Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday, on which I turn **cough cough** 49.  Yep.  Next year I will probably be in a bit of shock that I'm actually 50, but right now it's no biggie.  Okay, yes, it can be disconcerting to actually see and feel the signs of aging, but overall, it's no biggie.  Well, yes, my eyesight changing and having to wear reading glasses to see anything close up still bugs the crap out of me.  And yes, having to watch what I eat and exercise regularly just to forestall weight gain is no fun.  But overall, I don't feel a day over 35:-)

So I have a few memory lane photos to show you today.  Here I am at about 5, dressed up in my aunt's prom dress and tiara.  My uncle - yes, my uncle - who was about 15 at the time, used to dress me up like a doll when he was bored.  I've got pictures somewhere of me with pearls strung over my ears so that it looks like I'm wearing pearl earrings.  I don't know, maybe he'd gotten a new camera and I was the only willing model around.

I believe this is my second grade school photo.  Check out the red vinyl dress.  My father actually designed clothes and had his own shop when I was this age, but this is not one of his creations.  His were actually pretty darn good, but it was 1970 - what can I say?  My mother served as his model, I need to scan some of those photos.  She was stunning.

Here she is at age 63 or so.  She's still stunning - I lucked out in the genetics department because of her, I'm thinking. 

So for my birthday we are going to Ocean Springs, MS to walk around, browse the shops,  and eat at a lovely Mediterranean restaurant we like.  It happens to be the first day of Cruisin' the Coast, so there will be lots of cool old cars to look at.  I took last week and this week off, the weather's been perfect, and it's good to be alive.  Hope you are having a great time as well!

Urban Decay Skull Palette

I've been a bit obsessed with Urban Decay shadows recently, partly fueled by the Urban Decay and Sephora sale items.  The vintage UD shadows have been so reasonably priced at $6 as they are phased out, and knowing that the quality of the original formula is usually pretty good, I've restrained myself from getting many of the colors I wanted in the new formula and got the vintage shadows instead.  The discontinued shade Vert was one I wanted that had already sold out in the singles, but luckily the Skull palette is still available and there she is!

This is a glitter heavy palette, which has scared me off previously.  The only non-glitter shades are Vert, Blunt, and Shattered, all three of which I like very much.  The infamous Midnight Cowboy Rides Again is there, and yes, it's a glitter bomb explosion.  The other glitter shades are more manageable, however, and I especially like Chopper.

Lighter swatches are applied over bare arm, darker using Liquid Luster

Using a product like Beauty From the Earth's Liquid Luster makes all of the shadows more vibrant and helps control fallout with the glitters.  This can be applied directly to the lid with the doe foot applicator and then the shadow applied on top.  Overall, I'm finding it works quite well! 

Grifter, MCRA, Cherry

Blunt, Shattered

Oil Slick Vert

Twice Baked, Chopper

Well worth the $12 I paid for it!  These are still available at Urban Decay if anyone is interested.

Disclosure:  I purchased this.

Butter London Haul from Coterie

I was fortunate enough to get in on the great deal Coterie was having on Butter London polishes a few weeks back.  If you didn't hear about it, Coterie was having a sale where you could get 3 Butter London polishes plus a quick dry or matte topcoat for $36.  For those that signed up prelaunch for Coterie, which is a new site, there was an extra $25 off.  So doing the quick math, that's 4 Butter London polishes for $11, plus shipping was free.  Steal!  I chose Wallis, Bluey, and West End Wonderland from the six shades available, plus the P.D. Quick Topcoat. 

Bluey

Wallis

West End Wonderland

Coterie's slogan is "collecting beauty's best for the shamelessly obsessed" and they feature different small collections of beauty products at discounted prices.  It's a members only site, which simply means you have to register and set up an account.  Upcoming events include freya+, stila, EVOLVh, and Susan Posnick.  The concept is similar to Hautelook, but featuring beauty products only.  I've not ordered from Hautelook before, but I've read blog posts where people have commented on not liking their shipping time/process.  I can say that Coterie delivered my polishes in a reasonable amount of time and that they were well wrapped and pristine. 

I look forward to seeing Coterie's future offerings!

Disclosure:  I purchased these.

September Eco Emi

September Eco Emi

September's Eco Emi marks the beginning of fall and cooler weather, my favorite time of the year. The items featured are:

•  Burts Bees 10 ct. facial cleansing towelettes:   I haven't tried this and do use cleansing towelettes, so looking forward to trying these.

• Silken Earth Powder Blush in Honey Bronze by Aubrey Organics:  the powder base on these is formulated from silk, which is rich in amino acids.  

• Organic milk chocolate Angell crisp bar:  Fair trade, gluten free, and quite delicious, I must say.
• Original Green Teal Leaf Mints by SEN CHA
• Lip balm by Good Fortune:  I didn't receive one, hmmm.

• Beauty Rejuvenating Night Creme by Biao Beauty:  Interestingly, the booklet that was included for Biao Beauty is both hefty and stunning, but the sample itself is just a foil packet.  The products do sound intriguing!
• Skin Detox and Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life:  I believe I got a substitute, as mine are Yogi teas. 

• Organic Soy Nut Trail Mixby Crum Creek Mills
• Soft Conditioner & Bubbling Body Wash by SparkleHearts

•  Lavendar Sea Laundry Detergent by Safonique:  Oddly, I'm the most excited about the laundry detergent.  Strange, I know. 

