Dollar Shave Club Review

  Every now and then I get into a good roll with couponing, but more often than not I use a coupon or two to buy something I really need and then pay full price on everything else.  One item that I loathed spending so much money on was razors!  Razors and cartridges are so insanely over priced.

  I decided to look into some of the the online razor subscription services and heard really good things about Dollar Shave Club.  It was difficult to find a lot of reviews written by women, but considering I tend to prefer men's razors anyway I decided to give it a try.

  For my first month I decided to try "The Executive" which is their most expensive razor at $9.  $9 includes the razor handle, 4 cartridges, a sample of one of their shave products and shipping.  I find that to be an awesome deal!

  I received my first shipment 3 days after ordering it. The packaging was well done but considering my legs needed some TLC I quickly opened it.  It was packaged beautifully and the handle itself reminds me of a Shick Hydro 5.  The razor blades themselves have 6 blades, which if you look for 6 blade razor blades in the drugstore, the price tag can be well over $15.

  I personally use this razor for my legs, armpits and upper thighs.  It worked beautifully on all 3 of these areas, and I can also see it working well for the bikini area as well, but I get that area waxed.  This razor provides a nice smooth shave and I don't have to go over any area more than once, which is awesome.  Unfortunately, no matter what razor I use my hair grows back quite quickly, but this gave me smooth legs until my next shower/shave the following evening.

   Since I only use this on those few areas I am thinking of trying out the $6 razor, The 4X, which has 4 blades and a pivoting head.  If I was shaving my bikini area I may stick to The Executive, but for my legs and armpits I am going to try The 4X and then I will be able to compare the two.

   Another feature about The Dollar Shave Club that I love is their referral program.  For every person who uses your link to sign up, you get a $5 credit to apply towards your subscription or your purchase of one of their products.  My boyfriend signed up shortly after I did using my link so my April box will cost me only a $1!  If you are interested in giving this subscription service a try, please consider using my link!  Then after you sign up, use your link to get your loved ones to sign up.

Would you be willing to give a razor subscription service a try?

Cruelty Free Faves So Far- Lips Edition

   It's been a while since I've posted an installment into my "Cruelty Free Faves So Far".  So far I have done face makeup and eyes.  Today's post focuses on lips!  I found lips one of the easiest beauty categories to find cruelty free favorites in.

Chapstick

*The Honest Co. Organic Lip Balm in Lavender Mint*

I don't even remember when I received this balm, but it was quite a while ago.  It stayed in my collection unused until a few months ago and it's been LOVE ever since.  It's very emollient without being too greasy or sticky.  The scent is nice, yet not overwhelming.  If you are to try any Honest Co product, I would recommend this as the first one.

Lip Gloss

*Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker*

I have only one of these in the color Rare Berry.  It's not your typical lip gloss packaging, but when applied on the lips it does appear quite glossy and lightly pigmented.  I really want to try more of these lip colors from Silk Naturals

*ELF Essential Super Glossy Lip Shine*

I have quite a few of these $1 glosses, but this shade in Goddess is my absolute favorite.  These are a bit on the sticky side and not really pigmented, but they add a beautiful sheen and shimmer to the lips and act as a nice topper to nude or pinky lip looks.  For only $1 how can you resist?

*Younique Lucrative Lip Gloss*

This is the most opaque of my favorite glosses and acts more as an actual lip color than just a lip gloss.  However, this does provide a very glossy finish and is a bit on the sticky side.  This color in Loveable is the perfect milky pink and a great compliment to smokey eyes.

Lip Liner

*Younique Moodstruck Precision Pencil Lip Liner in Pouty*

I must disclose that this is the only lip liner I own, as I am not the biggest fan of liners.  However, with the massive popularity of the Kylie Jenner lip, I had to get my hand on a liner and THIS is the perfect Kylie lip liner.  It's a great 90's inspired color yet is still flattering.  I really love this color and actually want to experiment with more of their lip liners.

Traditional Lipsticks

*Milani Color Statement Lipstick*

I'm not a huge lipstick fan as I usually find them very drying, but this is a great exception.  Milani lipsticks are insanely affordable and also insanely pigmented.  This one in High Voltage is an amazing Marilyn Monroe inspired red.

*Too Faced Le Creme Lipstick in Naughty Nude*

This lipstick I bought after the makeup artist used it on me for my birthday party.  This is a beautiful nude lipstick that is a bit more brown than a typical nude.  It's very creamy, yet long lasting.  Plus, how beautiful is this packaging? 

 * Lipstick Balm/Pencils*

*Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil*

During the Sephora Friends and Family sale I purchased the little tin of Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencils and I am ever glad I did!  This berry color, Rhubarb, is my favorite of the group.  These are super high pigmented and because it applies like a pencil you can get very precise application.

*ELF Matte Lip Color*

I got this when I saw a Youtube video where this was used to slightly overdraw the lips for a fuller look.  I haven't yet worked up the guts to exaggerate my lip size, but I do really like this is a base layer for a creamy nude gloss or lipstick.

