April NerdBlock Reveal

Another good NerdBlock month!

First up was this Avengers pack – I was definitely excited at the idea of an Avenger’s mini-fig! But…

. . .I got a skateboard. What can you do? I was going to give it to my 6 year old nephew, but my little miss saw it and immediately said, “Cool, a new skateboard!”. And now she drives around her Pet Shop guys all around on it. My kid is awesome.

The hubs is so excited about these. . .and so am I!! Although the Transformers movies certainly went steadily downhill, it’s hard to beat the 80s cartoons. Therefore Tranformers + Lego(ish) guys = excitement. They are so cute!

I’ve heard of Rabbids, but have never played, or seen anything about them. But my daughter thinks he’s hilarious, and he now hangs with her Pet Shop guys.

I so love this little Gollum!! And lucky for me, I actually needed a cord gatherer. I’ve been using a big twist tie, and a little angry Gollum is SO much cuter and more fabulous. Now he keeps all my cords in the USB ports on our desktop together, of which there are many. Camera, iPod, external hard drive. . .it goes on.

I’ve never heard of Bravest Warriors. And as of yet haven’t bothered to Google it. It looks vaguely Adventure Time-esque – feel free to enlighten me on the subject! I really like the action figure though. Quirky and cute – love it!

And lastly the shirt. Although the hubs and I do enjoy Spiderman, it’s really my brother who is a big fan (as in read the comics, which neither Chris nor I have) so we gave it to him as a surprise! Random gifts for people are always a win in my book!

Onto May!

-Kayly

April Beauty Box 5 Reveal

Oy, I am so behind on my subscription box reveals! I’ve had these since last week, with all the photos taken. . .just sitting on my computer. But hey, in theory you would have never known that without my blabbing it on the blog here, so really what difference does it make? 😉

This was a hit and miss month with BB5. I’ll start with the misses as ending on a good note always makes me feel better!

I love Jergens lotion, and this is totally not their or BB5’s fault, but if you look in the bottom left corner of the lotion packets you’ll notice a little phrase that says for “Medium to Tan Skin Tones”. HA! By the end of summer, I am lucky if I can move up from pure ivory to ‘light’ skin tone. My legs legitimately look like they glow in the dark underwater. Since this lotion is also a bit of a self tanner, I passed it on to my friend who IS medium-tan so I could avoid looking like an Oompa Loompa.

I’m calling this lipstick a miss, but really it’s my confidence that’s lacking. This looks all lovely and soft pink in the photo, but it actually has a really orange-ish hue to it, which I not only think clashes with my dark red hair, but also makes me look ridiculous. I know that 75% of that is probably my own brain thinking I can’t pull it off, but it’s enough that I wouldn’t wear it anywhere. So it’ll sit in my makeup box until the day my makeup confidence fairy decides to pay me a visit. I will say though, that it went on very smooth and was quite moisturizing. I’ve always found lipstick to be incredibly dry and cakey, so that was unexpectedly great!

I have never. Ever. Used lip liner in my life. Not once. Until this lip pencil showed up, and I gave it a go. And you know what? I’m calling it a win! Despite the fact that I don’t use lipstick, this lip liner by itself gives my lips a really nice soft pink color to them that I love! Plus I can put my lip balm over it for a nice moisturizing boost. And yes, I totally had to read the little instruction card these boxes come with to learn that it is in fact okay to wear lip liner by itself. I am so makeup illiterate!

Yay eye makeup! One of the few makeup applications I can actually do! These colors are so fun, and great for me. I usually do a dark purple when I rock a smoky eye, brown in my day to day color (when I actually wear makeup out) and the gold will just be fun to wear sometime over summer! Definitely pumped about this one.

And finally, my favorite, this travel size can of face wipes. These remove makeup too, and are so handy when you always forget to pack your makeup remover when staying at a friend’s house! Which if you’re like me is just about every single time. I popped this little guy in my purse, and now I never have to worry about it! They remove makeup excellently, and don’t leave my face a dry wreck after which is amazing. Especially because if I’ve forgotten my facewash, I’ve also definitely forgotten my face lotion.

