Target Beauty Box

I'm sure many of you have already read reviews and have seen what comes in the Target Beauty Box, but I wanted to post about it anyway. 

The Beauty Box was released back in May. I jumped at the chance to get one. As you all know by now, I love Target and I was excited that they decided to put together this box full of health and beauty products. And for only $5, I had to get one. 

This box was just a test for the company. They had no idea that so many people would order this box. They sold out very quickly and many people are hoping that this will turn into a monthly subscription box. 

Here is how the box looks like. It's a paper cover with a white box inside.

They wrapped the items with red tissue paper.

Here is what I got in my box.

List of products:

• La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo.  This is a small sample of their duo acne treatment. It was in Allure magazine in 2012 and is now available at Target. I'll probably put this to good use. I'm still prone to breakouts here and there. And I do try to change up my acne treatments/cleansers so my skin doesn't get too use to one. Currently, Target sells their 1.35oz tube for $36.99. The sample is .17oz.
• Fekkai Glossing Cream. It is to add shine to your hair and keep the frizz away. I don't usually have frizzy hair and my hair tends to become greasy, especially my bangs, so I might not use this at all. I'm afraid it will weigh down my hair and make it even more greasy. If anyone would like to try it, let me know. I'd be willing it to give it to someone who would put it to good use. They currently sell the shampoo and conditioner at Target. The 2 oz. glossing cream sells for about $10 at other stores and online.
• Gillette Venus and Olay Razor Pack. It has one blade, the handle, and a holder. I actually use Venus and I've been wanting to try the ones with Olay in it so I was pretty excited to see this in the box.  This one also has 5 blades and is a new scent, Sugarberry. These packs are currently valued at $8.99.
• L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream is a sample size, .025oz., in Light. I'm not sure how this will look on my skin since I'm a medium. I did get tan this weekend too so it might be too light for my skin. I'll have to try this and post an update about it. BB cream is just so easy to put on and saves me a lot of time when I put on makeup. A 1oz. tube is $7.99 at Target.
• Last but not least, Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. I got Lust-rous, which is a black gloss with flecks of gold and silver in medium hexagons and fine glitter. It's definitely my style of nail polish. I've used these strips before. I think they are a little thick, but maybe they improved them (We shall see). Also, I have very tiny nails and I have to cut these strips down a lot to use. But the benefit is it can be time consuming to make some of the designs these strips come in, by hand. I tend to have left overs so I can usually cover a nail or two again as an accent nail. These sell between $7.59 - $11.99 depending on the style.

This box also came with a $3 off a $15 purchase, online or in-store. Also I heard from some other bloggers that Target extended the coupon because it should have expired the 22nd of June but many people received the box late. I hope they go forward with these boxes and hopefully expand on the products or maybe different category boxes.

Subscription boxes/bags have become a big hit. There are a lot of different types with all kinds of products at varying price points. I just recently signed up to become a Maven on Julep. Julep is a beauty company that mostly sells nail polish. They do have other products, such as for hair and skin. With this subscription box, you can get beauty products or nail polish in different colors. They also have a survey to place you in one of their style categories but you can choose one as well. I like that with Julep, I can skip a month or so if I don't like that month's products or just have to conserve my finances. Also being a Maven, you can purchase their products at a discounted price.  If you are interested in becoming a Maven, I'd appreciate it if you'd go through my refer-a-friend link - click here.

Also I just signed up for My Cotton Bunny, a subscription box for when you are "waving the Japanese flag" (I just like that saying. Tee hee) I think it's such a cute idea. I know as a woman, you just need to treat yourself around that time. I'm going to give it a try and see how I like it. 

Point is...

It's a growing trend. There are so many choices, it's hard to decide which ones are the best. There are plenty of blogs that review all kinds of subscription boxes so you have a chance to see what it's like before you commit.  I think it's a great idea and really helps you try different products without spending a lot of money on them first. 

What do you think?

What subscription boxes do you currently subscribe too? What are some you have subscribed to and cancelled? What do you like/don't like about them.

Weekend Fun: Irving Plaza

So this past weekend was super busy but so much fun! 

My weekend started on Friday. I got to take the day off from work because my boyfriend and I had tickets to see Say Anything at Irving Plaza. We slept in and enjoyed the day. We had a light lunch at The Argyle Grill & Tavern in Babylon Village. I got the Sesame Seared Tuna and my boyfriend got the Rustic Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Both were very delicious, so if you are ever in the area, I recommend going to The Argyle. Sorry I don't have a picture of our food. We were on a tight schedule to get to the train. After our meal, we headed for the train.

