The Many Uses of Ivory Soap!

Hello everyone!

I received a bar of Ivory soap complimentary to test from Influenster in my Mom Voxbox.

I was actually excited to get this in my box because recently I had seen on pinterest a way to make bath paints with ivory soap.

Image courtesy  http://www.housingaforest.com/fluffy-bathtub-paint/ 

So I decided to try it and it was so much fun!!! My daughter loved making art with it and I had fun with it too!  Making bath paints this way is such an affordable way to do and Ivory soap works perfect for this project.


Now as an adult soap to use everyday it was very gentle on my skin.  I am usually a fan of body washes but this worked really well.  It also worked on removing my foundation really well.  The cost is also very affordable,  It's actually cheaper than the body wash I use.

Would I recommend this product? Yes I would, its great for everyday use and for the fun projects!!

Have a wonderful day

xoxo Johnna

Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies

 Hello everyone!

I received this Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookie to try out from Influenster.

The Facts:

• Made with whole grain Quaker Oats
• Individual packages
• Good source of fiber
• 6 grams fat total per serving

Image courtesy Quaker

The Opinion:

The reason I have a picture from their website is because I was so eager to eat this, that I didn't even think about taking a picture.   This was gone within the first minute of opening my Influenster box! 

I really love Quaker Oats.  I love the granola, oatmeal and now these cookies.  I could make my own but I'm not that keen on baking, so to have real Quaker oatmeal cookies is awesome.  I love the flavor and just how soft they were!  

Would I recommend these to everyone?  Well heck yes I would!  So so good, and great for packing with lunches.

You can visit their website here: www.quakeroats.com

You can visit Influenster's website here: www.influenster.com

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo Johnna

imPRESS Press On Manicure

Hello everyone! I hope everyone's summer is going fantastic!

I received the imPRESS Press On Manicure from Influenster to test out. 

The Facts:

• They come in 36 colors and paterns
• There is no drying time
• High shine
• Sizes to fist most*

The Opinion:

Now I am going to be really honest I think this product is great but it just wasn't for me.  The problem I had was that there weren't enough sizes to fit all my fingers just right.  I have larger nail beds than a lot of other people so I kinda expected the sizes to be a little too small.   The worst finger for me was my middle finger.  It was stuck in the middle, the press on nail was either a bit too big or way too small and then a lot of my nail was showing.

Now with all that said it did last quite a while for me it was 4 days before I took them off( wanted to paint my nails).  The shine and pattern selection's are awesome.

Would I recommend this to everyone?  Probably not, but I would recommend this to my sister or some of my friends who I know have smaller nails then me.  It's a quality made product and it works just like it says!

You can visit their website here: www.impressmanicure.com

You can visit Influenster here: www.influenster.com

Have an amazing day!

xox Johnna

Win 80 Julep polishes and new iPad!!!

Julep is having an amazing Givaway!  You can win  all 80 nail polishes and a brand new iPad!

And you don't have to purchase anything!!!

xoxo~ Johnna

Easter/Spring Garland!

So i was going through Pinterest the other day trying to find some ideas for Easter/Spring decorating ideas.  I'm on a budget and didn't want to spend that much, but I wan'ted something bright and fun!  So I came across this idea for Egg Shaped Garland!  It was incredibly easy and inexpensive too!  All together my supplies cost around $7.00.  It probably could have been even cheaper if I had purchased the embroidery thread on sale, but I didn't want to wait!

The supplies your going to need are:

1 cup of liquid starch ( I used Sta-Flo)
1/2 cup flour
Water balloons  ( filled with air not water)
Embroidery floss
Wax Paper, Parchment Paper, Foil

The firs thing to do is mix the liquid starch and flour.  I used a whisk to do this so there wouldn't be any clumps.   Then I blew up the water balloons.   The size of the balloons will be personal preference, I kept mine a little bigger than my fist.   The bigger the balloon the more spaced out your thread will be the smaller the balloon is your thread will be more dense.  

I also laid out a piece of wax paper that I had on hand so nothing would stick to my tablecloth while it dried.   You can use pretty much anything that can get wet and won't get ruined.   

The next step is to put the skein of embroidery floss in the "goop".  You will want to make sure to wind it around the bowl and not just dunk it in.  I learned from the original blog not to do that but she said it just gets in a ton of knots if you don't unwind it neatly into the bowl. 

