My [College] Makeup Collection pt 1: Eyeshadows I've Worn

So, after writing about my new ColourPop shadows, and mentioning how much I love my golds and browns, I thought I'd make a post of my collection to prove it. And that got me thinking... why not just inventory all the makeup I have? It's not much, don't worry. All of what I brought to school is either oft used or relatively new. And the ColourPop shadows aren't on here, because I haven't gotten a chance to use them much and I just posted about them

Well, here we go! First off, the shadows (that are intended to be shadows) that I've actually worn:

Here we have, left to right, top to bottom: Maybelline New York's ExpertWear Eyeshadow Single in Golden Halo (270S); a 'blush' (not sure if it's a brand, got it from 5below in a set) loose pigment eyeshadow in metallic brown; Milani's Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Gold (22); Milani's Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Copper (23); The Body Shop's Color Crush Eyeshadow in Be My Clementine (115 - only available from the European shop); Too Faced Natural Eyes Neutral Eyeshadow Collection (I've only used Sexpresso, Erotica, and Honey Pot - swatched in that order); and Nyx's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (604).

Currently, my everyday shadow is actually a bronzer, so it's not shown here. Previously my everyday shadow was Golden Halo (with Be My Clementine in the outer corner in mid-late summer), before that it was the blush loose pigment (forgot how much I love it, I can't believe it cost under a buck), and before that an NYC quad color in a golden/bronze color (I found Golden Halo to replace it when that one was running out). With a little extra time, I'll add Bella Copper or Bella Gold. If I have time to do a full look, I use Milk as a primer/base, my usual bronzer/Golden Halo/Bellas combo, Sexpresso or Erotica as a crease color, and one of my gold shadows (Golden Halo, Bella Gold, or Honey Pot) as a bottom liner.

Will link the other parts as I post them!

My First ColourPop Eyeshadows!

Got my order today! After a coupon code snafu and some back and forth with a very responsive customer service rep, I received the seven shadows I ordered (Get Lucky, I <3 This, Animal, Game Face, Sequin, So Quiche, and Hammered) for $30 (free shipping!). And ColourPop was nice enough to throw in a couple of extra shadows to make up for the coupon fail (Shameless and Bae).

Specific reviews may be coming later, but here are some swatches and comments about the products.


First up: Get Lucky.

The first swatch was so pigmented, I was curious to see what would happen with another swatch without reapplying to my finger. And yeah - still super pigmented. By the third time around, it was more like a vague shimmer, but could maybe work as a super subtle shimmer highlighter (the swatch shown is rubbed several times, so on it's own it would be very light after doing the eyes). First impression: definitely love it. But then again, I have an addiction to gold eyeshadows. Gold, bronze, copper, and champagne are my top eyeshadows, all shimmery or metallic. So Get Lucky looks like it's gonna be a win!


Next: I <3 This

Three swatches again this time, although the product is a lot less opaque. Since I <3 This is a nudey shimmer, it still works. And, to be honest, for all I know it's more opaque than I realize, I'm just really close to the shade itself. Could be. It showed up very pigmented on my finger to swatch, less on my wrist. Either way, the color is really pretty and I can see it making a great base, inner corner, or highlighter. Next time I do a neutral look, I'm bringing this color in for sure. Looks like a second win!


Next: Animal

So, I chose this color because I love peach/coral colors. I don't usually use them in eye looks, but over the summer I fell in love with a sunset look using my gold shadow (Maybelline's Golden Halo was the one I brought to school) and peach/coral for the outer corner (The Body Shop's Be My Clementine). I still love that pretty gradient, and I think anything peachy is gorgeous, so I had to spring for Animal.
And wow. Super glittery. It probably doesn't show up in the picture, but there is a ton of gold microglitter/shimmer in this color. I love it, but I have no clue when I'm gonna get a chance to wear this. I may decide just to have a crazy eye day one day for the hell of it. Maybe Thanksgiving?
As you can see, I did four swatches, cause my finger was still super packed with color even after a few times over on the third. All of them are super glittery, though the first didn't go on completely evenly, with a bit of extra at the top than at the bottom. Still love it. My compassion for coral continues.
(Side note: pretty hard to get off, might stain a bit if you don't have a good makeup remover.)


Next: Game Face

Again, super pigmented. I'm a fan, though it's certainly on the more orange side of copper. I'll probably experiment doing some gradient work with this one and Animal, or maybe with Milani's Bella Copper. Not something I'm super hyped about, seems a little less wearable than the first two and less exciting (to me) than the third. Still, it'll certainly get some wear from me.


