My Favorite Beauty Subscription: New Beauty TestTube July 2013

In my previous post, I shared what I got in my last Ipsy/ My Glam bag. I also took pictures for both my Beauty Box 5 and my previous TestTube(May 2013) but I got the latest TestTube on Monday so I decided to share that first.

Basically, New Beauty TestTube is a subscription box that comes 6 times a year (every 2 months). It used to be every season (4 times a year) but they recently changed it. It costs $29.99 a box plus shipping and handling so it costs me $39.99 every time. Yes, it is a lot more expensive than the other subscription boxes but it's really, really worth it. You get higher end products and for the most part, bigger samples and more full sized products. Some of my favorite brands that I got from previous boxes include Tarte, Bare Minerals, Simple, and NeoStrata.

I have been subscribed for a year now and so far, I have loved all my TestTubes. I have been highly satisfied with most of the products and I feel like I'm definitely getting more than my money's worth. AND, they always have bonus products! If you want to sign up for only one subscription box, this is definitely the way to go.

As I mentioned, I only got this 2 days ago so I haven't tried them out yet but if you're interested in finding more about a certain product, definitely let me know and I can do a demo/ review.

Anyhoo, on to the things I got:

MOROCCAN OIL BODY BUTTER (1.7 fl. oz) - I've been having a lot of dry patches on my legs lately so I'm very excited to try this out! It is not as scented as The Body Shop butters which is nice because sometimes, those scents can be too overwhelming. (Retail: $52 for 6.4 fl. oz.)

IT'S A 10 MIRACLE LEAVE-IN LITE (2 fl. oz) - I like how this is in a lite formula. Hopefully, that means that it doesn't feel heavy. I have very fine hair and I find that most products tend to weigh my hair down and leave my roots greasy. (Retail: $18 for 4 fl. oz)

PERLAGE ILLUMINATING PRIMER (.017 oz.)- I've never heard of this product or brand before but this is supposed to have light-diffusing particles to illuminate the face. It also has botanical extracts, vitamins and antioxidants so it works to help the skin deeper as well. (Retail: $19 for 2.0 fl.oz.)

ORLY NAIL LACQUER (0.6 fl. oz - full size) - This is the first polish product from TestTube. They've never included nail products in previous boxes but I think they're expanding the product range. I kind of wish I got a different color just because most of my nail polishes are red. 

PANTENE EXPERT COLLECTION SHAMPOO (3.9 fl. oz.) AND CONDITIONER (2.5 fl. oz) - I've never tried the expert collection line before but I've always been a fan of Pantene. Their products are not harsh, they smell good, doesn't break the bank and the formulations are pretty consistent. (Retail: Shampoo - $7.99 for 10.1 fl. oz; Conditioner - $7.99 for 8.4 fl. oz)

YBF (Your Best Friend) EYEBROW PENCIL IN UNIVERSAL TAUPE (FULL SIZE) - I only noticed after taking pictures that there is a spoolie brush on the other end of the pencil. I'm in the process of learning to do my eyebrows better so this is perfect! The color doesn't seem too harsh but gives just enough color pay off. (Retail: $12)

TARTE PURE MARACUJA OIL ROLLERBALL (0.6 fl. oz - FULL SIZE) - Oils have been all the rage lately and Marajuca oil is just one of the many kinds out in the market today. I've never tried it before but I find that oils are very hydrating without being heavy and sticky. This particular product is packaged in a small bottle with a rollerball so you can use it on your face to hydrate your skin, brighten dark eye circles and even fade out scars and discoloration. I've never tried to use straight up oil on my face before so this should be interesting. (Retail: $17)

LUMENE VITAMIN C + PURE RADIANCE NIGHT CREAM (0.5 fl. oz.) - I've been using the Lumene day cream for a few weeks now. I haven't noticed a big difference but I find that it's a good substitute for moisturizer + sunscreen now that it's summer time. I'm curious to see how the night cream will work out. (Retail: $19.99 for 1.7 fl. oz) Note: I got my Lumene Day Cream in this same sample size from CVS for under $5 but I'm not sure if the night cream is available too)

PHILOSOPHY PURITY MADE SIMPLE FACIAL CLEANSER (1 fl. oz) - Most people rave about Philosophy so I wanted to love previous products I've tried before but for some reason, they're just so-so to me. I'll try this one and see if that changes things. (Retail: $32 for 16 fl. oz.)

