Saturday, June 29, 2013

Beauty News! - Bondi to start Beauty Subscription Box!

BONDI NEW YORK MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION BOX!



EDIT 2/8/14 - At this time I no longer recommend purchasing from Bondi New York.


EDIT October 29th, 2013 - Bondi New York's Bondi Box subscription service was suspended as of October 28th, 2013.  Right now they are only selling individual polishes.


There is a NEW nail polish subscription in town and this is definitely one you won't want to miss!  

Bondi New York is a new up-and-coming nail polish company that strives to be not only fashion-foward with their amazing 5 Free polishes but COMMITTED to their amazing customer service! They have 24/7  live chat on their website with someone there to answer any questions you may have, AND they also can ship out an order within 15 minutes of it being placed! Trust me, I know, it has happened to me. I've seen them reship an order when someone missed a promo code, with the additional item inside that was part of the special...I've seen them send out a replacement when a brand new bottle was accidentally dropped and shattered...I also know for a fact that the CEO, Richard Annington, himself is available to speak to if you contact him. They love being dedicated to - what he likes to call - "Rockstar Service" and personally I have seen nothing less than that! Earlier this month I wrote an article about my introduction to Bondi through the beauty subscription service Glossybox and some drama that went down in a collaboration with Bondi coming out on top as the classiest, straight-forward and most admirable company I've seen to date. Care for a read? - 



Classy classy guy. 


So, I am beyond excited to announce that Bondi New York is going to be launching their OWN subscription box! 


REGISTRATION BEGINS NEXT WEEK!

This box will contain 3 of the fabulous Bondi polishes, a deluxe beauty gift, as well as other membership privileges for only $19.99 per month! If you haven't checked out Bondi New York yet, here is their website and be prepared to DROOL:


They also have an upcoming Fall/Winter collection coming soon as well as many other various exciting pieces of news, so be sure to "Like" their Facebook Page as well for updates!


Are you as excited as I am? Come jump in line behind me! This company is definitely one that you'll want to become a fan of.  Time to "Discover a World of Color"!  
      

Right now Bondi New York is running a special BOGO sale! Use the code GETONE for a Buy One, Get One.....GETTWO for a Buy Two, Get Two.....or even GETTHREE for a Buy Three, Get Three special! (Only one code per order). It's good from now till Monday 6PM EST! SALE IS OVER!

       

    
 UPDATE 7/22

The Bondi New York Subscription Box Sub is NOW LIVE!

        • Month to Month - $19.99 per Month
        • 3 Month Sub - $49.97  (save $10)
        • 6 Month Sub - $99.95  (6th month is free)
        • 12 Month Sub - $199.90  (11th & 12th month free)

Here is the link to the Subscription Page! -

Just a recap on what subscribers will be receiving:
      • 3 Full Size Bondi Polishes each month
      • A Deluxe Beauty Gift
      • 25% Off all additional polish purchases from Bondi New York
      • Free Shipping! (even internationally)
      • Ability to Skip a Month (even with 3, 6, 12 month plans)

The only question remaining now is....WHY haven't you signed up YET?! For more info on the Bondi New York sub, check out this article by their CEO, Richard:





Happy Makeuping Polishing!

Love, Cookie

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

July REVEAL - Ipsy

REVEALING SPOILERS, SNEAK PEEKS & MORE!
     



My first sneak peek is actually a little late! Eeps! This week has been crazy for me! We are in the middle of Dance Camp at my ballet studio and yours truly has been working from 9AM to 9PM pretty much all week...as well as being the very amazing, very gorgeous and very TALL Fairy Queen in the production! Yes! Glittah is everywhere! TAKE A LOOK - 

 That little devil exploded on me when I opened the lid! Gah! 

Yeesh. I've been busy glittering pretty much any adorable prop or scenery piece that needs some extra sparkle in the production! (as well as glittering myself in the process somehow)

but enough about all that.....SPOILERS!!!!


This email recently went out to past subscribers! -

 Woohoo! Benetint by Benefit! I've never tried it before, but I've been dying to!

No word yet if this product is going to be included in ALL of the Glambags, but we shall see!

ALSO BONUS! - The email did say that there would be 5 PRODUCTS in the bag again this month! ::happydance!:: however, we won't be seeing another sneak peek until July 1st according to their Facebook page...