Like what you see? Beauty Box 5 is running some promotions right now for new subscribers! A free gift in your first box (a full-size Bellapierre Shimmer Powder eyeshadow, valued at $14.99) when you sign up for a quarterly or yearly subscription! Mother’s Day is right around the corner – gift her a BB5 subscription and she’ll receive a special gift in her first box. But the deadline is April 30th so sign up quick! Click the link in my right sidebar to get started!

See you next time,
– Kayly

*I am a Beauty Box 5 affiliate, and receive compensation if you sign up via my links.*

March NerdBlock Reveal

This was the first NerdBlock where I was 50% totally ecstatic, and 50% couldn’t care less. The awesome stuff was just really awesome this time, and entirely suited towards me and my hubs. Woo!

We’ll start with the ‘meh’ items first. End with the best, right?

This Simpon’s figurine goes in the ‘meh’ category simply becuase I’ve never seen the show. Plus, it’s a figurine of a guest star. . .not a main character of the show, which I could at least appreciate having played the crap out of Simpon’s Road Rage for the Nintendo Game Cube back in middle school with my BFF.

He went to my daughter, who immediately detached the microphone so all her Pet Shop guys can put on shows now. She tossed the guy aside, haha. At least she got something out of it!

Stickers! At least I knew that my three year old would love this one. And she did.

These were actually quite amusing to read through. Utterly random, but amusing. My daughter loved putting them together in a nice collage, with the just the right accents of crayon!

This is the only item that falls in  between the AWESOME and Meh category. I grew up watching Star Trek with my dad, but never really got into it. I was always way more into fantasy as a kid, and never really gave sci-fi a chance (which promptly changed when Farscape came around). So old school Star Trek stuff isn’t bad, it’s just nothing I’m crazy for either.

However I am really happy that out of all possible character options, I got Jean Luc Picard!! The Next Generation is the series I remember best, and seriously, who doesn’t love Patrick Stewart even in weirdo random skeleton form.

Now, we begin the AWESOME stuff.

A full size action figure from Assassin’s Creed?! Yes, thank you!! I’ve actually only played the first one of these games, and enjoyed the crap out of it, but I love the character and costume designs. Plus, I have a serious soft spot for action figures (let’s not talk about how many FFVII action figures I own. . .and how many more are on my wishlist).

Given that I opened this while the hubs was at work, I got the pleasure of being able to give it to him! He’s a huge Star Wars fan and of course loved the shirt. So far we have had awesome luck with these shirts!

The last item brought massive squeeing and dancing from me. I am a massive Legend of Zelda fan and collect any and all things Link related, so seeing this in there was so exciting for me! I didn’t even care who I got – it’s Zelda, I’m happy!

Turns out I got my favorite pick!! Ah, young Link with the slingshot. So many memories. Seriously though, I pretty much owe my interest and love for gaming to the Zelda series. The original was one of the first games I played on the NES at about age six or seven, and Ocarina of Time was the first game I ever fell totally die hard in love with. And still am.

April’s box is going to include a Transformers item in it – I’m pretty excited to see what! Sound sweet to you too? Click the NerdBlock button to the right and learn even more about the fun that is this monthly subscription box!

-Kayly

 

 

March Birchbox Reveal

It was a good month for me with my bath and body subscription boxes. Full of so many wonderful goodies!

I was excited just opening the box!

This little sample pack of lotion smells amazing. I’ve been using it at night after I wash my face, and it keeps my skin nice and moisturized!

This shampoo is really nice. It leaves my hair nice and soft, without feeling stripped, and the scent is so mild and pleasant.

Loving this little lip balm. It’s great for those days when I wake up and my lips are extra dry and cracked. Super moisturizing, and a little bit goes a long way.

I don’t use lip glosses often. I love the color of this one on me but, like most other glosses I’ve tried, it is so sticky. If I wear my hair down with it, I am constantly detaching my hair from my lip gloss. . .not exactly sexy. But with an updo or my hair tied back, it adds a great pop of color to my otherwise tame makeup routine. And, I’ve noticed if I let it sit for a few minutes, then go over it with a normal lip balm, it really cuts down on the sticky factor.

