Sampled Out by Spring

I’m taking a cue from my friend Jenn over at Sparklezandstuffz, and issuing myself a challenge to use as many deluxe and foil samples as I can before the official start of Spring!  I have under a month so there’s no way I’ll get through everything but I’ll tackle what I can.  Any deluxe samples I try will be reviewed on upcoming Love It, Like It, or Lose It posts.  Anything I don’t get to will be packaged up and taken to my local Women’s shelter.

Here are the categories and their participants:

Hair

Hair Products

 

• L’Oreal Color Vibrancy Shampoo and Conditioner
• Schwarzkopf Diamond Color+Radiance Shampoo and Conditioner
• Bamboo Volume 48-Hour Spray

Makeup

Lipstick, Mascara, Primers…

 

• YSL Vinyl Cream in “401, 402, and 405”
• Milk Makeup Lip+Cheek “Perk”
• Clinique Almost Lipstick “Pink Honey”
• MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Mascara
• MAC Zoom Lash Mascara
• MAC False Lashes Mascara
• MAC Strobe Cream
• MAC Prep+Prime
• Clinique Super Primer
• Coola Daydream Mineral Primer
• L’Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur
• Makeup Forever Step 1 “Hydrating” and “Smoothing” Primers
• Lancer Glowing Skin Perfector
• Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer

Skin Care

Cleansers and Moisturizers

Cleansers

• Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
• MyChelle Refining Sugar Cleanser
• GlamGlow Powermud Dual Cleanse Treatment
• Olay Makeup Remover Wet Cloths
• Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads
• MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
• Too Faced Mascara Melt Off
• Caolin Premium Hot & Cool Pore Pack
• Lancer The Method Cleanse
• Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask, and Balm

Moisturizers

• Murad Pore & Line Minimizing Hydrator
• Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture
• Lancôme Visionnaire Nuit Beauty Sleep Perfector
• Dr. Jart+ Night Beauty Balm
• Origins Night-A-Mins Skin Refining Oil
• Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream
• Korres Wild Rose Brightening Oil
• Algenist Sublime Optical Illuminating Moisturizer
• Tatcha Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer
• Strivectin Advanced Retinol Night Moisturizer

 

Serums and Eye Treatments

Serums

• Skin Inc Vitamin C Serum
• Skin Inc Hyaluronic Acid Serum
• Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum
• Dior Capture Totale Dream Skin
• Dior One Essential
• Equitance Brightening Serum+Spot Corrector
• Skin Ceuticals Reservaratrol B E
• Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum

Eye Cream

• Avene PhysioLift
• Wilma Schumann Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads
• Shiseido Ultimune Eye
• Kiehls Abyssine Eye Cream+

 

Masks, Peels, Scrubs…

Treatments, Exfoliators, and Masks

• 7 Wonders Himalayan Camellia Pore Minimizing Mask
• Karuna Hydrating+ Face Mask
• Sephora Lotus Mask
• Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
• Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask
• Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Hydro-Plumping Mask
• Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
• Real Chemistry 3 Minute Peel
• Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel
• Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic+Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel
• Lancer The Method Polish
• Kate Somerville Exfolikate
• Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment
• Cane+Austin Miracle Pad+
• Farmacy Skin Dew Hydrating Essence
• SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

Bath and Body

Lotions and more!

 

• Jergen’s Wet Skin Moisturizer
• Up&Up 5 Blade Razors
• Curel Itch Defense Body Wash
• CeraVe Healing Ointment
• Aquaphor Healing Ointment
• Hustle Butter Luxe Multipurpose Cream
• Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
• Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream
• Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream
• Aveda Hand Relief Night Renewal Serum
• L’Occitane Delightful Rose Hand Cream
• Brazilian Bum Bum Cream
• Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream
• Ahava Dermud Intensive Hand Cream
• L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelette for Body

Well there you have it!  Sadly, this doesn’t even touch on what I’ve actually accumulated but it’s a start none the less.  Looking forward to seeing how much I can get through (and fingers crossed I don’t break out)!

 

 

 

February Birchbox

The latest Birchbox showed up in my mailbox a couple of days ago and contained the following:

• Balance Me Congested Skin Serum
• Davines SU Hair & Body Wash
• Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+
• Juliette Has a Gun “Not a Perfume”
• LAQA & Co. Avo Lip Butter in “Ninza”

Since the Avo Lip Butter is, well, called a butter, I was thinking it was going to be pretty sheer.  I was wrong.  This is a full-coverage lipstick!  Applied straight outta the tube this deep berry shade is way too dark for my liking, however after heavily blotting with a tissue it made for a beautiful berry pink lip stain.  The other makeup item I received was a BB Cream from Dr. Jart+ in shade “01 Light-Medium”.  Here’s to hoping Dr. Jart+ comes out with a shade “00 Fair” or something because I found “01” to be a bit too dark unfortunately.

