What’s on my… October 10th

Posted on October 10, 2013 by kenziedegen

Hi all! It’s been a while since I wrote up one of these, as I’ve been busy with starting my new job, and catching up on the last round of September subscription boxes. I hope you’ve still been actively reading and seeing the spoilers I’ve been releasing and are as excited as I am for the October ones to come piling in!

What happened this weekend/earlier this week

I went to the Islanders Home Opener Game! I went with K and some of his family members to the opening game at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night and it was PACKED! It was a great game, with pretty close seats and was pretty nail-biting up to the last minute in overtime. Unfortunately, they lost in a shootout, but it was definitely a good opening game.

I got a much need mani/pedi. I always try to delay getting my nails done due to spending money every 1-2 weeks, but I just love feeling pampered and having an hour to myself of relaxation. Plus, I get a cute new color and design each time! This week I went with Essie “where’s my chauffeur,” a light teal color, with some silvery sparkles on my ring fingers.

Mondays are now FREE MEDIUM ICED COFFEE days at Dunkin! I got a coupon in the paper over the weekend, and so you can definitely say I’m getting one every Monday morning before hopping on the train.

What’s on my plate

I have to be honest… I’ve been craving ethnic food like crazy lately. By that I mean, classic Indian, Thai and Japanese foods, straight from the restaurant/chef. There’s just something about doing it yourself that it’s not quite as good as when you order out. Maybe it’s the weather change, who knows!? A few nights ago, I devoured Thai tofu and veggie red curry. Last night, I had some Thai pahd see ew noodles, and today, for lunch, I chowed down on some brown rice sushi! I can’t help it, I’m addicted.

What’s on my To-Do List

Besides making it to the weekend, I have a few subscription boxes and products to blog about! I had quite a few beauty and makeup items come in from Ulta, as well as my Blush Mystery Box (well, bag), which I’m excited to share with you all. This is going to be a jam-packed, busy month in terms of boxes and blogging as I have some new ones coming in later this month as well!

xo, Kenzie

Ipsy October Sneak Peeks!

Posted on October 4, 2013 by kenziedegen

Interested in what you may get in your 2013 October Ipsy Glambag? Then look no further! They released a ton of spoilers and sneak previews so that although you don’t know which ones you’ll get, you can sum up an … Continue reading →

Blush Mystery Box ~ September

Posted on September 25, 2013 by kenziedegen

Hi all! So I got a brown box in the mail a few days ago containing that usual black drawstring bag and all of the items in my Blush Mystery Box (which, in my opinion, they should call it mystery bag). I popped it open and decided to check out the info card and see all the details…

The curator this month was Sarah Strand of Pop Beauty, a cosmetics company. Of course that meant the feature product would be a Pop Beauty product, and then she picked 6 others to go along side it.

While I do like this Pop Beauty Pouty Lip Crayon, I actually got the same exact one in my July Ipsy Glambag, and got two similar pink Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blushes in my August GlossyBox. I mean, I’ll definitely use it, however I’m overrun with these products at the moment.

Next to that is a little black tube of Brad Biophotonic Skin Care Ultra Peel. This product is to be applied like a face scrub/mask and used to get rid of dry, dead skin and reveal fresh, new glowing skin. This sample-size tube looks like it will last anywhere from 2-5 applications, and I’m intrigued to test it out…

For any nail polish fanatics, I received this teal lacquer by LVX which is a new company to me, but apparently is high-rated. While I wish I got the burgundy color that is on the info card, I’m sure I’ll test this one out, or pass it onto a friend as it’s a bit bolder than I’m used to.

Next up is Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. If any of you remember, last month in my August Blush Mystery Box, I got an Anastasia Water-Proofing Mascara by this brand, which is supposed to be applied to make non-waterproof mascara stable in wet conditions. This one is to be used to clean up your eyebrows and ‘keep them in place’.

Next to that is Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Dry Shampoo. This sample sized product, like many other dry shampoos, is meant to freshen up day-old hair and soak up any unnecessary oils. It’s great for on the go or weekends away, so I’m sure it’ll get use when I stay at K’s house for a long weekend.

I first heard of Amtactin from Beauty Army, and looked into it to see that it’s a whole line of skin care/lotion products. This one specifically is a clinical-strength foot cream, meant to intensely hydrate rough, dry, and callused feet. This will be much needed after commuting back and forth to the city with boots and heels all week.

Finally, we have this deluxe sampler kit from Racinne Skin Care, which includes Ultimate Youth Power Lotion, Serum, Eye and Neck Creams. This set of 4 anti-aging products are meant to work together to reduce lines and wrinkles, remove uneven spots and refresh skin to look young and lively. Full size, they are pretty pricey, and so although I don’t really use/need anti-aging yet, I may test them out to see their strength.

Here’s the whole set of products from my September Blush Mystery Box (plus a sample)! I’m so-so with this box as I don’t really need anti-aging products or any more lip blushes/crayons, but I know I’ll find use with many of them either personally or for gifting.

