Scentbird Perfume Subscription Box

So I have a subtle obsession with good smelling stuff. I love candles, lotions, perfumes, bath bombs, body sprays... All of it. And I have a pretty excessive collection. So I've decided I'm really just going to start buying roller balls rather than the full size, since I'm going away to college next year and the rooms at my first choice school are smaller than the average dorm.

This is where Scentbird comes in. I first saw this on one of Jessica Braun's subscription box reviews and have been lusting after it for a good six months now. The idea is that it's 15 dollars a month, and you get a "one month" supply of a perfume of your choice. It's an 8ml bottle which is about 120 sprays. When signing up you take a quiz that helps them know what kind of fragrances you like. They ask questions about where your happy place is, what drinks you like, etc.

I was lucky enough to receive my subscription for free in exchange for an honest review. And I have a few things that I didn't really like but mostly things that I LOVED.

Scentbird sent me my little vial in a bubble mailer. I'm unsure as to whether or not this is the normal method of delivery but honestly I'm not happy with it. The case seemed pretty sturdy, but I'm afraid that some post offices aren't as careful with small packages and I can't imagine how upset someone would be if they received a busted bottle. This is especially an issue with month boxes, as it only ships in the case the FIRST month.

My other (admittedly petty) complaint is that you have to spray the sample in order to smell it. I wish they sent a little scratch and sniff or something so I could sample the scent without having to waste 1 of the 120 sprays. Even if something has been matched to you, you could still not like it. Some scents that Scentbird recommended to me give me headaches as I've had previous experience with them. I wish there was a way to test if the perfume I chose had an adverse effect on me without having to commit to a scent I hate all day or wasting a scent I love with a couple test sprays.

Overall, I think I really like this concept and the execution of it is quite nice as well :)

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own honest opinion. I only received the product as payment.

August Beauty Favorites

Honestly, I've been meaning to jump aboard the monthly favorites bandwagon for awhile now and just... I'm lazy.

Sooooo here we go! My monthly beauty related favorites!

Oh My Lash Desiree Lash Review

The best pair of lashes for a dramatic look that I own; the Desiree lashes. I bought the Barbara lashes from Oh My Lash as well but haven't put them on yet. These are definitely not as natural, but I still enjoy them for daytime wear. They seem to be much softer than the JoJo lashes, though are made of the same synthetic material. 

They have a gentle wing shape which really helps to create that desired eye shape (Desiree, desire... ehehehe...) When it comes to comfort and feel I definitely recommend these over the JoJo lashes on that, but they definitely aren't for the people who don't like to look of false lashes. I also think these need a bolder liner to help hide the band, as it seemed to be much more visible. For $2.25, these are definitely a compliment to any look you want to take to the next level.

We are dorks and I somehow lost my chin.

Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links so if you choose to buy I make a bit of money. Also, I got these lashes to review for free but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna be nice for that reason. People who do that aren't good. No. Bad people. 

31 Stars to Thirty One!

Time for my half sponsored, totally unbiased review of two new bags I got. Both are Thirty One bags (sort of). One I am using as my nail stuff organizer, and the other is one of their new, higher end bags from the Jewel that I am using as my on the go makeup bag.

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Let’s start with the nail organizer. It holds everything nicely and keeps it organized, and I can definitely see it being used to organize makeup items as well

The Pros:

• Small
• Portable
• Comes in many patterns
• Lots of pockets!

The Cons:

• No "sturdy" structure
• No pockets on the inside
• Pockets on the outside are only on one side

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Now the makeup bag. I just got this tonight, I paid a reduce rate to get this bag so I have no idea how much it retails for. If there’s a high demand I could definitely investigate that further.

The Pros:

• Gorgeous pattern
• Gorgeous fabric
• Great size
• Sturdy

The Cons:

• Not really washable
• The inside looks like it will stain easily

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Another quick little note, Thirty One is having a flash sale! They just merged with their sister company, Jewel (which is what my makeup bag came from), and all of those bags are going to be available in January, but before that they’re looking to get rid of some of their old stock. 

The sale will be going on from now until December 22nd. You can shop online here or just clink the picture below.

Disclaimer: I did receive stuff in exchange for this post, however my opinion on the products is completely unbiased.

Dupe Alert: Urban Decay Deep End

Each swatch is two swipes with my index finger.

