what i got for christmas!!

hi guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! here are a few things i got for christmas! hope you all had a great holiday week and are reluctantly ready to go back to school or work tomorrow! ~Lin-chan ^.~

(left) pandora ring cluster charm (retired), murano glass disney jasmine, anna, ariel, midnight effervescence, sterling silver stopper beads
 -- my family ended up getting me two of the jasmine charm, so when i went to exchange one of them, they were having a spend $100, get a free item up to $75. so i was able to return the extra charm for store credit, and then purchase 3 new charms. sweet!
(right) tokidoki 2017 calendar, tombow fudenosuke calligraphy pens, pokemon moon, yeti-esque mug with my initials and metal straw..?, oven mitt with spoons and tabasco--such a cute and simple idea!
my grandmother still fills my stocking, which is funny because my uncle was telling his 8 year old daughter she was too old for grandma to keep doing that....lol, anyway, she usually puts snacks, candy and random things in there. this year, we got steripods, a cupcake divider thingy (split colored dough..?), and a brain teaser puzzle which took us about 5 minutes to break it apart, and like 5 hours to figure out how to put it back together. yeah... she did give us the solution, but you can only get so far with those...

liquid, powder

lamora beauty brush set, melodysusie makeup brush cleaning mat, treat jumbo lip balm in marshmallow cream, ecotools brush shampoo, ovonni brush tree (holds 26), ysl black opium perfume, trader joe's tea tree oil soap, becca glow on the go set in moonstone, pokeball bath bomb (there was a teeny murkrow inside!), pacifica deluxe travel kit
-- mini reviews!
- the ovonni brush tree. it's good but not the same as a benjabelle. the legs do not lock to the top part, so you have to be careful when moving the brush tree around. there are a ton of small holes in it, but the biggest ones are barely big enough for my sigma/lamora kabuki brushes. which sucks. anyway, moral of the story: for my needs, benjabelle's is better and i should just order their replacement legs or a larger one (i've dropped it twice and hot glued the pieces of the legs back together....)
- the melodysusie brush mat (no longer available on amazon??) is interesting. first off, it doesn't fit the sink i intended it for..which sucks. it's a smaller sink, so it's too big and i ended up getting the whole brush handle wet when trying to wash it. so i switched to a different sink. i'm not sure if the same would be true for the sigma spa mat, but every spot that has a suction cup underneath was annoying to use, like because of the lumpiness.., or the mat shifted or detached from the sink.. >.> it wasn't super awful once i got used to it, but i'm not a huge fan for these reasons. on another note, it did work well at helping me get the gunk out of my brushes.

hp pavilion 22cwa 21.5in monitor, black + decker toaster oven & pivot hand vac, jcp home blanket, covington anne booties (sears)
-- i bought these booties with some christmas money, but i'm on the fence about keeping the black ones... haven't figured out an outfit they work with. the grey ones are great though! i mean, the quality of the internal construction is kinda low..but if i'm wearing them, people aren't going to know, nor do the imperfections cause any discomfort. so i think they were worth the $15 i paid for them.

dorel living faux marble lift top storage coffee table (by the way, this is the couch we bought last year, mentioned it but didn't photograph it. those two pillows on the side came with it along with the two on the couch, but they aren't really our thing..)

march favorites

hi guys! not many things to share this month... but alas, here ya go! ~Lin-chan ^.~
favorites:

1. nyc metro girl unscented makeup brush cleanser -- omg you guys! this is a really nice brush cleanser! only issues with it are that it takes a bit more effort for liquid foundation brushes, and the packaging is a bit small for larger powder brushes, but this works great!
2. ecotools brush cleanser -- this works surprisingly well. i don't like the $8 price tag though. i'm also not a huge fan of the bottle design either, some of the excess when you stop pouring and squeezing drips down the side pretty easily. this worked well with foundation brushes containing liquid as well as brushes containing powder.
3. tony moly my little pet eye patches -- omg can we get stock in these? this was such a great and relaxing product. these are a gel-type eye patch, and came in their own hard case, so they didn't get messed up inside of the package or anything. these felt super relaxing and the under eye area felt much better. can't wait to get more of these!
4. not pictured: nails inc nailkale superfood base coat -- this is actually a pretty good product. it might be a little gimmicky because of the kale trend, but i do think that this says what it does. it's supposed to help with nails that split and stuff, and i feel like after using this alone for a couple weeks, it started working out. the first week or so, i was still getting splits, but now it's not too bad. and it goes on a nice glossy clear, so i sometimes wear 1-2 coats of this alone.

