Popsugar Must Have - June 2014

June's Popsugar Must Have box just came in and I think this is a great selection of items for summer.  I tend to like items that will be useful or can be used up and this fits the bill.

The One and Only by Emily Giffin - $28 value

I've read other books by Emily Giffin and have enjoyed them, so this will be a nice summer read.  I especially appreciate the hardcover version…I hate creasing my spines of my paperbacks and I treat them like they are loaded with C-4.  I also hate lending out my paperbacks for the same reason…this is sturdier so it looks like I'll be able to share this with someone when I'm done.

Sachajuan Body Lotion in Shiny Citrus - $24 value

I own a lot of lotions.  Like a LOT.  And I really hate slathering on lotion for some reason (especially on dry skin) so I tend to use moisturizers or oils in the shower.  That being said, this smells nice and sweet and citrusy without being overly cloying or artificial, and the simplistic packaging makes it look schmancy.  Therefore, this will be regulated to the gift pile or the visitors-are-coming pile.

Turkish T Towel in turquoise stripe – $32 value

I've been hearing about these types of towels so I am thrilled to have one to try out.  This is lightweight yet still absorbent = perfect for beach bags and for traveling, since it won't take up so much space or weight.  Doesn't hurt that its cute, too…they recommend using it as a sarong or a scarf or wrap, too.  Straight out of the package, its a little rougher than I expected, but at 100% cotton it will soften up after washing and use.  I will be swapping for a second with someone so that I'm set for vacationing this summer!

You Smell Wet Wipes in Lemon – $5 value

This is a new brand to me…their packaging is cute and they will be handy to throw into my bag.  I was expecting a more natural lemon scent, but that's okay.  They are approved because they meet my useful requirement.

One Potato Two Potato Kettle Chips in Hawaiian BBQ – $1.50 value

Already ate these (lol).  I will never say no to yummy treats in my sub boxes.

Lollies Hair Ties (colors may vary, mine were black/white/green but I saw grey options) – $8 value

I like these, they are made of a kind of swimsuit type material.  At first I was bummed about the olive green color but realized I have several pairs of shorts that will match.   I'll most likely use the green and black, the mixed color one is too juvenile for public for me.  I like that they can double as bracelets too. Again, they meet my useful requirement, so I approve!

And a Native Union Gift Card/Coupon Code – $15 value

This is most definitely an extra and not to be considered a part of the box value, as it does require you to spend money to use it.  I've been eyeing the monocle though, so this might be the chance to pull the trigger.  

Total box value came in at around $99 dollars, which isn't bad for a $40 sub.  The towel alone is $32, so for $8 more for everything else, I'm satisfied!  If you are interested in signing up for Popsugar and you liked my review, please consider using my referral code.  You can also use REFER5 to save $5 off your first order, or JUNESELECT10 to save $10 off a 3 month sub.

Product Review: Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads

When I was a teen, I was fortunate enough to have clear skin with just the occasional blemish.  Alas, to be young with a face as smooth as a baby's bottom again!  Now that I hit *ahem* an age that shall not be named, my skin has decided to act out and make me look like a pimple-ridden teen, oy.

Proactiv+ to the rescue!  I've actually never tried any of their products until this point but they were very generous sponsors at Genbeauty 2014 last weekend and I received several products from them.  I was the most excited to try out the Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads.  After reading the ingredient list, they seemed to be similar to my favorite Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peels (the first of the 2 steps, that is) with the main ingredients of salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and witch hazel extract.

Proactiv+ provided a lot of full size products, so I was questioning why
I only received 5 packettes...was that really the full size?  Nope.
Turns out the full size is 15 packettes, not 5 (phew, I knew it was too few).

So what's so great about the ingredients?  Now, I'm no scientist, but basically:

Salicylic acid (listed as the main active ingredient) is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that is derived from the bark of the willow tree and basically encourages skin cell turnover that keeps your pores clear and eliminates flaking skin (yay shedding!).  This ingredient is an acne ass-kicker.

Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that works as an exfoliator, penetrating the skin deeply (thanks to its extremely small molecular structure) and aiding the other products to sink and do their magic.  It is very helpful in the treatment of acne, acne scarring, fine lines, and discolorations.

