Acne for Adults? Why?

So I was someone who was blessed to not have acne as a teenager and I truly am grateful for that. Not so grateful that I have now come into the ripe age of 30 and have found that my skin is the worst it has ever been. Literally I sit at the beauty counter and look at acne and anti-aging products, that is wrong. I have actually found that a few companies market products for both, such as Murad with there acne fighting, anti aging product line. I am in the 4th week of this line which includes a very nice cleanser and fabulous toner, a "treatment" that I'm still unsure of and a moisturizer that seems decent. Not to be forgotten is the 2-3 times per week mask. I have to say that my favorite esthetician did tell me that I have to actually wait at least 6 weeks before I swear off anything. I love the products however I am not sure if they are doing anything for my skin. It hasn't gotten worse but I haven't seen it get better either, I'm hanging in there at least until my product is gone and then I will move onto the next. 

iphone 4 is old news

Just as we were getting settled with the iphone4 we are now moving into the new era....Apple has gotten to the point where its fans await the release of new iPhones like a life experience. So with the expectation that a new iPhone will be upon us by the end of September, we will be seeing more “leaks” telling us what the phone will look like and what will be in it. The pretty standard rumor out is that the phone will have a bigger screen. Other rumors include the speakers in a new location. Hmmm....who cares. The bigger screen is definitely a game changer, if you are like me than you are weary about the iphone of any generation for the sole reason that you like a wider display you may have found your solution. 

And if you are thinking about trading up, do it now. 

Many companies will let you lock in the price of the trade-in and give you a month to give them the old phone. You will get more money now than after the new phones come out, companies are more likely to assure you a healthy trade-in value now if you don't wait for the massive rush that will come with the new phone release. 

Beauty Bar by Sample Society

My much anticipated Beauty Bar box came at last. I went a little crazy last month and signed up for a few beauty boxes in order to accurately compare and find my favorites. Here is my take on Sample Society.
My Products:
Borghese Tono Body Cream Deluxe SampleJouer Cosmetics Luminizing Moisture Tint SPF 20Sisley-Paris Hydra Globa Intense Anti-Aging Hydration vbeautévbeaute Eye Never Nourishing Repair Eye Vincent Longo Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil
My take on these products:Borghese Cream is awesome. Very hydrating and luscious. Jouer Tinted Moisturizer is laso pretty fab. The cover is a little more than I would expect from a tinted moisturizer and more like a foundation. The color happens to match my skin but I would assume that isn't the case for everyone so I would probably not be as enthused if it hadn't. Sisley-Paris is decent I don't find it better than any other products in the same category. The vbeaute was in such a small tube that I only got to use it twice before it was gone. I was a little disappointed because as a sample, I would hope to use it for a week at least so that I could make a solid decision on whether or not I would purchase a full size. Duo Lip Pencil was the full size product I received which is appreciated however I was a little miffed by the dual sided pencil. The one side, an obvious lip liner in a nice wine color, I am not really a fan of lip liner but I know it is a staple in most beauty bags. The confusion was that the other side was a metallic white. I had no idea what this was intended for. An eyeliner perhaps? Not at my age. I did dabble in white eye liner when I was in high school in 2000 but I have since evolved and moved well past thinking that did me any favors. 
So all in all For $15 per month, you will receive 5 deluxe-sized samples wasn't exactly accurate. I don't feel that I got 5 "deluxe" products but they did include a full sized product so I won't feel too bend out of shape. 

