What's Your Opinion on MyGlam?

YouTube Beauty Guru Michelle Phan's new pet project MyGlam is causing quite a beauty stir.

Due to poor lighting (couldn't snap any good photos), today's "Thrifty Thursday" post is suspended. Instead, I'd like to open a discussion about the new kid on the monthly beauty product sample club block. Whew, that was a mouthful right? Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, here are the names of the beauty sample clubs and some deets, as reported by Katherine at Handmade Reviews:




United States

• Beautyfix ($49.99/three months)
• You'll choose the 8 products you want to receive and pay $49.99.
• Birchbox ($10/month)
• Each month, you get 4-6 beauty products ranging from samples, deluxe samples, to full sized. You can review the items you receive to earn points and then redeem the points for $ off the full sized products.
• Eco-Emi ($15/month)
• Eco-Emi sends out environmentally friendly products, including cosmetics, health, food, and household items.
• GoGoGirlfriend ($12.95/month)
• Health and beauty samples with two different membership types.
• His Black Box ($12/month)
• Monthly samples for men.
• Julep Maven ($19.99/month)
• Hand, nail and foot care subscription.
• Makeup Monthly ($30/month)
• There have been rumors of this company shipping out discontinued or expired makeup. As there are so many other reliable services available, I do not recommend you try them.
• MyGlam ($10/month)
• Michelle Phan's service in which every month, you receive a Glam Bag with 4 to 5 full-sized products or deluxe-sized samples.
• New Beauty Test Tube ($29.95 + $8.95 shipping = $38.90/three months)
• This is very expensive, but the products you get are also more expensive than the others.

Canada:

• Loose Button or Luxe Box ($12/month)
• Delivers 4-5 deluxe beauty samples monthly.
• Glymm ($10/month)
• Delivers 4-5 deluxe beauty samples every month.

United Kingdom:

• Amarya Beauty Box (£10/month or £120/year.)
• Every month you get one or more full sized product plus samples.
• Boudoir Prive (£10 + £2.95 = £12.95/month)
• You get 5-6 deluxe beauty products every month.
• Feel Unique Beauty Box (£9.95/month)
• You get 5 deluxe beauty products every month.
• GlossyBox (£10 month + £2.95 shipping = £12.95/month)
• Every month GlossyBox delivers a mix of 5 product miniatures packed in a beautiful box.
• Latest In Beauty (starts at £1/month)
• Get monthly boxes for a higher fee or just a sample here and there for cheaper.

Australia:

• Lust Have It ($14.95/month or $160/12 months)
• Monthly Lust Pack with 5 to 6 premium size samples plus a reward program similar to Birchbox.

 And now that you have an idea, let's get to the bread and butter of this post. I have to admit that when I first heard of these "clubs", I wasn't interested. Being a relatively dark skinned kinky/curly haired black woman, I didn't think any of these clubs would be sensitive to my needs or the needs of women like me. In all the blog reviews I've read, forums I've scoured and videos I've watched none of the women like me were impressed with the samples they received. Beauty is a big booming money making industry and there's no sign of its growth abating, this is the reason why beauty subscription clubs will be popular and profitable. But will ethnic women be left out in the cold? Let's take a look at the "stylists" for MyGlam:

These are all wildly popular (based on stats from YouTube) "beauty gurus" from Youtube. Personally, I'm subscribed to three (Michelle, Promise and Andrea) of the five and usually enjoy their videos. Of the three, I like Promise the most because she does transformation tutorials. She once did a tutorial where she turned herself into Mystique (X-Men Character) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana's character from Avatar). Many of Promise's transformation tuts are usually great for any woman to recreate (men too) regardless of her (or his) ethnicity. I like some of Michelle's videos because she has some great DIY's and tips/tricks. I watch Andrea's videos mostly because she's funny. That being said, rarely do I use any of their regular makeup tutorials...our complexions are just too dissimilar. Despite the glaring differences, I still like them and thus, wanted to support their MyGlam venture. I figured that since the three "gurus" I like are women of ethnicity, perhaps they'd make special concessions when approving products for the "Glam Bags". Just in case though, I wrote them an e-mail...




Me:


To Whom It May Concern: I ticked the wrong box for the age question on the sign up quiz, will this affect my subscription at all or is the question strictly for demographic purposes? Also, I'm slightly concerned that none of the gurus on the beauty team are black women. I'm a dark skinned black woman and would really appreciate having a guru that I can more closely identify with. I admire and really like the current panel of gurus, but their tutorials/product choices aren't always appropriate for dark skin. I hope those of us with darker skin tones and coarse hair will be taken into consideration when the Glam Bag products are chosen. Thank you for your time and anticipated sensitivity to my concerns, I'm looking forward to my first Glam Bag.

