Special Invite from Influenster

Today I woke up to an awesome email from Influenster on behalf of the Gillette Venus & Olay team. I've been chosen to be quoted in their media ads because the team LOVED my blog post about their razor.  This is an exciting opportunity for me. Read below for the great details!

I of course, accepted and replied immediately. 

I am not one to boast or brag but who wouldn't share this exciting news?! Are you an Influenster? What is your experience with them?

I'd love to hear everyone's feedback so be sure to comment!!

xoxo

mattabellax3

Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox

Once again, Influenster has sent me another complimentary VoxBox for testing purposes.

As you can see above, this is the Spring Beauty VoxBox. This is now my 3rd VoxBox from Influenster, and I think so far this is my favorite! They really outdid themselves here!

Onto the contents:

Here is the Card provided with descriptions and prices for full size items. The only item in the box not full size was the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash. Oddly enough, The Dr. Scholls For Her Inserts were not listed. Bonus Item? 

SheerCover Duo Concealer: Medium/Tan (0.05 oz)

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash (2 oz)

ChapStick Lip Shield 365 (0.15 oz)

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips: 320 Kitty, Kitty(16 strips)

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist:Sweet Pea (8 oz).

SoyJoy Bar: Strawberry (1.05 oz)

Dr. Scholls For Her Ball of Foot Cushions (one pair)

So after I totaled the price for each item in this VoxBox, at the lowest price given, this box is worth $63.81. At the highest cost for each item this box is worth $66.61. This does not include the Dr. Scholl's Inserts  because it was not listed on the card. After Googling, the price it seems to average around $6. That boosts the cost of this VoxBox to $69.81 (at the lowest prices) - $72.61 (highest prices)

After receiving this VoxBox, I rate it 10/10. Everything is great and will be fun to try! The only item I've tried before was Sweet Pea and I adore that scent. It reminds me of gym in 8th grade! With that being said, I cannot wait to receive my next VoxBox

Did you get a VoxBox? Regardless, what are opinions? What's your favorite item?

Hope to hear from you guys soon!

xoxo mattabellax3

Freebie Alert! Target Summer Beauty Bag

I missed out on the Target Spring Beauty Bag and you better believed I jumped the gun on this one! Thanks to Beauty By Krystal for this one because she had this posted about an hour ago!

Head on over to their Facebook Page by clicking HERE

The site is running slow but if you're patient, it will so be worth it! 

You will get a confirmation page at the end.

These are the contents:

I was able to sign my sister and mother up for one as well cause I logged into their Facebook's for them :)

Bags will arrive in 6-8 weeks. 

Hope you get one, they are going fast!

xoxo mattabellax3

Long, Strong, Beautiful, Hair

Ever since I was child, my hair has been so precious to me. My Mexican decent has played a major factor as to why I have such nice hair. It always been very easy to grow and tons of people have always commented on my mane, asking me questions like "What shampoo do you use?" or "Do you have extensions?" I've always used drugstore shampoos and never really spent a lot of money on products for it. However during the last my hair has slightly been thinning and it scares me. I now have a hair regimen and will try anything to keep it thick, long and strong like it used to be. I have some speculations as to why my hair has bean doing this other than aging (I'm only 22, but it isn't uncommon to develop hair loss at this age) but that is for another post. I am going to give some tips on how maintain strong and healthy hair.


First off, I just recently had 4 inches trimmed from hair to guarantee less split ends. I will admit I hadn't had a trim for about a year prior to this.


Before:

You can see here that my shortest layer is blow my shoulders, and about mid back. You can also how unhealthy the ends look. They look very thin, especially for the longest layer. The shape of hair has morphed into a "V" and that is always a warning sign for me to get a trim.

After:

After the cut, I still retained the length and style. Yes boring, but I'm not much of risk taker when it comes to my hair. You can see my shortest length is just below the shoulders and now the shape has been evenly snipped. It is a bit wavy but this from the morning after because it was a busy weekend.

