Joy, Life and More

One of the first beauty box subscriptions I purchased a few years ago was Birchbox . To be truthful, I ended up canceling my subscription after three months because I didn't find the samples compelling enough to want to use any of them. After a couple of years, I decided to sign up again last August. I started watching videos on YouTube of beauty vloggers unboxing their beauty subscription boxes. I also got interested in makeup again and wanting to feel better about myself. I used to use makeup regularly when I worked but after I got married and started having children, I put that part of myself aside. It was just easier to get up in the morning and not have to bother with makeup. Now that my boys are a little older and don't need as much concentrated attention, I have time to primp in the mornings. Birchbox costs just $10 a month and comes with at least five samples. I wouldn't categorize all the samples as deluxe sized samples but you can usually get at least 2-3 ...

So I popped into my local Marshall's the other day to see what kinds of beauty products were available. You can find some makeup, skincare and hair products at prices much cheaper than retail. I used to think some of the products were discontinued or slightly damaged. But lately there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason why you can find certain products there. Be aware, many times there are only a few quantity of each item, so don't go expecting a large beauty section like in a drugstore or big box store. The biggest disappointment for me is when I find something I might like and it looks like someone has already "tried" the product be it a swatch or actually trying it on themselves! That is unsanitary and completely gross! On the other hand, I found this little gem which was nicely sealed with no way of someone getting in the box. It is a collection of three salves (balms) from the company Rose & Co. out of the UK. It is a company created by a mothe...

Wet n Wild Mega Slicks, Wet n Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer, Jordana Modern Matte I found two Wet n Wild lip products and one Jordana at my local Walgreens which looked interesting, and I wanted to try them. All these lip products are inexpensive and probably available at most Walgreens around the nation. The two Wet n Wild products were regular $1.79 each or 2 for $3 with the Rewards Card, the latter which you could also earn 500 Balance Rewards points. The Jordana product was $2.49. The Wet n Wild Mega Slicks  lip gloss was just okay for me. It smelled fine but when I put it on my lips, it was just too shimmery for me. Maybe if I was 30 years or more younger :) this would have looked just right for me. On the other hand, I may try to wear this over some lipstick. But this really isn't as sheer as what I would like in a lip gloss. The Jordana Modern Matte was in the color Matte Tease. It is a pretty color but other than that, I thought this was awful. It had a vanil...