BONUS PRODUCTS:

Here are all the products all together:

Isn't it awesome? I can't wait to try out my new products! 

Also, when you sign up, you get a catalog of all the products including brand information, product ingredients and directions on how to use them; As well as a subscription to the New Beauty Magazine which is full of news and reviews and everything related to the latest and best beauty products. Bonus feature: You can view your magazine digitally on your tablet too!

What do you think? You can sign up for the TestTube here if you'd like. Sign up soon so you can get the next one! :)

PS. If you are interested in signing up, I have referral links to get you $5 off your first TestTube. Leave your email below if you'd like me to send you the link!

On The Wild Side (My Glam by Ipsy June 2013 Bag)

Hey guys! So I know this is a little bit late but I still wanted to share with you what I got for my June Glam Bag (Ipsy) in case you're thinking about signing up for it. I love, love, love beauty subscriptions because it opens up my world to products that I wouldn't know about or try if it didn't come in them. 

Right now, I am subscribed to My Glam, Beauty Box 5, and New Beauty Test Tube. I am also gonna be sharing what I got in the other two in the next posts if you're curious about them! I'm actually cancelling my Beauty Box though. I'll tell you more when I talk about June's box.

Anyway, I am particularly happy with this month's glam bag. It come's in around the 15th of the month so I'll try to share July's bag as soon as I get it.

So on to the items.....

As usual, it comes in the pink bubble mailer. And in case you didn't know, every month, you also get a small make up purse! This month's purse is a leopard print bag with neon green zipper. It's made out of water resistant material so it's perfect for bringing to the beach or the pool!

There's a PURPLE GEL LINER BY CAILYN (retail: $21) - I love the packaging on this! The top part comes of and reveals a brush. SO convenient! I've never really used colored gel liner before but I think this might be good for summer days when I want to wear a little liner. It would be a little bit softer and more subtle than black.

J. CAT SPARKLING CREAM PALETTE (retail: $4.49) - This one, I'm not crazy about. It's basically just glitter in a palette. I THINK Ipsy is coming up with some kind of costume makeup contest so I think this one's in line with that. Not sure what I'm gonna use this for. Halloween maybe? Or it could be fun for holiday make up.

There's also NYX ROUGE CREAM BLUSH IN ORANGE (retail: $6) - I love NYX products! I've never tried their cream blushes before and this one's pretty good. Cream blushes are perfect for the summer since generally, cream make up holds better in the heat. The color pay off's pretty good too. I love this shade as well. It's perfect for my summer tan. Woot-woot!

And then there's STARLOOK'S LIP PENCIL in TIPSY (retail: $12)- This is one of those things that I'm glad I get in subscription boxes. This lip liner is in a really pretty matte peachy-pink color. It's something I wouldn't necessarily pick up but I'm excited to try. I think it's gonna look really pretty with a nude-ish lip gloss on top.

Lastly, I got the PSSSST! INSTANT DRY SHAMPOO (retail: $5.99) - Cute name, huh? I love dry shampoos and have tried a few from different brands. This one works as well as others but I'm not fond of the smell. It kind of smells chemically like hair spray. I don't love it but I don't hate it either. It works, so hey! I'll use it.

There's also the little product and offers card that came with this month's bag. 

There you go. All in all, I'm very pleased with this bag and I'm looking forward to July's! I hear there's gonna be a deluxe size Benetint in there as well as a lip crayon. Woohoo! 

I highly recommend signing up for Ipsy. It's one of the cheapest out there. Not every product is a great fit but you definitely get your money's worth with the stuff that do! The overall retail cost for all the products this month is about $50 and subscription is only $10!)If you decide to sign up, use my referral link, will ya? Sign up here. :)

I hope you enjoyed looking in my Glam Bag! Do you subscribe to Ipsy? Did a particular product interest you? Let me know if you want me to do a review on any of them!

