February Birchbox

My exact thought process upon opening this box was “Oh, this looks ni- OMG THANK THE FUCKING GODS! DRY SHAMPOO!”Having really gotten in to running (separate blog posts for that to come) and yet wanting to maintain straight hair on the rare occasions I do flat iron it; dry shampoo has been a miracle for me. I have the Amica shampoo and conditioner and I’ve tried Klorane (the tint is strange) and I’ve tended towards the Amica brand right now. It leaves the least amount of strange smell and residue and actually makes me feel cleaner without losing all that work of straightening my hair. Not to mention as I have mixed chick hair; frequent washing turns my hair in to straw. This made me SO happy.

Yeah, I don’t have much of an opinion on the rest… I’m all about that dry shampoo.

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July 24, 2014 atthequillsmercy

July Birchbox

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil

RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer – Relic

RUFFIAN Dressing Room Nail Lacquer Remover Towelettes

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask

I think Birchbox knows me too well, sending me things for my hair and nails, which are things I know how to use off the bat. With the weather being what it is and me spending time outdoors and in the water so much, my hair has needed some extra love. The hair mask was timely. ^_^

I do miss getting little chocolates and such. Maybe next month. (hint hint)

July 1, 2014 atthequillsmercy

May 2014 Birchbox

It’s late and I’m playing catch up here. Here’s what was in my birchbox for May:

COOLA Environmental Repair Plus® Radical Recovery™ After-Sun Lotion

Marcelle New·Age 8 in 1 Power Serum

Harney & Sons Wrapped Tea Sachets

PIXI Beauty Shea Butter Lip Balm

Nexxus® Color Assure™ Pre-Wash Primer

I am in LOVE with the PIXI lip balm. It’s just enough shine for me now that it’s hot and I stopped even attempting to wear makeup. It all just melts off anyway but I do like to have a little bit of pizzaz to my already lovely face.

The rest I haven’t tried yet but the tea will probably end up at iced tea figuring that it’s JULY and hot as ballz (aren’t I a lady?).

Tomorrow will be June’s box. I’ll try not to fall behind again.

April 18, 2014 atthequillsmercy

April 2014 Birchbox

Again Birchbox offers food! 😀 Yet, I am meh about this one. I dunno, I feel like I shouldn’t get healthy things after getting chocolate last time. ;D

This month’s box has nail polish, an eye pencil, color safe shampoo, and lip/cheek color. I got silver eye pencil which I have no clue how to use. I use black or brown when I use eye makeup at all. I am also probably the only woman who doesn’t use color safe hair stuff. As for the nail and lip stuff? Sure. I could always use more. I like painting my nails when it’s warm out. 🙂

This box felt like I got less than usual but I’m happy with it. I hope I get more stuff in next month’s box. 🙂

February 27, 2014 atthequillsmercy

Indie Gift Box -The Librarian

I got a random email in my inbox that I didn’t delete on reflex because it offered a librarian themed Indie Gift Box. Since it’s just one box I figures why the heck not. Lessie what they’ve got.

I’m pretty pleased with it. 🙂 I like that the bracelets aren’t bulky, which is great for using the computer all day. The lip balm is always welcome, and I think that bookmark is now my new motto. I need a little case for the handkerchief (for glasses wiping of course), and I am beyond thrilled with the earrings. They are too adorable for words. They remind me of broaches my grandmother used to wear.

If there’s ever another themed box that particularly strikes my fancy, I may nab it since this one was so cool. But not too often as I’m trying to cut down on my random monthly boxes. But this librarian gives her stamp of approval on this one.

February 24, 2014 atthequillsmercy

Back from vacation! With Photos.

I’m sure everyone missed me terribly while I was off for Winter Break. 😉 But Lenni’s back and here’s one of the projects I did to keep the kiddo busy that didn’t involve a screen: Homemade Lip Balm.

I got all the supplies from Amazon pretty cheap. Including the tubes and a new measuring cup to use just for this; it was about $50. For 25 tubes, that’s about a buck a tube and since they’re for my personal use, I can refill them.

I used a cup of beeswax and three tablespoons of coconut oil. I literally splashed a bit of almond and tea tree oil in there just for fun with no measuring.

I put two tablespoons of the shea butter in, too. I didn’t NEED to, per se but hey, why not?

I used the double boiling method as suggested by several blogs. That second picture there was me wondering if this stuff was EVER really gonna melt.

But of course, it did.

In the end I filled every tube with some left over that I tossed in the first receptacle I had within reach; which is why there’s cupcake wrapper shaped ones. It made a fabulous mess and the tiny funnels I bought were a waste. The balm dried and clogged them up. In the end, I just poured directly into the tubes. With a steady hand, it wasn’t as hard as you’d think.

Unfortunately, the final product is WAY too hard to use on my lips. I think the shea butter made it that way but I can’t be sure. You may think I wasted all this time and money on lip balm I can’t use but nope! I have also been searching for a suitable product to use on my dry heels and elbows and this stuff? A fucking miracle. I should have summer ready feet in no time.

This is not something I’ll be making to sell on my site. This is a budget project; a test to see if making my own simple beauty products will save me money. My lip balm addiction is well known among my friends so this seemed like the logical product to start with and with a little tweaking, I’m sure I’ll get the formula right so I don’t have to buy ChapStick in bulk anymore. :p And hey, $50 to keep the kid busy for a good solid hour? With a little lesson in science? Can’t go wrong with that.

May 1, 2013May 7, 2013 atthequillsmercy

Girls Night In Cravebox

Yeah, I know I’ve been doing a lot of Cravebox updates lately but I keep winning them and this one is very cool.

There’s instant coffee, nail polish, lip balm, hand lotion, fruit water, and refreshing health pads. Right off the bat, this is the BEST box so far because of the $50 towards a purchase at Naked Wines. Discounted booze? You had me at hello. 😉

The first and easiest to try is the water. From the first sip, I could taste the fake sugar and I didn’t like it. Then again, I’m a snob and like green tea extract in my water and sugar free teas. I couldn’t even get through the whole bottle and ended up tossing it.

I have had good experiences with most instant coffees. They are a great option for when you need an emergency pick-me-up and have nothing but hot water to make coffee (which happens to me at work all the time). Mixes like this tend to be presweetend and have milk already in them so if you’re out of sugar or milk, you can still get some caffeine in you and not scream at people. 🙂

Since the weather is getting warmer, I have an excuse to do my nails so expect to see pics of my hands and feet. :p

Also? I am SO probably going to drink all that wine myself. What can I say? My muse must be Bacchus. XD