Dr. Scholl's Active Series Insoles

In October 2013, I received a pair of Dr. Scholl's Active Series insoles free for testing purposes from Influenster.  The instructions on the package say to remove the (firmly glued in) insoles from one's athletic shoes and replace them with the Dr. Scholl's inserts.  I am not going to remove the padding from any pair of shoes, especially the brown Champion brand walking shoes into which I put the Active Series inserts.  Champion walking shoes have extremely thin soles.  I already had Dr. Scholl's (blue with jelly-like yellow padding on the underside) insoles in the shoes, which I removed and swapped out for the Active Series insoles.  I am thrilled to report that the Active Series insoles actually fit my walking shoes front to back without being cut.  They were a little narrow at the toe, and I was afraid they would shift and leave my big toe or the outside of my foot hanging off the edge, but they haven't shifted, so I am happy with the fit.  They provided excellent shock absorption and good arch support.  I have trouble finding insoles with high enough arches, so the Dr. Scholl's Active Series inserts surprised me in that respect.  I am still looking for padded insoles with higher arches, but these are the best so far.  I really enjoy how comfortable they make my shoes and the padding they provide.  I was about to give up on my Champion walking shoes and throw them out because they didn't have enough padding in the sole even with the previous Dr. Scholl's inserts I was using.

Mary Kay Glamour VoxBox from Influenster

I received the Mary Kay Glamour VoxBox free for testing purposes from Influenster.  Included in the box were a Mary Kay Lash Love Mascara, a Lash Primer, a Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm, a True Dimensions Lip Stick in Pink Cherie, and a Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush.  I think it's a great mix of products that appeals to a lot of people.  I only tested the lip stick and the cream eye shadow. 

The Mary Kay True Dimensions Lip Stick in Pink Cherie is nearly identical to the Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart.  It does feel a little waxier than the lip butter, but not too much, which I like.  I don't like how regular lip sticks feel on my lips.  The color is a warm neon pink, which really brings out the natural redness in my face.  I won't be wearing Pink Cherie much because of that.

The cream eyeshadow in the color Violet Storm is beautiful.  It's a gorgeous lavender color.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me.  It creased and melted, then wore off really bad in my eyelids.  It was fun to try, but I'm not ready to leave the house wearing eyeshadow yet.

I really dislike that Mary Kay products are both made and sold in China, where testing on animals is mandatory.  I have been trying to switch to cruelty-free products which are made in the U.S.A when possible, although it is much more difficult than I expected.  I am an impulse buyer and pretty colors are my weakness.

Review: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso.

I love getting lip product samples, whether they're in my Birchbox, a gift with purchase, or a sample like Jouer sometimes sends out if you were to e-mail them.

I think I hate the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick that I got in my August Birchbox.  It's the color Beso, which looks orange-red in the tube, but it dries much darker and turns a blue-red.  When I got my box, I tried the lip stick first thing.  I did not have a problem with it staining my lips and I don't remember it being hard to remove.  I think I may have had lip gloss on before I applied the liquid lipstick those times.  I tried it again today hoping to get a picture of my lips wearing it.  It was a total failure.

1. It's a horrible mess to apply, but I'm not the best at applying lip stick anyway, so I just cleaned the edges & corners with a bit of paper towel like I always do.  Compared to other highly pigmented lip sticks, I did have to work harder at cleaning up Beso.

2. It takes 1/2 an hour to dry, it really dries matte, and it feels uncomfortably dry on my lips.  I do not like how it feels at all.  It stays wet and sticky for about 10 minutes.  Then it starts to feel dry and sticky.  After that, it feels so dry it's almost painful.

3. I didn't blot it, so it looked freaking bumpy, so after it dried it looked like I put it on over a cold sore in a bunch of spots.  I did blot it when I wore it before, and there were no bumps when it dried then.

4. The lines on my lips look 5 times deeper with this lip stick than with anything else I've ever worn. How does it do that?  My lips looked super-dehydrated and cracked, which they are not because I use a crap-ton of moisturizing lip gloss every day.  I also exfoliate my lips.

5. Removing this Stila lip stick with the make up wipe was messy and took more than a few swipes, but completely effective and there was no staining of my lips, so I guess that's 1 positive thing. I did have to work at it.  I don't think it was that hard to get off before, probably due to the lip gloss under it.

All said, I'm giving the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick a grade of D+ because it's a bigger pain in the ass to wear than any other lip product I own.  I'm not giving it an F because it doesn't bleed outside the edges of my lips and I really like the dark red color of Beso.  I didn't use a lip liner like I do with any other red to prevent the bleeding and migrating at the edges.

Another Chanel Peridot Dupe?

Painted and Photographed Saturday, August 17, 2013.  Left: Outside.  Right: Inside.  Finger Paints brand Fall of Surprises Copper Glitter over OPI Just Spotted the Lizard and Color Club Editorial.  OPI on Thumb, Middle Finger, and Pinkie.  Editorial on Index Finger and Ring Finger.  They are the Exact Same Color.  Three Coats.  Orly Bonder Base Coat and In-A-Snap Top Coat.

August Birchbox Points Haul

Look What Arrived Today! 

Original Total $19.50.  Used 200 (4 Months' Worth) Birchbox Points.  Paid Nothing.  Shea Terra Black Soap. Color Club Editorial.  Pick 2 Pack = Vapour Lip Gloss & 12 Benefits Hair Treatment.

Excited to Try Everything.  Especially the Soap.

Palmolive Soft Touch from Influenster

Palmolive Soft Touch--Soft On Hands--Tough On Grease





Palmolive Soft Touch comes in 3 varieties--Vitamin E, Aloe, and Coconut Butter. I received Vitamin E and Aloe free from Influenster for testing purposes. I bought the Coconut Butter at Wal-Mart using 1 of 5 $1.00 off coupons that Influenster sent. Palmolive Soft Touch $2.64/bottle at Wal-Mart. I left the rest of the coupons in the dish soap aisle at Wal-Mart.

For cleaning power, I prefer Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil. It's harder to completely rinse off the Palmolive Soft Touch, especially the Vitamin E. Palmolive Soft Touch feels more slippery when I'm doing the dishes, but it doesn't look or feel like it lathers as well as the Lime Basil. Palmolive Soft Touch does get rid of any stuck on food and get my dishes clean and fresh, but I feel like it takes less effort to do the dishes with Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil than it does with any of the 3 kinds of Palmolive Soft Touch.

