November 30, 2012

Beauty Haul! Jury Duty!

Hi everyone!! Do you like my new blog layout? : ) My friend Lisa created it for me! She made it where I can change out the header photos too. Sweet, huh?! Thank you Lisa!

I haven't had a chance to blog every since Thanksgiving break happened!
I served on jury duty for the past two days as well! I've been getting up at 6:30AM to get ready. I normally wake up at 9AM (the perks of being self employed, I know. :P) Jury duty was such an experience. I felt like I won the lottery today when I got dismissed early!

You never really appreciate how much freedom you actually have until you have to sit hours upon hours in the juror assembling room. Imagine yourself waiting at the DMV on an airplane for 8 hours!  That was my experience on the first day.  You just sit there in a room of 100 people waiting until your name is called over an intercom. lol You're then given a number, maybe a questionnaire, and grouped for a judge's jury panel. I won't get into too much detail. I don't want to spoil it for you who haven't had a chance to serve. lol
 I sure did learn to bring a phone charger and some magazines on the second day!

 I had a pretty relaxing Thanksgiving break. We spent it with his side of the family. We had 2 house warming parties and Thanksgiving lunch and dinner at two different places. lol Then we did so much Black Friday shopping! I had a lot of fun with the Tran's, but I can't wait to spend Christmas and the New Year with my family in Michigan. I miss my Mom and Aunt's home cooking!

It feels SO good to be home! I also loved coming home to some packages at the front door!
I always get home sick after 4 or 5 days of being away. I just love the comforts of home. :)

My newest beauty find is called the Beauty Box 5
 
Price: $12/month
Beauty Box 5 is pretty comparable to the Birchbox & Glossybox based on the number of beauty products you receive each month.
Everything is packaged neatly, and beautifully. (That's always appreciated!)


The goodies! I always appreciate a good lip balm. I'm a chapstick/lip balm addict. It's one of those products I cannot live without. I am so bothered when I am without lip balm!! Any of you feel that way?
I never knew Ann Taylor sold iPhone cases until I went to their factory store in Woodburn (Oregon).
Tax free shopping woohoo!
Minh actually spotted this super cool yellow ombre gradient iPhone case. I totally approve! It was on sale for $9.99 and one of my favorite purchase memories of our Thanksgiving weekend 2012. :) He was surprisingly thoughtful and even picked out a pair of blue topaz earrings for me from Costco. I think he was trying to bribe me to turn the other cheek and let him go crazy with his electronics hoarding. I absolutely love the earrings. : ) If you know me, know me, I'm glued to the Costco jewelry case every time I'm there.

Another beauty surprise waiting for me was Starbox from Starlooks.
Website: http://starlooks.com/
Price: $15/month
Starlooks is offering a $99 value December Starbox gift for only $15.
December is probably the best month to sign up for any type of subscription service. You're always going to get the "it" box. : ) I sense that most companies want you to gift their service and impressive products to your loved ones (their potential new customers).
I received three full size products in my November Starbox.
I got a frosty lipstick, eyeshadow quad, and a eyelash comb/mascara shield. : )
Mascara shields are super helpful! No more mascara smudges on your freshly eyeshadowed eyelids!
The colors of the eyeshadow quad are right up my alley for Autumn.
It reminds me of one of my MAC eyeshadow palettes.
I will have to do a look with the shadows and update this post. : )
Here's a peek at my Sephora Friends & Family haul. : )
Make Up For Ever Duo Mat 205
Clarisonic Brush Head 
Anastasia Brow Serum (this worked so nicely on my friend!)
Anastasia Brow Highlight
D&G Perfume
Sephora 500 point VIB reward: NARS!  
Free VIB Sephora tote! It's my new travel makeup case, hairbrush holding bag!
I've been holding onto my VIB points for a while now, and I felt the NARS gift was a good one to pick! I still have a little over 1,000 rewards points left and I'm saving them until Christmas!
They ALWAYS seem to have the most amazing 500 point prizes during the holidays. Last year was a full size set of Lancome products!
Everyone's favorite NARS blush. :)
I have been wanting to try one of these NARS gloss sticks for a while. I'm very happy with my selection!
Butter London Teddy Girl
It's such a cute pastel, creme baby pink. It reminds me a lot of Essie Fiji (The Bachelorette Emily Maynard's favorite polish). Butter London brushes aren't my favorite. But the color and quality of the polish is excellent. 

