MyGlam – My January Bag

On January 9 I posted a preview of what I found on MyGlam’s website in regards to the Janaury bags. As I stated in that blog entry, things were subject to change and sure enough it did change. I was partially right in the items but officially what was sent out was the Freeman Cucumber Peel-Off Mask but no the satchels, a 2 oz size of WEN conditioner not the full size 16 oz and each subscriber gets either TheBalm eyeshadow OR the nail polish.

The cards that came with this month’s bag.

BTW – Check out Michelle’s shoes, those are Louis Vuitton heels!

My January bag was a huge disappointment to me simply because I won’t be able to use everything in the bag for one reason or another as listed below. The bag came in a bubble mailer like last month and as a result many customers have posted on the MyGlam Facebook wall that their nail polish came broken OR the mask was open so the contents spilled everywhere. Lucky for me my bag came intact and I only got one bag while some people got two or three bags while others got none.

So here’s what’s in my bag this month.

	The Bag Like last month, all MyGlam members (who were lucky to get their bags) got a canvas makeup bag. The inside of the bag has a plastic coating to it so it won’t get messy and can be more easily cleaned. It’s roughly the same size as last month’s bag which is about as wide as the length of non sharpened pencil.
	Full size Freeman Cucumber Peel-Off Mask 6 oz. Retail: $3.99 (sold on Freeman.com) According to the card that came with this month’s bag subscribers WERE suppose to get both the Cucmber Facial Peel-Off Masque and Sachets ($8) but for whatever reason MyGlam choose not to mail the sachets. Pity because I would have enjoyed the sachets more than the peel off mask. I mentioned in my previous blog entry about the cucumber mask that I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love it because it feels good on my face and I like how my skin feels after using it but I HATE it because it takes forever to dry and if you apply too much it drips down your face. It’s also VERY sticky and a pain to wash off your hands and fingers. I was looking forward to the two sachets that had previously been on MyGlam’s site before January 10th only because I had never tried the pineapple enzyme mask but I have the Goji berry one (which I like). The cucumber mask I’m not crazy about at all. I do love how my skin feels after I get it off but it’s a royal pain to work with. I’m going to end up giving this to my teen daughters because I enjoy the Freeman Chocolate & Strawberry mask more than this one (except when I’m hungry because it does smell like a melted chocolate bar).
	Full size Sheer Cover Concealer 0.10 fl. oz. (Light/Medium) Retail: $19.95 (sold on HSN) The light shade is too orange/salmon for my skin while the medium color maybe more of a match but it also seems to be a bit dark. I’ll have to try it out on my skin and if it doesn’t work then I’ll give it to my eldest daughter who has a different skin tone than I do.
	Deluxe size WEN conditioner 2 fl. oz. (Sweet Almond Mint) Not sold as single sample sizes. A box of eight 2 oz samples sells on QVC for $30 which breaks down to $3.75 each. I was looking forward to using WEN since I’m familiar with the concept of co-washing (conditioner washing) and this is the product that pretty much started the craze to wash your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. The problem is the sample size is only 2 oz. and while it’s a generous size for someone with short hair those with long or VERY long thick hair might find this won’t work at all as directed. Chaz Dean stated on December 16 while on QVC that it takes about eight pumps of conditioner for the scalp and another eight pumps for the ends. In his video, starring Alyssa Milano, he used on her hair a large (man) palm full of product to cleanse her hair. Remember, he’s a man so his hands are probably up to twice the size of a woman’s hand and he used a lot of product on her hair.
	Full size TheBalm’s Hot Ticket nail polish 0.50 fl. oz. (Coral Reef-ined) Retail: $10 (sold on TheBalm) Some people did get the TheBalm eyeshadow ($16) but it seems that the vast majority of people got a nail polish. I got the nail polish and unfortunately it’s a coral color which doesn’t look good on my skin tone. I might end up still using this if I do a water marbling look but by itself it’s not something I’d wear. Oh and one last thing… Michelle wrote on the card that the products are all natural and organic well nail polish is NOT all natural much less organic! LOL While it maybe Big3 Free it’s still a nail polish and has artificial chemicals in it.