Fourth: Sequin

Sequin is really close in color to Game Face, but with a silver microglitter/shimmer to it rather than a reddish one. It looks more wearable because it comes across as lighter, and I'm thinking it will fit pretty well into my usual eye look. Nothing I'm super excited about, but it will probably be used the most after I <3 This. Very glittery.
Side note: the Vaseline in the background is from Vaseline's Influenster campaign. Not the best smelling, since it's "fragrance free," but it definitely works. Since it's cold and windy up here in Vermont, and I'm using an oil-free makeup remover (Almay, the only makeup remover I ever buy), I've been putting a bit on between shadows so I don't dry out.


Fifth: So Quiche

It doesn't pick up in the picture, but this particular shadow is the taupey olive as shown, but with a purple microglitter/shimmer in it that makes me give it an overall "meh." Admittedly, I bought this because I was interested in trying an olive shade. So it's underwhelmingness is probably just my general disinterest in the added purple. I'm not really a purple person, and I'm not a fan of the two shades in one. It's okay, not my usual color, probably won't get much wear.


Sixth: Hammered

Now this olive shade looks more wearable to me. I'm interested to try this one as a crease or outer corner color. It's got a really subtly colored shimmer that isn't as obvious as the purple, red, or white. I think it's got a bit of an iridescent green and pink color to it. I'll give it a solid "huh, okay."
Side note: This one is also a bit hard to take off.


Eighth: (Bonus!) Shameless

This was one of the free 'thank you/sorry' shadows that ColourPop threw in. It's a black with that same greenish/pinkish iridescent microglitter/shimmer. Honestly, as much as I love free shadows, this would not have been my pick. I am terrified of black shadows. They are very very dark and hard to remove. Very severe. I like browns. So, honestly, probably never gonna touch this shadow again. Well, maybe a few times, but definitely not becoming a regular. Also: hard to take off. Really dark and hard to remove. I give it a "eh... alright?"


Ninth: (Bonus!) Bae

I had heard great things about this color. I'd thought about getting it. But it looks black in the packaging, and that scared me. I'm so happy that I got this one for free. Like I said, I'm not really a purple person, so I don't have any purple shadows, but for this fall/winter I considered both olive and plum. This color is a great plum color. Not quite as heavy as some of the other shadows (second swatch not as solid as seconds from other colors), but that's perfect for me. I can't wait to try it.


So there they are. Only a couple of misses in the bunch! And for five bucks a pop, definitely worth it! Feel free to check them out at ColourPop.com.

Got my November Birchbox!

This month's Birchbox is probably my favorite ever. Every single item I'm super excited to try! Nice job Birchbox! Reviews to come... stay tuned.

Got my first NatureBox! (overview)

Nice to see you again, internet. It’s been so long.

Well, today I got my first NatureBox. As always: I was thrilled. 

I knew that NatureBox was going to take a while to show up, being that they ship from California, but they included a tracking number (when they emailed me to tell me it was shipped – so thoughtful) so I could track where my package was at any given time. Did this lead to me obsessively checking the tracking code every day? ….Yes. But was it worth it? Totally! I got my box about a day after I was expecting it (one full week after the shipment notification), but I attribute that to the small town and the campus package room.

If you’re wondering why I wanted NatureBox, and why it’s a great option for me, I’ll just repeat what I said in my last health-food-box overview (feel free to skip ahead):

You see; as a college student on a tiny campus in the middle of nowhere, I’m not exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to healthy snacks. While I may be able to do three square meals a day, the food at the dining hall is lacking in variety and slacking in well-rounded nutrition. Breakfast means eggs, bacon, sausage – even the variety of fruit is severely lacking! And lunch and dinner are so oil-drenched or sodium-packed that I usually just choose one – and, often, it’s lunch.

Okay, so a late lunch - that works - but what happens when dinner rolls around? To be honest, I’m rarely hungry. My hunger usually sets in around 8 or 9pm, when I’m hanging out in my dorm. And what’s right there, beckoning to me with its delicious, non-nutritious goodness? That would be the vending machines, packed full of chips and candy.

I need something that doesn’t make me feel like a fat slob!

And now we have NatureBox.