See you next time,

Mary

Oh Hai!

Remember me? I'm still alive!

I know, I know. I dropped off the face of the earth but tssss. 

Here's a little something for you, though. A little Motivation Monday post!

via Pinterest

10 Words

Today's challenge is to sell myself in 10 words. I guess I'll go with 10 of my strengths.

I believe I am...

Adaptable.
Interdependent.
Helpful.
Child-like.
Resourceful.
Efficient.
Open.
Flexible.
Empathetic.
Loud. (You need at least one person who's loud in your team, right? Lol)

There you go. Sold? :)

"Think You're Pretty Special Now?"

Alright, so today's Blog Every Day In May Topic is: Embarrassing Moments.

Darn.

Just like when the topic was things that make me uncomfortable, I almost skipped today but I wouldn't let myself. I've done this challenge for 10 DAYS! That's some sort of record for me. I've been trying to think of an embarrassing moment to share but I just couldn't think of anything to write about. I have two theories as to why this is.

Number one, I don't really embarrass that easy. I'm passive aggressive so I make jokes about myself and my boo-boos before anybody else can. Sad but true. I don't take myself too seriously because I would rather find the funny in my situations than let me embarrass myself further by making a big deal out of things.

Theory number two is that I've blocked out all embarrassing memories. I'm pretty sure things are worse in real life than how I remember them.

So yes, I make an interesting psychological case.

So anyway, the best I can come up with is that time back in the Philippines when I was working as a Front Desk Associate. Part of my job was to assist office applicants so there were continuously people in my lobby. I think it's kind of an unspoken rule where all Front Desk people are visually appealing. I'm not saying I'm some sort of beauty goddess. I'm not. But I tried to carry myself well. I often get people hitting on me inappropriately. No biggie.

So one day, I walk into the office, feeling all pretty in my skirt and blouse and high heels. I walk in and there were 4 men and a woman on one side and 3 more men on the other side, all filling out application forms. I felt them staring at me as I got myself set up in my table. I didn't mind. I walked around a little bit, sorting out paper work and when I was in front of my table, my back turned to them, the girl comes up to me and says, "Miss, the zipper to your skirt is undone." I look down to the side of my skirt and true enough, my skirt was wide open, my underwear in full view. Mind you, it wasn't just open and underwear peeking a little bit. It was "BAM! Look at me!" open. I wanted to die. I ran to the other side of my table and tried to fix it. Turns out, I broke my zipper. I had to ask our security guard to get me pins.

I couldn't look at any of them after that. I don't think I've ever wished for anybody not to get a job like I did that day. I did not want to see them ever again after that. And needless to say, after that, I made sure to check myself extra times before I walk into the office.

Other moral to the story? Always have extra safety pins in your purse.

A Moment In My Day

One of my favorite moments of the day is when I have cleaned my face, put my hair up and I get to decompress from the day I've had. Nothing like some quiet me time.

Happy Friday's eve, friends!

Just A Word of Advice

Trying to make it before the clock strikes 12.

Today, I give you a piece of advice via pinterest.

I hope you had a good hump day!

2 more days til the weekend. Hold on!

I'll Take The Ghosts, You Take The Spiders

I won't say I'm scared of lots of things. As I said in my previous post, I'm a trier. I would try things. Heights? I'd get very nervous but okay. Roller coasters? I'd freak out a little but okay. Ghosts? Meh. I believe in them and sure, they're creepy but I believe that if I respect them, they'd respect me.

Today's topic for Blog Every Day In May challenge is The thing(s) you're most afraid of. 

You know what scares the crap out of me? Spiders. I don't mind other bugs. I grew up in a country where cockroaches [and rats] are normal everyday (well, okay, almost every day) sights. But spiders? No, thank you. Especially not the big black tarantula, bigger than your face looking ones. Ya know? They're too fast and they stand there, staring at you. Mocking you. Like, whatchugonnadonow gurl? UUUUUUGGGGGGGH. I can handle many things. Just not spiders.

And you know what else? I kind of have Trypophobia. You want a crash lesson about what that is? It's this....

