Beauty Subscription · Make up

Hello, BoxyCharm! August 2017 Box

boxy charm | lookingjoligood.blog

As you may recall, I subscribed to Ipsy for over two years.  (How could you not recall since I wrote about my glam bags every month 😉)  I really looked forward to trying out the samples and loved getting my pink shiny envelope in the mail each month.

After a lot of going back and forth, I decided that I wanted to move on to something different.  And boxy charm it is!

Here is what I got in my first box:

wp-image-1706891474

(I’m going to write about what I got in my box from my least to most favorite…)

wp-image-1868149355

Waterproof Gel Eyeliner by Bellapierre $15.00

Creamy, waterproof eyeliner for true definition that lasts all day. The liner glides on smoothly, and is formulated with pure minerals, natural waxes, and antioxidants-making them hypoallergenic and safe for all skin types.

You know how I feel about receiving black eyeliners in these boxes…That being said, this liner is just ok.  Kinda stiff and waxy instead of smooth and creamy.  At $15, that is a huge no thanks from me.

boxy charm aloette | lookingjoligood.blog

Face Paint by Aloette $35.00

Aloette’s Face Paint point is enriched with Jojoba esthers, vitamin E, and other essential oils that will heal and nourish the skin while providing long-lasting, dewy color to the cheeks and lips. 

boxy charm aloette | lookingjoligood.blog

This is a really beautiful shade, but I’ve never really enjoyed cream blush products.  Probably because I am just not good at applying them…I’ve worn it on my lips a few times, but don’t really love the shade on my lips.  I may pass it along to someone else who might use it.

boxy charm pur lashes | lookingjoligood.blog

 

Pro Eyelashes by PÜR The Complexion Authority $14.00

PÜR’s 3D lashes are handcrafted with the finest luxury silk to provide ultra-lightweight, natural-looking, fuller lashes. These cruelty-free lashes are durable, reusable, and safe for contact wearers. 

These lashes are beautiful.  Personally, I don’t ever wear false lashes, and I don’t own any lash glue…so I can’t actually apply these.  But none the less, they are gorgeous.

boxy charm tarte rainforest of the sea | lookingjoligood.blog

boxy charm tarte rainforest of the sea | lookingjoligood.blog

 

Rainforest Of The Sea: Volume II by Tarte $36.00

Crease-free eyeshadow palette with the best-selling creamy powder formula in eight, cool-toned shades.

boxy charm tarte rainforest of the sea | lookingjoligood.blog

While these shadows are gorgeous, they are definitely not for a beginner.  They have a strange creamy texture.  While perfect for the lid, they don’t really blend well in the crease. I have found that applying each shade using my fingertips makes the shadows apply much better.  The golden shade is gorgeous as an over the entire lid shade.

boxy charm moda brush set | lookingjoligood.blog

MODA Pro 3-Piece Brush Set by Royal & Langnickel $26.00

This MODA Pro 3-piece brush set, features a pointed blush, chisel blender, and a crease brush. These brushes will achieve endless looks and can be used with both wet and dry products. 

I have used these brushes every day since receiving them. I’ve been using the largest one to apply bronzer and powder. With a unique curve design, this flat dense brush can be used to apply highlight, but I have been using it to contour my cheekbones. The thin one is my new favorite crease brush.  It is so soft and versatile.

boxy charm moda crease brush | lookingjoligood.blog

For now, I am only planning on getting Boxy Charm for three months.  We’ll see how things go because the first box I got is awesome, I may be wanting to continue my subscription past the three months.

boxycharm | lookingjoligood.blog

 

Do you get BoxyCharm?  Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are interested in seeing my other recent posts about ipsy click HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Love and Life

Responding to Closed Doors

This devotional from In Touch is too good not to share! Waiting on God after praying and praying and getting an answer of “yes, but not yet.” is so tough! Waiting on God’s blessings in His time are always worth the wait.

Responding to Closed Doors

Genesis 16:1-16

God answers prayer in one of three ways: “yes,” “no,” or “yes, but not yet.” This last reply seems to be the most dreaded— sometimes even more than an outright “no.” However, patience is an important trait for the Christian, as Scripture stresses repeatedly in stories, psalms, and epistles.

