Red

I LOVE red hair. 

It's just so much fun, isnt' it? :)

Also, I'm getting married in seven days. In Las Vegas. For those of you who don't know me well, this is a big deal. I've been engaged for a while (*ahem* almost 5 years). So yay. :)

--Dixie

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March Birchbox

No, I'm not joking. This is the March Birchbox. I considered not posting it since I'm so far behind, but I REALLY want to try to keep up with these.

I'm going to try to make this quick!

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser (Full size $22)

I love Juice Beauty because it is eco-friendly and organic. This cleanser seems to get the job done, even without all of the harsh chemicals I usually use in my acne cleansers. 

Hollywood Fashion Secrets Fashion Tape ($4.99-8.99)

This contained a variety of fashion tapes that I know will eventually use. I've used a different brand before and they really come in handy.

Eye Rock Designer Liner (2 packs of 4 - $13)

These are stick-on eye liner strips. I don't know if/when I will ever need eye liner this massive, but it looks fun. I've seen it look nice if applied properly, but it is a sticker, so I imagine it feels weird and can peel off.

Deborah Lippmann The Stripper to Go (6 mitts - $12)

With my nail polish obsession, of course I was excited to see these. There have definitely been occasions in the past where these would come in handy, but TWELVE DOLLARS?!!! For only six? Nah.

Orofluido Beauty Elixir (Full size $29.99)

This hair treatment has a mixture of argan, linseed, and cyperus essential oils. Like most hair oils, it is recommended that you apply it to damp hair prior to styling, but I've also applied it after blow-drying to help control frizz. This stuff smells AWESOME. It has a vanilla amber scent that makes me seriously consider purchasing the full size. 

Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien (Full size $85)

"Inspired by Tuscan citrus groves, this bright scent features a winning combo of lemon, grapefruit, and green mandarin notes." As lovely as this smells, I won't be purchasing the full size.

Whew! That's the March box in a nutshell! Thanks so much for dropping by. :)

--Dixie

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Nails Inc. - Trafalgar Square Magnetic Polish

OH MY GOODNESS!

Were you guys aware of the magnetic nail polishes? They are fantastically awesome! I have really been wanting one for a while, and I finally stumbled upon some of them at Sephora this weekend. I went with the silver/gunmetal color because I felt I would get the most use out of it, and at $16 per bottle, I wasn't about to buy more than one color! At least not right away. Now that I've tried it and fallen in love with it, I might have to get more... :-/

Enough blabbering! The photos:

With flash.

Without flash.

Macro shot.

I'll give you a few moments to stare in awe. 

Okay that's enough. So the formula on this polish is good. It IS metallic, so it is a bit streaky on the first coat. The second coat was much smoother, but I applied a third coat for good measure. You use the magnet that is on the top of the lid on the final coat. Immediately after applying the final coat, you hold the magnet just above the nail for 10-15 seconds. When you take it away, there is a magical design! After completing all the nails, I applied a top coat and then drooled on my nails for the next few hours. :-P

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for hanging out!

--Dixie

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Small Hiatus

Hey there, Strangers!

Sorry for going MIA for a little while... I got a little distracted by a very good series of books! Maybe that sounds crazy, but if you are a reader, I think you know what I mean. Once you get ahold of a really good book, every spare minute you have is spent with your nose in the book. It is even worse when there is more than one book!

In case you are curious, I've been reading the series called The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare. If you are a fan of The Hunger Games, this series is worth looking in to. This series consists of 6 books, however, the last two have not been released yet. Bummer, I know. HERE is a link to the website for the books.

All of the photos of the books were taken from the website above. Book 5 will be released on May 8th of this year, and #6 will be sometime in September 2014 (yikes!). I wish I would have waited, but alas, I did not. 

Anyway, that is the long story of why I haven't been blogging lately. My apologies! I have so many things I want to share with you, so there should be plenty to look forward to (March & April Birchboxes, Sephora shopping trip, new nail polish, etc!)...  I appreciate all of your patience.

Thanks for stopping by!

--Dixie

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Bonus Vichy Birchbox

Hello again everyone!

I am here as promised with my post about the Bonus Birchbox I was lucky enough to receive courtesy of Vichy. It was like getting a second Birchbox in February because it was in addition to my monthly box! I was very excited. :)

Okay, time to get down to business.

Front of the box.

Back of the box.

Inside.

The pretty wrapping.

 

Purete Thermal Eye Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes

Purete Thermal 3-in-1 One Step Cleanser

The eye makeup remover has cornflower water and vitamin B in it, and is very gentle on your delicate eye area. It works just as well as any eye makeup remover and does not leave behind any oily residue. It is also not drying.

The cleanser is described as a cleansing milk, toning lotion, and makeup remover. The instructions say to dab it on with a cotton pad OR smooth it directly on skin and rinse with water. I tried both ways and I prefer the cotton pad method. It is VERY effective at cleaning off makeup and it leaves your skin feeling super soft afterwards. I LOVE this cleanser for nights when I'm too lazy to actually wash my face. 