Regards,
Nicole, A Beauty & Style Enthusiast 

Response from Nicole Robinson-Anderson:  

Hi Nicole,

The quiz answers don't affect what products you will get in your Glam Bag, so no worries. As far as the gurus, Andrea is actually black, but I do understand where you are coming from as her choices are not always suitable for darker skin. I am black, and a few shades darker than Andrea so even some of the stuff she wears is too light for me. My suggestion is that when you find a look you like, when you go to purchase this, you can take the name of the color the guru used and ask someone who works for the store or brand to assist you in finding that same type of look in your own suitable shade.

Hope that helps!!

xoxo
Nicole with MyGlam

Me:

Hi back Nicole,

Thanks so much for writing back, I appreciate it. In all honesty, your response didn't really address my concerns about the products that may or may not be included in the Glam Bags. It's easy enough to watch a tutorial and switch out products that don't work for my dark skin and kinky hair, my concern however, is about the Glam Bag products themselves. Although I know this service is optional and I don't have to participate, I really want to. As I said before, I happen to like some of the gurus who are on board for this project and they are the main reason I chose to support the venture. That being said, I'm still worried that the needs of dark skinned kinky haired women may not be addressed since there doesn't appear to be anyone who fairly represents them. I'm hoping for the best when my first Glam Bag arrives...

Regards, 

Nicole, A Beauty & Style Enthusiast

Response from Nicole Robinson-Anderson:

Hi Nicole,

If you do not like the products, you can cancel at any time for sure. As I stated before, the products sent are not based on skin color, ethnicity, or even personal preference. The point is to allow people to try new things. If the products are not satisfactory for you, just log into your account and cancel, but maybe just try and give it a try for 2 months before you make a final decision.

xoxo
Nicole with MyGlam

**Every customer is V.I.P. at MyGlam**

 End transmission. Now, is it just me or was her last response a little snarky? I don't know much about running a business and marketing, but I do know that customer service/satisfaction is key. If you don't do your best to satisfy the concerns of your customers and provide them with good products and experiences, you can kiss your reputation goodbye. I wasn't pleased with the response I received to say the least. 

So even though I haven't received my first "Glam Bag" (I've certainly been charged though) I'm considering canceling. I would love to take part in one of these monthly beauty sample clubs, but I need to know that the products I receive will reflect me...or at least be something I can use.

What do you think? Am I being overly sensitive about the e-mail response? Should I stick with the subscription for a month or two and see if I can use/like what I receive? What would you do? Let a sistah know please!

By the way, the His Black Box would make a great gift for your significant other/husband/brother/father/etc. ;-)

Everyone loves the drugstore!

What's not to love? You can buy food, reading material, personal sanitary items, makeup, etc. all in one spot...plus they have great sales! Am I right or am I right? 


I stopped in my local Walgreens recently because I was notified of their BOGO on Shea Moisture products and a coupon for a dollar off the latest issue of InStyle magazine. I'm as thrifty as they come, so you know I wasn't going to miss out...and I didn't...

You may not have noticed, but I also picked up the new Maybelline EyeStudio Master Drama Cream Pencil in Midnight Master. 

Just in case you don't want to click the link, here's what Maybelline says about the new liner:

Product Details

Why You'll Love It

Experience the new generation of liner:            
• Oil-free cream formula holds the highest concentration of pigments for more intense eye drama.
• Smudgeproof and waterproof for 16 hours.
• Most intense line for lasting drama.                                                  
• Safe for sensitive eyes and ophthalmologist-tested.
• Contact lens safe.

For Best Results

2 SIMPLE STEPS:
1. Start at inner corner of upper eye. Extend beyond top lash line.
2. Extend lower line inward so lines meet in the inner corner of eye.


The product page also offers a tutorial on how to achieve the signature look from the t.v. commercial. You'll have to click the link to see it though because I haven't figured out how to embed it. Honestly, I'm not sure how this liner is going to work out. I swatched it on my hand and then rubbed my finger over it and it faded immediately. It didn't run or smudge, but it did fade. I'll try it on my eyes one my current liner runs out though. Sidenote: The package said this liner would last up to 24 hours but the product page says 16 hours...which is it Maybelline?



