I Give Old Navy a Grade of 'B"

Old Navy Review for Influenster Today PROS: Clearance CONS: Some Recent Lines Are Not Well-Made QUICK TIPS: Check the Clearance Racks. Look at the Quality. I like that Old Navy has clothes that fit regular people. I'm 5'7" and about 150 pounds and clothes from 85% of the stores in the mall do not come in sizes big enough to fit me. But they can have some crazy prices for cheap-looking clothes. I've never bought anything full-price at Old Navy. I always shop the clearance section. They used to make high-quality poplin shirts for men and women that lasted me years with no signs of wear, but the pastfew years it seems like the quality of Old Navy's clothes has really gone down. I love the prices, but I don't even look at the current displays, just the clearance stuff. Their pants are great--womens cargo pants, not jeans--but they tend to run short on me and be wider than absolutely necessary, but they have a tie at tue waist so I can cinch them in. I have also found a lot of the older (and definitely higher quality) Old Navy shirts and pants at thrift stores and they are still looking brand new and they last me a long time as well. The same cannot be said of some of the more recent stuff I have bought there. I bought a shirt 2 years ago and it started to come apart after a couple washes. That was very disappointing. Recommend yes

Twistband Hair Ties

Twistband Hand-Knotted Hair Ties I posted thos in Fashionista Reviews on Influenster tonight. PROS: No Dent. No Pulling Hair Out. Great Bracelets. CONS: The originals seem flimsy and the ends fray unless you seal them. QUICK TIPS: Get them on Etsy. First of all, I make these. I sell them on Etsy. I got a lace-printed Twistband in my Birchbox in August or September. One of the ends frayed. I heat sealed the other with a lighter before it could fray. Then it stretched out and faded. Washing it and putting it through the dryer fixes that problem. Then I found out I can get 30 yards of elastic for $11.30 including shipping. I have been making my own ever since. They do not leave a dent. They don't pull my hair out. I heat-seal the ends so they never fray, and I wear them almost every day. Mine do not stretch out as bad as the one I got from Birchbox, either. I highly recommend ones from any seller on Etsy. Do not shell out money for Twistbands or Emi Jays. Recommend yes

Carmex = Bad

Phenol Dries Out Lips less than a minute ago PROS: None. CONS: Drying. Smells Bad. Phenol. QUICK TIPS: Get the mentha lip shines from BBW. Try the Revlon Lip Butters. There are a ton of better products out there. Carmex smells bad, tastes bad, and is bad for you. Really. It's addictive because the phenol and other ingredients in Carmex actually dry out your lips, creating a dependence on the product. I used to use regular Carmex, then I switched to the one in the little grey tube. I didn't know any better. I know a lot of people say it's great, but stop using it for 1 week and see what happens. I switched to the C. O. Bigelow mentha lip shines from Bath and Body Works, as well as Revlon Lip Butters and I have seen a huge dfference in my lips. They are smooth and soft. And they stay smooth and soft. Recommend no

Copy and Paste Fun

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Okay, that's the end of the copy and paste for tonight. I think it's 17 entries from June, July, and August. I'm done for now. I will do more tomorrow. I really just want to get the moving of my blog over and done with so I can start posting new content on this blog as soon as possible. ThePeridotCricket

Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream Birchbox August 2012

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream Birchbox August 2012 Aug. 30th, 2012 at 4:42 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Thursday, August 30, 2012 Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream Birchbox August 2012. Bestest Sample Ever! Rate your familiarity with the Apothederm brand prior to Birchbox. 2 - I know of the brand but do not ... (have not bought any?) When was the last time you purchased an Apothederm product? 1 - Never Rate your familiarity with the Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream prior to Birchbox. 2 - I think I've seen it around What do you think of Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream? 4 - Pretty Darn Good On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend to your friends? 3 - Neutral Are you planning to purchase after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No, not planning to purchase How satisfied were you with the following aspects of the Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream sample? (1 = not at all satisfied, 5 = very satisfied) Sample Size = 5 Sample Packaging = 5 Sample Texture = 4 Sample Smell = 4 Share Your Opinion: It works great to fade acne scars. I'm familiar with this brand and this sample because people received it in their July Birchboxes and did reviews on YouTube. It was also in another subscription box in June or July, maybe Beauty Army. I have never purchased an Apothederm product and I don't plan to in the future. I do have stretch marks on my thighs and my butt from when I was growing and gaining weight as a teenager, but they are exactly the same color as my skin and they don't stand out. I do not need a cream to fade them. I saw this exact sample on YouTube and people were complaining the bottle is only half full. It is a 0.7 oz sample in a bottle that could fit 1.5 oz, so it does look half empty, but I do not mind. In fact, that's what made this sample awesome for me. I filled it the rest of the way with Norwegian Formula hand cream and shook the heck out of it. I love Norwegian Formula because it's the best product I've ever found for softening my hands and I use it for my lips in the Winter when they get really dry. I know stretch mark cream will work to fade any kind of scars, so I decided to use it (mixed with the Norwegian Formula) on my acne scars. It works like a dream. I highly recommend this product used the way I have as a solution to the dark marks left by recent pimples. I chose to say 3 - Neutral for would I recommend it to friends because I would not say go ahead and use the Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream by itself for this purpose, but mixed with the Norwegian Formula it's perfect. I am definitely not going to purchase it because it's $89.00. Wow. That is way too expensive. I would have to say this is my favorite sample I've ever received through Birchbox. I've been subscribed since April 2012, so this is my 5th box, and I have not been this impressed with any of the other samples. Below is what Birchbox says about the Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream. Birchbox Breakdown We’ve gone through our fair share of growing pains (like our regrettable Goth phase back in high school). Yet somehow we managed to escape unscathed—with one major exception. Nowadays, the only signs of our long-gone past lie in our unsightly stretch marks. Enter this sophisticated vanishing cream, which visibly fades the marks on our legs, hips, and stomach that we once regarded as permanent fixtures. How it Works The lush cream tones and reduces the look of both ancient and recent stretch marks alike. Four natural moisturizers—olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and meadowfoam seed oils—leave skin wondrously soft. Meanwhile, the unique SmartPeptide™ system increases collagen production, while licorice root and antioxidant-rich resveratrol fade discoloration. A dose of hyaluronic acid helps with long-lasting hydration. How to Use Morning and night, apply a small amount of the cream onto any trouble zone with stretch marks. Massage into your skin using circular motions, and let the cream dry before putting on clothing.

First Look: Mario Badescu Samples

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 First Look: Mario Badescu Samples Aug. 30th, 2012 at 4:09 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Thursday, August 30, 2012 First Look: Mario Badescu Skincare Samples I filled out the skin type survey on Mario Badescu.com and got an e-mail about 3 days later saying they would like to send me samples if I would provide my mailing address. I received 6 samples for acne-prone skin about a week later. 1. Enzyme Cleansing Gel for All Skin Types 2. Special Cleansing Lotion "C" for C, O Skin Types 3. Ceramide Eye Gel for All Skin Types 4. Aloe Moisturizer SPF 15 for C, O, S Skin Types 5. Glycolic Foaming Cleanser for All Skin Types 6. Drying Cream for All Skin Types C = Combination Skin O = Oily Skin S = Sensitive Skin They also sent a very informative booklet on how to use my samples and a catalogue listing all of the Mario Badescu skin care products. It explains each product really well--the samples I received and all the others they offer--and the prices. I have not had a chance to use my samples yet. They are all nice-sized samples that I will get multiple uses out of, expecially the Ceramide Eye Gel and the Drying Lotion. The Eye Gel is bright emerald green. It looks like the hair gel my grandmother used to use when she curled her hair. The Glycolic Foaming Cleanser is clear, the Special Cleansing Lotion C is bright yellow, and the Drying Lotion looks like St. Ives Apricot Scrub without the grit. It smells kinda like calamine lotion and burned plastic. The Enzyme Cleansing Gel is an opaque light mint green color with bubbles in it, and the Aloe Moisturizer SPF 15 is the same color, but creamier, with no bubbles. I do like Mario Badescu customer service. I got a follow-up e-mail not long ago and I did reply thanking them for the sample and saying I will let them know when I have tried their products. I kinda feel bad now because I'm not more on the ball with changing my skin care routine. I am currently using the St. Ives Apricot Scrub with 2% salicylic acid. Before anyone says something about the apricot grit, I already know it can tear the skin and make acne worse. I am not having that problem. I want to finish up the bottle of Apricot Scrub before I start using the Mario Badescu samples. It seems like it lasts forever. Fortunately, I think there's only enough left for about another week. I am looking forward the most to trying the Glycolic Foaming Cleanser. I am planning to buy from Mario Badescu, particularly the Drying Lotion. After reading the catalogue, I am going to look into buying the Ceramide Eye Gel, too. Their catalogue is fascinating. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Preview: Birchbox August 2012

