Finding Fraser

By: K.C. Dyer
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 388

Amazon Barnes and Noble

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads):   I met Jamie Fraser when I was nineteen years old. He was tall, red-headed, and at our first meeting at least, a virgin. He was, in fact, the perfect man.
     That he was fictional hardly entered into it...
 
On the cusp of thirty, Emma Sheridan is desperately in need of a change. After a string of failed relationships, she can admit that no man has ever lived up to her idea of perfection: the Scottish fictional star of romantic fantasies the world over—James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.
 
Her ideal man might be ripped from the pages of a book, but Emma hopes that by making one life-altering decision she might be able to turn fiction into fact. After selling all her worldly possessions, Emma takes off for Scotland with nothing but her burgeoning travel blog to confide in. 
 
But as she scours the country’s rolling green hills and crumbling castles, Emma discovers that in searching for her own Jamie Fraser, she just might find herself.

                                                          First Impressions

I was a little put off by the cover because it’s a bit cheesy, but it looked like it could be cheesy in a fun way. I also am not an Outlander fan, so I was a bit worried after reading the summary, but it sounded like fun. I figured that if the character loved Jamie Fraser so much, that she would paint him in a light that made him lovable even to non-Outlander readers

                                                           What I thought

This book was split into three parts. This first part I loved, the next two parts were painful.

At the beginning of the book, Emma has just turned 29. She has broken up with her boyfriend and been fired from her job. As a result of a pre-thirties crisis, she has decided that she is going to travel to Scotland to find her Jamie Fraser, the only man who has never broken her heart. She sells all her belongings and heads off to Scotland with nothing more than a few outfits, her laptop, and a well-worn copy of Outlander. Before she leaves, she decides that she’s going to blog about her experience which she names Finding Fraser.

The first part of the story follows Emma before her journey begins. I thought that Emma’s blog was a fun touch to the story and an interesting way to get different versions of her story across. I also liked that they showed a few of the comments and that she took those comments to heart. I did not like that she had a younger sister who was perfect in every way and vehemently disapproved of Emma taking this trip. It seemed a bit played out and would’ve been more interesting if she provided support in some way at least for a short period of time.

The second part was where Emma started to drive me insane. This girl is 29 years old, has been to college, lived on her own, been married and divorced, and had multiple relationships; yet she acts like a 19 year old the entire time. I think if she had been written as a 19 year old, I would have handled her idiotic moments a lot better. Emma is so stupid it’s irritating. She heads off to Scotland with literally no plan, barely any money, and just is beyond ignorant.

I also felt like the story was fun and light and didn’t take itself too seriously, until Emma was robbed of all her belongings. From that point on, the story dragged and I honestly didn’t care what happened to her. I can’t believe that any woman would head off to another country with the intention of literally finding a fictional character to fall in love with. It got to the point where Emma wasn’t using Jamie Fraser as an inspiration of someone to find, which is what I thought she was doing, but like a crazy person she was trying to find an actual Jamie Fraser. And if she didn’t, she felt like she failed! I just could not handle any part of this book and feel like the character of Emma sets strong female characters back tens of years.

There were moments at the beginning of this book that I felt like this story had so much potential, but it went in such a bad way. There was nothing redeemable about Emma and I had no interest in her finding her Fraser. I couldn’t even believe that people were reading her blog and cheering for her. Even if you are an Outlander fan, I don’t think you will find anything redeeming about this story. I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, but I just can’t say anything good about this story. 

The Paper Magician

By: Charlie N Holmberg
Published Year: 2014
Publisher: 47North
Pages: 224

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic… forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined — animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner — a practitioner of dark, flesh magic — invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

                                                           First Impressions

This was a suggesting from my lovely friend Logan. I didn’t see the cover before hearing about the summary, but I definitely love it! I would have absolutely picked this up off the shelf. The summary, while a little odd, appealed to me. I’m not a huge fantasy person, I do love a little magic so I was excited to read this book.

                                                            What I thought

This book is unique. I really enjoyed it, but I could see why people would not.

The Paper Magician follows Ceony and Emery Thane. In this world, magicians harness their power through man made materials and they bond to only one material. For example, Emery Thane is a Folder, or, a paper magician. He has bonded to paper and can only manipulate magic with paper. Ceony graduates from magic school with hopes of being a Smelder, or a metal magician. However, she is told that as there are only 12 Folders left in the world, she has to become a Folder apprentice under Emery Thane.

The magic concept does take a few chapters to get used to. It’s not something that I’ve ever read before and it isn’t very developed at the beginning of the story. I would highly recommend giving this book a few chapters before passing judgement. The first few chapters I felt very thrown in the middle and it took a little while to get my bearings.