Tips for Growing Strong Hair:

• Always get regular trims!  Regularly hair cuts are so important because long hair is old, and that means your hair is in a more fragile state. Regular trims prevent breakage and split ends. Longer hair should be trimmed every 8-10 weeks, and shorter hair about every 6 weeks.  
• 
  
• Change your shampoos occasionally. Hair can build a tolerance when using the same shapmoo/conditioner.
• 
  
• Use a wide tooth comb on wet hair. Remember to be very gentle when doing so because hair is very weak when it's wet. 
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• Remember to shower with warm water only, because hot water can dry and irritate your scalp.
• 
  
• Brittle hair needs to be nourished from within. Use a delicate moisturizing shampoo which will wash without too much rubbing.
• 
  
• Massaging your scalp regularly can stimulate oil production, which will help reduce the dryness of your hair. Especially when shampooing because it breaks up the oils on your scalp.
• 
  
• Before using heat on your hair, make sure you always use some sort of heat protectant. 
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• When you blowdrying, keep the blow dryer at least 6 inches away from your head, constantly moving it so you don't overheat your hair.
• 
  
• When possible, give your hair a rest. Go natural and leave off the styling products. 
• 
  
• Zinc can help prevent hair loss by building hair protein. Good sources of zinc include meat and seafood.
• 
  
• Vitamin E can make your hair shine. Good sources of vitamin E include: brown rice, nuts, wheat germ, and leafy green vegetables.
• 
  
• Eat enough protein (fish, meat, milk, cheese) for stronger and healthier hair.
• 
  
• Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Water helps keep your hair silky and shiny.

These tips are obviously no secret, but they are often overlooked and forgotten. This is just a simple reminder to get you on the right path for a better mane.


As you can see, lifestyle plays a major factor for building strong hair. Taking care of yourself overall will promote healthy hair growth and make you feel much better about yourself. 


If you have any special tips not mentioned above feel free to share them with me. I'm always reading about ways to maintain beautiful strong locks.

xoxo mattabellax3

May MyGlam Bag

The May MyGlam bag has finally arrived. The theme this month is "Love is in the Air." This seems more appropriate for Valentines Day which is odd because the bag for Valentines day was nothing related, and no one received their bag before the big day. Very first impression: bummed.  You can see why by continuing to read. 

Here are the cards:

(If the pictures are too small to read just click on the photo to enlarge.)

 I really hate that MyGlam cannot put the prices for the full size items. I find this strange because it seems as if they do not want us to know. Sure I can Google it myself, but what about the items they custom send to us? Like the brushes. Also, I'm kind of confused because we are not told which brush is which. I do not have a big brush collection so for me, this is very unhelpful and tad unprofessional.

Here are my thoughts on each item:

Philosophy Fragrance: Love sweet Love. This is so fruity and flirty just like card says. I do like this very much and I would love to purchase this is in the future. The average price for a full size bottle online seems to be $42 for 2 oz.

Studio Gear Lipstick - Enchanting.  This is the full size product and it retails for $15 at the Studio Gear Cosmetics Website. I'm not a huge lipstick fan but this color really looks nice on me. It is very soft, and it enhances the natural color of my lips so I'm very lucky to have to have received this color. 

Nail Bling: I'm over nail stickers and these remind me of a preteen which is fine cause my niece will love them. I've tried so nail strips many from Incoco, kiss Nail Dress, Jamberry Nails, so I've had my excitement. Polish seems to be way easier. I can't seem to locate the actual brand/vendor online so I cannot say how much a regular retails for, or even if this is a regular size set. Most likely it is, but It makes me wonder what these high end, deluxe size samples really are.

These are the two final brushes to complete our MyGlam Signature Brush Collection. One is a Concealer Brush and the other an Eyeliner Brush. I'm assuming the smaller one is for the eyeliner, but If I'm wrong or not, please comment below and clarify this for me. 

I like the concept of having a new brush collection but I have to say I am relieved for this collection to be completed. onto to bright and better things! I hope :)

So those are the contents of my bag and I rate this months bag 6/10. I am happy to have a collection of brushes and I did have lucks with previous brushes. The perfume is fantastic but again, I hate receiving small sizes. MyGlam advertises for "deluxe size samples" The lipstick seems to be nice and I am going to try it out. Seeing as it retails for $15 I definitely got my money's worth for this bag. The Nail Bling isn't a total loss, my niece will be thrilled. She's a mini diva in the making!