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Preview: Birchbox August 2012 Aug. 26th, 2012 at 11:49 PM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Sunday, August 26, 2012 Preview: Birchbox August 2012 I started this draft on Wednesday, August 15, 2012. I love the preview of the August box that is available on my Birchbox account right now. It's not the best box ever, but I'm not ticked off about it. I got the shipping e-mail August 10th. It hasn't updated yet. It says no information is available for my tracking number. My guess is I'll be getting my box tomorrow, or it hasn't really shipped and I'll get it 2 weeks from now. Birchbox has been having shipping issues lately. Some people got their boxes really early this month. MissChang22 on YouTube got hers and posted the first video on August 7th. Here's what my Box Page on the Birchbox website says I'm getting. 1. Schick Hydro Silk Razor (Not Shown in Picture) 2. Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss (Box Pick Shows Tan/Orange, Products Listed Below Show Birchbox Pink) 3. Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream 4. SHU UEMURA Art of Hair Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo 5. SHU UEMURA Art of Hair Full Shimmer Illuminating Treatment 6. Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy Le Fleur I am really hoping the Jouer Lip Gloss is in Birchbox Pink. I have 2 lip glosses from Jouer that I got for free by e-mailing info@jouer.com. I got Mirage, which is a smoky pink or mauve color, and Tender, which is orange. I have tried them both and they show absolutely no color on me. They do make my lips very shiny. The Birchbox website's description of the Jouer lip glosses does say they look pigmented but go on sheer. Based on what I have seen, that is definitely true. Completely Sheer. I am looking forward to the perfume sample this month. I've watched every August Birchbox video posted by last night and almost everybody who smelled it liked the Viva la Juicy Le Fleur. It's apparently a very fruity floral scent. I do like fruity scents, so I'm hoping that the fruity notes drown out the floral notes. I think I heard one YouTuber describe it as tangerines, grapefruit, and jasmine. At least it's not gardenia and baby powder like the original Viva la Juicy. The Birchbox description says: The uplifting scent ... mandarine ... jasmine ... As for the Schick Hydro Silk Razor, I am going to use it for my armpits. Last week I did actually buy the orange Bic Soleil razors because they were on sale and cheaper than the Hy-Vee grocery store knockoffs, but it seems like CVS, Hy-Vee, No Frills, and even Super Saver all have their own generic brand with the 3 blades and the handle exactly like the Bic Soleil razors, and for a couple dollars cheaper, so I usually try to get those. I do have a razor fetish, though, so I buy other kinds thinking they are going to work better, and they never do. I will probably not buy the Schick refills with the coupon that comes with the razor in the August Birchbox. I'm trying to cut down on new razors unless I'm really about to run out, and I'm trying to go with the less expensive brands. The Apothederm stretch mark cream was a sample in June and/or July as well. The bottle is actually about the size of my hand and a little more than half as wide as my hand, but the samples people were showing on YouTube were half full. I might add it to my trade list on MakeUpTalk.com. The Shu Uemura shampoo and the hair treatment look interesting. I am trying out different products for my hair right now. I got a bottle of DermOrganic argan oil spray at TJ Maxx a couple months ago. I used it once or twice when I got it, then threw it in the bin with my deodorant and q-tips and stuff. I found it the other day and I've used it a few times. It makes my hair smooth and gets the tangles out really well after I wash my hair. I haven't been using conditioner the last few times I washed my hair just so I could see how well the DermOrganic spray works, but I don't like the smell. I meant to throw it in the trash the other day. It smells like moldy oranges. It's a little 2 oz. bottle with a bright green label. I love it. It works great as a detangling serum but I do not like the smell. Shu Uemura products are way too expensive for me to buy a full-size of any product they offer. The foil packets of the shampoo and the treatment for the August Birchboxes do look to be a pretty good size and completely full. I am looking forward to trying them, but I am not going to switch from using the Organix Brand Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner that I have been using since March. I've had a bottle of Garnier leave-in conditioner for several months and I use it when my hair is still wet after I wash it once in a while. It does work great, but I have to comb my hair 3 times before it dries or it looks shellacked when it gets completely dry. To me it seems like a 1/2 oz. sample of shampoo is not enough to tell if it's going to make a difference over the long-term. Even if it did make a huge difference for my hair, Shu Uemura is way to expensive. Before I even get my August Birchbox, I am excited this month. Last month's box was not so great, except for the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner. I did trade my black eyeliner for a purple one. The lady I traded with through MakeUpTalk.com has not left my Trader Feedback yet. I am going to contact her about it this weekend. It actually looks like I will be able to try out all the products in my box for August, which is a first for me since I signed up for Birchbox. I have gotten boxes for April, May, June, and July, and there was at least 1 product in every box that I have not been able to even try, and more items that I have put up for trade. The August box is looking good mainly from the perspective that all the products are something I can use. But that's what counts with Birchbox, right? It doesn't matter how much it costs if I can't actually use it. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

First Look: Shampoo and Conditioner Samples

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 First Look: Shampoo and Conditioner Samples Aug. 26th, 2012 at 11:35 PM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Sunday, August 26, 2012 First Look: Shampoo Samples (and Conditoner) I've gotten 2 sample packs from Garnier Fructis. One is the Fight Fall Shampoo and Conditioner and the other is the Triple Nutrition Shampoo and Conditioner. I got one through their Facebook page and I think the other one came from going directly to the Garnier website. They are foil packets. I think I can get 3 or 4 uses out of each one. I like that they send the shampoo and the conditioner so I can try them both together. I follow FreeFlys.com, which is kind of a pain because most of the samples they list on FreeFlys are through Facebook and they don't work on my Android phone. I have to wait until I can log into a computer to fill out the offers. That's how I found the one Garnier Fructis sample. I did get Garnier Fructis for Color-Treated Hair in my Target Summer Beauty Bag, but I gave it to one of the ladies at Work, along with the Aveeno for Color-Treated Hair that came with it. I got the little black bottle of Tresemme Shampoo in the bag as well, but no Tresemme Conditoner. I am just going to use the Tresemme shampoo with my Organix brand Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner. The Aveeno samples in the Target Summer Beauty Bag were in tan foil packets and I think they were Oatmeal and Lavender scent. The Garnier for Color-Treated Hair was in red foil packets. I don't remember much about those two samples because I did give them away the day after I got them. I've been using Organix Brand Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner for most of July and August. It's good, but it's not my all-time favorite stuff I've ever used for washing my hair. I just switched back to the Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. The Organix brand Moroccan Argan Oil is the best hair care I have ever used. I just bought the Moroccan Argan Oil Detangling Spray this week and it works like a dream. I sprayed it on yesterday after I washed my hair and ran out the door. I was in a hurry because I was had to go to Work. I was able to run a comb through it immediately and not hit a single tangle or knot. I have a DermOrganics Argan Oil Spray, too, but it smells like mouldy oranges, so I am not going to be using that again. I was going to put it in the trash, but I sat it down while I combed out my hair and I think it's still on my shelf. Starting tomorrow, it's my goal to use up all my Shampoo and Conditioner samples in the next week or so. I want to get pictures of them first and post them on my Blog. When my samples are finally gone, I am already anticipating going back to the Organix Moroccan Argan oil products that I've come to love in the past few months. I think I'm going to start with the samples from Clear. They are supposed to be for making hair stronger by nourishing the scalp. They came in a big black envelope with a neon pink Clear logo on the front. The packets are about half the size of the Garnier Fructis samples. I can probably get 2 uses out of the Shampoo and Conditioner from Clear. They are the smallest, so it's just easier to use them first. Then I can be done with them and move on to the next samples. Tammy The PeridotCricket

First Look: Melvita Samples

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 First Look: Melvita Samples Aug. 26th, 2012 at 11:22 PM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Sunday, August 26, 2012 I e-mailed Melvita in May when they had samples in the May Birchboxes. I was looking for skincare samples because I have adult acne and they seem like a good organic and cruelty-free company. I got a reply that said no samples for me because they do not offer samples of their acne care line. I e-mailed directly back saying I had chosen Melvita because I have had success organic products not causing breakouts. I got 3 samples in cute little foil packets, but I think I can get 2 or 3 uses out of each of them. There's a 2ml Nectar de Rose Day Cream for Delicate Skin, a 2ml Moisturizing Rose Nectar for Normal to Dehydrated Skin, and a 5ml Capiforce Detangling Balm. I have not had a chance to try them yet, but I am especially looking forward to trying the Detangling Balm. I have a bunch of binder clips that work great for closing up open sample packets so they don't dry out or get all over the place, so I'm okay with samples in foil packets. Each Melvita sample has the European EcoCert logo, the Bio Organic Cosmetic logo, and on the back of the package there's the Leaping Bunny logo. Melvita products are made in France. I am more likely to buy from them because of the Leaping Bunny logo and the fact that they are not made in China. However, their customer service is not the friendliest I have encountered via e-mail. The samples arrived within a week in a regular size 10 envelope with my address hand-written on the front. I am going to try the samples this week. I'll post my review next Sunday. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Updated What I Get Out Of Birchbox

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Updated What I Get Out Of Birchbox Aug. 19th, 2012 at 11:27 PM Sunday, August 19, 2012 For me, the value of Birchbox is that I get to see brands and products that are new to me. Whether I like what they send or not, I go to the Birchbox website and see what other products they might have for that brand, and I go to the brand websites and see all the products they offer. It's about learning about stuff I would never find out about otherwise. I like the descriptions of the products on the Birchbox website. Sometimes they are better than the ones on the actual product website. I do not like that everyone seems to get stuff they would never use, but I signed up for Birchbox to be exposed to new things and I knew up front that not all the samples would be something I would like. Don't get me wrong, I can complain with the best of them, but it's gotten to the point where I just want to say <>. I have resolved to complain less and start taking part in the Birchbox Trade Forum/Thread. I really hate that I left the most negative feedback possible on the 2 perfume samples I've received, and both times, a day after I left the feedback, Birchbox sent me an e-mail titled something like "How to Choose an Age-Appropriate Scent" featuring only the perfume I had just left the feedback for. There were not even any other perfumes mentioned. Viva La Juicy in my April box and Arquiste L'Etrog in my May box. Ick. I'm not interested in "age-appropriate." I changed my age from 33 to 25 on my Beauty Profile. I was hoping that would make a difference if they sent me a perfume sample in my June box. I like getting samples and reviewing them. And what I don't use or plan to trade, I give away. What bugs me is the size of the samples sometimes (Dr. Jart BB Cream), the April BeFine moisturizer being expired, and the fact that they sent me ALL leftover samples from previous months in my Welcome Box in April, except the expired BeFine, which was new that month, I think, but still expired. I agree about the value of the box. I don't care how much it's worth as long as I can use the samples and they don't substitute a lifestyle extra for a real sample. I did get granola bars in both June and July, which makes me less than happy. I have found value in the Birchbox point system and the fact that any product I see in someone else's Birchbox I can go to the website and other places online and find more information, and then buy a full size if I want to. I bought the Orange Sanguine perfume by Atelier I saw in the April boxes. I love it. I got the 30ml size. I bought Juice Beauty Blemish Be Gone at the same time with the 17% Tax Day Discount. It's about the whole Birchbox experience. My box might suck, but I get to review the products and get points anyway, and I have found products that I love through Birchbox. I like that we get to see what everybody else is getting in their Birchbox, too, on the MakeUpTalk.com forums and on YouTube. I would not like a subscription service where nobody knows what anybody else got. I do think the Lara Bar being sent in my July Birchbox was a direct result of the feedback I gave for the Luna Bar in June. I said I loved it. The Lara Bar, being the Cherry Cobbler flavor, is inedible, at least for me. I did leave feedback indicating that, but I'll probably get another one soon. On the plus side, not Lara Bar in my August box. ThePeridotCricket

