You've Gotta Know About...Ebates

I've decided to start a Back-to-School series since we are rapidly approaching that dreaded time of year once again. So, to get things started here's a look at something I thought you've just gotta know about before diving into your back to school shopping routine. At the end there should be some really great links for coupons and other amazing things so keep a look out!

There I was just scrolling through Instagram one day a couple of months ago when I see this...

In case you can't see, boys and girls, that's a lovely little check for almost $600! Definitely worthy of "amazing" and "omg!" in my opinion. 

After reading the description and finding out that she actually earned this check by shopping online through a website called Ebates I thought, "Oh well, I could never get as lucky to have something like that happen to me" and went on about my day. 

It wasn't until a few weeks later when I was shopping around online that I thought about the site again and decided to check it out for myself.
I was shocked by how many stores (or sites really) participated in the partnership with Ebates. 
See, Ebates pairs up with these sites to sort of advertise for them and even offer coupons directly from their site in and in exchange for moving costumer's toward the store's site the store actually gives Ebates a percentage of the money from your purchase. Ebates, being the kind folk that they are, then just returns that percentage to you!
How cool is that?

If you've been around here a bit longer than a minute than you might be able to guess that some of my favorite sites to shop on involve beauty products and clothing...shocking, right?
Well, that can be a bit of a drain on the bank account but getting a bit of that money back makes things far less painful. 

So, you now know how Ebates gets the money now let's talk about how the money gets to you. Once you got to Ebates, pick the store you want to shop on, activate Cash Back (all that involves is clicking the pop up that comes at the to of the screen), and make your purchase you will see that your little (or big) shopping trip has been recorded in your Ebates account.
After a couple of days you'll see that that shopping trip has now turned into Cash Back! 

My first experience with Ebates was great. After signing up I added the Ebates extension to Google Chrome so that I would be alerted every time I was on a site that worked with Ebates. So there I was renewing my subscription to Microsoft Office when the little pop up alerted me that I could activate Cash Back prior to checking out, so I did. 
I only purchased a month's worth of Office access which came out to around $7, a few days later I noticed that my Ebates account said that my purchase had qualified me for $10 back. That's right. I made $3 just from shopping online. 
Not bad.
Since I had made my first purchase through the site Ebates went on to inform me that I was eligible for a $10 gift card to a store of my choosing (they gave me like 3 options I think) so I picked a Walmart gift card because those suckers are always handy.
After making another purchase worthy of $10 back the quarter was up and I was sent my Big Fat Check AND my gift card.
All in all, I made $30 extra bucks from 2 online shopping ventures that cost me less than $10 each. 
I'll say it again...not bad.

Ebates breaks the year into quarters meaning that if you're a frequent Ebates user you could see a Big Fat Check every 3 months. However, if you're like me and trying to save up your cash like crazy you might see that you're Cash Back rewards are pretty low. That's okay, if your rewards amount to less than $5.01 then Ebates will just roll that money over to your next check. No worries. 

Another awesome thing about Ebates? You can choose 3 different forms of payment...the Big  Fat Check through the mail, PayPal, or if you're an incredibly generous soul you can even have your check sent to a family member or a charity organization. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

If you're not convinced enough then let me show you just how much cash you can get back from stores you know you love

Apple Store - 3% Cash Back
Forever 21 - 4% Cash Back
Sephora & ULTA - 4% Cash Back
American Eagle - 5.3% back on jeans, 4% everything else
Gap - 8% Cash Back
TOMS - 10% Cash Back + a really great coupon code
Proactiv+ - 30% Cash Back

This is just a small portion of the sites available to shop from Ebates but when you think about it that's some serious Cash Back on all your Back-to-School needs. 

If you're finally on board and you just can't wait to get your hands on one of those Big Fat Checks then I highly suggest you click the link below to sign up to Ebates immediately...it's definitely worth it.

EBATES INVITE LINK

EBATES COUPONS!

I hope you've enjoyed this look at the awesomeness that is Ebates.

Leave me a comment below letting me know what you think of the site and if you signed up.

until next time,

xo

Merisa

Sephora, Lush, and More Haul!

Something happened a few weeks ago.

