Birchbox October 2012 - Unboxing

I received my Birchbox on 10/11/14, delayed by 1 day due to construction on my street. The theme for this month is Obsessions / Fandom, where the Birchbox staffers and editors share their passions and want the subscribers to share theirs in any number of ways online. These products are supposed to be some of their favorites.

L to R: Shower Gel, Eye Liner, Lip Cream, Eye Cream, Fragrance

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream – I am always interested in trying out new eye creams, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips – After the kiddo finished giggling about the name, I did put the tiniest amount of this on my lips. It spread very easily and evenly and kept my lips moisturized for quite a while. I'm just not quite sure yet what makes this different than, say, Aquaphor.

Essential Elements Wake Up Rosemary

Shower Gel – The kiddo and I both enjoyed the smell of this very much. Even though it says it is rosemary shower gel, you can really smell the mint in it more. I can see this really waking you up in the morning, but also calming you down at night before bed.

Harvey Prince Petaly Noir – Whenever I get a perfume sample on a card, I always spray it on the card to sample it. I did that this time and was totally overwhelmed with just a single spritz. This is a very heavy, very floral fragrance. It did seem to mellow out a little as time went on, so I will give it a chance at least one day this week, but it is not the type of fragrance I usually go for.

Lord & Berry Paillettes Glitter Eye Pencil in Black – This is a small sample of a black glittery eye liner. It's very cute, but that also makes it hard to work with. Also, black is pretty much the only color eye liner I don''t use, so I don't know how much use this will be to me. I may give it a shot, though, since the sparkle in it, with a light hand, might be able to come off as more of a gray, a color I do wear.

After I test these samples, I'll post some reviews, or at least include my thoughts in a future empties post.

*Note: My camera is not the best, so aside from the box picture, all others are taken from the company websites.

Blogging about Beauty

Recently, I've become very interested in beauty products.  Or, I should say, more than I have been, since I have been subscribing to Birchbox for several years now.  It all started because I saw a Lip Product Addict Tag video. The first question in the tag is “What is your most eye-catching red?” I realized that I didn't have any true red lipsticks, so I started searching the web for the best red lipsticks. The one that came up most was MAC Cosmetics' Ruby Woo.

A MAC Cosmetics store moved into The Gallery, which is the mall attached to my train station. I would walk past it every day after it opened and it was mobbed! I had never been exposed to MAC before, so I really didn't know anything about them or why everyone loved it so much. So I did what I always do, educate myself. I searched for MAC, and up popped hundreds of videos just about their lipstick alone.

At my next opportunity, I stopped in and looked around. I was able to try on Ruby Woo, then had to run to catch my train. That night, I looked it up online to get the price, and found that there were drugstore dupes out there that many people thought were almost as good for just a fraction of the cost. Since I wasn't hugely comfortable in lipstick that bright yet, I thought it might be a good idea to try out one of the less expensive options. When I found a well-liked one for only $2, I knew I had found my red lipstick.

But this got me thinking about other MAC lipsticks. There were so many videos and blogs with lists of MAC lipsticks, but also many, many lists of drugstore dupes for MAC lipsticks. Since there were others in the $2 line, I decided to pick up some others that were routinely considered favorites.

At this point, I have a pretty strong collection of dupes going, and even started branching out to dupes for brands other than MAC. See below for my current list.

MAC Brave – NYX Round Lipstick in Thalia

MAC Diva – Wet N Wild Cherry Bomb

MAC Plumful – Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve, Maybelline Colorsensational in Bit of Berry

MAC Rebel – Wet N Wild Sugar Plum Fairy

MAC Ruby Woo – Wet N Wild Stoplight Red (can also be used for Riri Woo and Russian Red)

MAC See Sheer – Rimmel Colour Rush in Not an Illusion, Flower Cosmetics Lip Service in Sheer Snapdragon

MAC Syrup – Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey, Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink
MAC Viva Glam V - Maybelline Colorsensational Nearly There

DIOR Dior Addict Lip Glow – Pixi Beauty Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink

This interest in drugstore dupes expanded my interest in makeup in general. I've been able to share this with the kiddo, which is fun. I've been exploring different techniques and makeup based on internet recommendations and instructional videos.

I will be blogging more about beauty products with the help of the kiddo.  A lot of topics, at least initially, will be influenced by what I have already seen online.  But who knows?  Maybe I'll be able to throw out something new.

The Planets by Dava Sobel

Those who know me know that I will read anything I can get my hands on. If it looks like something I might like, is a topic I want to learn more about, or even just something I run across when I'm bored, I'll read it. I have only put down around 3 books unfinished (that weren't required reading in high school- British Lit kicked my butt). So when I struggle to finish something and choose to do other things than read, it's a big deal.

I recently read The Planets by Dava Sobel. We had picked it up, if I remember correctly, at Dollar Tree. You might be thinking, a dollar store book? What did she expect? Well, my family has actually had pretty good luck at discount stores, particularly with Punk Rock Dad by Jim Lindberg (the lead singer of Pennywise).