random favorites:

1. tokidoki 2016 calendar, march -- unicorno is like my favorite tokidoki character, and more specifically i love sakura! so it's super exciting that my favorite character is featured on my birthday month!
2. ski queen gjetost cheese -- this is norwegian goat cheese. and this is not a recent favorite--i may have mentioned this on here before. growing up, my norwegian great-aunt would always buy literally brick sized blocks of this stuff from the norwegian church and would give us some. now, the $8 we spend at whole foods on this stuff will add up, so i don't get it very often. but this cheese is my absolute favorite for snacking. usually, i only eat this as is, or on some buttered toast. i'm not going to bother trying to explain the taste of this..because i'm not really sure how to do so..but i'll just say that anyone who we've offered this to (other family or friends) did not like this cheese. so i do not advise you to spend money on this without trying it beforehand, and be sure to use a cheese plane to cut it!

meh's:

1. real techniques brush cleanser -- this stuff sucks and is not advisable. this brush cleaning palette came with two of these packettes and the first one barely got a foundation-filled brush clean. the scent is another thing, while nice, this formula did not work so well.
2. real techniques brush cleaning palette -- this is an interesting one. it's got its pro's and con's relative to the sigma oven mitt, but i think i'd rather keep a hold of this than the spa glove. i like how easily it can hold water or soap inside of it, as well as the different textured sections to agitate your brushes. i don't like that it takes over your entire hand, so you basically have to remove the thing before you can wring out your brushes, because it feels awkward to do so. but otherwise, it works well and i liked using the ecotools cleanser with it.
3. etude house my beauty tool -- first off, the sponge piece kind of weirds me out, and i don't want to use it for acne and bacteria reasons. second, i wish that the bristles and sponge were not interchangeable because water gets caught up in there whenever i go to wash the bristles. now, i wanted this brush as a test to see if i liked this style of brush--since the artis brushes look and sound amazing. and at the end of the day, i really like using this but i do have some issues. the bristles are nice and soft and product glides on the face pretty smoothly. i don't like that i have to consciously not use too much pressure for fear that the neck will snap off the handle. i do like the $14 price tag vs. $50+ for an artis brush. i don't like that it's so tiny--but it does get the job done. overall, i will continue to use this until i accidentally break it or the bristles begin falling out, but i think it was a great trial run before committing to an artis brush.
1. also, if you want a discount toward an artis brush (not sponsored!), my work has a coupon for beautybar.com: $15 off $60 plus free shipping, i believe it is for new customers only (you could still try otherwise), BENEPLACEBB. you're welcome! ^_^

march hauls

hi guys! not too many things to haul this time, considering my birthday was last month and i threw most of the stuff i got into that post..but here's everything else! ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

apple watch -- redeemed this year's healthy living incentive from work! got this for free....ish, i have to pay taxes on it. [not pictured: i also bought skintomi matte skin screen protectors and a clear tpu bumper case for the watch.]

ulta: tony moly mud & bubble sheet masks, panda's dream & my little pet eye patches, birthday freebie: benefit roller lash mascara mini

sephora: clinique great skin, great deal set for combo-oily skin, marc jacobs birthday gift, code freebie: benefit dew the hoola

blacquer, kiss kiss bang bang

ulta: anastasia single shadow in labyrinth, soap & glory sugar crush scrub & smoothie star body buttercream, tree hut sugar scrubs in lychee and plum & marula and jasmine

target: loreal color riche eyeshadow in pain au chocolat
bed bath & beyond: real techniques brush cleaning palette, ecotools brush cleanser
marshalls: holika holika pig nose blackhead kit
sally's: dermectin-tc sheet masks in purifying and pore refining, mystic divine luminous shine hair mask

sephora:500 points: tarte rainforest of the sea set (lights camera lashes, lip splash lipstick in beach bum, deep dive cleansing gel, marine 4-in-1 boosting mist, & water foundation sampler); not pictured: shiseido facial cotton

pain au chocolat, beach bum

beach bum -- sorry for the terrible swatch photos. the formula of this is so amazing that it broke, when swatching it on my arm before i even got to wear it. so i didn't want to bother retrying it.