My bag value: $37.69

Unfortunately there is nothing in my bag this month that I’ll try so it was a waste of $10 for me but luckily I have daughters that I can pass these products on to. I will give MyGlam one more month before considering quitting. Unfortunately they had so many problems this month with double and triple billing, suspending members accounts, shipping out two or more bags to the same person (who DIDN’T pay for the bag) while many ended up getting refunds because they won’t be getting bags. I guess I’m fortunate that the worst thing to happen to me this month with MyGlam is that it shipped out on the 14th instead of the the 10th.

I mentioned in my previous posts and I’ll mention it again, if you’re considering to become a MyGlam subscriber I would recommend against joining now. They have way too many problems to fix first. If you join now you might be unhappy since MyGlam has failed to ship out by the 10th, failed to communicate with customers and has failed to deliver on items they planned on shipping out. There have been several members on the MyGlam wall who have stated they’re filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the State Attorney Generals office of their states and of California (where MyGlam ships from). Personally I AM disappointed that they failed to send out the products as listed on the card but I’ll cut them some slack since they already had a ton of other problems this month. Like I said before I’ll give them on more month before making my decision to stay on another three months or quit. Who knows maybe February’s bag will be totally fantastic that rivals December’s bag. One can only hope, right?

Since they are a new company IF you do decide to subscribe please consider getting a month-to-month subscription instead of a yearly one. If you go this route make sure the card you use isn’t about to expire as there is no way to change your card later without cancelling your subscription and waiting for subscriptions to reopen if currently closed.

Edit: I was just asked by my eldest daughter, which I thought I’d pass along… “Mom, but is it still worth the $10 you paid?” Such a practical kid. The answer is yes it’s still worth the $10 price even if I didn’t like the items in or won’t use the items. Regardless if I like the items or can use it the price of the items I got is worth the $10, like I said least I have daughters to pass these products onto.

MyGlam – January bag

MyGlam has reopened subscriptions (yesterday by the buzz on their Facebook wall) just know that if you subscribe the first bag you’ll get will be in February and that you’re immediately billed upon subscribing.

As I was looking at the member area of my account I noticed that they switched the “This Holiday’s Bag” to This Month’s Bag but unfortunately the page (as of this blog entry) is still 404ing. That lead me to remember that each product has an individual review page and so the snoop in me decided to check out to see if those pages were up and sure enough it is!

Curious to know what’s coming in the MyGlam bags this month?

Disclaimer: My bag hasn’t shipped yet so I’m not 100% sure if everything listed below is exactly what you’ll get. There is some speculation at this time about the Freeman masks on whether subscribers will get all three items listed or JUST one. Once I get my bag I’ll post a new blog entry on my thoughts on the products I’ve never tried before (TheBalm, WEN and Sheer Cover).

The bag which was shared on Facebook on December 15, 2011.

	Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Masque & Sachets by Freeman Size: 6 fl. oz/ / 150 mL (large tube) & 0.5 fl. oz 15 mL (sachets) It looks as if a full size tube of the peel off mask as well as two sachets will be sent out in the January MyGlam bags. The first sachet is the Pineapple Enzyme Mask which is supposed to “exfoliate while lightly moisturizing the skin.” I’ve never tried the pineapple mask before, I’ve seen it at my local Walmart but never picked it up to try. I do have to warn those with allergies, if you’re allergic to pineapple then DO NOT try this as it does contain Ananas Sativus (Pineapple Fruit) Extract. The second sachet is the Goji Berry Hydration Mask which is suppose to be “perfect for T-Zone, Normal And Dry Skin Types” as well as “diminishes the appearance of large pores”. I don’t know about that I actually DO buy this mask simply because I do like how my skin feels after using it BUT it’s never “diminished” my pores. The full size tube is the peel-off cucumber mask which I’ve used and have a love-hate relationship with. I love it because it feels good on my face and I like how my skin feels after using it but I HATE it because it takes forever to dry and if you apply too much it drips down your face. It’s also VERY sticky and a pain to wash off your hands and fingers. The sachets cost any where from 99 cents to $1.99 depending on what store you pick it up at. At my local Walmart I think these retail for $1.17, I think, I really don’t remember and unless I find my receipt from a few weeks ago I couldn’t give you an honest answer on how much these actually cost. The 6 oz tube of the cucumber mask costs between $3.99 to $6.99 depending on what drugstore you get it at. I think the last time I bought mine it was between $4.50 and $5.50 but it was a very long time ago. I get so many facial masks that I haven’t bought any full size ones in ages. The sachets I bought mainly for my daughters since I don’t want them using my high end masks even if it a sample mask. Yup, I’m greedy. I would have LOVED to have seen five of the sachets sent out instead of the large tube simply because I think people would be more inclined to go out and buy the big tubes of the sachet they liked instead of only having two variations to try. My other favorite Freeman masks are: Dead Sea Minerals Facial Anti-Stress Mud Mask Chocolate & Strawberry Detoxifying Clay Mask (which I’m actually going to use tonight) Pink Grapefruit Facial Scrub Apricot Creamy Facial Scrub (downside to this is that it does smell like apricots and I get hungry easily) Mint and Lemon Clay Mask I don’t care for the Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Facial Mask or Cucumber Peel-Off Mask. I just don’t like those two masks but that’s just me, you might like them.
	Sheer Cover Concealer Duo Compact By Leeza Gibbons Retails: $19.95 on HSN Remember when I wrote that I thought the questionnaire was odd? No? Well let me refresh your memory. The questionnaire was odd and more suited to subscribing for shoes not makeup. There was no place to enter your skin color, your hair color or even your eye color. So to me sending out something like a concealer is just so personal. It’s like foundation how can you know it’s the right shade for you if they don’t know your skin coloring? I know there are three shades available on HSN but how does MyGlam know what you look like to pick the right concealer shade for you? I’m a funky yellow undertone girl where most foundations and concealers tend to be too orange or too pink. I know one girl on Make Up Talk said she’s so fair that she has to mix white foundation into her the lightest MAC foundation (seriously, the girl has some gorgeous WHITE skin with what looks to be BLUE undertones). This item seems like it has no place in the MyGlam bags until a later date once MyGlam has the ability to know what coloring you are. Personally I think this is just going to be a huge miss for those who get the wrong shade.
	Wen Cleansing Condition by Wen Retail: $29 & up Have you heard of “co-washing”? If not then it simply means conditioner washing. Instead of using a normal shampoo you wash with conditioner instead and that’s what WEN is – a conditioner used in place of a shampoo. Co-washing is suppose to be better for your hair because it’s not striping your hair of it’s natural oils which in turn can cause your hair either to produce more oil, which leaves your hair looking more oily, or dry and frizzy. I personally have never co-washed with WEN but I have with Suave Pro conditioner when my daughters have swiped my shampoo(s) and left me the conditioners behind and I’d be half way though my shower getting ready to wash my hair when I realize my shampoo is missing so I’d be forced to wash with the conditioner. I personally am not fond of co-washing but I then again I’ve never tried WEN before.
	Shady Lady by The Balm Retails: $16 each individual shadow I heard of TheBalm but have never tried it so I’m actually excited for this one. I don’t think that people will be getting three eye shadows and instead those are the three shades available and one will randomly be sent out. I love all three since those are colors I would wear so what ever color I get I’ll be happy with. *facepalm* I should have checked Sephora and the MyGlam source code because the source code has the shade names, least part of it, which I’ve confirmed on Sephora. shadylady_alex_uploadweb.jpg = All About Alex (golden khaki olive) shadylady_lusciouslani_upload_web.jpg = Luscious Lani (pink champagne on ice) shadylady_shamelessshana_upload_web.jpg = Shameless Shana (tahitian bronze)
	Hot Ticket nail polish by The Balm Retail: $10 each (these use to be $8.50) Again, I’ve never tried TheBalm products so I’m looking forward to these since I’m such a nail polish junkie. What ever color I get I’ll be happy with. This nail polish hoarder collector loves her polishes.

So what do you think of this month’s items? I’m so anxious to see my ship confirmation. I know my Birchbox is on it’s way and I have no clue which box it is and so I’m REALLY excite for MyGlam since I DO know what’s in it. Thoughts?

Edit: 1/12/12 –

Looks like my hunting was right on EXCEPT for TheBalm products – people either will get the eyeshadow OR the nail polish but not both AND it looks like the sachets from Freeman are not coming either. They finally updated and the new url is http://www.myglam.com/back-to-nature/.

DIY: Loofah Soap

  

Saw this in an email from Martha Stewart and had to share since it’s a fantastic craft project.
Tools and Materials

• Knife
• Loofah
• Waxed paper
• Tart tin
• Ready-melt soap (such as honey-glycerin and honey-oil mixtures)
• Double boiler (or microwave)

Loofah Soap How-To

1. Cut a half slice of loofah using a bread knife.
2. Place slice in tart tin with cups lined with waxed paper.
3. Place brick of ready-melt soap in the top of a double boiler. You can also melt the soap in a microwave.
4. Pour enough soap into tart tin until loofah slice is just covered.
5. Wait about 30 minutes for soap to completely harden before popping it out from tin.

