BirchBox Review! (March 2013)

This month's review for the March BirchBox is up now! Go check it out!

(I haven't filmed a review in a while because I've had tonsillitis. It's nice to be back to filming!)

For those of you interested in a BirchBox of your own, you can visit www.birchbox.com. Boxes are $10 a month and each box includes around five deluxe beauty samples. I think it's a great way to try out more expensive beauty items before committing to a larger purchase, so that you can be sure you really love a product! 

The items included in this month's BirchBox: 

-Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don't Stray (FS $26)

-Caldrea Body Lotion (Tea Olive Lime, Aloe Water Apricot, Coconut Fig) (FS: $22)

-Evologie Intensive Blemish Serum (FS: $35)

-Wish Shave Crave Shaving Cream in Blueberry (FS : $20)

-Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board ($5)

Life

Hair-larity!

This video never fails to crack me up! Her reaction to her hair snafu is just hilarious!

 Poor girl...poor hair! I have a feeling that the hair fiasco was the result of combining a product with a high alcohol content (Tresemme "Split Remedy") and the highest heat setting on her curling wand. 

People that annoy me on the Internet: Top Ten Internet Offenders!

The Internet is full of many amazing things: cute animal pictures (I personally admit to taking a ton of my own beloved furbabies!), adorable baby pictures, recipes, crafty ideas, and all sorts of useful things! On that same note, it also has its downfalls in the form of people behaving badly! Surely, I'm not the only person out there that is absolutely driven crazy by all of the moronic things I see online via, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.

Below is a list of what I've deemed to be the,"Top Ten Offenses" on the Internet! If you are guilty of these trespasses, please reform for the sake of humanity! 

1. Coming in at number one, the "Duck face." Stop! Unless you're a duck, this is never acceptable. Please do humanity a favor and just cut it out. It's not cute; you look like a moron.

2. The "Giveaway" phenomenon. You can't get two minutes into a beauty video on YouTube without people doing overly-sponsored giveaways in an attempt to build their followers. Why would you want people following your channel only for the things you might give them, not for if they really enjoy your videos? Focus on creating good content, and your channel will take care of itself. I get sick of constantly seeing giveaway videos, overly-sponsored product videos, and spam. (I understand an occasional giveaway to show love to your subscribers, but doing one in every single video is obnoxious.) 

3. The whole "First Comment!" thing on pictures and videos. Nobody cares if you're the first person to comment. It is really not that big of a deal. 

4. "If you follow so and so, I'll follow you back and give a shout out!" Twitter and Instagram are the worst offenders of this! Why on earth would I want to follow people I don't know/have nothing in common with, just so you MIGHT follow me back and mention me to more people I don't know? Maybe I'm showing my age here, but I just don't see the point of this.

5. People who take an obsessive amount of  "Selfie" pictures. A few nice pictures on occasion...awesome! Pictures of yourself every five minutes, pictures of you pretending to sleep, getting drunk, showing your butt off, or posing in a bathroom near a dirty mirror: not so awesome!

6. People who can not spell. For example, there are differences between the words: "their", "they're", and "their". Please learn it! I'm not trying to be mean; I have Dyslexia; I often mix up letters and words without realizing it. I myself am quite careful about grammar because of that. This said, people who don't try at all when it comes to proper grammar tend to get on my nerves. (I've bit my tongue more times than I can count, resisting the urge to correct poor grammar online. Please, stop butchering the English language! You're making yourself look uneducated; that is not a good thing. Typos and accidents happen; I have them too. At least try to correct it though, folks!)

7. People who feel the need to throw up "deuces" and hand signs, or stick their tongue out in every picture or video.You look like a moron, not a gangster. Stop. 

8. Depressing, cryptic status updates. Of course your friends/ family are going to ask you what's the matter when you come across as a suicidal person in your statuses! Responding with, "nothing" makes light of it. I've had very close loved ones who have struggled with depression and suicide attempts, so I take posts like that very seriously, and don't find it humorous if it's just a joke because you're bored. Unless you are genuinely depressed and need someone to talk to, please refrain from making a joke out of something so serious.(If you do need someone to talk to, this is the number to call, 1-800-273-TALK )

9. People who have fights on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Are you KIDDING me? That is about as tacky as it gets! If you have a problem with someone, address it in person or in a phone call/private message. Don't post it online for the entire universe to see, or bully total strangers.  You're better than that.

10. People who obsessively rant about politics, religion, race, and any sort of controversial topic in an obsessive, "I'm right and you're wrong" approach. I LOVE a good debate! I love conversing about those topics above, but I try to do so in a tasteful manner, and while keeping an open mind, even if I maintain my differing opinion. There is a tasteful way to debate. The only thing that you're doing by behaving in such a close-minded way, is convincing people that you're a bully. Instead of making people want to understand your viewpoint, you're pushing them away.

Ranger says, "Good Morning!"