NatureBox is a $19.95/month ($10 off with this link) subscription box designed to deliver a month’s supply (5 bags) of healthy snack foods right to your door. The company’s goal is to help cut down the crap that most people take in under the guise of “snacking” – apparently, nearly 25% of your total caloric intake.

….Do you see how this applies to me?? This is the exact problem I’m having! I feel you, NatureBox, I really do. But – again – I’m a teensy bit of a picky eater (mixed nuts? nope), so I wanted to make sure I could get stuff I like, and not the things I don’t.

Now, I have already waxed poetic about Graze’s sorting system (trash, try, like, and love). NatureBox, unfortunately, does not offer these same features.

That isn’t to say that you can’t customize your boxes! In fact, you totally can. You’re able to choose the five specific snacks you’d like to receive. You can search the snacks by taste (savory, sweet, or salty) as well as searching for vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-conscious, non-GMO, and nut-free items – although all products are processed/packaged in a facility that handles all of those things. You cannot, however, get a surprise-filled box that adheres to these dietary restrictions. And in my case, with my distaste for nuts, that means no surprises for me. Not thrilled about that bit.

But, unlike Graze, NatureBox includes descriptions of their snacks on the site, including the taste profile (three previously mentioned, but I’ve also seen tart as an option), and low sodium labels. **However there are snack labels on Graze that I forgot to mention, and I’ll be editing the Graze overview to reflect this. There are not full descriptions, though.

To choose my snacks, I tried searching for just savory and sweet items (I’m not big on spice) and I selected Sourdough Cheddar Pretzels, Honey Mustard Dippin’ Stix, Lemon Tea Biscuits, Santa Fe Corn Stix, and Honey Macadamia Pretzel Pops.

….But then I watched some unboxing videos. And I saw the Lemon Pucker Pistachios. I rationalized that, hey – I was getting this box for $10 instead of $19.95 (find that deal here) – so I figured I could add on one more bag for the additional price of $3. Especially because NatureBox donates both money and snacks to WhyHunger, a charitable organization that aids community growth centered around nutrition, hunger, and poverty.

Oh, and today – I got my box!

First impressions were exactly what I was expecting – better, even! NatureBox is in the midst of redesigning their packaging, so I ended up with some different-looking bags within the same box, but all of them looked perfect – the new bags are actually slightly larger than the old ones, which made me feel like I was getting more bang for my buck. Or more bag, at least. (Sorry; puns.)

The box included an inventoried list of the items inside, and a couple of different cards about the company and the redesign. Fun little tidbit: the NatureBox flyer included notes in the corner about all the resources saved by using recycled fiber, post-consumer waste, and renewable energy certificates. It definitely felt like a positive eco-friendly company.

So, how were the products?

Nearly every one of them was delicious! Some weren't quite what I was expecting, and others I grew to like, but some were delicious on the first bite! Reviews will be showing up as I write them, linked below.

-        -  Sourdough Cheddar Pretzels

-        -  Honey Mustard Dippin’ Stix

-        -  Lemon Tea Biscuits

-        -  Santa Fe Corn Stix

-        -  Honey Macadamia Pretzel Pops

-        -  Add on! Lemon Pucker Pistachios

Final verdict: another solid A. Definitely keeping this subscription going, and I'm excited to try some of their other snacks! 

'Til the next box!

-BoxxyGirl

PS: NatureBox is a $19.95/month snack subscription. Interested in trying it? Use this link to get $10 off your first box!

New Box!

Got the email from the delivery office this morning! What'll it be??

Stay tuned!

'Til the next box!
-BoxxyGirl

*UPDATE* It's my first NatureBox! (hint: click the link for $10 off your first box!)

First Graze Box! Overview

 Oh hello, internet. I didn’t see you there.

(Lies.)

I just figured I should launch in and talk about the very first box (Julep Maven excluded) I received as part of my new addiction: Graze.

I was so freakin’ happy, you have no idea.

You see; as a college student on a tiny campus in the middle of nowhere, I’m not exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to healthy snacks. While I may be able to do three square meals a day, the food at the dining hall is lacking in variety and slacking in well-rounded nutrition. Breakfast means eggs, bacon, sausage – even the variety of fruit is severely lacking! And lunch and dinner are so oil-drenched or sodium-packed that I usually just choose one – and, often, it’s lunch.