So deep breath my darlings...we'll make it till Monday...until then, I have a show to put on this week, with tons and tons of glitter to play work with!

Don't forget for faster updates, you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter! Just click on the logos underneath my Blog Profile Pic! 

         


 UPDATE 6/28

Aha! So Ipsy may not have posted a new sneak peek on their Facebook, but we did find this on their website! -

 With the header saying: JULY GLAM BAG SNEAK PEEK #1!

"A pop of perfect color will be yours from sand to sundown" - From Ipsy.com


AND just this afternoon Pop Beauty posted on their facebook:


So it looks like July's Glam Bag is going to include Pop Beauty's Pouty Pop Crayon


No word or clues yet to say whether they might pick from all 6 or just the three shown. 

It appears that the three shown in the sneak peek pic might be: 

Fuschia Flirt (far left)
Rose Romance (next to Fuschia Flirt)
Coral Crush (4th from left)

That's not confirmed yet, so once I have more info, I'll let you know!

Also, did you notice what Ipsy said? "...from sand to sundown."....I'm thinking:

BEACH

What do ya'll think? So far, lookin' good Ipsy!

        

        

UPDATE 7/1

The update to top all updates...haha! Have I got a crazy big update for YOU!

So first of all, late last night Ipsy uploaded this to their website:

 Along with this caption:

JULY GLAM BAG SNEAK PEEK #2

"Sun or city, guard your skin from spots and wrinkles with this instant summer fave!" - From Ipsy.com

Seeing that Cookie was ridiculously busy today, she was not on her A-game, however, the darling ladies at Makeuptalk.com were and they have figured it out! They found the product on Ipsy's website. It is....


Coola Face SPF 20 Rose Essense Tint Mineral Sunscreen & Moisturizer


I received a similar Coola product in a past Birchbox, and I loved it (although I don't have much use for sunscreen unfortunately!). I know if you compare the pics, the sneak peek bottle is white, however this product is blue, but keep in mind, they will probably be sending a sample bottle, which will probably be white! (I had that thought too, no worries, hehe)

Edit 7/5 - I just found out that COOLA posted this pic on their Facebook recently:


With the front product being the featured chosen Ipsy selection and the product in the back being their Unscented BB Cream. So the possibility of there being a variety in our Ipsy Glam Bag has now gone up! We shall see!
    

THERE'S MORE....

There was also a leaked picture on Instagram showing a hot pink, clear vinyl bag with these product in it:

Benefit Benetint Sample
Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon
derme e Microdermabrasion Scrub with Dead Sea Salt
bh cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow sample
Demeter Fragrance Library Salt Air Perfume Oil Roll-on
Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Mai Tai


Here are the full-size pictures of all of the listed products from their websties (except benefit and Pop Beauty):


derme e Microdermabrasion Scrub with Dead Sea Salt:


bh cosmetics California Collection

1. Malibu Palette


2. Hollywood Palette


3. San Francisco Palette





Demeter Fragrance Library Salt Air Perfume Oil Roll-on



Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Mai Tai





and heeeeere we have the Instagram pic! - 


(Note: This picture is from Zadidoll.com, thank you so much Zadi for graciously allowing me to use it! Also, please note that this picture was sent to Zadi by an anonymous source before it was deleted from Instagram)

There ARE six products show in this picture, however, the receiver is a friend of Michelle Phan so this may not be your typical bag that might go out! 

If you look at the pic, you will also notice the eyeshadow trio! I did some digging and on Ipsy's website they also show the sizes of the bh cosmetic eyeshadow sample trio! Take a look: 


That is superdupes cute, in my opinion! Love it!

Ipsy's Sneak Peek #3 just went live on Ipsy's website and take a wild guess at what it was?

JULY GLAM BAG SNEAK PEEK #3

"Have fun finding the perfect beach-look with this gorgeous combination of California colors!" - From Ipsy.com

Yep! It's the eyeshadow trio palette! Haha!



    
ONE LAST THING!.....

Ipsy posted this picture earlier today! -


I think this picture ties in beautifully with the clear pink bag! Also, it DOES INDEED seem that this theme will be BEACH related! Especially with the sea air perfume, sea salt microdermabrasion scrub, mai tai polish, etc. This bag is looking fab to me!