The Palmolive Soft Touch in Vitamin E and Aloe smell nice, kind of fresh, and not overpowering. I don't like the Coconut Butter scent. I've used Palmolive Fresh Sponge, the clear eco-friendly Palmolive, and Palmolive Pomegranate. They work great, but the smell of each of them makes me nauseous. The Lime Basil scent, however, is fantastic. I am trying to find candles that smell like Lime Basil. I don't mind the smell of Palmolive Soft Touch Vitamin E or Coconut Butter, but I wouldn't buy them again based on scent or cleaning power. The smells of each remind me of the clear eco-friendly Palmolive, which makes me nauseous. The Coconut Butter also left a scent and a taste on my plastic Ziploc bowls I use for my lunch at work, despite thorough rinsing. Disgusting. I do not want my food to smell and taste like dish soap. The Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil has never left a smell or a taste on my dishes. I love it for that.

I do dishes a lot. I've been using the Aloe Soft Touch and I've only tried the Vitamin E and Coconut Butter scents a couple times. Palmolive Soft Aloe doesn't dry out my hands any more than they already are, but I don't see any improvement in the softness off my hands after I do the dishes. I guess it's good it doesn't make my hands drier after I do the dishes than before I do them, but based on how Palmolive Soft Touch is marketed, I did expect improvement in the softness of my hands.

Overall, I know I will stick with Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil rather than repurchase any of the Palmolive Soft Touch. I like the Aloe variety the best. It has the best scent. They all clean great, but I prefer the Lime Basil with it's great lather, ease of rinsing, and wonderful scent.

Thanks for Reading, Everyone. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Preview: Cricket's Bay Summer Collection Hand-Knotted Hair Ties

Here's a preview of my Summer Collection 2013, which I'm releasing in my Etsy shop in about a week.  Neon Orange.  Bright Blue. White.  Purple.  Lime Green.  I still have to heat seal the ends to prevent fraying.  The colors are not right in this picture.  I can't get the white balance right on my phone's camera.  I'm still working on getting better pictures.  I may change out the green for another color.

Review: Orly Nail Polish

I have several Orly nail polishes.

Orly Rage 40293, Cherry Bomb 40503, Twilight 40269, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe 40309, Winter Wonderland, and Star Spangled 40721.

I go for metallics, pearls, and glitters. Orly is great for these, and they last pretty well on my nails. They don't bubble and they don't take forever to dry. The glitters are wonderful with a few  coats by themselves and so beautiful with one coat over cream polishes. I also use the Orly In A Snap top coat and the Orly Bonder base coat. I used to use Seche Vite, but the Orly base coat and top coat actually work better for me.

Orly Rage is my go-to neutral nail polish. I love the color. I love the way it applies. I love how it lasts without chipping. It's great under one coat of glitter from any brand of nail polish.

Orly Twilight looks like metallic silver glitter in the bottle, but on my nails over any cream or jelly polish it just looks like a shiny clear top coat. Three coats does nothing to change how it looks. The glitter does not show up in Twilight.

How to Make a Galaxy Print Shirt

Great Video.  Step-By-Step.  Watch boatpeoplevintage Make a Galaxy Print Shirt.

Watch "DIY nebula / galaxy print - fashion tutorial" on YouTube

It comes out a beautiful mess of pink, blue, purple, and white on a black crop top.  She shows a bit of a plain black and white galaxy print on the back of the shirt as well.  I think this is an awesome idea and an awesome shirt as well.

ILoveNP Bad Mogwai Over Orly Rage

My Nails Today. Bad Mogwai from ILoveNP Etsy Shop over Orly Rage.  Black and Green Glitter over Silver/Metallic Pink.  It was easier to apply than Something About Merry.  Bad Mogwai seems to have killed the silver in the Orly Rage and brought out the pink.  I'm used to it being very silvery.  I like this color combination.  I can't wait to try this black and green glitter over other colors.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ILoveNP/

Quick Look: Birchbox May 2013

Amika Obliphica Nourishing Hair Mask

Coola Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face

Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner

Guayusa Tea

I'm cricketsbay on Instagram.

Dark Pink Crab Apple Blossoms

Photographed 5/10.  Posted 5/14.  I'm cricketsbay on Instagram.

First Look: Birchbox April 2013

Okay, so it's May 8, 2013, and I'm posting this. I wrote it 3 weeks ago.

Monday, April 15, 2013

First Look: Birchbox April 2013

LAFCO House & Home Soap $17.00
Made In Italy.
The Birchbox Card says, “Infused with wild roses, black currants, and raspberry, NY-based LAFCO’s lush blend is a world away from ordinary bar soap.”
They’re right about that. It’s not a bad smell, just very strong. I got the scent called Fleur de Baies. I could smell it when I opened my mailbox. I was worried something in my Birchbox had leaked. I was very relieved to find there was not a mess, but I had to seal the soap in a Ziploc bag because it was giving me a headache. I can still smell it through the bag. Everything in my Birchbox, including the tissue paper and the box itself, still smells like the soap. I would never be able to use this soap because of the strong scent. It will be on my Birchbox Trade List tomorrow. I am wondering if I can trade it for another Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lipstick.

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lipstick $26.55
From the Card, “Launching exclusively in the Birchbox Shop, this user-friendly lip pencil is a quick way to score a high-impact pout.”
Made In Taiwan. I got the color 14. Perfect Kiss. It’s supposed to be a coral color, but it looks like a peach color with shimmer to me. I was a bit confused about the exact name of the color at first, but I sorted it out after a look at the Birchbox website. People on the online keep saying, “I got Glossy Kiss. It’s a horrible neon orange color,” and, “I got Glossy Kiss and it’s a nice darker red.” That tipped me off because mine says Mirenesse Glossy Kiss and it’s an orangey peach color. After a closer look, the packaging says, “Glossy Kiss Starlet” on the front, the lipstick tube says, “Mirenesse Glossy Kiss,” then turn it halfway around and it says the actual color name, “14. Perfect Kiss” and the amount of product in the tube, followed by the website address Mirenesse.com. I have at least 3 similar colors. Orange and peach lip products are my favorite. I have the Maybelline Color Whisper in 30 Pin Up Peach, e.l.f. Super Glossy Lip Shine in Love It, and the new limited-edition (I think) Revlon Lip Butter in 027 Juicy Papaya.

Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixer $20.99
The Birchbox Card says, “It’s not just your skin that needs antiaging (sic) help. This new shine-boosting serum cures dry strands and reduces the odds of age-related breakage.”
Made In USA. Anti-aging serum for hair? I am dumbfounded by this concept. Why not just call it an anti-breakage serum? The words “anti-aging” without the dash in the middle bug me. I think Birchbox could use a better proofreader. The serum is packaged in a little bottle with an eye dropper. According to the packaging, it’s an “Advanced leave-in treatment that rebuilds strength and combats 8 visible signs of aging hair.” All hair is aging. It’s not alive. Hair follicles, which the hair grows from are alive, but hair itself is not. I think Nexxus is using the words “anti-aging” as a marketing tool. Companies that sell skincare products and vitamins and supplements have proven that people will buy anything that says it prevents or reverses the signs of aging. The visible signs of aging hair are not specific to “aging” hair, they are just things that happen to hair as it grows. There are countless hair oils, heat protectants, and leave-in conditioners that do exactly the same thing as Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixer. Maybe they should all be labeled as anti-aging hair products. It also has dimethicone, a great hair-smoothing ingredient, but unfortunately a major cause of acne breakouts if it gets on my face. I did only recently find out about the correlation between my breakouts and the hair products I use and it’s been a very enlightening process trying to replace them. So far it hasn’t been a big success.

Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate $58.00
From the Card: “With a hefty 10.5 percent pure vitamin C, this targeted antiaging (sic) serum brightens skin, protects against free radical damage, and softens wrinkles.”
Made In the U.S.A. Okay, is everybody spelling “anti-aging” without the dash now? That’s what stands out on the back of the tube for me. I would buy this product specifically because of that, if it does what the packaging claims it does. This sounds like a product I could use. I have deep crease lines on my forehead. Vitamin C is also supposed to be good for fading blemishes from acne. I could definitely use something that does that. I wish I could try this serum. The sample size says 0.17 fl. oz./5ml. I just realized that means the tube is at least ½ full of air. 5ml is the same size as 1 teaspoon. I will not be trying the Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate because it has dimethicone and dimethicone crosspolymer. I have adult acne and dimethicone is a silicon-based polymer which can cause flare ups. I am very disappointed to not even be able to try it. I am in the process of weeding out all skincare and hair products that I own which contain dimethicone. These currently include my favorite conditioner and dry hair oil by Organix brand. This is not a fun process, but it’s necessary for less acne on my face. I wonder if Kiehl’s has any products which don’t contain dimethicone.

Simple Revitalizing Eye Roll-On $6.99 or so at Target
This is not listed on the Birchbox Card. It has it’s own little card wrapped around it that says, “It helps reduce puffiness and revitalize tired eyes by instantly cooling and gently massaging the delicate eye area.” Made In USA. It’s a Birchbox Find like the Schick razor we got several months ago. I’m really hoping we can review the Eye Roll-On. Is it sad the most exciting thing about this product is that I can pronounce all the ingredients and I don’t see dimethicone or parabens listed on the label? There’s a $1.00 off coupon on the back of the card. I wonder if CVS carries Simple brand products. It carries just about every other product made by every company owned by Unilever. I am really looking forward to trying the Simple Revitalizing Eye Roll-On. I need a good eye cream. It says 0.5 oz. | 15mL. It looks to be housed in a 1 oz. tube. Why can packaging not be made to fit the amount of the product inside it? Anyway, this looks like an interesting product to try and I can’t wait to try it tomorrow morning.

Thanks for Sharing My April Birchbox, Everyone. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Today's Daffodils

Daffodils.
I Like the Color Contrast on These.
Photographed and Posted 5/4/13.
I'm cricketsbay on Instagram.

First Look: DermOrganic

I am trying to change my haircare and skincare routine to help control my adult acne and improve the overall quality and health of my skin.  I received samples from DermOrganic last week.  I sent an e-mail asking where I could buy samples on Sunday and these arrived on Thursday.  DermOrganic makes vegan and cruelty-free haircare and skincare products.  They sent huge travel-size samples of both product lines. 

I am especially looking forward to using the skincare samples.  I am trying to cut silicones, especially dimethicones, out of my haircare routine because they clog my pores and cause me to have breakouts.  It's hard because every conditioner (and some of the shampoos) I own contains at least one kind of dimethicone.  I have had fewer pimples since I have started to not use as many products with silicones, but I do still get breakouts.  I don't know if I will ever find a good conditioner or dry oil for hair that doesn't contain silicone or a silicone dirivative.

I have been trying to go cruelty-free for several months.  It has not been a success, but I am not giving up.  I think DermOrganic products are a step in the right direction, but the Intensive Hair Repair Mask and the Leave-In Treatment do contain varieties of dimethicone.

DermOrganic sends awesome samples and I hope that using their products will result in fewer pimples and healthier skin and hair.

I'm cricketsbay on Instagram."

Thank You for Reading, Everyone.  Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Influenster Featured May Dish Product

I got an e-mail today that says I have been selected by Influenster to receive a surprise in the mail.  I am really hoping it's just dish detergent.  I don't have a dishwasher and I only have 1 pot and 1 pan.  Both are the nonstick variety.  Here's what the e-mail looks like.

Hi Tammy,

We scoured Influenster Nation for the perfect people to test an exclusive new household product, and guess what? You outshone the rest!

This product is all about give and take: it gives a little TLC while taking away the grime....but we won't give any more clues, because your product is already on its way!

Where: Your product will arrive to the address you provided in the pre-qualification survey.

What: Once you receive it, find the badge in your profile and check-in your box.

What Else: Like us on Facebook & Follow @InfluensterVox on Twitter

We can't wait for the fun to begin!

Pots & Pans,
The Influenster Team

Welcome Back

I realize I have not posted on this blog in about 2 months. I did post on my other blog and I was thinking about moving the posts from this blog to that one, but I changed my mind and now I'm moving posts to this blog. I will also be creating new content. I realize I've switched blogs and/or stopped posting at least 2 times this year. I do not plan to do that again. I will be updating The Peridot Cricket on a regular basis from now on. I will be deleting entries on the blog which is currently listed as http://cricketsbay2.blogspot.com as soon as I have them all moved to this blog. It should be easier making the move than it was from my LiveJournal blog to this blog, which is not complete yet, because I can just pull up the editor in Blogger and copy and paste the entire blog entry, including the code for the photographs I have been posting lately. I'm @cricketsbay on Instagram. Follow me there, if you like. Thank You for Reading, Everybody. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Icicles On Trees

These icicles were on the trees along the South side of the Council Bluffs Public Library on March 13th, 2013.  I posted this picture on Instagram on March 17th as 1 of a series of 5 different angles on these icicles.  I think they are beautiful. 

I'm thinking of doing something called Series Sunday on my Instagram page.  However, my account was heavily spammed last night when I posted a series of pictures of glitter nail polishes I bought from ILoveNP on Etsy.  The spam continues intermittently today.  There are at least 25 different accounts posting nearly identical spam comments on my pictures, and those of others.  It's a pain in the ass, but every time I get a spam comment, I just click on the poster's username and then report them for spam. 