What do you think of May's MyGlam Bag? Have you tried Studio Gear Lipstick or Philosophy Love sweet Love before? Do you think I got my money's worth?

Please be sure to comment, I love learning about my readers!

xox mattabellax3

Klout Perk: Essie 2012 Summer Collection

If you are unfamiliar with Klout or Klout Perks click HERE to learn about it. If you don't, you are truly missing out! :p


I have been selected for 3 perks now, and when I saw I was awarded this particular perk I was stoked! Essie has awarded me this perks which includes their 2012 Summer Collection. Here is what they had to say:

essie 2012 summer collection

Dive into a colorful summer with Klout and essie. Introducing essie’s 2012 summer collection, a myriad of inspiration for this season’s hottest shades. Wherever you may fall on the swimsuit spectrum, there’s a color for it – and it’s invariably essie. Get ready and get gorgeous for summer with essie’s new 2012 summer collection.

In order to be awarded this perk, the Klout Influencer must live in the US, and have a Klout score higher than 45, with high topics of:  Nails, Nail Polish,Beauty, Style, Fashion. (You can click any of those topics and be directed to Klout to learn more. 

I was awarded this perk today and should received it within 2-3 weeks. How exciting! The anticipation kills me.

If you are already a Klout user, and want to see if you can claim this perk, do so by clicking HERE.

Are you already on Klout? What kind of perks have you claimed. If you're not on Kout you really need to get there fast! 

xoxo mattabellax3

Birchbox: May 2012

The theme for the May Birchbox was Gossip Girl Inspired. I have never in my life watched an episode of Gossp Girl, so I really had no idea what to expect, other than what Birchbox had put out there for us. They advertised this box to have brands like Dior, so I have to admit I was little anxious to get my box. Although I didn't receive any items from Dior, I can say there was an item I'm kind of pleased to have received. So here we go, here's my box with the Birchbox Breakdown below each item:

Arquiste Flor y Canto

Fragrance snobs, prepare to be blown away. Niche perfumerie Arquiste set out to create “concept scents” that recreate specific moments in history, and the results are nothing short of remarkable. Together with famed perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, founder Carlos Huber put in countless hours of painstaking research to create Flor y Canto, a scent that evokes an Aztec summer festival in Tenochtitlan circa 1400. Wear it to be transported to a dimly lit temple altar filled with fresh flowers.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream

Beyond a firm handshake, the first thing we want strangers to notice about our hands is their softness. Fortunately, we can always rely on this French brand’s anti-aging cream to smooth dry knuckles, moisturize nail beds, and generally keep our hands in top condition. Thanks to the botanical ingredients, it also has an appealing fruity scent. Each generous tube will last you for months—even if you’re like us and apply multiple times a day.

FusionBeauty LipFusion Balm Lip Conditioning Stick SPF 15

Our lips are pretty demanding. We have salves to keep them flake-free, glosses to add color and shine, and plumpers for extra fullness. Now we can accomplish all that with a single product, FusionBeauty’s multi-tasking wonder balm. This satiny formula has soothing natural oils to replenish lost moisture, gentle plumping ingredients, and a gorgeous shine. Did we mention that it’s loaded with SPF too?

Ojon damage reverse™ Restorative Conditioner

If you’re coping with dull strands, this creamy hair-repairing conditioner is just what the doctor ordered. It’s full of natural oils to restore damage hair and unleash shiny, healthy locks that radiate shine. It’s great for all hair types—ranging from pin-straight to frizzy and curly—and doubles as a deep conditioning treatment. Use it regularly, and over time your hair will be noticeably stronger and healthier.

Here are the cards for this month's box:

And here is my review:

FusionBeauty Lip Fusion Conditioning Lip Balm with SPF 15 - Full size is .17 oz and retails for $22. I did receive the full size so that is major plus. The color I received is clear. I'm not totally excited about this item because I have so many lip products now from these subscription service, but that's not BB's fault. This balm has a avery light minty smell with something else I can;t really put my finger on. It does smell very nice and I won't mind wearing it because it does go on so smooth, and it lasts! I really like that this lip balm is a nice container, because it looks more classy than regular chap-stick, and that makes my coworkers ask about it!