Waiting on the Lord to unlock a door is always wiser than attempting to pry it open ourselves, even when the delay has been long. After God promised him descendants (Gen. 12:2), Abraham lived for 25 years with an answer of “not yet.” After that quarter-century, the answer finally became “yes.” But meanwhile, Abraham and Sarah came up with their own plan to get an heir—Sarah’s servant Hagar bore Ishmael. The couple may have convinced themselves they were “helping” God live up to His prophecy, but really they were disobeying. The consequences were disastrous. Bitterness and blame affected every member of the family (Gen. 16:4-6; Gen. 21:9-10). What’s more, Ishmael’s people lived in enmity with their neighbors, and that hostility persists in the Middle East today (Gen. 21:9-14; Gen. 25:18).

Responding to Closed Doors | lookingjoligood.blog

Our patience gives God time to prepare the opportunity on the other side of a closed door. Even if we could force our way by manipulating circumstances, we would not be happy with what we find there. No one in Abraham’s camp was satisfied with the situation they created! We can have contentment and joy only when we access the Lord’s will at the very moment He ordained. The blessings we find on the other side of an open door are always worth the wait.

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram,  Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Beauty Subscription · Make up

Goodbye, Ipsy… Hello, BoxyCharm!

 

 

ipsy | lookingjoligood.blog

As you may recall, I subscribed to Ipsy for over two years.  (How could you not recall since I wrote about my glam bags every month 😉)  I really looked forward to trying out the samples and loved getting my pink shiny envelope in the mail each month.

After a lot of going back and forth, I decided that I wanted to move on to something different.  While I have really enjoyed so many of the samples that I received over the last few years, I felt as if I was getting bored with them, while also feeling overwhelmed with too many small sample products to try.  I am ready for change! 

Ipsy Glam Bag | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I went back and forth between getting a subscription for Boxy Charm or Glossy Box.  Both boxes are $21 per month. Both boxes seem to have deluxe and full-size samples.

From the research I did, Glossy Boxes has more skin care and deluxe samples, whereas Boxy Charm seems to have more makeup related items and full-size product.

I definitely prefer makeup and full-size products, but on the other hand, it is nice to be able to try out new skincare products that I might not ever try otherwise. It was a tough decision.

Boxycharm seemed to be the way to go. According to the website, Boxy Charm always has 4-5 full sized items and claims that each box has a value of $100 or more.

boxycharm | lookingjoligood.blog

So while this is my last month getting ipsy, I have finally I signed up for a subscription to Boxy Charm.  For now, I am only planning on getting Boxy Charm for three months.  We’ll see how things go.

Up until now, I was on the “waiting list” but received an email letting me know that I’ll be getting the August box.  I already saw a sneak peek of a few of the things that are in the August box and I am soooooo excited for what is coming in this month’s Boxycharm.

Stay tuned for a post when I get the box in a few weeks!

Do you get BoxyCharm?  Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are interested in seeing my other recent posts about ipsy click HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Beauty Subscription · Make up

Ipsy July 2017 Glam Bag (Last Glam Bag Ever…)

I know that I have been saying it for the last few months, but I finally went ahead and canceled my ipsy subscription.  I have been getting ipsy for more than two years now, and while I have really enjoyed the samples that I have gotten, I just felt like I am ready to move on to another subscription box.

Ok, I also realize that it is already August and I am only now writing about my July ipsy bag… Summer is so much fun and the time has been flying, I know it is not really an excuse….but I figured that since I love to see what everyone gets in their bags and especially since this is my last one, I figured I would still write about my July glam bag.

July’s theme is “Over Easy”

over easy | lookingjoligood.blog(If you don’t know what ipsy is you can check out my previous post all about it by clicking HERE)ipsy and gudetama | lookingjoligood.blogIf you follow me on Instagram you already saw what I got in my July glam bag. ipsy july 2017 | lookingjoligood.blogThis month’s bag is one of my LEAST favorite bags yet.  It has an egg yoke sleeping on the front and an egg butt on the back.  What? I really don’t get it?  I have a feeling that Gudetama must be something popular somewhere, but I am not impressed.  Hey, you can’t win them all right.gudetama | lookingjoligood.blogMy kids have been cracking themselves up over this bag ever since it came in the mail.  Every once in a while they’ll look at each other and say “Meh…” and start laughing.gudetama details | lookingjoligood.blog