Then you can just press it down gently with your fingers.  I kept the end out so I didn't lose it, then I just dunked it in while holding it.    

Now its time to wrap the balloons!!  I started from the top of each balloon where you  tie it off and would wrap it around going from top to bottom a couple of times, that way I knew it would stay put.   When wrapping the floss around you want to make sure and use one hand to take the extra "goop" off.  I just used my right hand and slid the floss through my thumb and index finger to take the extra off.  

Then comes the waiting... I had to wait a few hours for everything to dry.   One thing to keep in mind is you may have to turn them over so the bottom dries a little faster.  You will know they are done when they have lightened up in color and become stiff.   Once they are dry you can use a knife, needle or anything sharp to pop the balloon.  To get the popped balloon out I just used a pair of tweezers.  

Once they were done I tied them to a string and hung it across my entertainment center.   I really love how they look and it brings a great pop of color to my living room!  The nice thing is if you store these in a safe place they will be usable again and again! 

I hope you try this out! 

xoxo ~ Johnna 

Love VoxBox from Influenster!!!!

Hey everyone!! I am so excited to share this with you all!  I just received my Love VoxBox from Influenster.  If you don't know who they are, it is a company that sends out what they call VoxBox's full of free full size products for people to try.  The whole purpose is to share your views and opinions on the products, hence their name.  It is absolutely FREE!  The only thing it costs is your word of mouth.   So here it is:

When I first opened the box

How it comes packaged

 So here are each of the products!

Kiss Nail Dress - Fashion That Sticks ($6.99)

Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, the ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes!  Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days.  Available in 18 different styles!

Truvia Natural Swetener ($3.99 for 40ct)

Truvia natural sweetener is refreshingly uncomplicated, made from the best tasting part of the Stevia plant.  Sprinkle this no-calorie sweetener on your grapefruit.  Spoon it in your coffee.  It won't end up on your conscience or your thighs!

This came at such a perfect time! I am actually really excited to try Truvia!  I have a grapefruit shipment on the way and can't wait to try it out. It also is great because I was wanting to try an alternative to Splenda.

Had to show how gigantic this is up against my laptop!

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion ($2.99)

The decadently rich and creamy 32% cacao milk chocolate in Creamy Devotion delivers an epicurean chocolate experience.  Experience a moment of timeless pleasure with all natural Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Chocolate.

I love chocolate so this an automatic LOVE IT!!! Plus I love Ghirardelli! (already opened it up and ate a piece! lol)

Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler ($3.50)

This sampler features some of Stash Tea's most popular herbal teas.  All are naturally caffeine free and made from 100% natural ingredients.  Steep for 3-5 minutes at 190-209 degrees, and enjoy!

I actually have some of their tea's and I love them.  So I am so excited to try some other flavors!

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor ($8.99- $10.99)

Gillete Venus & Olay are coming together to deliver a gold standard in shaving with the new Gillette Venus & Olay razor!  Olay moisture Bars help to lock-in moisture to your skin, while Venus's five blades shave you close.

I have been eye balling this at the store for so long but didn't want to pay for it quite yet!  I am so excited to shave now!

Once I try each product I will update you all on how it worked out!  Overall I received about $28 worth of products for free!  If you love sharing great products definately check them out! 

Influenster.com

Thank you so much for reading! 

xoxo~ Johnna

Hunger Games Capitol Colours by China Glaze- Fast Track!

Hey everyone!  So about a week ago I placed an order with Sally's Beauty Supply.  I was so excited when I saw the package siting on my dining room table.  What I  had ordered was the 12 China Glaze polishes from the Capitol Colours collection.  It is a collection that promotes the movie "The Hunger Games" which is based on the book of the same title written by Suzanne Collins.  If you haven't read the book I highly recommend it.  I am what you call a non reader and I was hooked!

So what I have for you today is the color "Fast Track".  This color represents District 6, who's primary resource is transportation.   This color is a light beige with fine gold glitter throughout.   I really love this color,  it's neutral but it has that extra "umph"!  I found the consistancy a little on the runny side but after two coats it was really opaque.  

Honestly I am so excited to try all the colors and will be doing a post for each one I try.  As you can tell it won't be in any particular order.  Well I hope you enjoy and check out the books, they are a great read!

xoxo~ Johnna

Elf Mineral Eye Shadow -- Enchanting!