Okay, so a late lunch - that works - but what happens when dinner rolls around? To be honest, I’m rarely hungry. My hunger usually sets in around 8 or 9pm, when I’m hanging out in my dorm. And what’s right there, beckoning to me with it’s delicious, non-nutritious goodness? That would be the vending machines, packed full of chips and candy.

I need something that doesn’t make me feel like a fat slob!

And that’s where Graze comes in.

When I first heard of Graze, I was intrigued and delighted (1^st and 5^th boxes FREE? [follow the link!] $6/box otherwise?? Every week, two weeks, or month for delivery???). I signed up right away.

My love only continued when I discovered the great scoring system Graze has for semi-customizing boxes. Each snack they offer, from “the big cheese” (cheese croutons, cheese cashews, and salsa corn sticks) to “twist of black pepper popcorn” (exactly what is sounds like, in a snack-sized microwaveable packet), has four buttons: trash, try, like, and love. Not a fan of pecans? Trash the mixes with them. Newly addicted to the “apple & cinnamon flapjack”? Like or love it! Intrigued by the “salt and vinegar nut selection”? Keep it set on try.

Before I ever received a box, I went through the whole list of snacks and trashed all the things I found unappealing (sorry, nut mixes! – oh, wait, pistachios, you guys can stay) and liked the things I found especially appealing (oh, yep, here it comes: a-peel-ing!) like YUM “toffee apple” dippers.

Trashed items are banned from your box - and the items are sorted into some convenient dietary restriction groups, too, meaning vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free customers can find the non-vegan, non-celiac, and dairy/milk items and trash them all in one fell swoop. Items marked as try are possible options to end up in your box, while liked items are marked to “send occasionally” and loved items to “send regularly.”

Now, where were we? Oh right: my first box!

I went into Graze with no expectations in terms of delivery time, and that was a good thing, because it took a while. Supposedly, my box was meant for the week of March 23^rd, and was “being prepared” around March 17^th, but it didn’t arrive until the 26^th (some of this can probably be blamed on how tiny this city is, it seems like a lot of my boxes take forever to get here). And while, okay, I don’t actually know the precise date of shipping, it’s kind of irritating that it takes more than a week. Then again, they ship from… 

Now wait just a gosh darn second! The sticker on this box says Jersey City! I was about to say they ship from the UK, since that’s where the company started. But Jersey City? That’s not so far away to justify 9 day shipping! Aw man, Graze, why did you do this to me? ….But, on the bright side, now I know when to expect my packages, and I can just reset my standards for a Wednesday delivery. Problem solved!

So Wednesday afternoon I pick up my box from the package office, and it’s a bit smaller than I was expecting (perspective is a liar, keep that in mind when watching unboxing videos; these portions are on the adorably small side). But – wow – those snacks inside looked great! “Key lime pie,” “pina colada,” “bonnie wee oatbakes,” and “lightly toasted pistachios”: they all sounded so very appealing (no more puns, I promise).

How were they?

Well, for the extended reviews, check out these pages (linked as I write them):

- Key Lime Pie from Graze

- Bonnie Wee Oatbakes from Graze

- Lightly Toasted Pistachios from Graze

- Pina Colada from Graze

Final verdict: Solid A.  

Totally keeping this subscription. In fact, I switched from bi-weekly to weekly, because these snacks went FAST! Will one box even last a whole week here, where I look for a healthy alternative nearly every night, and sometimes during the day? ….Probably not. The first one didn’t even last 36 hours. But I can’t blame the box for that: I was hungry, and it was delicious.

‘Til the next box!

-BoxxyGirl

PS: Graze is a $6/box snack subscription. Interested in trying it? Use this link to get your first and fifth boxes free! Tallying it up to 4 boxes a month, that makes each of your first two months $18 – cheaper than a lot of other monthly snack boxes!

*EDIT* I forgot to mention a couple other things about Graze. First, on their website, there are healthy benefit buttons featured on each snack, as labeled by their (very personable) nutritionist, Jess. Every snack has at least one, and they include stamps for "1 serving of fruit," "graze light (100-150 calories)," "whole oats," "source of protein," "only 90 calories," "vitamins & minerals," "fiber," and "nutritionist pick." (Pretty spiffy labeling system, if I do say so myself.) 
The second thing I neglected to mention was their optional donation project in Uganda called the Graze School of Farming. If you refer a friend, you can choose to take $1 off your next box or donate it to the charity, which helps locals in deprived rural Uganda start their own orchards. Definitely a worthy cause, and one I intend to contribute to.