WHEW, so that was a lot of updating! What does everyone think?! Are you beachy-keen?

       

UPDATE 7/3

Ipsy's Facebook updated with the next sneak peek this morning! Take a look -

 JULY GLAM BAG SNEAK PEEK #4

"ONE of these is yours for summer's salt air and beachy hair!" - From facebook.com/ipsy


If you're a hair product lover, you KNOW that that top item is....

Sexy Hair Corp!

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray


and it appears, based off of the cap of the bottom item that that item might be:


Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof Humidity Resistance Spray


They both look very exciting and I wouldn't mind either in my bag! I always love a good Sexy Hair Corp product! 

Which would would you prefer getting?




        

UPDATE 7/5

Ipsy has released their next sneak peek on their Facebook!

 JULY GLAM BAG SNEAK PEEK #5:

"Turn up the heat and top off your summer look with ONE of these sun-ready finds" - From facebook.com/ipsy

If you've read this whole posts and viewed all of the products, you can tell that these 4 items are:

derme e Microdermabrasion Scrub with Dead Sea Salt (left)
 Benefit Benetint Sample (center left)
Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Mai Tai (center)
Demeter Fragrance Library Salt Air Perfume Oil Roll-on (right top)

So based off of this sneak peek, here is what the bag appears to be:


  • Pop Beauty Pouty Pouty Pop Crayon (variation in colors)
  • COOLA product (possibly a variety between bags, unknown yet)
  • bh cosmetics Eyeshadow Sample Trio
  • Sexy Hair Corp product (One of two)
  • derme e scrub OR Benetint OR Nailtini OR Demeter Roll-on

There we have it! Still no confirmation on the bag as of yet and if you'll recall, the leaked pictured does in fact have ALL four "OR" items in it, but as I mentioned, she is a friend of Michelle Phan's so that wouldn't be unheard of. Therefore, it's not settled on whether or not that IS this month's actually bag. We shall see! It definitely is getting very exciting and I'm LOVING the products!     

     


UPDATE 7/8

What should be our final sneak peek! This showed up on Ipsy's website this morning...

JULY GLAM BAG SNEAK PEEK #6

"Bonus! Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea! This summer will be sweeter with your July Glam Bag!" - From ipsy.com

So, it IS the bag previewed in Update 7/1! (The Instagram pic)

Based off of the description, I'm wondering if this bag is going to be waterproof! It certainly looks like it could be and it definitely matches the Beach theme. I'm very excited to be receiving a see-through Ipsy Glam Bag as that always makes storing items easier to organize and find. 

So that should be it! The last sneak peek and update...so what do you think of this month's Glam Bag and various products? Which are you hoping for?

          

Monday, June 24, 2013

Beauty News! - Target's First Beauty Box

BEAUTY BOX BY TARGET

Or is it Tar-zhey to you, darlings? ::wink wink:: So, Target tried out a possible new beauty subscription box just this past month that was only for.....::ahem pause for dramatic effect::.....FIVE DOLLARS! That's right, a $5 beauty subscription box, I nearly passed out! Obviously, before I did, I went and snagged myself a one-time subscription! 

The only thing I'll say about this box, is that it DID take FOREVER to get to me, as it did with everyone else that ordered it. The shipping dates were estimated between 4-6 weeks. It took nearly 7 1/2 for me. However, it was well worth the wait in my opinion...take a look at what I received!

LOVE IT


This box is seriously fabulous! C'est magnifique! (Hey if you're calling it Tar-zhey, might as well pull out some French vocab, dontchathink?) It was a wonderful surprise and I was very excited to read what was on the included card:

"Welcome to the first edition of the Beauty Box by Target!

We're creating a monthly program that will let you receive samples of 4-5 products from a few of our favorite brands. Some brands you'll know, and some you may not have heard of yet. You will also receive a special beauty offer that'll have you looking gorgeous-for less."

 I'm in, I'm in, I'm in! I definitely want to be included in this awesome deal! So it seems that they shall try to start up this monthly beauty sub, no word yet from Target or their Facebook page, but ::crosses fingers::, we shall see!

