Scentbird Perfume Subscription Review

I love a good monthly subscription box…and I’ve tried a lot! Birchbox, Ipsy and Glossy Box for beauty, Citrus Lane for babies and kids…all so much fun to get in the mail each month. It’s a great way to discover new brands you wouldn’t normally seek out.

I recently checked out Scentbird, who has taken a unique twist on the monthly subscription business model. With Scentbird, you get a 30 day sample of perfume each month. You get to choose which perfume (over 350 to choose from!) or you can take a survey to see if there is a new scent that you should try, based on your preferences.

Not only is each month’s sample a generous size, but it comes in a fun, travel friendly holder you can use each month for your new scent. I'm the type of person who gets tired of the same scent over and over, so this service is nice to keep my perfumes up to date. After taking my first quiz, it was suggested that I try out Hanae Mori, which is a scent I have never heard of! I thought, what the heck, and selected it as my scent for the month - and I'm so happy I did! I love the scent. It's something I never would have tried if I just smelled at the perfume counter, but once it's on me, I'm love it. 

Interested? Sign up! It’s $44 for a 3 month package, $84 for a 6 month plan, and $164 for a year. Sign up today and receive 15% off your first your first month! 

*This post contains affiliate links 

Beauty Blogger Coalition Weekly Roundup March 15

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: MEMEBOX is an amazing beauty box line, and their Best Beauty Forward Box was filled with winning products! See why!

TheFabZilla: Trust me, you need to own at least one violet lipstick right now. Check out My Top 5 Picks!

The Feminine Files: Great quality makeup brushes don't have to be expensive. Here are some of my favorites from Real Techniques!

Painted Ladies: It's all about the green! Sheila has a fun and festive St. Patrick's Day eyeshadow tutorial for you.

I Know all the Words: Shampoo shifts form with Lush Honey I Washed My Hair & Brazilliant Shampoo Bars

Beauty by Miss L: Does Little Wing Beauty Vitamin C Serum live up to its promises to revitalise tired, dull or aging skin and be beneficial to all skin types.

Never Say Die Beauty: Allison tried out Scentbird, the monthly fragrance subscription service and loved it. Get all the deets here!

BeautyTidbits: Constantly putting on lip balm all day long? Treat chapped lips and avoid "lip balm addiction" with these expert skincare tips!

Color Me So Crazy: Want fresh and bright skin? Check out the Redefine Regimen

Rosamund Pike's 2015 Oscars Look

photo credit: TPR Holdings

One of my favorite movies this year was Gone Girl. I read the book (couldn't put it down!) and LOVED the movie. I was excited to see Rosamund Pike looking super sexy and glamorous on the red carpet last night. 

Her hair was styled with Oscar Blandi products by Kylee Rae Heath. Here's the breakdown from Kylee:

"It was key to have it look easy and untried. We wanted to create tons of texture."

TO CREATE THE LOOK:

1.       Starting on damp hair I sprayed Oscar Blandi Protein Mist throughout the hair.

2.        I then applied Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Mousse and combed the product through. 

3.       Next, I blew her hair out creating volume and movement. Before using a Sultra 3/4 inch sized barrel and a 1inch sized marcel iron to create texture, I sprayed Oscar Blandi Dry Styling Heat Protect Spray. 

4.       Once the texture was in place, I used a comb to section from behind the left ear, over the head to the top of the right ear. 

5.       I pulled the back section into a ponytail. Then, looking in a mirror together, I pulled the front section back to meet the ponytail securing with bobby pins.

6.       I sprayed the look into place and twisted the ponytail into a bun and pinned it. Then finished the look with the Pronto Lacca Medium Hold Hairspray and applied the Polish Glossing Creme to the short hair of her undercut.  

Oscar Blandi products can be found at Ulta.com. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Oscar Blandi hairspray. It smells so good!

10 Uses for my Essential Oils

I recently started using Young Living Essential Oils and I'm really enjoying experimenting with the different oils and blends. Here are my top 10 uses for essential oils and oil blends (so far!):

1 - Lavender in baby boy's bath
2 - Lavender in baby boy's humidifier
3 - Eucalyptus in humidifier when stuffy
4 - Lemon oil in dishwasher to help get rid of water spots
5 - Diffusing Lavender and Stress Away at night to help relax me after a stressful day at work
6 - Diffusing peppermint during the day to help energize 
7 - Diffusing Citrus Fresh in kitchen to freshen it up
8 - Fennel oil to help with nursing
9 - Using all sorts of oils for DIY bath products, such as lotions and shower fizzies (bath product recipes coming soon!)
10 - Diffusing Purification in my kitchen after cooking, to help freshen the room

All the oils I listed above + several others come in the Young Living Essential Oils premium starter kit. The starter kit also comes with a diffuser and samples of oils (ideally to share with friends). It really is the best deal if you want to start experimenting...

