#ClearProof

I was recently lucky enough to be added in the Mary Kay Clear Proof Vox Box from Influenster. I was nervous to start it because, well, I've got some skin issues.

As Tina Fey says, I've got Chinacne, "the chin of a teenager.". That's legit. But that is the only place I get acne. I don't mean to brag but I've got excellent skin, I wouldn't trade it for anything

you can stop watching after 10 seconds.

The new products do help though, I broke out for a few days, at the very beginning, but I'm now three weeks in and I feel better about my teenager chin. I mean, hello! I'm 30. I shouldn't be getting this kind of acne.

Clear Proof does have one downside though, it dries me out. I use the wash in the shower, in the morning, then the toner, then the treatment gel, and then the moisturizer. And once I get the last step done, I don't feel so dried out. And a little bit of dryness for a few minutes is worth it considering how clear my chin looks.

Thankfully I've found a consultant for Mary Kay in my area so when I run out of this product I'll have no problem ordering more...And I'll need to order more since I'm not going back to Aveeno products for my face.

The Rose Vox Box

It's another VoxBox entry here on the Samantha Show.

This time I got some really awesome products. (Okay, everytime I get awesome products.)

To start off with I received some BelVita breakfast biscuits. I got the cinnamon ones but I've since purchased other flavors, and blueberry is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing to take for morning snack at school (Love teaching elementary.) They are safe for my peanut allergy students so I can eat them in the classroom and they taste amazing, The blueberry pieces are HUGE. Definitely a staple for me now.

My next favorite product is from Rimmel London (again), and it's their Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara. I'm not a huge fan of mascara but I did use it several times. It's brush makes for easy application and it stays all day. I am a glasses wearer so it's not something that is, or ever will be (regardless of brand), be part of my Go To make up regimen, but it's a great product for those of you that wear mascara. I even bought some of Rimmel London's gel eye liner, and I will say, for a practiced hand it would be great...me I kind of looked like a raccoon

After those two products I took a break from trying thing, mainly because I was so impressed. But then I bought some winter boots that were just a bit too small, but anything larger would have been....larger. So I whipped out the Dr Scholls For Her "Cozy Cushions". These were/are a Godsend. They are comfy and cozy, very warm, but they also put some extra lift in my shoe so that they stay in place and my foot doesn't slide around. I need to find another pair of these as I can't be bothered to keep switching from my black boots to the brown ones. I'm lazy, what can I say.

I also received some nail polish, and as you all know this is not my favorite item to try. I cannot paint my nails and the two types if polish I've received have been multi-stepped. This one from Kiss, Gradiation, was even more difficult than the one I had a few months ago. I liked the colors, individually, but putting them together was hard for me. And I wouldn't dream of asking a nail technician (I wear acrylics) to take the time and follow the steps. It was pretty but ultimately not the best product I've ever received.

Last but not least was the awesome surprise from Lindt, their milk chocolate truffle. What girl doesn't love chocolate? I mean really, even if you dislike other brands, Lindt is the supreme master. I didn't eat my truffle, I'll admit, but that's because I used them for my sister's baby shower and I can't even consider having another one. They are delicious but heavy. My hubby ate mine and of course, he loved it. He's European so prefers European chocolate. Lindt did not disappoint. 

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Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

So, you all know that I love trying new stuff. If you know me outside of blogger than you know that doesn't normally pertain to Makeup. I'm not really a girly girl who wants to spend the time blending and shading and adding layers to my face. But! I just started a new birth control and my breakouts are out of control. Thankfully I'm an "influenster" and at just the right time I was awarded a free trial of Rimmel London US's Stay Matte liquid mousse foundation.

I love this product. I hate to say that, it makes me physically cringe to admit to loving a makeup product, but it is amazing. I am a "true beige" color and while I think it's initially a little darker than my skin, I know i'll be able to maintain this color when summer comes around. But when I pair it with BB cream (not RimmelLondon, but I will be buying their brand ASAP) it's the prefect color. Normally what I do is throw on some moisturizer, not really a name brand kind of person, and just be done with "makeup."