*Liquid Lipstick*

*Mally Beauty High Shine Liquid Lipstick*

I have a few of these and they are such an interesting texture.  They apply like a gloss and have the sheen of a gloss, but have the pigmentation and lasting power of a lipstick.  I heard these are available at Ulta now so I would go play with these ASAP!

Have you tried any of these lip products?  If so, which one is your favorite?? 

Cupcakes and Cashmere Book Review

    I love a good lifestyle book, as some of my previous book review posts may show (Mally review, The Every Girl's Guide to Life).  What I love even more is when a fellow blogger "hits it big" and gets a book of their own published.  This is the case with Emily Schuman's "Cupcakes and Cashmere".

   My local library just got this book and I had to snatch it up.  I didn't know much about it other than I love Emily's blog and it was an all in one life style book.

   When I got this book home I finished it one sitting and a few hours.  It's such a beautiful book with a lot of great information!  I am considering purchasing it for my first coffee table book at the new place!
 
   This book was broken into seasons and for each season there is a fashion section, beauty section, home section and entertaining section.  The information for each section is quite useful and the photography is just so beautiful!

Here are some of my favorite tips by season!

Spring

For each season Emily includes a closet checklist, a must have wardrobe list for each season!  I definitely took notes on this section!

One of my favorite sections from spring is tips and tricks on how to shop at flea markets.  Flea markets seems to be all the trend in Brooklyn lately, so I may have to head on down to shop with my new arsenal of shopping tips.

There's also a great article on organizing your closet.  I love watching closet organization videos on Youtube and this is another great resource.

Summer

My favorite idea from the summer section was this Summer Nostalgia Party.  Get some friends together and serve kool-aid and push pops and bring out the skip-its.  I don't have a lot of friends who have outdoor space, but you better believe I will find one and have this little party!

The summer section had a beautifully photographed article on organizing your bookshelf.  As a book nerd I love a beautifully style bookshelf and this article had some great tips to keep it from looking like a library.

Fall

I've always loved the look of tights or of patterned tights and the fall section had a beautiful article on how to pick the right pair of tights for the right outfit.

Fall also had a great article on how to take a good photograph.  I always hate the way that I photograph so I will be putting some of these tips into effect!

Finally, winter

With a foot of snow heading my way, this article on layering was of great help!  So often my layered outfits come out bulky instead of sleek.

There was a great article on how to find art on the cheap.  As I have to buy EVERYTHING for my new place, cheap art is definitely going to be helpful!

All in all, I LOVED this book!  If you have ever read Cupcakes and Cashmere or really just enjoy a beautifully photographed book, I highly recommend this!

Book Review: Love, Lashes and Lipstick by Mally Roncal

    I don't know about you, but when I can't find anything on tv I automatically turn on QVC or HSN.  I've purchased quite a few things from both networks, but I must say I prefer QVC.  One of the biggest reasons why I prefer QVC is because of Mally and Mally Beauty.  If you have never watched Mally, I urge you to find out when she is on QVC next and sit back and enjoy.

    Mally is adorably happy and confident and gorgeous.  Her makeup line is fantastic and she is the makeup artist to some big stars, including Beyonce.  When I found out that she wrote a book I automatically snatched it up from my library.

   Mally's book, Love, Lashes and Lipstick: My Secrets for a Gorgeous, Happy Life, is part self-help book, part autobiography and part makeup book.  It's a very quick read and a book that I must say actually made me happy reading it.

  Mally, whose real name is Melissa (more of a reason for me to love her), tells her life story including the death of her mother from breast cancer.  She tells how her mother knew she was going to die so squeezed a lifetime full of memories into a few short years.  I must admit, I cried while reading some of this chapter.  Some people can be very bitter about suffering such a loss in their life, but Mally used it to create something beautiful in her life, which is very admirable.

   Mally also shares stories about her start in the makeup industry.  She stresses the fact that no job is too small and to say yes to everything.  You never know when a small opportunity can lead to a big one, or if you can meet someone life changing (she met her husband on a list minute shoot) by just saying yes.

   Dispersed throughout the book are pages with makeup tips and tricks.  There were a few that I really liked.

The first makeup tip I liked (and already started using) is the "starburst" mascara tip.  When I normally put mascara on I bring the wand towards the outer edge of my eye, giving a cat eye like effect to my lashes.  Mally says to bring the lashes towards the bridge of your nose which gives your eyes a more open eyed effect.  I've been doing this and I really like the result!  Especially under my glasses and with tired eyes, this does help my eyes look a bit more awake.

The second tip I really liked is her natural eyeliner tip, which it turns out is a tip I've been using for quite a while.  Mally says to use a darker liner on your top lash line and a lighter shade on your lower lash line.  This gives a more natural look and also helps cut down on such a stark contrast on your under eye.  For my daily use I prefer using an espresso brown on top and a bronze on bottom.

All in all, I must say I really enjoyed this book and I think next time I see Mally on QVC I will enjoy watching her even more.  

Have you ever used any of Mally's products or watched her on QVC?