Beauty Bags and Boxes...Do you subscribe?

Hello Lovelies!!! So today I have for you a review of three beauty subscription services! I am sure many of you have heard of them before and are possibly subscribers as well, but I wanted to offer my opinion on three of the most talked about services here. You can also check out my YouTube reviews on each of these here.

First up is Birchbox. This is one of the first subscription services I have ever heard of. It's a $10 a month service that sends you several samples, some are deluxe size and some are more one time use size. You take a survey on their site and supposedly they send you samples based on the results of your survey. The box I got was the Gossip Girl box. Now, I do not watch that show, but I do know what it is so I was excited to see what I got. And in all honesty I was pretty let down. I got a nail polish, some skin care and some other stuff that wasn't really that impressive. So after noodling it over for a couple of weeks I decided to cancel my subscription as I just felt that it wasn't really worth my money each month. I was bummed because I know a lot of people really like it but based on this box alone I just felt like it wasn't for me. You can see what I got in my box and hear more about it here.

Second on this list is Beauty Army. I was so, so, so very excited about this service and you can see my review on it here. I had seen so many videos and reviews on this service and thought it was going to be so awesome and that I would get all these great things....and I was. really. disappointed. Beauty Army is also a monthly subscription service and this one is $12 per month, and the unique part about this service is that you take a profile quiz and are offered samples based on that. But YOU get to pick six samples out of like 12 or something that YOU want. Well I got my selections and I was pretty underwhelmed. It was like the crap leftover selections at the local beauty counter. I had body wash, lotion and perfume and that was it. LAME! I picked a few out anyway and thought I would just try to remain optimistic, but then the box came and it was even more boring. The box it self (pictured above) is adorable - it's pink camo on the inside. But the samples just were not great. I haven't used them all yet but seriously I really felt let down. With this subscription service you can skip a month if there's nothing you want, so I haven't cancelled this service...yet. I get to view new samples next week and then I'll make a decision to either skip or to cancel.

And last but for surely not least...MyGlam's Glam Bag!!! This was the first service I actually subscribed to and I have to tell you, I LOVE IT!! It's a $10 a month service and you get a make up bag each month filled with deluxe to full sized products in it. The only thing that bums me out is all the bags pile up and it's like what do I do with them lol! But seriously I have gotten some great products from here. Lip sticks from NYX, eyeliner from Urban Decay, concealer from Murad, and skin care from Philosophy. There have been a few things that I wasn't too amped about but mostly this service continues to impress and amaze me. My bag has easily been worth $10 or more each month. There was a month where I skipped my bag due to error in payment info, but I fixed it and got back on track. Of the three I have tried I highly recommend this one, hands down! You can watch my review on this month's bag here.

What do you guys think? Do you subscribe to any of these? What have your experiences been? I'd love to know :-)

Dreary Mornings

It's a dreary cool and rainy morning here :/ had brunch with the boyfriend and now on to Sunday errands.

So grateful for Starbucks on a morning like today!

What's your favorite way to spend mornings like this?

Magalog 6 Reviews

Happy Saturday Lovelies!!

I am probably the most inconsistent blogger in the world. Sorry. I just get too easily distracted and I think ooh this would make a good blog post...let's go get groceries...and then it's gone.

Also, in other exciting news, I started up my YouTube channel again. There's only three videos right now, but you can check them out here!

I have for you today a review of mark.'s newest magalog trends for Mag 6. There are some really awesome pieces in this collection along with NEW HAIRCARE!! mark.'s hair care line has been the same since the company started and they are the last line to get a make-over. All I can say is I personally couldn't do my hair without these products!

So let's get started!!!

Roll With It Romper 

Short and Sweet Dress 

These are the new fashion items from Mag 6. I love these for summer! I will tell you that the romper runs weird. I ordered a size up and while it fits great, it's short. Like if you bend over too far there will be butt cheek short. But it's very cute! It buttons in the back but it's kinda open too, so I suggest wearing a black bra, OR if you can find one, a neon colored one! It's very chic and could be worn to a wedding or the farmer's market. It's all in how you accessorize it.

The Short and Sweet denim dress, it F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!!! Seriously, I've worn it the last two days in a row. I love it for work with a cardi or for running errands or girl's night or whatever. It's super comfy! And it has great zipper detailing in the back. The top bust part is elastic. I ordered a medium and it's awesome! The straps are adjustable and the length is perfect. I can see getting a lot of use out of this dress! 

 Fit to Print Beach Bag 

Michelle Vale Convertible Bag

Bags! Okay the top beach bag, holy OMG! It's reversible! You can wash it in the wash machine! It has a magnetic snap and it is seriously big enough to fit a small child in (which I don't recommend but it's flippin huge!). A great tote for summer, over-night stays, work, shopping at a farmer's market, etc. 

The Michelle Vale bag is something I don't have. BUT the story behind this is that Michelle Vale was the winner and the handbag designer awards for new designer and most original design or something along those lines. The bag has a detachable strap and interchangeable hardware (silver or gold). Apparently in person it is to die for. Again I don't have it so I can't say. I will tell you that her bag at Nieman Marcus is $895. Our designer collaboration is only $58; which is like free compare to $895!! 

 Cross Your Fingers Ring

 First In Line Earrings 

 Triple Sparkle Necklace 

We Got the Bead Necklace 

Okay on to jewelry! the ring and earrings above, both come in silver or gold and are really cool! Very much a nod to the tribal trend that's big for summer. I love those earrings so much! They are so expensive looking and again, are very versatile! 

The Triple Sparkle necklace is a beautiful piece that reminds me of the Pandora bead trend that's been big for a couple years now. There are three different colored beads and it's a great layering piece. A good basic go to necklace to dress up any outfit!

We Got the Bead. This is not for everyone. BUT it is for ME! I LOVE THIS! It is the ultimate summer statement piece! There are gold bars that hold together hundreds of multi colored plastic beads. And. it. is. gorgeous. For seriously! It looks great with jeans and a t-shirt. I love it in the pic with the romper! An attention-getter for shizzle. 

NEW HAIR CARE!!!!  EEEK! I love this! So much! I really disliked mark.'s old hair care line, because I thought it smelled bad. It worked great but it smelled like men's cologne and it was so strong I couldn't smell anything else all day. So I was so beyond excited when I found out there was going to be new stuff on the very near horizon! I have used the hair spray, Locks in Place Build able Hold Hairspray and the Double Do Shape and Gloss kit! The hair spray is so awesome, I love that it's build able so that it doesn't get super hard and crunchy and it doesn't flake. And OMG, OMG the Double Do! Ugh, I love this! I love the packaging and design! It's so unique to mark. with the flip design! One side is like pomade and the other is a glossing cream. I use these two products everyday and I swear I have had at least a solid month of good hair days! Other reviews on the other products are really positive as well. As for the scent it's light and feminine. And it's not long lasting or overpowering. So you can do your hair but not have the product overwhelm you the rest of the day! 

Okay, whew! That's a lot of new stuff. So yeah. Alrighty, what are you excited to try?? All of these products are available now and you can shop here for them. 

Want to get these products for free? Host a party! It's super fun and we have a whole new format! You can earn up to a $200 shopping spree just for having a girl's night in! 

Want to get a discount on these products for life? How about make more money on your own terms? Or supplement your current income? Meet mark.! Sign up to become a rep today! For a very limited time it's only $20 (you have until May 22nd actually). No inventory, no hidden fees, no pressure and no quotas. Total opportunity! Go to www.meetmark.com/yes and enter referral code 133 and I will send you a special treat! 

Zoya Nail Polish - My Collection

Hello Lovelies!!

Long time no see, huh? 

Sorry, lo siento! I've been busy and my blog was neglected. Many apologies!

I've also been trying to create a YouTube channel so I can do both blogs and videos. Some things are just better said and some are better written, ya know? 

So today's post is all about Zoya. Have you heard of them yet? If not, you will! They are taking over the beauty and fashion world as we speak, haha! They are an awesome vegan friendly line of nail polishes and other manicure and beauty goodies. And they are especially created for natural nails! See their website.

I had seen several of their ads in magazines and online so I finally decided to break down and try them at the beginning of the year and holy cow am I glad I did! 

They run a LOT of promos on their Facebooks and Twitter pages (check them out here and on Twitter @Zoya_NailPolish). They offer BOGO, free shipping, and other things FREE, which is always awesome! 

I did a video about my collection and some of my fave colors (which you can see here) and as I was doing the video I thought it might be a good blog post too so you can see swatches of the colors. 

LC and Sooki

Ginessa and Trixie

Bevin and Kristen

Shelby and Rory

Mimi, Cynthia and Jem

Audrina and Maisie

                  Swatches:

Some of the swatches are hard to see because of the light, and will look different in person and on nails versus paper :-) 

March Faves 2012

Happy Saturday Lovelies!!! It's the last day of March ~ I hope it was a good month for you! Lots of exciting things going on here :-) 

I will be writing a totally separate blog post on this particular event but, I need to share before I explode: I'M A MARK MENTOR!!!!!! Holy Cow, right?!?!?! I have worked so hard for this, and it has been my focus and goal since starting mark. in 2010! I can't believe it happened and it's here!! 

Okay whew! Like I said I will write a totally separate post about that later ;-)

Now it's time for Mel's March Faves! In no particular order here they are:

My (awesome) Kindle Fire!!! I bought this for both Tony and I to share, but I certainly use it more. It's so cool! You can surf the internet, check Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and download tons of cool apps! It's very similar to the iPad but MUCH cheaper and I love that as an Amazon Prime Member I get tons of books, movies and TV for FREE!!! Woot Woot! And its small and lightweight enough that I can put it in my bag and it doesn't weigh down the whole thing.

(l to r: Trixie, Sookie, LC, Bevin, Kristen, Maisie, Audrina, Mimi, Jem and Cynthia)

Zoya Nail Polish. I tried it for the first time at the beginning of the year when they had a promo running where you could get two bottles of nail polish for free, just pay shipping ($6). I wasn't overly impressed with it, I really like the colors, and I was sent 3 bottles of polish (the two I chose and another one - not sure why). But I've used it a few times now and I love that they are constantly running promos on their site. If you've never checked out Zoya go see their website.

Borrowed from the Boys Watch and Layered Up Bracelets. I have worn these non stop since I got them at the beginning of the month. I just love the layered look, and this watch reminds me so much of the MK one, but the mark. one is $200 CHEAPER! You can check these items out here.

And lastly, I am OBSESSED with anything mint green! This wristlet is from Target and that is a bottle of Sally Hansen nail polish. Maybe it's spring, maybe I'm weird, who knows! But I am addicted to this color!

Magalog 4: New Goodies!!

Hello and Happy Friday Beauties!!! 

I also want to say Happy Hunger Games to you too! 

Magalog 4 is here!! In case you didn't know today kicks off a brand spankin' new magalog in the world of mark. 

What does that mean exactly to you?? It means there is a whole lotta new awesomeness available on my eboutique!!!

To kick off Mag 4 I am blogging and reviewing about my FAVE new stuff! 

A couple of notes, we are expanding out foundation shades!!! Yay-hoo!! There is a wider selection of Min-A-Reel, Powder Buff and Matte-Nificent for you to choose from. If you are interested in shades, let me know and we can hook-up and look through them! 

We are also introducing a new scent, limited edition, called Jasmine Petal. I have the body wash and lotion, but my pictures aren't that great so I am showing you the mark. site ones below:

Jasmine Petal is sweet and fruity, not really floral or woodsy. So if that's you, check it out! I personally love it! 

 Pick A Posy Earrings. These are super duper cute and fun for spring! They are a tad heavy and I would recommend using different earring backs than the ones they come with, but I love the versatility here. I can wear this with jeans, with a suit to work and I can easily see these with an LBD out on the town! Great alternative to just the simple diamond stud.

Layer Up Bracelets. Okay so these are pretty much my favorite thing from mag 4! Well second fave...see below. You get 7 bracelets in the set, and mark. has done these before but these bracelets are bigger, chunkier and the color pop is fab! Also, I LOVE that the purple bracelet has a skull on it (if you remember the double skull ring from a couple mags ago - this matches perfectly!)

