Rockin' Red

After the month of April, I'm officially unsubscribed from Ipsy. I loved the subscription and the quality of the products, but I have way too many unused products now. This last one, my March Glam Bag, was amazing. I've rocked the NYX cream lip stick a couple times and I always get compliments.

I've also used the hair volumizer (the purple bottle) a couple times, but I haven't noticed a big enough change it buy it or elaborate anymore on it. The nail file will come in handy as I've been noticing myself biting my nails too much :( Stress will do that to you.

The first picture was from St. Patrick's Day, and my glam bag arrived the evening before. Perfect timing! I had also recently dyed my hair red (looks pretty brown in the pictures), and the red lip stick compliments it pretty well. It looked great with the green scarf and cardigan too ;) The lip stick lasts all day, with only a few minor touch ups after eating. I've never been taught how to apply it properly so that it doesn't fade so much near the middle, but I'll learn eventually.

I'll have one last review of an Ipsy bag in the next week or so. My April glam bag is expected to arrive on Thursday or Friday of this week!

My younger sister took the plunge and subscribed. I can't wait to see what she gets in her first bag and how she uses everything! The price really isn't bad at all. Where I live in Canada, including shipping, only $20 is taken out of my account. I want to stress that I'm not stopping because of my experience. I'm stopping because I just have too many wonderful products to use up before I continue spending money every month on more. 

Have you received an Ipsy bag? What was your experience and/or favourite product from a bag?

xo. Nicole

*I am no way affiliated with Ipsy. I am simply sharing a product I love.

A Charming Review

I finally broke down and purchased a Charmed Aroma candle. I know all about the reviews and iffy-ness of the ring quality, but I still gave in. My finger hasn't turned green yet, but I also don't wear the ring everyday.

It took a couple hours in the evening and a couple hours the next morning or burning to reveal the tip of the wax. Mine was right behind the label, against the edge. I should have waited longer to take it out, but I was excited! As a result, I ripped the tin foil and plastic wrap, getting wax all over the ring.

This scent is actually super nice! It's a vanilla-y, toned down, citrus and it's quite pleasant. I wasn't sure what to expect from it. The candle doesn't last very long (at least I think so), as I've burnt it for a couple hours at a time and it's already just about done. 

I hope the picture above isn't too grainy for you! My ring is valued at $40, but it's actually missing most of the mini (guessing fake) diamonds. It's mostly cut to make it look shiny and full of diamonds, haha! The price isn't too terrible, though it is a little high. I'm determined to get one of each scent over the next couple months!

Have you ever received a Charmed Aroma candle? What was our experience?

xo. Nicole

*I am no way affiliated with Charmed Aroma. This was just a review of my experience.

Extraordinary Oil #hairexpertise!

I recently got chosen by Influenster to sample and review L'Oreal Paris' new line of hair products! I got the email to take a survey, then the email that told me I finally qualified for a VoxBox. It had certainly been a while since I qualified, as I've been pretty quiet on social media, except for Instagram. Still, definitely not as much as I used to.

I guess they figured that I qualified for the Extraordinary Oil line of shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask. I remember ticking the box that I was concerned about how dry my hair was, but I realized my hair wasn't as dry as I thought. The smell was actually really good and even my husband told me that my hair smelled good. 

I used the shampoo and conditioner a couple times, but I found my hair getting too oily, too fast, I can usually for 3 days without washing my hair, but with this product, I had to wash every other day. I definitely saw some improvement in the feel and look of my hair, especially the ends, after the first wash, but it was too much on my roots. The product didn't turn my hair red, that was my doing! I was totally ready for a change, and I jumped on the chance when I found a box of red hair dye in our basement. 

I ended up giving my free products to a friend at work, and I hope it works well on her hair. I wouldn't buy this Extraordinary Oil line again, but I would try out some of their other types if they were on sale. 

Do you have a favourite hair product?

*I received this product complimentary from Influenster for review purposes. All opinions are my own.*

xo. Nicole

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Ipsy - August Glam Bag

You guys, I don't know why I waited so long to sign up for Ipsy. It's seriously amazing. I love that it's relatively cheap too, for the amount of product you receive. Since starting and actually following through with my fitness journey, my self confidence has grown. It went from being basically non-existent to wearing tank tops and not thinking about my jiggle the entire time.