Unbelievable

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Unbelievable Aug. 9th, 2012 at 2:20 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer I can hardly believe what happened today. It looks like I am going to be the new Supervisor at my job. The Boss came up to me and asked if I could keep a straight face and tell an agent whom I hate that she is doing great on a program. Seriously, if she was doing great, I would be smiling, eventhough I want to have her fired, because doing great on a program is what we need our agents to be doing and they seem to find that really hard to accomplish. I am excited and really nervous at the same time. I guess it's like that with any new job. I've been here almost 4 years, first as an outbound customer service agent, then as an inbound customer service agent. It's a tough job. He kept saying I'll have to be able to tell agents their ranking on programs and keep the same demeanor no matter who I'm talking to or how good or bad they are actually doing on a particular program. He kept bringing up friends. If you are an agent and I have to tell you what to do or how you are doing on a program, I don't care if you are my friend. You have to do your job and it's my job to see that you do your job. The Boss is kind of a nut. Later, one of the agents who is being trained to be a floor lead told me that the Boss is giving the 3 new floor leads a crash course in their new duties because he wants them to know what they are doing before he starts to focus on training a new Supervisor. She said something about one-on-one training and not having time to train them and the new Supervisor at the same time. I like that plan, but we do not need 3 new floor leads. We do not have enough work for a Boss, a Supervisor, and 3 floor leads. We need to train somebody to 2 of the permanant inbound programs and we don't have enough people. And one-on-one with the Boss does not entirely sound like fun. He gets mad. I get mad. I want to kick him in the head on occasion. I do my best not to make him mad, but it's not always successful. He can be a very frustrating Boss. It's not a definite thing yet, but nobody but me is qualified for the Supervisor position. The fact that the Boss hates one of the applicants and the other is registered with the Sheriffs department and should not be working within 1000 feet of a school kind of skews things in my favor. Why can any company hire people like that. How the Hell is their place of employment not recorded when they register? They can't live within a certain distance of a school, but they can work 50 feet away? I am determined to not let the fact that I really hate people in general get in the way of doing my job. I'm much better now at hiding how I feel about individual people than I was when I started working here, but at the same time, I'm more open and outgoing than I was as well. I really want the Supervisor job. I hope it is mine. The Boss keeps trying to be encouraging and coach me on how to do the job and what I would need to do to be good at the job, so I am hopeful that I will be the next Supervisor at our company. I wonder when my pay raise will start. We'll see how it goes. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens Birchbox July 2012

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens Birchbox July 2012 Aug. 9th, 2012 at 1:44 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens Birchbox July 2012. Share Your Opinion: First of all, why can't companies use proper capitalization for their company names and products anymore? Did the people who run the places not go to school? We capitalize names of businesses or companies in the English language. It appears the name of this company is boscia, with a lower-case "b". Don't get me wrong. They make great blotting linens, but I am really not into the fad of "it's cool to not use proper English punctuation, grammar, and spellng." I do like that these are not made in China. They are a nice green color and they do smell kind of like green tea. They work , too, and they are double the size of most blotting linens I have seen. Overall, I give them a positive rating. Despite the non-capitalization of the company name, I would definitely buy their blotting linens. Rate your familiarity with the boscia brand prior to Birchbox. 2 - I know of the brand but do not ... (have not bought any?) When was the last time you purchased a boscia product? 1 - Never Rate your familiarity with the boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens prior to Birchbox. 2 - I think I've seen it around What do you think of boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens? 5 - Awesome Product! On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens to your friends? 1 - Not at all likely Are you planning to purchase boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens after sampling through Birchbox? 2 - Yes, planning to purchase from Boscia.com website or Ulta. How satisfied were you with the following aspects of the boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens? (1=not at all satisfied, 5 = extremely satisfied) Sample Size - 5 Sample Packaging - 5 Sample Texture - 5 Sample Smell - 4 Share Your Opinion: I already did that at the top. Also, it is not cool that the product listing on the Birchbox website says free shipping only with 1 or more additional items. All products for the July box are suupposed to have free shipping/ ThePeridotCricket Here's what Birchbox says about the Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens. Birchbox Breakdown Forget the blue plastic sheets of bygone years—it’s time to go green. These all-natural blotting sheets soak up oil and sweat without smearing your makeup. Each pack contains 100 sheets, enough to last you for months and months. Keep them stashed in your handbag at all times to ensure that your complexion always looks fresh, never greasy. How it Works The speckled sheets are made with linen fibers from the abaca tree plant, which is native to the Philippines. Infused with green tea, which is rich in natural antioxidants, the sheets instantly absorb oily shine (and you can see the trace evidence with your own eyes). How to Use Remove a single sheet from the pack, and gently press onto your skin, concentrating on high-shine areas like your T-zone. Use throughout the day whenever you feel the need.

Oscar de la Renta Live In Love Perfume July 2012 Birchbox

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Oscar de la Renta Live In Love Perfume July 2012 Birchbox Aug. 9th, 2012 at 1:11 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Oscar de la Renta Live In Love Birchbox July 2012. Another perfume sample that is really not my style. The best thing about this sample is the little green and gold card. Rate your familiarity with the Oscar de la Renta brand prior to Birchbox. 2 - I know of the brand but do not ... (have not bought any?) When was the last time you purchased an Oscar de la Renta product? 1 - Never Rate your familiarity with the Oscar de la Renta Live In Love prior to Birchbox. 2 - I think I've seen it around If you are familiar with the product, how did you hear about it? 2 - Magazine What do you think of Oscar de la Renta Live In Love? 1 - Definitely not for me On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend to your friends? 1 - Not at all likely Are you planning to purchase after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No, not planning to purchase If not Birchbox.com, where would you or did you purchase Oscar de la Renta Live In Love? 7 - Other How satisfied were you with the following aspects of the Oscar de la Renta Live In Love sample? (1 = not at all satisfied, 5 = very satisfied) Sample Size - 3 Sample Packaging - 1 Sample Texture - 3 Sample Smell - 1 Share Your Opinion: First of all, why can't companies use proper capitalization for their company names and products anymore? Did the people who run the places not go to school? We capitalize names of businesses or companies in the English language. It appears that Oscar de la Renta has chosen to call this perfume "live in love" with all lower-case letters. This does not show respect for the emotion of love or for the product itself, or even the company that makes it. I am really not into the fad of "it's cool to not use proper English punctuation, grammar, and spellng." I think I first heard of Oscar de la Renta in Cosmopolitan magazine. I would not recommend a floral fragrance to anyone, unless it's honeysuckle or jasmine or lilac. Scents based on roses, gardenias, and similar fragrances give me a headache. Live In Love is one of those scents. To me it smells bad, like an old lady covered in high-potency rose water. If I found and Oscar de la Renta scent I liked, I would go to oscardelarenta.com and see if it was available for purchase there. If not, I would get it at Ulta. Sample Size: It's small and it's a vial on a card with a stopper cap, which is hard to open and the perfume got all over my hands and my Birchbox when I opened it. I definitely do not like this kind of packaging for perfume samples. The little spray bottles are much easier to use. Sample Smell: I hate it. This kind of floral scent is not a kind of fragrance anyone should wear.

Aug. 3rd, 2012

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Aug. 3rd, 2012 2:13 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer I work at a teleservices job in the Omaha area. I have been an agent here since September 2008, first doing outbound survey work, then inbound customer service calls. Now my job is a little more complicated than that, but mostly it's just taking calls. I think my Boss wants me to take the Supervisor position that is going to be vacated next week. I asked to job shadow our Supervisor before she leaves so I could see what the job is like. I have some idea of what she does, but I don't know the day-to-day details, and I wanted to see that part of it before I submitted my resume. He said no. He does not think it's necessary for anyone to job shadow the Supervisor. The general consensus is that he wants to train someone his way, from scratch, with absolutely no background in the job or any idea how it was done other than what he wants them to see. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that idea, but there's no way around it. He's not going to let anyone see how she does her job or exactly what she does every day as part of her job. He's going to train the new Supervisor after she's gone. I told him I wasn't really interested in the job, and yesterday I wasn't, but I've thought about it ever since, and I do want it, if only so I can fire the people who don't do their jobs the right way. We have a lot of trouble with agents who do not listen to feedback to correct mistakes they are making on a regular basis and at least one of our clients is not happy with how things have been going. I'm the one who has to listen to their calls and write the feedback, then it seems like nothing happens. I feel absolutely useless sometimes. Why ask me to do the feedback to help correct the mistakes and then the mistakes continue to happen as if I never made any input at all? Anyway, after I told the Boss, I was not really interested in the job, he said, "Let me know when you are interested. I need someone who's interested," and he walked away. He's training at least 2 new floor leads to help out during the day, but I am the only one qualified for the Supervisor position. It's just that I do not like people. I don't like dealing with them. I do not like talking to them. I do not like interacting with most people. I'm very direct in my approach, usually, and a lot of people do not like that. Either that, or I try to keep my mouth shut, and that doesn't do any good either, because then I can't tell the idiots they're idiots or they're doing it wrong. I can be personable and happy, but it's not my job for people to like me. I know I'm going to have to lock myself in the front office and jump up and down yelling at least a couple times a month if I take the Supervisor job because in a place like this we do not get the cream of the crop when it comes to new hires. It's very rare we get people who can do their jobs correctly, listen to feedback, correct mistakes they've been making, or just generally not screw up. But, if I'm the Supervisor, I can have some input and at least be part of the process to try to improve the quality of our agents rather than sitting by and waiting for somebody else to not do it. I get really mad when people continue to screw up, despite multiple efforts to help them correct their mistakes. I would just write them up if they continued to do it wrong after the first attempt to straighten it out, and then fire them after the 3rd write up. I won't deny I would be most happy to be able to do that. I polished my resume a few days ago and I'm going to submit it tonight. Today I asked the Boss what if I was interested in the Supervisor job. He basically said I have to be nice to the agents and be presentable when we have client visits. I find that kind of offensive. I've been here for about 5 client visits and there were never any complaints about how I was dressed. I live within a 5 minute walk of our office, so if anybody was going to get sent home to change, it would be me. I know how to dress appropriately and I have done so on multiple occassions when there were client visits. As for being nice to the agents, I cannot smile and say, "You've been doing such a wonderful job," when it's a lie and the point of talking to them at that moment is to tell them what they've been doing wrong and how to fix it.

