Review: Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGlam Mascara

I am a newcomer to makeup, I only started learning how to apply makeup a little over a year ago. Yeah, I know, late to the game at 27, but I was a tomboy in high school and never bothered to learn even for special events, but I was missing out! Now, I like to wear makeup for date days or special events. I have amassed a rather decent collection, mostly thanks to couponing and Ipsy (which I will review in an upcoming blog post).

Used for this look

Another way I have acquired new makeup is through Influenster. In the past I received the Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream which I enjoyed. This most recent VoxBox, the Rose VoxBox, contained Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retrogram Mascara. I have found my new mascara! It's amazing! It makes my lashes look so long and dramatic and the best feature, IT DOESN"T CLUMP! As I said, I am a newcomer to makeup, but the other mascaras I own do not go on as smoothly and nicely producing such a glamorous effect as this Rimmel London one does. You can find this in stores starting November 2013.

One of my tasks to complete the badge for the VoxBox (which will allow me to receive more Rimmel Products!) was to create a video or a blog detailing a 60s glam look. Well, you may know I do not do videos if I have to talk in it, self conscious of my voice, blah blah, blah...so a blog post it is!

Of course the first step in creating a 60s look for me was to google what 60s makeup looked like. I found a WikiHow that I used as inspiration for my look. It was a nice simple tutorial I was easily able to follow.

The first step was to pluck my slightly neglected eyebrows. Ugh, what a PITA that is, but at least I've gotten pretty good at it. Thank you internet! My Chella eyebrow filler helps define my brows.

My next step was using my Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream to even out my skin tone. It is a really great product! I had tried to use a primer and traditional liquid foundation, but it turns out my skin desperately needs exfoliating and it was doing a weird scaly thing. Gross. So off it came and the BB cream was the perfect solution, providing coverage plus much needed moisturization.

A quick sweep of NYX Cream Blush and Pixi Beauty Bronzer (both found in my Ipsy bag!). A nude lipgloss from Juice Beauty topped off my base look.

As suggested by the tutorial, I swept a pearly white eyeshadow across my lids and up to my brow bone. A light blue went across my lids. My Cailyn gel eyeliner was perfect for the thick liner with a nice wedge finish rather than a cat eye.

To really tie the 60s glam look together, the lengthening property of the Scandaleyes Mascara really topped it off. It gave me a nice open eyed look. It did not irritate my sensitive eyes either, another plus! I definately recommend trying this mascara! I know it is my new go-to!

The sad thing is, I spent time on this lovely look, but I have no where to go! Must be for the best as it is the middle of the first extreme cold snap of the season.

Review: Dr Scholls For Her Cozy Cushions

I was a very lucky recipient of the free Rose VoxBox from Influenster (If you would like an invite, message me your email address!). Included in this box was a Lindt Chocolate Truffle, Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGram Mascara, Kiss Gradation Nail Art, Dr Scholls for Her Cozy Cushions,  and BelVita Breakfast Biscuits.

 One of my favorite products in this box are the Dr Scholls Cozy Cushions. I have always liked the Dr Scholls brand, they make comfortable, quality insoles, plus they often have coupons. Currently there is a $2 off For Her insoles, as well as other offers.

As I have knee and joint problems, comfortable shoes are a must for me. They need to have some form of cushioning and support. These insoles offer just that and then some. An amazing soft fleece, think Ugg lining, will keep your feet warm and dry (very relevant considering this cold snap attacking the nation today!) According to the Influenster website, these insoles are designed to insulate your foot from the weather, absorb sweat, and provide support.

To get the best fit, remove your existing insoles, trace them onto the new ones, and then place the new insoles in your shoes. I did this and got an absolutely perfect fit! If your insoles are not removable, start by trimming to one size bigger than your shoe size and check the fit.

I placed my Cozy Cushions in my Bearpaw Meadow Boots (which are my all time favorite boots!) as the original insoles are worn out from a couple years of wear! Best. Decision. Ever. My already comfy boots just got better! The new Cosy Cushions are warm, comfy, and supportive. I was able to go for one of my mini marathon shopping trips which usually leave my feet sore regardless of what shoes I wear, with no pain! I want a pair of these insoles in all of my shoes for the winter!

