{CLOSED} Review and Giveaway!: Smith's Minted Rose lip balm

Happy Friday my lovely readers! :)

Today I'll be doing a mini review on the Smith's Minted Rose lip balm. Linda from Rosebud Perfume Co. liked my last review so much she offered to send me a tube of their new Minted Rose lip balm! Of course I happily accepted!

Minted Rose is such a lovely flavor made from a blend of trade secret essential oils and pure peppermint oil. It comes in the convenient tube packaging with charming mint green accents. The balm has a nice tingly sensation on the lips and is quite refreshing! It's just as moisturizing as the original but with with a wonderful minty zing! Many people have actually used this product for massage or applied it to their temples to help relieve headaches and tension. Smith's lip balms have so many uses other than moisturizing your lips and that's one of the reasons I love them!

GIVEAWAY

Linda was also kind enough to provide an extra tube of the Minted Rose lip balm for one of my lucky readers! I'm so excited to be having my first giveaway!

This giveaway is international and open to all readers.

To enter the giveaway:

-You must be following my blog either through Blogger (via Google Friend Connect) or Blog Lovin'. Let me know in your comment which one you're following me with.
-Leave a comment below saying you'd like to be entered and also provide an email address so that I may contact you if you are the winner.

The winner will be announced on August 10th! Good luck! <3

Review: Gilded Lily Beauty

I love Etsy and it’s community of small businesses. I often browse around looking for vintage clothing and accessories or natural beauty products. Luckily I stumbled upon Gilded Lily Beauty! Gilded Lily Beauty is run by the very sweet Candace who makes bath and body products by hand. Her line of products are inspired by the culture of the 1920’s and 1930’s. I must admit that the packaging was what caught my eye and led me to her shop! I’m a sucker for any sort of vintage or retro packaging haha. All of her products have such darling names as well, including “Victory Garden” and “Boudoir”.

Candace was kind enough to send me a couple of her products for review. I was so excited to receive them! A few days later I got a package containing a bottle of “Silk Stockings” hand and body lotion, a bar of “Victory Garden” goat’s milk soap and a sample of the “Boudoir” goat’s milk soap. Of course I smelled everything right away and it was heavenly!




Silk Stockings Hand & Body Lotion ($15): I picked out this lotion purely for the name and I’m glad I did! I’m not kidding you all when I say that this is probably my new favorite lotion. Silk Stockings has an almond, vanilla, cocoa and musk scent and it’s truly delightful! It contains sunflower oil and coconut oil combined with shea butter and aloe which makes a wonderfully rich and creamy texture. There is also silk amino acids in the lotion to help soften the skin. What I love most about this product is that it absorbs into the skin so fast! It doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy at all.







Victory Garden Goat’s Milk Soap ($7): First of all I love the name of this soap! Victory Gardens were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted on private residences and parks during WW1 and WW2 to increase food production.

The soap itself has a beautiful floral design on top. It’s so pretty I almost didn’t want to use it! As soon as I removed the packaging I could instantly smell sweet blackberries! There is also a hint of sage which is very nice. This soap also contains goat’s milk which makes a nice creamy lather. Goat’s milk has lactic acid in it and lactic acid is great for naturally exfoliating the skin. I felt nice and clean after using it but not super dry and tight like some soaps can do!

Boudoir Goat’s Milk Soap ($7): This soap smells so beautiful! It immediately made me think of old Hollywood. Boudoir has a rich green fig, coconut milk and musk scent. I usually don’t like musk because it tends to give me a headache but the musk in this soap isn’t too overpowering and was actually very nice. I’m definitely going to purchase a full bar of this soap next time!

I can honestly say that I love each product I received and think they smell just lovely! I only review products on my blog that I believe in and stand behind 100%. I especially like to support smaller companies that create quality products. Candace makes a wonderful line of products at fair prices. With that being said I highly recommend checking out Gilded Lily Beauty.

Gilded Lily Products can be purchased at http://www.etsy.com/shop/GildedLilyBeauty

*NOTE: These products were sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes. I was not paid for this review and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Review: Rosebud Lip Balm Trio

"The Rosebud Perfume Company, Inc. was founded by George F. Smith in 1895. The business began in a small drugstore across the street from what is now the "Rosebud Building". The Rosebud Perfume Company, Inc. distributes its salves and lip balms throughout the world and is enjoyed by celebrities, athletes, homemakers, and health care providers alike." - rosebudperfume.com

Once known as Smith's "Balsam of Rosebuds" is now what we know as Smith's "Rosebud Salve". Linda over at Rosebud Perfume Co. was kind enough to send me their Rosebud Medley of Lip Balm Tubes for review. I was quite excited because Smith's Rosebud Salve has become a bit of a cult product in the beauty community.