I immediately liked Emery, and even though Ceony was a bit of a bitch, I liked her too. I understood where her irritation was coming from. She had spent her year at magic school with hopes of working with metal, and then finds out that she has to work with paper, the least desirable of materials.

The only thing that threw me is that this book feels a little like two stories thrown into one. The first half of the book is very different from the second half. I wouldn’t say that they’re different in a bad way, but I felt like I was reading a different story. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more. The world feels like it’s starting to take shape and I hope that it continues to do so in the second novel. The characters are the strongest part of this book and even if I wasn’t in love with the writing, I think I’d continue to read it just to have more of them. I’m excited to see their relationship develop and I’m excited to see what else they’re going to do with the magic. 
 

Play! By Sephora April 2016

Play! By Sephora is a new monthly subscription box by Sephora. It costs $10 a month and you receive 5 beauty and skin samples plus a perfume sample each month. Previously, you needed to put yourself onto a wait-list and wait to receive an email before you could subscribe, as they were rolling it out to limited quantities. However, I think that for the month of May it is now completely open to the public.

In addition to the products, Sephora includes a booklet that includes information about the product, the brand, and then tips of how to use the products. Also at the back of the book is a Play! PASS. This Pass gives you a complimentary one-on-one session with a Sephora artist as well as an extra 50 Beauty Insider points when you scan the pass at the register with any purchase. If you have the Sephora app, you can also scan the images of the products to learn more about them.

One of the differences between this box and other boxes is that it is not personalized. Everyone who signs up for this subscription receives the same products. The theme changes each month and the products follow that theme. This month the theme was The It Crowd.
 

For my first ever Play! By Sephora Beauty Box I received the following products:
 

Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil (Full-Size $28)- Milk is a new makeup line that has been getting a lot of buzz recently. I was so excited to receive one of their products to try. This oil is an all over oil meant to hydrate elbows, cuticles, hair, your face, and pretty much anywhere you can think of. It has a light citrus scent to it, which is probably from the Mandarin Orange Peel Oil, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, and Tangerine Peel Oil. I and curious to see how this works on both my body and my hair!

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien ($26)- I own and love these NARS pencils! I own a full size of Yu (a hot pink) and absolutely love it. These pencils are not super hydrating but they’re not drying either.  The brighter colors also leave a beautiful stain on the lips and they fade very nicely. This color is definitely a my lips but better shade. It’s more nude than I typically go for, but darkens the shade of my lips just a bit. I wouldn’t purchase this particular shade (just because of preferences) but I’m so excited to have it!

Sephora Collection Colorful Cheek Ink Blush Gel in Peony (Full-Size $14)- This product is pretty self-explanatory. It is a liquid blush that you can build to create the amount of pigment that you prefer. The Sephora booklet suggests applying it directly to the skin and then blending it in with a brush. I have applied a little bit to my hand, and as you can see, it comes out very bright but blends out very sheer. I haven’t had a chance to try it on my cheeks yet, but it could be a very fun product!

Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment (Full-Size $105)- This was the product that I was absolutely the most excited to try! I have heard so many amazing things about this product but it is so expensive that I’ve never been able to try it. This treatment is meant to be used similar to a serum. It is a relatively gentle acidic exfoliant meant to even skin tone, brighten skin, and reduce wrinkles. It is made with lactic acid, licorice, lemongrass, and aloe, all meant to brighten skin and reduce pigmentation. The amount of Lactic Acid is a bit higher than a lot of similar products, but as a result, you will see faster changes with this product than similar products. I can’t wait to give this a try!

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (Full-Size $26.50)- This is another product that I have heard about and wanted to try prior to receiving this box! I am always on the lookout for a new eye cream, so I can’t wait to try this. This specific cream is meant to brighten eyes and support natural collagen. There aren’t any claims about specific ingredients that cause these brightening effects, so I’m curious to see how well it works.

Derek Lam 10 Crosby 2AM Kiss (Full-Size (1.7oz) $95)- I don’t really like perfume samples, so to me that is the biggest negative of this subscription box. This particular perfume contains notes of salty caramel and crystalized amber. I do not enjoy this fragrance at all. I will definitely be passing it on and no one likes it, then I will be throwing it away. It’s odd because I typically like scents with amber, so I’m thinking it must be the caramel notes that I dislike.

                                                        Final Thoughts

I love this subscription box! I am excited to try every single one of these products. I enjoy that they are all brands that I know and love and they are all pretty high end. The fact that this box only cost me $10 is crazy! I feel like the NARS pencil alone is worth $10. I am looking forward to continuing my subscription for the next month and think this might become my new favorite subscription box. If you are a beauty addict, I highly recommend checking this out!
 

