From My Vanity

Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle

What’s In My Mailbox? A Variety of Products! (Large Mail Haul!)

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This past week I received a lot of packages and new products — both things sent for me to review and stuff I purchased myself. I couldn’t decide on any one product to feature for today’s “What’s In My Mailbox”, so I decided to just show you them all! 🙂 So consider this post a large mailbox ‘haul’. 😉

I Instagramed this picture a few days ago, showing the large pile of packages I’ve accumulated over the week, for those who didn’t see it. (follow me on Instagram to see more frequent mail hauls!

Oh, and as you can see in the picture, the Influenster J’Adore Voxbox is at the bottom of the pile. I’ve already done a ‘What’s In My Mailbox’ post devoted to the contents of the box, so I encourage you to go check that post out next. 🙂 Okay, so I’m just going to dive in and get started with the first package!

<———–   First up, I received this Pure Body Natural’s Vitamin C Serum through Tomoson.

I’ve only been using this for a week or so, but I really like adding this to my skin care routine at night and I think can already see a brightening effect on my skin. Of course, since I’ve only been using it for a short time, I can’t say for certain the effects of the serum — but I am definitely hopeful and, so far, pleased with the results. I have a lot of hyper-pigmentation from acne breakouts in the past and, so far, it is lightening them up — just a hair. But I’m looking forward to seeing the effects of this serum by the time I finish the bottle. If it improves the dark spots on my face, I will definitely be repurchasing this!

Next up is the It Cosmetics Pretty in smoke Luxe High Performance Trio that the company sent me to review.     ———–>

I haven’t tested this product out yet — as I got it pretty late in the week last week — but I am really excited to create an eyelook with this trio. The color pigmentation in this little trio is great. Really smooth and the color comes off well. And the thing I think is really neat about these eyeshadows are all the vitamin’s infused in the shadows…and how it is free of so many harmful chemicals. So, yeah, I hear a lot of great things about this brand, and I’m really excited to try them out for myself and share my thoughts with you all. 🙂 Be looking for a review in the coming weeks!

<———–   This product I purchased myself at the store and didn’t get it in the mail, but I still wanted to include it. It’s the Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil.

I am really intrigued by the concept of using oils to wash your face. Because I have acne-prone and oily skin, I think doing this will really improve the overall health of my skin…and maybe help keep any outbreaks at bay. I’m almost out of what I use to wash my face right now, so I’ve been on the hunt to see what I’d replace it with. And I picked this little guy up. 🙂 I am really looking forward to using this in my everyday skin care routine! If any of you are interested in seeing a review, let me know and I’ll make a note to write a review once I’ve used it.

Next thing that I received in my mailbox is this WhipLash Eyelash Curler through Tomoson.      ———–>

I currently own an ELF eyelash curler that I use to occasionally curl my lashes, but I decided to brave up and try a new one. I’m always a little terrified that the curler is going to cut off my lashes, so I am very picky and thorough when I look into and/or try out a new eyelash curler. I’ve inspected this baby pretty well, and while it looks really promising, I haven’t put it to the test yet. Be on the lookout for a review on this in the very near future. 🙂

<———–   I also received a book to review this past week. It is Mesu Andrews new release, In the Shadow of Jezebel, that I received for review from Revell.

I’ve read almost all of Mesu Andrews books, and I really love the way she presents her biblical stories. Where (I feel) too many Christian authors nowadays tend to focus on the physical attractions and physical intimacy between couples in there books, Mesu focuses in on the heart…and the Lord. And she didn’t dissapoint me in this book. Yes, I confess, I’ve already devoured this book (it was so good!), so I’ll be posting my review soon. But I just have to say that I really appreciate how Mesu’s stories always keep God (or Yahweh) and His purpose the center of the story.

I am really excited about this next product! It’s the NuMe Titan3 curling wands. They sent me this to use in a new series I’m doing for the next two months called ‘Styling with NuMe’. But that’s the only hint I’m giving — details coming later this week, so stay tuned!! 😉       ———–>

I haven’t used these on my hair yet, but I’ve taken them out and did my first impression reviews for this tool. They’re really, really nice quality, have a great feel to them, and I love that they have interchangeable heads so I don’t have to own three separate curling wand sizes. And I’m keeping the box for when I move — it keeps the tools really sturdy and secure. And it’s just such a nice box!

