Tag: unboxing

August Unplugged Book Box Unboxing

.Reading time 12 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            Whoops my bad at disappearing for like a month. I spent most of September feeling awful, note to self, don’t change up your probiotic it will merk your system for like a month

Alright so here we are, this is my second Unplugged Book box and I enjoyed it. I like the fact that I have changed all of the boxes I get in a month to one that actually gives me a book. It was either this or Once Upon a Book Club. I didn’t get their Halloween one this year for the first time in three years, but that’s okay. 

            So, this box was really interesting product wise, the book was not my favorite and that might eventually be what turns me off from this book. The last two I got were thrillers. I don’t read a lot of thrillers and for the variety of product fandoms that are encompassed in the box you would think that the book themes would be for lack of a better term, varied. 

            You can read the book review for The Drown Our Daughters below, it was a lot and not something that I would pick up on a normal basis, it would never really be something that I would go and search for either. I was not a huge fan, but it is not my preferential genre which is totally fine, branching and all that. 

            So, what was in the box?

A Discovery of Witches round towel: 

            This is super cool and this book is something that my mom owns and loved when she read it, I for sure want to read it eventually when I get through my whole backlog of books. I have so many books to read, you should see my Goodreads. I love the colors and the quote; do I know what I am going to do with it? No. Is it currently sitting folded up on a bench in my office? Yes, it is.

Practical Magic salt grinder:

            It’s actually a really cool idea to have a salt grinder and this book is also on my list, it’s actually in my Book of The Month TBR because I can get it from there and it’s a classic at this point. I have not seen the movie but I can hear the quote in my head that this salt shaker goes to. Seriously, this book is on my list! I promise. 

Wuthering Heights perfume roller:

            I have read a few retellings of this classic and I have not read the classic, the perfume smells really good though. The scent is described as misty moors, toxic love, and regret. I would say that I can’t actually imagine what that would smell like because it probably wouldn’t be great but I laughed when I read it. We all know that this epic love story was on the toxic side and I can’t say that I am surprised by that. Eventually I will read the book, it will eventually be on my list but I read ten classics last year in 2021 and I am taking a break from them for a while because ten classics in one year is too many. 

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy tea tray: 

            I have read this one and Douglas Adams’ books are more suited for the screen than the page in my opinion, I have read three of them and liked the movie or TV adaptations so much better. That is a personal opinion I know people who love his work. I liked Hitchhiker’s don’t get me wrong but I loved the movie. That was my introduction to Adams’ work when I was just out of college so cut me some slack. The tea tray is super cute and I love the quote on it because a cup of tea is very good at restoring a bit of normalcy. 

Craven Manor mud mask:

            I will probably not be able to use this, I will patch test it, but I have to be so careful with facial skincare products. I have never read this book and it sounds like a horror novel so it probably won’t be on my list, which is fine. I am allowed to not love every fandom that gets represented in a box. I think that in the last one there was like one, I think, no there was two because I added one of the books to my TBR. I love the idea of this product though and I will try it to see if I can use it. The packaging is super cool and really dark, so here we are with me liking it for what it is and hoping that my skin doesn’t react poorly to it. 

Book Review

Title: They Drown Our Daughters

Author: Katrina Monroe

Rating: 2.8/5

            There might be spoilers so if you want to read the book, I would stop reading now, I will see you with the next post. 

This one wasn’t for me. It just wasn’t and that is totally okay. I don’t read horror; I don’t like that creeping sensation you get with them. I also don’t read a lot of LGBTQ fiction. I wholeheartedly support the lifestyle, but it is not mine and that means that those feelings don’t make sense to me. I need to say that and get that out here now because I feel it necessary.

            Meredith went from being a really strong but fragile character to well… spoiler alert, the title still stands at the end of the book. I understand why, but I don’t like sad endings. It was to save her daughter and all the other daughters but still. Her mother tried as well and for some reason failed, I have no idea why.

            The whole thing about her great whatever grandmother still being alive was so weird and with that one guy from town who turned out to be the worst, like seriously, the worst. 

            I didn’t mind the shifting timelines but they all ended in death and that’s just not for me. It gave me bad vibes, I understood why, again, I get it. I completely and totally do because that is the plot, that is the story throughline. 

            Like I was totally into it for a while and as the book wore on, I got less and less into it. There were just things that never sat right with me as I was reading this, again, I don’t read horror and that will color my opinion on this one. The twists and turns were interesting but they became almost predictable and repetitive because you knew that they were going to die. Seriously, they all die until a sacrifice is made and that didn’t sit right with me. It never will.

            Not every book is for everybody and that is totally fine, this one wasn’t for me, the next one might be and that’s so exciting. I liked the premise, it was good and I liked the story in broad strokes, I didn’t enjoy the nitty gritty details. 

If you want to see how I felt about July’s box, you totally can go and look at that post. I will be back later in the week with another post, at least I hope I will be. September was rough, it’s rough being sick for weeks and also having a co-worker who made you depressed through your antidepressants. That’s all I’m going to say about that topic because it’s still effecting my real life.