Resources
Whoopup Creek Luffas
96 RD 255
Glendive, MT 59330
Phone: 406-687-3874
Fax: 406-687-3074
whoopupcreekluffas.com

I would add some essential oils into the melted wax before pouring or even soap dye.

Kat Von D spring collection

I have a few Kat Von D palettes that I picked up when it went on clearance, well except one that I DID buy full price only for it to go on clearance a month later (always keep your receipt). Musings of A Muse saw that there were new Kat Von D items out which was then posted on Make Up Talk’s forums so I had to share the news of her newest collection.

True Romance Eyeshadow Palette – Mi Vida Loca Palette
Price: $34

This set contains:
0.05 oz eye shadow in Swan Song (iridescent pearl)
0.05 oz eye shadow in Marya (shimmery vanilla)
0.05 oz eye shadow in No Regrets (shimmery gold)
0.05 oz eye shadow in Drama For Yo Momma (shimmery kelly green)
0.05 oz eye shadow in Mad Max (matte sky blue)
0.05 oz eye shadow in Dublin (iridescent purple)
0.05 oz eye shadow in Sparklehorse (hot pink purple sparkle)
0.05 oz eye shadow in Altruism (pearl soft pink)
0.028 oz eyeliner in Wonderchild (electric blue)

My thoughts on the palette:  It’s pretty but I think I’ll wait for it to go on clearance to pick it up. Her palettes tend to be super fragile and break so easily. I honestly don’t think they’re worth $34 which is why I wait to pick up her palettes when they go on clearance for $14 to $15. (Which reminds me, her Metal Orchestra one is on clearance at some Sephoras for $5. It’s clearanced out on Sephora.com for $18 right now.)

To be honest I’m not impressed with the colors. They don’t seem to really pop out to me and scream “my crazy life“. Okay, so the palette is a spring palette which means softer and more demure colors but since the palette is called “Mi Vida Loca” I would expect the colors to be more dramatic. Maybe it’s the picture from Sephora and in real life these colors are bold and dramatic but for $34 I’ll pass until it’s on clearance.

High Voltage Lacquer
Price: $12 each
Size: 0.25 oz each

There are four colors Mad Max, No Regrets, Wonderchild and Sparklehorse. The picture on the left is Wonderchild.

My thoughts:  The swatch pictures on Sephora’s site are pretty BUT these colors look easily duped with either China Glaze ($5.99) polishes or Sinful Colors ($1.99). I think maybe Cult Nails ($10) might have some polishes that can dupe the High Voltage Lacquer.

My biggest beef with nail polishes is the price for the amount. It’s why Julep’s polishes bug me so much – love the colors hate the amount you get for the price ($14 each polish unless you’re a Maven and it’s $19.99 monthly for two to four polishes depending on your style). If I’m going to pay more than $10 on ONE bottle of polish it has to have more than 0.25 ounces. I get Zoya polishes in my Birchbox ($10 monthly subscription) from time to time and the “sample” sizes are 0.24 ounces.

Basically, why pay so much for something that can be duped for less money and you get more product. Nail polish doesn’t spoil which means even if you get tired of the color you can put away and a year or two down the line pull it out and paint your nails.

Everlasting Liquid Love Lipstick
Price: $18 each
Size: 0.18 oz

There are six colors available:

1. Backstage Bambi
2. Berlin
3. Bow & Arrow (left in the image)
4. Jeffree
5. Lolita
6. Outlaw

My thoughts:  The colors are not new, least not all the colors. Backstage Bambi and Lolita were last seen in her Painted Love lip gloss collection. I know they’re also in her Paint Love Lipstick collection as well. Out of all the colors I wish they would bring Adora back. I LOVED that shade of red but it was ALWAYS sold out online and in the Sephora stores I visited in Vegas (when that lipstick was first out). Maybe if these go on clearance I’ll pick one up, just wish Adora was among those glosses.