<———–   I’ve been eyeing the NuMe MegaStar Flat Iron for a while now…and since I’m now a part of NuMe’s Affiliate program, I thought it about time to invest in a good flat iron.

* * If you want to purchase the MegaStar, use my link and then use the code “2DELICATE” at checkout to get it for only $78! (regularly $199) * *

There are so many great things about this flat iron, I’m going to save it all for the review — as I don’t like to make these length. I’ve been saving up for this flat iron, as it isn’t cheap. But I also really believe in investing in good hair styling tools — it’s really easy to damage your hair with cheap products (my hair is still recovering from being severely damaged through cheap heat tools :-/), so while the price may be steep, the fact that it keeps your hair healthy while still doing it’s job makes it worth every dollar. I can’t wait to put this to the test!

Okay! So, that’s it! (Whew, that was much longer than I thought it would be! :-P) I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got in the mail recently.

For those who are interested/intrigued, I will be talking more about NuMe in the very near future, so be sure to stay tuned. If you want to look around their site, click this link (If you want to support my blog 🙂 and if you decide to purchase anything make sure to use the code “NUMESPRING50” to get 50% off any product and free shipping! 🙂

Question for My Readers: Which product intrigued you the most? Which do you want to see a review for first?

I received some of these product for free in order to review.

What’s In My Mailbox? Influenster J’Adore Voxbox!

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Good Monday morning, all! Make sure you take a look at the giveaways on my sidebar on the right. The giveaway for a DVD of Grace Unplugged is ending tonight — don’t miss out!

———————————>>>>

For those who follow me on Instagram know, I received my Influenster box in the mail last week, this one called the J’Adore Voxbox. I’ve reviewed two other boxes from them before — the Sweetheart Voxbox and the Violet Voxbox — and was excited to receive another box from them to put to the test. 🙂

Remember: If you are interested in joining, please let me know in the comments below and I will be happy to send you a personal invite to join! 🙂

For those of you who don’t know about Influenster, it’s a “…community of trendsetters, social media masterminds, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences.” When you are active in the Influenster community (sharing reviews and answering questions), Influenster invites you to participate in exclusive Voxbox programs where they send you a box filled with things to try and review.

It’s always exciting to open to see what’s inside. 🙂 This time I received…

– Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask
– Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolates
– Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray
– Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes
– Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas

I know I did a terrible job getting all the products visible in this picture (my bad!), but we’re going to go down and give you a really quick first impression of all the products. 🙂

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask…
I was really excited about this product. I use a clay mask once a week to help keep my acne under control, and I really enjoy the benefits and results that I get. So I am all about putting this to the test! Let me just forwarn you — this mask is pretty liquidy! Make sure you shake it up before opening it so you mix the liquid and clay, or you’ll do like I did and get a rush of water shooting out and onto your lap. 😛 Haha! Anywho, I’ve already used it once and liked it. Now to wait and see if it makes a difference on my skin. 🙂

Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolates…
I’m sure this is a no-brainer, but I was super-excited to get this huge bag of Kisses with the box. I already know I love chocolate, and Hershey Kisses have always been on my “like list”. So, yeah, I think it took all of 5 seconds after opening the box before I cracked this bag opened. I snapped a picture of the cookies I made with these over on Instagram. They sure were yummy — and I still had some left over after I make all the cookies! 😀

Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray…

I’ve never used anything from this brand, but I am thrilled to get the opportunity to! This flat iron spray has some high claims, and I am all about putting it to the test. As those of you who’ve followed my blog for some time know, my hair can be pretty frizzy-looking if I don’t flat iron it. I’m excited to try it out and see if it keeps my hair straight and frizz-free for three days. 🙂

Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes…

Okay, I’m going to be straight-up honest here, and say I’m not really that into fake lashes. I’ve put on individual lashes once — and only because I had to during Cosmetology school — and it wasn’t a thrilled experience. Now, I know individual lashes are harder to put on than a strip, so that makes me feel a little bit better about trying these out. I’m curious how I’ll like these — I don’t mind getting a little bit more volume and length…but I don’t want to look like a spider’s on my eyeball! (ew!) So, anywho, we shall see when I give them a try. 🙂

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas…

I’m not a huge tea person, but I do get in the mood sometimes and enjoy curling up on the couch with a cup of hot tea. 🙂 I received three Creme Caramel and one Lemon Chiffon — which I was happy about. The Caramel one sounds like something I will enjoy!
And those are all the items I received for review. Be keeping your eyes out for the reviews in the coming weeks. 🙂

Question for Readers: Out of all the products I received, which are YOU most intrigued about? 🙂

I received this product for free from Influenster in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

What’s In My Mailbox? Orly!