Sir Elton John

On Saturday night, Nick and I went to the Elton John concert here in Memphis. It was such an incredible concert! (It was so sweet of him to surprise me with tickets a few weeks ago after I mentioned how much I loved Elton John's music!) The Elton John concert was nothing short of incredible. I was absolutely blown away with how true he was to his studio recordings, and how pitch-perfect he is. If you ever have the opportunity to see him live, you are in for an incredible performance; he is even better preforming live! (That is a very high compliment, because many artists are better on their heavily edited studio recordings. Elton is perfection in both settings!)

The thing I appreciated the most about him though was the simplicity of it all. The lighting and the stage itself were fairly simple for someone of such fame. The thing I appreciated about that was that it allowed for Elton John's voice to shine through, and put the focus entirely on the music. Not only did Elton John sound incredible, so did his back up singers and his band! For someone that has a music career spanning over 4 decades, has been knighted by the Queen, and is such a legend, he exuded nothing but humbleness. I think that says a lot about his character. Towards the end of the show, he took the time to walk around the front of the stage for a few moments and tried to greet as many people/sign autographs as he could. After nearly every song, he'd stand up for a moment and walk over to the crowd, showing thanks and acknowledging everyone. This is someone who truly values and loves his fans! This just made me love him even more! 

And on the note of loving his fans, you have to admire his dedication! He was so ill on Friday, that he sadly had to cancel his concert in Birmingham, Al. Not wanting to cancel yet another show, they pressed on and traveled all the way to Memphis, just to put on an incredible show. He probably didn't feel 100% during the Memphis show, but his performance was still golden! That is true dedication! I have nothing but respect for him as a person and as a musician. I am so glad that we were able to see such an amazing legend preform live at such a terrific show!

Elton preforming! I was so excited that he sang quite a few of my favorites!

(If you look closely in the bottom right of the picture, you can see his black piano.)

 I apologize that the picture quality isn't the best. I was only able to snap a few pictures before the battery on my phone got too low. 

In addition to Elton John being an outstanding musician, performer, and father...he is also an incredible humanitarian! He has been so outspoken in the fight against AIDS. (For those of you not familiar with Ryan White's story, I encourage you to look it up; he had Childhood  HIV/AIDS as the result of a blood transfusion to treat his hemophilia, and faced a lot of ignorance and hate at the hand of his community during a time when AIDS awareness was very low.) I don't feel that my blog post would be complete without mentioning the incredible charity that Elton John founded to garner support for research and awareness. If you'd like to have a look at some of the work they do, here is the link: http://ejaf.org/ 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ranger and his girlfriend...

True story, my dog has a girlfriend. Ranger is a canine Casanova! When he's not hanging out at home with our own girls, he likes to hang out with the girl pups at our training facility. The dog that has always "had his heart" though is our friend's dog, Liebchen. (Isn't she gorgeous?! She's a long haired German Shepherd.) Ranger and Liebchen have been training together since they were puppies. Their birthdays are in the same week, and both are three years old now. I am so grateful that I have such an amazing friendship with her family (they're awesome!), and that Ranger and Liebchen get along so well! It's a lot of fun getting to see them interact not only in a training setting, but also when they play on Liebchen's farm together and run around with the horses there. 

Here they are riding in the car on the way to Novice on Monday night.

(Novice is a step-up from Advanced Obedience, and helps to garner their focus in the show ring, or in a therapy setting. Ranger is a registered therapy dog, and his Liebchen is a sweet therapy dog-in-training. They are the best of friends!) 

 Happy pups enjoying their car ride together!

Are we there yet? We're ready to train!

Review: Korres Lip Butters!

If you've yet to try out the Korres lip butters, let me just encourage you...you need them in your life! Yup, they are a lip necessity! I got mine on sale back when Sephora had their VIB sale and they offered 20% off of your entire purchase. They typically retail for around $12 each from Sephora but if you can find them in the value kits during sales, that is the most affordable way to purchase them. Since they last for quite a long time, I feel that they are a worthwhile investment, especially if you have problems with dry or flaky lips. 

I use the Jasmine one every single night after I exfoliate my lips (I use Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub to exfoliate with). The Jasmine lip butter keeps my lips super soft and hydrated! Jasmine has a bit of a white tinge to it, so I like to apply one sheer coat, let that absorb, and then apply another thin coat. This keeps you from developing that dreaded white cast to your lips. During the daytime, I like to use the Pomegranate or Wild Rose shades to moisturize with and add a nice pop of color to my lips! Since they are colored, they do not leave any sort of grey/white cast to your lips like the Jasmine lip butter can do when it is over-applied. I feel that the Korres lip butters are THE most hydrating out of all the lip butters I've tested out (and I've tried a lot!). These are my go-to, holy-grail lip items!

The only thing that could possibly improve the lip butters in my book would be if Korres added a bit of vanilla ,honey, or fruit flavoring to them, as I prefer my lip butters to be flavored. If you're not they type to enjoy flavored lip products however, then this is the PERFECT option for you! 

Check out my video below for a quick review as well as swatches!

Amen!

I couldn't agree more with this sentiment in the picture below! It baffles my mind how people can own dogs and think that they require no training....THEN they wonder why the dog is destroying their home, acting out, or being hyper. Dogs thrive when they have a "job" to do. They need an Alpha owner that can offer positive training and structure. If your dog deserves its own TV show comparable to, "Jerry Springer" then please, seek out a reputable training facility in your area that has experienced handlers and trainers. 