July 2012 Birchbox Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 July 2012 Birchbox Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Aug. 3rd, 2012 at 1:12 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner July 2012 Birchbox This eyeliner looks like a felt tip pen, the kind that's a cross between a paintbrush and a marker. I like it, but I will probably not be buying another one because it's made in China. Rate your familiarity with the Eyeko brand prior to Birchbox. 2 - I know of the brand but do not own any of their products When was the last time you purchased an Eyeko product? 1 - Never Rate your familiarity with the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner product prior to Birchbox. 2 - I think I've seen it around What do you think of the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner? 4 - Pretty Darn Good On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner to your friends? 3 - Neutral Are you planning to purchase the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No, not planning to purchase Share Your Opinion: I got the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black in my July 2012 Birchbox. I traded it for a purple one with another member of MakeUpTalk.com. I do not like black eyeliner, so I'm very happy to have been able to trade it. I like how the Eyeko liquid eyeliner pen works, but it goes on dark on my waterline, then fades in seconds. Once it's dry, it will not come off, but while it's wet it fades really fast. I also use it as an eyeshadow because it will not go on in an even line on my top lid. There's about 1 second to blend it before it dries on the top lashline. I do not think the black one could be used lke that, but the purple one works. I'm not looking to do the whole eyelid with it, just about the bottom 1/3. It stays on all day as a liner and a shadow. The 3 - Neutral for recommending it to my friends is because it does not having the Leaping Bunny Certification. It is also made in China. I try to avoid products made in China whenever possible. Also, the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner on my Box Page on the Birchbox website appears to be turquoise, but I got the black one. I still would have traded the turquoise for a purple one. It applies smoothly and easily, although I do have to go over it several times on my waterline, let it dry, and then re-apply it to get much color. I do not like that about this product. At first, the tip of the eyeliner pen would not get saturated with the liquid eyeliner, but after leaving it sit upside down for several days, that problem seems to be solved. I am pretty new to eyeliner, just having bought my first one in March 2012, but I do like the purple Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner enough that I will use it until it is gone and I enjoy experimenting with it. ThePeridotCricket Current Mood: confused

Job Search Stuff, Step One

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Job Search Stuff, Step One Jul. 26th, 2012 at 11:05 PM Thursday, July 26, 2012 I use Iowa Works, or Iowa Workforce Development Online. They keep changing the name. The Iowa Employment Office? I'm Rambling. Anyway, they recently added a feature where users can create a resume using their website. I've had an online account with Workforce Development since I finished high school in 1998. Over the years, I have come to realize that Iowa Works is just about the most useless agency ever created. The staff is not helpful. The way jobs are listed on their website is a joke. And until recently, there was no help to create a resume except attending a class at 9 a.m. in the morning. I work nights. Today I logged into my Iowa Works account for the first time in about 3 months and when I went to update my information, there was an option to create a resume, so I went for it. It's an automated process using my Work History. Below I've copied and pasted the summary the website created to go along with the basic work history on my resume. --> I have 18 years of experience, including as an Inbound Customer Service Representative, as a Telemarketer and as a Housekeeping in industries including Business Services, Social Services and Eating and Drinking Places. Most recently, I have been working as an Inbound Customer Service Representative at Pinnacle Customer Solutions, Inc. from September 2008. My skills and experiences include: Desktop Publishing, Telemarketing, File Management. I hold a High School/GED degree in GENERAL from DENISON/SCHLESWIG COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL. <-- And after a bit of editing, this is what I came up with. --> I have 18 years of work experience as an Inbound Customer Service Representative, a Telemarketer, and a Housekeeper in a Motel and a Senior Citizens Home. I have been working as a Customer Service Representative at Pinnacle Customer Solutions, Inc., since September 2008. In addition to taking inbound calls and processing credit cards, I verify sales calls to ensure information is accurate and meets clients' specifications. I have excellent typing, editing, and copy writing skills. My skills and experiences include: Inbound Sales, Outbound Teleservices, Desktop Publishing (limited), Telemarketing, Answering Phones, Filing, Bindery, Editing, and Typing. I hold a high school diploma from Denison/Schleswig Community High School. <-- I know it's not the best summary of job skills ever, but it's a start. I've never actually made a resume before. I've never wanted to and I've been resisting the need to make a resume. My complaint about how Workforce Development lists jobs on the website has to do with not listing requirements accuratly on the little summaries that we have to click on to see the actual job descriptions. It used to say things like there was no degree needed in the little summary, but when I would click on it, the job required an Associates Degree or a Bachelor's Degree. Or it would say no experience needed, but the actual job description would say 5 years experience required. It was very frustrating. It does look like there have been some new updates and major changes to the website since the last time I used it. I am looking forward to seeing how it works now. But I am not optomistic. That's just me. I have completed all the steps to make my resume on the website. It looks okay ... kinda like the ones we made in one of my classes in high school, but which I never used, or cared about. Now I am ready to really start looking for a new job or a second job, which I have been doing half-heartedly since I started working at my current job. If I really admit it, I haven't been looking much at all, but now I am going to actually give it a try. Wish Me Good Luck. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Larabar Uber Cherry Birchbox July 2012

Wedndesday, December 5, 2012 Larabar Uber Cherry Birchbox July 2012 Jul. 26th, 2012 at 12:13 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer I got a Cherry Cobbler LaraBar Uber in my July 2012 Birchbox, and I am not happy about it. I did like the LUNA Peanut Butter Bar in the June Box, but I was not happy about getting a food sample in my Birchbox, which is supposed to be for beauty, skincare, and makeup samples, in June either. I feel cheated when I get these kinds of samples--just a little granola bar--instead of real deluxe samples for my $10.00 a month. I realize I did really like the LUNA Bar and I am going to buy more, but that is not a good reason to cheat me out of a beauty-related sample 2 months in a row. Not that Birchbox always sends out deluxe samples, but they could send people something they could use instead of a food item. Rate your familiarity with the LARABAR brand prior to Birchbox. 2 - I know of the brand but do not ... (have not bought any?) When was the last time you purchased a LARABAR product? 1 - Never Rate your familiarity with the LARABAR uber prior to Birchbox. 2 - I think I've seen it around What do you think of LARABAR uber? 1 - Definitely not for me On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend LARABAR uber to your friends? 1 - Not at all likely Are you planning to purchase LARABAR uber after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No, not planning to purchase Do you feel the LARABAR uber added extra value to your Birchbox? 1 - No. It didn't like it. Share Your Opinion: The page showing my July Birchbox shows an Apple Turnover LARABAR uber, but I actually got a Cherry Turnover (or Cherry something?) bar. I cannot eat these. Dried fruit is disgusting. I couldn't try the bar I did receive. Maybe somebody at Work will eat it. I like granola bars and other bars with whole grains and nuts, but I will not eat anything with dried or processed fruit. I only eat fresh fruit, not dried. I have tried almost every kind of dried fruit there is, and it's always disgusting. I do not see the point of including food items in Birchboxes. We sign up to get deluxe samples of makeup and beauty products, not food samples. I bet I could go to the LARABAR website or their Facebook page and get a sample exactly like Birchbox sent out this month.

Vera Wang Samples Perfumes For A Buck Dot Com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Vera Wang Samples Perfumes For A Buck Dot Com Jul. 20th, 2012 at 2:58 AM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer I just placed my next order with PerfumesForABuck.com. Here's what I requested. I am very interested in trying out the Princess fragrances by Vera Wang. 1. Vera Wang Preppy Princess 2. Rock Princess 3. Princess 4. Princess Night 5. Glam Princess For June it was DKNY Delicious and Bulgari. This month it's Vera Wang's Princess line, except Floral Princess. I think for August I'm going to go back and see if there are any Delicious samples I missed and try 5 other Bulgari samples. I'm not actually sure if this is my July order or my August order because I got 2 sets of samples in the same box in June. After I'm billed on August 23rd, I'm going to cancel. The order I just placed should be billed on July 23rd, my anniversary billing date. I am going to order the Juliette Has a Gun sample pack at the beginning of August. http://www.juliettehasagun.com/ They have an 8-vial sample pack available at http://www.juliettehasagun.com/#/eshop_en for about $11.00 U.S. It's 7.90 Euros. Several ladies who have posted in the Birchbox July thread on the MakeUpTalk.com forum have ordered it and they seem to like it a lot. It has a sample of each of their 8 fragrances. It seems like a good investment. Any samples I don't like can be traded on the MakeUpTalk.com trade thread. Based on the samples I received in June, I have decided to buy Bulgari Green Tea. Ulta doesn't have it. I wish I could get it sooner, but I think I will have to wait until the end of September. Maybe later.

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint July 2012 Birchbox Feedback

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint July 2012 Birchbox Feedback Jul. 18th, 2012 at 4:32 PM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint Product Feedback A little background first. This sample was missing from my July Birchbox. Rate Your Familiarity With the Jouer Brand Prior To Birchbox 1 - Totally New to Me Before Sampling When was the last time you purchased a Jouer product? 1 - Never Rate your familiarity with the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint prior to Birchbox 1 - Totally New to Me before sampling through Birchbox What do you think of the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint? 1 - Definitely Not For Me On a scale of 1- 5, would you recommend the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint to your friends? 1 - Not at all likely Are you planning to purchase the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No. Not Planning to Purchase And this is something new. It asks about the following things, too. How satisfied are you with the following aspects of the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint sample? (1 = not at all satisfied. 5 = very satisfied) Sample Size - 1 Sample Packaging - 1 Sample Texture - 1 Sample Smell - 1 Share Your Opinion: This sample was missing from my July Birchbox. It looked like the little neon green tissue paper package had been untied. The ribbon was underneath all the samples. I spoke to Whitney in Customer Service and there were no more samples of the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint available. She put 100 Birchbox Points in my account. I would really have liked to have received this sample. I would never actually use it, but I was planning to put it up for trade on the MakeUpTalk.com Birchbox Trade Thread. I don't even know which shade of this sample I was supposed to receive.