With my self confidence growing, so has my love of make up. I'm usually just a mascara and white-eyeliner-in-the-corner-of-my-eyes kind of girl, but that's changed. I really don't know how to do my make up actually, and I refuse to wear concealer or "contour" (whatever that is). I'm good with how my skin looks, thanks. I just really like that I'm comfortable wearing lip stain or lip stick now!

How convenient was it that Ipsy sent me a lipstick sample?! I love the colour and I'm happy that I got to try another shade, but I'm not really a huge fan of this one. It didn't last long and felt like I was wearing play lipstick. Do all lipsticks also taste like plastic or...lipstick, or do some actually feel weightless and are tasteless? I'm not sure I can really judge on that right now because I just don't know. I'll wear it again though because I really do love the colour on me!

I'm glad that they added a nail polish in my bag! Purple is my favourite colour and it went on really nice. It's been about a week and it just started chipping a day or so ago. It's definitely time to redo my nails, but that's a pretty good time frame for polish!

I haven't looked up this polish, so I'm not sure what colours there are and what their prices are like, but I plan to take a gander!

After everything, I'm looking forward to my next bag! Did you receive an Ipsy bag? Tell me what you think/thought!

xo. Nicole

Tunnels and Fur || A Typical Friday

I can't even begin to describe how excited I was when I received the email telling me that I had one Roxy's PetMate giveaway! I wiggled in my seat before I replied to her email, and then ran out of my room to go tell Mocha and Koshka that they had some fun toys coming in the mail. Yes, they're cats. No, I'm not crazy. Well, maybe.

Mocha has taken full advantage of all 3 toys. We received a little fish-tail treat maze, a ball spinner/scratching pad, and a little pop up tent/tunnel. Mocha, pictured above, is a huge fan of the tunnel and tent, and then sits on the ball spinner as soon as Koshka walks by. She's kind of a hog.

Koshka enjoys the ball spinner, but usually just watches Mocha play. That's Koshka pictured above with her "filthy humans" look on her face, while she rolled her eyes at Mocha having a blast in the tunnel. There's no win with her, though I'm sure she's super appreciative of the awesome toys :)

Thank you Roxy and PetMate for my cats fun Friday!

xo. Nicole

Julep || November

After the shipping issues from my October box, and being issued a full refund (!!!), I decided it would be worth it to just use my refund to purchase the November Maven box :) Julep explained to me that they switched mail couriers, so that there should be minimal issues with future shipping. Were they ever right! I don't think I've ever received my box so early in the month. 

First off, the colours are a nice blend of Winter and Summer, in my opinion. The nudes/pastels, the pretty purples, and that gorgeous blue on the left side! They added in a little booklet as a holiday gift guide, and I have a few ideas for some friends now - Thanks Julep!

I promptly took Shari out of the box and repainted my nails. I still love the look of an accent nail, so I used one of my old favourites, Missy, for that. Shari is definitely one of my new favourites, it's such a gorgeous pink creme!

Do you have a favourite polish colour right now?

xo. Nicole

Julep || October

It had been a couple months since I hadn't clicked the "skip box" option, as we've been trying to save every last penny for some big things happening in the new year, but I had to order my maven box for October! I was running low on my darker Fall colours, and they had some cool options for add-ons!

I was most excited about the chevron nail stickers! I can finally do some nail art tutorials that include my favourite pattern. I also got an oxygen top coat, which I'm curious to try out. I received some free polish for adding on 3 items to my box.

The box was definitely oversized for what I received, but my guess is that they just ran out of smaller ones for the month. I also didn't receive my box until October 22, and I contacted Julep on the 20th. They explained that they are no longer doing business with APC, as they've had nothing but complaints and APC never sent Julep any tracking codes for the boxes going in to Canada. That means I also didn't receive a tracking code this time, which had me concerned that they didn't send my box. They did, and Julep felt bad that my box was taking so long and processed a refund.