Throwback Thursday- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

By: J.K Rowling and Jim Kay
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: 2015
Pages: 248

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Prepare to be spellbound by Jim Kay's dazzling depiction of the wizarding world and much loved characters in this full-colour illustrated hardback edition of the nation's favourite children's book – Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Brimming with rich detail and humour that perfectly complements J.K. Rowling's timeless classic, Jim Kay's glorious illustrations will captivate fans and new readers alike. 

When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous – or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

                                          First Impressions and What I remember

I know that with re-reads I don’t typically do a first impression but because this is so unique, I felt I needed to. I LOVE Harry Potter. It is hands down my favorite book/series of all time. I have read them multiple times and know I will continue to do so throughout my life. When I heard there was an illustrated version out I was like “ugh…really? How stupid is that?” But then, in a bookstore in England, I spotted an illustrated version. I picked it up and fell in love and immediately knew I needed it in my life. Also, I did purchase the British version, so it is the Philosopher’s stone and not Sorcerer’s.

                                                              What I thought

This book is beyond beautiful. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you need this in your life. It enhances the story so much and is honestly a work of art.

I think when I first heard about it being illustrated, I worried that it would somehow take some of the magic away. One of the best things about non-illustrated books is that you can picture everything in your head the way that you see it. I know that since the movies have come out that some of that has been taken away anyway, but this book does such a great job. It has a great balance between what the movies showed and what the book says and what I remember imagining as I read the book the first time. While I’m so glad that I purchased and read this book, I’m also furious with myself because now I’m stuck in the Harry Potter waiting circle again! This is the only illustrated version out currently so now I have to wait for the next ones!

As for my re-read, it was as magical, if not more so than I thought it would be. Even though this was easily my 6th or 7th re-read of the first Harry Potter, I was just as sucked in as the first time around. I suffered such a massive book hangover from this it was ridiculous. The only thing I wanted to do when I finished was pick up the next one and the next one. I had no desire to start another book and therefore didn’t read for a few days. 
 

I can’t rave about this book enough. Not only is Harry Potter itself just beyond amazing (and if you haven’t read it WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYY???), but the illustrated version is breathtaking. If you see it in the stores, do yourself a favor and pick it up and look through it. You will be mesmerized. I love this series so much and am so excited I chose to add this version to my collection. I know that I will re-read it over and over again and I will proceed to buy every illustrated version the minute it comes out. Pure perfection!
 

NARS Beauty Haul

A few weeks ago I attended the Spring Beauty Trend event at Nordstrom. I decided to make an appointment at the NARS counter because I haven’t been made up there in a long time. Recently, I’ve been going to Estee Lauder, whose skin care I love. I went with the hope of finding a new eyeshadow crayon as that has been my go-to makeup look in the morning.

As you will know if you have been reading my blog for a while, I suffer from psoriasis. It had been acting up a bit recently when I went to get my makeup done. Because of that, the makeup artist who I worked with introduced me to a skin treatment. I don’t know exactly how new it is, but I have not heard of it before.

The product that they introduced me to, that I’m the most excited about from my haul, is the Restorative Night Treatment ($85). This product is really interesting because it starts in almost a Vaseline form, but when you rub it on your skin it’s more of an oil. This product is made with natural oils and ingredients meant to moisturize and decrease redness of your skin.

Oh my goodness you guys. This product is great. I will do a more in depth review of this product at a later date, but it is wonderful.

Moving onto makeup, I did end up purchasing an eyeshadow crayon as well as a powder shadow.
 

Top: Shadow stick in Goddess Bottom: Powder shadow in Odine Taken in the shade

The eyeshadow stick that I purchased is in the shade Goddess ($28). It is a neutral champagne color that has a bit of a pink sheen to it. I like this color because it is a great color to just throw on for everyday or to layer on top of. I am looking forward to seeing how this stands up against my Laura Mercier sticks.

The powder shadow ($25) that the artist used on me that I fell in love with is in the shade Odine. It is a brown shadow that has some purple undertones and I really like it. I have realized recently that I don’t have any darker brown shadows so this was a perfect addition to my collection.

Finally, I purchased two of the Larger Than Life eyeliners ($25) in Rue De Rivoli (the olive green) and Khao San (the sky blue). As a brown eyed girl, I love olive green near my eyes, and haven’t found an olive green eye liner that I like that works well. I’m hoping that this will change that. I was also so excited about the blue because I wanted a color like this a summer or two ago, and ended up with more of a teal that I wasn’t as excited about. The artist used both of them on me by putting the blue on and then layering the green on top of it to make a peacock color! I demonstrated the effect on the bottom swatch.