It’s funny how the amount of lip gloss and the prices don’t bug me while with nail polish it does. Maybe it’s because I’m such a nail polish junkie while lip glosses don’t have that hold on me like my polishes do. lol Still, I’m think I’ll pass on the these lip glosses because for $18 I rather buy Lime Crime’s Carousel Glosses ($18 each; 3.5 g / 0.12 oz) and I’m not a Lime Crime fan but those glosses just keep calling my name each time I see swatches for it. So far I’ve resisted but at $65 for the entire collection I’m not sure how much longer I can resist.

What do you think? Anything look interesting enough for you to pick up? Or is it a pass for you?

MyGlam: The December bag (1st bag EVER!)

If you’re a YouTube makeup junkie then you know who Michelle Phan is. Love or hate her Miss Phan’s latest venture is in the world of subscription box service where you get several samples each month in a cute little bag all for $10. I lucked out and was able to subscribe to MyGlam back in November within a few days of them launching and as word got around they quickly sold out of subscriptions through January! If you’re interested in getting a MyGlam subscription check back in January or keep an eye on my blog to see if they’re taking new subscribers.

So here’s what came in the December bag that I received:

	The bag My thoughts on the makeup bag. It’s cute. It’s functional and small enough if you carry a medium to large purse.
	FULL SIZE! Salicylic Acid Blemish Control Blotting Paper by Mai Couture Retail: $20.00 for 100 sheets My thoughts on the Salicylic Acid Blemish Control Blotting Paper, I actually received a few samples of the blush papier through Mai Couture’s Facebook wall a few months ago and thought that I would be getting the blush papier. It was an unexpected surprise. The downside is that I can’t use this as I have rosacea and am VERY sensitive to things. I’ll try it and see how I like it since even we women in our 30s tend to get acne from time to time. If I do have a a reaction to it then I’ll give it to my middle daughter who has an acne prescription through her doctor. She can toss these in her backpack for school.
	FULL SIZE! Soft Matte Lip Cream by NYX Retail: $6.00 My thoughts on the lip cream. I’ve never tried NYX lip glosses before so this is a first time for me. The color is pretty, the texture on my hand feels okay but how well does it last? I don’t know. Verdict is still out on this one. The color I received was Amsterdam.
	TRAVEL SIZE Eyeshadow Primer Potion by Urban Decay (travel size) Retail: $9.00 My thoughts on the primer. I love Urban Decay’s primers but hate the genie bottle. Glad they got rid of it in the full size but the travel size, which is still sold on UD’s website, is HORRIBLE. The product itself is fine but getting it out especially once you begin to run out is a pain. If you have a UD genie bottle and think you’re out of primer cut it in half and you’ll find you still have lots left. I like I said before, glad UD got rid of that bottle design in the full size tubes, wish they get rid of it in the travel size as well. Still the product is great though some people still find their shadows to crease despite using a primer potion.
	FULL SIZE! Sin Eyeshadow by Urban Decay Retail: $17.00 My thoughts on Sin. Sin is a main color that tends to get used a great deal in palettes. It’s a champagne color with a hint of a rose blush to it. If this came in a matte finish opposed to it’s shimmer finish this would definitely be one of my favorite colors. Don’t get me wrong, I DO like the color and the shimmer but this is one of those colors I just wish came as a matte as well as a shimmer. Sin is a fantastic color to use when doing a smokey eye or even a nude eye. It’s a versatile color in that it looks great when paired with greens, purples, blues and even pinks. A definite must for your makeup bag.
	DELUXE SIZE! Lights, Camera, Lashes by Tarte Full Size: 0.24 oz Retail: $19.00 This was a deluxe sample weighing in at .3ml 0.10 fl oz. A little under half the size of a full size tube making this valued at around $9.50. My thoughts on the mascara. I prefer mini/deluxe samples when it comes to mascara because most full size tubes simply go to waste as you should be throwing it out every three to six months. I would HATE to throw out a full size tube of mascara especially when I paid over $10 for it and used very little. Since mascara is one of those items that spoil easily and can harm your eyes if you don’t change it out I think more beauty companies should make travel/deluxe size mascaras for retail and make it at least half the value of a full size.

Bag value: OVER $60!

Is it worth it? So far YES but this was the first bag they sent out. If they keep this up and send out full size products as well as travel size items then heck YES $10 is so worth it even if there are no perks like Birchbox points. I’ll let you guys know what I think come January’s bag.

Note: This blog entry was originally written on December 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM but was kept as a draft since I couldn’t find my camera’s transfer cable until the other day (January 3, 2012).