Here are the merveilleuses goodies! 
..."Wonderful"...it means "wonderful"....oh just go with it!


GILETTE
VENUS AND OLAY RAZOR PACK
in Sugarberry
         
See...here's the thing with me and female razors: they never work for me. They're usually too blunt, or soft, or don't shave close enough to the skin because of the thick guards, etc, etc. So I received this product. I open it up. I inspect it. I think....sure, let's try this. Stop the presses, my darlings, this razor is PHENOMENAL. I jest you not, you will fall magically in love it! It's a 5 blade razor, with Olay sugarberry scented moisture bars on either side that hydrate, and gently moisturize the skin so shaving cream is not necessary for use with this product. Would you like me to repeat that again...you DON'T have to use shaving cream with this razor. I feel all the women in the world shouting a joyous hooray! Don't get me wrong, I love a good shaving cream when I have the time to luxuriously shave, but most of the time....you just want to shave and dash! It glides so smoothly on your skin and the sugarberry scent is amazingly sweet but light and fresh. This pack only has one disposable razor cartridge, but you can purchase the pack of cartidges for further use. BONUS: This pack comes with a handy dandy little suction cup shower holder for the razor that works very well. My Hubby thought it was the cutest thing seeing my little pick razor hanging on the shower wall...especially since he's used to me using the men's Mach3 Turbo razor. Well, pink is not really my go-to color and the Mach3 Turbo works so well...you know what, all that doesn't matter....just GO and try this amazing Venus razor. I PROMISE you, you'll be as enamored of it as I am!





LA ROCHE-POSAY
EFFACLAR DUO

A dual action acne treatment, this little product definitely impressed me as well. It is supposed to reduce the number and severity of breakouts as well as improve pore size. It's also fragrance free, which I know is a plus to a lot of people. It is recommended that you use it all over your face 1-3X daily. I only used it once a day in particularly bad blemish areas since it is only a foil and not a lot of product. I did notice a slight change after a few days! I really don't have regular acne anymore like I did when I was a teen, but I do have adult cystic acne that pops up every once in a while on my chin, so when it does flare up I like to have a good product on hand that can slow down the infection/inflammation fast before it becomes difficult to treat. One thing about this cream, though, is it DOES sting the skin a bit after a few minutes of wear. It did not bother me as I don't mind sensations on my face from products, but just fair warning if you have sensitive skin or don't particularly like any sensation (tingling, stinging, etc.) from any product on your face. A little does go a long way, so I think a full-size should last a good long while! I'm certainly going to be buying it!





FEKKAI
GLOSSING CREAM

 I've actually never tried a Fekkai product before! So, I was superdupes excited to see this in my box.....but....I know, we don't like hearing 'but'.....it really just didn't do much for me. It's supposed to add a brilliant shine and help keep frizz down, but honestly, I didn't see a huge difference. A SMALL one in regards to a little bit of shine, but nothing for frizz. Granted, I think this product would be much more suited towards someone who has straighter-styled hair. With my hair, I try to up the curl factor as well as volume, so when I scrunched in this product after styling, I just didn't see anything. I added more...still nothing....I added a bit more (mind you, it says pea-size amount is recommended, I added almost 4X that amount) and after all that I did notice a bit of a shine, but nothing that blew me away. I also tried adding this product to my hair while it was still damp, then styling. Nope. Alas, not everything will work for everybody! As I said, I think this cream would be better for someone who has a straighter-style hairdo or possibly thicker hair for frizz control. This makes me sad though, because the sample size bottle is DELUXE! I may still try out other combinations with this product and see what might work better...






L'OREAL MAGIC
SKIN BEAUTIFIER B.B. CREAM

I don't even need to try out this product to tell you how awesome it is, because I already use it daily! However, this little packet is a shade too dark for me. I am so pale, of course I wear the Fair shade! These BB Creams come in 4 different shades: Fair, Light, Medium and Deep. What's so interesting about these creams is that they don't appear to be skin-toned until you blend them in. Mine for example looks pale gray, but it has encapsulated pigments infused in the lotion that burst open when you apply and blend. They smoothly work right into your skin-tone and correct coloring, even pores, and hydrates the skin. This cream gives my skin an all-over even canvas to work with. It softens the redness, and even gently lightens blemishes so they're more easily concealable. Plus, the formula is so light, you won't even know you have it on! It also never gets cakey like a lot of foundations, and it doesn't smudge. I really didn't take a picture, because honestly, if you look at pretty much any picture of me, I probably have it on! Voila!