Juliette Has a Gun “Not a Perfume” is definitely intriguing.  It contains only a single note: Cetalox.   It is very unobtrusive and ideal for those who are sensitive to fragrance.  I find it pleasant enough but as I prefer fragrance with a bit more “oomph” (like gourmand or woody scents) this one won’t be a purchase for me.

I’m definitely looking forward to using Davine’s SU Hair & Body Wash this summer!  It’s supposed to prevent and treat hair damage from the sun and also soothe sun irritated skin, so it’s certainly something this fair skinned girl will be reaching for.  I don’t get breakouts often anymore (knock on wood), but they do still happen so I’ll be reaching for the Congested Skin Serum from Balance Me as soon as one does.

Overall a great box with lots of new-to-me products and a $10 off promo code!

February Allure Beauty Box

I know I’ve raved about the Allure Beauty Box before (probably several times actually) but I just can’t help it.  It’s my favorite for good reason!  This month’s box contains 2 full-size products (with a combined value of nearly $60), a beautiful smelling candle, and skincare to make you glow!

As far as the skincare goes, I have already tried and loved First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Pads.  They instantly remove dry and flaky skin without any irritation and are a major last minute rescue.  I also received Olay Eyes Pro-Retinol Eye Treatment to reduce the appearance of the lines and wrinkles I’m really starting to notice.  (Eek!  Let’s nip these in bud shall we?)

The full-size cosmetics I received are the Cargo Colorstick in “Champagne” and Beautycounter Lengthening Mascara.  Can’t wait to see how the Cargo stacks up against my current favorite highlighter, Watt’s Up by Benefit!  And I know I’ve mentioned I have what may be the world’s shortest lashes so I’m happy to put this lengthening mascara to the test too.  Also included was a deluxe sample of GrandeLips Hydrating Lip Plumper. I was blessed with full lips so I personally have no need for this, but I have several friends who are always on the lookout for great new lip plumpers, so I’ll be gifting this to one of them!

Last but certainly not least, my nose was greeted with the scent of roses the second I opened the box.  A tea light sized Red Flower Moroccan Rose Candle was inside!  I used to use their body oil all the time and this little candle smells just as lovely!

What I’m Reading: French Country Cooking

While browsing the New Release section the other day, French Country Cooking:  Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards caught my eye.

“Amid Mrs. Thorisson’s recipes are stories of the home’s past, as told to her by previous owners and village old-timers.  Readers will learn tales of multiple generations of cooks together in the French country kitchen.”  Wall Street Journal

I’m only about a quarter of the way into this book and so far I’m in love…  with the author’s house!  In the first few pages she describes the home, its history, the antiques she found hidden away, and… cue jealousy!  It’s my dream to live in a huge old house and to spend my days hunting for antiques to fill it with.  But I digress…

I’m also loving the recipes of course!  It was my unfamiliarity of French cooking that caused me to grab this book off the shelf in the first place.  Each recipe is preceded by a story or some history (which I love) and many of the recipes are more familiar and simpler to prepare than I expected.  Note that I said “many of the recipes”.  Not all.  Take Everyday Pear Cake for example.  Both familiar and simple.  Far Breton?  Simple but not familiar.  (It’s a custard cake with rum and prunes.)  Cassoulet?  Sounds familiar but definitely not simple.  (Do the French typically have goose fat on hand?)

The photography is beautiful. (Food photography. Being good at it is a life goal of mine.)

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I intend to read through the rest of the recipes and then settle on a couple of the unfamiliar but simple ones to test out first!  Happy cooking!

 

 

January Allure Beauty Box

Allure proves once again why they are my favorite beauty box and consistently the best valued.  This month’s box contains 2 full-sized products along with other products I’m over the moon for too!

The full-sized products are a Doucce Freematic Eye Shadow Palette with shimmery plum, matte black, pearly white, and slate gray shades, and a Burt’s Bees Lipstick in “Blush Basin” which is a very neural and wearable shade described as “rosy-nude”.

Next up are two products I have already tried and liked!  I received dry shampoo (which is a major hair care staple of mine) from Oscar Blandi and Dr. Brandt’s Microdermabrasion to help me deal with my dry and flaky winter skin.

Finally, who doesn’t love face masks and new makeup brushes?!  I received a sheet mask from BioBelle in #Beautyscoop which is their hydrating and line-reducing mask, and a travel-size Sigma E70 Medium Angled Shading Brush.

Absolutely love!

January Birchbox

January’s Birchbox theme is “New Year New Perspective” and is described as being full of products that will make you “feel like the greatest version of your (already great) self.”  Let’s see what what we’ve got! 😀

• ARROW Endure Water-Resistant Mascara
• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
• NUXE Moisturizer Cream Crème Fraiche de Beaute
• PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing & Repairing Shampoo (plus bonus sample packet of conditioner)
• Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
• ORIGINS GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream (bonus sample packet)

The things I’m most excited about are the Living Proof Dry Shampoo (I believe I’ve discussed my serious love dry shampoo previously.  Several times probably.) and the Sunday Riley Lactic Acid Treatment.  The Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment gets rave reviews from people with problematic skin so I’m hoping it does something, anything, for the cyst I’ve got on my chin right now!