I have pictures of the icicles on the North side of the Library taken a few days later.  I plan to post them on Instagram next Sunday. 

Thank You for Reading.  Have Fun and Blessed Be.

First Look: Up To Snow Good Glitter Nail Polish by ILoveNP on Etsy

Up to Snow Good by ILoveNP on Etsy.com.  Winter Collection 2012. 

Up To Snow Good has square teal glitter, a couple different shapes of white glitter, and translucent aqua glitter in a clear suspension base.  I can't wait to try it over a silver nail polish.

Photographed on my windowsill on 3/24/13.  I like it. Of course, I like them all, except they smell kinda like Seche Vite.  Ick.  1st of 9 glitter nail polishes I purchased in February 2013.  I have not used any of them yet. 

Check  out my Etsy Shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/theperidotcricket/

Bug! On the Rose Theater Window

In 2010 I found this yellow bug on the window of the Rose Theater Costume Shop.  I recently posted a series of 5 pictures of different angles of this bug on Instagram.  My username there is cricketsbay.  I don't know what kind of bug it is. I've never seen another bug like it.  I do like taking pictures of bugs.  The photo is cropped and I added the word CricketsBay.  There are no other edits and no filters applied to this photo. 

First Look: Bad Mogwai Glitter Nail Polish by ILoveNP on Etsy

Here's the first of the pictures of 9 glitter nail polishes I bought from ILoveNP on Etsy in February.  Bad Mogwai is a green glitter polish.  I can't wait to try it.

The light was going this evening and I  couldn't get a good picture. The camera on my phone wouldn't show the proper green color again, so I set Bad Mogwai on the windowsill.  The phone camera, the light reflecting off the bottle, and the setting Sun combined to make the streaks of light in the picture.  The photo has not been edited.

I got a much better picture than I was looking for.  I just wanted to show the nail polish true to color.  This photo captures the green color of Bad Mogwai perfectly.

I also bought ILoveNP's entire 6 polish Winter Collection as well as The Deep Sea and Pumpkinhead from other collections.  I will post pictures of them soon.

Thank You for Reading, Everyone.  Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Crazy Polka Dot Easter Nails

This was 3/5/13.  I had an interview the next day.  Time to take off my nail polish.

What's In My Shower: Strawberry Edition

What's In My Shower: Strawberry Edition

The new Fresh-Picked Collection is out at Bath and Body Works. I was there on Monday and Wednesday. I got shower gels--2 of each--in Fresh-Picked Strawberries and Fresh-Picked Tangerines. I'm using the Strawberries shower gel right away.  I was in Target and I saw the Suave Sun-Ripened Strawberries shampoo and conditioner on an endcap, so I bought it, too. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and it's cheap. 

The Fresh-Picked shower gels are $8.00 for 16 oz. The Suave products are $1.99 each.  I love the smell of strawberries for my shower.  The shower gel smells amazing and it works great. Tye verdict is still out on the Sun-Ripened Strawberries shampoo and conditiinert.  I've only used it once so far.  I have to say it's not the best at detangling and the conditioner has almost no scent, which is very disappointing.

I bought all products mentioned. All opinions are my own.

Thanks You for  Reading, Everyone.  Have Fun and Blessed Be.

The Line Up 3/1/13

The Marquis for The Weekend of 3/1/13.  It appears the Omni Centre 4-Plex is only open 3 days a week.  They change the marquis on Thursday, sometimes Friday, and movies are shown Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

First Look: Birchbox February 2013

First Look: Birchbox February 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Overall, I’d say my February Birchbox is a pretty good box, based on getting 3 samples I’ll actually use and 1 I can definitely trade. I got 4 samples and a Ghirardelli Chocolate Square. I don’t like it that a tiny piece of chocolate is taking the place of 1 of the samples.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle.
Apparently there is a company called Beauty Protector. They sell hair products. This sample looks like about 1 oz of detangling spray. The description on the card says, “Great for all hair types, this nourishing elixir performs seven hair-healing functions. Among them: locking in color, adding shine, and instantly detangling.” It’s in a bright red bottle with black writing. It reminds me of the packaging on the Juliette Has a Gun website for their new Mad Madame perfume. Black on a red background is something I associate with Valentine’s Day. The detangling spray smells good. It’s thicker than most other sprays of this sort. I am looking forward to seeing how it compares to the Organix Argan Oil detangling spray I use.

Color Club Nail Polish in Wild Cactus
Green nail polish. It’s a nice color. I don’t have any nail polish like it. The Birchbox card says, “Shoo away Winter blues with this on-trend emerald polish.” Okay, but it’s not emerald green. It’s just green. Emerald green is darker. I have 2 emerald green nail polishes and countless emerald green beads. It’s closer to grass green. It looks like Wild Cactus will have a shiny cream finish. I swatched it and it is not opaque with 1 coat. I really like the color. Some people complain that Birchbox and Color Club only send mini nail polishes, but I like it because I will probably never finish a full-size nail polish, except Wet n Wild 9.0.2.1.0range.

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm
According to the card, “From the brand that brought BB creams to the U.S., this formulation has mineral SPF 25 and a satiny, matte finish.” Trade forum, here I come. I hope there’s product in this one, unlike the BB cream they sent last May. I think it’s a light shade, which would be appropriate based on my Birchbox profile, which I should edit. I can’t say much about this sample, except I look forward to these so I can list them on the trade forum on MakeUpTalk.com.

Juicy Couture Couture La La
Another Juicy Couture sample. Viva La Juicy is nasty. It smells like an old lady drenched in baby powder. Viva La Juicy La Fleur is a very strong and lasting scent that is a very close copy of Avon’s Sweet Honesty. Couture La La says, “I’m perfume.” That’s it. Nothing special about it. It’s wearable, but that’s all I can say about it. I don’t love it. I really don’t care one way or another about this scent, and that says something by itself because for me perfumes are something I either like or I don’t. The card says, “Roll out the red carpet for this new scent, a stunning mix of mandarin, red currant, lily, and orange blossom.” I don’t smell any of that stuff when I sniff Couture La La.

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate and Caramel Square
Really? It’s called a Treat this time instead of an Extra. Milk Chocolate and Caramel: an awesome combination. I really hope we can review this sucker. By now I’ve been typing for 15 minutes and I’m pissed that 1 piece of chocolate is taking the place of an actual Birchbox sample.

So, that’s my February 2013 Birchbox. I’ll post reviews once I use my samples or trade them. What do you think of Birchbox this month?