For those interested in the Shea Moisture BOGO, the sale ends Friday. Get it while the getting is good! What's your favorite drugstore brand? Let a sistah know!

And the verdict is...

No dice on the Sephora blushes. I packed them on until my face felt itchy and burn-y and still nada. All three blushes are very pretty in the pan but none of them translated to color on my cheeks. Abricot Plaisir and Bronze Sensation showed up as a hint of shimmer but no true color.  Sad too because I wanted to like them, I really did. Guess I’ll be getting that Nars Orgasm after all…maybe. That color doesn’t strike me as all that rich or deep either. I’m not the darkest berry in the basket, but finding a blush that shows up on me is becoming quite challenging. Ah well, back to the old blush drawing board. I’ll be dropping the Sephora blushes back in their handy dandy bubble envelope and sending them right back to their warehouse. Other than that…

No FOTD today chickadees, I didn’t wear a lick of makeup. In fashion news, a little birdy tweeted that H&M will be launching an e-commerce site for the United States…

Now the e-store won’t be opening until end of 2011/beginning of 2012 so don’t get too excited…yet. Though I’ve never shopped at H&M before, I’m actually looking forward to this. That’s all folks!

Better than good Friday!

This Friday is a great Friday because #1, I'm feeling better! My antibiotics must have decided to kick in because I can breathe through my nose and the solid block of congestion that took up residence in my chest almost three weeks ago is dissipating. I'm so relieved I don't even have the words to articulate it...I'll settle for a nice deep breath *breathing deep*

Thanks Apothica!

#2, I got my Apothica order today! I am really really impressed with how quickly this order arrived...I mean, I just placed the order late Wednesday afternoon. I can't wait to test the Sheseido moisturizer and play with the Stila Color Wheel tomorrow. I'll make sure I do a FOTD post tomorrow using the Stila palette.





The two products actually arrived separately; the Sheseido moisturizer came via UPS (from Cosmetic Mall) and the Stila Color Wheel came via USPS Priority (direct from Apothica). That was kind of disconcerting because had I not been home, the Sheseido product would have been sent back to the UPS sort facility for redelivery. I'm assuming that Apothica may outsource for products they don't have in their warehouse at the time. Though I understand things happen, I'm hoping next time I place an order my products will be shipped via USPS Priority as stated on the Apothica website. Other than that, I have no beef! Both packages were securely shrouded in bubble wrap, arrived undamaged and sooner than I expected.  

In other news....

Two coats of Foxy Lady by Milani

My third Milani of the month didn't turn out so well. I applied it last night and today it looks like this...













The other hand looks even worse. Though I love the colors, the brushes and the smoothness of the formulas, I just can't deal with how long it takes for these polishes to dry. Perhaps this is why they have sat for so long unused on my nail polish rack. I'll either have to learn to be completely still for an hour or two after I do my nails or stop buying Milani polishes. Does anyone else have an issue with Milani polishes?




My other issue is with NYX eye shadows.


*Begin rant*


I haaaaaaaate NYX eye shadows sooooooo much! They are chalky, way too soft and too many of them have horrible color pay off. I have tried with NYX, I really have, but they just can't have anymore of my money (for eye shadows anyway). I bought 43 of their single shadows during a sale they had back in 2008 ($43) and bought their box of shadows a few weeks ago ($35). I wound up giving the singles to my daughter in 2009 because I couldn't do anything with them. She in turn gave them to her cousin because she said the colors didn't look good and barely showed up on her dark skin. I'm not sure what I'll do with the box of shadows because my daughter has enough of my cast off makeup, lol.


You may wonder why I gave NYX more of my money in the first place....well, I thought perhaps my first experience was a fluke. Perhaps those single shadows were sold off cheap because they were part of a bad batch. No dice. They're just crap shadows. Sorry NYX, no bueno. I love NYXblushes and glosses, but their shadows are worse than Coastal Scents if you ask me. 




Despite the poor quality of the shadows, I still created an okay FOTD...

I used three different shades of purple eye shadow for this look. I lined my waterline with Sephora's Flashy Liner in Deep Black and smoked out my lower lashline with the same shade of purple that I lined my upper lashline with. My cheeks were treated with Milani's Mineral Blush in Sunset Beach and my lips were covered with Mabelline ColorSensational Lipstain in Plum Flushed (topped by a Revlon gloss called Bronze Sensation). Even with my Sigma brushes, this was a chore to pull off. Not bad looking though if I do say so myself :-)

That's my Friday thus far....how was yours? Any big plans for the weekend? 