This lotion was my absolute favorite item in the box. I’m a fan of Jergens anyway, but this lotion is amazing. It evens skin tone, is incredibly moisturizing, and I’m pretty sure it is the best smelling lotion I’ve ever owned. I’m totally in love with it. And so are my legs, which is the primary place I’ve been using it. They look amazing (well other than the giant bruise on my shin from being oh-so graceful. . .). The best part? That card in the picture has a $2-off coupon for a bottle of it! YES! Now if only I could find it anywhere!

Can’t wait to see what April brings!

-Kayly

March Beauty Box 5 Reveal

Slacking this week – entirely forgot to prep this post for yesterday! Better late than never?

I am still totally in love with my subscription boxes. Beauty Box 5 has gotten better with each month, and I’m thrilled about it. My skin is certainly appreciating it too as I’ve been slathering it with all my new lotions and wonderful things.

I love this lotion. It feels soft just coming out of the tube. I have naturally dry skin, and at each season change it’s worse, so right now my hands are usually lizard-skin central. I’ve been using this once daily for three days (aka every day that I’ve had it) and my hands are glorious. Seriously. I don’t have any dry knuckles, no dry flaky areas around my nails. I’m in love. Definitely a new staple!

Shea butter has been my go-to since I was pregnant, and this is another great example. I’ve used this brand before, but not this flavor (flavor? Is that right? Scent, perhaps? I digress.) It smells like I need to be immediately transported to a tropical island, Mai Tai in hand. Assuming I liked Mai Tais. It smells fabulous is the point.

Oh, bar soap. Maybe it’s because of my dry skin, but I have never found a bar soap that doesn’t make my skin feel super tight and awful. Unfortunately this is no exception. I’ve tried so many varieties of natural handmade soaps, and none of them seem to work for me. If you like bar soap, I assume you’ll like this. It definitely smells great, it’s just not for me.

Yeehoo, makeup! I love getting makeup in these boxes, especially when it’s something new to me. Now, if any makeup aficionados happen to read my blog, prepare to cringe. I’ve never used a makeup base or primer. In fact, I didn’t even really know what that was until this particular box. On the rare occasion I use my BB foundation, I just use moisturizer first. So the day I got this, I decided to play makeover and see what the fuss was about. Washed my face, applied my moisturizer and let it set, then went to town priming. Holy. Crap. I’m not one to tout products just for the heck of it, but this seriously made such a difference. My skin tone was better and more even, it hid my blemishes better and was totally amazing as an eyeshadow base hiding every single vein and off color spot on my lids; I couldn’t believe it! This also blended seamlessly with my super pale skin. I’m totally sold.

I took two pictures, just because I love it so much.

This facial pad intrigued me. I generally just use a scrub to exfoliate, but I have yet to find a scrub I’m really in love with; they all seem to leave my skin feeling really dry.

So of course, I tested it out. I used my favorite face wash on the scrubby side, wet my face first, and went to town. It was great! My skin was super glowy afterward, as usual after exfoliating, but there was none of the dryness the scrub gave me as I was able to use my regular super moisturizing wash! Love it!

As for the regular soft cloth side (the band flips to the other side, I just forgot to do that for the photo and didn’t realize until after) I don’t know how much I’ll use it. I normally just use a washcloth, but I’m definitely glad to have the exfoliating side!

And as always, the product card. Definitely considering purchasing the hand cream and primer for myself. I really love them!

Until next time,

Kayly

February Birchbox AND Nerdblock Reveal

Here’s the deal: because of my total failure at planning, I realized I have four or five posts I want up before the end of February, and only three days left in the month. Facepalm galore. So I’ve combined my Birchbox and Nerdblock reveals into one gigantically long post. I received my Birchbox first, so it takes first spot on the post! Let’s go!

Second Birchbox has arrived!

Fun box this month!

New dry conditioner?! YES! Since I’m back to dying my hair red on a regular basis, I tend to spread out my hair washings as long as I can to preserve the color, which fades quite quickly. That means dry shampooing and conditioning pretty often. This conditioner is great. Leaves my hair soft and shiny, with plenty of body and smells fabulous. Loving it!

Tea too?! Apparently this box was just catered to my exact loves! I must confess, I am planning on passing the Mint Lemon Verbena one to a friend. I can’t stand mint (with the exception of toothpaste) so I know this one won’t be for me. However, I can’t wait to brew up a cup of the Organic Bangkok, which sounds heavenly.