White Eyeliner and Candy Apple Lip Butter

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 White Eyeliner and Candy Apple Lip Butter Jul. 13th, 2012 at 3:05 AM Friday, July 13, 2012 On Monday I went out to Target, Dollar Tree, Ulta, and Wal-Mart. I only meant to visit Target and Wal-Mart, but Dollar Tree and Ulta are between Target and Wal-Mart, so I had to go in. Overall, I would say it was a really good day, except I couldn't find the Cricket store out by Wal-Mart until right when the bus came, so I had to wait until Tuesday to pre-pay for my phone plan for the rest of July, but I know where it's at now so next time I can go there first. I got off the bus in front of Target and got back on the bus by Wal-Mart after I got everything done. I got a Target Summer Beauty Bag in June, so I had a coupon for $3.00 off any 1 Revlon item. I have been coveting the Revlon Lip Butters since I bought 015 Tutti Frutti at Wal-Mart in May. The next most-wanted lip butter for me has been 035 Candy Apple. I think it's the best red out of all the Revlon Lip Butters. All of the others lean toward burgundy or plum or some kind of brown. It's certainly the brightest red. I think there's one that's a kind of berry-pinkish red. I don't know. I wasn't really interested in all the colors when I was grabbing Candy Apple on Monday. Target has great prices on skincare items, too, which is why I usually go there. I got Neutrogena Oil Free Cleansing Wipes with Pink Grapefruit for $5.99. At CVS they are $7.49. I've given up pricing skincare at Wal-Mart because it's always cheaper at Target. People say Target is expensive, but I have discovered that the beauty/skincare/makeup stuff is divided into 3 sections. They have relatively expensive stuff closest to the doors/checkout, less expensive stuff a couple aisles over, and stuff cheaper than Wal-Mart back farther, for the most part. After Target, I needed laundry bags, so I went into Dollar Tree. I got a green one and a red one, and there were off-brand Turby Twists right next to them, so I got one of those, too. I bought an Original Turby Twist at Wal-Mart a couple months ago and I love it, despite the fact that it's Made In China. The new one is, too. Why can't things be Made In America? Ulta was between Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart. Ulta just opened here in Council Bluffs and I've been wanting to go there ever since I saw the sign on the store before they even moved in. I was kind of planning to go in and buy an eyeliner, maybe, but once I got closer to the store, it was like I was a fish on a hook and there was no way I couldn't go in. I walked in and asked about the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliners. I said I wanted a white one, which I've been wanting to buy for months since I heard white eyeliner on the bottom water line makes eyes look more awake. They had exactly what I was looking for. I got the color Yeyo, which is a weird name, even for a white eyeliner. The lady recommended the glittery one, but no glitter for me. I want it to wear at Work. I asked about perfume, too. Ulta does not have Green Tea by Bulgari. I love that scent and I was hoping to get a sample. They Urban Decay Eye Pencils are $19.00 at Ulta. I feel like I got a good deal, mainly because of the Leaping Bunny logo that means they are cruelty-free. I paid $24.00 at Sephora for the green one called Covet in February or March. I got an Ulta card, paid for my eyeliner, and headed to Wal-Mart. I had to buy a new air mattress. Again. I think I just went through this last month. Oh, well. I'm taking the flat one and my receipt back to Wal-Mart next Monday. My goal is to buy a futon frame and mattress in August so I can put my air mattress on top of it. I have been planning to do this for over a year and I have just never managed to actually do it. I also got containers of CountryTime Lemonade Mix, a CountryTime Pink Lemonade Mix, and a Peach Mango Kool-Aid Mix for $2.00 each. Everywhere else they are at least $2.50. I buy the ones that make 8 quarts and I have been going through at least 2 a week since it got hot. I love pink lemonade. I am trying to cut down on caffeine. Basically, that was my Monday, and I feel very productive because I actually got something done that day. ThePeridotCricket

More Copy and Paste to Come

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 I am getting ready to move another batch of blog entries from CricketsBay on LiveJournal to this blog here. I will be glad once the switch is over. I got distracted for a while editing my Picasa Web Albums, but I'm done with that for now, so on to the copying and pasting. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

PayDay, Errands, Then Work

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 PayDay, Errands, Then Work Jul. 9th, 2012 at 8:40 PM Saturday, July 7, 2012 Saturday is pay day where I Work. There is 1 perk with that ... no line at the bank. Most people get paid on Friday or another day during the week. But it's kind of a pain in the ass because it's not a week day and a lot of places are closed. There are 2 bus routes in Council Bluffs Monday through Friday, but Saturday has 1 route, and there is not bus on Sundays here. That means I have to wait until Monday to do most of my shopping and run my errands for the week. I got off Work last night at 3 a.m., after being there for 12 hours, and had to be back at 3 p.m. today to Work until 11 p.m. I do the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for now, but the Overnight person was not able to come in, so the Boss asked me to stay until 3 a.m. That will put me over 40 Hours for the week, which I really appreciate, but I'm tired and I can't pay my phone bill or anything else until Monday. I also Worked 4 hours on Tuesday night, which is normally my day second day off. I like overtime. It's time and a half, plus my attendance bonus and my overnight bonus. I tell my Boss I'm down with whatever schedule gets me paid more. I did get up this morning to cash my check and run a few errands. I went to the River City Farmer's Market, Hy-Vee Drugtown, and CVS. I hit the Farmer's Market and got homemade cinnamon rolls and banana nut bread. Some people ask why buy baked goods when I could just make them myself. People at Work think it's too expensive to buy things at the Farmer's Market. I'm paying for convenience. I do know how to bake cinnamon rolls home-made and I've made banana nut bread a few times, but I don't want to make them myself. It's easier to just buy them fresh-made every week. During the Winter, it's another story. Then there's no Farmer's Market and I have to make them myself if I want cinnamon rolls, or banana nut bread. or fresh-baked anything. There were no strawberries or blueberries left by the time I got there, which I am disappointed about, but they go fast and they'r very popular. The Farmer's Market is one of my favorite things about Summer. I went to Hy-Vee and picked up a few groceries. I needed Carnation Instant Breakfast packets, bananas, macaroni and cheese, and Spam. I love macaroni and cheese with cut up Spam chunks. It's my favorite comfort food. I mix up the macaroni and cheese, then I fry the Spam and mix it with the macaroni and cheese. I've tried it with regular ham and it's not as good. I'll do the rest of my grocery shopping tonight after Work and during the week when I can catch the bus for heavier purshases like oranges, potatoes, and meat. Tonight I'll walk to No Frills and get a few of the lighter groceries because Hy-Vee Drugtown is too expensive for anything but what I absolutely need right now and can't wait until later to buy. At CVS, I got toilet paper, paper towels, grapefruit body wash with salicylic acid, melatonin, fish oil omega acid chews (which taste really bad, by the way), Cosmo, and Kleenex. For anybody who shops at CVS, I recommend getting a CVS card. It's easy to sign up and it can save you a lot of money. I buy toilet paper at CVS because the package of 12 big rolls of the green eco-brand lasts longer than any other brand's 12 pack toilet of paper I've ever bought. CVS has ExtraCareBucks rewards and coupons that print out on every receipt. I got $5.00 off any vitamin purchase of $10.00 or more, 25% off my purchase, and $2.50 in ExtraCareBucks on my receipt a few days ago. I used all 3 coupons today and saved $18.10 My total came to $29.00. It would have been almost $50.00 without the coupons. $47.10. Wow. And I got another coupon for $5.00 off of my next $15.00 purchase. But, I have concluded that without a CVS card, it would not be worth it to buy anything except stuff I can't do without and don't have time to run to another store to get. Tammy ThePeridotCricket Current Mood: tired

Influenster Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dish Soap Review

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Influenster Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dish Soap Review Jul. 7th, 2012 at 12:14 AM Here's my second review for Influenster. I found Influenster through YouTube, so that's why I often mention them at the same time. I have noticed that Influenster does not seem to like negative reviews. I've seen posts on one or two forums where Influensters say they have gotten e-mails saying "Influenster is a place to positively review products" or something like that. I'm a little worried by that because if something is crap, I like to say it's crap, just like I say when I like a product. Also, I did buy this first bottle of Palmolive Fresh Sponge at Wal-Mart, but I have to go to K-Mart next week, so I'll probably get the next one there, or Target if I go there first. It took me about 2 weeks to actually find it. The grocery stores didn't have it right away. Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dish Soap Quick Take: I Love It! Usage Tips: Use it on dishes, clothing stains, the bathroom floor (rinse well), and it cleans showers, too. The Verdict: I am about to buy my second bottle and I will continue to buy Palmolive Fresh Sponge because it works great on the dishes and the sponges. I bought it at Wal-Mart after seeing an Influenster video by a1nettie on YouTube about it. I wanted to see if it works, since everybody has problems with stinky sponges, including me. I rinse the sponge after I'm done doing dishes, and it used to still smell next time I went to use it. Palmolive Fresh Sponge dish soap has eliminated that problem. I love it. I do not love the smell, but it's better than the smell of the clear Palmolive. ThePeridotCricket Current Location:Council Bluffs, IA, Iowa Current Mood:OhMyGodMyHeadHurts!

Birchbox June 2012 Peanut Butter Luna Bar

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Birchbox June 2012 Peanut Butter Luna Bar Jul. 4th, 2012 at 10:14 PM spring, bees, fall, beautiful, summer More feedback on my June 2012 Birchbox. I just hit 300 Birchbox Points. I am so excited. Here's what I had to say about the Peanut Butter Luna Bar. Rate your familiarity with the LUNA brand prior to Birchbox. 1 - Totally new to me before sampling. When was the last time you purchased a LUNA product? 1 - Never. Rate your familiarity with the LUNA Bar prior to Birchbox. 1 - Totally new to me before sampling. What do you think of LUNA Bar? 5 - Awesome Product On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend LUNA Bar to your friends? 5 - Extremely Likely Are you planning to purchase LUNA Bar after sampling through Birchbox? 2 - Yes, planning to purchase from somewhere else Do you feel the LUNA Bar added extra value to your Birchbox? 1 - No. It didn't see the point of it. Share Your Opinion: It's small, 0.7 oz/20grams. The full-size bars are $1.25 to $1.50 at places like CVS, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart. I'm guessing this sample is worth about 50 cents. I do not appreciate getting food in my Birchbox. I subscribe for "deluxe samples", not itty bitty food samples. I got the peanut butter Luna Bar this month. It tasted good, much better than a lot of granola bars I've tried, but I'm still mad about getting a food sample. It was not crunchy, which I liked when I ate it. I really do not like crunchy granola bars. The best thing about this sample is that I get 10 Birchbox Points for reviewing it. I will be buying Luna Bars, but not through Birchbox. I live 1 block from a CVS and I go to Walgreens and Wal-Mart at least 3 times a month, so I will be buying them there. Despite the fact that I do not want food in my Birchbox, I am happy to have been introduced to Luna Bars. It is the best granola bar I've ever tried. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelettes June 2012 Birchbox

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelettes June 2012 Birchbox Jul. 4th, 2012 at 10:05 PM Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towlettes Rate your familiarity with the Comodynes brand prior to Birchbox. 1 - Totally new to me before sampling. I've been leaving feedback tonight on the products I got in my June 2012 Birchbox. Self-Tanning Towlettes? Ick. Here's what I had to say. When was the last time you purchased a Comodynes product? 1 - Never. Rate your familiarity with the Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelette prior to Birchbox. 1 - Totally new to me before sampling. What do you think of the Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelette? 1 - Definitely not for me On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend the Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelette to your friends? 1 - Not at all likely Are you planning to purchase Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Towelette after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No, not planning to purchase. Share Your Opinion: Self-tanners might be a good idea. I can see how they are a great safe alternative to actually tanning the natural way, but I better not get a sample like this again or I will be phoning Birchbox and saying some very rude words about the crap they keep sending out in the boxes. I tan, I use sunblock, I don't lay out in the sun or go to tanning beds, I do not want a fake tan. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