Witch hazel extract contains chemicals called tannins, which help repair broken skin and fights bacteria (destroying the acne breeding ground!).

2% salicylic acid, baby!

Here's Proactiv+'s blurb:

Now, this stuff is pretty potent.  If the wipe got too close to my eyes they would start to water a bit from the fumes.  Plus, there is some mild stinging around some of my problem areas, but good stinging-tingling like it is working, not burning like I'm on fire from an allergic reaction.  They recommend 5 days in a row to kick-start the effects...I wouldn't do every day after those first 5 days, as these are strong and are potentially drying.  I am more of an every other day person so that the full pack of 15 would last a month rather than 2 weeks, too.

As for the results?  I definitely saw an immediate drying up of any existing blemishes I have.  My skin feels smoother (well, the skin between the blemishes, haha) and looks brighter and clearer.  I have a few dry patches on my cheeks and near my mouth and those have disappeared (woohoo skin cell turnover).  I like that rather than using a physical exfoliant to get scrub away dry skin and potentially spread acne germs, this kind of application is gentle.

While there is alcohol in this product (which is harsh and drying) my skin doesn't mind some skin booze.  However, if you have sensitive skin I would highly recommend--as I would for any new skin care product, really--testing a small area to make sure you don't have any negative reactions.  Like I said, this stuff is strong!

One thing that is a bummer with Proactiv+ is that its an all or nothing system.  If you want just one product, you're out of luck.  However, the price per item when you buy the Proactiv+ system is not bad at all.  As you can see, they have a 5 piece system for $40, plus the have an additional free product.  So 6 items for $40 is around $7 per product.  They do have less expensive Proactiv+ sets...but they don't have the Mark Fading Pads in those kits.  If their other products are as impressive as this one though, I look forward to trying the rest.

**UPDATE: Proactiv+ products are available individually here, but at $45 for the Mark Fading Pads, it is much more economical to buy a set.**

Speaking of trying the rest, I have 2 additional products from Genbeauty to try!  Stay tuned.

Next up!!

The products in this blog post were provided by the manufacturer for consideration.  For more information, please view my disclaimer.

Generation Beauty 2014 - Recap!

I woke up yesterday morning excited for makeup and was so sad when I realized I had to go to work.  It is that sad, end of vacation feeling.

And then I was like this:

Sad panda. :(

Because this weekend was a riot of beauty overstimulation and I loved and SQUEED every minute I was at Genbeauty!  Apologies in advance for the lack of photos, I was too busy soaking up every minute of the event and standing in line for two days that I neglected to get all the photos I wanted.  Also, my iPhone 4s is getting grumpy with me and drains its battery pretty quickly in protest of its abnormally heavy use.  Genbeauty is a very social media-heavy event, with a lot of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook use to earn or win free product.  My whole purpose for attending was mostly to play with and learn more about the sponsor brands...especially the new products they were pimpin'.  To be honest, I don't much follow vloggers (as my gnat-sized attention span does not allow me to view any videos longer than 30 seconds) and while it was great to see some highly touted bloggers at the event, I was on a mission to play with pretties! 

Woohoo, made it!!

The tent!  Thank goodness there was air conditioning because the sun was crazy bright last weekend.

I'm so glad I had a friend come and experience this event with me!  I didn't get to attend last year, but we were so excited about this year that we bought tickets last summer.  We got there extra early because she is a convention pro and she scared the socks off me with horror stories.  Luckily, getting our badges was a completely pain-free process. We got our badges so fast that we had a good hour to kill til 11am, when they opened the doors.  Alas, this was just the beginning of 2 days of waiting...I should seriously consider a walker-chair combo with a basket for next year.  (Okay, not really. but a grown up stroller equivalent is a good idea).

Yay badge and tote bag! (and my tiny lime green purse)

First off, can I just say that I am very impressed at how organized this event was for only its second year.  Granted, there are some kinks to be worked out when you have such a large number of ladies scrambling over beauty goodies, but Ipsy did a great job, as did the sponsor companies.  I do have to say that all the waiting I did was worth it!  Plus, my fellow beauty lemmings were for the most part polite and patient, which was greatly appreciated.