I think perfume is one of the best things in these boxes since although I do like it, I never buy it. I’ve had the same one for about two years now, and it’s not even half empty. I just don’t wear it that often! This little sampler smells great, and is just the right size for me.

Another new mascara (I got one in February’s Beauty Box 5 as well) which I was more than happy to test out. I really like this mascara. It provides both volume and length, and goes on really cleanly, without clumping at all. The only downside that I’ve found is it doesn’t have much staying power. Even after only half a days wear, I’m starting to sport raccoon eyes. But it’s an all natural product that isn’t packed with chemicals, so that’s definitely a plus, and worth the touch-ups I feel.

More lotion? I am seriously lucking out on these boxes. This is a good lotion. I’m not wild about the scent, but it’s mild and doesn’t overwhelm you. I’ve been using it on my arms and elbows mostly, and it’s a good moisturizer.

And the ever helpful product card.

I was definitely impressed with February’s Birchbox! So far they’ve been full of useful items, so I certainly feel good about the monthly purchase.

Moving on to Nerdblock! Something about getting loads of geekiness in the mail just makes my heart smile.

First thing I pulled out was this. Another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle squishie, albeit a different type from last box. Apparently this is a thing; I was unaware. But as a nostalgic TMNT fan, I’m okay with having them up on the nerd shelves!

Next I pulled out this box, which makes me pretty nostalgic for my high school days. Halo was the first FPS that I fell totally in love with. Please note I am talking about campaign play only – none of the travesty that I consider ‘multiplayer’ to be. We already have an RC Watrhog with Spartans on the nerd shelves, so these guys get added next to that!

This E.T. guy wasn’t too big of a deal to me, but my hubs thought he was adorable. He’s a bit older than I, so E.T. had a bigger impact for him!

This was the only thing in the box that I didn’t care one bit about. I’ve never seen the Smurfs, new or old, but luckily I have a three year old who loves new little toys to play pretend with. So it’s not a total loss for this toy!

These guys I’ve never heard of – they assemble just like Legos only larger, and I think they’re quite nifty! I really love the battle walrus. He is enjoying his new spot on the nerd shelves next to my Tifa action figure. My little miss has adopted the guy – she loves to make him drive her mini cars! As for all his teeny tiny accessories. . .yeah those got tucked away pretty quick. Otherwise they’d find a new home in my vacuum.

This sticker set is pretty fun. . .then again I have a soft spot for stickers. Definitely going to be adding some of them to my art journal, and my planner once I get around to decorating it.

And lastly, the shirt. I was never too in to Metroid. I enjoyed the ones I played for the Gamecube, but was never a diehard fan. However, my dad loves these games so on to him it goes! Another successful shirt! I’d say for random nerd shirts, 3 for 3 is pretty darn good!

Although Nerdblock remains my favorite subscription box I get, this was my ‘least favorite’ of the three I’ve received, if I had to pick. Nothing fit my particular nerd niches, but I’m still happy with what we got!

Phew! Many virtual cookies are gifted unto you if you stuck with me through all that. That’s what I get for realizing I have so many posts to get out before the end of February, whoops!

Until next time,

-Kayly

February Beauty Box 5 Reveal

I still get excited about subscription boxes coming in the mail. Getting mail is exciting when you know what’s coming, let alone when the package is a box full of surprise goodies! Let’s dive in, shall we?

This is only my second Beauty Box 5, but I definitely enjoyed the contents of this box more than the last. It just happened to have everything I like!

First up were these two Amala Body Butter samples. I love lotion, and constantly slather it on in the winter thanks to extra dry skin. This lotion is excellent. Rubs in great without a greasy residue, and leaves your skin feeling really fresh. So far, it’s one of my favorite lotions I’ve tried. Since it’s just a sample, I’ve been reserving it for my driest areas (which for me is my knees and the heels of my feet) and it has truly made a difference using it daily.

This polish and accompanying nail caviar were actually the two things I was least excited about, simply because I’m not a huge fan of pink. I do have a pink nail polish, but it’s a very pastel pink. However, my three year old was thrilled with a new pink nail polish! I haven’t tested it out yet, but I am curious to see what the nail caviar is like.