PerfumesForABuck.com June 2012 What I Got

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 PerfumesForABuck.com June 2012 What I Got Jul. 4th, 2012 at 8:44 PM Wednesday, July 4, 2012 Sunday, July 1, 2012 This my second blog entry about the subscription I started in June with PerfumesForABuck.com. Here I give a more in-depth look at the actual perfume samples I have received. The first entry was about my general experience with and concerns about the company. A subcription to PerfumesForABuck.com is $12.99 a month + $1.00 for 5 perfume samples, which comes out to $13.99. Do not be fooled by the introductory offer of $1.00 for 5 perfume samples. I was billed the $12.99 within 72 hours after I signed up. The samples look like they are each about 1ml, or 1/5 of 1 teaspoon. 1 teaspoon is 5ml. 1 tablespoon is 15ml. I think a regular size bottle of Visine eyedrops is 15ml. These samples are very small (I cannot stress that enough). I was thinking a regular perfume sample is 2ml or 2.5ml. That is what I expected to receive. I cannot find anywhere on the PerfumesForABuck.com website where it says how big the samples are. They look like 1ml or 1cc samples. They are about 1/2 the size of the Taylor Swift perfume sample I received in my June Birchbox. The sample of Green Tea by Bulgari is in a tiny sprayer bottle and it says "Sign Up for a Premium Membership and get these bigger 2ml spray bottles." It looks like there's 1.5ml in that bottle, so my guess is the smaller ones are 1cc or 1ml. Let me be up front. The little sprayer bottle looks like it's 2cm tall and has 2ml of space inside, not counting the sprayer nozzle, which adds about 1 centimeter to the height of the bottle. It is 1/4 empty. I have not used it yet. I have not opened it. I have only taken it out of its little bag to get a closer look. All of my first 5 samples from PerfumesForABuck.com are from the DKNY Be Delicious line. Or that's close enough to the name of the line that people know what I'm talking about. Anyway, they all smell like Apples of some sort. First Set 1. Be Delicious Candy Apples Sweet Caramel 2. Be Delicious Fresh Blossom 3. Be Delicious Silver Edition 4. Golden Delicious 5. Red Delicious Second Set 1. Bulgari Green Tea for Men or Women 2. Bulgari Omnia 3. Bulgari Omnia Crystalline 4. Bulgari Omnia Green Jade 5. Bulgari Omnia Amethyst (Note that the website does list them under Bvlgari with a V, not a U.) The 1ml samples come individually attached to a little 2 inch by 2 inch card with a sticker listing the name of each sample. Im my opinion, the cards are very cute, with the PerfumesForABuck.com logo, the sample name, some fancy scrollwork, and a pretty denim blue border. I'm afraid to take more than 1 sample at a time off the cards because they all look the same, except the Candy Apple one is a little green, and the Golden Delicious one is kinda tan. The rest are clear. The vial of Be Delicious Fresh Blossom is full almost to the top with a very small air bubble. The other 9 samples have an air bubble that extends at least 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch down from the top of the vial when they are standing upright. As I said, the 2ml spray bottle is only 3/4 full. I am moderately pissed off that the sample I was most looking forward to is 1/4 empty, but it does appear to be a 1.5ml sample in a 2ml bottle, while the rest of the samples look like 1ml, so I am happy to have the bigger size of Green Tea by Bulgari anyway. I have not tried any of the samples yet. I haven't even opened the little vials to smell them because they are the plug-top type of vials which always spill when I open them. They are hard to open. There is a little plastic stick on each cap which is inserted into the bottle and I guess supposed to aid in easier application of the perfume. Being the cynic that I am, I also think it's there to take up space in the bottle so PerfumesForABuck.com does not have to provide a larger sample. I mean, if the stick wasn't in the vial, then that space would have to be filled with perfume, not the stick. They do have a little tab on the side of each cap that is put through the little hole in the card so they stay put during shipping. I would be kinda mad if they were taped to the card or something. How would I attach them back to the card so I knew which one was which? My samples came neatly arranged inside a small white box which is about 3 inches tall by 5 inches wide. There is a little square of quilt batting in the bottom which exactly fits the dimensions of the box. The perfume samples' cards are tucked 1 under the other with the second sample resting on the first sample's card and so on in a row. The little 2ml spray bottle is in a tiny plastic bag by itself. There is a MyPerfumeSamples.com card underneath the samples. Apparently they are owned by Blueberry Corporation, too, so it's an advertisement with a discount code for the other website. The box was inside a padded white envelope. Fortunately, none of the samples were broken. The box seems secure and sturdy enough that they won't get crushed, and the bubble mailer padded envelope is definitely a good idea, but the samples are not secure inside the box and they do move and jiggle against eachother. I am happy enough with PerfumesForABuck.com that I am planning to stick with it through August. Although I am disappointed that the perfume samples are half the size I was expecting, I can understand that perfumes are extremely expensive. Here's my take on that. I got a 30ml bottle of Orange Sanguine by Atelier in April. It cost $55.00. That is full price. If I wanted 5 samples of that perfume that were 1ml each from PerfumesForABuck.com, I would be paying $13.99 for 5ml. If PerfumesForABuck.com paid $55.00 for the bottle of Orange Sanguine, and they do 1ml samples times 30, the calculator says that would come out to $83.94. Based on that, PerfumesForABuck.com is making a profit of $28.94 on that one bottle of Orange Sanguine. Shipping is Free, so I do have to take that into account. My guess is it costs about $1.50 to ship each box of samples. They use stamps.com. The shipping label on the package has the stamps.com logo in the upper right hand corner, which means they print their own shipping labels, but they pay the USPS via an account they have online at stamps.com. Overall, PerfumesForABuck.com seems worth the trouble, and I am looking forward to trying out the samples I have paid for so I can decide which fragrances I like well enough to buy full-size directly from the companies that make them. Tammy ThePeridotCricket Current Location:Council Bluffs, Iowa, IA, USA Current Mood: curious

PerfumesForABuck.com Initial Experience

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 PerfumesForABuck.com Initial Experience Jul. 1st, 2012 at 7:59 PM Sunday, July 1, 2012 I've decided to make 2 separate blog entries about the subscription I just started with PerfumesForABuck.com. This first entry is about my general experience and concerns about the company and the second entry is more in-depth about the 10 perfume samples I have received. I signed up for PerfumesForABuck.com on Thursday, June 21, 2012. So far, I am liking this subscription, but I did just get my first samples on Saturday, June 30th, before I came to Work, so it's early yet. It's basically $13.99 a month for 5 perfume samples. They look like 1ml or 1cc samples. The sample of Green Tea by Bulgari is in a sprayer bottle and it says "Sign Up for a Premium Membership and get these larger 2ml spray atomizers." It looks like there's 2 cc's in that bottle, so my guess is the smaller ones are 1cc or 1ml. The spray bottle may say it's 2ml, but it's only 3/4 full, so it looks like 1.5ml. If that's an example of what they're sending, a sample that's 1/4 empty, it's not an honest business practice. All but 1 of the 1ml samples has a huge air bubble as well. The PerfumesForABuck.com monthly subscription is $12.99 a month + $1.00 for 5 perfume samples of your choice. The website says they have hundreds of genuine designer fragrances to choose from, and the company seems to be legit, as far as I can tell. PerfumesForABuck.com is owned by the Blueberry Corporation in Angoura Hills, California. I'm not sure why they don't just say the subscription is $13.99 a month. A lot of people are not so fond of the number 13, though, so maybe that's it. But that is just speculation on my part. I think it's because they want to be able to fool people into signing up by saying they only charge $1.00 for 5 samples of perfume. $12.99 is the monthly membership fee. The other $1.00 will apparently be charged when you've picked your 5 samples and they ship. Before I go any farther, I want to say to everyone who is considering subscribing to PerfumesForABuck.com that you must read the FAQ's and the Terms of Service carefully before you sign up. Make sure you know what you are getting into. It's not like Birchbox where the FAQ's are clearly spelled out and Customer Service will answer any questions you might have about the FAQ's or the Terms and Conditions or any other questions you might have. PerfumesForABuck.com has some repetitive legal disclaimers. Pay attention to the explanation of the charges. I know Birchbox has all the legal stuff spelled out, too, but Birchbox's legal stuff seems much more straightforward to me. I signed up on Thursday, June 21, and picked 5 perfume samples. The site's FAQ says if you would like to pick 5 additional samples they will go into your queue and be shipped after your payment processes on the monthly anniversary of your billing date, when you will be billed again and your next set of samples will ship after that. Well, on Saturday, June 23rd, I was charged the $12.99 sign up fee and the $1.00. The thing is, I had put 5 additional samples into my cart, expecting them to stay there until my anniversary billing date of July 23rd. I received all 10 samples on Saturday, June 30th. I have not been billed the $12.99 for July yet, as far as I can tell. At least, it's not showing up in my bank's computer and Great Western Bank has always been great at showing any charges and pending charges from my debit card the second they happen. I've been billed $12.99 for June and $1.00 for my first 5 Be Delicious samples, and $1.00 for the set of 5 Bulgari samples which arrived in the same box. Now I'm wondering if I won't be able to choose 5 samples in July or is PerfumesForABuck.com going to bill some crazy extra charge to my debit card or what. I really meant for the 5 Bulgari samples to stay in my cart until the end of July. I totally expected that they would. It's the weekend, so I am waiting until Monday morning to call PerfumesForABuck.com customer service. Well, I guess Monday afternoon, since they are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time and I'm in the Midwest, which means their hours are 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. They do have relatively fast shipping. My account says my samples were mailed last Sunday and they arrived on Saturday. Who ships on Sunday? The package has a USPS First Class Mail label on it. The U. S. Postal Service does not pick up or accept drop-offs for packages on Sundays. Mail travels on Sundays, but it is not a business day for the USPS. The shipping label itself is dated 06/25/2012 in the upper right-hand corner under the stamps.com logo. So it really shipped on Monday, June 25th. That's pretty good, considering it got here 5 days later. It's about what I would expect for mail from California to Iowa. I've gotten packages from China in less than a week, and when my Birchbox shipping e-mail arrives on the 9th of the month and says my package shipped on the 6th, it's been the 14th when my box arrived 3 months in a row. But Birchbox uses UPS Mail Innovations and they transfer to the actual USPS once my Birchbox arrives in Kansas City. I like that PerfumesForABuck.com has faster shipping. Tammy ThePeridotCricket Current Location:Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA Current Mood: cranky cranky