Overall, these are the most comfortable insoles I have ever owned. I would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to make their boots (or shoes) more comfortable this winter! You will not regret it!  

My latest addiction...

So, as I made a temporary return to school buses, I was introduced to the concept of the Rainbow Loom. At first it was like, that is silly. I'm all set. Then I was in Michaels and they had them in stock, so I figured, what the heck. I could do something cool with this. Then I was hooked.


I started simple. I made a couple bracelets. I used YouTube tutorials to inspire me, then I chose my own colors. I love that I can take what is considered to be a "children's" craft and make it more mature by choosing my color combinations. I like making the bracelets to represent something. The pink/white one was for October Breast Cancer Awareness, the yellow, black, orange, and red one is School Bus. I made an orange, black, purple, and green one for Halloween. I also made them just to have pretty colors together or to match an outfit.


Of course then there was the fun of organizing the bands and looms (yes, plural, I ended up with a second one). So I grabbed a under-used adjustable container and filled it up. As many of the bands came in multi-color packs, it was very helpful to separate them out.

Fall Leaves

 After making a few, I thought, huh, maybe I could sell some; I'll jump on that trend/fad bandwagon. So I finally opened up my Etsy store (Hobo Cat Creations) before I even was ready to list my intended products (a line of quality cat toys, more to come in a future post). Now, on to the promotion and getting my Etsy store name out there! You can find HoboCat Creations on Facebook and on Twitter, please like and follow!! I will post coupon codes!

Glow Keychain

I currently have the school bus bracelet, fall leaves bracelet, and a  custom glow in the dark keychain (you pick the other color). They are running $4. If you are local, you can pick them up, or they can be shipped. Check out my Etsy store for more information if you are interested!

If you have any ideas as to a color combo or design you would like to see, leave a comment! 

Paper Anniversary

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest. My husband and I managed to survive it and stay together. There were definitely ups and a lot more downs, but we made it. Normally a anniversary post would be filled with mushy saccharin sweet sentiments...but then it wouldn't be me!

The biggest "up" is that we decided in July to try to have a baby. So far things have been unsuccessful, but it's only 3 months, "they" say not to worry until a year passes. If you know me, you know I am impatient, and like immediate results! Luckily, I have relaxed a bit as stress is a major factor. Also, if you know me, you know how insanely opposite this whole baby thing is. For years and years I have been adamant in how I do not want kids, ever, period. I have cursed my uterus for years, wanting to do anything to end the monthly cycle of torture. And now, I want a baby. No reason. Nothing obvious changed. All that happened was there was a scare, and we realized, hey, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing! Weird, but very exciting.

In other aspects of my life, I am finally a school bus driver again! I am so thrilled, I got hired as a temp at the district I most wanted to be in! They are owned by the district which makes for a great working environment. There is almost no employee turnover, so just to have my foot in the door is awesome. I am hoping that a "full time" position opens up soon. I am still employed by the city transit bus company as well, which will work out nicely for days off and school vacations.

Anyways, back to the anniversary. My husband "kidnapped" me, not telling me where we were going or what we were doing. That actual works nicely, that way I can't come up with an excuse not to!

It turned out to be a perfect fall day. He took me to Ikea, which is one of my favorite stores, and we ate lunch there. I love the Swedish Meatballs! Ligonberry juice is yummy too. After lunch, we headed to the Franklin Park Zoo. We have been wanting to go there for a while now, but we just never got around to it.

It was great! I loved all the animals, but my favorite was the Jaguar. He was so beautiful! All the big cats were cool. I was disappointed that the giraffes weren't out, I'm not sure if they can't handle the cold. Some other birds were not out either, but the tradeoff of perfect cool temps was worth it!

After the zoo, we went to the Container Store to kill some time before dinner and found a perfect microwave stand, and it was on sale! We were able to customize it for the size we needed. The best part is that it freed up a huge section of counter in our very space-limited apartment kitchen.