I'll holla ;-)

Have you tried Apothica?

I don't know about you, but I like my beautification supplies. From eye shadow to lipsticks to fingernail polish, all I can say, is ooh eye like it! Hence the blog name right, lol? So anyway, I recently received a gift card from Apothica.com and perused their site getting acquainted with the brands they offer...they offer a lot! So much in fact, I've gone over the site several times for a few hours at a time and have had the hardest time making up my mind on what to get. Sheseido, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox and many many more, the selection is incredible! Along with some of the aforementioned brands, Apothica also carries brands that I've never heard of like BECCA Cosmetics, It Cosmetics, Twist & Pout, Diane Brill and more. As I was going through the different brands I even noticed new brands being added as I browsed. I know things move quickly in the world of beauty, but Apothica seemed to really be on the ball, lol.

Image taken from the Apothica website.

At any rate, I must have spent 4 or more hours browsing (even enlisting help from my bestie Shan) before I finally decided on the Sheseido Pureness Matifying Moisturizer...

















I've been searching for what seems like eternity for the perfect moisturizer for my super oily skin. I'm hoping the Sheseido will be a good fit for me. I also selected the Stila Cosmetics Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette...

Image taken from the Apothica website.

I'm really looking forward to playing around with the Stila Color Wheel because it comes with a pro artist lookbook that can be used to create different looks. This will be great for me because I'm still very much a novice when it comes to makeup application techniques. 




After making my choices, I checked out with my Apothica gift card (they also accept Paypal) and promptly received an order confirmation e-mail. I was really impressed by how swiftly the order was confirmed because I'd just hit the submit order button. Since it was late in the afternoon when I placed my order, I fully expected no more info until the next business day....but guess who received a shipping confirmation email a couple hours later? Yep, that's right! I've ordered lots of beauty supplies from lots of different beauty sites, but never have I experienced such a quick turnaround. I can't help but rub my greedy little fingers together in anticipation of my goodies :-)




Other things to note about Apothica:


All U.S. orders of $49 or more ship free via USPS Priority Mail and arrive in approximately 2-7 business days.


60 day, hassle free return policy.


Loyalty points - 5% back in rewards.


Guaranteed lowest price - 115% price matching.




If you haven't already been to the site, I suggest you check it out now. After all, you can never have too many sources for good beauty products ;-)


Let me know if/what you buy, I love hauls :-D


Later gators!






*This blog post is sponsored by Apothica.com. Though a sponsored post, my opinions of Apothica.com and my account of my experience with their website are honest and unbiased.*

On the mend...

Source

I just looooove cats don't you, lol? So yesterday I finally went to the doctor, hooray for me! I've been sick with a terrible upper respiratory infection for two weeks and it has been the most miserable two weeks of my life since 2000. I was sick like this back in 2000 for three weeks. I had just switched jobs and my insurance hadn't kicked in so I had to suffer through. Since I stuck it out back then, I thought I could do it now too, but I didn't seem to be getting better. I tried several home remedies, nearly drowned myself in teas and chicken noodle soup and even tried sleeping my way through the sickness; all to no avail. I had to see a doctor....and so I did. The kindly doctor told me I could have avoided all this had I been using a humidifier as soon as winter started. She said that dry air aggravates the mucous membranes thus causing the risk of infection to increase. So for all you out there in winter wonderland and dry air, get a humidifier STAT! Along with her stern motherly advice, the good doctor also prescribed a course of antibiotics and a very strong prescription strength cold syrup. I took the syrup last night before bed and was out like a light. Though I'm supposed to take it three times a day, I probably won't. I don't much care for drugs and the way they make me feel. At any rate, I'm hoping the antibiotics will kick in soon so I can get back to my old self.

Mr. Sandman by Milani

Other than that, I've been practicing applying makeup (i.e. eye makeup/blush, I no longer wear foundation) and resting my sickly body. I'm nowhere near close to making my January goals (sad face) due to my illness, but I'm going to do my best to knock out as many as I can. In the meantime, here is a pic of the second Milani polish of the month...



I'm not a fan of this color but I have to say, I love Milani nail polish. The formulas are almost always smooth, they're usually opaque in two coats, the brushes are perfect to me and they have some really beautiful colors. One thing I do dislike about Milani polish is the fact that they take FOREVER to dry. Even with the miraculously fast drying Poshe base and top coat, this polish took forever. Mr. Sandman actually smudged and dimpled because I didn't wait long enough for it to dry before I went to bed. C'est la vie.