Thank You For Reading, Everyone. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

On the Ground: Blue Moon

I've got a fascination with beer caps, soda caps, logos, old signs, new signs, and graffiti.  I take pictures and post them on my Instagram - @cricketsbay - when I find something interesting.  I like photographing ephemeral things, things that change or disappear quickly. I have many a regret where I was planning to go back and photograph something and it was gone when I did get back to it. Now I try to get pictures of things I find interesting as soon as I see them. My android phone has helped tremendously with that.

I've decided to post my #ontheground photographs here, too, to diversify the content of my blog, and because I want to post about something I like doing.  I walk a lot and I take the bus.  I like to photograph things on the way.  Most of them I'll be posting here are pictures I've taken with my android phone.  Some are downloads from my Picasa gallery, which is sync'd with my phone.  I'm working uploading to Picasa in a more timely manner, but most of the non-phone photos I'll be posting are a couple years old All of them will have been posted on Instagram first. 

All photographs have been taken by me, edited by me, and are copyrighted.

So, here's the first one. Blue Moon Beer Cap from February 5th, 2013.  Android Phone.

First Impression: New (For Me) MacBook

Tuesday, February 19, 2013. 12:01 a.m.

I bought a used MacBook tonight. So far it works great. The Apple iOS looks easy to use. I’ve only had it for about 10 minutes and the first thing I cared about finding was how to use Microsoft Word so I could type. My last laptop didn’t have a typing program installed when I got it, so being able to type is really important for me. It looks like all the programs I’ll need are installed, which I’m very excited about because it means I won’t have to fiddle around online trying to buy them from Apple.

Today was an adventure in anger management. I was planning to get up at 2:30 p.m. and catch the next bus to Omaha. Everything went smoothly until I got to the Taco Bell where I had arranged to meet the MacBook seller. I woke up at 12:06 p.m. and I didn’t feel tired enough to go back to sleep so I got up, had some food, and watched some YouTube videos until 2 p.m. I thought the bank would be closed, so I headed for the ATM to withdraw $400.00 to pay for the MacBook. When I got to the bank, there was an SUV in the drivethru. The bank was open on Presidents’ Day. Not cool, but I went in, withdrew the money, got a little slip with my remaining bank balance, and got $5.00 in quarters to make sure I had enough for bus fare.

On the way out to 84th & Center, I got some great pictures to post on Instagram @cricketsbay. The bus ride was interesting because the driver is probably the only one in Omaha who does the old-time trolley driver routine where he announces every stop like Bob Barker on The Price Is Right. I think there are 150 stops on that route. I posted the “Beazles. Contagious Like Measles” tweet that I do almost every time I’m at the Bergen Transfer Center. It was a little cold waiting for the bus, but not too bad. It was after the bus ride that the problems started.

When I got to the place I was supposed to meet the guy to buy the MacBook. He called and asked for directions. I’m glad he wasn’t going South when I told him to keep going on 84th Street. He got to the Taco Bell, opened the laptop, turned it on, and explained that he had just erased the hard drive and re-installed the iOS. And then we sat there for about 5 minutes waiting for the MacBook to go through its startup routine. He turned it off before it was done. It had nothing but a grey screen when he turned it back on. He called some guy who is more familiar than he is with Apple computers. The guy said he would have to re-install the iOS again. So, the MacBook seller and I parted ways with plans to meet up later after he fixed the hard drive. It sounded like the guy on the phone was in charge and the guy in front of me was just the errand boy because he asked the seller if my MacBook was the last one and then told him to give me his girlfriend’s MacBook, which the seller refused because her homework for college is all stored on the hard drive of her MacBook. Then the seller asked if he could give me the disk or disks to re-install the iOS myself and the guy on the phone was was kinda loud in his refusal on that. Apparently they re-sell a lot of MacBooks. Hmmm … It was kinda weird.

I got a call two hours later saying the hard drive was shot. He had to buy a new one. Oh, boy. So I said right out that I was not paying more than the advertised price. The ruined hard drive was 80GB. The new one is 250GB, so I’m happy with that. The MacBook seller was very understanding. When he delivered it, I said I appreciate that he replaced the hard drive and didn’t try to charge me extra. He said he thinks he had accidentally smacked this MacBook into a wall when he was carrying it and that’s what killed the hard drive, so he blames himself--as he should.

So far, this MacBook works great, but I’ve only booted it up, scrolled along the icons at the bottom to see what programs are installed, and opened Microsoft Windows. The seller did show me how to access the programs using the menu and how to safely shut down the computer. If I have questions, I’ll probably find a tutorial on YouTube.

My MackBook is white. It has the Snow Leopard iOS, which I think is 10.7. I looked it up on Google today. I think it has all the programs I’m going to need for my business, YouTube, and any job I might get in the near future. I’m excited to try out the webcam tomorrow. I’m used to using and IBM Thinkpad, so the way the mouse works on the MacBook is new for me and I’m trying to get the hang of it. I think I got it for a great price. I have been scammed by a laptop seller before, but this time I don’t think there will be a probem. I’m so glad to have a new laptop that actually looks like it’s going to do everything I need it to do. I was not able to play DVD’s or CD’s on either of my 2 most recent laptops because they didn’t have the necessary software installed and I could not get it to install. I still don’t know if this MacBook is going to be okay, but it does look good so far, but having been scammed before I’m still worried. I will test it out tomorrow, though, and if anything is wrong, there’s always the Apple store, although I don’t know how much help they’ll be to someone who bought a MacBook on the secondary market.

I’m looking forward to editing my photographs and having plenty of space to store them all on the hard drive. The hard drive died on my first laptop with about 5, 000 photos on it, so I know the importance of backing up the hard drive online. I was using Picasa at the time, so all my photos were online already and I didn’t lose them when the hard drive crashed. Picasa and LunaPic are the only programs I’m familiar with for editing photos, so I hope they work well with this MacBook. I can’t wait to find out. My next step is to get signed up for wireless Internet service through Cox. I am so happy right now. The job I’m trying to get requires a laptop and wireless Internet, so I’m prepared if I do get hired. Tonight I’m going to try out the DVD player. I’m so nervous it’s not going to work.

12:43 p.m.

Tammy
Thanks for Reading, Everyone. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

NOTD: Color Club 954 Blue-Ming

Nails Of The Day: Color Club 954 Blue-Ming.

I painted my nails on February 13th with Color Club 954 Blue-Ming. I got this nail polish through Birchbox.com about a week ago along with the Zoya Blogger Collection. It was originally $8.00.