These hair ties are great! I love that they add just a little pizazz to an outfit, without being a crazy accessory. Definitely a little nicer than your regular run of the mill hair tie. Love the color options too – something to go with pretty much any outfit.

Lastly there was a new mascara, which I was thrilled about. Mascara is one of the few makeup products I use on nearly a daily basis so to have a new one made me a happy gal! This really adds length, but it definitely doesn’t do much in the way of volume. I’ve found best results in using it over a coat of my volumizing mascara – then I get the oomph of length and volume.

And of course, the monthly card of products in this box. I am seriously considering buying some of the Amala lotion. . .totally in love with it right now!

A big thumbs up for Beauty Box 5 number two. Wonder what March will bring!

-Kayly

NerdBlock #2

Our second NerdBlock showed up in the mail last week and I love it as much as the first one! The geek in me definitely outweighs the girly girl aspects since I am FAR more excited about my monthly NerdBlock than I am by my other beauty subscription boxes! Let’s get to it.

I was excited from the get go. Just opening it up and I’m seeing Star Wars, My Little Pony, and Hunger Games. YES.

I love Funko figurines. I think they are so adorable. And slightly creepy, which in my opinion just makes them better. My hubs was THRILLED with this little Luke Skywalker! He is a big Star Wars nerd. He already has a little plush Yoda hanging from  his rearview mirror, and is now going to mount this guy onto his dashboard! Which is just perfect, since it’s a bobblehead. Spectacular.

   

Next I opened up the My Little Pony figurine. My three year old is a huge MLP fan, and I can’t deny it – I totally like that show. It’s funny (I have literally laughed out loud on multiple occasions), it has great animation, and it has a worthwhile message – what’s not to love?! Anywho, we got a Fluttershy which is perfect, since she and Pinkie Pie are my little missy’s favorites. Why they are black, I don’t know, but my daughter loves it and that’s what counts!

 

I ripped into my Hunger Games mini-fig next. Well, I tried, got frustrated, then finally gave in and opened it with scissors. Inside was a mini Johanna Mason figurine! Suits me just fine – I love Hunger Games, so onto the nerd shelves it went. On the close up you can see she seems to have a case of cave-man face but shhhh let’s not ruin it. . .
I find this slightly ironic as Johanna is supposed to be all sexy and super hot, but seriously her head is about the size of a pencil lead – how much detail are you expecting to get in there?! Moving on.

I was intrigued by this Ninja Turtles splat ball. Mainly because I had no idea what that was. But TMNT always makes me feel super nostalgic. I have very fond memories of watching the original cartoon with my big bro and honestly, does it get any more classic than the guys-in-suits live action movies? Anywho, the toy is kind of like a combination stress ball/water balloon. We’ve had fun tossing it about the house, and trying to stick it to walls. The hubs and I attempted to give it a home on our nerd shelves but the three year old dictator was having none of it. So it resides with her.

I saved unrolling the shirt for last, as I have decided I will always do! I feel they are the biggest surprise, so I like the anticipation. This month was an awesome Batman shirt! My hubs is thrilled. I too am a total Batman fan, but since I got the Zelda shirt last month, this one was all his.

Yet another awesome NerdBlock! Click the link below to sign up and you too can have a mini nerd Christmas every month!

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First Birchbox Reveal

I’m pretty excited about my year of subscription boxes! So far I subscribe to three (Birchbox, Beauty Box 5, and Nerd Block) and I love them! What else to add to that list. . .
I think Birchbox is the one I’m most excited about for a bath and beauty box. I love that it is customizable from the get go so you start getting products relevant to your interests in your first box. Since I’m not a huge girly girl, I like that I can narrow down the variety I get to the makeup products I might actually like. I also like their rewards program – earning points toward the Birchbox shop. That way if I find a product I totally adore I can buy it through their shop with my point credit!

Here’s how the package came. I wasn’t expecting a neon pink box, but hey it’s a box full of girly items so I can’t say I’m too surprised!

Once opening it, I was happily surprised that there was this cute little box inside with all my goodies! (I have a weird obsession with small boxes. I have an entire craft shelf dedicated to small boxes I’m saving for. . . projects. Right. Projects.)