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream - Full size is .75 ml and retails for $19. I received .15ml. I like hand creams, but I'm fine with Avon's hand creams that are usually .99 cents. They do wonders. This hand cream isn't bad either but I know I will never purchase it, and that's fine because at least for a while I will have a different hand cream. This cream has a citrus smell and I do like that also. I just would have preferred some other item. 

Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner - Full size is 8.5 Fl oz. and retails for $25. I received 1fl oz. This is the item that I am very pleased to have received. I just got my hair cut and I am practicing Healthy Hair moves, so this will be fun to try. The price really isn't crazy because most higher end hair care items average that price. If I like this product I may purchase it, especially with the Birchbox Points.This is another deluxe size sample, and I'm impressed BB has stepped up the game for this box - size wise of course.

I did not take a picture of the Arquiste fragrance, because I mainly wanted everyone to see the size of the main items, and as mentioned before i really cringe when i get those tiny vials of perfumes, since I ca receive them at any counter, magazines, or other websites as samples when I purchase through them.

Arquiste Flor y Canto full size is 55 ml and retails for $165. I do like the smell. It's very sexy and floral and I do enjoy that it's a Mexican scent since I am half Mexican. But again, I'll only be able to use a few times. 

The Birchbox Extra was a note card which you can see from the very first picture. I'm sick of the extras. They are usually silly like this. I probably will use this but not until Valentines Day.

All in All, I rate this box 7/10. I guess I just was not totally impressed with the items sent to me. I really want cosmetics. I have only received a cosmetic item 2-3 times since August 2011, when I first signed up. I know I can cancel at any time, but I'm really hoping to receive more cosmetics each month That is why I am still loyally subscribed. Also, The sample size of each product sent (minus the fragrance) truly is a "deluxe size sample" If these items were any smaller, I would have rated this box 3/10.


So what did you think of my Gossip Girl box? Would have been satisfied with these items? 


If you haven't signed up for Birchbox yet, you can do say by clicking HERE.


If you are unfamiliar with their Points System click HERE to get informed, and see what I used my points for.


I enjoy reading all your comments so comment on!


xoxo mattabellax3

BzzCampaign: Gucci Flora Garden Collection

My Gucci Flora Bzzkit has finally arrived! I've been anxiously waiting for a few weeks now and I definitely wasn't expecting this package yesterday, so that made it quite the surprise! First off I will say that I am a BzzAgent, and I received these products as part of the Word-of-Mouth Gucci Flora BzzCampaign offered through BzzAgent. If you are unfamiliar with BzzAgent, you can learn about them here. 

Keep in mind when reading this post, that this is my FIRST BzzCampaign.

This is everything included in the BzzKit.  

Contents:


An insert describing The Flora Garden Collection
A booklet with moist towelette samples and descriptions of each scent
An small envelope with and insert card saying: Flora By Gucci.
A .16 FL OZ sample of each scent for myself. (Not a spray bottle)
3 small vials of each scent to share with 3 important women in my life.


About the Flora Garden Collection

The Flora Garden Collection is the newest set of fragrances from Gucci. The set includes 3 beautiful scents. 

 Italicized descriptions come from the materials included, or BzzAgent.com

Each perfume explores a different bloom and with it a different facet of the Flora Garden Woman. Each fragrance is distinct, yet together they embody the beauty and allure that stirs within. 

• Gorgeous Gardenia (pink) - An elegant, sensual celebration of the shrub's first blossom and sumptuous full bloom.
• Gracious Tuberose (green) - A Classical homage to the flower's innocent nature and luscious petals.
• Glamorous Magnolia (turquoise) -  A relevant homage to the flower's radiant freshness and smooth, velvety petals.

These bottles are the .16 FL OZ samples for myself. I am surprised and very satisfied with the size of sample provided.

These are the smaller sample cards with the vial included. These samples are for me to share with 3 important women in my life. This couldn't have worked out more perfectly because I can share with my mother, and two sisters. I'm sure they will be thrilled.