Top: Larger Than Life eyeliner in Khao San Middle: Larger Than Life eyeliner in Rue De Rivoli Bottom: Layering of the two eyeliners

Whew! That was quite the haul! In all honesty I have not purchased new makeup (not including repurchases of concealer) in a long time. I am also slowly going through my makeup collection and getting rid of old makeup to make room for the new ones.

Have you tried any new products lately that you love?

The Winner's Kiss

By: Marie Rutkowski
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 496

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

                                                             First Impressions

This is the third and final book in The Winner’s Trilogy. I love these covers so much and I really enjoyed the first two books. I was very excited to read the final installment of the trilogy and tried not to have super high expectations.

                                                              What I thought

Let me start off by saying that I have issues with the final books of trilogies. I hated the final book of Hunger Games, was disappointed by the final book of Divergent and was annoyed by the final book in the Maze Runner. The only final book so far that I have felt was good was in The Selection (and that ended up having two more books so does that count?).  I was a bit nervous to start this one and luckily, was not irritated, annoyed, or filled with hatred! Yay!

This third installment follows Kestrel after she has been betrayed by her father. In the last book, Kestrel had written a letter to Arin telling him that she was his spy inside the empire and that she loved him and would do anything for him. Her father found the letter and turned her into the emperor who sent her away. This book picks up with Kestrel entering the slave camp that she has been sent to for the rest of her life for her betrayal. On Arin’s side, he is fighting with the East as his allies against the Valorians. His heart is broken as Kestrel told him she didn’t care for him in order to protect him.

It took me a little while to get back into the story as I read the last book a year ago. I wish I had given more thought and re-read at least the second book, if not both books before this one came out. I think that I would’ve enjoyed it a little more, but overall it was a good ending to a trilogy.

I think my favorite part of this book was Roshar, the prince of the east. He was awesome. I loved his dry sense of humor and honesty. I think without him it would’ve been a bit boring. The book moved a bit slowly for my tastes, but it was still page turning. The majority of the book follows the characters as they prepare for the big battles and final war. It was a lot of planning and strategizing and not a lot of action. I also couldn’t quite decide how I felt about the change in Kestrel.

When Kestrel was in the camp, she was drugged twice a day; once in the morning with a drug that made her want to work and then at night with a drug to make her sleep without dreams. These drugs also turned her into a sort of zombie who couldn’t remember who she was or why she was at the camp. These side effects carried over to after she was out of the camp and that I the part I’m a little iffy about. Kestrel in this book is definitely different than she was in the last book. The biggest issues I have in trilogies is that the first two books seem to go together so well and then the third is like a completely different book. This book kind of straddles the line of being completely different. Luckily, I think it didn’t cross that line too much and I still felt like the heart of the book was the same.

While this wasn’t my favorite book of the trilogy, this was a very satisfying end to the story. Like I mentioned above, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read it in succession with the other books, but I still really enjoyed it! If you enjoy dystopian types of novels but are looking for something a little different, I would highly recommend checking out this series, which as a whole I would give 4 stars. The characters are great and there is no love triangle! Kestrel is definitely one of the strongest female leads that I’ve read, so I would recommend this based on that alone!
 

Magnetic Shift

By: Lucy D Briand
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 260

Amazon Barnes and Noble

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The ability to magnetize and manipulate metal with the flick of her wrist makes seventeen-year-old Lexi Adams a crack mechanic, but it’s a disaster in the making when her stepdad trades her skills to NASCAR team owner Dean Grant for an entire season’s worth of sponsorship ads.

Now Lexi has no other choice but to suck it up and hope she can keep her magnetic impulses under control—that is, until she runs into NASCAR’s hot new rookie, Colton Tayler.

When Carl Stacy, the ruthless team owner of the defending Cup Champion, discovers Lexi’s secret and plots to use it to ruin Dean’s race team for good, Lexi must either expose her ability to save Colton, risking Dean’s career and her own freedom in the process, or watch the only guy she’s ever fallen for race to his death.

                                                         First Impressions

As soon as I read the summary of this book it sounded like an old school Disney Channel Original Movie (think Motocrossed) and knew I needed to read it. The cover, on the other hand, did not impress me. I would not have picked it up off the shelf based on the cover alone.  I don’t think it represents the summary very well either.

                                                           What I thought

This book was so cute and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It took a little while to get into, but once I did I really liked it.