february target beauty box

hi guys! i was able to get my hands on the february target box! yay~! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. soapbox coconut oil shampoo (2oz--mini, ret. $5.99 for 16oz [$0.75]) -- this smells awful. you'd think that two products with the same scent should smell the same...they don't. this smells super artificial and almost banana-y..??? that's so weird.
   repurchase? no
2. soapbox coconut oil conditioner (2oz--mini, ret. $5.99 for 16oz [$0.75]) -- this is very reminiscent of white rain coconut hair products, something my parents would use when i was little. can't wait to try it!
   repurchase? maybe
3. ecotools mini shower pouf (ret. $1.97) -- yay! a new pouf!
    repurchase? maybe
4. mayfair soap foundry body cream in sea lily jasmine (ret. $8.99 for 5.5oz) -- this is similar in feel to loccitane hand creams, maybe slightly thinner. the scent is really nice, slightly fruity (maybe the sea lily?) and i really like it.
   repurchase? maybe
5. skinfix lip repair balm (ret. $4.99 for .35oz) -- this is one of those thin, slippy, oily balms. not my favorite, but still usable. doesn't absorb super fast, but still doesn't feel balmy on the lips.
   repurchase? nah
6. loreal advanced hairstyle boost it texture spray (ret. $3.99 for 4.2oz) -- has a pretty decent scent. it is chemically, but not super offensive. this more or less sounds like a volumizing spray moreso than texture, but it goes in the roots too, so maybe? are they the same? haha. i'll try it out though.
   repurchase? dunno
7. vera wang embrace green tea & pear blossom perfume (sample, ret. $29.99 for 1oz) -- i'm not sure this is really me. i do like it, but it's a little on the floral side, which i'm not a huge fan of.
   repurchase? nah
8. inococo nail polish applique in second nature (ret. $4.99) -- can't wait to try these out!
   repurchase? maybe
9. derma e hydrating night cream (.5oz--mini, ret. $25.99 for 2oz [$6.50]) -- this has a very nice scent, it's a relatively thick cream but feels like it'll be very moisturizing.
   repurchase? probably not.
10. laneige bb cushion sample card (ret. $34 for .5oz) -- can i get another... again...? really?
     repurchase? no
11. $3 off $15 coupon

approximate product value: ~$28

review: influenster #FrostyVoxBox

 

hi guys! today, i bring you my review of my influenster* #frostyvoxbox! ~Lindsay-chan ^.~ [click here for the impressions post]

coupons also included in the box, but not photographed below:
$0.55 off a celestial seasonings box of tea
$2 off boots no7 protect & perfect advanced or intense advanced serum at target

 
black liner, sugar plum lipstick
 
left: black liner (waterline) & sugar plum lipstick
 

• beauty
1. rimmel london (see review post)
1. gentle eye makeup remover -- this isn't the worst product i've ever tried, but it's pretty sad when a product cannot remove makeup from the same brand.
   repurchase? hells no.
2. scandalEyes kohl kajal eye liner in black -- this is still my favorite pencil for the waterline!
   repurchase? absolutely
2. nyc color expert last lip color in sugar plum -- i actually enjoyed this lipstick. the formula is nice and i love the color on me. lasting power is kinda meh, but that's to be expected. it didn't transfer onto my teeth when i talked or smiled. i still don't like the cherry-ish scent, but it is forgiven, and i might look into purchasing more.
   repurchase? probably
3. boots no7 protect & perfect advanced serum -- i really enjoyed using this serum. compared to most serums i've tried, my face feels super sticky and looks shiny after using them. this one applies more like a lotion and dries matte. i think it's great for using under makeup in that respect. i'm not super keen on the scent, but it's bearable and dissipates within a few minutes.
   repurchase? maybe
4. ecotools styler+ shine finisher hair brush -- this brush sucks at its job. yeah it's winter and its dryer outside..but this is nola and it's humid. this brush did not "fight" static, it created it! it was awful. this brush didn't feel all that special or particularly gentle. and it was kinda annoying and painful when a few strands of hair got caught in the ferrule (metal piece connecting the handle to the paddle).
• i typically air dry my hair so i'm not sure, but i think the ecovent design thingy is something beneficial while blow drying? i'm not sure.
  recommended? absolutely not!
• food:
1. celestial seasonings candy cane lane decaf green tea -- this tea is so yums. every time i've gone to the grocery store (here and back home), i have not found it. i'm soo sad. i may have to amazon some......... anyway, just opening the packet and smelling the dry tea, it was super yummy. i love not straight green tea. like all the blends, yes. straight-up green tea, blehhh. you can't tell it's green tea because of the near overwhelming peppermint taste. but that's ok, because that's how i likes it!
   repurchase? yes!
2. mccormick gourmet all natural thyme -- i still think thyme is thyme. and apparently i've already been using this brand and variety of thyme for some time --hah, see what i did there?!-- but dried herbs are dried herbs..?
   repurchase? well i use thyme..and mccormick seems to be the only brand of thyme that is sold here...
3. red vines fruit vines bites in strawberry -- this were only ok. they're pretty terrible for your teeth and they're the worst choice for those with braces. this stuff got stuck in my permanent retainer and ugh was it annoying. they are "super soft" but the texture's still really weird. it's not like a gummy and it's not like a usual licorice that you can buy in the grocery stores. this is more like a european style licorice that you can get at like world market or something (haribo-esque?). the flavor was ok. it wasn't your typical artificial strawberry--i'm not really sure how to explain it... anyway, i didn't like these at all.
   repurchase? no