My First Little Black Bag

I just received my first little black bag which to my delight came within only a couple days. I appreciate quick shipping more than most and I am one of those people that pay for overnight shipping because I can't wait to see my goodies. My box showed up nicely wrapped in tissue and contained the two items that were in my bag at the end of the trading period. For those who do not know how LBB works, you choose one item and then LBB gives you 2 to 4 additional products to equivalent $100 minimum. I choose a cute little BCBG Ribbon Watch in a taupe shade. Additionally I was given a pretty Zad bracelet and some nail polish in a nice summer shade. I thought I had done pretty well but I was eager to trade so I began. I was a little disappointed that as soon as my bag was revealed there seemed to be new products that I would have definitely picked rather than the watch. I tried for some purses which seemed to have just come available with no luck. I began getting trade offers for my watch but none of equal value and most not even close to the value of $85 (what my watch was valued at retail however a quick search turned my same BCBG watch on sale sites for $40-50) so I declined them. I did however see some Young Blood Tinted Body Shimmer that I wanted so I made some offers. I offered people my nail polish and bracelet for the YB Tinted Moisturizer and my trade was quickly accepted!

Overall I found that my watch for $85 and the YB lotion valued at $38 was a great deal since I only paid $50 for the bag but I do have to say that so many of the products can be found for less than 50% of what the said value is which makes this less appealing. The TB lotion is pretty rarely found for less so even with the watch going for half the price I still came out ahead. However...the watch really wasn't that great and I thought the tinted lotion was more of a self tanner and in actuality it is a glittery lotion. It's one thing to pay $38 for self tanner but a whole other thing to pay $38 for lotion. I'm kinda bummed so I skipped my bag this month. I found some cute bags offered on the site that had the value been spot on I would have gladly added to my LBB and tried my luck again but I found these products for way less on other sites so I'm sitting this month out.

Beauty Bags Compared Part 1 Sample Society

Which beauty bag is the best? Beauty Bar-Sample Society 
Perks:
Monthly $15 for 5 deluxe-sized samples from beauty brands you know and love as well as some you don't. 
A bonus one-year subscription to Allure magazine.
$15 gift code to redeem on a $50 purchase when you include any product from the brands you've sampled in your order.
Not so Perks:

You don't have any say in what you get each month. Customized deliveries are to come in the future!

My First Birchbox

Birchbox is one of my new favorite things. After waiting a short time on the wait list I was invited to receive my monthly box. Over delighted I started trying to research what my box would contain. I have never been good at waiting for surprises. I found to my dismay and curiosity that some had received different goodies than others. Now I was intrigued, what would my box contain? I heard there was some Stila bronzing serum  in some and I wanted it! A full size at that! I'm not sure how these decisions are made but perhaps it has something to do with the quiz I took i the beginning asking about hair, skin and make-up and how I rated on these things. I have read that this survey is ignored but who knows. All I know is that I got my box, my cute little box full of surprises. I did indeed get the bronzer, I also got the Staniac that I had heard mentioned in other blogs, a small sample of perfume and an anti-bacterial wipe which I found odd. Oh and a little plastic ziplock bag that was to my delight pink and blue cheeta print. The verdict, the bronzer is a little pink toned, not my favorite but still appreciate the full size, the Staniac must take someone with more skill than I have because I end up with two pink stripes on my cheeks and it doesn't seem to "stain" my lips, perfume is a nice summer scent, my handy wipe was used immediately and smelled pleasant and my little bag broke fairly quickly but I did not rather expect it to last long. Overall, I am a happy camper and can't wait to see what the next month brings. I felt the $10 spent was well worth the return and if you order any of the products featured you get bonus points and free shipping. I am not only a sucker for free shipping, I love points and bonuses of any kind.

LORAC

I love you Lorac, the liquid eyeliner that I swore off in high school is back in my good graces. This eye shadow, primer, eye liner, Front of the Line PRO Eyeliner in Black and mascara deal found on beauty.com for less than $40 is the best thing I have seen since Sephora gave gift bags at Christmas. I am also almost never a fan of the primer/mascara. It seems that I can never get the step 2 (mascara) to evenly coat the step 1 (primer). I end up with white/black/grey eyelashes and it's not pretty. This primer was not gooey (for lack of better word) like others I have used AND the mascara had great coverage. The eye shadow is always a good buy from Lorac and I can leave primer any day however I appreciate the gesture. I am now weighing in on the Lorac versus MAC mascara war and the Lorac versus Boxum eye liner. It's a close one.