I took a look around and realized that I had not spent a dime on anything other than bills and absolute essentials in over a month...and well, that's just no fun. So, I decided to splurge a little and treat myself.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to spend my money on and after filling "dream carts" on like 8 different websites I decided on Lush.

And as you may or may not know (I did not)...Lush products are made in Canada, freaking British Columbia, Canada which is on the west coast aka really far away from me. So as I waited for my package to arrive I started to get kinda antsy. One thing lead to another and I found myself clicking the checkout button on Sephora's site. 

Unfortunately, for my bank account, it does not end there...

I was just minding my own business, checking my email when I stumble across one from American Eagle and rather than just delete it, I was caught by the promise of a major sale.

All of their clearance was now 50% off as part of an extended Fourth of July sale.

"Let's just give it a look," I tell myself.

Like an hour later I was staring down the words "Your order is being processed" on my screen. Uh oh. 

That's okay though because we're just gonna say this post makes it worth it.

When my package from Lush finally arrived I was so excited I ripped into it immediately, 

as you do.

I picked up the Mask of Magnaminty, Pink Bath Bomb, Superworld Unknown solid perfume, and the Dorothy bubble bar which was so cute I just had to use it ASAP. The Mask of Magnaminty has been on my Lush Wish List for a long time just because it's billed as the "ultimate face mask" and I can see why. So far, I've used this mask all over once and as a spot treatment on blemishes twice. It seems to work better than some drugstore masks that I've tried which is good because I was worried about the small size of the tub compared to bottles that those masks came in considering the price. But with 4.4 oz fitting inside such a compact container, I'm definitely getting my money's worth. It smells heavenly and I love that it can also be used to exfoliate naturally because in case you didn't know microbeads used in a lot of drugstore exfoliates are actually harmful to the environment (Read More about it in this article from Refinery29).

I can't wait to use the Pink Bath Bomb because it was inspired by Audrey Hepburn and is meant to smell of vanilla and tonka bean which to me just spells "relaxation."

Superworld Unknown was such a hard pick for me. I knew that I wanted to try a perfume from Lush and I figured a solid perfume would be a good way to go but I was so scared about picking one from description alone. "This scent is a merry-go-round of sensory experience. Sweet neroli and cocoa bring fluffy pink cotton candy to mind, while rose and sandalwood keep your feet on the ground," seems promising enough right? I was intrigued by the thoughts of fluffy pink cotton candy because that's what Paris Hilton's Can Can brings to mind and I absolutely loved that scent when I was younger (no shame) and I know that I like rose and sandalwood so might as well give it a try. Well, I've used it quite a bit (I even have it on now) and honestly, I still don't know how I feel. I don't know where they get cotton candy from but it does remind me of a day spent outside at a fair possibly. 

I do like this scent for just wearing around this house during my lazy days though. I don't know if that says a lot in it's favor.

How cute is this Dorothy Bubble Bar?! Bubble Bars have got to be my favorite products from Lush and this one was no exception. I loved how soft my skin felt after I pulled myself from the bath (because I definitely did not want to get out) but I always seem to mess up with the bubble making process of using a bubble bar. I didn't experience the fluffy clouds of bubbles or the vibrant blue water that was promised. :( 

While looking through Sephora's site I decided to just break down and pick up some products that I have been pining over for quite a while. I. Regret. NOTHING.

I had heard really great things about the Origins Active Charcoal Mask but I wasn't totally prepared to pay $24 for a face mask. Well, the Sephora gods shined down and I discovered that the same mask could be purchased in a sort of sampler pack of 4 individual mask pods. I love the way this masks feels on my face but I'm not entirely sold on the idea that it is actually drawing impurities out of my skin but I have only used one pod so far and I will be sure to keep you updated as I test it further. We all know how much I love my multi-purpose rose salve and seeing as my tin was getting dangerously low I decided to try out the Smith's Rosebud Salve since it was the same price as the CO Bigelow Rose Salve that has popped up in so many posts before. I'm still working on my last tin so I haven't actually tried this one yet but I did discover that Smith's only features 3 ingredients while CO's has quite a few and some that are those scary unpronounceable kind.

So I just decided that the next 3 products will most definitely be apart of my July Favorites so all I'm going to say about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil, and Clean Skin perfume is that they are life changing and most definitely worth the splurge. Keep a look out for a more in depth look at all of these products very soon. 