Here is what I got in my July 2017 Ipsy Glam Bag:

brtc | lookingjoligood.blogBRTC Jasmine Waterful Sleeping Mask
I  have to be honest, I haven’t used this yet even though I got it almost a month ago.  I don’t want to jinx myself, but my skin has been great lately!  I have a great routine going right now and I just don’t want to mess with it…Maybe I will use this in the future for a “How ’bout Them Samples.”  As for now, I just can’t mess with fate.
iby | lookingjoligood.blogIBY Beauty Crease Brush
If you have read many of my other ipsy posts you already know how I feel about getting brushes.  I’ll spare you the details.  That being said, I have been enjoying using this brush.  The dense, domed shape makes this the perfect brush to blend out darker shadow shades and create definition.  The super soft, synthetic bristles are 100% vegan.

ofra swatch ofra eyeshadow  | lookingjoligood.blogYou know how I feel about tiny sample sizes, I get so annoyed.  I’m so glad that Ofra doesn’t cheap out on it’s samples like some other brand I won’t name (*cough the Balm cough*) This one is a great size!

Other ipsters may have gotten the shade Victory which is a mossy brown shade. (I’m glad that I got Gold Rush.)
tarte rainforest of the sea | lookingjoligood.blog

tarte cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea™ deep dive cleansing gel

Ummm, I haven’t used this one either…just read what I wrote under the BRTC Jasmine Waterful Sleeping Mask, it applies here too.  I really do love Tarte products though… The packaging is super cute.

Supposedly it gets off water proof makeup is hypoallergenic and non-drying.  It is also supposed to be a cleanser that’s ideal for daily use.  I don’t know, maybe it will be in a future “How ’bout Them Samples” along with the BRTC Jasmine Waterful Sleeping Mask.
trestique | lookingjoligood.blogtrèStiQue Mini Concealer Crayon in Porcelain
The packaging of trèStiQue products is super cute.  So if packaging is your thing, you’ll probably love all their products.  I haven’t used this concealer under my eyes, but instead as an eyeshadow primer.  It has a creamy, coconut oil-infused formula that feels hydrating.

 

boxycharm | lookingjoligood.blog

So while this is my last month getting ipsy, I have finally made up my mind and I signed up for a 3-month subscription to Boxy Charm.  Up until now, I was on the “waiting list” but actually just got an email last night that I’ll be getting the August box.

I already saw a sneak peek and I am soooooo excited for what is coming in this month’s Boxycharm.  Stay tuned for a post when I get the box in a few weeks!

Did you get a glam bag this month? What did you get in yours?  Were you happy with your samples? Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out? Let me know in the comments below.

Don’t forget, if you don’t already to ipsy subscribe and would like to try it out, you can use my referral link by clicking HERE!  Also, if you are interested in seeing my other recent posts about ipsy click HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Does Anything Taste As Good As Skinny Feels?

~Ditch The Diet~

In an interview with fashion magazine WWD in 2009, Kate Moss said her famous motto “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”

Both fans and critics have been quoting her ever since…

While, yes, as women, we love to feel “skinny”, and the culture around us puts so much importance on our outer appearance. It is very easy to get caught up in the “Thin Is In” mindset.

But at what cost?

Is it more important to be thin than to be healthy? Is being skinny more important than being able to enjoy your life? Is being skinny worth the price of your joints and kidneys? Is being skinny so important that it is worth starving for?

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20** That your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and that we are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

God tells us that we need to take care of our bodies because not only do they belong to Him, but they are also the house that the Holy Spirit lives in.

Don’t buy into the lie that being thin at any cost is more important than taking care of the body that God gave you to live in.

So while Kate Moss may have her motto, here is my motto “Skinny Never Looks As Good As Healthy Feels!”

Skinny Healthy | lookingjoligood.blog

**1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Are you enjoying these Ditch the Diet posts? You can read more by clicking HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Love and Life

There is no community like a community of women.