I'll catch up with you in my next post. : ) Toodles!

11 comments:

  1. That phone case is gorgeous! And I bought that perfume during the sale too! I think you're like the first blogger/youtuber I've seen mention it! I'm surprised its not more popular because I think its so lovely.

    Have you used the blinc mascara yet? Is it the one with the fibers? I tried it out when Sephora carried it and I actually really liked it :)

    And ugh the picture of Wally and Timmy on the side is just so so cuteeee. :)

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    1. Thanks!! I love the phone case so much! I'm obsessed with anything gradient, or ombre. lol I'm such a follower!

      The D&G perfume smells amazing! I heard about it from Chelsea (xclosetoreal) on Youtube. She has the best tastes in makeup, fashion, and bags! I love her! And I love the perfume too. :)

      I haven't opened the Blinc Mascara yet. I have about 5 tubes of open mascara that I need to use before they dry up! lol

      Wally and Timmy both got a bath yesterday. :D They're much cuter when they're clean, trust me. ;)

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  2. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH so lucky the 500 point VIP gift is all the NARS stuff?! you totally lucked out.. oh good to know that during the holidays they have the best gifts... i have some points saved up too i'll have to use them when i visit home during the holidays hehe :)!!!

    that iphone case is soo pretty your bf has good taste. haha omgosh i'm TOTES glued to the jewelry case at costco too when i visit!!! hahahah :p

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    1. Yes!! NARS!! I was in such a rush to checkout when I did my F&F shopping online. lol I didn't want them to run out on me!

      Yay for coming home for the holidays!! ^_^

      Don't you wish the Costco jewelry case gave out samples?! HAHAHA

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  3. LOVE the new layout!!! :) love the colors!

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  4. I love the new blog layout Steph!! Super cute header. :)

    OMG! I do the same thing at Costco!! I always glue myself to their jewelry and I'm like wow.... And D always shakes his head at me. hahaha... it's sparkly!

    Dangit.. now after looking at your 500 VIB points NARS gift, makes me want to get it now! lol.. I save up my points all the time and have over 1000pts too I think I'll have to get this! ;)

    xo - Sheila
    www.sheislovelyblog.com

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    1. Haha I love that we have so many Costco's in the Greater Seattle area too! ^_^

      I love Sephora so much!! If I'm not shopping at Nordstrom, then I'm shopping at Sephora. :D

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  5. That's such a cute phone case! I'm obssesed with phone cases, I buy them online, thru Etsy, at random Asian stores and weird websites lol! I love looking at Beauty box subscriptions, I like seeing what they offered for the month. I wish I can subscribe to them all. I like hoarding their items ;)

    I'm only subscribed to IPSY at the moment and their products are nice. I can kick myself because I never try out everything. For one, I've stopped using masacara for about a yr and a half now. I wear falsies everyday and they are dark enough already, my curls holds all day =D (biggest plus for me!) and it takes me 2-4min to get them on in the morning and a few seconds to remove at night w/ my makeup remover! I got tired of being on the search for the perfect mascara :/ (I can only wear waterproof and it takes forever to remove at night!) Then I have very sensitive skin, so I'm scared to try the facial samples in the packages, I'm just in it for the lip gloss or eye pencils!

    Also I'm like you, I cannot stand leaving the house w/o my lip balm. I have extras stashed everywhere =) I work right next to Costco and only go there once in a blue moon for lunch, next time I will check out all their jewlry display, you've got me intrigue! I love the new blog look and looking at your babies. My son asks me for a pet, every year for Xmas... maybe one day!

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  6. i love all of your goodies you picked up!! & I love the pink polish!

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    1. I totally agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love this haul!!!!! :)
      Follow me? chiccupcake1.blogspot.com
      -Jen <3

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Thank you for your comments!