Like I mentioned before, I just couldn't stay away from the epic deals of 1/2 off clearance items on American Eagle's website. I got all of the items pictured below plus 2 shirts (I forgot that they were in the wash, oops) for under $30! That's crazy! Who doesn't love a good yoga pant style legging? Definitely not me and I have been looking to try out a printed legging so I thought these cool grey ones would be a pretty safe option. Yes, that is underwear you're seeing (fresh from the package, don't worry). I'm not entirely sure why I chose to include them other than the fact that I did purchase them at the same time so they are technically a part of this haul but I love Aerie undies and the lace band makes them super comfy fyi. Sunglasses are an obvious summer staple but a sunglasses case is something that is essential but not often thought of so I just had to get my hands on this soft gold pouch. I especially love how it matches my beloved Kate Spade bag. I'm a sucker for neon pink and I just thought this neon tassel necklace was such a fun accessory for summer. 

I hope you guys have enjoyed this look into my spending habits. ;)

Leave me a comment below letting me know what you've splurged on recently or what you're saving up for, I'd love to hear it!

until next time,

xo

Merisa

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

What a nice way to start off the week...I found this earlier today on Tumblr and sort of ran with it, which brings me to today's post.

When I think of productive Sundays I think of doing things that get me ready for the coming week. To most that might mean starting the two term papers I have due next week or preparing for my Senior presentation but no...what that really means is doing the laundry I've neglected, clearing out my makeup bag, and ultimately...

cleaning my makeup brushes!

Now, while taking on this task I started to notice that I've developed quite a nice technique so I thought I'd share it with you all!

Yay for clean makeup brushes! Yay!

This may seem like the most simplest thing in the world but honestly, if you're doing it right, it can take a little effort so I've actually developed a routine for cleaning my brushes in between cleaning but for now here's the deep clean. 

Start out my gathering all of your brushes!

As you can see, they definitely needed a cleaning. Please excuse that rather nasty looking Beauty Blender, we're about to fix that situation.

Now, gather the rest of your supplies!

I use a small bowl (or mug, in this case) filled about a third of the way full with warm water, some baby shampoo from the Dollar Tree, a wash cloth, and napkins. 

I forgot to include it in this photo but I also use Sephora's Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner spray.

Now comes the messy part but to help the time go by faster I usually check out some of my favorite YouTube channels for their latest videos while cleaning my brushes.

(I watched Tanya Burr's Nicole Scherzinger makeup tutorial and March favorites videos this time around) 

I start out with the smallest brushes first mostly because they don't really hold all that much makeup. 

After mixing a little baby shampoo into the water, I dip a brush in the water and swirl it around a little. 

Then, I take the brush and wipe it in a circular motion on a napkin (I usually save the wash cloth for the bigger brushes) until all of the makeup comes off and the brush looks clean. 

For bigger brushes or ones with a lot of makeup like my foundation brushes, I tend to use the Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner first by spraying it directly onto the brush then swirling the brush around on a napkin or cloth. If it's a brush I haven't used a whole lot, like the pink powder brush, then that's usually all the cleaning it needs but for more heavily used brushes I need to repeat the steps I used for the smaller brushes. 

My foundation brush and my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush required a little more care as they both had liquid makeup throughout the bristles, meaning I had to repeat steps a few times.

My Beauty Blender comes with its own cleaner but to be perfectly honest I don't really like the way it smells so I usually just end up running it through some water with baby shampoo and rinsing it until the water runs clear

Finally, once all of the brushes are done I give them a good rinse making sure all the makeup is off and squeeze out any excess water. Then I grab a towel, roll up one end, place it on a table (or my bed), then prop all of my brushes up against the rolled up end so that the bristles are facing down onto the towel. 

This allows the brushes to dry without getting water down into the glued part that holds the bristles and handle together ensuring that your brushes will last longer.

No, that's not some sort of pink latte that's actually the dirty brush water after everything was done. I think that means I might wear too much pink blush. haha

I hope you all enjoyed this look into my clean brush routine. I'm all set to start this week off fully prepared...I'm about to get started on those papers too, I promise!