A few weeks ago I picked up the Neo Perle eyeshadow journal set by Profusion. I purchased two of these from Ulta for $2.99 each. Each journal includes 15 eyeshadows in a cute book with a magnetic closure. They also have different color themes depending on which one you buy. In the journal with the blue sparkly color I found what I think is a pretty close dupe to Urban Decay's Deep End.

I recieved the Urban Decay LE Fun pallet a couple years ago for Christmas, though I've only really used the two nuetral colors included (Stray Dog and Sellout) up until recently. I'm sure these eyeshadows are going to last me forever, but when I do run out I've found an amazing replacement for my favorite color.



Without a side by side comparison, Deep End and the Neo Perle color look almost exactly the same color. However, when placed next to each other you can totally see the small difference. Deep End has a bit more luster than its dupe. When applied there's the same type of difference. Both colors have a satin finish, but Deep End seems to be less changed in color by the shimmer than the Profusion shadow.

In the end, I would absolutely recommend the Profusion pallet, For 3 buck you get 15 shadows with impeccable quality for their price. Their application very much reminds me of Urban Decay, with very few powdery colors.

Profusion Neo Perle eyeshadow journal set can be bought here for $2.99
Urban Decay Deep End can be bought here for $18

Younique Thoughts (Part 1.5)

     Today’s quick post is something I’ve been thinking about writing since the Younique party two weeks ago. This isn’t my part 2 post on the subject, but it’s about the Moonstrucks 3D Fiber Lashes that I got to try that day. We’ll call this Younique Thoughts (1.5). More specifically, it’s my first impression and why I chose not to purchase the product that the company seems to be most famous for. 

That is 1 coat of the 3D Lashes

      Don't worry Younique reps who read my blog, this is not a review of shame! Personally, every time I see people with naturally long eyelashes wearing this mascara, they always seem clumpy and spidery to me. It's likely that they're applying it the way someone who REALLY needs the fuller lash look would and are getting something that isn't soft or pretty (in my opinion), so for all you girls out there with long, full lashes, definitely take it easy on the fibers. The product is good, it's waterproof, and looked wonderful on many of the other women at the party, this is just a case of personal preferences, as well as proving that while a product may be wonderful, it's not always for everyone! Some of you girls may love the way that this looks, and if you do I say go for it! It's a great product that definitely lives up to the hype. In the several hours that I wore it, it did not flake, smear, or run when I started to tear up (no I wasn't crying, I was yawning)! So my verdict on the 3D lashes are if you really need the extra boost, or feel like you need it. It's definitely worth the money. However if you already have long full lashes you may be better off investing the money in another product that would benefit your more in the long run.

Younique Thoughts (Part 1)

Younique makeup products have become increasingly popular since their start a couple years ago. If you don’t know the couple by name, you probably know about their Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes. This mascara has become huge thanks to bloggers and other social media icons discovering it. The before and after pictures of this product are definitely nothing to bat your eyelashes at. Today I had the pleasure of attending a makeup party hosted by the friend of a Younique presenter. Normally, Younique parties in the past have always been held online, and presenters still aren't instructed or equipped properly to host a physical party. As a (soon to be) customer of the company, I find this really confusing. True, it’s easy to see the payoff of their famous mascara, but there are many other products that they sell that a person wouldn't be too keen to buy without an in person presentation of the product. It would be awfully easy for someone to buy the wrong shade of bb cream, foundation, or powder, and while Younique does have a good return policy, that’s just putting more stress and responsibility on their customers. This level of personal responsibility that comes with not being able to see a product in reality will automatically turn many people away. Which is a shame because the quality of product that Younique offers is for the most part worth the price tag. The presenter who did this party did an excellent job at explaining each product, the different uses, and then at the end of her little sales pitch we all had time to socialize, play with the makeup, and get a feel for the products we could be spending as much as 60 dollars on per item.

This woman's set up was lovely! From the moment I arrived I knew I had to have something!

 The day finished in laughter in smiles as we all looked at each other and marveled at the makeup products we had a chance to try out. A couple of women at the party didn't wear makeup consistently, and while they weren't likely to purchase enough makeup to do their whole face, everyone had one product that they enjoyed enough to place an order for. Younique definitely needs to consider making home parties the norm for their company. While their ideology is sound. Making everything electronic definitely does save money, they're losing money by not letting women get together and test out some of their products in an environment they're comfortable in. It'll be interesting to see how Younique addresses this in the future as more and more presenters start to do this without company backing.