Spraaaang Breaaaak

This is the first time in a long time that I actually haven't had much to do.  Last year I remember spending my whole spring break doing homework, ew.  This year I had some little things to get done for my study abroad trip, my internship, and my sorority's formal but none of it took up too much of my time.  Naturally, I've found other ways to spend my time (none of which involved watching basketball, like the rest of the state).  PS - Most activities done with a glass of sangria in hand, including this post.

I had a temp-little last week, so the task was to make her a first set of ZTA letters.  I've been holding onto this blank set for a while, but couldn't think of a reason to paint them.  My original intention was to do something Moroccan themed, but I asked her what her favorite colors were and she said she loves pink and girly things!  And that definitely is within my area of expertise.  I really loved how they turned out!  Thinking of including painted letters on the Etsy store I'm planning to open this summer.  (I also worked on my graduation cap, but no one is seeing that until the big day, mwahaha.  Starting to think that will also be an idea for Etsy - custom grad caps)

I want to eventually do something similar for myself.  I'm obsessed with the gold-dipped look...and of course anything that resembles Lilly's "First Impressions" flower print.  Right now I really like mixing florals and geometrics.  And just for fun...here's the set I painted for a temp-little last year ;)

Yesterday I went to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which I hadn't been to since my freshman year of high school!  Except I really only went there for the Ebony Fashion Fair showcase.  I had never seen designs from Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, or Emilio Pucci in person so it was awesome!  Here I am looking at the lady in purple Dior... Totally in my element.

I also got a little better at my macaron skills this week!  After one completely failed batch, we finally found a way for the strawberry colada macarons to materialize...  They were awesome and I swear you learn something new every time you try to make macarons.  This time I found out that it's definitely still possible to completely screw up even after several successful batches -__-

  

Tomorrow I think will be for chocolate macarons!  There are still a few more days of break left, so there's still time for a lot of magic to happen!

L'Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream Review (from my Influenster RefreshVoxBox)

Well, I wish I could say I loved it, but I didn't love it.  I really thought I would.  It was just "eh."  But I have to blog about it anyway to complete my RefreshVoxBox badge on Influenster!  (See post below for more info).

This stuff is supposed to keep your face feeling "soft, supple, and comfortable all day long."  L'Occitane has a fair-trade partnership with the women of Burkina Faso, West Africa, who make shea butter though, so that's pretty cool. 

But I'll do my best to describe what I liked and didn't like.

#1:  The smell.  I h-a-t-e powdery scented fragrances/lotions.  They're just not my thing.  That's what this smells like.  So having that smell on my face is not something I really ever feel like experiencing.  Plenty of people probably like this smell, but I personally do not.

#2:  I understand the container is a sample size, but I never feel like digging my finger in there to fish some of the lotion out.  My nails are longer and I get grossed out when it get's under there.  I like regular lotion bottles where you don't have to touch alllll of it to get a little bit out (ew germs).

#3:  It does make my skin feel pretty good (and "comforted," haha).  But did it last all day?  I wouldn't go that far.  I originally was using it on my hands (oops) but that was only because it doesn't say what it's for on the packaging!!  Probably has to do with the fact that most of the words are in French.  Maybe.

Overall, it wasn't terrible.  I could take it or leave it!

This product was received complimentary and for testing purposes only.

A little late...as in a month late, but I digress. My RefreshVoxBox

That little Influenster Blogger Network badge in the bottom right corner of my blog?  Let me explain.  I love rating, writing, complaining, you name it about the products I use.  It's no surprise that I think what I have to say is insightful (I have a blog!).  Influenster is awesome because as long as you have a decent Social Impact (lots of friends and followers) and review products for them regularly, you could be chosen to get the month's VoxBox sent to your house for free, where you get to try and review all kinds of different things.  You can even win prizes if you complete challenges.

Here's the RefreshVoxBox that I received in February.  All products received are complimentary and for testing purposes only.

Did I love everything in it?  Almost.  I'm not going to lie about it.  But did I totally appreciate the experience and do I want to do it again?  Absolutely.  I found new snacks (that are actually healthy) that I love and products that I would definitely use again:

COVERGIRL UltraSmooth Foundation - I was thriiiiiilled by this one because foundations aren't the cheapest thing in the world and it was awesome to get a full-sized version of one for free.  The weird thing is that it focuses on "facial hair smoothing" which I didn't really understand.  Maybe that's just because I don't have visible facial hair?  Not sure.  But as a foundation I love it.  Usually I use Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream as a foundation, but I'm fine with switching to this one for a while.  Loved it.

Skinnygirl Tasty Nutrition Bar - I ate this like a month ago so I can't tell ya what flavor it was (I think banana and peanut butter?  Something like that).  But it was delicious.  Not the best bar I've ever had in my life, but definitely better than some other brands of nutrition bars I've tried.  Loved it.

Montagne Jeunesse Face Masque (Honey) - Um...  I put this on about an hour before I had to put makeup on and get ready for class.  I don't know if I did something wrong or what, but it WOULD NOT PEEL OFF.  This is my life, and it was scary.  I thought I would have to email my professor with an excuse or something because I couldn't get a honey mask off my face.  I eventually stopped panicking and scrubbed it off.  My skin felt very nice afterwards, but I was having a hard time for a minute there.  Didn't like it.

DenTek Fun Flossers & Comfort Clean Floss Picks - I've used these before (as I assume most people have) and still love them.  I go through phases of flossing regularly and being too lazy, but thank god I got these because I was in the lazy part of my cycle.  Plus I hate germs and don't like putting my hands in my mouth to floss so this is great.  Did you know you can add years onto your life by flossing?  Google it.  I still don't always do it though, whoops.  Still love these.

Beanitos Nacho Cheese and Restaurant Style Chips - I'm not a fan of really any kind of chips.  I don't like Dorito's (which I thought the cheese flavor would be like) and I only eat restaurant style chips with guacamole.  BUT I LOVE THESE.  THEY'RE NOT LIKE NORMAL CHIPS.  They're light and crispy and just way way better.  It's a very original texture and they're also way healthier than regular chips.  Thank god I also got a coupon in my VoxBox because I will be buying more.  Loved them.

Listerine Pocketpaks - A third grader's dream.  No really, I was obsessed with these in grade school, we ate them at recess and watched each other suffer.  If you haven't tried them, they're unbelievably minty to the point where (I think) it's almost painful.  Probably not a great review, hey?  That doesn't mean I don't use up the whole pack within days.  It's perfect for when you want fresh breath but don't feel like chewing gum or carrying around noisy mints.  Still love this.

(The L'Occitane Shea Light Comforting Cream was in this box too, but it's receiving its own separate post, due to one of Influenster's challenges.  I also got a coupon for a free Orgain Nutritional Shake but I haven't been able to look for them at a store yet.)

Overall, getting this VoxBox was a nice surprise.  I wish I was receiving the XOVoxBox this month, but you can't always get what you want. Maybe next time!