Well actually, in the interest of making my blog safe to the eyes, let me just give you this link. Check it out.

Did you feel that? Did you feel the hair on your neck stand in panic? No? Well, then, good for you. You don't have it.

Weirdly enough though, I get butterflies when I look at it but I can't seem to stop looking. So maybe I'm not really scared of them. They're just gross but I'm fascinated. Hmmm.. the wonders of me.

On a deeper level though, if we talk about what scares me, there's two things:

 - Physical pain - I think my pain threshold is lower than most people but it's mostly because if I feel pain and I know that I can't explain it to anybody and that nobody else feels it, I panic. I just straight out freak out and drive myself into full panic. I'm scared of getting hurt. I'm not afraid to die but I'm afraid of feeling pain. Does that make sense? That's also why the worse ways for me to go when my time comes is to die of drowning or burning. 

 - Losing a member of my family - No explanations needed. I know it's really selfish of me to actually wish this but if somebody's gotta go, I better go first. I don't think I can able to handle losing any one of them. I've lost my grandpa and grandma and those were the most painful things I ever had to deal with. Losing my parents or any of my siblings? That would just be the worse thing in the whole world and that'll probably drive me crazy.

So yeah, that's it. Those are the things that get the better of me. Do you have any weird phobias? Do you want to talk about Trypophobia? Isn't it fascinating?

Does Anybody Really Ever Know What They're Doing?

First of all, let me just say thank you for the warm feedback I got from yesterday's post. It was truly emotional for me to publicly profess appreciation for my Uncle. It made it extra special that I got to share it with him and also with a lot of people that we knew in common. :)

Anyhooo, Today's prompt is: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

Now, I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you what I do without actually just telling you my job title OR tell you who I am in terms of what I do with my life. Hmmmm.... tricky.

Let's do both things, shall we?

The first one's easy. I love what I do.

I touch children's lives. I have the power to tell them anything I want. My powers are ENORMOUS. If I wanted to, I can make your kid believe in all the opposite things. I can make children turn against everyone but I can also raise them to become kind people. Which is what I choose to do, you're welcome. I create opportunities for little people so they can discover the world. I create an environment where they don't feel threatened. I create an environment where they learn to be the BEST versions of themselves but also learn that being the best version doesn't mean being perfect. In my world, learning that the sky is blue is not just that. It means learning to differentiate blue and green. It means seeing the sky in all it's glory. Seeing the bugs, the birds, the clouds. Looking at the world doesn't just mean looking forwards. It means you look upwards, downwards, sideways, backwards, and occasionally, upside down too. It also means you know what to do with 15 kids who are hungry for everything, physically, emotionally, and mentally. There's no down time. There's no taking a break. You need to be 100% the whole time even if you don't want to anymore. You need to because 15 fragile human beings depend on you. You just have to.  It means you see the world in it's simplest, purest form because that's the only way your kids see them. But at the same exact time, it also means you see red flags. It means you can determine actual red flags and just personality quirks. It means you are able to provide extra support not just for your students but also their whole family. That's what I do.

For the 2nd one.. hmm...What do I do with my life?

I'm a TRIER. Is that even a word? I don't know. See, I even try words that I'm not sure exist. But yes, I try things. I'm a Jill of all trades. Master of none? Maybe. But I dabble on the most random, most unexpected, silliest, things. My spectrum of interest goes a long range from fashion to food to sports, to games, to photography, to books, to history, to math, to science. I try things because I'm hungry to learn. I'm desperate to find my place in the world so I look into every pathway in the journey. It's both a gift and a curse. A gift because I am able to easily adapt to things. I'm open minded and believe that everything deserves a chance to be tried out. If I find interest, I try it. If I end up liking it, then I keep doing it. If I don't, then I move on. Which makes it a curse. I don't easily develop strong connections to things (even people). I move on quite easy. If I find a hobby and it doesn't work for me, I don't give myself time to get better at it. I just move on to a different thing.

So yeah, I'm a trier. I don't know what to do with this trait yet. But in the mean time, I try to enjoy it. I'm in my mid-20's. That's what this is for, right? :)