And just for your viewing pleasure (and some constructive criticism) here are some makeup looks I created...

Products unknown. Shades of gray smokey eye.

Milani Eyeshadow in Flare on the lid, ELF shimmering dark brown shadow in the crease/outer corner, Mabelline shimmery beige shadow on browbone, Sephora Lash Plumper Mascara in Black on lashes, Sephora Flashy Liner in Deep Black smudged on waterline, NYX blush in Copper on cheeks, Mabelline ColorSensational Lipstain in Bit of Brown topped by ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Maple Sugar on lips

Sephora's Flashy Violet liner on the waterline with a smudging of black shadow underneath. NYX Jumbo pencil in Iced Mocha on the lid blended with 2 ELF shadows on the inner corner, outer v and crease. Sephora's Aspen Summit on the browbone. NYX Vixen on the lips and Mabelline's Lash Discovery in Very Black on the lashes.

Another really sick day. Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Violet on the upper & lower lashlines, Sephora Flashy Liner in Black on waterline, Mabelline Full&Soft Mascara in Very Black on lashes, Sephora Aspen Summit on Brownbone and Milani Mineral Blush in Sunset Beach lightly dusted on cheeks, clear gloss on lips.

I really don't like this look and I was feeling especially sick the day I did it. NYX blue on lid, NYX gold in crease, NYX cream on browbone, Mabelline sapphire liner & Mabelline Crazy 4 Coffee on lips.

Lancome 4Passion on lid, Lancome Pink Veil on browbone, Mabelline Black Smoke in crease/outer corner, Mabelline Unstoppable Liner in Onyx on upper lashline/ smudged on waterline, Mabelline Crazy for Coffee on lips, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara and NYX Desert Rose on cheeks.

Dark shimmery orange NYX shadow on lid, brownish wine NYX shadow in crease/on outer corner, light shimmery orange NYX shadow on browbone, dark brown matte ELF shadow on upper lashline, Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Ultra Brown smudged on waterline/lower lashline, Maybelline Full&Soft Mascara in Very Black on lashes, NYX Copper blush on cheeks and Mabelline ColorSensational Lipstain in Bit of Brown topped with ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Maple Sugar on lips.

Products unknown. Shimmery neutral eye with winged liner.

Products unknown. Shimmery neutral smokey eye.

Products unknown. Pink and purple smokey eye.

Those are the looks I did when I wasn't too sick to apply makeup, otherwise I was bare faced and in bed. So what do you think? Any tips or pointers? 

That's all for now folks. Adieu!

Bornmonth Buys and Shop Therapy

Been a long time. I shouldn't have left you, without a new blog to...oh never mind, lol.



How is everyone? I'm pretty good and getting better all the time :-)


Today Chicago was sooooo beautiful! It was warm, sunny, easy, breezy and all around wonderful. It's hard to believe that soon October will be over and we'll be that much closer to the biggest shopping season of the year. Are you ready? I must admit that I did a lot of shopping (didn't pay full retail for ANYTHING) at the end of the summer, through my birth month and right on into October. I caught some great sales, found some damn good deals and did very little damage to my wallet. I'm right proud of myself :-) Add to that, I deserved to splurge because the past 18 months have been pretty difficult. All the more reason to treat myself (and my children) and not cheat myself...right? I knew you'd agree, lol. At any rate, would you like to see what I got? I know you do ;-)

Slithering serpent ring and serpent encased Ankh ring from Ebay.

Cocktail rings from F21.

Cocktail rings from Charlotte Russe.

More F21 cocktail rings.

Medusa cuff & scissor necklaces from Lulu's. Studded cuff from Delia's. Earrings from F21.

Infinity scarves & headbands from F21.

Wedges from GoJane. Black suede Converse from Delia's.

Oversized sheer black cardigan, splatter patterned tank dress, shirred skirt (I got it in purple) & zebra tank with cropped tee from Yesstyle.

Broken stripe F21 top.

Barry M. Crackle effect & Dusty Mauve nail polish.

Sephora complexion brush, L'occitane Red Rice skin care travel set & Giovanni Dtox soap.

Mabelline CorlorSensational Lipstain, Mabelline Falsies Mascara & Sephora small eye shadow brush.

$4 one year subscription to Glamour magazine.

And thus concludes the things I bought myself over the past few months and for my bornday (which was September 6th).

Last but not least are the very awesome bornday gifts My bestie got me...

Sleek Original & Storm Palettes.

Okay that really is it, lol. Until next time, ciao bellas.

XOXO