Leave a comment below letting me know if you found any of this helpful and also if you have any tips or tricks of your own.

until next time, darlings.

xo

Merisa

My Night Time Routine

So this post came about when me and my sister were discussing our skincare routines. She almost died when she found out a.) just how many products I use and b.) that I don't use face wash at night. 

Yeap, that's right, I've gone against every beauty blogger out there and don't actually wash my face at night.

Gasp!

That doesn't mean I don't clean my face though!

Since my sister found this rundown so interesting and this routine actually works really well for me I thought I would explain myself here.

Let's get started!

Usually I light a few candles before bed. Right now I'm really liking (clockwise from the top left) Red Velvet Cupcake, Champagne Toast, and Marshmallow Fireside from Bath & Body Works.

I also usually have a cup of sleepytime tea before bed but I don't have any at the moment. :( 

Next, I use the Equate brand Night-Time Soothing Makeup Remover Towelettes which are comparable to Neutrogena Night Calming Cleansing Towelettes. I use to hate makeup remover cloths before finding these! I tried a bunch of brands, including the Neutrogena ones, and found that they were all either too rough of my skin, didn't actually remove any makeup, or were way to dry.

These are perfect! I can remove a whole day's worth of makeup in one sweep if I want to with these bad boys. I really enjoy the night-time soothing kind because they really are soothing and don't irritate my face, plus they're super cheap! 

Sticking with the Equate products, I remove my eye makeup and waterproof mascara with the Equate Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. This stuff is an excellent dupe of the Neutrogena Oil-Free Remover, it's seriously the same product but cheaper. 

To get any left over product off of my face and just leave my skin refreshed I put a little bit of the Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water on a cotton pad and wipe over my face. 

I just realized that I didn't actually include my moisturizer in any of the photos I took and that's probably because I just recently starting using a new brand. I found that my skin was especially dry as the temperature started to drop so I invested in the L'Oreal Paris Ideal Moisture Dry Skin Lotion. So far, so good with this product. I've only been using it for a few days and I've already started to notice a difference in my skin's hydration.

Which brings me to my next step which involves my mantra you all should know and love by now:

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

I can't say it enough, you have to keep your skin hydrated! That's why I put lotion on my body, moisturizer on my face, and lip balm on my lips before I go to bed, so my body can soak in that hydration overnight!

The Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Super Rich Body Cream was a part of one of my Christmas gifts and came with 2 other Soap & Glory lotions in the Good, Butter, Best set from Sephora, this proved to be the best! When this says super rich, it means it! I can't wait to use up my other lotions so I can purchase the full size version of this. It smells amazing which is saying something coming from me seeing as it has a light citrus scent and I've never really been a fan of citrus, but for some reason I'm really enjoying this. 

For my lip balm I use CO Bigelow's Classic Rose All Purpose Salve and I LOVE it! I've used this stuff since high school and it is my go-to lip balm. I also use it on really dry skin around my elbows and knees too. 

Now, back to the face. I am having some serious eye issues at the moment. Between my crazy school schedule, the new puppy (which you will hear more about very soon!), and my lapse in judgement with the tanning bed (I know, I know! I'm suffering the consequences now, for sure!) I've had some issues with dark circle, puffiness, and even...wrinkles! 

My mom thinks I'm going crazy but I seriously have spotted some crazy crow's feet creeping up around my eyes, which I of course blame on the tanning bed. Fake Bake for me from now on!

So for night's when I'm feeling a little wrinkly I use Miracle Worker from Philosophy and stick with You Won't Believe Your Eyes from Soap & Glory on other nights. 

After all that, I usually curl up with a good book or more recently, my iPad mini to fuel my Pinterest obsession before bed.

I hope y'all enjoyed this look into my nightly routine, comment below if you did and I might just show you the wackiness of my morning routine next! haha!

until next time, darlings.

xo

Merisa

Madness Monday!

This is going to be a super quick post because today is the true definition of Madness Monday and I am super behind on homework (I have two reviews to write for Comparative Government AND a research paper for World Mythology, which is about Harry Potter so at least I have that to look forward to!) but I'm also super behind on blog stuff and don't want to neglect my fellow Monogrammed Magnolias!

So here it is folks, a super quick run-down of my favorite and most used apps on my phone! Woo!

I hope you enjoy!

This is my home screen which is filled with my most used apps and my Lilly print background, that I adore!
I am Instagram obsessed! As you'll see in the next screen shot, I post a lot of pictures and love photo editing apps too! (A Beautiful Mess is amazing for fun stickers and borders!) Feel free to go creep! Haha

Next up I have Twitter, which I use more like a news app. Like seriously, if something happens at my school 99% of the time I'm going to find out about it on Twitter. It's good to stay in the know.

I love my avi and background! Don't be freaked out too much my the name @prissasizzle, I've had it since high school (my friend came up with it) and I seriously just can't come up with anything as creative. But you should totally follow me, it's hard telling what kind of craziness is going to come to my kind and end up on twitter! Haha! Plus, it's a great way to keep up with the blog too!

I'm absolutely addicted to Tumblr, my best friend and I can literally monitor each other's moods by the amount of stuff we tumble! (angelintheoutfield.tumblr.com if you wanna check it out!)

Now, I know I've already said it like a billion times about my other apps but I am seriously obsessed with addicted to Pinterest!

I am always on Pinterest, in case you couldn't tell by almost 6,000 pins! Eek! That's a lot! It is seriously the best place to find anything and everything! Check it out if you're not already addicted like me.
Next is the Bloglovin' app which you should totally follow Monogrammed Magnolias on! You can read a little bit more about it in our previous Bloglovin' post.
Also, the Blogger app, which I'm typing this on right now actually. It is super handy for random uploads on the go. I also have the YouTube app which is how I keep up to date on all my favorite British YouTubers and Beauty Gurus! I'm addicted to Itunes Radio, as you can see I don't have Pandora listed on my home screen anymore, that's because the Music app has taken it's place. Sorry Pandora!
I'm a self-proclaimed Sephora addict, if you couldn't already tell by following this blog and seeing the many products I accumulate from them. The iphone app is super great because it lures me into shopping on the go or even in between classes. Way to go, Sephora! This next app, Silk, is actually one I downloaded after receiving a coupon to get it free from the Sephora app (see, always helpful!). It is so relaxing and reminds me of those scrolling, spinny things I had when I was little (sorry, I have no clue what it was called) that let you make pictures using spinning stencils.
Here's an example:

You can change the color and shape you make so when I'm having a super stressful moment I just pull out my phone and draw a few doodles. It works too!
The Weather Channel app is sorta obvious, I hope. I use Newsstand to read my issues of British Cosmopolitan, which I am also obsessed with.

Then I have two very special apps: Glo Bible and Elevation Church! I love these so much because they are so perfect for a girl-on-the-go like myself. When I'm in a particularly stressful or challenging moment I can pull up a sermon from Elevation Church and get a little more control and peace over myself then I can use Glo Bible to look up verses and reflect on the sermon I just listened to. A super amazing set of apps and I highly recommend them!

To finish off the set I have Student TA and Event Book which are really great apps to keep all of my school, work, extracurriculars, and even blog activities organized. They both sync with the Calendar app to keep everything together.
I hope you've enjoyed that look into my Iphone and all of my favorite apps! This post actually wasn't as quick as I thought it would be so I'm off to finish my paper on the Perils of Presidentialism versus the Parliamentary System! The struggles of a Political Science major.
xo
aFm

Mascara Monday: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly!

Happy Monday, lovelies!

It most definitely is a very happy Monday, mostly because it is almost over but also because it's time for a new beauty review from your favorite duo! 

While going through our makeup bags, Danielle and I decided that we were both dying to do a review on the many mascaras we had acquired over the past few weeks so we wanted to turn today into Mascara Monday for the time being! What a better way to celebrate this day than with a review on not one, not two, but a whopping 7 mascaras! 

Danielle's picks!

Merisa's picks!

I'm doing this totally out of whack but I'm the type of person to take my bad news first so let's just get right to it, shall we?

The Ugly

About a month ago I ran out of my L'Oreal Telescopic Original Mascara and instead of going with the same brand, like I really should have, I went for a brand I had never tried but had heard amazing things about. Well, I let my adventurous side get the best of me because I went against the reviews I had heard and tried something within the same line but not the same thing, it's complicated. Anyway, I picked up Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Waterproof Mascara and have regretted it ever since!

This mascara is probably the worst mascara I've ever tried! 

First of all, I hate the brush! I liked the idea of having a wand with two brushes in one, for both upper and lower lashes, but I ended up using the lower lash wand for my upper lashes and just not even worrying about the lower lashline. I found that the big brush actually hurt my eyes when using it and the formula drys hard and chunky. I didn't even like the color of this product, I felt like it dried a grayish color even though it was suppose to be Very Black. Definitely not picking up this product again but I still want to try out the original The Falsies so there is still hope to redeem yourself, Maybelline. 

-aFm-

Maybelline The Falsies Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara

I really thought that this mascara would be great because of the pretty leopard print bottle, needless to say since it is in the ugly category it wasn't too pretty. 

It didn't volumize my eyelashes at all like the bottle and the commercial advertised. I have tried the regular colossal mascara and loved it but the volume express was not worth my money. I like the curved wands the best but it seems that the actual mascara in the bottle wasn't very good quality. It had a funny smell and tended to be a bit runny. It also clumped my eyelashes up, which is a BIG no no!

-dSl-

The Bad

I have tried nearly all of the bareMinerals mascaras and the Flawless Definition Mascara is definitely my least favorite. It was okay, but it wasn't worth what I paid for it. It didn't separate my lashes as well as I wanted it to nor did it lengthen my lashes like mascaras I've tried in the past. It is comparable to a cheaper mascara but didn't do the job I had excepted from one of my favorite brands. Definitely a disappointment.

-dSl-

While I was shopping in Sephora for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly remembered that they have this great program for Beauty Insiders where you get a free gift on your birthday! Score! 

I was so excited when I learned the gift package was from Benefit Cosmetics and even more excited when I saw that it featured two of their most talked about products, Watt's Up! and They're Real! Mascara!

I have heard so much about this mascara online and couldn't wait to try it out. Well, now that I have tried it, I just don't get it. I didn't really see a dramatic difference in my lashes and found that the "custom-domed tip" that was suppose to separate this mascara from all the rest actually hurt my eyes. I found that I would end up stabbing myself with the bristles on the end, definitely not worth it. So while I was comparing this mascara to other brands I had tried I got to thinking, 'What if I'm dissatisfied with these mascaras because my other mascaras are just really good?!' Hmm, that brings us to our next category...

-aFm-

The Good

I actually have two mascaras that I'm incredibly happy with at the moment. I am absolutely in love with the Buxom Sculpted Lash Mascara and even more in love with the fact that I got it for free by using my Sephora Beauty Insider Rewards Points from my birthday shopping spree! This product is amazing and features an 'S' shaped brush that really does what the product description says. I definitely recommend this product if you are looking for great higher-end mascara that really creates that false eyelash look. I didn't see a clump in sight when using this mascara and loved how easy it was to put on, the special brush really did grab onto my lashes. 

My next favorite is a more affordable drugstore brand that brought close to the same results, which is always a good thing! Like I mentioned before, I really like the L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara and after the failed attempt with Big Eyes, I decided to stick with old faithful but with a twist. The L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara has quickly become one of my favorite drugstore mascara simply because I can see instant results from this mascara. I'm not a big fan of multiple coats of mascara and this products works with just one! I love that I can just glide this formula on my lashes and have bold, voluminous lashes. 

-aFm-

This has to be my all time favorite mascara. the Eyeko London Black Magic Mascara has it all, it helps lengthen your lashes and curls them up with it's slightly curved wand! It's also excellent for an all day wear because it holds up until you wash it off. This is an item I was able to try in my Birchbox and I am definitely going to be buying a full size version very soon. 

-dSl-

till next time, lovelies

xo

Merisa & Danielle

Little Black Bag

So, thanks to the lovely Sarah Belle and her May Favorites video over on youtube.com/sarahbelle93x (you should really check her out if you haven't already, seriously open another tab...it's worth it!) I was introduced to a little site known as littleblackbag.com. After hearing Sarah explain the concept of the site, seeing showing off her fun goodies from them, and the offer of a free gift link (check out the May Favorites video to get the link) I was hooked and had to check out the site for myself. 