First the card (which was actually at the bottom but shhhhh…..). This is my other favorite Birchbox feature: the product card tells you not only what’s in your box, but HOW to use it as well. Granted that’s not always too important, but I know there are some beauty products that my tomboyish self would just stare at and wonder what the heck to do with.

These little sample shampoo and conditioners are great. They smell fantastic, and I like to switch up my shampoo and conditioner so I’m excited to give these a try!

Next was this Nail Rock polish which I am very happy with! I favor dark colors for my nails (and my wardrobe) and this midnight blue is great. Plus it came with a tub of nail glitter in case I want to glam up a nail or two – always fun.

Then there was this cute little package.

Inside was a product I’m curious to test out: the Reviver. It’s a reusable dry deodorant pad for your clothes! In terms of my use, I think this could come in really handy for camping trips – I know after a weekend of camping, my sweatshirt is certainly smelling a little ripe and I think it’ll be great to give it a little once over with this little guy and keep some freshness in our campsite!

Also tucked in that little box was a pot of Inika eyeshadow. It’s a great pewter color, with a nice shimmer to it. On the occasions when I rock a smoky eye I usually do a lighter one, and I think this will be a great addition to it.

At the very bottom of the box was this set of typography cards! I love these, and they came at a very convenient time! I’m in the middle of redoing my arts and crafts area, and adding lots of things to my inspiration wall. I definitely stuck a few of these up there!

I’m very happy with my first Birchbox. It had a great products for me and I was doubly happy that I liked the makeup and polish colors! I can’t wait to see what next month brings! If you’re interested in joining Birchbox, click here! Lots of wonderful girly goodies await!

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Beauty Box 5 Reveal

I’ve decided 2014 is going to be my year of subscription boxes! I’d heard about them online and through various blogs, but towards the end of last year I decided to test out a few. So I signed up for NerdBlock (check the reveal here), I’ve signed up for Birchbox and my mother-in-law gifted me with six months of Beauty Box Five for Christmas! Still on the hunt for more. . .

I’m really intruigued about Beauty Box Five. I’m not much of a girly girl – I can’t do hair to save my life, and I have no makeup expertise. But I do like makeup, and I know enough make myself look purdy (meaning I can apply mascara and blush. . .). That being said, the makeup aisles in stores terrify me. About nine million options, and I’m sure I only really know how to use about five of them – so many brands, so many choices. Needless to say, I avoid it like the plague. I think that’s one of the BEST things about these boxes – samples of multiple different things, that come right to my door. Perfect!

This was my first box from Beauty Box Five, and it was spa themed, which is pretty great for me. I love baths, I love lotions – liking it already. Let’s get to it, shall we?

First up were the cards, with a little explanation on everything in it. Handy, especially when I get a box with makeup, since as previously mentioned, I’m a bit of a makeup dolt.

Next were these gloves, which was the only item I was kind of ‘meh’ about. I just know I won’t use them. I may try them once, simply to say I did!

This little sample bottle of Jergens was great – I already keep the exact same one in my purse! So now I’ve got a replacement when it runs low. I have pretty dry skin, and every season change my hands always get extra dry, so I’m happy with this little guy!

A travel size bodywash. Always good to have. I don’t have an immediate use for it, but we do stay at a local resort for a little staycation almost every February, so it can get packed along this time.

This one I’m really excited about! Some nail and cuticle oil. I can’t wait to try it out. I usually do a weekly spa night for myself, and I’m excited to add this to my repertoire.

This is definitely my favorite thing in the box this month. I am a chapstick addict, and am always on the lookout for new chapsticks. So to get a brand new one to try (and mmmmm……coconut) is always fab.

And lastly this little compact mirror was an extra gift! I guess it’s promoting a movie? Something I’ll probably never see, but I like the little mirror! I actually don’t have a mirror in my purse, and have on more than one occasion wished I did, so there’s that problem solved!

Overall, for my first box from Beauty Box Five I’d have to say I was happy, but not overwhelmingly pumped about anything (well, except a new chapstick). Nothing in the box was really anything too new for me, so I’ll be excited when I get a brand new item to try out. Definitely excited I have five more months left!

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