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Good Wednesday morning, all! I hope you’ve been entering my big End-of-the-Year Giveaway that ends TONIGHT! 😀 Whether you like books, makeup, or nailpolish — there’s something for everyone who follows my blog!

For today’s “What’s in my Mailbox”, I’m sharing with you something that I got from Listia recently. For those of you who are not aware of Listia, it’s an awesome website where you can get rid of stuff you don’t want, earn credits, and then use those credits to get other new things that you do want. I did an entire post on Listia, so check it out for more information on how to sign up!

So on Listia, after I got rid of several things I no longer needed from my room and earned some credits, I used it to bid on this auction for a bunch of Orly nail polishes. It arrived a few weeks ago and I was really excited! Especially since, in comparison to the stuff I got rid of on Listia, it was almost like I got all these for around $10! 😀 And since Orly polishes range around $10 on Ulta…yeah, I figured this was an awesome deal!!!

Okay, so everything that came in this nail bundle was…

Orly MatteFX in Purple Velvet
Orly MatteFX in Green Flake Top Coat
Orly Nailtrition
Orly Bonder
Orly French Manicure kit (that comes with three bottles)
Orly Won’t Chip
Orly Glosser
Orly Sec n’ Dry

I’ve used several of the polishes, and am loving each of them! 🙂 Have you used Orly nail polishes before? Got a favorite color or clear coat? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

For those of you who are interested in Listia and signing up, if you could use my link here, that’d be awesome — you get some bonus credits (to use for future bidding) and I get some bonus credits for referring you. If you do sign up, please let me know below! 🙂

What’s In My Mailbox? Influenster!

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It’s been a little while since I’ve had anything show up in my mailbox to share with y’all, but this past week I got another box from Influenster to review called the Violet Voxbox. 🙂 Because of my temporary break from blogging the last two weeks (explained in a post here), I’m a little bit behind in reviewing the items I got in the box. So this week it’s going to be exclusively “Violet Voxbox Reviews”.

For those of you who don’t know about Influenster, it’s a “…community of trendsetters, social media masterminds, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences.” When you are active in the Influenster community (sharing reviews and thoughts on products), Influenster invites you to participate in exclusive Voxbox programs where they sent out a box filled with things to try and review.

If you are at all interested in joining, please let me know in the comments below and I will be happy to send you a personal invite to join! 🙂

The neat part is that you don;t have to have a blog or YouTube channel in order to participate. If all you have is Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, you can still join in on the Voxbox’s and review your products through those social medias. 🙂

Okay, so enough of an introduction! 🙂 Let’s get into this Violet VoxBox!

For my Voxbox, I opened it to find it packed with several different items. 🙂

– Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap, Adjustable

– Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak (Dry Shampoo)



– SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar



– Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spa


– Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish in Make Waves




So let’s do a quick rundown of my first impression of all these products…

Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap…
I was really happy to receive this in my voxbox. I enjoy wearing headbands — they’re easy, but still looks like you did something to your hair — but the problem I always have with wearing headbands is that I get a bad headache behind my ears and a little below the occipital bone. So I was all up for trying a new type of headband to see if I can find one that doesn’t give me a headache when I wear it. (I’ll inform you of whether this gave me a headache or not in my review of this headband later this week. Stay tuned! 🙂

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak…
For me personally — since I am all about the hair after going through Cosmetology school — this was the item I was most excited about getting in my Violet Voxbox. 🙂 I have only tried one other product from the Not Your Mothers line, but I loved that one and so am thrilled that I get to try something else from that line. These bottles are the perfect size to try something new — and to use if I go on a trip, too! 🙂

SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar…
I think it’s so fun when they include some sort of food in the Voxbox. (My favorite was when they sent chocolate!! 😉 I’ve actually never tried anything by SoyJoy in the past. This bar looked yummy and healthy, so I was intrigued to try and see if it tasted as yummy as it looked. The problem I always have when I get food to review is to decide when I’m going to try it. Haha! Call me weird, but I just like to ‘review’ them and try them at a time when I would normally eat something like that — in this case, when I would normally eat a snack. 🙂

Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spa…
This was another product I was excited to receive! With my acne-prone skin, I really like doing mud masks to help keep any bacteria purged from my skin so it doesn’t give me acne. I’ve never tried this sort of sheet-mask before (I just use a clay powder I mix with water), so I am really curious how this is going to be. I plan on using the mask tonight, before I go to bed, so we shall see how well it works! 🙂

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish…
Last, but certainly not least, was this nail polish. For those who know me, they know I always enjoy painting my nails, so I was thrilled to get another bottle to add to my collection — and I didn’t have this type of color before, so all the better. 🙂 If you follow me on my Instagram, you know that I’ve already used it to great a winter-themed nail art. So far I’m loving how shiny it’s staying. The real test is to see how long it goes before it starts chipping. My nail polish ALWAYS chips quickly, so I’m hoping this TripleShine by Sally Hansen will withstand the test of time on my nails. 🙂

Well, there you have it! Those are the products I got last week. Stay tuned to tomorrow’s post, as I will be reviewing one of the items I’ve just mentioned.

Question for Readers: Out of all the products I received, which are YOU most intrigued about? 🙂


I received this product for free from Influenster in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

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What’s In My Mailbox? Real Techniques!

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I received another pretty little package in my mailbox this past week! This one was very much looked for, as I LOVE the item I purchased previously from this brand. It was about time that I expanded my reach and try a few other things!

I personally thing Real Techniques is an awesome brand! For those of who who are not aware, Real Techniques is a line of makeup brushes designed with pro makeup artists, Samantha Chapman. According to the website, these “…brushes combine high-tech materials with innovative design to make creating a pixel-perfect look easier than ever.”

So a few weeks back RT was running a really good sale and, since both my mom and I wanted some brushes, I decided to take advantage of a good price! 🙂 So we placed the order and this week it arrived!

I already took my mom’s order out of this haul — but if you’re curious, she ordered the all-over face brush and a blush brush. 🙂 As for me, here’s what I ordered…

For those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook — who have basically seen a recent picture — know that I have pretty full brows. In fact, I sometimes think I have too much brow! So let me clarify that I didn’t purchase the Lash Brow Groomer
in order to use on my brows — I am definitely using this brush for the metal side to help separate my lashes.

For me, personally, I like my eyelashes to look really dark and thick — but I can’t stand it when the mascara starts clumping the lashes together. I heard this product highly recommend by Beauty Broadcast and decided to give it a try. I’ve used it a few times already, and really like the results!

I don’t have a Fine Liner Brush
in my brush collection and since I really enjoy doing heavy liners and wings, I’ve been wanting to get one to start playing with for some time. So, of course, when this was on sale for half the price, I thought it was a steal of a deal! And there were several reviews that I read on this item that really recommended it.

I haven’t used it yet, but it feels like it’ll be easy to work with and it’s the perfect size for lining my eyes.

The next item that I ordered was the Miracle Complexion Sponge
. Now, when I researched this product, TONS of reviewers were comparing it to the Beauty Blender
that many beauty guru’s love. Their conclusion was that RT Sponge is an excellent dupe for the Beauty Blender
, but it didn’t seem to have the quality to make it last for as long as the BB is known to last. I’ve only used the RT Sponge a handful of times so far. While I really like the coverage and finish it gives to my skin, I kind of agree with the other reviewers. While I’ve never used a BB, just from really looking at the RT Sponge, I can see how it’ll start to crumble as I use it over the coming months. But, at regular price, this sponge is only $6 — so I think it’s good for the price you get it for.

And the last thing I got in my order was the RT Blush Brush
. My old brush I used for blush was — literally — falling apart. Every time I used it I would find little parts of the brush on my face. It was a cheap brush I got ages ago, so I’ve finally “laid it to rest” and have let this awesome Blush Brush
take it’s place. I REALLY like this brush — and I’ve only used it two or three times! It applies my blush flawlessly and blends it into my skin, really giving me the appearance of just having a natural blush on my cheeks.

So! That’s the package I received this past week and just a few of my thoughts on each brush. I hope you enjoyed reading this. 🙂

If you’d like me to do a more in-depth review on one or more of these products, just let me know in the comments below!


Have you bought a Real Techniques brush? If so, which brush to you own? Do you have a favorite?

What I Got This Week! (Readers Opinion Wanted at End of Post!!!)