Interested in Blush Mystery Box? Sign up here for $25 reoccurring monthly or $35 one-time charge.

xo, Kenzie

Allure Must Have Box ~ Fall 2013

Posted on August 13, 2013 by kenziedegen

So, the other day, this GIANT box… oh and I mean giant box, arrived at my house. Another notch on the ‘mailman thinks I’m crazy’ list, but hey- I was anxiously waiting for this box to arrive! So what is it? The Allure Fall Must-Haves box! Allure picked out the best of the best beauty, body, hair and makeup products and put them for sale at an awesome price of $39.99 (came out to $55 after tax and shipping). And I can definitely say this was over $55 worth of products… plus it sold out in 10 minutes!

So, I organized the products into a few categories to make it easier to read and identify (rather than 23 individual pictures). So, here are my Nail Products. I received a Sally Hanson Salon Manicure Cuticle Eraser & Balm, which is supposed to remove dry cuticles and moisturize your nail beds pre-polish. Next to that is another Sally Hanson product the Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Laced Up, a grey-and-white pattern. The dark Purple polish (hard to tell the color from the camera lighting) by Sation is a great deep fall color, called Winey Happy People. Last but not least, we have the Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure in Mermaids Tail. I am so pumped to try out this color, even though I’m not a huge glitter fanatic.

Next, we have the Body Prep and Grooming Products. Once again, we have a lot of Sally Hansen, but I don’t hate it! Going clockwise, we have Cetaphil DailyAdvance Lotion Ultra Hydrating. While it’s not very glamorous it’s apparently really hydrating and long-lasting. Next, we have Skintimate SkinTherapy Sensitive Skin Shave Gel, which is a brand I’m already a big fan of. This one combines shave gel with lotion for a totally smooth shave. For parts you don’t want to shave, there is the Sally Hansen Ouch-Relief Wax Strip Kit. I’m a little scared to actually use it myself, so I may force/encourage one of my friends to rip the strips off. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs is basically makeup for your legs. I’ve used the aerosol spray before, but I usually choose gradual self-tanners, as they last longer than a few hours. Then, to go with the shave gel and lotion is a Schick Hydro Silk razor! Comparable to Venus and Gillette, this is a great razor with 5 blades and cushions.

Now, Haircare! There are a ton for this group… the general idea seems to be heat protection, smoothing and strengthening, and intense moisture.

We’ll start with the GK Hair Oil to protect against humidity and fight frizz, and next to that is KMS California Hairstay anti-humidity seal weatherproofing formula and heat protection. Goldwell StyeSign Magic Finish Spray is the biggest bottle, full of a radiant gloss hairspray to protect and enhance shine. Redken (great brand!) All Soft Argan-6 Oil for silky softness when you’re hair feels dry or weak, and their Redken Satinwear 02 Prepping Blow-Dry Lotion is for a stress-free blowdry and heat-protection. Finally, we have the hair masks: Carol’s Daughter Monoi Reparing Hair Mask is used for less breakage and to undo damage, and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask is for moisture and protecting against breakage.

I’m definitely using alllll of these products!

Now, onto the Face and Makeup Products. A few I’ve tried before, and some are brand new to me! Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer is a lightweight day-to-day lotion, made for 12-hour lasting usage. I’ve been using the Neutrogena brand for a long time, and so I’m always open to acne-fighting products. This Oil-Free Acne Wash is not too strong, and perfect for clearing pores and eliminating oil. There is also a Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Night Moisturizer, a retinol formula with vitamin C to even out discoloration and balance your skin. Pixi Eye Bright Liner is a whitening and brightening liner supposed to be used inside your eyes to make them look bigger and more awake. Burt’s Bees Revitalizing Lip Balm with Blueberry and Dark Chocolate is a whole new level of Burt’s Bees! I’ve used their menthol products and fruity flavors, and so this antioxidant blend sounds great. Redermic R Eyes is a Dermological Anti-Aging Eye Corrector, a retinol and caffeine formula to fight crows feet and wrinkles. RoC Multi Correxion Nourish Stress Repair Eye Cream is a nourishing eye cream to reduce signs on aging and stress. Plus, they threw in a free sample!

So, woah! Those were a lot of products! Did anyone else purchase this amazing box of goodies? I can only imagine what their Winter collection will feature!

xo, Kenzie

SquareHue ~ Salute Collection

Posted on August 6, 2013 by kenziedegen

More Nail Polish!? Could it be!? That’s right… SquareHue is a monthly subscription box service for all of you nail polish lovers out there. Each month, you will receive a box containing 3 unique colors, each fitting within the theme of the month. And this one happened to be “Salute”.

I received this box in late July, and had almost forgotten it was coming. So when I noticed it had arrived, I eagerly opened it up to see what would be inside. I loved the “Hue” stamped on the box and the simple, neat packaging. Three- .5 fl. oz. containers were neatly lined up, under a postcard with showed a few details about SquareHue and to check out their website for more details. I do wish the card included the color names or a few lines of info.