#rimmel #sugarplum #sweetside #getadvanced #celestialtea #mccormickgourmet #lovemyecohairbrush #frostyvoxbox

disclosure:
I WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS POST, HOWEVER I DID RECEIVE A SAMPLE FOR MY REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN AND NOT INFLUENCED IN ANY WAY.

*Affiliate Link.

impressions: influenster #FrostyVoxBox

 

hi guys! i'm super excited to say that i got selected for another influenster* voxbox! this time i received a bunch of goodies: food and beauty! ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

i will have an updated review post for you guys later.

coupons also included in the box, but not photographed below:
$0.55 off a celestial seasonings box of tea
$2 off boots no7 protect & perfect advanced or intense advanced serum at target.

black liner, sugar plum lipstick

left: black liner (waterline) & sugar plum lipstick

• beauty
• rimmel london
• gentle eye makeup remover (4.2oz, full size, ret. $4) -- i've been interested in trying this remover. it seems to be water based, not oil-based. so we'll see how it holds up to my current favorite.
• update: i used it to remove my swatches. this stuff CANNOT remove their own eye liner without intense scrubbing. wtf. not gentle whatsoever.
• scandalEyes kohl kajal eye liner in black (.042oz, full size, ret. $4) -- you guys know i already love this pencil. this makes #3 in my stash. 
• i am disappointed though that the pencil was open and the tip broke all over the inside of the box though........ and of course, i forgot to pack my pencil sharpener.
• nyc color expert last lip color in sugar plum (.11oz, full size, ret. $2) -- i've never tried their lipsticks before, and this one is a super pretty metallic dusty rosy color. two complaints right off: a) it reeks of artificial cherry scent and i hate all things artificial cherry; and b) the packaging design: the bullet doesn't twist all the way down into the tube, so like half the product is sticking up when it's brand new.
• boots no7 protect & perfect advanced serum (.01oz, sample, ret. $30 for 1oz [$3]) -- i'll have to get back to you on this one...
• ecotools styler+ shine finisher hair brush (ret. $10.99) -- this is a really nice (fully synthetic) "boar bristle" type brush. i can't wait to start using it!
• food:
• celestial seasonings candy cane lane decaf green tea (2 tea bags, ret. $3.39 for box of 20 [$0.34]) -- i luff teh green tea, and if this is peppermint-y green tea, that'll be super awesome to try!
• mccormick gourmet all natural thyme (.62oz, full size, ret. $5) -- thyme is thyme? i'm not sure what makes this thyme more gourmet than regular thyme.........
• so after checking the apartment, we already have an open bottle of their gourmet thyme. so yeah...
• red vines fruit vines bites in strawberry (5oz, mini?, ret. $3 for 10oz [$1.50]) -- yes. yes! yes!!! they gave me strawberry! if i got the cherry..i'm not sure what i'd have done. bleh! but i'm excited to try these. i love licorice and fruit snack products. too bad i can't open them now and eats them, i got my wisdoms out today...booooooo.

approximate voxbox value: $30.69

#rimmel #sugarplum #sweetside #getadvanced #celestialtea #mccormickgourmet #lovemyecohairbrush #frostyvoxbox

disclosure:
I WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS POST, HOWEVER I DID RECEIVE A SAMPLE FOR MY REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN AND NOT INFLUENCED IN ANY WAY.

*Affiliate Link.