Blue-Ming has lasted 3 days so far with chipping only on 1 nail and edge wear on another nail on my right hand. All the other nails still look perfect. I am aware that my cuticles are not pushed back. I like this color because it's bright and it stands out. It's a true robin's egg blue. Three days for nail polish to still be perfect on 8 out of 10 nails is a long time for me. It looks like Color Club Blue-Ming gets good wear. I'm using Orly Bonder Base Coat and Orly In-A-Snap Top Coat.

The 1st coat of Blue-Ming went on very streaky and not opaque. The 2nd coat covered most of the streaks. It took a 3rd coat to make it completely opaque, smooth, and no streaks showing. It has a great cream finish and it's very bright. The color in the picture is as close to the actual color as I could get it. My camera leans blue, so it killed some of the green tone in the nail polish color in the image below. Overall, after 1 use, I like Blue-Ming a lot. It's very bright.

What do you think of this polish? Do you have experience with Color Club Polishes? How do you like them?

Thanks for Reading, Everyone.  Have Fun and Blessed Be.
Tammy

NOTD: Zoya Coraline with Orly Winter Wonderland

Orange. So Happy.

Thursday, February 7, 2013.

Zoya Coraline with Orly Winter Wonderland over it. ZP9003 and Orly 40308. You probably can’t see it, but there’s a coat of Finger Paints 806000 Paper Mache under the 3 coats of Zoya Coraline. The 3 polishes in the Zoya Blogger Collection, exclusive to Birchbox, are extremely translucent jelly polishes. Coraline is opaque in 3 coats over a coat of Finger Paints Paper Mache. I have not tried it yet on nails with just a base coat. I will do that in the next couple of weeks.

I used the Orly Bonder Base Coat and the Orly In-A-Snap Top Coat. I thought Zoya Coraline was dry when I put on the top coat, but it was still getting dents the next day, so clearly I was wrong. It still looked pretty good when I took this picture. I think the wear time was 4 days, which is the longest I ever seem to be able to wear nail polish, but there was chipping on my right hand pretty bad by that point.

I like the Orly Winter Wonderland. It looks like white glitter in the bottle, but it shows up pretty silver on the nails. Turn my hand one way and it looks like white glitter, turn it the other way and it looks like silver glitter, so it has some kind of duochrome thing going on, but mainly silver, I would say, once it’s on the nails, or gray.

I have Orly 40269 Twilight, which looks silver in the bottle. It’s silver microglitter in a clear suspension base from what I can tell. It doesn’t show up on my nails. I tried it over Zoya Coraline before I tried Orly Winter Wonderland and all it did was make make my nails look a little bit shinier. The microglitter was not visible unless I was really close. It just looked like I had applied a clear top coat, so I put Orly Winter Wonderland over it.

Thanks for Reading, Everyone. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Nail Polish Haul: Zoya and Color Club

My Birchbox Points Haul. $22 for the Zoya Blogger Collection + $8.00 for Blue-Ming by Color Club. It would have come to $30.00, but I used 200 Birchbox Points, so I got 4 polishes for $10 with free shipping. The Zoya Blogger Collection is exclusive to Birchbox. They are 3 jelly polishes. Right: ZP9001 Belle. Middle: ZP9002 Kate. Left: ZP9003 Coraline. I love bright orange and coral colors. Last night I applied 3 coats of Zoya Coraline over 1 coat of Finger Paints Paper Mache, which is an opaque cream white color. I applied a coat of Orly 40308 Winter Wonderland over the Coraline. I used Orly Bonder Basecoat and Orly In-A-Snap Topcoat. It looks awesome. The polish on my right index finger chipped about an hour ago. I've been wearing it for about 18 hours. I'm left-handed, but the polish on my right hand always seems to chip first and chip more than the polish on the nails on my left hand. I'm going to try to post a picture of my nails tomorrow.

Thanks for Reading, Everyone, and Blessed Be.
Tammy

Review: Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil

Palmolive Fresh Infusions Dish Soap - Lime Basil - Review

Last Tuesday was errands day, so I bought dish soap. I've seen a lot of reviews on YouTube lately from ladies on Youttube who have received the Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish soaps from Influenster for review purposes. I first heard of Palmolive Fresh Sponge dish soap on YouTube and I've been using that for the past 6 months or so.

While I was at Wal-Mart, I had a look at the new dish soaps and smelled them all. I really don't care for the pink one, Ginger White Tea. Lemon smells always remind me of Pledge furniture polish, which I do not find appealling, so I didn't get the Lemon Thyme scent. The smell of the Lime Basil Fresh Infusions dish soap is light and very fruity. I've been using it for a week and it's very nice. A little of this dish soap goes a long way. It makes a lot of bubbles and it leaves the dishes nicde and clean. It has more lather than the Palmolive Clean Sponge dish soap--a lot more--and it's hard to rinse off if I use too much. I don't know what to call the scent of the Palmolive Fresh Sponge, but it's not entirely pleasant. I was not using it for the smell, but because it cleans really well and leaves the dish sponge not stinky. I've wanted to switch for a while, but I was waiting for it to run out. Between it running out on Saturday and being able to get to Wal-Mart on Tuesday, I had bought some $1.00 dish soap at No Frills, which doesn't lather very well and smells kind of like new shoes.

I've done dishes at least 7 times since I bought the Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil and it has gotten the grease off, left the dishes sparkling clean, and made the kitchen smell nice every time. Fragrance is important to me, and I will never buy the $1.00 dish soap from No Frills again because it doesn't smell good. I like fresh, fruity scents, especially for wathing the dishes, because it's not something I look forward to. If the dish soap smells nice, it makes it a better experience. I would buy candles or air freshener in the Lime Basil scent if I could find them. I don't think I could ever say that about another dish soap.

Thanks for Reading, Everyone, and Blessed Be.

Rue21 Sparkle Perfume Display

I was at Metro Crossing today and I walked by Rue21 on the way from Ulta to Target. I saw the Sparkle fragrance sign outside the store again, then I wanted to see what the display looked like in the store. It's nice, so I took a picture. I doctored it with 2 bokeh from the PicsArt app. and added my watermark. Breland from GlitterForever17 on YouTube is their model. I was really surprised she's not pictured on the advertising material. As you can probably see, I could not find the tester for Sparkle. Bummer.

Wet n Wild Caribbean Frost

Wet n Wild Caribbean Frost. Two Coats with Orly Bonder Basecoat and Orly In A Snap Topcoat. Nails of the day for Thursday, January 31, 2013. The polish on my index finger chipped an hour after I took this photo. I've had this polish since 2008. I don't use it very often, but I love the color.