Upon signing up you're asked to take a quick & simple style quiz, which was actually pretty fun if I do say so myself. From there you'll be stylistically (did I make up a new word?) matched up with a gallery of products from handbags to cosmetics and everything in between, even shoes and sunglasses! I don't think I got to pick my free gift but to start your little black bag experience you pick one key piece to put in your bag and that item is matched up with 2-3 other items that are picked by the stylists and placed into your bag at a discounted bundled price. However, since I was getting a free gift via Sarah's link they kinda made it seem like I was just getting two bonus gifts in my bundle. Well, anyway, once you get the stylist picked bundle in your bag you're able to see the mystery gifts and choose to either go ahead and ship your items or, and here's the fun part, trade your items with other site members for something that's more to your liking! 

My key gift was a First Aid Beauty Repair Eye Cream that I wanted to try out because I'd seen the brand on Sephora and have been looking for something to ease the rough patches I get around my eyes from my allergies. My bonus gifts turned out to be a really antiquey gold looking eye shadow from Pixi that I was really excited about when I saw it in the gallery and a kinda gross looking brown shade from the same brand. I was totally prepared to keep the first two and trade the brown shadow but it seemed like no one wanted it, I couldn't really blame them the picture made it look quite unattractive for an eyeshadow. However, I got tons of offers to trade my gold shadow and my eye cream. All of which I denied (sorry!) even when it came down to a dangly seahorse ring that was super cute, but come on when am I going to sport a seahorse dangling from my finger?

I ended up just letting the trading period slip by without actually trading anything but I must say the experience was quite fun and I enjoyed seeing what the stylists picked for a few different members and trying to barter away my murky brown shadow. 

Once my items shipped I was asked if I wanted to become a VIP Member of the site for $9.95 a month and I figured I pay that much for my Birchbox subscription that I'm not too happy with at the moment (more to come on that subject) so I thought I'd give it a try. After setting up my subscription I was given a new gallery tailored to me personally based on my answers from the style quiz and they were pretty spot on. 

I wanted to buy everything I saw (I've circled some of my favorites) and the discounted prices and promise of mystery bundled deals didn't help. 

I ended up falling for this navy patent leather tote

and even really adored this polka dotted number for some odd reason

It was like half off retail and had two other items in the bundle at that price so I was very tempted but decided that I should probably get through my first Little black Bag experience before I started another.

Then this came in the mail

How precious, "every girl needs a little black bag." They definitely get an A for packaging, the products were even wrapped up in black tissue paper. However, that's about the highlight of the experience. Yes, that's right folks, the Little Black Bag ending up being a Little Black Bomb from the moment I tore open that tissue paper and discovered this...

Yes, glitter gals, that is a cracked eye cream! Gasp! Now, I understand the rough journey that is the postal route of such a tiny package but this little bottle was double bubble wrapped! I repeat, double bubble wrapped! There's no way this little guy could have received such a battle wound while incased in the wonder that is bubble wrap. No friends, this was a pre-transit attack and with the accompaniment of a few other scars I noticed from the labels of the products and a chipped eyeshadow I came to the conclusion that these "free gifts" might very well be damaged or returned goods and I don't know whether to be appalled or remain appreciative. Eh, they all still worked so we'll go with the latter.

Now on to the eyeshadows, turns out I was wrong about them and shouldn't have judged them from what now appears to be poor quality photography.

I was right about the gold being antiquey as it's even in its name, "Antique Gold" even though the actual color was completely off and I was surprisingly wrong about the "Bronze Beam" that has nothing murky brown about it. However, while that's great and all these are absolutely terrible shadows. They are so dusty and lack luster that I'm glad I didn't pay for them! Infact, I had more shadow dust on my cheekbones after applying these shades that I wished I hadn't already applied highlighter/bronzed because once I brushed it away the remains on my cheeks was a bit of an overload.

Overall, I wasn't happy with the products. The eye cream is really thick and creamy which is what I look for in an eye cream but I really don't feel like it's doing much other than making my eyelids a little shiny and the shadows were definitely not worth it which was rather disappointing.

I do, however, really like the site and think that if you play around with it enough you might be able to score some really great deals. I'm still thinking about snatching up that navy tote.

If you decide you wanna give it a go and see for yourself you can get started by clicking this link

http://littleblackbag.com/v/InviteFriendsGet50

Thanks to SarahBelle93x for recommending the site and for the free gift, we'll see what we can do with them.

xo

aFm