Let the mayhem begin!  The only time the tent was quiet and calm...right
at the beginning of day 1.

And the crowdedness.  Last year I believe they were around 1200
attendees...this was definitely a larger turnout.

By far the worst line was the BareMinerals line, which we suffered through for over 2 hours...it wound its way around half the tent!  They had their new bareSkin liquid foundation and they were color matching everyone.  BareMinerals was a very generous sponsor though, they provided everyone with a free full size bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20 and their new Perfecting Face Brush (a $57 retail value).   I LOVE the way this product looked after it was applied, and the brush was so soft!  

Doesn't the bareSkin look fab??  I was shocked at how
flawless my skin looked.

Thanks, BareMinerals!

The best part about going to this event with a friend was our divide and conquer strategy.  We cut down on our line-waiting significantly by taking turns holding our spot in line while running around and checking out the other booths.  We also used the time in line to enter the various Twitter and Instagram contests, which paid off when I won a Temptu airbrush system via their Twitter contest(!!!).

FREE TEMPTU!

The Temptu didn't come with any pods, but they had a nice discount at their booth and picked up a foundation pod after I got matched.  They were so sweet and threw in a complimentary concealer as well.  I'm just sad that their products are no longer available at Sephora, I used to love getting my face done with the Temptu when I worked there.  Honestly, though, I probably won't buy more pods...I would much rather get a spray gun (available on the Temptu Pro site) and either mix my own foundation or use the pro foundation.  Much more economical and I can custom my color.

Thanks, Temptu! (Sorry to everyone for the tired eyes and sad hair, haha.
This was Day 2 and I never did find the time to get my hair done.)

It is fair to say that this past weekend was a complete blur.  It went by so quickly, we forgot to eat. :)  They had food trucks on site though!  Again, more line waiting.  And they also had (nicer) portable toilets (aaaand more line waiting).  Next year I hope they splurge for the fancy portable bathrooms. :)  It didn't help, their having limitless Keurig beverages available too!

 And the best for last....Cargo Cosmetics!  I <3 this booth (and their products) so much that I spent a good chunk of my weekend there...played with products, attended their workshop, stopped by a few times when they had random Instagram tasks for free products...plus the ladies working the show were so sweet.  I left with a lot of generously provided products and a hankering for more...I immediately went home and hopped on their site to purchase a few items I fell in love with.  Once I get everything, I will absolutely do a review on my Cargo haul and stash. <3

I love everything, especially their Cargo HD line. <3

My Cargo freebies (!!) And then I bought more! ><

And here are a few more quick pics snapped around the event:

Benefit.  This booth was so crowded I never did make it
inside! (This photo was taken as they were shutting
down, so obviously not crowded here.)

Proactiv Twitter vending machine...great sponsor,
they provided 3 full size products to everyone who
completed the activities at their booth.

LUSH!  I really wish they gave away more, I would love
to try more of their products...they smell so great.  This
pic is compliments of my friend, who won Lush's Instagram
contest with an edited version of this pic.  SO JEALOUS.

NYX booth pins for voting for the blogger awards.

Keurig, you are a lifesaver.  Free hot and iced beverages for
everyone! And not just coffee.

Josie Maran #ImagineICan booth.  Loved all the color, so
sad I didn't win any of the full size product. :(

And of course, here is the swag I received from GenBeauty!  Definitely worth the cost of the (earlybird) ticket. :)  I can't wait to buy tickets for next year already.  Happy hour swag was easily collected this year, they provided a total of 4 tickets (2 per day) where you could go to any booth listed on that ticket to pick up a happy hour bag.  They had a total of 4 bags (again, 2 per day) with various products inside.  Easy peasy and quick...very efficient.

Items from the happy hour bags from both days.  I definitely got some doubles and different products than
some of my friend.  These products (or a similar variation) were guaranteed to all ticket holders who attended
happy hour.

And the total haul! (minus the items I purchased at the show...so all this was free)

Here's til next year...thank you to Ipsy, Michelle Phan, and all the sponsors! <3