I decided to get a little artsy with my photos for this box. 🙂

First up, we have Valor, which is a creamy army green shade polish. I wasn’t as fond of this at first sight, but it’s beginning to grow on me, especially as it goes well with my complexion.

This royal blue polish called Patriot has a nice bit of shine to it. It’s similar to the color I recently got in my GlossyBox, however it seems to be the color of the season!

And finally we have the metallic, semi-glittery Honor as the last polish in the collection. This one is definitely my favorite and a real attention grabber.

All three polishes have a great texture to them and are easy to apply. I like that there is a combination: a cream polish, one with a sheen/gloss, and another that is glittery. I’m not a huge fan of green polish/haven’t really tried it out before, but I will definitely be testing these each out. I really like the gold shimmery polish, Honor. I can see myself wearing it for events like the 4th of July or New Years Eve.

What I love about SquareHue, besides the quality polish and unique colors happens to be that they give back to communities, foundations and those in need. Their current focus is on Human Trafficking: Currently a portion of all monthly subscription proceeds will be donated for prevention awareness, the protection of trafficked victims and the prosecution of human traffickers. Find out more here!

Interested in SquareHue? You can sign up now and get your first box for $14.95 + s/h per month, which comes out to $19.95 total per month! (normally $21 + s/h)

xo, Kenzie

BlackBox by Cult ~ July 2013

Posted on July 31, 2013 by kenziedegen

~ Enter my NibNaks Giveaway Here! ~ For the longest time, I was getting acrylic tips done at the nail salon and so I could not properly enjoy doing my nails myself… until now! I got in touch with the … Continue reading →

Wantable ~ June 2013

Posted on July 5, 2013 by kenziedegen

Call me the beauty blogger of subscription boxes, but I always get an adrenaline rush when I know a surprise box filled with makeup, hair and body products are arriving! I love snacks (well, food in general) and working out (these two seem to contradict each other, oops!) but trying new products, and getting ones I love from renowned brands is my specialty.

So where am I going with this? The Wantable Beauty Box subscription of course! Wantable is a subscription box company that allows you to choose between two different options: beauty or jewelry and accessories. For me, a no brainer, I want all the mascara and lipstick in the world! And so Wantable was lovely enough to send me a complimentary box to review… so here we go!

First look: Always my favorite part- I love companies that use cute packaging!

They include an invoice that shows your preferences as well as shipping and contact info in case you would like to return anything. One of the great things about this company is that if you are not satisfied, you can return the items!

The items I received were:

Lise Watier Eyebrow Essentials in Brunette: A two-tone palette of brown eyebrow powder to use to fill in this brows, and add definition! I love the case it comes in, a classy metal snap-close case, along with a brush to use. I definitely will be using the lighter shade, but the dark one will have to wait until the wintertime.

At first I started jumping up and down thinking this was liquid eyeliner (my life staple!) and then I steadied for a second and began to read the packaging.. hmm Manna Kadar Transfix Eyeliner. I was thoroughly confused for a good few minutes until I realized that you use this formula and brush to turn dry eyeshadow into liquid eyeliner! Mind blown. Now I have a use for the crazy weird eyeshadows I’ve been getting in gold, purple and blue.

I really liked the packaging for the Besame Cosmetics Classic Color Lipstick in Coral. The little bag made it special and seem like a prized possession while the box reminded me of old-school, classy Paris. I actually don’t have any lipsticks or glosses that are coral-colored so I’m intrigued to give this one a try!

This Cala Retractable Blush Brush is great! It feels like a good-quality brush, and it has it’s own case/cover to slip it back down into so you don’t get powder all over your bag. I may end up using it for foundation since it’s on the bigger side, but my current brush is getting a bit old, so I will definitely be using this.

I’ll be honest, I don’t really do sparkly or shimmery nail polish (which I’m pretty sure I marked as a dislike) and so when I saw that I got the Rainbow Honey Nail Lacquer in Pink Cloud (a pink glittery polish), I was kinda bummed. When looking at some other bloggers boxes, I wish I had received the EcoTools false eyelashes or FACE Stockholm Volumizing Mascara (or even one of the other polishes, like the skinny white bottle I’ve been seeing), however Lara Eurdolian (creator and curator) and the Wantable crew did well with the rest of the items and I give them props for that. I’ll find a friend who enjoys glitter more than myself so that she can enjoy the polish.

Finally, there was a Apothederm Serum Sample (with Gift Card) which is a good size to try out the firming serum, and if I do end up liking it, I get $25 off any purchase of $75 or more.

For $36 per month (or $40 one-time buy) I think this box was well worth it, and if you don’t agree, at least you can send it back or change up your beauty profile. Sign up by clicking my link here!

xo, Kenzie

Stylish in Suburbia

Tag Archives: nail polish

What’s on my… October 10th

Blush Mystery Box ~ September

Allure Must Have Box ~ Fall 2013

SquareHue ~ Salute Collection

Wantable ~ June 2013

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: