Subscription Boxes

If it wasn't already clear, I have a recent ridiculous interest in subscription boxes. This is like an obsession at this point. More than once per week I am researching which I'll subscribe to next. And of course I've got big plans to share each and every one with you.

So far I've received Wantable Makeup, Wantable Accessories, and Love With Food. Upcoming: Wantable Intimates, Wantable Accessories, Love With Food, Bulu Box.

I've got my eye on a few others, as well. I'm particularly interested in the fitness boxes (Bulu was the first). I'd like to see RunnerBox and StrideBox. Also fashion like Golden Tote. I'm drooling over that one!

And then the untouchables. I can't get PopSugar Must Have. Oh this one makes me soooo sad. I see other people unboxing this on YouTube and I'm just crushed. I can't get Allure Sample Society Beauty Box, either. I can't get a lot because I'm currently overseas. Though I have an idea that I may have them sent to my sister or my fiance and then get them to drop them in the mail to me over here. Sneaky? :)

Hang tight for some new unboxings. In the mail to me currently are three Wantable collections: two August Intimates (One never got to me so another shipment has sent. I'm not sure if I'll get both.), an additional Accessories since I returned the first, and a small Bath & Body Works haul.

Bulu Box and Coupon Code for a Free Box

Hello lovelies! I just got an email to select three of my samples for my upcoming Bulu Box. According to their site:

Bulu Box is the best way to discover health, nutrition and weight loss products. Each monthly sample box is filled with 4 to 5 premium products selected to help you feel your best. Look forward to a new mix monthly for both women and men that include: vitamins, weight loss, energy, protein, digestion, sleep support, fitness DVDs, healthy food utensils and more.

So I selected SHREDZ Fat Burner, Simple Being Slimming Smoothie, and Simple Being Sleepy Beans. And Bulu is supposed to select 2-3 additional surprise samples for me.

I don't really have high hopes for this particular subscription box, but there's no harm in trying them out, right? Especially when you can get a great deal! Use the coupon code WOOHOO20 to buy your first month and get the second month free. CLICK HERE to take advantage of this coupon code!

Bath & Body Works Customer Service RAVE!!!

Link to Google+

G IS A HAPPY CAMPER!

Wantable Accessories September 2014

Hmm, where to begin? I have been dying to get this collection ever since I got my August Accessories collection from Wantable. This one was, however, disappointing. I'm returning it. But don't worry! I'm getting another this month. No giving up for G! Let's take a look!

Okay so the first thing I noticed when I got into the box and removed the information sheet was this. If you've gotten an accessories collection from Wantable recently you'll recall they've been sending out our goodies in little velvet-y bags. Very cute, gave a whole air of glam and chic to the collection. Now everything is thrown together in a plastic bag. No issues, really, Thank goodness I didn't have a tangle-prone necklace in there! 

There was a pouch for these Sammi Sunglasses. Retail value $18. They're cute and very dark, which I like a lot! The frames look pretty big on my face but I could make it work. 

Next up we have the Olivia Hair Tie. Retail value $9. So it's not un-cute? It's nice but a)it's not on an ouchless elastic (Am I spoiled by Goody? Probably!) and b) I have a feeling I will try to wrap that around my giant curls and the elastic will snap and I'll be left with a useless gold nothing. The idea, however, is cute. But this is not a win for me.

I was really excited about this one. This is the Melissa Watch in Gold. Retail value $29. First of all, it's rose gold. Not that that's a problem, just a fact. Second, there are already scratches on the band and the way it feels well, it reminds me of something you'd wear as a kid that leaves green marks around your finger. I LOVE the way it snaps onto the wrist. The open-close but not all-the-way-close feature is really great. And it feels solid, like it wouldn't just fall off as I'm wearing it.

Finally we have the Norah Bracelet. Retail value $18. This bracelet is heavy and feels like the most expensive piece in the collection. However it also looks like costume jewelry when I put it on. And putting it on is a chore but maybe that's just my clumsy fingers. I like the mixed metals and the mixed media. And I could make it work.

So that's the problem with this collection. Everything is "meh" at best and I could make it work. But I don't LOVE anything. I don't feel like I got my $40 worth this time. Any of these pieces I would rock if everything else (or anything else, really) made me excited. But they're all sub par for me. So, despite Wantable claiming a retail value of $74, I am returning the entire box. 

But don't give up hope! I have already placed an order for a second Accessories Collection this month. I'm trusting in Wantable to find me something amazing. And they have a great return policy so I am happy about that. Stay tuned for September Accessories Round 2! :)

Sephora Haul, New! BRIOGEO HAIR CARE, Ole Henriksen, Too Faced, Kat Von D, Philosophy, Bliss..

Ooooooohhhh I came home from the gym to a box of treasures! A little Sephora haul just for me! :)

My purchases were from this new (new to me, I'm not sure how new they are) hair care line, Briogeo. My hair is naturally curly and recently, I'd say within the past 1-2 years, I've gotten really into the idea of treating my hair better to make it look better. This is as opposed to the chemical and heat battles I've had to straighten my hair in the past. Now don't get me wrong, I still straighten my hair and sometimes it's the look I want. But I'll never chemically relax my hair again. Part of the 'being nice to Gerogina's hair' bit is getting away from sulfates and silicones. Read up on the Curly Girl Method for some info. And of course we all have different hair so some people do okay with certain chemicals and some are extra sensitive. I don't think my hair is particularly sensitive, but I do think my curls are happier and look healthier when I stay away from the sulfates. So far all I've done is use Wen, which I find super expensive, and some drugstore stuff like VO5 (conditioners only) and Tresemme Naturals, and just recently DevaCurl, which I'm not sure how I feel about. It's not love.

Anyways I'll post when I get to try out all these products. Just to introduce you, read below! :)

The next item was the Briogeo Curl Charisma Leave-In. It smells AWESOME. 

And finally Briogeo Rosarco Oil. Cleverly named for the Rosehip, Argon, and Coconut Oil blend. :)

Other than the hair stuff, I got some deluxe samples and regular samples, as well. I'm really excited about this Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer deluxe sample and the Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders kit.

Kat Von D Unlock-It Makeup Remover Wipes, bliss Micro Magic, Philosophy Miracle Worker, Philosophy Time in a Bottle for Eyes.

I LOVE samples. Nothing makes me make poorly chosen drunken online purchases quite like a perfect sample. Also I make conscious choices due to samples as well. Especially makeup samples, perfume, hair care.... skin care.... food.... omg never mind. I like all samples! GIVE ME ALL THE SAMPLES!

Rise and Shine

Rise and shine.

6:00 AM and your hand can't make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it's too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of bed. Aching muscles lie still in rebellion pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move. A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dreamland.

But you didn't ask their opinion. The voice you've chosen to listen to is one of defiance. A voice that says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor, and don't look back because we've got work to do.

Welcome to the grind. For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way. Ten thousand streams fan out like a river delta before you each one promising the path of least resistance. Thing is, you're headed upstream. And when you make that choice-when you decide to turn your back on what's comfortable, what's safe, and what some would call common sense-well that's day one. From there it only gets tougher. So just make sure this is something you want because the easy way out will always be there ready to wash you away. All you have to do is pick up your feet.

But you aren't going to, are you? With each step comes the decision to take another. You're on your way now, but this is no time to dwell on how far you've come. You're in a fight against an opponent you can't see but, oh, you can feel him on your heels, can't you? Feel him breathing down your neck. You know what that is? That's you. Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky. But don't lose heart.While they're not easily defeated they are far from invincible. Remember this is the grind; the battle royal between you, your body, your mind, and the devil on your shoulder who's telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you.

Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat. Burn away your self doubt with the fire lit beneath you. Remember what we're fighting for and never forget that momentum's a cruel mistress. She can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake. She is ever searching for the weak place in your armor, that one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for. So as long as the devil is hiding the details the question remains: Is that all you got? Are you sure? And when the answer is yes and you've done all you can to prepare yourself for battle then it's time to go forth and boldly face your enemy. The enemy within. Only now you must take that fight into the open into hostile territory. You're a lion in a field of lions all hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says victory is the only thing that can keep you alive. So believe that voice that says you can run a little faster and you can throw a little harder. That for you the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

Luck is the last dying wish of those who want to believe that winning can happen by accident. Sweat, on the other hand, is for those who know it's a choice. So decide now because destiny waits for no man. And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you you're not ready for it, listen instead to that lone voice of dissent. The one that says you are ready. You are prepared. It's all up to you now.

So rise and shine.

Rewards for Weight Loss (Besides the Obvious Health Rewards)

I came here to post this and totally forgot and posted something else!

So I have a bit of a reward system for myself. It's tacky, yes, and probably a terrible habit that I need to get out of. But I want to reward myself for losing weight. You know, have some kind of motivation waiting for me on the other side (besides the health and looking great, G? Pfft, okay). I know! Looking and feeling better should be a reward in and of itself. And it is! Trust me, it is. But I'm a girl who loves to be spoiled so I'm going to do this anyways.

My first big goal is to get to 154 lbs. Once I reach this goal I will order myself some Luxy Hair extensions which I have been drooling over for some time now. They're pricey, but not crazy pricey. So when I drop the extra weight, I will reward myself with these extensions. :)

Beyond the 154 lb. benchmark, I'll have other fitness goals that I'll share with you. Things like run times and weight lifted. The rewards for those things would probably be like a facial, mani/pedi (don't get those anymore), maybe a laser hair removal treatment or something (yes, I've done it! I'll tell you about it later!). Oh and one that I'm pretty excited for, once my waist size is <30" and stays that way for at least a month, I'll add a new subscription to my current repertoire! I've had my eye on the Golden Tote subscription but I just can't bring myself to spend money on it without knowing that I can happily fit in and wear the stuff they send me.

So there you have it. Things I'll drool over until I get myself fit! :) I can't wait!!