Dinner was amazing, P.F. Changs. If you have never been there, you have to try the lettuce wraps! They are absolutely amazing! It's heaven wrapped in an iceberg lettuce leaf. I personally like the tofu variety, but I'm sure the chicken ones are excellent too.

It was a beautiful day!

For a gift, he gave me a Double Wrap leather Pandora bracelet with a Vespa and London Double Decker Bus charm.

BzzAgent Review: Curel Intensive Healing Cream

As you know, I am a member of BzzAgent, a site that gives you samples and points in return for your opinion. I was chosen to participate in the Curel Intensive Healing Cream campaign, so I received 6 or so travel size pots of cream to try for free and share with friends.

I had high-ish expectations of this cream as it comes from such a well known, quality brand Curel (yeah, I have no idea how to get the fancy little ` above the e, sorry!). The timing was perfect as fall was coming and my skin basically decides it wants to be like the Sahara desert; dry, dry, dry! So I was excited for this opportunity to try this cream.

According to my campaign homepage this cream:

Spreads easily, non-greasy and absorbs quickly

Provides immediate healing relief and revitalizes ceramide levels for long-lasting hydration

Clinically-proven to help chapping and chafing caused by dryness

Fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic

9 out of 10 dermatologists recommend using it

Pediatrician tested: suitable for children 6 months and older

Excellent for dry skin associated with diabetes — Curél^® is a proud partner of the American Diabetes Association

(source: BzzAgent.com)

I had mixed feelings about the results of using this cream nightly for a week. The cream does absorb fast and is not greasy, which is impressive for such a thick cream. It is definately fragrance free...it's actually a bit odd as it really smells like nothing. I would have preferred a very light fragrance myself, but I understand the hypoallergenic reasons. It does give an immediate effect of softer skin, however by morning, my hands are just as dry as they always are. I tried to remember to use the lotion again, but I am just not one of those lotion addicts. I forget. I think a "lotion addict" would experience good results with this lotion on their hands.

For an experiment, last night I put some of the cream on my very dry, disgusting elbows. Sorry in advance for the visual, but my elbows feel like a dried out crocodile skin! Yuck! I would have posted a pic, but how do you take a pic of your own elbow? It seems about as feasible as licking it! But anyways, it's around 1pm EST and they are still soft. So it seems on tough, scaly patches, this cream works very well, as I had expected. My hands are just difficult, plus I have a slight addition to alcohol based hand sanitizer, so that makes it even harder for lotions and creams to work.

Overall, it seems to be a good cream for tough scaly skin, but not for general dry hands. This is disappointing to me as my hands are a bigger issue for me, and I was hoping to find a solution. But not having scaly elbows is a plus. ;-)

My recommendation to you depends on what sort of dry skin you have. If you have basic dry hands, then I'd say pass. But if you have scaly, rough patches on your body, give it a shot! Even in one night I saw results, which was what I had expected from Curel.

Review: Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt and Olive Oil

I received a free bag of the Kashi Sea Salt and Olive Oil Hummus Crisps from BzzAgent, a site that sends you free products in return for you completing simple tasks that generate buzz about the product. One of the tasks is to blog about the product you receive, which is extremely easy to do as these crisps were AMAZING!

Serving Size 27 crisps

I was skeptical at first....I mean, I like hummus and all, but in a crisp? Not so sure. Luckily, I was wrong. These crisps are amazing. They are light and perfectly satisfy a salty snack craving. They are only 120 calories for 27 crisps, and 3 servings per bag, so if you accidentally eat the whole bag, it's no big deal. They also have 3g protein, 3g fiber, and 5g of whole grain per serving, so you can feel good about snacking on them. I love the Sea Salt and Olive Oil flavor, but they are very plain, so those of you who enjoy more flavor in your snacks, they have also have Carmelized Onion (which I have been told is also yumtastic) and Sundried Tomato, Basil, and Feta. Personally, I am not interested by these other flavors as I am kinda picky, but you may like them.