Until I am back with another post i hope that everyone has a good few days, stay safe, happy, and healthy.

-MJ

August 2022 Book of the Month Review:

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Title: Small Angels

Author: Lauren Owen

Rating: 3/5

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            As usual there are going to be spoilers. I feel the need to start out with that because I should. 

            Alright, so overall, the story was interesting, but it wasn’t for me. There were a lot of things in this book that were so interesting, the woods, the tales of Harry Child and all of that. The family bound to the forest, the rituals and necessities that they took to keep the village safe from him and what had happened to him. 

            If it was just a ghost story, if it was just horror, it would have been fine. The add in of Chloe and Sam’s wedding, I understand that her actions were the catalyst for it, but the wedding felt unnecessary as a whole event. It was interesting and further the plot, but it could have been something else because the characters started to become unlikable with their weaponized ignorance of what happened in the woods and their unwillingness to even acknowledge it. 

            Not every book is for everyone and this one wasn’t for me and that’s okay. I liked so much of it but there was just stuff in it that felt unnecessary, there was a romantic subplot which was strange and really didn’t feel fleshed out or needed. (I don’t read a lot of LGBTQ fiction; I support the lifestyle, of course, but it is not generally a subgenre of fiction that I read.)

            There were also errors in the text, I counted six or seven that were in the formatting random dialogue marks words that should have been one that were separated and I know that is in the revision and editing process, but it was noticeable. 

            Overall, it was interesting, it was horror and there were parts of it that gripped me, but the characters, I just feel connected to and that makes things hard when you read through them. I feel like I am repeating myself and I will apologize for that because I feel like I am bashing someone else’s work. This had an audience, that audience is just not me. 

            The ending was good, well the ending with Harry, the rest of it felt rushed but left threads open, it’s a story told in a story which is super interesting and I love a good book within a book. This just didn’t hit for me because it shifted through four perspectives. 

            There were parts that confused me, there were and that’s true in a lot of novels, you can have parts that make no sense in the whole of it. The imagery was great and I feel like I am doing pro, con, con, pro like I am back in my college sorority when we were trying to end on a good note. 

            It was interesting and a compelling horror story in its own way, but not for me as a reader. We will not love everything we read and this was the only one of the books this time with Book of The Month that even piqued my interest, out of seven books this month I think, this was the only one that interested me because it was all thrillers. Maybe I should have chosen one of them. 

            I don’t know, okay, I don’t because I have such a mixed bag of feelings on this book and I feel like I am not articulating this well for someone who writes as a hobby and teaches children as a profession. I am always really on the fence about unhauling BoTM books, but there are three this year so far that I don’t want in my permanent collection. Which is fine.

            If you want to check out what else I have gotten with Book of The Month this year, you totally can, January, February, March, April, May, June, and July.

            I will be back later in the week with another post so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ

July Unplugged Book Box Unboxing and Review

.Reading time 14 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            This was my choice to get this box instead of literally of the other boxes that I got up until this month. I got rid of IPSY and fabfitfun because they no longer align with what I am into and what I want. I decided that I wanted a book box. I love Once Upon a Book Club’s Halloween boxes because they are so fun. Maybe someday I will get that as well, this company though, popped up on my Instagram about a month or two months ago and I started thinking about subscribing. I bought this one as well as my subscription that starts in August. 

            Alright so this blog post will be two parts the first is what was in the box, they pull different fandoms and that’s super cool, different from Once Upon a Book Club, that goes with the book. Different companies have different things and I am not complaining about it. I just like the idea of getting a box with a book in it and items related to that book or books that I have read or maybe might want to read. The second part is going to be the book review when I get around to reading the book. (Which as I am writing this at the end of July it’s my next book on the list.)

            So, what was in the box? 

Song of Achilles tea cup and saucer:

            Never read Song of Achilles, from what I have heard it’s sad. I might read it eventually to understand. I do really like the tea cup and saucer, right now it’s going to stay in the box because I don’t have anywhere to keep stuff like that so while it’s really interesting and I love the artwork on it. It’s just going to have to hang out in the box until I have the room to put it out on display.

Verity hand and body lotion:

            Never read a Colleen Hoover book and that is a personal choice. I know people who have read this and no one that I personally know enjoyed it. The smell of the lotion is really good though and I like it. I have heard what it’s about and it’s just not up my street and that’s totally okay because books are subjective and not every book is for everybody. It feels really nice on the skin and like I said, smells amazing. 

The Jasmine Throne lip balm:

            It sounds like a really interesting book and the lip balm smells amazing. I am one of those people who uses lip balm like twice and then all of a sudden, I lose them. I have never actually gotten through a full tube of lip balm. Literally found seven or eight Burt’s Bees lip balms in my desk when I still lived in Indiana because I would lose one and then have to open another one. I still so that I have three? On my desk at the moment and that seems excessive. 