Friday, June 29, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Jun. 29th, 2012 2:20 AM Friday, June 29, 2012 I've been a member of Influenster since May 25. Today I posted my first comments on products that came in the latest VoxBox. I bought all products myself. I did not receive them in a VoxBox. It seems anyone can leave feedback on products as long as they have actually used those products. Sweet, Light, Citrus I've gotten 9 of the Fine Fragrance Mists at the Semi-Annual Sale. Actually 8, because I bought 2 of Forever Sunshine. I can't stand strong floral scents. I got Rays of Citrus, Wild Apple Daffodil, Wild Citrus Sunflower, Wild Berry Tulips, and Forever Sunshine during my first trip. Then I went back and got Peach Sparkle, Sun-Kissed Raspberry, Black Raspberry Vanilla, and the 2nd Forever Sunshine. The Wild Garden scents are not really floral-smelling to me. They smell clean and fresh and they dry with a nice sweet smell. My two favorite scents are Black Raspberry Vanilla, which smells like grape bubblegum to me, and Peach Sparkle. Many of the other scents that Bath and Body Works offers are not to my liking. I do have Midnight Pomegranate and Japanese Cherry Blossom. They are too strong and the scent lasts all day. I love Butterfly Flower, but it's strong and it lasts all day as well, so it might not be for everyone. These last 3 scents are in the old formula, not the FFM. Quick Take I love sweet and citrus scents. Bath and Body Works has what I'm looking for. Usage Tips Some of the scents fade pretty quick. Re-apply as needed. The Verdict I love love love the fine fragrance mists. Tammy ThePeridotCricket Current Mood: annoyed

Neglecting My Blog

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Neglecting My Blog Jun. 28th, 2012 at 2:29 AM Thursday, June 28, 2012 I have not had a lot of time to update this Blog in June. I have been busy. Yes, I know. Everybody says that. I am going to try to post at least 1 blog entry a night for the next week. I have to review the rest of the products in my June Birchbox. I signed up with FreeFlys.com about a month and a half ago and I have run out of samples to request on that website for now, so I will be posting a list of what I have requested. I signed up for most of the samples within the last week, so it should be 5 to 7 weeks before most of them start arriving. I got my Target Summer Beauty Bag last Tuesday. It's funny because when I went to sign up it said they were all gone, but when I tried back later it let me enter my information. I got Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair and Aveeno shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair. I gave those samples to one of the ladies at Work. She just got her hair colored that day. More on the Target Summer Beauty Bag later. I think it deserves its own blog post. It came in the cutest little blue bag. The Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale is going on right now. It ends July 8th. I have been there 3 times and gotten some great deals. I plan to post a sort of "Haul" Blog at the end of this week. There has been a lot going on. My schedule changed at Work. My apartment does not have air conditioning. I am extremely angry about that. When I signed my lease, the landlord made sure I knew it would be $30.00/month extra if I want to put in a window air conditioner. When asked why, he said the house had central air, but it was not cool enough for some people. So, I did not buy an air conditioner. Now I am forced to sleep with all the windows open during the hottest part of the day until I can buy one. It is very unpleasant. Tammy ThePeridotCricket Current Location:Council Bluffs, Iowa Current Mood:MAD

theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen in Birchbox June 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen in Birchbox June 2012 Jun. 28th, 2012 at 2:08 AM Thursday, June 28, 2012 Stainiac in Beauty Queen lip and cheek stain by theBalm. It's a tiny sample. That's good because I don't really like it. It's as long as my middle finger from the tip to the top of the second knuckle. Beauty Queen is very red. I saw on YouTube that there are 2 more colors of the Stainiac, and one is kind of orange when you put it on, but it also has less color payoff. I find that more interesting than the red, but I'm not so thrilled about not being able to see it if I did purchase that color. So, here's my feedback as displayed on the Birchbox website before I submitted it. Rate your familiarity with theBalm cosmetics brand prior to Birchbox. 1 - Totally new to me before sampling. When was the last time you purchased a theBalm cosmetics product? 1 - Never. Rate your familiarity with the theBalm cosmetics Stainiac product prior to Birchbox. 1 - Totally new to me before sampling. What do you think of theBalm cosmetics Stainiac? 1 - Definitely not for me. On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend theBalm cosmetics Stainiac to your friends? 1 - Not at all likely. Are you planning to purchase theBalm cosmetics Stainiac after sampling through Birchbox? 1 - No, not planning to purchase. Here's what I had to say for the Share Your Opinion: The Stainiac in Beauty Queen was in everyone's Birchbox for June 2012, which is really awesome because I believe it's the first time everyone got 1 product in common. I would never put this stuff on my cheeks. I have adult acne and nothing goes on my face except cleansers and products to treat acne. The Stainiac works for a lip stain. The most effective way to wear it seems to be apply 1 coat, wait about 3 minutes, and apply a 2nd coat, wait for that to dry, then apply clear lip balm. I like trying out new lip products, but I do not want another sample like this. It tastes kinda bitter. I think Beauty Queen is the darkest color in the Stainiac, which offers the best color payoff for the most people. If Birchbox had sent out a lighter color, a lot of people would have been complaining about it not showing up on their skintone. My nickname for if they ever get around to displaying the Member Feedback, is ThePeridotCricket. Tammy

Color Club Foil Collection Disco Nap May 2012 Birchbox Gossip Girl

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Color Club Foil Collection Disco Nap May 2012 Birchbox Gossip Girl

Jun. 8th, 2012 at 12:54 AM

Nail Polish: Color Club Foil Collection in Disco Nap (Gold)
Rate your familiarity with the Color Club brand prior to Birchbox.
1 - Totally new to me before sampling.

When was the last time you purchased a Color Club product?
1 - Never

Rate your familiarity with the Color Club Foil Collection product prior to Birchbox.
1 - Totally new to me before sampling

What do you think of the Color Club Foil Collection?
4 - Pretty Darn Good

On a scale of 0-10, would you recommend to your friends?
10 - Extremely Likely

Are you planning to purchase after sampling through Birchbox?
1 - No, not planning on purchasing

Share Your Opinion: (Synopsis) I like this color a lot. It's very metallic. I do have a much more yellow gold nail polish from Wet n Wild, but I like that Disco Nap is more of a tarnished gold color and not so bright, but still very shiny.

Thanks for Reading, Everyone, and Blessed Be.
Tammy

Bbeautyblender Blendercleanser from Birchbox May 2012 Gossip Girl

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Beautyblender Blendercleanser from Birchbox May 2012 Gossip Girl

Jun. 8th, 2012 at 12:41 AM

I know this is a little late, but I just found time to review the lat 2 items I got in my May Birchbox last night. The blendercleanser is in a tiny little cute bottle. I stress "tiny" and "little" because it's really really small. I don't know how something that small could smell so bad. It's like real French lavender condensed 5000 times. I suppose somebody who really likes the smell of lavender could use it as air freshener, but I am going to trade it on the Birchbox trade forum on MakeUpTalk.com. Oh, I just thought of that. I know. I know. I said (see below) I was going to throw it away, but it just occurred to me some people really covet the beautyblender blendercleanser. And the idea of getting something I could use in trade really appeals to me right now.

Here's what I posted for Feedback on this item when I reviewed it on the Birchbox website on 06/06/12.

Rate your familiarity with the beautyblender brand prior to Birchbox.
1 - Totally new to me.

When was the last time you purchased an beautyblender product?
1 - Never.

Rate your familiarity with the beautyblender product prior to Birchbox.
1 - Totally new to me.

What do you think of beautyblender blendercleanser?
1 - Definitely not for me.

On a scale of 1-5, would you recommend beautyblender blendercleanser to your friends?
1 - Not at all likely.

Are you planning to purchase beautyblender blendercleanser after sampling through Birchbox?
1 - No, not planning to purchase.

Share Your Opinion: It smells like lavender. I opened it and it was horrible. I cannot use the blendercleanser blendercleaner. I will be throwing this product away unused. Well, recycling the little plastic bottle, anyway. I would not want to inflict the really strong lavender smell on anyone else, so I can't even give it away.

Current Location:Council Bluffs, IA Iowa USA
Current Mood: tired

Thanks for Reading Everybody, and Blessed Be. Tammy



Note: Wednesday, February 6, 2013. The BlenderCleanser did smell very strongly of lavender when I first opened it. I traded it on MakeUpTalk.com a few months ago, and I smelled it before I shipped it, just to be sure, and it smelled like cooking oil at that time. Weird. The smell changed while it sat in the bottle for 6 months.

Tutti Frutti Revlon Lip Butter and Maybelline Pop Sticks!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Tutti Frutti Revlon Lip Butter and Maybelline Pop Sticks!

Jun. 1st, 2012 at 1:22 AM

Here it is Friday, June 1, 2012, and I'm finally posting this entry that I started 5 days ago, so here it is, eventhough it's a little late.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Revlon Lip Butter 015 Tutti Frutti

$6.48 at Wal-Mart and $7.49 at Walgreens. I cannot find them at CVS.

Maybelline Shine Sensational Pop Sticks Retail Price Unknown. I couldn't find them at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or CVS.

I found the most fantastic lip product ever at Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago. Revlon Lip Butter in the color Tutti Frutti. It's number 015.

We get paid on Saturdays. I have Mondays and Tuesdays off, so most weeks Tuesday is errands and shopping day. On Tueday, May 15th, I went to Wal-Mart a day early because I needed to get a new air mattress for my bed. In case you're wondering, I sleep on a Coleman air mattress because a regular mattress is too hard. Well, it went flat, as they do from time to time. They have an average lifespan of about 6 months, with one having popped around 2 months and the record for longevity being 9 months. I had actually made the trip to Wal-Mart on Monday, a day early, but I got everything else and forgot the air mattress, so I had to go again on Tuesday. I got the air mattress and my back is very relieved, hopefully for the next several months.

On Monday, I also forgot to look for the new Maybelline jelly lipsticks while I was at Wal-Mart. I think they are called Maybelline Shine Sensational Pop Sticks, but I'm not sure. If they didn't have them at Wal-Mart, I was going to try Target next. Anyway, I couldn't find the Pop Sticks, so I was looking at all the lip products and I found the Revlon ColorSensational Lip Butters. I had heard about them on YouTube and MakeUpTalk.com, but I had never actually seen them before. I hadn't seen the Pop Sticks before, either, and this was my first expedition to actually look for them. The Pop Sticks were first on my wish list and the Revlon Lip Butters were second. Now it's the other way around.

I don't want to try lipsticks because I've heard so many people complain that lipsticks dry out their lips and sink into the lines, and I don't want so much pigmentation like lipsticks provide. Tinted lipglosses kinda gross me out. They are always sticky and some of them smell funny.

When I found the Revlon Lip Butters, I was very excited because I've really been wanting to try them. They are $6.48 at Wal-Mart, which isn't bad. I like the color orange, so I was drawn to 051 Tutti Frutti right away. There was only 1 left. The brightest red one, Candy Apple, looked interesting as well, but I have been trying to limit my spending on beauty and skincare products I haven't tried yet, so I had decided I could only get one of whatever lip product I found that day. First thing I noticed was the colors. There were only 9 or 10 but there was everything from baby pink to brown to fire engine red and burgundy. And then there was the bright orange Tutti Frutti, which stood out between it's pink and reddish neighbors. I thought there were supposed to be more colors. The names are so cute. More about that later.