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I was so excited to receive a package from LORAC Cosmetics in my mailbox this week, I just wanted to take the time to post about it to yall! 😀

Before I continue, if you don’t know what LORAC is, let me explain. 🙂 As mentioned above, it’s a cosmetic company that was created by Carol Shaw – the daughter of a hairstylist and manicurist. Over the years LORAC has grown into a brand like no other — it is the Red Carpet Authority and has unparalleled access to celebrities, which says a lot about the brand!!

In their own words, “As a brand that puts care before color, but sacrifices neither, LORAC‘s treatment-based makeup is truly unique. From the plant extracts, emollients, skin rejuvenators, and conditioners they pack in their products, to the stuff left out (oil, fragrance, and other harsh ingredients), every LORAC product fulfills Shaw’s dream to design makeup that makes you look gorgeous like the stars do — without appearing as if you’re wearing much at all.”

So now that you know a little bit about the brand, I can now talk to you about the products I received to review from LORAC. It will take me a little while to go through and review everything, since I want to give each product sent to me it’s own review, but that just means more for you all to look forward to! 😀

For today’s post, I’m just going to give you a rundown of everything I received from them. As you could see from the picture above, there are several different items!

The first thing I noticed right off the bat is the Unzipped eyeshadow palette that comes with a deluxe sample of their Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. Since I am a big eyeshadow junkie (I LOVE playing with new shadows and different colors) I was thrilled to get this palette, as well as the Pro To Go eye and cheek palette. This little duo palette will come in super handy for when I travel and don’t want to take a bunch of stuff with me!

They also sent along one of their Natural Performance Foundations for me to try. I’m always on the lookout for a good foundation that will give me great coverage (since I deal with acne and hyper pigmentation a lot!) but keep my face look natural and not too cakey. So I’m excited to give this one a try! The next product was their Front of the Line Pro water-resistant liquid eyeliner. The color I received was brown, and since I only owned black liquid eyeliners before this, I was really excited about this one! The last item in my LORAC bundle was their Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss in Intermix. The color is a kind of bronzed pink – which is usually the kinds of lip colors I like to wear, so it worked perfectly!

Well, there you have it! That’s my exciting package I received in the mail this week. 🙂 I look forward to bringing y’all reviews in the near future!

I know I don’t usually post a “What’s in My mailbox” kind of thing…but I’m seriously reconsidering doing that on occasion. I’d love to get your opinion on it! Would you be interested in reading a “What’s in My Mailbox” post? I don’t think I’d post it once a week or anything (since i don’t get things that frequently), but maybe whenever I do get something in the mail. Please just feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!! 

(Just as a disclaimer, I am only posting this to 1) help spread the word about LORAC and 2) show you what to expect as I break down this large bundle into several single reviews over the next few weeks. Easier than trying to pack it all into one post! Many, many thanks to LORAC for sending me these review items! 🙂

Received my “Sweetheart VoxBox” just as February comes to a close! (Influenster, First Impression)

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So excited to discover yet another Influenster box at my doorstep the other day. 😀 As I did for my last box, this first post will just be my “first impression” post. I haven’t yet tested anything out (though I am itching to get into them!). So, let’s get started without delay!

As I’ve said before, if you’d like to be a part of Influenster and receive your own great products to review, let me know in the comments below (and leave your email address) and I will have a personal invitation sent your way ASAP! C’mon, you know you want to join —- who doesn’t like trying out new stuff, right? 🙂

Okay, so getting back on track. Let’s take a look at what I got! This time I am part of Influenster’s Sweetheart VoxBox 2013. What goodies did I discover within when I opened the box??

Olay Fresh Effects Powered Contour Cleansing System

Olay Fresh Effects Shine Minimizing Cleanser

Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response
Skinnygirl Daily On-the-Go Bars
Not Your Mother’s Volumizing Hair Spray

I am really excited about trying out these products! Especially the Not Your Mother’s hairspray and the Olay cleansing system. I have been having a lot of problems with my face and acne recently, so I am curious to see if the Olay system helps me exfoliate my skin more thoroughly. And I’ve heard a lot of things about that brand of hairspray, too!

The other two products — the deodorant and the bar — I am also looking forward to trying out, don’t get me wrong. The entire box was a delight to receive—each one! I plan to post a review for each item I received in the box in the coming weeks, as I test them out and see how they hold up. 🙂

Until then! 🙂

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.