There are SO many uses for oils. I love the smells and relaxing effect of using them. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have on Young Living Oils. Please tweet at me or comment below! If you're interested in purchasing the starter kit or oils, please use my distributor ID #2360032!

Do you use oils? If so, which are your favorite and what do you use them for?

*Post contains affiliate links

Quick Beauty Favorites

I've always been a fan of products that make my beauty routine easier and faster, but since becoming a mom, I worship these products! Here are a few that I have been hooked on...

OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go
The key word is 'to go.' I love this stuff. I've always been a huge fan of OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil but the 'to go' version is genius. Who wants to carry around a far of this in their purse, just waiting to leak or spill? This makes it easy to keep my cuticles moisturized during this miserable Michigan winter. I like to apply it before I put my winter gloves on, letting it soak in real good while I'm driving with my gloves on.

Benefit Cosmetics Lollitint
I can feel confident and get out the door really quick with this stuff. A swipe on both my cheeks gives me great color that makes me look ready to conquer the day (even though I'm probably running on limited sleep). The purple undertones mask redness in my face. I also use this on my lips as well, with a gloss over it. 

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm
Michigan winters are harsh on faces! We're currently in the middle of Snowmagedden and I'm pretty much snowed in for the next few days. My poor lips have been so dry being outside in the cold and inside the house with heat on. I recently received a sample of Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm and fell in love. I normally prefer petroleum based balms but this one contains beeswax and I love how it feels on my lips. It's not drying at all. Goes on smooth and has lasting power. 


*This post contains affiliate links

OPI Sheer Tint in Be Magentale with Me

I'm always keeping my eyes open for pretty, light nail polish shades for every day wear for work. I spotted the new OPI Sheer Tints Top Coats and had to buy the pinkish-red Be Magentale with Me shade. In the bottle, it reminded me so much of a fun nail polish I had when I was younger.

I LOVE this polish as a quick go-to polish that will go with every outfit. I've seen other bloggers put 3-4 coats on it to make it more opaque, but I like the sheer look with my white tips coming through (this is right after I had my son, and the prenatal vitamins were still working overtime...such long nails!). Pictured is just two coats over my natural nail. It's such a elegant, clean look. I use this polish all the time! 

What do you think? Do you like the look of this sheer polish? Or would you be more likely to wear it over a color coat?

Updated post: I can't find this color online any longer! Here's a close duplicate I found.

Giveaway Break - AGE Therapy Gel

Yesterday I posted about TrueAge Skin AGE Therapy Gel, which helps to improve the skin's appearance while boosting its protective layer (protecting it from glycation, read more here). Today, I'm giving you the chance to win a full size tube of AGE Therapy Gel to try for yourself. Good luck!

***Giveaway***

Enter to win a full size AGE Therapy Gel!

Fill out the form below to win! There are also several different ways you can get extra entries: sign up for my mailing list, post a link to this giveaway on your blog, follow my blog, follow me & retweet on Twitter, follow me on Pinterest, add me to one of your Google+ circles, follow me on Instagram or become a fan on Facebook. Make sure to list the number of extra entries in the form below. Enter up to once a day to increase your chances of winning!

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The contest will end on Sunday, February 15th. I will randomly select a winner and announce them on Lipgloss Break (and will send an email as well), so keep checking to see if you're a winner - Good Luck!

TruAge Skin AGE Therapy Gel

As a 33 year old with a magnified mirror in her bathroom, I'm constantly obsessing and spotting new wrinkles and skin blemishes. It doesn't help that I have a newborn at home that doesn't like sleeping much, so my skin is so tired looking these days. I'm open to trying any new products that help with aging skin.

I recently learned about TrueAge Skin AGE Therapy Gel, created by Morinda. Morinda is the leading creator of anti-aging beverages, supplements and skin care products, and most recently, this new gel.

AGE stands for advanced glycation end-products, which causes skin damage, also known as glycation. Do you know what glycation is? If not, don't worry, I had to Google it. Glycation occurs when excess sugars in the bloodstream bind with proteins in the skin, causing stiffness and inelasticity, while impairing the skin's protective function. AGE Therapy Gel helps to improve the skin's appearance while boosting its protective layer.

According to Kira Davis, Morinda's global product development manager, "glycation is responsible for virtually every sign of aging and can have a devastating effect on skin." TruAge Skin AGE Therapy Gel is created from the best ingredients found in Morinda's flagship AGE-fighting product, TruAge Max.

AGE Therapy Gel works well along side any skin care routine. I have really sensitive skin and I had no issues when I tested it out. The gel is really light weight and absorbs very quickly. Here are the key benefits:

It Protects...The topical TruAge Max blend is compromised of ingredients that create a protective barrier against AGE accelerators such as free radicals, environmental damage and moisture loss

It Soothes...Oat kernel extract and beta-glucan provide a soothing effect on skin, reducing redness and irritation, as well as helping to strengthen the skin's barrier function.

It Repairs...Carnosine has been shown to block AGE damage, protect minor cuts, scrapes and burns, and relieve dry, chapped skin. It also protects and relieves chafed and irritated skin. 