Hey Everyone!  So today I have a review about the Elf Mineral Eye shadow in Enchanting.  When i saw this color on the website I thought it would make a wonderful color to define the crease.  At first I thought it was a fully matte color, but upon further inspection it does have a little frost when applied.

I found that this shadow was a little chunky but the clumps are easily breakable.  Overall I really like this shadow, its a great neutral color to have. 

When I applied it wet it really picked showed a lot of the frost.  I personally wouldn't wear this color wet though.   

Sorry for the quick post!  Thank you all for reading!!

xoxo~Johnna

Elf Mineral Eye Shadow -- Flirty!

Hey everyone! I am back with another color from the elf Mineral Eye Shadow line.   The color I have for you today is Flirty.  It's a gorgeous purple and I absolutely love it!

This color is so bright and fun, and if you love purple you will love this eye shadow!  I didn't expect this to have such great color payoff but it's absolutely amazing.  The quality is fantastic and is finely milled.  

The staying power of this eye shadow is great as long as you use a good primer.  I notice that if I use it dry it will only last a few hours.  The retail price is $3 but ELF has a lot of sales and you can usually get it for even cheaper!

Well that's my review of Flirty.  I would definitely recommend this eye shadow for anyone who is on the lookout for a great purple.  Thank you so much for reading! 

xoxo~Johnna

Elf Mineral Eye Shadows - Sweet!

I'm just going to say it, I absolutely love these elf Mineral Eye Shadows!!!  I have 12 of the 27 colors and so far I love them all.  So I decided to share my love for these and do a review on all the colors I have.

The one I have for you today is the color Sweet.  This is the first "pink" I truly enjoy!  I have used it on my lid as the base color for a pink smokey eye and it looks wonderful!  

This color has shimmer but applies almost like a frosty color.  The shadow has a fine mill to it, there have been no clumps that I've encountered.  The staying power is great and will last all day with a good primer.  When used dry it only makes it a few hours before it's all gone.

These shadows are definitely worth the money for me and if you can catch them when they are 50% its and even better deal!

Well I hope you enjoyed this post.  Thanks for reading!

xoxo~Johnna

My February Birchbox!!!

I am so excited to get my very first Birchbox!!! Until recently I was unaware there were any sample subscriptions like this out there.  For those of you that don't know, Birchbox is a subcription where you get 4-5 deluxe beauty samples for $10 a month.

I am really excited to try these products!  I always love the chance to sample new products for a low price.  Plus there is no commitment to a full size container if you don't like it! So this is what I got in my Birchbox.

I didn't realize it but every box can be different.   I would have loved to be one of the lucky ones to get the Beauty Blender, but I am still happy with my box.  Here are some close ups of each product and the descriptions that come on the card included. 

• colorescience pro - glow and go Travel Puff

Use these handy, powder-filled puffs to keep your skin shine-free and luminous while you're out on the town.  Full-size compact, $50

• EYE ROCK - Designer Liner

Stop wrestling with the liquid liner and achieve a perfect cat eye with these single -use stick-on liner strips. 2 packs of 4, $13

• Jouer - Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink

We teamed up with Jouer to create this custom fuchsia shade.  Wear one coat for semi-sheer pigment or layer it for a bright pink pucker. Full-size, $20

• Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy

This scent will bring out your inner girly girl.  Wild berries flirt with mandarin and soft floral notes to creat a fragrance that's fun and happy. Full-size, $69-$89

• Showstoppers - Designer Fashion Tape

Celeb stylists swear by these double-sided tape strips, which will ensure that your attire stays perfectly in place. Full-size, $9.99

You also get a code for 6 free downloads from Green River Ordinance.  I have never listened to them before but I am always willing to try something new!

So far I have only tried the lip gloss and the perfume and I have to say I really enjoy them both.  The lip gloss has some good pigment to it and it works really well with my skin tone.  Perfume is such a hard topic to blog about since you can't smell it, but if you like sweet fruity smells then I would give a sample of this a try.  When I try out the eyeliner and powder puff I will let you know.  I will do a quick blog post to show my experience.

Thank you so much for reading!

xoxo~Johnna

Revlon Colorburst Lip Glosses!

