arbonne awaken sea salt scrub- why it is a summer MUST HAVE!

hey guys! I mentioned this product on my 2014 summer essentials post, but I wanted to elaborate a bit more today, especially since I can offer you a discount for next few days! (until 6/27/14)

I consider this to be a staple for summertime because I use it every. single. day. to shave. 

why I love it: no matter what razor, shower gel, shaving cream, lotion, etc I've ever used, I've never been that girl with exceptionally smooth legs. I would shave, then have to apply lotion as soon as I got out of the shower, and then again later on if I wanted the moisture to last. ever since I started using this salt scrub to shave my legs my legs look and feel AMAZING! although I like to apply lotion when I get out of the shower no matter what, I can definitely get away with skipping the lotion altogether. my legs look smooth, shiny, sexy, and they feel amazing. it exfoliates which not only gets rid of the dead skin, but allows for a closer shave. 

but its not just for shaving. it can be used all over (besides the face of course). I don't use it on my full body every day, but on days I'll be showing a little, I just use the sea salt scrub all over and love the way my skin feels and SMELLS! it leaves a non-greasy, yet moisturizing oil behind so that your skin glows. 

how to use it: I just take a little scoop of the product and apply it straight to my legs, scrub allllll the dead skin off, then rinse. once the sea salt is gone, you're left with an oil. I just shave with the leftover oil, then rinse once more. it is the best, easiest, closest shave I've ever had! 

how to buy: this week I'm hosting an arbonne 'party' online for anyone who wants to try this or any other of arbonne's all natural products. you can click here to join the party on facebook and to find out about other products. you can also contact Kristin Daniels for more info on products.. all of her info is listed on the event description! AND because she is so kind, she is offering a great discount for anyone who orders from my party this week! if you order today, your order will be 35% off. if you order tomorrow (wednesday, 6/25) your order will be 30% off. thursday- 25% off. friday- 20% off. 

just join the online party and go to www.arbonne.com to browse products. if we aren't friends on facebook, just let Kristin know that you found her through makeup-your-mind blog! :-)

have a good day everyone!

-katie

hi guys! any time I post about subscription boxes (the two I subscribe to are birchbox & ipsy) I get a lot of questions on what they are, how they work, the price, my opinion, etc. so I thought I'd break it down a little today.

in general, you pay $10 a month for these 2 beauty subscription boxes, (the 2 I'm talking about today) and each month (anywhere between the 10th-20th) you get a box/bag of makeup and beauty goodies. I have been subscribed to both for a while now, so I sort of have a feel of where each box shines, and where I wish they would improve. here's the basics.


what do you get? 
birchbox: a box of samples and sometimes full-size products. they always include an 'extra' which isn't beauty related.. the extra could be chocolates, tea, bobby pins, a granola bar, jewelry, etc. the rest is beauty related, but not always makeup products. it ranges from skincare, perfume samples, nail polish, hair products, lotions, shower gel, mascara, lipstick, and so on.

ispy: while birchbox has a pretty broad range of types of products, ipsy is more specific. they usually send more makeup and skincare items than anything; however, I've gotten hair products, nail polish, lotions, skincare, etc before. their products tend to be full size (as in lips glosses or mascaras) with sample sized hair care and lotions.

what brands? 
birchbox: here is the major difference that I have noticed with the two subscriptions, and the key point that I think will help make your decision.. the quality and price point of the brands. birchbox tends to send expensive, high-end products in sample sizes. example: mally beauty mascara, bumble and bumble hair products, urban decay eyeliner. birchbox items comes in a cute little box, that I actually reuse sometimes.

ipsy: for the most part, ipsy sends cheaper, more affordable products in full size, but sometimes sample sizes. example: NYX lip gloss, elf makeup brushes. ipsy items come in a makeup bag, which is a great selling point, because you get a fun new bag to use every month. the bags are usually pretty cute too. at this point I have TONS of them, more than I can use, but I still think its a great perk.

can I control what products I receive?
birchbox: when you sign up you fill out a questionnaire all about you. they ask questions about your skin type, skin color, hair color, hair type, etc. they also find out what sort of products you prefer by asking about which price point you prefer your products and what 'level' you consider your beauty expertise. its very customized, and you can really tell that they take that into consideration (for example, after a few months I changed my profile to reflect that I no longer cared for skincare products, and I haven't gotten as many at all since then)

ipsy: ipsy is a little less customize-able. you do take a quiz but the questions are more generic about brands that you have or like and a couple questions about your skin and hair. for the most part, I think ipsy only has a few bags with product combinations that they send to everyone and its sort of just luck of the draw.

the wait list:
birchbox: there is a wait list for both subscriptions, however, I found that birchbox's was much shorter. the average is 2 weeks (I think mine may have been 3)

ipsy: ipsy's wait list seemed to take forever (almost 2 months for me) and its the biggest complaint I've heard. there are ways to come off the list, like referring 2 friends. they have you share it on facebook, send out emails, etc. and if you get 2 people to not only join, but pay the $10, then you can come off the list. I wasn't able to get 2 people to join so I just waited my turn.. it took forever, but it is worth it!

how can I subscribe?
here are my referral links!