The Rosebud Perfume Co. is based in Woodsboro, Maryland so my package arrived quickly since I live in Virginia Beach. First of all the packaging of this product is stunning! The tubes are encased in a beautiful circular tin embossed with the Rosebud logo. Inside the tin was a tube of the Rosebud Salve, Strawberry Lip Balm and Mocha Rose Lip Balm.





Smith's Rosebud Salve: This salve has been a favorite since 1892! It must be because of it's many uses. For instance you can use it as an eye makeup remover, cuticle softener and sunburn easer. You can even use it around the eyes or on the throat for dry or wrinkled skin. It also has many cosmetic uses! Rosebud Salve can be used to tame eyebrows, smooth any fly-aways or frizzy hair, and as an eye makeup base. I like to use it as my nighttime lip moisturizer. It has a nice rose scent and emollient texture. My lips are super soft in the morning!

Strawberry Lip Balm: This has all of the goodness of the original balm but with a trade secret blend of strawberry flavors! I love strawberries so I was delighted to see it when I opened the tin! It's a great flavor for the summer months.

Mocha Rose Lip Balm: I didn't even know this scent existed and was very intrigued. It ended up being my favorite out of the three! I must admit that I have a bit of a sweet tooth so of course I thought this smelled amazing. Again, it's just as great as the original but with a delicious chocolate café scent!

I would definitely recommend any of the Smith's lip balms. They are great multipurpose products sold at a reasonable price. Most of the lip balm tubes and tins range from $6-$8. You may purchase Rosebud Perfume Co. products at your local Sephora. For a full list of other retailers please click here.

*NOTE: These products were sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes. I was not paid for this review and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

My Favorite Red Lipstick

"What is your favorite red lipstick?" is one question I get asked a lot! My answer always used to be MAC's Russian Red but as of last year it has changed.





Julie Hewett's company was generous enough to provide me with a lipstick shade of my choice to review. I chose Rouge Noir and ended up loving it so much that it is now my all time favorite red lipstick! It really is the perfect retro red in my opinion. It's a matte lipstick but doesn't feel overly drying which is one of the reasons I prefer it over MAC. It also has an incredible staying power! I filmed a more in depth review of this product that I posted on my YouTube channel a few months back.

Sculpture Pin Curler Review

Last month I was sent the Sculpture Pin Curler for review and I was super excited because I had been itching to try it! (Stay tuned for tomorrow's post because I will demonstrate how to use the Sculpture Pin Curler!)

First of the all the retro pink packaging is amazing! It looks like an actual product straight from the 1940's. Perfect for any vintage loving gal!




This is what the pin curling tool looks like. It's made of durable plastic and has two different ends so you can choose what size pin curl you'd like to do.




Inside the box were step by step instructions on how to use the pin curler. There is also a booklet containing different setting patterns you can use, hair partings and even info on how to care for dry and oily hair!






I also received two bonus posters. The smaller of the two shows 81 different ways that you can style your hair using pin curls.




The second poster is pretty big! It shows ways you can style your hair using different partings. I actually love it and have it hanging up in my room!




The Sculpture Pin Curler in my opinion is a great tool. I have used it a few times already and find it to be very convenient. My hair is pretty long at the moment so I only use it for my bangs and sides but now I don't have to worry about my arms hurting afterwards haha.

If you are new to pin curling I think this tool would help out a lot. It's so easy to use and you'll have authentic pin curls in no time! Even if you aren't new to pin curling I think it would cut the process in half and who doesn't love saving time?

You can purchase the Sculpture Pin Curler at www.vintagehair.com for $35. Right now for a limited time you will receive 2 Sculpture Pin Curlers per box purchased. So you can either keep it for yourself or give it to a friend!

*Note: I was sent the Sculpture Pin Curler free of charge for reviewing purposes. I was not paid for this review and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox

I'm sure by now that many of you know or have heard of Influenster. You basically get free product in exchange for your thoughts and reviews. It's totally free to sign up! If you're just starting out in the YouTube or Blog universe I think it's a great opportunity and highly recommend signing up for an account. I mean who doesn't love free stuff? For more info please go to www.influenster.com. You can also just type "Influenster" or "VoxBox" into YouTube and tons of videos will show up explaining it all in more detail!





1. Sheer Cover Duo Concealer (Light/Medium) - As soon as I saw it I already knew it was going to be too dark for me. Which really stinks because I am in need of concealer right now and was hoping this would work out! I tested it out on my hand and it has nice coverage and a creamy consistency. Ah the curse of pale skin! I'll most likely have to give this away to someone in my family.

I did notice that you can't buy this product individually though. It is only sold in a one-month supply kit of 6 products + 3 bonus products for $29.95. I guess the price really isn't that bad for what you are getting but it could be inconvenient to someone who just wants to purchase the concealer.

2. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash (travel size) - I love travel sized products! They are so convenient to just throw in your bag or suitcase when it's time to go on a trip. The scent of this body wash is pleasant and not too overpowering. My skin was somewhat softer after using it but not enough to notice a real difference. Maybe if I used it continuously I would see better results. It retails for $6.99-8.99 for a full sized bottle. To me that is a little pricey for a body wash and I probably wouldn't buy it unless it was on sale. What can I say, I tend to be frugal when it comes to these things.

3. ChapStick Lip SHIELD - I don't really have much to say about this item. It's nice to have an SPF of 50 in it especially with summer right around the corner. The scent is actually quite nice and doesn't have that overwhelming sunscreen smell. My husband uses chapstick more than I do. I'm a fan of Smith's Rosebud Salve. Would I buy it? I might if I saw it but I probably wouldn't go out my way to find it.

4. Sally Hansen Salon Effects - I actually really love nail polish strips! I have used another brand before and thought they were so convenient. I find that they last a lot longer on my nails than if I put regular old nail polish on myself. Which is good for me because I am notorious for chipped nail polish. I don't know why but nail polish just does not like me! If you have any tips please let me know!

The only negative thing I can say about this item is the style they sent me. It's called "Frock Star" and it's very glittery. Not that I don't like a little bit of glitter but this is overkill. Maybe I would have liked it better if it was just silver in color but it's silver, green, blue, red, and gold. For some reason it's reminds me of a kid's birthday party or a clown.

5. Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist (Moonlight Path) - I was dreading that I would get the Moonlight Path scent and I did haha. Oh well. It's a FULL size product for free so I really can't complain! I love Bath & Body Works but I just never liked Moonlight Path. To me it has a very strong powder smell and would probably give me a headache soon enough. I'll probably end up giving it away to my mom haha.

6. SOYJOY Bar (Strawberry flavor) - I thought it was delicious! I think it would be a great on the go snack you can just throw in your purse. Plus it's only 130 calories and gluten free! Next time I'm at the store I will definitely be picking up some of the other flavors to try!

7. Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot cushions - These were a bonus item thrown in the box. I'll be honest and say that I rarely ever wear heels. I look like a total idiot walking in them and they make my feet hurt like hell. They do feel like they would be comfortable though. Maybe I'll put them to use and give heels another try!

Review: Stiletto Cosmetics

Hey dolls! Today I'll be doing a long overdue review on a couple of products from Stiletto Cosmetics. It all came very nicely packaged in a leopard print box which I thought was very cute! I was sent some business cards, a blush in the color Afterglow, and a gel eyeliner in Midnite Black. Each product also came in a little black mesh drawstring pouch.

The Afterglow blush is a pressed mineral powder in a nice bubblegum pink color. Perfect for any pin up look! It's packaged in a small round tin and embossed in a neat wave design. It also comes with a handy brush to apply it with. The blush retails for $32.00 but right now it is on sale for $29 on the Stiletto Cosmetics website. I know that may seem like a steep price for a blush in today's economy but if you can spare the money for it then I would give it a try. It's a nice quality blush with good pigmentation!

I was in desperate need of a new gel eyeliner so I was very happy to be sent one for review! Midnite Black is a jet black color with a bit of gold shimmer in it. It's not too much shimmer though and doesn't make you look like a disco ball. It has a very creamy consistency and easy to apply which I love! The eyeliner also comes with an angled brush to use with it but it's a little too thick for my taste. I actually use it for my brows instead. So if you don't want to use it for the eyeliner you can certainly find another use for it! It retails for $17.00 which is a reasonable price in my opinion.

Here are the swatches of each product on my hand.

Overall I think this is a company worth checking out. They carry good quality products and the pin up packaging is adorable! Right now they are having a 40% off sale on their website and free shipping so it would be a great time to try some products out if you are interested!

My New Dolly Bag!

I was so excited to see that my Dungaree Dolly package had arrived today! This is my second bag from this company and I absolutely adore it!

It's always so nice to get a package from Dolly because it's wrapped just like a present and feels like Christmas! Mine was wrapped in hot pink and green leopard print tissue paper with a neon green ribbon...so cute!

This is the front of the bag. This is the Charlotte bag I believe and I picked the monster fabric for it. I'm obsessed with Universal Monsters so when I saw that she had this print back in stock I had to jump on it! I especially love the little faux leather bows and accents in the corners.

This inside is a bright neon green and has pockets inside for your cell phone, sunglasses, etc...oh and even a little place to put your pen!

This is the back..

Beth makes all her bags from scratch so you know you are getting something one of a kind! I highly recommend this company. She is very sweet and gives great customer service. Oh and let's not forget the beautiful handmade bags! So head on over to DungareeDolly.com!