Aqualia Thermal Cream

Lifactiv Rhamnose Night

The first cream claims to provide moisture for 24 hours. This claim seems to be true, but I do not suffer from dry skin all that often, so it is hard to say how accurate my observation is. I do like the level of moisture it provides, though. It is not too heavy or too light, even for my oily skin. I typically wear it under my tinted moisturizer on a day when I feel like I need a little extra moisture, and I will wear it alone on days that I choose not to wear makeup. 

The night cream is much heavier. It claims to have anti-wrinkle and firming properties. The main ingredient, Rhamnose, is a plant-derived ingredient that helps the skin renew itself. I really only use this one when I am fighting dry, flaky patches on my cheeks and chin. I definitely only wear it at night because it makes my face oily almost instantly, and I avoid over-using it because the extra oil can make me break out. For those of you without oily skin, it would make a great nightly moisturizer!

Celludestock

Lastly we have the Celludestock. This is for treatment of the dreaded cellulite. It has Lipocidine and pure caffeine in it which claims to tone the skin on your thighs, hips, and derriere. I cannot accurately review this product because I am lucky enough to not have to battle cellulite so far (smack me across the face if you must). I am intrigued by the idea of ANY product containing caffeine, so I will eventually give it a whirl, but for now I imagine it is safe to assume it is not the magic cure or it would be all over the news by now! :-P

And there you have it. Wasn't that fun? Thanks so much for stopping by!

-Dixie

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February Birchbox (Belated)

Let me just say "Oops!"

I'm a little behind on my Birchbox reviews! I just got my March box in the mail today and thought... 'Okay, I think I've reached my limit for procrastinating on this'. Not only that, but I also received one of the BONUS Vichy Birchboxes that I've been needing to review.

But first... The regular FEBRUARY Birchbox!

Another photo of the signature Birchbox. Per request, I have attempted to give you an idea of the size of the box by placing my iPhone next to it.

Inside.

The back of the card.

Pretty shiny tissue paper. :)

dermalogica Daily Microfoliant ($50/full size)

This daily exfoliating cleanser is awesome! It is actually a powder that you have to mix with a little water in order to use it. The first time I used it, I wasn't quite sure I was doing it right because it didn't feel like my usual exfoliant. It was extremely gentle. As soon as I rinsed and dried my face, I realized I must have done something correctly because my skin felt so smoft (smooth & soft... I JUST made that up accidentally, you're welcome!). I should also say that this product is great when you have to travel by plane. Since it's not liquid, you don't have to worry about the 2 ounce rule. The ONLY downside I found to this exfoliant is the smell. It is very unpleasant. However, since it works so well, I have been able to overlook the stink.

Free music downloads. I would pass them on, but I believe they are no longer available. Sorry for my procrastination. :-/

Violent Lips Temporary Lip Tattoos ($15/3 pack)

If you know much about me, you know I don't wear a lot of lipstick, and what lipstick I do wear is typically very natural and light. These lip tattoos look fun, but I definitely can't see myself wearing them. I DO plan on trying out a set and snapping some pictures to share with you... soon. :)

BENTA BERRY G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream ($22/full size)

Supersmile Powdered Mouthrinse ($16/24 pack)

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint ($38/full size)

The Benta Berry face cream was very appealing to me because it claims to control oil and keep your face matte. I have very oily skin, so I was excited to try this. Unfortunately, it is like most other oil-control lotions that I've tried and it makes my skin feel really dry at first and then my face over-compensates and gets extra oily about halfway through the day. :( It smells nice, though!

I'm saving the Supersmile mouthrinses for my trip next month. I will be traveling by plane and this is also great because it is not liquid. I'm sure it'll be a little different from your average mouthwash, but you don't have to worry about it leaking!

I LOVED the Jouer tinted moisurizer. As I mentioned in a previous blog post or two, I prefer makeup with light coverage, so I use mainly tinted moisturizers. The bonus with this one is that is has light-reflecting shimmer in it that gives your skin a dewy look. It's not glittery, so it is great for every day wear. The only problem I have with it is that my face is quite oily halfway through the day. I even tried the Benta Berry oil-control lotion underneath and that didn't make much difference. That will likely keep me from purchasing the full size, but I highly recommend this to those of you without oily skin!

Anyway... that should do it for LAST MONTH'S box! Whew! I plan to post about the Vichy bonus box soon. And then after that, THIS MONTH'S box. Ha!

If you want to join Birchbox, just click HERE to go to their website. You have to enter your e-mail and they'll send you an invitation to join. It's only $10 a month with free shipping & handling. Totally worth it! :)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by! Are you tired of my excessive use of exclamation points yet?!!!

-Dixie!

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Freehand Cloud Nails

What's up, Homies? :)

Today I have an attempt at some freehand nail art. A favorite nail blog of mine has great tutorials... and I am fairly pleased with how mine turned out. I could definitely improve my technique a little, and maybe choose a different color combo so it stands out a little more, but I think it looks pretty dang good for my first attempt!

With flash.

Close-up without flash.

The colors I used: 

LA Splash - Blowfish Fushia

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Lightening

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Sun Kissed

The orange color, Sun Kissed, needed three coats. It applied a little streaky and blobby, but it smoothed over after a good top coat of Seche Vite. 

On my accent finger, I applied two coats of Lightening, then I used a small paintbrush to do the cloud designs. You can visit Nailside's blog to view the tutorial. 

That's all I have for now! Thanks for stopping by. 

-Dixie

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