        
SALLY HANSEN 
SALON EFFECTS REAL NAIL POLISH STRIPS
in Lust-rous #470

 The only item in the box that varied from person to person! They sent out multiple different styles of these strips and I LOVE the one they sent me. Gorgeous! Once again, this is a product I've never tried. I HAVE however, tried nail strips before, but not Sally Hansen's. Also, OUI, you ARE reading the French side of the Sally Hansen box....OUI, I did it on purpose and OUI, the English translation is on the other side. Here is what came in the packet - 

On the left is a plastic package that contains a double sided nail file that has a rough grit, light grit and a buffer pad, as well as a cuticle pusher nail stick. On the right are two packets of the nail strips with each container 8 strips each in multiple sizes. I kind of feel like it's a little bit of a waste to have 6 stripes left over, so I'll be keeping them in case I ever want to use them as accent nails for a mani! They applied fairly easily. I used the cuticle pusher to fix my poor poor cuticles and the buffer to polish and buff the top of my nails (which I haven't done in FOREVER, oh my, it was glorious), then I applied the strips! -




 A moment of silence please for my poor nails. I ripped the middle finger's nail off a few days ago, then I cracked my pointer finger nail, then I chipped an edge off my pinky nail. I don't know WHAT my nails have against me right now, but they are being REBELS! So I have a completely and ridiculously short middle finger nail, and the others I had to file down. I sniffled a little while filing. 

Enough of that drama, so as far as the strips...I was a little disappointed that the actual strips weren't as sparkly as the box shows. They were also very different in design/sparkle added from each other too. For example, the strip that fit my pinky nail ended up having pretty much no glitter on it, but the thumb nail strip had a fairly good amount. I almost felt like I wanted to add some topcoat glitter to them! At first I was worried that they wouldn't stick because the ends felt a little flimsy, soft and easy peel-able, but after an hour or so they hardened up and now, 3 days later, they are stuck like glue! lol Definitely good quality strips that will last you a few days, and it's perfect for those of you who need a quick mani but don't have time to dry them or want to risk smudging the polish afterwards. I'd definitely recommend trying out a style you like! They have a bunch to choose from!



WORTH AND PURCHASE: 

 *(I priced everything according to their prices at Target.com, your Target or other stores may vary)

 1) Gilette Venus and Olay Razor Pack:
  •  Full-size is 1 razor stick, 1 cartridge and 1 shower holder - $8.99
  •  I received a full-size!

2) La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo:
  •  Full-size is 1.35 oz - $36.99
  •  I received a 0.17 fl oz sample foil - $4.66

3) Fekkai Glossing Cream: *Price from Fekkai.com
  •  For a 4 oz size bottle - $25.00
  •  I received a 2 oz size sample bottle - $12.50


4) L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream:
  • Full-size is 1.0 oz - $7.99
  • I received a 0.025 fl oz sample foil - $0.20

5) Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips: *Price from local Target
  •  Full-size is 16 strips, 1 mini buffer, 1 cuticle pusher stick - $8.50
  •  I received a full-size!

Total Paid for Box:  $5 
    
Total Worth of Box:  $34.85!!!

Oh my word. That has the be the BEST WORTH box I have EVER received! If Target doesn't continue with their monthly subscription I will be one sad Cookie...




FINALE

I am blown away by this (hopefully) new beauty sub. I think it had just the right diversity of product - nail, skincare, makeup, beauty routine tool, hair - and the price can't be argued with. They also were kind enough to include a $3 OFF coupon for a Beauty purchase of $15 or more at Target or Target.com. If you haven't checked out this sub yet, go to their TargetStyle Facebook page:
        

and "Like" them to get faster updates as to what's going to happen with this new development. Here's hoping that they pull their shipping act together, because I think this could be the next big Beauty Sub!

     

Mise heureuse sur le maquillage!  
      
(if you don't know what that says, then you don't read enough of my posts...::wink::) 

 
Avec Amour, Cookie