Book Garden Beach/ Garden Tote:

            This is the coolest thing! I love this bag. I love this bag so much. It’s super cool and non-themed to a book. I love this bag and I plan on using it all the time. I love the artwork on the front of it and the rope handles. I am going to love using this canvas bag and I can’t get over how nice this one is. There is a zipper on top and that is such a cool feature! 

Tea bag holder:

            It looks like a squirrel! It’s super cute. I drink a lot of tea during the fall and winter so having this as a cute little friend on the edge of my teacup is going to be so fun! It’s just a cute little red silicon squirrel. I love the idea of it and that’s so exciting! 

These two were different from what was in the booklet, so just an FYI. 

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires vampire repellent rosemary oil:

            This book I have seen in Barnes and Noble before and I haven’t bought it, I want to read it now. I now just have a bottle of rosemary oil on my desk. I am not real mad about that and I like essential oils, I usually diffuse essential oils again, during the fall and winter. It smells good and that’s about all I want when I have oils, I just don’t use it on my skin because that’s just not something I deal with.

Sherlock Holmes amethyst bath bomb:

            Another thing that smells amazing. I cannot use bath bombs in my bathtub because my bathtub doesn’t seal properly to allow me to use it. It’s bergamot (which is one of my fave scents), sandalwood, and mysteries. I don’t know what mysteries smell like but I do like that already. I really love bath bombs though; I miss being able to use them. 

            Now for the book! 

The Woman in The Library by Sulari Gentill (3.7/5)

            It was really interesting. I loved the fact that it was a book in a book. I really enjoyed watching the emails from Leo, you never hear from the author Hannah and I thought that was really interesting. It kept me guessing from the first page on who actually did it. They leaned into one character super hard and that was kind of how I figured out that he didn’t actually do it. I figured that out pretty early on. The emails with Leo! They got me real creeped out real quick and that was one thing that was also super interesting throughout because you watch this character devolve into well…read the book to find out. 

            I loved the characters in the novel within the novel though and I was happy about the little touch of a love story. I am American so seeing all of the stuff about the author and the author being Australian was really cool to see just the subtle differences in the dialogue and actions. I read a lot of English fiction though so it wasn’t as jarring as it might be for others. 

            I have never been to Boston but I would really like to go see the reading room now. I want to live in a big city for the big city libraries alone, nothing else, just these big public libraries in old buildings with history and architecture. I grew up near Chicago and I was never in the Chicago Public Library, but I should have gone, I should have gone whenever I was in the city. 

            This book was a really good book though, I am actually really glad that it touched on the pandemic and the racial tensions in this country because that’s just what we are dealing with. I really liked that the novel in the novel was pandemic free. (As someone who writes, I have left it out of a lot of my books because the pandemic was hard, it was so much and it changed so much, I have written it into a few, but I wanted to use the alternative timeline where we didn’t have millions and millions of people die.)

            The descriptions were great, the reality of it all was really interesting, but the ending came up super-fast for me and it did leave the ending open because of a character that is mutual between the novel and the novel within a novel. The character building in this was phenomenal though and I loved seeing all the twists and turns and secrets uncovered throughout the entire novel. 

            I want to know if they actually got a happy ending! Though sometimes with thrillers you don’t get that “happy ending”, I am a fan of the happy ending though so, I would have loved an epilogue in this one. 

Overall:

            The box is super cool and I am looking forward to August! That’s all I can say about it at the moment, I am excited to see the stuff this upcoming month. The book choice was good, the self-care items are nice and you know what; This box suits me more than some of the other boxes that I used to get. I used to get so many lifestyle boxes that just no longer suited me. 

            Alright, until next time, I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy! 

            -MJ 

July 2022 IPSY Glam Box Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ

            This is my last IPSY Glam Bag Plus post, it’s been over four years since I started getting IPSY and I jumped on the GB+ when it came out, I liked it for a long time. Now I just am not finding the joy in it. One day I might go back to it, but it just doesn’t feel like it aligns with my interests anymore. I have pretty much unsubscribed from all of my lifestyle stuff. I switched to a book box because that’s more in line for what I want now. I have been moving toward a larger book model for a long time because in truth that is my lifestyle. I am much more bookish than I am fashionable. 

            I wrestled with this decision for a while, I did and I don’t regret it. I have watched this brand grow and change for four years and while I enjoyed it, price increases and the feeling that my choices were becoming more and more less what I wanted or needed I made the decision. 

            So, one final time. I have had this document up for days, I should probably just get it done.

The Bag:

            It’s a cute little beachy wave pattern, in yellow and while with the drawstrings that look like those adjustable bracelets that we used to wear in the 90’s and 2000’s. I have seen then since then, but that’s my first thought were those bracelets. 

The Products: 

Murad Acne Control Oil and Pore Control Mattifier Broad Spectrum SPF45:

            I like Murad, that is no secret, no secret at all and I NEED to wear more SPF because I don’t wear enough. Though I also don’t go out in the sun much because at the moment it is 10:50 AM on a Monday and its 90 feels like 95, it might be up in the 100’s this afternoon. So, I should be wearing more sun protection when I am outside. 

