Beauty Army

I finally got my invite for Beauty Army and at first I wasn't sure if I was actually going to sign up because the selection wasn't to my liking but then after some tweaking I found some great samples.

 So here is what I picked:

Skin Care Challenge Day 28

So it has almost been a month since I started this little endeavor of mine and things are not looking too good. So I had to stop using my toner because my face seemed to be getting even more sensitive and it felt like it was burning more than it should. Also my husband came home last weekend and he started getting a rash of some sort on his face and we don't know how or where he got it. Now I have a rash on my face but I don't know if I got it from him or if I am having a reaction to my new bareMinerals products. After doing some research I think it is caused from the bismuth oxychloride in my foundation, I plan on returning it to Sephora and getting the matte foundation because it doesn't have bismuth oxycholride. But after wearing my bareMinerals (even with the rash/allergic reaction) my skin feels quite a bit softer. But now I am dealing with dry scaly patches on my face and they seem to feel a lot better once I use my Mary Kay Velocity moisturizer. I am hoping that bareMinerals works out but if not I ordered some samples from Alima Pure, which is bismuth free and they come in 7 gram jars instead of bareMinerals which is only 6 grams, also it is $2 cheaper. I also ordered some samples from Everyday Minerals and full sizes are even cheaper than Alima, at $12.99 it is the most realistic for me to stock up on.  I'll go into the differences once my samples arrive. Hopefully my skin will be back to normal so that I can take some nice photos in the Japanese tea garden with the husband after his reenlistment ceremony.

Color Club Disco Nap

 Color Club in Disco Nap

BeautyBlender BlenderCleanser Review

Beauty Blender Blender Cleanser

Sephora Trip

Today I splurged and went to Sephora, I was in desperate need of new makeup so here is what I got:

May Birchbox Welcome Box

I got a nice surprise this weekend when my husband came back from the mail it was the welcome box for my 3 month gift subscription. I bought the subscription because I felt like I had been cheated because my normal subscription didn't come with one. Plus I wanted extra samples! I did get duplicate samples but I actually like those. So here is what I got:

Color Club Clambake Coral

Color Club in Clambake Coral

Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Review

Revolution Organics Freedom Glow in Bronzed

Skin Care Challange Day 19

Today I realized that I keep forgetting to mention the most important step in my skin care regimen HYDRATION! Before I started my own personal challenge (or war) on my skin I had made it a point to start drinking more water. I used to be notorious for drinking tons of soda and tea, and not enough water. Then my Brita water bottle with a built in filter became my new best friend, the top opened making it large enough to put ice in. That was a HUGE plus for me because I hate room temperature water. I drink anywhere from 2 to 3 bottles a day which usually gives me at least my minimum daily water intake. So hopefully my skin is benefiting from the regular hydration. I used to be notorious for drinking tons of soda and tea

Also I have added my Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel to my daily routine. Even with two acne medicines in my regimen my skin is still getting oily. Even though the packaging warns that using them too much or with other acne treatments will dry out your skin and cause peeling. So far drying out my skin is not a problem. I do plan to up the use of my toner whenever I need to get the oil under control during the day, so I don't have to deal with the oily feel.

Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Review

Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue 

 

This came in my April Birchbox and I figured I could always try out new fragrances. At first I thought that the citrus scent was okay then I tried it on and asked my husband what he thought (this is always an important step) His response was "it smells like soap." So I smelled it again, and sure enough it smelled like a citrus soap that I have used in the past. I am not one to trash things unless they cause allergic reactions or smell extremely bad. So this is going to stick around for whenever we travel just in case I need a pick me up while at the airport or if I can't pack my full sized fragrances.

Final opinion: Will not buy full size.

May Birchbox

So I was fairly disappointed in this box compared to my last one. But I did find a few things in it that I am happy with. Here is what I got:

TRESemme Split Remedy Review

After trying to get my massive amount of long, thick, straight, damaged hair under control I contemplated cutting it all off. I thought twice about it and decided that it just needed some TLC. Just a little background on my hair and my hair care: I used to use the same 2-in-1 anti-dandruff shampoo as my husband to save money. I never conditioned my hair because my scalp would get really oily if I did. I rarely had the time to blow dry my hair so I would brush it a tiny bit and throw it up in a bun. I haven't cut my hair in over a year. I neglected my hair so much that at one time I started getting natural dreadlocks, this scared me a lot.

So I switched back to using my TRESemme Anti-Breakage Shampoo and a spray leave-in conditioner, but I ran out of my leave-in conditioner and I was on the look out for a new one. The next day I saw the TRESemme Split Remedy commercial and it was another sign telling me not to give up on my hair. The next outing out to grocery store I grab a bottle of TRESemme Split End Conditioning Treatment, not realizing it wasn't a spray (I found out later that my store didn't even carry the spray). That must have been one of the best mistakes I could have ever done for my hair.

 

 

I have used this leave-in conditioner now about 4 times now and the bottle claims that it reduces up to 80% of split ends after 3 uses. I am not sure how well it is working on the split ends but it is really helping make my hair soft and it is reducing the frizz that the I have from not cutting my hair. I have noticed that this leave-in conditioner does not weigh down my hair and there is no extra build up that I have to wash out. This is the longest I have ever had my hair and I am now really comfortable leaving my hair down and I try not to put it up in a bun as much. I am completely happy with this product and I am scared that when we move I won't be able to find it again. I am not sure how long this one bottle will last me because I use about 3 to 4 pumps in my hair verses the 2 to 3 pumps that the bottle recommends but once I figure it out I will stock up on enough to last our 2 to 3 years while we are overseas. Once I finish my current bottle of shampoo I plan on buying the Split Remedy Shampoo.

Julep Maven May Box

Yesterday I received my first Julep Maven box, I only subscribed to this new subscription because with the coupon code COLOR2012 you get your first box for only $0.01! Normally the monthly subscription costs $19.99 so going off the normal price I'll calculate how much everything is worth.  On the website they say that every box is worth at least $40 so it already makes it a good deal.