Elephants | lookingjoligood.blog

If you know me well, you know that I love animal facts!
My favorite of all the animals (besides my precious BT Tessie) is elephants. I love how they have such big personalities and memories and stick together and even cry for each other.

Jen Hatmaker also has a big personality and is one of my favorites. Here is a post from her that I wanted to share with all of you.

#Repost @jenhatmaker

・・・

A few months ago, my girl @nicholenordeman sent me a picture and a story.

 

It’s about female elephants. See, in the wild, when a mama elephant is giving birth, all the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. They close ranks so that the delivering mama cannot even be seen in the middle. They stomp and kick up dirt and soil to throw attackers off the scent and basically act like a pack of badasses.

.

They surround the mama and baby in protection, sending a clear signal to predators that if they want to attack their friend while she is vulnerable, they’ll have to get through 40 tons of female aggression first.

.

When the baby is delivered, the sister elephants do two things: they kick sand or dirt over the newborn to protect its fragile skin from the sun, and then they all start trumpeting, a female celebration of new life, of sisterhood, of something beautiful being born in a harsh, wild world despite enemies and attackers and predators and odds.

.

Scientists tell us this formation normally occurs in only two cases – under attack by predators like lions, or during the birth of a new elephant.

.

This is what we do, girls. When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are giving birth to new life, new ideas, new ministries, new spaces, when they are under attack, when they need their people to surround them so they can create, deliver, heal, recover…we get in formation. We close ranks and literally have each others’ backs. You want to mess with our sis? Come through us first. Good luck.

.

And when delivery comes, when new life makes its entrance, when healing finally begins, when the night has passed and our sister is ready to rise back up, we sound our trumpets because we saw it through together. We celebrate! We cheer! We raise our glasses and give thanks.

.

I have this picture saved in 3 different places & in a frame. (I also have an elephant ring given to me and my girlfriends from @taralivesay – it tells me: never alone.) Maybe you need this too. If you are closing ranks around a vulnerable sister, or if your girls have you surrounded while you are tender, this is how we do it.

.

There is no community like a community of women.

Love and Life

You Don’t Have To Try So Hard

Every once in a while I stop and ask myself “Laura, why are you doing what you are doing?”  I made a decision about 6 months ago to stop doing things for the wrong reasons.  I decided that if something is not bringing joy in my life I need to stop doing it. I can’t say that in the last 6 months I have always followed that decision, but I have tried to keep a check on my motives.

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.

Psalm 139:1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

When you're all alone, do you like you?Jeremiah 17:10 | lookingjoligood.blog

Jeremiah 12:3  But You know me, O LORD; You see me; And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You.

Jeremiah 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.

“Why are you doing what you are doing?” 

After making some changes, I have had more peace in the last few months than I have had in a long time.  I will continue to ask myself “Why are you doing what you are doing?” and I will also continue to answer myself honestly. Sometimes being honest with ourselves about our motives is one of the hardest parts.

There have been times that social media has been more of a drain on me than an enjoyment, so I have chosen to distance myself from it.  There have been people in my life that have been more of a drain on me emotionally than an enjoyment, so I distanced myself from them. The choice isn’t always permanent, but sometimes a bit of separation gives a chance to get things back into proper perspective.

Instead of letting others determine what we do, what we wear, how we decorate our houses, where we choose to go, we need to make choices for ourselves.  We should only be trying to make right choices for ourselves and the people and things that are truly important to us.

Saying yes all the time won’t make me Wonder Woman. It will make me a worn-out woman.

I am not talking about becoming self-centered, I am talking about becoming secure in yourself and making choices for yourself, not because of what other people want or what “they” will think.**

 

I heard this song the other day and the message of it really made me think.  It is so similar to what I have been pondering the last few months. What really matters is that when I am alone with myself, do I like the person that I am on the inside?!

Try by Colbie Caillat

Put your make-up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim so they like you, do they like you?

Get your sexy on
Don’t be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong, so they like you
Do you like you?

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try

Mm, mm

Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards
You don’t have to choose, buy it all, so they like you
Do they like you?

Wait a second,
Why, should you care, what they think of you
When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you?
Do you like you?

When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you?