On the plus side of September's box, all of the items will get used and I do enjoying discovering new items.  On the negative side, I didn't receive the lip balm, which was actually the highest valued item at $4.  The total value of the box is about $14, which is less than the $15 I paid.  On the plus, plus side, customer service at Eco Emi is superb.  I contacted them via their email help feature, and within an hour Christine had emailed me back apologizing for the missing lip balm and offering to send me a new box.  I truly appreciate that!

Disclosure:  I subscribe to Eco Emi for $15 per month. 

OPI So So Skullicious Mini Set and NOTD

OPI's 2012 Halloween mini set, So So Skullicious, is inspired by Mexico's Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.  Origins of this tradition can be traced back two to three thousand years, with the modern holiday focusing on gatherings that honor dead friends and family members with remembrances, prayers, and offerings of food, liquor, and candy.  

Source:  Tomascastelaz

When I first saw this set it didn't really register with me. The colors are bright and pretty but nothing particularly unique.  Then I saw a blog post that showed the decals, which I wasn't even aware of.  The decals, a collection of sugar skulls and flowers, make this set for me.  It took me a hot second to figure out how to apply them, but once I realized that soaking them in water caused the decal to separate from the paper, it was on!

The polish colors are:

• Hi, Pumpkin! This jack-o-lantern orange is sweet on you.
• A-Rose from the Dead:  This hot pink is the life of the Halloween party.
• Mourning Glory:  A black so shiny, it will lift your spirits.
• Candlelight:  Be all aglow in this flame yellow.

The polishes were mostly opaque after two coats, with the yellow one probably needing three.  Ten decals come with the set, but I wish there were more!  To use the decals, you cut around the pattern and soak it for about 10 seconds in lukewarm water.  The decal will separate from the paper and I used tweezers to lift it and place on the dry nail.  Cover with topcoat and you are ready to celebrate the dead, or just go about your daily business:-)

So So Skullicious retails for $9-$10 and is limited edition.

Disclosure:  I purchased this.

e.l.f. HD Blush in Superstar

Superstar

e.l.f. HD Blush reminds me of OCC's lip tars, but for your cheeks instead.  These are crazy pigmented, a small dot goes a very long way, and wear time is fantastic.  I ordered two of them recently, Superstar and Diva, and today I have Superstar to show you.

The packaging is very nice, with an airless dispenser that lets you control the amount that comes out.  This is important, because you want just a small amount.  I dispense it onto a palette and then use my fingers to apply, but a stippling brush would probably work better.  Need to get me one of those. 

An added bonus is that these work as a lip tint as well!  Currently, there are five colors available, with Superstar leaning the warmest from what I could tell.   Very reasonably priced at $3, I hope they expand their color range!

Superstar on cheeks and lps

Every time I hear the word "superstar", I can't help but think of  Mary Katherine Gallagher from Saturday Night Live.   Love her.



Disclosure:  I purchased this.

The Natural Beauty Box

There is quite the variety of subscription boxes available these days, with more still popping up.  One that recently caught my eye was The Natural Beauty Box (TNBB), a subscription box that offers 10-15 deluxe sample sized natural beauty products that are guaranteed to be 95-100% natural and at least 50% organic for $20 per month. 

The September box is just the second box that has been offered, I believe.  Included were 13 products, and I've listed the value of the sample in parentheses, as provided by TNBB  The total value is $107.10, which is impressive!

• Delizioso Skincare Watermelon & CoQ10 face mask ($10)
• Natural Luxury Relax & Relieve Stress Bath Tea ($4.50)
• Natural Luxury Rejuvenating & Nourishing Under Eye Serum ($32)
• Petal Organics Glow & Shine Facial Primer ($10)

• Temptations Bath n'Body Lime in de Coconut Body Sprinz ($5.50)
• Ferro Cosmetics Desert Rose blush ($6)
• Shea Terra Whipped Shea Butter in Rooibos & Berries ($6)
• Kitty Kosmetics Red Raspberries Natural Soap Heart ($4)
• The All Natural Face Warm Honey eyeshadow and vegan eyeshadow primer ($4.50)
• La Mellite Mandarin Expresso Body Scrub ($5)
• Dr. Emerald Hair Restoration Spray ($9)

• Dr. Emerald Natural Hand Sanitizer ($5.60)
• Dr. Emerald Natural Anti-Microbial  Hand Soap in Forest Dew ($5)

I'm familiar and a fan of The All Natural Face and Shea Terra, but the rest of the items are new to me.  One of the great things about subscription boxes is discovering new brands, and since natural products are not as mainstream, there is probably lots out there to discover!

Desert Rose

Warm Honey

I'm really interested in trying the eye serum, as that's the area that is showing my age the most. The Lime in de Coconut body spray smells wonderful, very reminiscent of a day at the beach and Hawiaan Tropic.  I've used the eye primer from The All Natural Face before and it did not work for me at all, even though it's supposed to be for oily lids.  Everything else looks great and I'm looking forward to trying them out!

There are various subscription options available for the The Natural Beauty Box, but I'm currently doing month-to-month.  The cut off dates for purchasing the next month's box is the 22nd of each month, so the current box being offered would be November.  I missed signing up for October's box because I wanted to see the contents of September first.  There is a set number of boxes available, so it's first come first served, and subscriptions are available internationally as well.

Overall, I think it's a great box if you like natural/organic beauty products and do not want the lifestyle or other items included in subscription boxes like Eco-Emi.  Discount codes are available for each item and the products can be purchased from parent company The Natural Beauty Store.  The value of the items is wonderful for the $20 I spent, and I hope that continues!

Disclosure:  I purchased this.