near you! 

            And…because we’re a couple of gals who love good beer, we sandwiched our Harry Potter experience between two breweries!  We started off our evening with a few beers and dinner at Motor City Brewing Works.  The beers we sampled were all really good!  I especially liked the Honey Porter and the Hard Cider, although the Ghettoblaster was also pretty tasty!  For dinner: Baked Crab Dip and a Roasted Pear & Fig Pizza, which was AMAZING!  Motor City has a pretty limited food menu (mostly pizzas and a few additional snack/appetizer items), but everything we watched come out of the ‘kitchen’ area looked delicious!  If you’re in the Detroit area, definitely check it out!  I even brought a growler of the Honey Porter home for later!  And, if my boyfriend’s lucky, I might even share a bit!  After the show we checked out Atwater Brewery.  They don’t have a separate taproom, so you actually go straight into the brewery where there’s a small bar and a couple of long tables set up.  You get to taste and sample the beers right in the middle of where all the magic happens!  I tried the Mai Bock, which was a golden colored beer with a nice smooth flavor, perfect for Spring sipping!  Allison had the Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale.  The name pretty much sums up the taste: DECADENT!  And of course we couldn’t leave without trying one of our favorites straight from the source: the Vanilla Java Porter!  YUM!!!       

            After that adventure we headed back to our hotel to try our luck on the Slots (we stayed at one of the Casino Hotels down town: the MotorCity Casino).  We both lost a few bucks, but definitely made it out in better shape than the guy throwing 100-dollar bills on the roulette table…ouch!  After playing my luck with a whopping $10.00, I took my ticket and cashed out at $0.30!  Whomp, whomp!  I really don’t understand how people can enjoy gambling so much!  These machines didn’t even have handles to pull!  …and, isn’t that the best part!  Ah well, we definitely got our money’s worth from the people watching!  But when we bored of that, we retreated to our room to discover what type of gem was on the Lifetime channel! 

             We made a pit stop at the Tanger Outlets in Howell for some impromptu shopping and took another mini-break in East Lansing for some Bubble Tea!  Overall, I’d say it was a pretty successful weekend!  Now, tomorrow…back to work and the muggle world!