Gorgeous Gardenia

Gracious Tuberose

Glamorous Magnolia

Packaging

 So now that you've seen what was included in the BzzKit, you really need to know about the packaging. As, you can see from the very first picture shown above, everything was packaged so elegantly. As soon as I opened the box, there was such an amazing aroma filling my dining room. I was so careful to touch everything. I honestly felt so special to receive these items.

The theme of this box is obviously a garden look. Gucci has done a great job completing that. Even the box that everything came in is adorable. The tissue paper wrapping everything has the nice outlined flower design as well. I know packaging isn't everything, but it really shows that extra care has been taken when packaging. 

 Here is a nice picture of the box. The outside of the box has the same outlined flower design as on the side. This box will be getting reused! The box itself is VERY sturdy and large enough to fit more than what was placed inside.

All in All, I really enjoyed receiving this BzzKit in the mail. I love perfumes. I really have no preference as to whether the fragrance is a high end fine fragrance, or one from Bath & Body Works. I just like having a nice collection. This is really a nice addition to that. I love, and yes i do mean LOVE, each scent provided in this collection. Gracious Tuberose has to be my favorite at the moment. Notice I say "at the moment." That's because I have a collection of over 30 fragrances, and I still don't have a favorite. They all have different meanings for me. Ex: Day, night, casual, not casual.

I have only one complaint about the contents of this BzzKit, When I receive sample cards of fragrance, or any sample really, I hate when there is no spray top. The samples here are all the kind you must dab on yourself. The reason for this is because, in the past, I've spilled the perfume on my clothes. Not only did it stain my clothing, but the fragrance was gone. I personally think it is much easier to apply if it the spray kind. Other than that, I really am so thrilled to have been selected for this Campaign. Thank you BzzAgent!!

Also, before I end, did you know that out of all our senses, our sense of smell is the one that brings back memories the most? I can honestly say I've experienced this. When I was 4 years old, my father had passed away. I went to live with my grandmother and she has a basket of his unwashed clothing. I picked an item up and I could smell his cologne on it. It really made me remember him. I've always had that memory. I've read a lot about our sense of smell and I just think it's so cool to have smell bring back memories form certain time periods in our lives. Have you experienced this?

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed seeing what I received in my first and hopefully not last BzzCampaign.

Spoiler Alert! Spring Beauty VoxBox from Influenster

Okay, I know the joy of receiving a VoxBox from Influenster is not only that it's 100% FREE, but that you have no idea whats inside that white box until your mailman drops it off on your doorstep.

If you do not want know what's in your Spring Beauty VoxBox until it's delivered, I HIGHLY suggest you quit reading! But if you're like me, MUST find out now, then keep reading...

Earlier on twitter someone "checked in" their VoxBox via their Influenster account and tweeted it. I could not resist, so I clicked the link and checked it out. Ive never thought of doing that, but here it is!

The only item pictured but not listed is the Dr. Scholls Inserts for Her. I hope it is a featured item because I'd love to try them out as I'm on my feet all day at work.

I do not regret "spoiling" my Spring Beauty VoxBox because it's one thing to see the picture, and another to un-box each of these goodies!

What do you think of these items? Are you recieving a Spring Beauty VoxBox?

Birchbox Points

If you are not a subscriber to Birchbox, you may not know of their "Birchbox Points" program. The Birchbox Points program allows subscribers to earn points and redeem those points for full size products in the Birchbox Store. There are few things you should know when earning points. This is the lo down.

Earning Points:

• The subscriber will receive 10 points for the initial subscription.
• You will NOT earn points with any months subscription following the initial subscription. (Not such a bad thing and you will see why if you keep reading)
• Referring friends will earn you 50 points. You can refer friends via email or your personal link, both retrievable when you log into your account.
• You will also receive 10 points for EVERY product feedback survey you complete. (So each month you have the opportunity to earn at least 40 points.) 
• Usually the bonus item does NOT have a feedback survey.
• You will receive 1 point for each dollar spent on full size products.
• Only current subscribers in good standing can earn points.
• For every 100 points, you get $10 in the Birchbox Store.