It wasn't that long, less than 250 pages excluding the glossary and index. I love astronomy and minored in it in college. I will read anything I can on the subject and will resort to textbooks if need be. I thought this book would be a quick, easy read. It even had pictures on the hardcover below the book jacket. Needless to say, I was optimistic.

I was completely mistaken.

The author's writing style made the subject very confusing, which I found remarkable since I already knew most of the information. It felt like the author was trying to be overly complicated in the language, like I needed to have a dictionary next to me to understand what was being said. I had to read many sections two or three times to make sure I was following. And again, this was knowing most of the content trying to be conveyed!

Even with the bad, there was some good mixed in. Two chapters stand out in particular. The book was about the solar system, so each chapter was devoted to a major body. The chapter on Mars was interesting because it was written from a first person perspective (not saying who in case someone chooses to read it after this). The section on Neptune and Uranus was mostly in the form of a letter between famous female astronomers. I think the change in perspective for these two sections gave the text an easier feel. It still provided all of the information, but it was not like reading stereo instructions written in iambic pentameter.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed in this book. Based on the cover and subject matter, I had hoped to pass it on to my daughter. After reading even just the first few pages, I knew I couldn't do that.

The Wrestler

View Date: 12/11/09

In this film, Mickey Rourke plays an old professional wrestler past his prime and just trying to eke out a living. He attempts to bond with his estranged daughter and start a relationship with a stripper from his favorite club. But after suffering some major health setbacks, he is advised not to wrestle again or it may kill him, which then removes his only means of income.

I totally understand the hype this movie received, particularly for Mickey Rourke. After his careers as a boxer and actor, he is perfect in this role. You can really feel for his character, even when he is not deserving of sympathy. Marisa Tomei was amazing as a stripper, and looks at least a decade younger than her actual age. Evan Rachel Wood was also very convincing as the estranged teenager pissed off at the dad who essentially abandoned her to travel with his job.

I have watched plenty of professional wrestling in my time, and have even read several memoirs written by wrestlers. This film let me in on some of the secrets used to make the shows exciting. While the performances may be staged, there is a large amount of physical pain involved. It also shows how hard of a living it can be, particularly on the lower tier circuits. So, although this movie was fictional, it was obviously based in fact and provided me with an education.

10 words or less: A must see for both the acting and story.

Smart People

View Date: 12/11/09

Dennis Quaid plays a widowed professor known for being an exceptionally tough grader and grouchy in general. Ellen Page portrays his daughter who is just like him, while his son wants to have fun at college, not just be a know-it-all. When his adopted brother comes to visit, he bonds with the daughter and tries to get the family to loosen up a bit.

Quaid’s character runs into a former student in the hospital and they begin to date. She gets him to open up a bit, but he still mourns his wife. He is also very self-centered, and does not realize how much the people around him need him.

My description above just doesn’t do this movie justice. While it is not a comedy, it does have several funny moments and others you just have to shake your head at. Quaid played the part of an overweight, middle-aged man impeccably. He altered his walk and developed a bit of a shuffle, and perfectly portrayed the pompous college professor who truly believes the rest of the world is dumber than he is. Overall, the acting was superb throughout.

I wound up really liking this movie, and am glad in the end that I watched it.

10 words or less: Accurate portrayals in a really good film.

I'll Be There

View Date: 12/10/09

This movie, starring Craig Ferguson and Charlotte Church, is about a former rock star that discovers that he has a daughter. Turns out, the girl can sing beautifully, which makes sense as she is played by the beautiful and talented Church. However, she needs to keep her talents hidden as her mother disapproves and prefers her to focus on her studies. But singing is in the girl’s blood, as both her father and grandfather make their livings that way, and she cannot be held back.

This was a cute comedy with quite a lot of British talent. I have been a big fan of Ferguson for a while now, and think he is one of the best talk show hosts on the air currently. This movie was no exception, and this role suited him well.

I wasn’t too keen on Church’s acting in the movie. Her singing was impeccable as always, but that is her true talent. I hope she continues to pursue her singing, but I can live without her acting any more.

10 words or less: More Ferguson is always better.

Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus

View Date: 8/9/10

This movie, starring Deborah Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas, is obviously about an ultra-large shark and a giant octopus. After being released from an iceberg, the two giant beasts wreak havoc on various natural and man-made entities. The shark, identified as a previously extinct megalodon, launches itself thousands of feet into the air to take down a passing 747. The scientists finally realize that these two were frozen while battling each other, so the only way to take down either it to restart the fight.

As expected, this was a god-awful movie, but that's exactly why people watch this. The acting was pretty hideous, but not nearly as bad as the special effects. Of course, there is the required romantic interest and the ensuing entanglements, which lead to a scientific cooperation and saving each other. They left it open for a sequel, one which I will not be watching if it ever gets made.

10 words or less: On the level of SyFy Channel original movie bad.