birchbox: click here to sign up

ipsy: click here to sign up

other things worth mentioning..
you can really learn more about each by going to their website, but to save time, I'll give you some basic info. each subscription is $10 a month, and they automatically charge you. it can be cancelled at any time, free of charge. with birchbox, you can pay for the full year upfront, and it only costs $110 (so in theory, you get a month free). I have never had to use ipsy's customer service; I have had to contact birchbox (via email) because one of my items was damaged. they responded quickly and sent me a new item in a matter of days, so I was pleased with their level of customer service. each subscription has their perks, which is why I stay subscribed to both. they also have their downfalls (birchbox sends products I don't always use, ipsy sends super cheap brands I could buy myself, ie: NYX or elf) but I think they're both a lot of fun and its always nice to have a fun present in the mail each month!

if you guys have any more questions about birchbox or ipsy, or want my thoughts or opinion on which would be best for you, please feel free to ask! this month I posted my June birchbox and ipsy on instagram, so go check it out and follow me! @makupyourmind
-katie

all about hair!

so recently I asked on my instagram (@makupyourmind) for you guys to pick whether I posted about my favorite makeup brushes, or my favorite hair products... and hair won! so I made a little compilation of my current favorite hair products. granted, I try new things often and fall in and out of love with products often. so these are my current faves that I've been loving lately. 

I also wanted to note that I know my hair well. its tempermental and I know what works and what doesn't. and I'm sure people with different hair types have their own favorites that work for their hair. 

my hair is stick straight, flat, has not even the slightest bit of natural curl or wave, very fine, and has a tendency to get greasy by the end of the day. 

so keep all of that in mind, because if you have thick, curly hair, my faves may not work for you! okay here we go :)

1. Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo: if you don't have a dry shampoo in your life.. you're really missing out. this is one of two dry shampoos in this list, because I use them so often. this is actually a new favorite that I picked up on impulse, and was pleasantly surprised. I've been using the same dry shampoo for a while now (see #4) and haven't found anything else that works as well, but this one is definitely equal. I was kind of shocked because its definitely more wet than anything else I've tried. when I first sprayed it in my hair I said "oh crap" because I just knew I'd ruined my hair for the day.. but it dried quickly and gave my roots a MAJOR boost, and surprisingly absorbed all the oil. If you're looking for a good dry shampoo that you can find at your local Walmart, Target, drugstore, etc, GET THIS ONE!

2. L'Oreal Boost It High Lift Creation Spray: I like this product because it actually has multiple uses. I like the term "creation spray" because it really does let you create different looks or effects depending on how you use it. more than anything it gives nice lift and boost at the roots. I like to tease a little and, lifting the hair up, spray directly at the root. its not quite a hairspray, so it doesn't make it crunch or give extreme hold, but its just enough to make your hair look naturally voluminous, not helmet hair. the second way to use it, and my favorite, is as a texturizing spray. as silly as it sounds, my hair is a little too perfect. its just shiny and stick straight, so when I use my wand (see #6) to create messy, bed head-ish, beach waves, I tend to look a little more like Shirley Temple than a Victoria's Secret model. but when I spray this spray all over the waves and run my fingers through it, it gives it just enough of a messy texture, and I LOVE the look. my only complaint would be the smell. it has a very strong smell.. enough that I like to step out of the bathroom when I use it, or else it sort of fills up your lugs. but if you can get past that, its a great product. 

3. Not Your Mothers Beach Babe Texturizing Cream: this sort of goes hand in hand with what I was saying about the L'Oreal spray. I like it because it sort of 'roughs' my hair up a bit and makes my beachy waves look more texturized and messy. you only need a tiny bit to work through the hair when its damp before drying. it doesn't make a huge difference, but its great for messy, summer, bed-head hair. it also smells like coconut so just another reason to love it!

4. Batiste Dry Shampoo: I wont elaborate on this too much because I did a full review here and another post on how to apply dry shampoo here (scroll to the bottom for that part). But really all you need to know about this product is that I LOVE IT and have loved it for months. It is a powder spray that absorbs oils really well and gives your roots a boost. The smells are hit or miss, you have to try different ones to find out which you like.

5. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque: I don't want to say MUCH because I plan on doing a full review on this product very soon.. But I will say that it is my all-time favorite beauty product I have found lately (and that includes makeup, skincare, hair, etc) and it has changed my hair. This masque is amaaaazing and I can't wait to review it for you.

6. Hot Tools 1-1/4" Tapered Curling Wand: I thought I'd include a couple 'tools' in my list as well since I use them almost every day too. I ordered this on Amazon, but its also available at Ulta, and many other stores as well. I usually stick to cheap flat irons, curling irons, etc but I decided to buy Hot Tools for my wand, because this thin, stick straight hair needs lots of help. I love this wand because its easy to use. I wrap medium size pieces of hair around the wand (holding it upside down) away from my face all over, use the texturizing spray above, run my fingers through the waves, and voila! I have the perfect, effortless, beach waves.

7. John Frieda JF1 Full Volume Hair Dryer: ya know.. I never put much thought into blow dryers. to be honest, I used to just buy whichever one was cutest at WalMart. But my pink one stopped working and I had an Amazon gift card so I decided to buy this one because it said 'full volume' and well, why not? And I love it! In fact, my mom and sister used mine and they both bought one for themselves. I mainly love how much power it has and dries my hair quickly. It may seem weird, but I use the diffuser (yes, for my straight, fine hair) because it seems to be less direct heat on my hair, and makes it look and feel so healthy and lightweight. If you need a new blow dryer, try this one! 

I wanna hear about the hair products you can't live without.. comment below!