My box came the day after they processed the refund, but they said to keep the box on them. I promptly used the refund to order the November Maven box, as the window to order opened up 2 days later! I'm looking forward to the November Maven box!

If you're interested, there's an affiliate button to the right (it says "I'm an IT Girl"). If you click it, you and I both get rewards if you order a box! Your first box is free with the code "FREEBOX"!

xo. Nicole

Sam Wish Store || Prizes

Oh my goodness, you guys. How excited was I to have won a giveaway on Sam's blog, My Latest Obsession?! She uses all natural, organic ingredients, and essential oils! I won an oatmeal bath soak, body lotion, and a sugar scrub. They smell heavenly.

I got to customize all the scents and ingredients in my prizes, which was a bonus. My mom uses essential oils, and aromatherapy, and knew all about the scents/what they do for you, etc.. For my oatmeal bath soak, I chose peppermint and green tea. The sugar scrub is lemon and lime, and the body lotion is wild orange, clove, and vetiver. My mom agreed that the body lotion scents would be good for me and my body. I immediately (after taking pictures) used the lotion on my legs, and whenever I get whiffs of it, I calm down and feel pretty relaxed.

I've been following My Latest Obsession for a while, and this is the second time that I've received product from her. The first one was from a "craft it forward" and I received home made lavender and oatmeal bath soak, and home made lip balms. I'm too nervous to use my prizes for fear of them running out, but that's why she has a shop!

I really hope you can swing by her shop and her blog. She recently posted about how she used essential oils to clear up a cold sore (it only took a day!).

xo. Nicole

July Maven Review

My Maven box arrived a couple days earlier than expected! I always get super excited when I receive mail that isn't a bill! It's nice timing, too because I just shared my nail polish collection the other day with you. The colours this month are SO nice! I received two extra polishes because I put 3 add-ons on my box. That blue is such a pretty colour in person (my crappy iPhone camera doesn't do it justice). It's next on my list!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I added on the Clean Slate Polish Corrector Pen. As soon as I opened my box, I took off the pink polish and put on a new nude colour. I wasn't too bad at applying my polish, so I only used the pen once or twice between both my hands. It did take the excess polish off of my skin, though! I'm happy that it came with extra tips, too!

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with July's maven box! I can hardly wait for August's :)

Did you review your July goodies from Julep?

xo. Nicole

June Julep Review

Wasn't this month's maven box just completely awesome? Last month, I think we all received the Plie wand in our maven boxes, so this month, I purchased the striping and dotting tool to go with it! It came with some pixie sticks that I haven't eaten yet (I'm waiting for a time when I need that sugar rush) and some GORGEOUS colors! I was also surprised to see a box within a box, and all full of nail polish! That was exciting!

My definite favorite color from the bunch is "Ramona". It's a pretty pastel purple, and it's just subtle enough to go with anything in my wardrobe. I don't remember ordering this many polishes, but I'm not complaining! I also polished my toes with "Veronica" (the pinky-coral colour) and I love it. The Ramona polish was a bit goopy when I first painted my nails, so I had to shake it a bit more and redo my nails. Other than that, my only ":(" about this box is deciding which colour to do next!

Did you know that if you click my affiliate link and take the quiz, your first box is free with the code "FREEBOX"!

xo. Nicole

Julep May Maven Review!

My Julep monthly Maven box for May FINALLY arrived on June 5! It was totally not Julep's fault, just the crappy postal service they used. It was supposed to arrive between May 15-17, but that was sadly not the case. My June box is already on it's way, though. I'm excited! I emailed Julep, wondering if they could do something about how long it had taken for my box to arrive (before I received it) and they were in the process of giving me enough Jules for a free box. It arrived, so I emailed them back saying not to worry. Shawn, you were excellent at your customer service! Thank you!

I received Jules (pink) and Kam (green) in my It Girl box! They are both perfect colors for spring! I bought a mystery polish, and they sent me Bess (light blue). I already had Bess, so I'll be giving that one to a friend. It is also a really good color for spring.

I also added on some rockstar hand cream! I haven't tried it yet, but it smells so good. My hands are always super dry from the terrible weather in Alberta, so I hope it works!