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try

Mm, mm

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try

Take your make-up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don’t you like you?
‘Cause I like you

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

The Best Yes | lookingjoligood.blog

**A great book with a lot of great information about a similar topic is The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.  She is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times bestselling author of Uninvited. (Totally not sponsored at all, I just really enjoyed the information in this book.)

Beauty Subscription · Make up

Ipsy June 2017 Glam Bag

June’s Glam Bag theme is “Volume Up”

ipsy card

“Better turn that dial wayyy to the right.  This month #ipsyvolumeup challenges you to fearlessly express yourself. Be seen! Be heard! Shout your message from teh rooftop!”

Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog

(If you don’t know what ipsy is you can check out my previous post all about it by clicking HERE)

If you follow me on Instagram you already saw what I got in my June glam bag. 

glambag Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog

This month’s bag is one of my favorite bags yet.  It is a sturdy weight tan canvas material with a cartoon looking mouth on it.

“This loud and proud pouch is a not-so-subtle reminder to *always* speak your mind!”ipsy glam bag Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog

Here is what I got in my June 2017 ipsy glam bag:

bleautyblender Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog

Beaute Basics Travel Face Blender in Light Pink

Do not be deceived by the look of this face blender.  It may resemble the shape of a Beauty Blender.  It may be the same color as a Beauty Blender… but this, my friend, is no Beauty Blender! This thing is TERRIBLE!!! I may as well get a rock from my back yard and try to apply my makeup with it.  NOPE!

beauty blenders | lookingjoligood.blog

The instructions say to “wet the blender, give it a squeeze, and use a towel to absorb any excess water.” I assumed that the blender would become larger like most other sponges. It did soak up a ton of water, but it didn’t get any bigger or softer.  Save yourself $9.99 and buy a Real Techniques beauty sponge for $4.88. (Want to know what I think about how awesome the Real Techniques beauty sponges are, click HERE)
ipsy nyx Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog

NYX Professional Makeup Whipped Lip & Cheek Soufflé in Plush

So far the things that I have owned from NYX are some of my favorites.  As a brand overall, I really enjoy their products, this is not one of the things that I would ever consider buying on my own. It claims that it can be used on lips and cheeks.  It is a really pretty color, but it doesn’t really show up on my lips, and is not comfortable either.  Also, I will never use it on my cheeks because of the oily texture.  Kinda a waste of a sample for me.  Maybe someone else will get some use out of it because it really is a pretty color.

ipsters who got this product in their Glam Bag received the shades Cocoa Bean, Pink Cloud, or Plush (I got plush).

  • Cocoa Bean is a super versatile nude brown that also works great for contouring. 
  • Pink Cloud is a warm pinky coral that’s perf for a lit-from-within flush. 
  • Plush is a cool nude pink that looks awesome on literally all skin tones.
pur fully charged Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog
PÜR Mini Fully Charged Magnetic Mascara

I really love mascaras, but for some reason, I am just really tired of getting them in my glam bags.  To be honest, I haven’t even opened this one up to look at the brush.  Maybe I will just pass this along to someone else.  Kinda a waste of a sample…

skyn Ipsy june glam bag | lookingjoligood.blog

skyn ICELANDGlacial Face Wash with White Willow Bark

Surprisingly this is the thing that I am looking forward to using the most out of my 5 samples this month.  I have been really into skin care recently.

 

I have finally made up my mind and I am planning to get a 3-month subscription to Boxy Charm… but I haven’t signed up for it yet.  I have seen a few posts about what is in the June box.  I think that the RealHer eyeshadow palette looks great, but I am never going to wear the liquid lipstick and I’m not sure if I want the brush, face masks, and highlight.  I think that I’ll wait until next month.

boxycharm | lookingjoligood.blog

Did you get a glam bag this month? What did you get in yours?  Were you happy with your samples? Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out? Let me know in the comments below.

Don’t forget, if you don’t already to ipsy subscribe and would like to try it out, you can use my referral link by clicking HERE!  Also, if you are interested in seeing my other recent posts about ipsy click HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Quote

This Is How To Change The World

The world we live in is a scary and mean place.  The best way to change it is to be the change in it.  We can start one person at a time by teaching our children to be different than all the others.Teach your children | lookingjoligood.blog

This is how they’ll change the world, by us teaching them to be kind, offer help, be a friend, and look for the good!

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.