So what do you think? Would you be interested in trying this out? AGE Therapy Gel is available now exclusively at Morinda.com at a special introductory price of $42. Check back tomorrow for a special giveaway from Lipgloss Break!

Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

2015 Golden Globe Winner List

Did you guys stay up and watch the awards? I channel surfed a bit. Here's the winner list in case you missed it!

MOTION PICTURES

Best Drama

• WINNER: "Boyhood"
• "Foxcatcher"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Selma"
• "The Theory of Everything"

Best Comedy

• "Birdman"
• WINNER: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Into the Woods"
• "Pride"
• "St. Vincent"

Best Director

• Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• Ava Duvernay, "Selma"
• David Fincher, "Gone Girl"
• Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
• WINNER: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Best Actress in a Drama

• Jennifer Aniston, "Cake"
• Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
• WINNER: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
• Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
• Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Best Actor in a Drama

• Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"
• Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
• Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler"
• David Oyelowo, "Selma"
• WINNER: Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy

• Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• WINNER: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
• Bill Murray, "St. Vincent"
• Joaquin Phoenix, "Inherent Vice"
• Christoph Waltz, "Big Eyes"

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

• WINNER: Amy Adams, "Big Eyes"
• Emily Blunt, "Into the Woods"
• Helen Mirren, "The Hundred-Foot Journey"
• Julianne Moore, "Map to the Stars"
• Quvenzhané Wallis, "Annie"

Best Supporting Actress

• WINNER: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
• Jessica Chastain, "A Most Violent Year"
• Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
• Emma Stone, "Birdman"
• Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Best Supporting Actor

• Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
• Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
• Edward Norton, "Birdman"
• Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
• WINNER: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Best Screenplay

• Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• Gillian Flynn, "Gone Girl"
• WINNER: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo, "Birdman"
• Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
• Graham Moore, "The Imitation Game"

Best Foreign Language Film

• "Force Majeure Turist," Sweden
• "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Ansalem Gett," Israel
• "Ida," Poland/Denmark
• WINNER: "Leviathan," Russia
• "Tangerines Mandariinid," Estonia

Best Animated Feature

• "Big Hero 6"
• "The Book of Life"
• "The Boxtrolls"
• WINNER: "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
• "The Lego Movie"

Best Original Song

• "Big Eyes" from "Big Eyes" music and lyrics by Lana Del Rey
• WINNER: "Glory" from "Selma," Music and lyrics by John Legend and Common
• "Mercy Is" from "Noah," Music and lyrics by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye
• "Opportunity" from "Annie," Music and lyrics by Greg Kurstin, Sia Furler, Will Gluck
• "Yellow Flicker Beat" from "The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1," Music and lyrics by Lorde

Best Score

• "The Imitation Game"
• WINNER: "The Theory of Everything"
• "Gone Girl"
• "Birdman"
• "Interstellar"

TELEVISION

Best TV Comedy or Musical

• "Girls"
• "Jane the Virgin"
• "Orange Is the New Black"
• "Silicon Valley"
• WINNER: "Transparent"

Best TV Drama

• WINNER: "The Affair"
• "Downton Abbey"
• "Game of Thrones"
• "The Good Wife"
• "House of Cards"

Best Actress in a TV Drama

• Claire Danes, "Homeland"
• Viola Davis, "How to Get Away with Murder"
• Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
• WINNER: Ruth Wilson, "The Affair"
• Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

Best Actor in a TV Drama

• Clive Owen, "The Knick"
• Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan"
• WINNER: Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards"
• James Spader, "The Blacklist"
• Dominic West, "The Affair"
Best Actress in a TV Comedy
• Lena Dunham, "Girls"
• Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
• WINNER: Gina Rodriguez, "Jane the Virgin"
• Taylor Schilling, "Orange Is the New Black"
Best Actor in a TV Comedy
• Louis CK, "Louie"
• Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
• Ricky Gervais, "Derek"
• William H. Macy, "Shameless"
• WINNER: Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"
Best Miniseries or TV Movie
• WINNER: "Fargo"
• "The Missing"
• "The Normal Heart"
• "Olive Kitteridge"
• "True Detective"
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
• WINNER: Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Honorable Woman"
• Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show"
• Frances McDormand, "Olive Kitteridge"
• Frances O'Connor, "The Missing"
• Allison Tolman, "Fargo"
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
• Martin Freeman, "Fargo"
• Woody Harrelson, "True Detective"
• Matthew McConaughey, "True Detective"
• Mark Ruffalo, "The Normal Heart"
• WINNER: Billy Bob Thornton, "Fargo"
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
• Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"
• Kathy Bates, "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
• WINNER: Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"
• Allison Janney, "Mom"
• Michelle Monaghan, "True Detective"
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
• WINNER: Matt Bomer, "The Normal Heart"
• Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife"
• Colin Hanks, "Fargo"
• Bill Murray, "Olive Kitteridge"
• Jon Voight, "Ray Donovan"