My boyfriend makes silly faces all the time. :3

We got to the city around 5 PM. We decided to eat again so we aren't hungry during the concert. We headed into K-town to our favorite restaurant, The Mandoo Bar. This would be our third time going to this restaurant. They have the most adorable and juicy dumplings. We usually get the Baby Mandoo, 16 tiny steamed pork dumplings.  

Look how little they are!

Also we ordered the Combo Mandoo, which was 4 of each type of dumpling they have; Pork, vegetarian, & seafood. I like the pork ones better.  Also they serve kimchi as an appetizer. I love going to Korean restaurants and using metal chopsticks. 

We were super hungry!

After we ate, we took the Subway to Irving Plaza. There were so many people waiting on line already. It wrapped around the block twice. We were so excited! We haven't seen Say Anything since The Paramount last year. Best part was one of my new favorite bands opened for them, Eisley! Anyway, there were four opening bands that night. I the Mighty, Northern Faces, HRVRD, and Eisley. 

I didn't really get into I the Mighty. They didn't exactly announce who they were or talk to the crowd as much. They also played their music while a video of clips and kaleidoscope effects played in front of them on a see-through sheet. The music was pretty good but I thought the video was distracting from the music and it was kind of funny when their Time Machine wanted to back-up during their performance so they had to fix that.  I listened to their songs online and I'm starting to get into them more.  They are more explosive rock with really amazing guitar riffs and powerful drums.

I The Mighty

Here is their Official Music Video for "Failures"

Also another great song, "These Streets Are Alive"

Northern Faces was second to play and I'm in loved with their music. Their music is a mix of blues and rock with deep bass rhythm and amazing vocals. Most of it was mellow and I really enjoyed it. I bought their EP too. 

Northern Faces

Here is their Official Music Video for "Under My Skin"

Check out their Facebook for more music.

Next HRVRD played, which is basically Harvard without the A's, as the lead singer explained. They were different. I'm not sure how to explain their music. It's very rhythmic, mellow and out there. The lead singer had this tiny keyboard synthesizer that sounded like recorder and a kazoo. You can hear it in the song below. His voice reminds me of the lead singer from Coheed & Cambria. It's definitely music I could see people listening too while they are "high". He ended up climbing up to the balcony in a weird mask. I do enjoy listening to their songs online but live was just a little too strange for me.

HRVRD

Here is their song, "Flaming Creatures"

Then Eisley went on. I love them! They are amazing. The band is made up of 4 siblings and 1 cousin or family friend. Their vocals and piano are amazing and I just love all the songs.  They just released their new album, Currents.  I love the art on the cover too. I'm debating on getting the fish as a tattoo. 

Eisley

Just take a listen to them:

Here is their song "Ambulance" from their last album.

Here is one of their new songs, "Blue Fish".

Say Anything came on after them. They were amazing. They are a mix of punk rock with fun, lyrical songs and memorable melodies. They've been playing since 2000. You just have to listen to them to understand.

Here is the Official Music Video of "Say Anything"

And here are my two instagram videos from the concert. Sorry for the poor quality.

Part of "Do Better" & Part of "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too"

Side note: Sherri from Eisley and Max from Say Anything are married and they recently had a baby named Lucy. Here's a blurry picture of them all together on stage as a family. Lucy was wearing these gigantic noise-resistant headgear that matched her pink outfit. She was adorable! Also a picture of the cute couple singing together on stage.

Point is...

I had a blast and so did my boyfriend. We didn't get home till 1:30AM. And as we laid in bed, we dreaded the next morning when we had to be up at 6 AM. But I'll have to tell you all about that in another post. 

Let me know who is your favorite band and a favorite song of theirs. Also, have you heard of or listen to any of the bands mentioned above? What do you think of them all?

I'm Feeling Wicked...Nail Polish Review [#2]

Hello viewers and fellow bloggers! It's been a crazy weekend, so sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I'm currently relaxing, eating white cheddar popcorn, and watching my boyfriend play Borderlands 2. I hope to get more post out this week. I have a few topics/reviews I've been wanting to write about and a post about this awesome weekend. Without further ado, here is my latest nail polish review. 