You are your dogs best advocate; please try to be a responsible one! 

Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: "Test Drive"

Absolutely Hilarious! I feel so bad for the poor car salesman lol!

Glossybox Review! (March 2013)

Glossybox is one of my favorite monthly subscription services. Each box contains five deluxe beauty samples that allow you to try out products before you commit to purchasing them in full size, so you're able to test things out and make sure you really love a product before you commit. When you receive your GlossyBox in the mail, it's like opening up a little present every month!

This month I did a review on the items that came in my March Glossybox. I hope you find it helpful! The theme for them month was "International Style",and this particular box featured popular beauty items from different countries. 

Items mention in this month's GlossyBox:
-Bvlgari EauParfumee AuThe Blanc soap (FS:$30.00/5.3oz)
-Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder (FS: $15.00/ .6oz)
-LISI Eye Definiteion Cream Eyeliner (FS:$10.00/.14oz)
-Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Hydro Gel Mask (FS $6.00/.98oz)
-Nail Rock Nail Wraps (FS $8.00/full set)

Want your own Glossybox? Check out their info below for more details on ordering options and pricing! 

GlossyBox info: 
www.glossybox.com
Twitter: @glossybox_us
#internationalstylebox

Cosmo Tested, Lydia Approved: DIY Hair Masque Recipe! Spa Night In!

Sometimes, your hair needs a little extra TLC! With the colder weather, my highlighting habit, and love of trying out new products, mine has been in need of some extra revitalization lately! Since I was unable to sleep earlier (blasted insomnia!) I decided to have my own little mini-spa night! 

In the April issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, there is a featured article called, "Head Shakes" with a fun DIY Hair Masque recipe called, "Strengthener" from The Hair Treatment Bar at TheBroot. Since the recipe looked good enough to eat, I figured it must be nurturing for my hair, and decided to give it a try! Below are a few pictures of the process!

I have to say that I am VERY pleased with the results! My hair feels silky and is incredibly shiny! I will definitely try to add this into my routine at least 2-3 times a month! My biggest suggestion when applying the hair masque would be to do so while you're in the shower, after you've dampened your hair. I tried dampening my hair in the kitchen sink, and then applying my hair masque, and it was just a bit too chaotic to apply in the kitchen. It would have been easier and less of a mess to do so in the shower, so next time I'll be doing that! Once I applied the masque to my hair, I combed it through to saturate my hair root to tip, and then used a spider clip to hold my hair in place. I put a disposable shower cap on, used a hair dryer to warm up my hair and help the masque absorb better, and then applied my re-usable zebra cap over it to seal in the heat while I let my hair soak in the mask for about 15-20 minutes. Once it was time to rinse everything out, it was a cinch! I then followed up with my shampoo and conditioner, and it was that simple. I love the terrific results that this DIY hair masque gave my hair! It looks much more shiny and healthy now!

I adore DIY recipes simply because I do not think that beauty routines should cost you your life savings! I love how I already had everything I needed to make this hair masque right in my own kitchen! 

Spa Night In!

Hair Masque Recipe I followed

All of the ingredients that I used:

-1/2 banana

-1 egg

1/4 cup of water

-1 tablespoon each Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, and Honey.

Ninja time! 

I decided to blend all of the ingredients together so that the masque would be more uniform in size, and easier to apply to my hair.

 Blending!

The finished product! 

Apply this to damp hair and let it sit for about 15 minutes while you read a magazine and drink some tea! 

Rinse out in the shower, and then follow up with shampoo and conditioner like you normally would.

 Since I decided to make a DIY hair masque, I thought it would also be fun to try out one of my facial masques at the same time.Tonight I used the 7th Heaven masque in "White Thai Mud", that I received a while back in a beauty subscription box. I applied it to damp skin and left it on for the same length of time as I left my hair masque on (about 15-20 minutes). After I rinsed it off and moisturized, there was a noticeable difference in the smoothness of my skin! Since it only took a small amount of the masque to cover my entire face, I was able to save the rest in a plastic bag, and will likely get three or four more applications out of it. Yay! 

Crap Products I Wouldn't Repurchase! And better alternatives!!

Every once in a while I find a product that is just so horrid, I feel the need to warn others to stay far, far away! I typically read blog reviews and watch video reviews before I purchase a lot of things, so that I can avoid a potentially bad product. Every once in a while though, I will try out something and it just doesn't work out for me. In the video below, I show a few "crap products" that should be avoided, and give you better suggestions on nicer alternatives to them! I hope you find it helpful! 

Daylight Savings Time

Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z

I am so obsessed with this song! I can't wait until the new album releases soon! 

Apples to Apples

One of my favorite things in life: Game night with my family! It really is the simple things in life that make you the happiest! 

(Apples to Apples is our favorite game! If you've never played before, I highly recommend it! It's such a fun, hilarious game!)

Aunt Taylor with baby RJ

 Jose, Taylor, and Baby RJ

 We start em' young in our family! 

 Love my sister! 

 RJ helping his mommy play

 Kianna and baby RJ kisses

Discussing How To Rule The World...