Video: July's Five Faves

This month I'm starting a new series on my YouTube channel.  Each month I'll be sharing things I LOVE and have been loving for awhile.  Hope you like it!

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve
Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque
Philosophy The Present Clear Makeup
Musee Bath Balms
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

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FREE Pinch Me Box: All the Details

A few months ago I found out about Pinch Me.  I can't remember where I first saw their info.  I do remember seeing that it was FREE!  I have gotten 3 boxes, and I'll let you know all I know so far about how it works.  Hopefully you can snag a box of your own!

How to sign up:

Go to www.pinchme.com to create an account.  Everything about signing up is free.

How to get samples:

Pinch Me will let you know when they are going to release a new box.  The easiest way to know when it's coming is to follow them on social media.  I follow them on instagram to get a heads up.

On the day they are releasing a box, be ready to have their website pulled up ahead of time.  As soon as the products are released, put them in your box!  Samples go fast!  I mean really, really fast.  Sometimes their server gets overloaded with traffic and you may miss out on samples.  I've gone to their site an hour after samples were released, and everything has been gone.

How they decide what samples you get:

When you create an account, you'll fill out a profile telling them about you.  When they have samples that fit your profile, you qualify for a box.  You may only qualify for a few items in the box.  One time I got just dog food and nothing else.  Another time I got a box full of samples.

How to continue receiving a box:

After you've had time to try the samples, there are surveys to fill out on the website.  They are quick and easy to fill out.  I'm guessing this is why they are sending out samples to begin with.  Companies partner with them to get feedback and to get the word out about new products.

Are there strings attached?:

Well, yes, kinda, depending on what you call strings...

I get emails several times a week from Pinch Me with coupons and trial offers and all sorts of promotions companies pay them to send.  I delete most of them, because I don't have time for all that.  I haven't looked yet to see if I can opt out of emails and still receive a box.  I'm hoping that's an option, but my guess is it's a package deal.

I hope this answers any questions you may have about Pinch Me.  It's fun to get these free samples-- you just gotta be quick!

Video: Family Vacation in North Central Arkansas

Every year my family gets together on/around the 4th of July for a little vacation.  We spend time at my parents' house, swimming, boating, exploring nearby towns.  My birthday is July 5, so there's always cake :).

Here's a short video of our time relaxing.

Colourpop Review: Super Shock Shadow & Liquid Lipstick

I received my first Colourpop products about a month ago.  There are two good things about Colourpop: 1) They offer affordable products. 2) If you sign up for their email list, you get $5 off, which covers your shipping charges.

Now, let's talk about the two products I received.

Super Shock Eye Shadow

I got this for free!  Colourpop gave out this shadow to celebrate their second birthday in the color Birthday Boy.  I was very excited to get it (yay, free!).

My first impressions:

• The color was not as pigmented as I expected.  It turned out to be pretty sheer, even with multiple layers.
• It is very glittery.  Not shiny, not sheen, glittery.  I think the one time I might wear this is as a base to a matte color to give the matte color some interest.
• There was some glitter fall-out.  Glitter under the eyes that was almost impossible to remove without messing up my foundation-- not cute.
• I don't know if it was just because this was a free product, but I hit the pan on the first application.  I'm hoping the products you purchase would have more product than this free shadow.  Otherwise, it's not going to last very long.

Let's just say that I'm glad this was free.  I would like to test another shadow to see if I like it better.

Now, let's move on to the second product.

Ultra Matte Lip in Clueless (Liquid Lipstick)

I've seen a lot of youtubers wearing Colourpop lip products.  I really wanted to try some, so I started with Clueless, which is a really on-trend 90's color.

So, let's break it down:

• I really like the color.  I get compliments when I wear it.
• It lasts much longer than most lip products I've tried.
• It can accentuate your lip lines if you don't scrub and condition your lips before applying it.  Make sure to dry your lips off before applying it.
• It flakes off if you don't condition your lips and flakes after wearing it for awhile.
• It doesn't fade as nicely as I'd like.
• The applicator stick has a lot of product on it.  The tube doesn't have enough suction to pull the product off the plastic stick and keep it only on the doe foot brush.   It seems wasteful and has gotten lipstick on other parts of my face while I'm putting it on my lips.  The lipstick is not easy to remove from your chin!
• The product applies better if you use a lip brush.  My guess is because it uses less product, so you get a better, less goopy application and can really smooth it out better than the doe foot applicator which has too much product on it (again, needs more suction).  The problem with that: it's almost impossible to wash it out of your brush.  I washed and washed the lip brush only to stain my hands.  Once I finally got the brush clean, I vowed to not use it again with that lip product or to dedicate it only to that product.

Overall, I think it's worth the price and a good lipstick.  I wish it was more like a lip stain that fades nicely and had more nourishing qualities.  If you follow me on snapchat (username: marlagraces), you would have seen videos of the progression of me wearing it through the day on two different days.  I have screenshots below, because my videos somehow didn't save like I thought.

If you have Colourpop products, please let me know what to try (or not try!).  I'd love to hear what you think!

Disclaimer:  Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  I purchased the items pictured myself and was not sponsored to write this post.  The affiliate links are just similar items for ideas, and the links help sponsor my tiny blog so I can keep creating!

Musee Bath Bombs

My brother's girlfriend, Katie, works at a store that sells all kinds of neat items.  When I was in junior high and high school, my mom and I would go for me to pick out Boyd's Bears (anyone remember those?).  My dad and I would go at Christmas to sip wassail and see their elaborate Christmas villages.  They don't do the villages anymore or the bears, but they have other fun things now.

Katie gave me a little Valentine bag with slippers and a bath bomb in it.  One night I sent my daughter to stay with my parents when Colin had to work late.  It meant I had a night to myself.  I dragged my laptop into the bathroom to binge watch some youtube, put on a face mask, and threw a Musee bath bomb in the tub.

I think it was the Amazing Grace scent.  The water turned from white (which is the outside color of the ball) to deep red (which is the color hidden inside).  My skin felt so soft after that bath!  The fun thing about these bombs is each has a little prize inside.  

At Easter I was given the Don't Worry, Be Happy bath bomb, which is very energizing.  Again, soft skin and a fun prize.

As I'm writing this blog, I've just gotten out of the bath and soaked in Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.  It smelled so good and had little flecks of glitter.  And yep, smooth skin and a prize again.

I have two bath bombs in my stash left to try.  I space them out so they feel like a real treat, and I can find time to really soak and enjoy them.  I just thought I'd pass on my stamp of approval if you're looking for a unique gift or a new way to pamper yourself.

UPDATE 7-6-16:  I got two more Musee bath bombs for my birthday (July 5)!  I soaked in the yummy Happy Birthday bomb the day after my birthday, and Harlow loved the pink bathwater! 

Edit:  Musee calls their product Bath Balms.  I'm just a grandma who kept calling them bath bombs.  Sorry for the mixup :)