EEK! The Borrowed from the Boys Watch!! OMG probably this is my fave thing from Mag 4!!! I love this watch. It is so bold and luxe looking! We had a mark. event last month where one of the ladies had her Michael Kors watch next to this and honestly, you can't tell a difference. Even weight wise this is as heavy as the designer one! Best part - ours is only $40! That's practically free compared to $250 ;-)

Fashion! Some great spring/summer pieces here! The Bright Bralette set is awesome! You get both the pink and blue ones in a set and they are so awesome to layer under all those tops with the wide necks that are so popular now. And they are comfy! They definitely do fit true to size so order accordingly. I own a medium.

The Blaze the Way Blazer, is fantastic! I have worn this twice already, once to work and once out and about. It's linen, so it's super light weight, the sleeves are ruched (which is supes cute!), and there is neon green stitching on the inside. This blazer runs SMALL!! So I highly recommend ordering at least one size up. I have a large and could easily get an XL, I don't button mine so the large is okay.

 The Going to New Lengths Skirt is the IT length for the season right now! I love the color and the fabric is super luxe. I am not a huge fan of the way this skirt looks on me as a skirt tho. I am short and have big hips so I feel like it loses my shape. BUT I wear it belted as dress and it is adorable! With a cardi for work or a jean jacket for errands it's so chic!

 Lend Me Your Earrings. I adore these! There are so light weight I forget that I am wearing them, and the stone is amethyst which is incredible! They are gold, and I love pairing these with the stacked bracelets and watch above! Very versatile look with these as well.

Tall Order Sandals. So cute! So, so, stinkin cute! They are really squishy on the bottom for the balls of your feet, and they do run true to size. I have worn mine all over already and I love them! They are great at work, dinner out, errands, etc. I will be rocking these until they fall off my feet, ha! I love these and the color is so neutral and thy style is so versatile you can really get a lot of mileage out of these!

Taupe and Glory Bag. This is a nod to all of the throw back to the classics bags you are seeing from high end designers (i.e., COACH). I love the neutral color of this bag, and the turn lock closure is adorable! Also, you can clearly get a lot of crap in this bag and it's not enormous :-)


Okay beauties! What do you think? What are your faves?

LUSH Haul

Hello and Happy Weekend Lovelies!! Spring has officially sprung in MN and I am loving it!

So if you are a regular follower of this blog you know that in my last post about February faves, one of my faves was LUSH. After I used up the two bath bombs I was given I felt pretty desperate to get more. So I decided to treat myself to a few new goodies and pick up a couple of gifts! So what follows below is my "haul" from LUSH. 

 Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub. OMG (*singing*) L-O-V-E, love love love, love this awesome stuff!!! A few weekends ago I was at MOA with some of my mark. gal pals and we stopped into LUSH. The lovely lady that was working there treated us to a hand treatment using this salt scrub. Um, sweet lawdy - this stuff is amazing! It's bright blue, and smells yummy. It scrubbed my hands up and made them feel like brand new baby hands! Apparently you can use it on your face and body too - haven't done that yet, and I actually haven't used this yet either since buying it. I can't wait to try it on my feet!

Honey Trap Lip Balm. Bought this at the last minute after seeing a review on YouTube about it. It smells like honey-vanilla frosting! And it makes my lips oh-so-soft! Really tiny, but it's fun :-)

Bath Bombs, and Bubble Bars!!! Left to right; Butterball, Pink, Dorothy, Pop In the Bath, Golden Slumbers, and Mrs Whippy. Also purchased was Twilight, but um... I used it, so it's not here to show! All of these have different smells, most of which are sweet because that's what I like. And when you drop them in the bath they fizz and get bubbly and change colors, and turn the water colors. BUT they won't turn your skin weird colors, however, they will leave you smelling fresh and fabulous! Can't wait to try these out!

I also purchased some soap in 17 Cherry Tree Lane (Mary Poppins, anyone?) and received a sample of Gentle Lentil shampoo solid. Haven't used those yet either, and some might be gifts ;-)

All of this was ordered online. It came in about a week, and some of the bath bombs were a little crumbly but they warn you that can happen in shipping. Everything is handmade fresh and vegan friendly. Such an awesome company with an even awesome-er story!

Alright, so there it is! Check out LUSH's site here. Are you a LUSH addict? What are your faves?