First Impression: Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil

Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil - First Impression

I posted this short review on Influenster.com.

PROS: Smell, Degreases Really Well, Lots of Bubbles

CONS: I don't think there are any.

QUICK TIPS: Pour a little on a wet dish sponge and go town.

I bought the Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish soap in Lime Basil yesterday because of all the great reviews I've seen on YouTube by ladies who got the 3 dishsoaps from Influenster. I smelled the other 2 at Wal-Mart and I the only one I like is the Lime Basil. I used it today and I can't say enough about the smell and the bubbles. I think it's better than the Palmolive Clean Sponge dish soap I've been using for the last 6 months, and it smells better, too. It got the grease off my plastic bowls and my pans. As of right now, I will definitely be purchasing the Lime Basil dish soap next time I run out.

Recommend: Yes

Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste

Has anyone else seen the Aquafresh Extreme Clean Aerosol Toothpaste ?  It looked interesting at Dollar Tree, so I bought it when I needed new toothpaste last week.  I don't think I like it. The can is neat with the orange and white and green, but that's probably the best part about this product--right neon colors--and the toothpaste itself is bright blue. It's only $1, so I'd say it's worth the price but not a cent more. The toothpaste gel squirts out kinda like neon blue cheese in a can, then swells up like mousse and turns white. Or maybe a better analogy is spray string because it can be a very messy, toothpaste shooting out  all over the place, process. I will finish the can, but I am not buying another one.  It's a neat concept, but not a great product. And don't forget to shake it before you use it.  As toothpaste, or gel, I'd say it works, but the novelty factor wore off the first time I used it.  I don't recommend Aquafresh Extreme Clean. It also tasted like aerosol propellant at first. That wears off when I'm about halfway through brushing my teeth.  It's gross.  This is the only aerosol toothpaste I've ever seen and I would not try another kimd, either.

Blog Fixes Progress

Hey, Everybody.

I think I've got everything updated/formatted through the Maybelline Popsticks/Revlon Lip Butters post. The next one is about the BlenderCleanser from BeautyBlender. For almost every post after that, I have to add the little HTML things for the spaces, change the footer if there is one, and remove my location if it's showing up at the bottom of the post. It's taking longer than I expected. In the meantime, I'm planning individual posts on the items that came in my January Birchbox.

I'm trying to get my Etsy shop in order and add more items. That has been taking a lot of time as well. Today I found out I can copy a listing, edit the colors available, delete the original picture, and add a new one. I've had my Etsy shop for well over a year, but I've really just started to get the hang of posting listings and navigating my account. I should have things up and running soon. Right now I have two of my Rose Photographs listed, as well as a couple bracelets and a set of mini hand-beaded Mardi Gras balls. I am planning to work on my shop a lot in the next week. I've been having trouble getting good pictures of my hand-knotted hair ties using my Android phone, so that has slowed me down a bit. Either the color is off or they are blurry. If it doesn't work itself out in the next couple of days, I will have to start uploading pictures of my items for Etsy using my camera's xD card. I do not want to do that, but it would probably mean clearer pictures. I will let you know how it goes.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theperidotcricket/

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

abb3rz07 Lena Dunham Rant

Watch "GIRLS AND FAT SHAMING LENA DUNHAM?" on YouTube

Books I Have Read January 2013

Hey, Everybody! I've been busy reading a lot while I was unemployed. I am so excited about my new job that starts tomorrow at West Corporation in Omaha.

I've read 5 books so far in January and I'm almost done with a 6th, In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant. This is my list for January 1, 2013 to January 18, 2013. Thank you all for sharing this with me.

1. Getting Lucky by Elaine Barbieri. Leisure Books. New York, 2009.

2. Firelight by Kristen Callihan. Forever (Hatchett Book Group/Grand Central Publishing). New York, 2012.

3. Fireproof by Alex Kava. Doubleday. New York, 2012.

4. Arcadia by Laura Groff. Voice (Hyperion). New York, 2012.

5. Cat in a Neon Nightmare by Carole Nelson Douglass. Forge (Tom Doherty and Associates). New York. 2003.

I did not enjoy Arcadia so much. It is a good book detailing the life of Bit, who started out in a hippie comune and ending when he is about 50 years old, but I liked the other 4 books a lot better. Cat in a Neon Nightmare felt like I was wading through a quagmire of old PI cliches for the first 1/3 of the book. I highly recommend all the Midnight Louie Mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas, though, of which Cat in a Neon Nightmare is the 15th book in the series. Of the other 3 books, 2 are historical romances and the 3rd is an FBI mystery. I enjoyed them a lot. Firelight has a bit of the supernatural in a re-telling of the Phantom of the Opera sort of way. Fireproof trails an FBI agent tracking an arsenist and stumbling upon a killer who travels America's highways. Lucky is a love story set in San Francisco in 1849.

Happy Reading, Everybody. If you would like to leave a comment saying what you have read lately, I would love to read it.

Tammy ThePeridotCricket

First Look: Birchbox January 2013

First Look: Birchbox January 2013

I got my January Birchbox on Tuesday. The expected delivery date was January 18th. It was 4 days early. Here's what I got.

theBalm cosmetics Hot Mama Shadow & Blush All-In-One
Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo
Lashem Measurable Difference Lash Gel Serum
Harvey Prince Skinny Chic
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

My Birchbox Trade List on MakeUpTalk.com is closed for now, or 3 out of the 5 items would be on it.

Here's what I think before I try any of it.

theBalm cosmetics Hot Mama Shadow & Blush All-In-One
I don't use blush. It's Orange. I've seen about 100 people on YouTube say it's a dupe for NARS Orgasm blush, only with less shimmer. How is it a dupe when it's not exactly the same. Could people say, "Almost a dupe"? The packaging is unique and interesting, kind of like a 1950's Hawai'i advertisement, only with a bikini. I will be adding this to my Birchbox Trade List on MakeUpTalk.com when I re-open it in a couple weeks.

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo
I was going to trade this, but I've decided to use it, as long as it doesn't smell too bad. Leave-in conditioners and argan oil probably count as things that need to have a clarifying shampoo once in a while, right? I've seen people open it on YouTube and say it smells bad. Others like the smell. I haven't opened it yet, so I don't know. It's in a plain black and white bottle like the labeling used to be for generic products at the grocery store--just a white box with black writing.

Lashem Measurable Difference Lash Gel Serum
As soon as one girl on YouTube said something like, "... causes blindness, changes the pigmentation of your eyelid ... well, that was another kind of lash serum ... I might try this one ..." I knew this was not for me. Another one for the trade list.