My plie wand also came in my maven box! So exciting! I think I added on the dotting tool in my June box to make some super good polka dot nails. I haven't used it with my nail polish yet, but I took it out of the box and played with it! I'm definitely going to use it when I paint my toes, as I have more trouble with them.

Do you receive Julep monthly Maven boxes? Did you like May's?

xo. Nicole

Impress Vox Box!

Finally after waiting almost a month after my tracking code said it was "delivered", I received my Impress Manicure Vox Box from Influenster! It appears as if the post man/woman forgot to put a key in my slot after they delivered it, so I couldn't open up the big parcel slot in our mail box.

Anyways, I love Impress by Broadway Nails! If you follow me on Instagram, or have seen some of my recent posts, you'll have seen me trying out some pink nails from them. They lasted about 4 days, and only because I had to do a very hands-on task at work, and they started to peel off afterwards.

Even though the box labels the nails as "short", they definitely weren't. I ended up having to cut and file them down to a functional length, and I think they lasted much longer because of this. As a result of cutting and filing them, the glue that is used to keep the nails on started to pill and collect all sorts of dust, and snag a bit on my clothes. I kept having to pick the pills off, and it resulted in taking some of the sticky glue out from underneath the nail, which I feel also contributed to them coming off after 4 days. 

Even during my small struggle with the glue fiasco, I would still recommend these to friends (and you!), and I would buy them! I am still not a fan of the crackle polish look, so I was a bit disappointed they sent those to me again, but the other design looks pretty cute. I've got my eyes on some zebra print ones, though!

xo. Nicole

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Julep Golden Mystery Box Review

After a long wait, my Golden Mystery Box #3 arrived on Friday! I was so excited to open it! I usually get the Maven box and received 3 polishes and a little treat, but this time I received 5 polishes, 2 lip glosses, and some more flower seeds (I had received these before).

Sorry about the quality of the photos, I still only use my phone. I'm too broke to buy a good camera!

I tried on the lip gloss, and it's a nice subtle color and shine. It's a bit sticky, but it doesn't taste bad at all. My vote is for the clear, but the red one will be nice for a date night!

Red Gloss.

Clear Gloss.

To tell you the truth, I'm a little bit disappointed in the colors. It's May, and it feels like they just dumped a bunch of winter overstock on us Mystery Box buyers, which I was a bit hesitant about when I bought it. I think I'm for sure going to try out the red (Scarlett) and the grayish blue one (Stevie) (far right). Maybe I'll try out the other 3 colors in the fall and winter, but it's definitely not the season to wear them right now.

If you want to try out Julep, your first month is free! Just click my affiliate link below, take the quiz, and enter 'FREEBOX' at the checkout!

xo. Nicole

• Mystery Vox Box Revealed! •

I received these products complimentary from Influenster, but opinions are 100% my own!

Last week, I received some mystery L'Oreal product to try out and review. You can check out my post on it here!

I tried it out and really loved it! I guessed by commenting on another lady's facebook post, that it was Garnier and I was right!

The damage eraser products helped me out with my split ends and hair feeling super dry. It smelled super good, and my first impression was that it smelled like candy...but it's tropical! I think the best product of the three (shampoo, conditioner, and split-end serum) was the split-end serum. Those types of products always make my hair feel softer than the actual shampoo and conditioner.

The only thing that I wasn't happy about was how dry my hair felt in the shower after using the shampoo (easily fixed by using the conditioner), and how the conditioner just DIDN'T want to come out of the bottle. I tried shaking it, hitting it, anything...but nothing worked unless I had the bottle stored upside down for the next shower. I'm glad that the conditioner bottle of the actual product is actually stored upside down for easy use!

Here's my hair Before:

And here's my hair After:

Both pictures were taken after showering, but in different light (sorry!) I'm so happy that I got the chance to use and review these products, as I had never used Garnier before. This was a great first impression for me!

To become an Influenster, just go to Influenster.com or click the button below. It's completely free!

ps. I've reached 100 followers so I'm going to reveal the NEW blog name and host a fun giveaway this week! Stay tuned xo

xo. Nicole