As soon as I picked up Tutti Frutti, I looked at the top to see if I could see the real color of the product. The top of the case is cloudy on some other brands of lipstick and lipgloss. Seriously, why do cosmetics companies do that? The tops of the Revlon Lip Butter cases are clear. I was thrilled that I wouldn't have to buy it or swatch Tutti Frutti to see what it really looks like. After that, I also like that the Revlon Lip Butters are packaged so the outside cover looks pretty close to the same color as the product inside. And the case is made to look like a quilted blanket. That is so neat. I picked up one of each color and looked in the top to see if they all matched the packaging. Whatever color the plastic case is, it's pretty close to the color of the lip butter inside, so that's nice, too.

It was really hard to walk away and not buy the bright red Candy Apple lip butter as well, but I made myself do it. If I liked how Tutti Frutti looked, then I could always come back and get Candy Apple. I couldn't wait to get home and try it out.

I wear a lot of orange and bright red, so matching my new orange lip butter to my wardrobe is not a problem. I went in the bathroom and used the mirror to apply it almost as soon as I got home. I was wearing an orange splotch/tie dye sort of Polo v-neck t-shirt that day. 015 Tutti Frutti is not neon orange like my t-shirt, but it is very orange and very bright. I was very happy that it went so well with my shirt. (I want to say, "It went so nice with my shirt," but I know that's bad grammar.) When I opened the package, I noticed the lip butter looks like a very greasy lipstick, so I was a little bit worried about how it would feel on my lips. Through the little clear panel on the lid, it doesn't look nearly as greasy as it does once I open it. I haven't used lipstick in a long time, but thing I most dislike about lipstick is the heavy, caked-on feeling on my lips. But this Revlon Lip Butter glides on so smooth I can hardly believe it, and no matter how many times I go over it to build the color on my lips, it doesn't feel heavy or greasy or caked-on. I love it!

Tutti Frutti goes with bright red as well. I've worn it with a plain white t-shirt and bluejeans and it's not so bright that people stare like they want to know what the Hell I was thinking when I applied my lipstick that morning, but it's bright enough that everybody can see I've got a bit of color on my lips. I have worn it to Work, and just out and about, almost every day since I bought it and I am absolutely amazed at how smooth it feels and how it moisturizes my lips. I take it to Work so I can re-apply it several times a day, which is the one downside to the Revlon Lip Butters. So far I've only used the orange one, but it does have staying power, it does go on true to color, but it does seem to melt after maybe 5 or 10 minutes and get darker, but the staying power is limited to about 3 hours at the very maximum.

The staying power is not tremendous, like you would expect from many lipsticks. But Lip Butters are not Lipsticks. I have noticed that if I put on a lighter coat it's initially darker because my natural lip color shows through more than if I go over it more times, and the change is less noticeable when it melts and gets darker. I've had people say that Tutti Frutti doesn't melt or get darker when they wear it, but I think that's because they put it on really heavy. If I put it on heavy, it does seem to stay really bright a lot longer, but I usually just apply it and go over it twice. Either way, it looks and feels like it melts, and I like that because it feels very moisturizing, but not sticky. It also does not migrate into the little lines outside the edges of my lips like lipsticks will on some people. I really like that about this lip butter. It stays where I put it. I do have to touch up the edges with a paper towel or a Kleenex every single time I put it on, though, but it's possible that's just me. I can't color in the lines.

I throw it on my desk at Work so it's handy when I need it. People see the bright orange Tutti Frutti I've brought to Work and they ask, "Is it really that bright?" It is when I first put it on, but after a while it melts and gets darker, so that's why they ask if it's that bright when they see the container. I've been co-ordinating my clothes for Work based on what goes best with my new lip butter for the past 2 weeks, and trying it with different colored shirts almost every day. It's way more noticeable when I wear my neon blue t-shirt than when I pair it with my white t-shirt under a collared orange vest. It seems to stand out less with just the plain white t-shirt (no vest) than it does with the blue t-shirt. As you can tell, we have a very casual dress code where I work. It's not so bad that you can come to Work dressed in torn jeans or a tank top, but bluejeans, tennis shoes, and t-shirts are the norm.

I think this lip butter stands out so much when I wear the neon blue because the orange in Tutti Frutti doesn't have blue undertones. I want to buy one of the pink colors and see if it goes better with my blue t-shirts. That is going to wait until after I buy one in the color Candy Apple, which I will probably only wear when I have on a bright red shirt or a red tank top under a button-up shirt, but I really want to try a blue-toned pink lip butter and see how it works. When I do get a pink lip butter, it will probably be the pink one called Cupcake, but other descriptions say Lollipop also has blue undertones, so I will have to pick one or the other depending on if I want a lighter color or a darker color the day I go to pick out the next lip butter. I don't like light colors that make my lips not stand out against my skin. Lips the same color as my skin are not my style.

The entire week after I bought the Tutti Frutti Lip Butter, I spent half my free time looking up reviews and product descriptions online. I want to know about the products I'm using. The Revlon website says their lip butters are supposed to be super-moisturizing. I definitely agree with that. My lips have never been softer. I feel like I'm going to have to buy a lip scrub to exfoliate my lips in the shower because I've read that when a person uses lip balms and moisturizing lip butters, the resulting extra moisture they provide fools the skin cells in the lips into not producing new cells as fast. That can't be good. So far the only 2 drawbacks with this lip butter are having to clean up the edges every time I apply it and the possiblity of having to buy a separate exfoliator scrub for my lips. But I do want to see if I can get a sample of a lip scrub from Sephora or Ulta, so that's not entirely a bad thing. I've also watched several reviews of Revlon Lip Butters on YouTube. Some people love them. Some people hate them. They complain about the lack of staying power. But remember that lip butters are not lipsticks. They are not intended to last 8 hours without re-applying. The Tutti Frutti Lip Butter I bought lasts 2 or 3 hours at the very most. When I eat, there's a hint of color left on my lips if I leave the color on, but not it does need to be completely re-applied when I'm done. I usually just take it off before I eat anyway.

I bought 1 Tutti Frutti at Wal-Mart on Tuesday, and on Friday, May 18th, I bought a lot of 3 of the same color on eBay for $10.50 with free shipping. That's $3.50 each. They arrived the next Wednesday. I heard the mail truck stop in front of our house about 5 p.m., which it only does if there are packages to be put in the block of mailboxes in front of the house. There were 2 packages in my mailbox when I went down to check, and one of them was the lip butters I had purchased on eBay. They are unopened, sealed, and unused. The other package was the Travalo I won in the giveaway sponsored by Travalo and PinkxLipgloss on YouTube.

Between buying the orange lip butter on Tuesday and buying 3 more on Friday, I went to Walgreens and CVS to see if I could get them cheaper than I had at Wal-Mart. Walgreens and CVS both charge $7.49. Because I've been looking around online, I know there are 20 colors available. All 3 stores I've looked at have about 10 colors. Maybe Target has all 20 colors or I'll be able to find them all at Sephora. I am planning to go there tomorrow, so I will ask about the lip butters and the Maybelline Jelly Pops. I want to get perfume samples at Sephora and buy a couple things if there's anything I absolutely need while I'm there.

I've also been looking online for the Maybelline Jelly Pops. I bought a set of 4 on eBay this past Friday, May 25, for $12.95 with free shipping. That's about $3.25 each. They should arrive this week. I first heard the Maybelline Shine Sensational Pop Sticks them from Anna Saccone Joly's YouTube channel, TheStyleDiet, a couple months ago. I just started actually looking for them on May 15th. I couldn't find them at Wal-Mart, but that might be because I didn't know what they were called. After that, I started looking them up online and it looks like Maybelline has more than 1 product line with the same kind of packaging as the Jelly Pops Lipsticks. I did find them on eBay this past Friday. I searched YouTube for the words "Maybelline Jelly Lipstick" until I found a review that had really good pictures of each Jelly Pop and all of them together, then the numbers on the bottoms of the tubes. You would be amazed how many people who make videos on YouTube cannot take good pictures.

There are only 4 colors of the Pop Sticks available, which, thankfully, narrows down the selection process to practically nil compared to the Revlon Lip Butters. I know I'm going to have an agonizing time choosing the best pink and red (besides Candy Apple) out of 20 colors. The colors for the Maybelline Shine Sensational Pop Sticks seem to be neon pink, lighter neon pink, orange, and almost-red neon pink. At least that's how they look to me. Now that I've seen them on YouTube and eBay, I think CVS does have them, but I just didn't know what I was looking for when I went there to find them. The colors are 100 Pink Lollipop, 110 Raspberry Ice, 120 Citrus Slice, and 130 Fruit Punch. I have not seen them in person without the lids, so I can't say exactly how each one does look. They look almost like lipstick-shaped pieces of translucent glass in the pictures. I can't wait to try them.



Have a great day, everyone, and have fun.



Update: Friday, June 1, 2012.

My Maybelline ColorSensational Pop Sticks arrived on Thursday! It still feels like it's the same day for me because I get up on Thursday afternoon and I work until 2 a.m. Friday morning. The shipping information the eBay seller posted says they shipped on Monday, May 28th, and I just got them today. I am so happy to finally get to try them. I will make a separate post about these new Pop Sticks soon.

Also, MaybellineNYUK released a new video on YouTube about these Pop Sticks on May 15th. It says there are now 5 colors. I think they are only available in the UK. They even went as far as deleting my comment from the video when I simply asked if all 5 colors would be available in the USA. I am not happy about that. The 5th color is Crystal Pink. It's not on eBay, none of the reviews I've seen on YouTube show it, and I'm more than a little disappointed I can't get my hands on it. Wal-Mart does have all 20 colors of the Revlon Lip Butters. I looked again when I went out there this week, but most of the slots didn't have any lip butters in them. I did not see the top tier of the display when I was there 2 weeks ago. I don't think it was there then. Apparently half the colors are out of stock. They still have not restocked the Tutti Frutti, either, or maybe it's really popular and they sold out again.

As for the names of the Revlon Lip Butters, there are no flower names. I like that. Tutti Frutti is named after a lipstick from the 1950's. How cool is that. The lip butters are named after confections and candies and I think the names match the colors pretty well in most cases.

I did not make it to Sephora. That is going to have to wait until the 2nd week of June because that's the next time I'll have time to get out there. Sephora is inside JC Penney out at Marketplace.

Have Fun, Everybody, and Blessed Be. Thanks for Reading.
Tammy
ThePeridotCricket