Harvey Prince Skinny Chic
I don't know what to say. Skinny. Chic. Um, bad marketing? It's a perfume that's supposed to help curb cravings. It smells sweet like green apples and pears. Yeah, like that's gonna help curb my cravings. I love pears and green apples. I want the Harvey Prince Ageless Pink Grapefruit sample that Birchbox sent out this month. I was going to trade the Skinny Chic for that sample.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream
At least it doesn't have soy like one of the other face creams in the January Birchboxes. I have hormonal issues which soy aggravates. I can't eat things with soy and I don't want to put them on my skin. Of course, I didn't actually read the ingredients yet, so I might not use this either. It's 2 packets about the size of ketchup packets on little purple cards. I think there's 2 uses per packet. I hope it smells nice.

I'll post reviews as I either try each product or trade them and let you know what I think.

Tammy
ThePeridotCricket

Line Breaks Editing Pain

A small bit of success this week. I have edited as far as the Twistband Review from my May Birchbox at the bottom of this blog. I think that's 5 entries. Now they have spaces in the proper places, which they did not before. I just inserted a double line break where it needed to go using the "
" HTML thing because the Blogger editor will not insert the line breaks the right way. I don't know why. I am planning to fix more entries later this week. Thank you for bearing with me. For now I have to go get groceries and then make supper.

I got my January Birchbox today. And I have discovered that my laptop does indeed have a word processing program--two in fact--WordPad and NotePad. I cannot figure out why it doesn't have Microsoft Word or OpenOffice. Now I can type whenever I want. No guarantees it will look the way I want, but I can fix that.

Next Monday I start a new job. I am both looking forward to it and dreading it. I still have another job offer on the table and if they want me I will be taking that job instead, so my life is in limbo right now. I feel like I have to take the job that would start on Monday because I need to work and I need to get paid, but I want the other job more because it's easier to get there on the bus and the call center cannot possibly be as nasty as the one where I've been hired already. Then again, it could be worse. But I still wan that job. I hope the HR lady calls tomorrow and says the second job wants me.

Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Mutual of Omaha & TD Ameritrade

http://instagr.am/p/UfU49REkxe/
Mutual of Omaha and TD Ameritrade as seen from about 118th and Nicholas in Omaha. I went out there for a job interview last Monday--not with either of these companies, but another one which has its HR office out there--and I got hired today. Training starts next Monday. I don't know of I'm really happy about that or not. I need a new job. I want the job. I don't know if I'll be a good fit. And the bus is never on time. I am waiting on another job offer. If it turns out the other company wants to hire me, I am going to take that job instead. Anyway, I think this is an interesting picture and I wanted to share it with everybody. It's from Monday, January 7, 2013 at about 3 p.m. I took it while I was waiting for the bus after my interview. I had to go for a second interview with the same company the next day, then a drug test the day after that and a background check. Finding out I was hired today makes me sad. I absolutely need this job, but I only half want it.
Tammy

Blacklist: Beauty.com and Drugstore.com

This is the most fucked up customer service I have ever seen.  Banned For No Reason.

http://www.makeuptalk.com/t/132157/really-unhappy-with-beauty-com-drugstore-com

Picture Upload Test

I just re-installed the Blogger app. on my Android Phone. It wouldn't let me upload pictures when I tried it before. I am hoping for better luck this time. Being able to upload images is one of the main reasons I switched to using Blogspot. I need to have pictures in my posts.

Blog Issues

I have realized that I am going to have to start using HTML in my blog entries because Blogger just will not leave spaces and linebreaks where I put them. Thos has been a tremendous pain in the ass to me for the past month. My blog entries look all squished together. I don't like it. I have been trying to solve the problem and now I think I have the solution, although putting in the linebreaks manually using HTML is also a pain in the ass. But it's better than the alternative. Now I just have to find the time to go back and fix all the squished blog entries. Tammy ThePeridotCricket

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo

Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner A+++ 9 days ago on Influenster PROS: Soft, Manageable Hair. Smells Great. Works Great. CONS: Macadamia Oil Set Is Very Greasy and Made Me Itch. QUICK TIPS: Target $5.99 for 13 fl oz. I give the Organix Macadamia Oil an F-. I love the Moroccan Argan Oil line by Organix. I use the shampoo, conditioner, and the weightless healing dry oil. The Macadamia Oil shampoo and conditioner made my scalp extremely oily and gave it the worst itching ever. I do alternate about every other wash with Head & Shoulders. The Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo especially smells good. With the conditioner it leaves my hair soft and smooth and shiny with lots of body. I use the dry oil before I brush my hair and it kills any frizz that might be left. I sometimes like to just shampoo and run, so to speak, and the Argan Oil shampoo and a spritz of the dry oil on my towel-dried hair leaves my hair manageable even without conditioner. My hair has never looked or felt healthier since I started using this set in March. I have gone through several bottles of the 13 fl oz size and I will continue to buy the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil products because they work great for me and they smell great. The shampoo cleans my hair and my scalp really well and never makes me itch. Recommend yes

First Look: Birchbox December 2013

The this month is All Wrapped Up. Okay, so this is not the greatest Birchbox ever, but it's definitely not the worst.Those of us who got this box got screwed out of reviewing the foil packet of Thymes Lotus Santal Body Lotion. We get to review 4 items instead of 5, which is kinda pissing me off. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream I don't use anything like this on my face. I wanted to try a sample of perfume called Juliette Has a Gun Mad Madame, so I traded the CC Cream for that through makeuptalk.com. The perfume smells a little musky at first, but it's a wearable fragrance. Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique - Protect Heat protectant leave-in conditioner for hair. I don't use heat on my hair, but I do like leave-in conditioner, so I am going to give this a try. 2 10ml foil packets, so that's quite a lot. Thymes Naia Body Lotion The description says lemon pulp and yerba mate extract. The smell is not delightful. It smells like just a generic lotion from the grocery store. The smell stayed even through 3 hand washes. It's a little lemony. Thymes Lotus Santal Body Lotion Tiny Packet. Haven't opened it yet. I've seen people on YouTube who got this box say it smells good. ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss I got the one called Berry Pink. It smells like strawberry candy, which is nice. I've used ot a bunch of times and I like it a lot. It is moisturizing and it's not very sticky. It has no color on my lips, though. It's just shiny. Full Size. Well, here it is January 7th, 2013, and I'm just posting the first look for my December 2012 Birchbox, which I've had for almost a month now. I will post reviews for each product later this week. I'm trying to get back into blogging several times a week. Wish Me Luck. Tammy ThePeridotCricket