That all changed when I got this foundation. Now I use the same moisturizer as before but a lot less of it, and then I dab on the Stay Matte foundation on trouble spots (breakouts, under my eyes, and my T zone) and then I add the BB cream and some lip gloss, because...if I'm already doing something I might as well finish it off. 

The best is yet to come! I just received new Rimmel London US's Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara. I've not used it yet, but I will tomorrow when I'm getting ready for work. My poor husband won't know what to do with me, in the four years we've been married I've never used mascara *I wear glasses and normally it's problematic*. I'm hoping that this new style of brush will give me fuller, longer lashes, without putting so much on my lashes that they streak my lenses. 

*picture to come*

Le Sigh

I wrote an entry over at prosebox.net about my awesome feeling of accomplishment for doing my first piece of activism. I attended an anti anti-gun rally. I support gun ownership. I support the right to bear arms, regardless of what kind of arms they may be.

Someone disagreed with me, which I'm happy about, because I also support free speech.

But he took it to another level and it's a level I'm unwilling to bow to. I will have a friendly and open debate with someone about any issue. As long as we're both maintaining civility and honesty and being respectful of the other person's opinions. He stopped doing that and so I stopped responding.

He proceeded to write an entry calling me "an either/or libertarian free stater". well, I think he did it to provoke me into responding. I am not succumbing to his word play. All the debate and ensuing entry has done is make me regret posting about my politics. I've NEVER done it before and other than on this site (which, as far as I know, no one reads) I won't do it again.

*FacePalm*

*HUGE eyeroll*

I was reading someone else's blog and saw that there are things called "Teenager Posts" and that they are on tumblr and so I headed over there to see what Teenagers had to say.

*le sigh*

Really?! Really?! I am just baffled.

I give you, TeenagerPost  #14308

What?! This is what is wrong with children today. I bet the "teenager" that posted this, if it was actually a teenager, has been using some kind of laptop/tablet/smartphone for more than half their life. 

I didn't even own a computer until I was a sophomore in high school, I didn't have a smart phone until I was 21. I certainly knew what the sun looked like because I was OUTSIDE as a teenager. I played sports, and interacted with my friends (and I don't mean on Skype, or Google hangout). I get that we live in a technological world, and I love that kids and adolescents are engaged with technology, but seriously? This is what a teenager is worried about...tumblr shutting down?

I just can't handle it. Reading these posts make me feel really old...and I'm not even 30 yet. Thanks Tumblr and TeenagePosts!

Dr Scholls and I

I have to say, I didn't want to try these inserts and I gave them away to a friend who wore heels. But she was so thrilled with them that I went out and bought a pair and put them in my overused flats. (They really needed a pic me up.) and it was totally worth it!

Here are the flats that I used.

As I said, I don't use heels so other than listening to Christine tell me how amazing they were in the heels she wore to a wedding, but they did make walking around in my flats a ton better. I'm not a tiny girl and it's great to find an insert that holds up to my pressure.

I fully intend on trying other inserts from Dr Scholls (my gym shoes could use a revamp as well) so I'll let you know when that happens, how it works out!

Oh So Sinful!

I finally got around to using my new SinfulShine nail polish and if it lasts as well as OPI does I'll have found a permanent replacement. In my Sunkissed VoxBox I was given "Man Hunt" as a color, but to be honest, army green is not for me. I like bright and happy. So I went to Walgreens and bought a new color (only $3-4!!), it's called "My Kryptonite".

Here are the two colors side by side.

I love teal and so this was a great find. I also really like to have the color I'm using at the nail place, at home, incase I mess up my nails or they chip. The guy that did my nails said to let him know how long the color lasted (it's brightness) and how well it stayed on my nails (in terms of days). I hope it will do well because I can totally see myself buying several of these bottles.

Here is the color on (ps. it also matches the highlights in my wrist tattoo, which is awesome).

This color is not only vibrant and cheap to buy, but it also dries VERY fast. I had my toes done too but they won't be going anywhere online. In the time it took to get from the pedicure chair to the nail desk I think my toes were dried. I only sat under the nail dryer for 6-7 minutes (normally with OPI it's at least 15), so I was mightly impressed.

Here's hoping. I'll update later on with the intensity lasting time!