Redeeming Points:

• After your points have accumulated you can redeem them for full size products or gift subscriptions.
• Unfortunately, you cannot redeem points for future boxes for yourself, only the gifts subcriptions.
• Redeeming points is very simple, there will be a option to use your points when checking out of the Birchbox store.
• If your total comes to anything above each $10 amount of products, the points redeemed will be the number rounded up. Example: My total came to $52, I will have used 60 points.

Tips for Earning/Redeeming Points:

• Be sure complete each product feedback survey, for the items in your current box. The feedback time is limited, once your new box has shipped, you will no longer be able to complete the survey for last months items.
• If you want to purchase full size products from the current months box, do so quickly! Those items ship for free! 
• Points do not go towards shipping fees!
• Current box products do not only count for the items you received. The products for each month are every item in ever single box for that month. Example: I received items that another subscriber didn't, All the items in both of our boxes will be considered the current months pick.
• You will not receive the 1 point for every dollar spent if your entire order is paid from redeemed points. 

 I think Birchbox has done a fabulous job at establishing the Birchbox Points Program. What more can we ask for? Silly question, because I know at times suscbribers (including myself) are given an inch and we want the whole yard, but I feel the Birchbox Points Program is very fair! 

A few examples regarding Birchbox's fairness would be that just this past December, (2011) boxes were shipped out slightly late. Birchbox gave every subscriber 100 points for the inconvenience. I also just heard about many subscribers receiving expired items, and again Birchbox credited those subscribers with 100 points, no questions asked.

I just redeemed 500 Birchbox Points (which equals $50) for full size items in the Birchbox shop. These items were from the current month (April) so those items shipped free. I am totally amazed that I basically received $50 worth of high end cosmetics for nothing! There's little to no work in earning points. 

All in all, when I hear people complain about Birchbox, I think to myself, this really isn't a bad deal. I pay $10 a month for products I know I will never try, or even heard of before. If I don't like an item, no biggie, at least I didn't have to break the bank to find out. Also, not very many beauty subscriptions services offer points. Birchbox even has the their community, consisting of their blog, YouTube channel, emails, twitter and Facebook pages that are all updated very often to give us advice on products, and anything beauty related in general. 

Birchbox has been very good to me, my very first month, one item was missing and I tweeted about. Not even an hour later they had the situation taken care of. I received the item within the week. So of course, I am keeping my subscription.

And in case your wondering what I redeemed my points for:

Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer in medium, $34

Pangea Organics Lip Balm in Italian Red Mandarin w/Rose, $12

Are you a Birchbox Subscriber? If not click HERE to become one. If you are a subscriber, have you redemmed your points yet? If so for what? If not, what items are saving them for? I'd love to hear what every has to say!

xoxo mattabellax3

MyGlam May Sneak Peaks

So as you know, Every month MyGlam sends out four "sneak peaks" of the their new bag every month, via their twitter/facebook. I received the first sneak peak in my email because they sent a reminder to change over to their new payment platform. The Picture was of just the bag. It's blue and has lipstick lip kisses all over it. The first sneak peak on their twitter included the bag and lip stick.

Sneak Peak #1

Sneak Peak #2

After some googling I'm almost 100% certain that this fragrance is "Love Sweet Love" from Philosophy. It retails from $40-$45

Sneak Peak #3:

More brushes to our MyGlam Brush Collection. These two see to be for the lips.

Sneak Peak #4:

These seem to be those stick on nail polish strips. They seem more appropriate for a young tween, and for Valentines Day. The caption under the Photo said "Love is in the Air" I've actually used a lot of nail stickers from Sally Hansen, Kiss, Incoco and Jamberry Nails, and I'm kind of over them.  No complaints on the item, cause my nieces will absolutely love them!

My Thoughts:

I don't know if this months bag is for me, but we will see. I really don't wear lipstick, but I'm open to it. I like the brushes for my collection but again, I don't wear lipstick. It will be nice to have a whole collection of brushes though. I do think this bag is a step up from the February and March bags so that is a major plus.

So what do you think of the May Sneak Peaks? Are you excited to receive your bag? If you're not subscribed are you going to when ubscriptions open up?