Described as being a drink of water for the skin, the NUXE Moisturizer Cream will be the first thing I slather on tomorrow morning!  Lately I have just been a dry and flaky mess.  My face feels like it’s going to crack and even my scalp is getting in on the dry and flaky action.  I guess I should count myself lucky to have received the Parlor Shampoo  since it’s sulfate-free and thus not as moisture stripping as traditional shampoo.

Last but not least is the ARROW Mascara.  It’s vegan!  I don’t typically seek out vegan products but I appreciate them and will happily add them to my routine when the opportunity arises.  It’s also water-resistant which means I can be my sappy self and tear up while watching tv, reading, scrolling through Pinterest…  and not end up looking like a raccoon!

 

 

Target Beauty Box – January

Target released two beauty boxes this month but I was only able to get my hands on the $10 one.  There was a couple of things in the $5 version I would’ve liked to try, but these always sell out very quickly so I’m just happy I even managed to get the one!

This box contained:

• Beautiful Nutrition Lemon Clarifying Treatment
• Nexxus Comb Thru Finishing Mist
• Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion
• Chapstick Total Hydration Sugar Scrub
• AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion
• eb5 Facial Cream
• Revlon Kiss Balm in “025 Fresh Strawberry”
• L’Oreal Revitalift Volume Filler Serum & Cream (sample packets)

Overall I really like this box! I always enjoy trying out new lotions and skincare but I’m most excited about the lip scrub, tinted balm, and hair care this time around.  I wish Target would do a subscription program!

Sur la Table Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Mix Review

I love (and prefer) baking from scratch but will readily admit that there is a time and a place for box mixes.  My local Sur la Table had their Pumpkin Spice box mixes on major sale a while back so I grabbed a couple different varieties.

Quick side note… Did you know that BAKED (the famed Brooklyn bakery) makes the box mixes especially for Sur la Table?!  I have a couple of their cookbooks and their recipes are awesome!  Onward…

These Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spice Donuts were very simple to whip up.  They required only the addition of eggs, water, and oil to the batter and the cinnamon sugar packets that were already in the box.  11 minutes later my kitchen smelled delicious and I was sprinkling cinnamon sugar over warm cake doughnuts.  They were moist and springy and tasted as good as they smelled!  I won’t hesitate to stock up the next time I find their mixes on sale. 🙂

 

 

 

Beautylish Lucky Bag 2017

My Beautylish Lucky Bag arrived over the weekend!  This was my first time purchasing a Lucky Bag and I’m so happy I did!  I debated about it last year but ultimately chickened out, ($75 isn’t chump change after all), but then regretted it later when I saw some of the great things my friends received.

In case you’re not familiar with Lucky Bags –

The online beauty store Beautylish offers a limited number of Lucky Bags every year in late December.  This year they also offered an XL Lucky Bag with $300 worth of products for $150, but I didn’t have the nerve to go for that one!  These are the goodies I received in my regular bag:

 

• IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (value $24)
• Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Water (value $7)
• Clean Apothecary Brush Shampoo (value $15)
• RMS Beauty Magic Luminizer (value $38)
• Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 5 in shade “10” (value $48)
• Becca The One Perfecting Brush ($49)

That’s a product value totaling just over $180!  Lucky bag indeed. 😀

Cheers to the new year and may yours be filled with luck and beauty!

Ham and Bean Soup

Several days after we had ham for Christmas dinner, and despite that we fried up leftover ham with eggs for breakfast and had made dozens of ham sandwiches, I still found myself with a sizeable container of leftover ham.  So… the only logical thing left to do here was to make Ham and Bean soup!

This is a super simple recipe that can be whipped up from start to finish in 30 minutes thanks to using time-saving canned beans.  Of course though, as with all soups, the longer you let it simmer the better it gets!

Gettin’ started!

Simmering away!

 

 

Ham and Bean Soup

2c leftover cooked ham, cubed

3T reserved fat/drippings

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

½ small onion, chopped

1t minced garlic

4 – 15 1/2oz cans great northern beans (drained and rinsed)

4c chicken broth

1t chili powder

1/2t pepper

Bay leaf

1 – In a stock pot or other large pan, sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the reserved fat and drippings until tender. (Substitute butter if no fat/drippings are available.)

2 –  Remove the sautéed vegetables to a blender and add approximately 1 cup of the broth.  Puree until smooth to get rid of any visible evidence of vegetables and then return to the pot.  (If your family isn’t averse to chunks of vegetables then skip this part! )

3 – Add all remaining ingredients to the pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

Served along side some crusty bread and butter…