I finished the bag pretty quick, but then there was a tragic problem....I couldn't find the crisps in any of my local stores!! The horror!! Online they said there were none within 40 miles of me!! Fortunately, they are wrong, and just this week they started showing up in the stores. First place I found them was Shaws Supermarkets, but then today, they were sampling them at my local Walmart!! So I grabbed 4 bags...lol, yeah, they are that good!! They are $2.78 per bag at my local Walmart (prices vary depending on area) and there was a $1 off 1 coupon you can print which makes for a good deal on an awesome snack!

I highly recommend these crisps as a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips and other salty snacks.

How to Save Money and Get More from Comcast Easily

The other day I was randomly perusing the internet as I normally do. I stumbled up various posts on how to save money at Comcast. I know a lot of people hate Comcast, but they are our only choice, and honestly, we have never had a single complaint about the service, ever. The only complaint is cost. Holy crap. I guess it was close to $200 a month for our TV, phone, and cable. Yeah, that is not cool at all.

I am not confrontational. I don't want to threaten Comcast by saying I'm leaving as so many people online recommend to do. I hate phone calls period. I am just not that sort of person. So how else can I save money without confrontation? So online I went.

IMPORTANT NOTE: My methods will not work while you are still in your contract time with the reduced price. This plan is for when your contract expires and your bill suddenly jumps up to not just an arm and a leg, but to an arm, leg, first born child, and a kidney. 

We had the Digital Preferred package, 160 channels. I don't watch sports and neither does my husband except the occasional football game (Go Pats!), which is on network TV. I don't watch movie channels very often, I don't watch the majority of the channels we have. So why pay for them? With a few minutes of research, I found that we just needed the Digital Starter package (80 channels). I still get all the channels I watch regularly (minus Discovery Fit & Health, sadness) but that is a small sacrifice for the cost savings. I do use the HD DVR a lot. I cannot not have DVR as I go to bed early and all the good shows are on late! If I could live without that, it would make sense to drop all TV and do the Hulu for TV and Netflix for Movies like many people do. However, this plan was to get the most for the money.

The other thing with the TV was we hardly ever watch regular TV in the living room. My husband works all the time and I spend my time in the bedroom cause I have a serious case of laziness. So why pay for the fancy box that puts the guide on the TV and you can control with your iPhone? We had them change it into the tiny little box so we can get the digital channels with no frills.

We never ever use the house phone. Ever. I use it as the number to fill out forms I don't actually want to give my cell number to. Once again, why pay for something that we never use? The only reason we had it in the first place was it was cheaper than not having it! Silly bundles!

As for Internet. Don't touch my internet!!! We have perfect internet. Its the Performance speed level which is 20mbps. If we never have the faster internet, we will never know the difference as pages load plenty fast, Netflix streams great. Downloads are generally reasonable. Yay. All is well here.

Now, for the getting more your money aspect. I was reading a random post about how you can trade in your older equipment for the newer versions. Hey, if you are "renting" it anyways, why not? So out came our modem, DVR box, digital fancy box and into the car they went. At the Comcast office, we left with our same DVR box (and instructions to call in 2 days to set up an appointment for the X1 5 tuner (record 4 shows, watch a 5th rather than record 2, but watch one of them) DVR box of awesomeness which will cost a whole $2 more a month, but as we are saving so much, $2 is nothing), a new basic cable box, and a new Wifi enabled modem.

So to recap we:

• Downgraded from Digital Preferred to Digital Starter
• Exchanged a higher cost per month cable box to the basic one on the unused TV
• Cancelled our house phone completely
• Kept our amazing Internet
• Upgraded our DVR box from 2 tuners to 5 for $2 a month
• Got a much better wireless router/cable modem that makes our amazing internet even better

Overall we saved likely close to $40 a month while improving our services! We will see the exact savings when the first new bill comes in. 

Just a couple points to remember....be nice. You may hate Comcast, but I have to say, they have been excellent to us for this change. The office staff was happy to follow our requests. We had some technical difficulties with setting up the new modem and cable box and both phone tech support guys were very nice (and spoke English!!). You get a lot further than being a screaming jerk. Also, keep your account in good standing. It just makes things easier and they are more willing to help you out!