Araceli Beauty Tequila Highlighter in Blanco:

            It’s a nice golden shade with a little bit of a bronze undertone, it diffuses nicely because like usual as I am writing this, I am swatching as I go, I am a mess and that is totally fine. I was never meant for the beauty community. I do like the shade though and it went on easily with not a lot of fall out and that’s always great when it comes to a highlighter. I do really like the brand Araceli as well; I have never had a product from them that I didn’t enjoy.

Sonäge Skincare Baby Frioz Mini Icy Globes in Lilac:

            I saw things like this on a Buzzfeed video years ago and I chose this one because I was like “why not?” They look like a lot of fun and I am looking forward to giving them a try. I just have to really figure out how to use them. I know that I will because I have been getting more and more into facial care like this because facials as a whole a very expensive. 

Volition Beauty Screen Time Hydra Mist:

            There were no other choices that I wanted in this category, I think it’s supposed to protect you from blue light or something, or it just hydrates you, I really don’t know. It came in a plastic bag and I’m glad it did because it leaked in transit so I had oil everywhere when I finally opened it up. I had to wash the bottle because it was so oily. It feels nice though, I am usually a person who if I need a hydrating mist, I use rose water, but we are giving this a try. 

Kimchi Chic Beauty Thailor Bronzer in Went to Malibu: 

            Okay, it diffuses out nicely but it’s too dark for me. I swatched it and now my hand just looks like I got into cocoa powder. I like the packaging and it went on alright, but it’s just too dark for me. That was a huge problem I had with IPSY; they choose these colors that they think will work but are usually too dark for me because I am so fair. They have to make sure they are doing the best for everyone which is great, but if I can’t use it, it feels like a waste. I might be able to make it work, but I would have to buff and blend it out almost completely. 

            So here we are, the end of an era, the end of a chapter in my blog journey and that is totally okay. Tastes change and I am not going to stagnate in my journey through life. Life is the hardest thing you will ever do so I am moving on from this. It doesn’t bring me the same amount of joy that it used to so I am moving on from it. 

            If you still want to see what else I have gotten this year though, you totally can, January, February, March, April, May, and June.

            I will be back later in the week with another post, so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy!

            -MJ 

What was in My July 2022 IPSY Glam Bag

.Reading time 10 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Well, it is the end of an era for a lot of my subscription boxes, my current ones anyway. I have moved away from the need and necessity to have a bunch of beauty subscriptions in my life and with the rising cost and lack of real interest in in anymore. I have decided to cancel my IPSY Glam Bag and Glam Bag Plus subscriptions. I will miss getting the bags every month and maybe in the future I will go back, but for right now these bags no longer align with my interests.

            I have been thinking about this for a few months now and with the price increase, that kind of threw it over the edge for me of, I think I need to be done with it for a while. I feel like some days when I write these posts, I do write them more for me than anyone else and that’s okay. 

The Bag: 

            It’s a cute blue wave pattern with a starfish zipper pull, that is one really cool thing that they have been doing more recently is a really cool zipper pull. I will for sure give them that one as I move though this post. I like the texture of the bag but overall; it’s not my favorite. While I do like a simple bag, it’s just not one of my all-time favorites. 

The Products: 

            I miss the cards telling you what you go so much. Like I have to sit with the emails open when I write these posts because of it. 

Marc Anthony Grow Long Restoring Anti-Breakage Mask:

            I like the leave in conditioner that comes from this line, it’s nice. A little drying but nice. I don’t use a log of masks but if this is a leave in, I might have to give it a try. It’s not, I will still give it a try, but hair masks are just not something that I do. I will still try it out and I am hoping that maybe I will like it as much as I like the leave in conditioner.

Beauty Creations Dare to Be Bright Eyeshadow Palette in Bossy:

            It’s very orange. Not for me. I will be completely honest about that, I don’t wear a lot of… actually I don’t wear orange, maybe on spirit days at school but other than that I am not an orange person. Also (through no fault of IPSY probably) the palette smelled terrible the moment I opened it. Like if you know what fish food smells like, you know. The matte shades are a little streaky and now my fingers smell not great so that’s not a good sign. 

Barefoot Venus Ruby Red Macadamia Oil Body Cream:

            I have a lemon Barefoot Venus lotion on the table next to my couch and I love it, I think that I chose this one, I don’t actually remember at the moment. It smells I think like grapefruit and that is something that I will never be mad about. It is a little thinner than my other one which is totally fine and their packaging is always so interesting, pin-ups and all that as I am singing Lady Marmalade in my head. It feels nice though and for the most part, that is all that matters to me in a hand or body cream, does it feel good and does it smell good without making me break out. 

Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Smoky Green:

            I don’t wear eyeliner. I haven’t worn eyeliner since these twist up pencils became cool in like 2004. This one is glittery and a dark green. I am not going got pretend that the packaging plastic wrap didn’t fight me for a solid three minutes until I finally got it off. Like if I was supposed to come up with some sort of look for this it would be Florida Gators with the orange eyeshadow palette and the green eyeliner. I feel like I am ragging on his bag because it’s my last one, but I am glad that it is because green eyeliner. Like if you like green eyeliner more power to you, you do you, but it is not for me.

Alphah Liquid Gold Exfoliating Tonic: 

            I don’t know what it is actually, and the packaging was hard to get open. I am being completely honest with this one. It’s an expholant with glycolic acid, I am super careful with acids on my body because I have sensitive skin. I will give it a try when I actually get a chance to read up on it, but until then it’s going to stay sealed. I will figure it out, because helping with natural expholiation is fine until you look like a tomato and everything burns. 

            I wish I had nicer things to say about this bag but it really was a swing and a miss for me and just seeing the items that I have been getting, no matter the shortages and everything else just haven’t been for me anymore. Like they take the beauty quiz and throw it out the window. I don’t remember what I picked this month but it was for sure a dud of a bag for me. 

            I will be sad to see it go; I have been getting it for four years but I am a different person now than I was when I started getting this bag. A much different person and I would rather spend money on books than products I am just going to stick in a box and not use. I have found that about myself. I have a box full of this stuff and I keep saying, ‘I’m going to use it’ and then I never do. So, at least for now, it’s time for me to move on from it. 

            If you do want to check out what else I have gotten this year, you totally can, January, February, March, April, May, and June.

            I am closing this chapter for my blog which is weird because IPSY was one of the first things that I really started posting, but we all grow up and our tastes change. So until my next post, which will be later in the week I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ

Summer 2022 fabfitfun Unboxing

.Reading time 10 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Okay, so here’s the deal…it’s fine. I didn’t get an email about personalization this time so the thing I really wanted was already sold out. Which is annoying, but maybe it’s just my mental state at the moment that is impeding my joy of these boxes. I don’t know. 

            This one just didn’t provide the joy that I am used to with these boxes. I don’t know, maybe my tastes are changing as I get older, who knows. I also understand that trying to get things right now is super difficult because you know the world is going to heck in a hand basket. 

            So, what did I get this time around though? I am going to go through all of it as to what I got, the options are no longer in the magazine so I can’t tell you the things that I didn’t pick unless I go on the app. In truth I didn’t even really look into the magazine. These are also not going to be in any particular order because I’m just running through it, note my enthusiasm! Seriously, I am only marginally excited for this one, and that means that I am leaning toward apathy, sorry. 

Samara Should Bag in Peony:

            It’s cute, it’s vegan leather and it’s a nice color. I like the closure on it so that’s exciting. I know that I chose this one, that I remember. It’s a basic bag and the thing that hit me when I opened it was the smell, it didn’t smell great but it’s vegan leather and it was in a hot box for a while so I cannot fault them for that. I can’t say that in real life I would pay the price tag on this one after seeing it in person, I wouldn’t and that is 100% a personal choice. 

Z Gallerie Multi-Use Storage Duo:

            The look like candle holders, I can for sure make stickers for them on my Circuit now and use them in my bathroom or somewhere else. They are basic and cute so I will find a use for them somewhere in my place. I think I chose these two because it was the only option that looked like something that I would want or use. I know I shouldn’t be saying it like that because there is a lot of time and thought that goes into these items and no shade. No shade at all, fff is just getting predictable and a little…kitschy. 

New Balance Ab Wheel:

            This is the first like workout item that I have seen in a while and I think I chose this one as well, I was actually really excited to get this one and I will be giving it a try when I get home from dogsitting. I love trying out new workout gear and this one looked like something that I wouldn’t accidently injure myself using. That is a fear y’all, a fear that is very real. 

Lasting Smiles Soy Candle in Sea Salt and Citrus:

            I have been reading the ACOTAR series and that’s described as one of the scents and I actually a huge fan of this candle and they provide money to charities with their candles so here we are. The packaging and glass is really simple which is great and I can’t wait to be able to burn it, I still live in an apartment so it’s going to be a while before I can. It’s got a 50 hour burn time which is also great because sometimes candles burn down so quickly it’s pathetic. 

TF Publishing Co. Brain Teasers+ Activity Book Bundle:

            They will be fun for road trips. Honestly this feels super juvenile to me, I know that people of all ages use activity books, but this is like the cactus cup and that jewelry holder for me, it’s really an odd choice to put in this box. I don’t think I chose this one, I honestly can’t remember at this point what I chose for this box. It’s fun, I have done a few of the puzzles, it’s just an odd choice for this type of box for me. 

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisturizing CC Cream: 

            It’s for your hair? I think? I am honestly not sure and the container is at home so I can’t go look at it right now. It says 10 in 1 for your hair on the app so that’s that I’m going with, when I see CC I think about makeup not hair so here we are. I mean I will for sure try it, I was just confused about it until about five minutes ago when I looked it up on the app. Well, that’s fun, here we are and me being an idiot, it should shock no one. 

Kayo Body Scrubber: 

            This was a random mystery item, I have seen fidgets like this, it’s interesting. I do not like how the back feels but I will give it a try in the shower, no matter how confused I am about it. I like how it feels with the little bristles though, that’s really nice. I will give it a try. I promise, this one just feels very random to put in the box.

            I feel some feelings about this box, most of them are neutral, some are favorable, and some are negative. I don’t want to share them right now though because I feel like I have been complaining about fff for almost a year and I still continue to get it. I might stop, I honestly at this moment have no idea. If the fall box spoilers blow me out of the water I’ll keep it, if not I think I am going to say goodbye to this box for a little while, maybe circle back to it in a year or so. I don’t know. I really don’t at the moment and I know that with supply chain issues, with inflation, and with everything else that’s going on this is expected. I just don’t feel like I am getting the bang for my buck that I used to get with this box.

            So, if you want to see what was in my spring box, you totally can because that post has been up since March. I will see everyone later in the week with another post, so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy!

            -MJ

June 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Well, here we are and I am still just running on the line of, I am averaging 10,000 words a day and I finished two novel drafts so far this month, it’s the 19th as I am writing this. I am over 100,000 this month and about a 1,000 of those have been blog posts because I have just been in that kind of mood and I need to let my muse out or she’s going to beat me to death with the plot bat. Y’all don’t really care about that and that’s fine because that’s where I am at the moment. 

            Like I said in my Glam Bag unboxing this month, they are increasing the prices, I don’t know if I am going to keep them, it’s a balancing act. I might get rid of IPSY and FabFitFun for a while and switch to books. I don’t know yet, I just don’t and here we are. 

            I got this in the mail well over a week ago and it’s been sitting on the floor in my office because I have been working on other projects. Yea, that’s been my life, sorry, actually no, not sorry. 

The Bag:

            Not my favorite, the colors clash for me and not a huge fan of it. I love the idea of the popsicles, that’s fun. It’s just the color scheme for me that makes me cringe a little. Normally I have nothing but nice things to say, but this one aesthetically just missed the mark for me. If you like it, that’s totally cool, I just don’t and that’s okay. 

The Products: 

            I don’t remember what I picked until I actually look at the email, that’s how memorable this bag is for me. It’s fine, if I get rid of either of my Glam Bag subscriptions, it’s gonna be this one. 

Dr. Brandt Skincare Triple Antioxidant Face Cream:

            I love Dr. Brandt so this is a win in my book, but I feel like IPSY has really leaned into the skincare side and not the makeup side recently, or maybe my tastes have changed. I don’t know. I love a good face cream and Dr. Brandt usually doesn’t break me out and that’s good. Antioxidants are amazing so here we are hoping that it does all the things that it says it will.

Dr. Zenovia Hyaluronic Acid+Peptid Serum:

            Saw the name of the brand and thought it said Genovia, you know the country from The Princess Diaries and I was on board. I have been getting more and more into serums since the pandemic started, I need to use mine more. I go in spurts where I do the 12-step skin care routine and then some days I am just lucky to get my face washed and moisturized. It apparently stimulates collagen production and now that I am 30, that’s apparently a thing that I need to worry about. I miss when I could just wash my face and then everything was fine. Oh youth. 

Natasha Denona Ayana Eyeshadow Palette:

            It was Natasha Denona, it’s one of those brands that you see and go, that’s expensive and that means it’s nice. I haven’t swatched the palette and I am not home at the moment to do it, but from everything I have heard about the brand; it’s great. I love the shades though, I thought the last shade in the palette was a weird sagey green, it’s silver. I like that a lot more. This is one of those palettes that contains a whole eye look and that’s so helpful when you don’t want to pack a bunch of different eyeshadow palettes. 

Vike Beauty Makeup Melt:

            I have used micellar water, I have used cleanser, I have used solid makeup removing cream, I have used my Makeup Eraser (and love it), so when there was a product for removing makeup that I haven’t tried I was like “give it to me!” I’m going to try a makeup removing spray because why not? I will check back in with the results on that one. 

Lovita Never Lost Necklace:

            This is the first time I have been (I think) offered something that wasn’t makeup or skin care and I was all for this one too, I love necklaces and it’s a cute little compass. It’s interesting that I got this as a pickable option. So, I rolled with it, I am all for a new cool thing and it was nice to have an option that wasn’t just beauty related. I love a good lifestyle moment. 

            My box this month was worth quite a bit so you do get your bang for your buck with the GB+, I will say that, but I am not using the products fast enough to really justify it as much as I used to. I don’t know yet, I am going to see what it looks like when they increase the prices and then I will make my decisions. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year, you totally can! January, February, March, April, and May!

            Alright, I will be back later in the week with another post, so until then, I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy!

            -MJ 

What Was in My May 2022 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            I have been meaning to write this post, like my GB+ for weeks now, I have just been busy and I was actually waiting for a replacement to show up because one of my products got lost in the mail. So those came in the other day and I just haven’t had the motivation to get this post written. True story, everyone, I love writing, I genuinely do, (I am on book 19, 20, 21, and 22 at the moment) but writing blog posts lately has been hard. Sorry, it just has and I want to be more on it, but sometimes you just can’t be. 

            So, I’m going to dive right in because I want to get this written and just be done with it, which is not the attitude you want to have, full transparency. I think I am feeling just a little burnt out and that is really affecting me at the moment. 

The Bag: 

            I told y’all that I loved the GB+ bag this month and the GB bag is no different. I love the shape of it and the pattern with the rose gold zipper and zipper pull. That is for sure right up my street. I like that the back is a solid color, I do wish that it matched the front more, but I cannot complain, I didn’t design it. 

The Products: 

The Crème Shop mask duo in Peaches and Cream and Blueberry and Banana:

            I feel like I am getting a smoothie. This was my accommodation item because my original sheet masks were lost in the mail. Those masks were different too and I don’t actually remember what they were. I found my sheet, they were supposed to be Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid, those are somewhere in the country. 

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Bare it All:

            It’s a mauvey brown shade that the card says will channel my inner 90’s super model. I really don’t think it’s my shade per say, but I will try it out. I don’t really have much to say about this one, though it is a full-sized product which is cool. I like the simple packaging, it’s just the shade that is not really for me. 

Marc Anthony Super-Fast Strength Leave-in Conditioner:


            I chose this one because I have been using the first one I got and I ran out. I really like this leave in conditioner and I need to get a full sized because it’s kind of great. I haven’t been using a rinse out conditioner in weeks and I like the leave-in a little bit better. This one smells amazing, it does dry my hair out a little, but other than that I really like it. 

HEMPZ Pomegranate Herbal Body Butter: 

            I like this brand; I have for years and I just ran out of my Pineapple Mango hand crème so having a replacement will be really great. It has a very light smell and it’s pink! Who doesn’t love a pink lotion to match the pink packaging? My hands are all nice and soft now which is nice. I really don’t have much to say about it though because it’s a body cream, many of them are really similar for me. I do like it though.

Treslúce Beauty Ready to Bounce Cream Blush in Date Night: 

            I am going to say this and this is not against the brand, I like the formula and the color is nice, it’s just not for me. So, whoever picked out my bag products at IPSY clearly doesn’t know that I am ghost pale and this shade is too dramatic for me. I am very fair skinned and I have rosacea so I am always red. I don’t wear blush and if I do it is very light, this is not light. Seriously though, whoever picked out my colors this month, didn’t do a great job. I like the blush formula I like how it applied when I swatched it, but it’s not a good shade for me, it’s too bright and I could diffuse it out a lot which makes it better, but I don’t want to have to do that. 

            My bag this month was fine, I cannot really complain more than I already have. It was a lot more misses than hits this month for me. Which is okay, I understand that can and does happen and I might have to redo my beauty quiz again. Some of the products are great and I am excited to use but any of the makeup that is shaded won’t work well for me. I can use them. 

            I think that is going to be it for me on this post, I need to step away from it before I start really complaining. 

            If you want to check out what else I have gotten this year, you totally can: January, February, March, and April. 

            I will be back later in the week with another post so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy! 

            -MJ

May 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

This was supposed to come out a good week ago, so roll with me, it’s been a long few weeks.

            School is ending so I have been all sorts of busy the last few weeks and I just haven’t been in the mood to write blog posts. I haven’t really been in the mood to do much beyond drink coffee and survive. So, I have had this sitting on the floor of my office for over a week now. Whoops, my bad. 

            I got some really cool stuff this month though so I need to get this post out and done because I am still waiting on a replacement for a thing from my regular Glam Bag. My bubble mailer came open so something fell out and I had to reach out to customer service about it. They are really good, ISPY’s customer care is great.

            Let’s dive right in though because I have a billion things to do this weekend and I don’t want to do any of them. 

The Bag:

            I love this bag, I love the flower motif and the color scheme, I am actually getting to the point where I like the drawstring bags better, don’t get me wrong I still love the regular Glam Bags, but I am getting more use out of the draw string bags, which is shocking for me because I didn’t really like them at the beginning. 

The Products: 

Rodial Soft Focus Glow Drops: 

            It’s a primer, it smells good and a little goes a long way. It is an illuminating primer so it does give a very subtle glow to the skin and it really does cover pores, I used it on the back of my hand because that’s where I swatch everything and it for sure made my pores less noticeable, but it’s still a primer. I don’t really use primers so this one is something that I probably won’t use much. I want to know what helps them make the choices on what to send, because I think on my beauty quiz I for sure have that I don’t really use primers and I don’t think I rate them well either. 

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser:

            I love Kate Somerville; I love the facial lotion from this same line and I think I have one in my fridge at the moment. I am actually running out of facial cleanser so this was a really exciting one to see that they picked for me. I have never had anything from her brand that breaks me out or causes a bunch of irritation so I am really looking forward to trying this one out here shortly. 

PMD Clean Smart Facial Cleansing Device in Warmth:

            I have been wanting one of these for years. I love my Foreo facial cleanser tool, but this one has a handle on it and I feel like that will be a little easier to use. It’s just so cool and seriously I have wanted one for a while and not wanted to spend the full price on it because it’s expensive. (It retails for about $100, which is a little out of my price range for something like this.) Also, it’s battery powered unlike the Foreo I have, which is really cool also because that means that it’s usable over and over again without worrying about it. 

Aceology Rose Quartz Gua Sha Facial Massager in Pink:

            I would hope it’s pink because rose quartz is pink, but really I love it. I chose this one because I have wanted a Gus Sha for a while because they are apparently really great for drainage. I have a facial roller as well that I need to use more. I’m so glad there is a diagram on the back of the box because I am an idiot when it comes to stuff like this. I love the idea of it, but in practice I am kind of dumb when it comes to all of the facial rollers and things. I am really looking forward to adding it into my beauty routine though. 

Formula Z Cosmetics Transforming Beauty Palette: 

            I like the packaging, it does remind me of Anastasia’s (I think, I am not going to dig it out of my collection at the moment) highlighter palettes. I like the shades, they look like a lot of fun and I am looking forward to actually swatching them, I can’t yet because I haven’t taken the pictures, I will in a few minutes though because I am writing this Sunday morning and it comes out at noon. It’s a pretty basic cheek palette which is never a bad thing, I just hope that the color payoff is good. 

            Well, there you have it, a post that should have come out like two weeks ago, but I have just been in a place where this wasn’t a feasible thing to work on. I am learning that while I want to post twice a week and I should be, sometimes I can’t and I would very much like to avoid burning out because that would not be the best thing for me. I am trying to balance everything and it’s a weirdly precarious balancing act that I am working on. It’s hard when that balancing act changed every week, rather let’s be real 100 times a day. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year, you totally can: January, February, March, and April. 

            I will be back with another post later in the week so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ

What Was in My April 2022 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            As far as I know this post comes out on my birthday, so happy birthday to me, a whole year older and entering a new decade, well that’s interesting. I mean, at this point it’s just another day. I have work, I have a staff meeting, and then I will be going home to hang out by myself. It’s coming out a few days after my birthday because last week was rough, this was supposed to come out on Wednesday the 20th, it didn’t. Full transparency.

            I feel like this post is going to be pretty short and at the moment, I am totally on board with that because I don’t need to have a huge long-winded post to go along with something that I write every month. 

The Bag: 

            I really like this bag; I love the very pale pink and the daisies and the zipper pull for the bag is a daisy and that’s so cool! I like this bag, though IPSY had had some really cool bags lately and I am totally on board for it. 

The Products: 

CosRX Master Patch intensive:

            I chose this one! I love the videos of people using the hydrocolloid patches that pull all of the crap and nonsense out of your skin and I really want to try them. Seriously I have been seeing them all over the internet and I think that the idea of them, as someone who’s used pore strips for years and that seems a bit excessive, I really want to try them. I don’t know how I feel about the overnight thing, but we are going to give it a try.

Kaleido Cosmetics Obsidian Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner: 

            I don’t use eyeliner so this one is not really for me, I might try it, but who knows. I know that there are so many people that love liquid eyeliner, I was an emo kid at one point in my life and I used a lot of eyeliner. I don’t anymore. I don’t even use mascara most days anymore because I don’t feel like it. 

Ouai Melrose Place Body Crème: 

            I love Ouai’s hair products and I honestly didn’t know they had a body care line. Call me ignorant, I only get Ouai products in my IPSY bags or fabfitfun that’s pretty much it. I haven’t smelled it yet, like I should have before I started the post, so now I have to go and get it to sniff it. It smells really good to be honest a nice light rose smell. I actually really like it. 

V Kosmetik Lightweight Powder Blush in Magnolia: 

            It’s a really nice shade, it’s really complimentary to my skin tone and it blends really well. I swatched it on my hand and at this point that’s about as good as it’s gonna get at the moment. I like the shade, it’s a little powdery which is not a bad thing most of the time. Perfect for spring time and that’s always really exciting! 

Wander Beauty Mini Unlashed Volume and Curl Mascara in Tarmac:

            The name is a little weird, I know it’s the branding because it’s a place you go to and get where you are going. I like the curved wand, I am not used to a curved wand, but here we are. I am actually almost out of mini mascara’s so having a new one is never a bad thing in my book. I am looking forward to trying it out, I never know how I feel about the tubes like this but I am going to give it a try and just roll with it because I need to have a more open mind when it comes to products. 

            Well, there you have it, my bag for April was pretty good. I actually enjoyed most of the things in it, I feel like there has been some hit and miss the last couple of months and it’s nice to see that both of my bags for this month were both actually pretty good. 

            If you want to check out what else I have gotten in my Glam Bags this year, you totally can! January, February, and March! 

            I will be back later in the week with another post so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy! 

-MJ