Lexi has recently been brought to work for a NASCAR team in exchange for a sponsorship for her stepdad’s scrap shop. When Dean Grant, owner of the team she is brought to work for, visited her stepdad’s shop, he noticed that Lexi was not being treated well. Having come from an abused childhood, Dean creates the deal with Lexi’s stepdad in order to bring her to work for him. Once there, Lexi meets the young driver Colton. In addition to dealing with learning the NASCAR community and a crush, Lexi also has to deal with her ability to control metal objects.

I think the strongest part of this story was the way that Briand built the setting. I am not a NASCAR fan, so I don’t know much about the sport, but Briand did a great job of explaining parts of it and making it entertaining. I found myself really looking forward to reading about the races! I also liked that Briand explained how and why Lexi has magnetic powers early on in the story. I also found that even though it was a big part of the story, there were a lot of other parts to the story so it wasn’t only about her magnetic powers.

Colton is very much the typical nice country boy. He is ridiculously good looking, nice, and talented, but not arrogant. Lucy is a bit moody and definitely a troubled teen. Their relationship is instant on her side, but I wasn’t annoyed by it. I remember what if feels like to crush hard on someone based on looks alone. I did like that she didn’t immediately start saying that she was in love with him, just that she really liked him and that it felt different from other crushes.

Briand also wrote some strong secondary characters. Dean and his family were so nice and the additional pit crew members were fun. I do wish that they had been a part of the story a little more, but the parts that they were in were enjoyable. While parts of the story were very predictable, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book at all.

I think my biggest issue with this book is the cover, and I wish that it was different. I think if it had a bit more of a contemporary feel I would have been drawn to it a lot more. I also think it would reach to a wider audience, as right now it definitely leans sci-fi. 
 

This book would make the absolute best Disney Channel Original Movie. It has every aspect that a good movie needs. There’s a love story, a major problem/secret, and a villain. Because of that, even though I was between a 3 and 4 star rating, I rounded up to a 4 I think this is a very strong debut book and would recommend it to anyone who likes movies like Motocrosed or who enjoy NASCAR. Even if you’re not a NASCAR fan, but this book interested you, don’t let that turn you away. The characters are fun and the story is entertaining. . I enjoyed Briand’s story and writing and would gladly read future books by her.
 

Birchbox April 2016

In case you are unaware, Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription box. It costs $10 a month and you receive multiple sample size item. These boxes allow you to try tons of new products that you may have never even heard of before. The other fun thing about Birchbox is that every time you purchase an item from their site, or review a product from your box, you receive rewards points! Once you collect 100 points, you get $10 off of your next purchase. These points definitely add up quickly between buying your box, and reviewing the products.

Each month, Birchbox allows subscribers to pick one of their samples. If you prefer surprises, you don’t have to pick one. You can choose to be surprised instead. They also offer curated guest boxes where you can see what the samples are going to be. The sample choices this month were the Au Naturale Cosmetics Trio Set in Lively, rms beauty ultimate makeup remover wipe, and Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask.

The products I received this month are as follows:

Beaver Repair Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner (Full-Size $15.90 & $16.90)- I am so annoyed that I received these products in my box. Not only was I not excited about this brand the first time I received them but I just received a shampoo and conditioner sample last month. Additionally, since neither is a foil packet they each counted toward my sample count which is very annoying. It says that te shampoo and conditioner are meant to repair your hair. It doesn’t smell very good, but I might give it a try. Most likely this will be donated to someone.

IPKN Moist & Firm Beauty Balm SPF 45 (Full-size $35)- This is a BB cream with SPF 45. It also includes vitamin E and collagen. I haven’t foully swatched the color as I find that the BB cream samples tend to be very sparse, but it looks like it should work. I’m excited to ry this soon.

Rms beauty ultimate makeup remover wipes (Full-size $16)- This was my sample choice this month. I’m always on the lookout for a good makeup remover wipe as they’re great for traveling. These wipes have coconut oil which they claim is antibacterial. I am curious to try these but am a little disappointed with how expensive they are, especially when you consider that only includes 20 wipes. I have an expensive wipe that I know I like that includes more than that for a bout the same price.

The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick- Guava Nice Day (Full-size $14.95)- This is a lip crayon hat is matte and said to be hydrating. The color I received is a really pretty berry pink color. It’s nice because i love wearing berry/wine shades in the fall and this is a nice lighter shade along those lines for spring. It is surprisingly opaque and also has a nice sweet scent. I haven’t had a chance to wear it for a long period of time yet, but it will be interesting to see the wear and whether or not it ends up feeling drying.  
 

Honestly, I am extremely disappointed with this box. I'm excited about 1 1/2 of these products which is a bummer. I have seen some of the curated boxes and I'm definitely regretting not going with that instead of this one.