So a few weeks ago I picked up some Revlon Colorburst lip glosses when I picked up the new Revlon Lip Butters.  I chose the colors Peony-008 and Sunset Peach-022.

(Peony)

Peony is a wonderful pink color with a gold glitter and Sunset Peach is exactly what it says, a warm peach color also with some gold glitter.  

(Sunset Peach)

They both have a great texture and are not gritty from the glitter.   The lip gloss doesn't have a super long wear time but it's tacky enough that it doesn't slide off your lips.  The color does transfer onto the lips very nicely giving a slight hint of color that won't over power your look.  

Overall I am really happy with these glosses and will probably pick up more colors soon!  I hope you found this helpful. Thanks for reading!

xoxo~Johnna

E.L.F Beauty Eye Manual- Bright Eyes swatches!

Hey everyone!  I recently placed an order with eyslipsface.com.  One of the items I purchased was the Beauty Eye Manual in Bright Eyes.  I was really excited about all the bold colors included in this set. It was $5 and includes 12 shadows an eyeliner and sponge tip applicator.  It also has a page of application ideas and even opens up so you can put your own makeup ideas on it.

(right out of the box)

 All of the shadows are really smooth and have either shimmer or glitter in them.  I did experience a little fallout with a couple of the shadows but nothing too severe.

 The following swatches are in same order as pictured above.

(row 1)

This picture doesn't do all these neutrals justice but overall they are really nice.  They would make great blending/highlight colors. The only one that didn't have a very good payoff in this row was the third color which is a pink lilac color.

(row 2)

 I was really happy with all of these colors!  The green is my absolute favorite. The brown at the end did take a few swipes to build up the color.

(row 3)

Now this row I had no issues with it. I love the silver, purple and the red.  The black is just always great to have. Overall I am happy with my purchase.  For $5.00 I got 10 really good shadows and only 2 were duds.  I've spent more on 1 shadow that turned out to be terrible!   Thank you so much for reading!

xoxo~Johnna

Adventures in Whitening...Will have to continue another day :(

Hey everyone!  So this morning I was doing my normal routine of brushing and using my mouthwash.  Everything was okay until I was on my way to work.  I noticed that there was this strange substance in my mouth and I couldn't quite figure out.  I was moving my tongue around to try and feel what it might have been,  so I started moving it around the inside of my cheeks.  It turns out that the substance, was the top layer of skin inside my mouth!  I couldn't believe it! So I googled my symptoms and found numerous results for the same issue I was having.  Now I am not sure if this would happen to anyone else but I wanted you guys to know what happened to me.  I now have small blisters on the inside of my mouth from the product.  I was really hoping this would have worked out.  But if I can save someone else from going through the same thing then its worth it.  I caught on early so its not so bad .  The products I used were Crest 3D toothpaste and Crest 3D mouthwash.  

Also this was only after 3 days of using the products.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

xoxo~Johnna

My very first China Glaze Polish!!

Hey everyone!  Before I was introduced to the beauty world I always thought all nail polishes were terrible.  It seemed like every nail polish I would use would either streak or be too gloppy or run all over the place.  It wasn't until I discovered the wonderful world of "beauty blogs", that I realized I was just using REALLY bad nail polishes.  I didn't even know China Glaze, Zoya or any other higher end nail polishes even existed! Even some inexpensive nail polishes work great.  I was just choosing the wrong ones.


So for my very first China Glaze purchase I decided to go with the color "Seduce Me".  I thought it would be perfect for Valentines Day!  The color is like a deep deep magenta with red undertones.  I really love it!  I decided to add some sparkle with my Sally Hanson Diamond Strenght in "Diamonds" (catchy name huh?).

I applied this with a good base coat, 2 layers of "Seduce Me", 1 layer of "Diamonds and a good top coat.

(with flash)

(without flash)

One thing that I really like about this polish is in different lighting it takes on a new personality.  When out in the sun or under bright lighting  it looks like the top picture, very bright and eye catching.   When under low lighting it looks like the bottom picture, very sultry and romantic.

I am really happy with my purchase. Just to let you know, China Glaze will be releasing 12 new colors called "Capitol Colours" for the release of the young adult book turned movie "The Hunger Games".  I am such a fan of the books and can not wait for the movie!!  Which means I am even more excited about the nail polishes!  So I will be picking up all the colors and doing a post here.


Thanks for reading!

xoxo~Johnna