As you know, I've been writing reviews about these inexpensive nail polishes. I'm currently wearing Covergirl Outlast Glosstinis Appletini and Maybelline Color Show Twilight Rays. Also I got a chance to use my Mt. Moon by Rainbow Honey. Mt. Moon cost $10.00, which is on the high-end side, but Appletini and Twilight Rays only cost $2.99 each. Though Appletini is a smaller bottle (3.5 ml), it's still a great price.

Sorry for the blurry picture.

The color of Appletini really pops and only took 2 coats.  It's a very yellow-green color and slightly neon. Not many people like this color or don't think they can pull it off but it's a great base for any themed manicures or nail art.  The color actually grew on me as I wore it for the past week. Plus, it matched my phone case which I did by accident.

I use Twilight Rays for my ring finger. It's a nice black color with a fine gold glitter. It reminds me of New Year's Eve. It covers in about one coat, but I wanted the richness of the black, so I used two coats.  The glitter is very fine so you can only see it in certain lighting. When you look really close, you see the speckles sparkle. 

My manicure really reminded me of Wicked, the broadway musical about the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good from the Wizard of Oz.  It's one of my favorite musicals. So far, I've seen it twice and I'd go again if I could afford it.

I felt like I was Elphaba with my manicure, but I wanted a bit more sparkle. I decided to coat Appletini with Mt. Moon. I think it looks awesome with it. You see all these blues, purples, and pinks and chunks of silver glitter. It's very out of this world. (tee hee) This reminded me of how much Glinda touched Elphaba's heart and how their friendship and love for each other grew. (If you haven't seen Wicked, I highly recommend it.)

I topped it off with my Essie Good to Go.  I did not do a matte coat. I really wanted to keep the pop of color and sparkle of the glitter. My manicure has defied gravity (sorry for my bad puns) and has held up for the past week. Minor chips on the tips of my nails, but still very solid. 

Point is...

I'm very happy with the quality of this nail polish and I recommend it for it's price and color if you are looking for a fun summer color or a great party/holiday color. I hope you enjoyed my review and more to come! 

I forgot to ask! What do you think of the color and have you tried any of these nail polishes? Anyone else feeling the Wicked-ness? And any other colors you think are great?

Target Haul - Review [#2]

I'm back to give a review on the items from my Target haul. You may have read my previous post about Simply Balanced Popcorn Chips Sun-dried Tomato, and how I was sorely disappointed in them.

I have found out that Simply Balanced is part of Target's Archer Farms brand and is developing organic snacks and healthy drinks that will be released over the next 6 months. This is part of their launch to get more organic foods on their shelves.

I also bought Simply Balanced Sea Salt & Pepper Baked Potato Crisps. I bought this 8oz. bag for $2.99. (For a 5oz. back of the Popcorn Chips was $2.99) 

And I'm in love with these. The brand has kept with the same colors except for the circle in the middle. They took the color from the bowl as the accent color. These are also low sodium and fat compared to other brands.

Here is a picture on the front

Here is what the crisps look like. Don't they look delicous!

They look just like the picture on the bag. It's peppery & salty and very crispy, so I feel they have the name down pat. Great to munch on as a snack at work, but you just have to keep an eye out on how many you start eating. Some chips can be really salty or peppery. I've had my moments where I'm inhaling them too quickly and start to choke up a bit as the pepper gets stuck in my throat.

Point is...

I'm enjoying my new snack and I look forward to see what other types of food they come out with. I give it a 8 out of 10.

Target Haul - Review [#1]

So as I stated before, I'm going to start a review some items I buy from Target. 

Here is a few items from my latest haul.

So far, I've only eaten the Simply Balances Popcorn Chips, Sun-dried Tomato and honestly, I was disappointed.

The bag and the design looks great. It's colorful and  it makes you feel like you are about to eat something a little healthier and is light and crispy. Nutritional wise, low in fat and sodium compared to other snacks. It also is resealable to keep it fresh. And that's where it went downhill. I poured them out onto my plate and I was welcomed with a sad sight. they were very, very flat and the seasoning on them was unbalanced.

If you look at the image on the bag, these chips look flavorful and full of texture. 

Here is a side by side comparison of the chips found in this bag.

One clearly a little crunchier with more texture and seasoning on it. And the other very concave, flat, and lacking in any seasoning. They do have a crunch to it and taste like popcorn and tomato basil, but it wasn't the most delicious snack I've eaten. I mostly just ate them to just munch on something. 

Point is...

I give them 4 out of 10. Great crunch and flavor when you bite into a great chip, great packaging, but uneven seasoning and chips make this a snack that you are only eating because you are trying to be healthy or boredom eating.