target's second october beauty box

this month, target did not just one, but two beauty boxes! the first was all loreal products, and this one is the typical hodgepodge for $10. ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. skinfix ultra rich body butter (1oz--mini, ret. $17.99 for 8oz [$2.25]) -- man is this stuff thick! it feels nice and it is 'unscented'. the scent it does have is pretty similar to their hand cream.
   repurchase? maybe
2. hello supermint toothpaste (.75oz--mini, ret. $4.49 for 5oz [$0.67]) -- this smells really good! i'm interested in trying it out.
   repurchase? maybe 
3. olly beauty vitamins (2 gummies--sample, ret. $13.99 for 60 [$0.46]) -- these are grapefruit flavored, and taste pretty good. not quite like the real thing, but not super artificial either.
   repurchase? probably not
4. acure moroccan argan oil + stem cell triple repair shampoo & conditioner (1oz each--minis, ret. $9.99 for 8oz (each) [$2.50]) -- maybe i'm crazy, but the shampoo smells like almonds to me, and the conditioner smells like argan oil..which is what they both contain. so i'm not sure why the shampoo smells like almonds to me...but yeah. we'll have to see about these.
5. repurchase? maybe
6. goody slideproof flat silicone lined elastics (3 bands--mini, ret. $4.79 for 17 [$0.85]) -- yay more hair ties!
   repurchase? maybe
7. covergirl intensify me eyeliner in intense black (.03oz--full size, ret. $6.99) -- i'm planning to give this away. i didn't like the first one i got (see influenster review).
   repurchase? no
8. revlon colorstay ultimate suede lipstick in muse (.09oz--full size, ret. $8.59) -- this is so not my color. it'll probably work better with people who have darker skintones than i do. but it is a pretty color, a nice blue-toned pink, with a slight bit of blue shimmer. formula-wise, it's kind of meh. it goes on sheer but layers up, and can get on your teeth pretty easily.
   repurchase? probably not
9. roc retinol correction deep wrinkle night cream (1oz--full size, ret. $20.49) -- i haven't decided if i even want to open this yet or not. i'm not totally sure about keeping this one....
   repurchase? probably not
10. s.w. basics certified organic body scrub (sample, ret. $24.49 for 3oz) -- we'll have to try this out an see.
    repurchase? probably not
11. $3 off $15 purchase coupon

approximate product value: ~$42.80

october hauls

hi guys! i apologize in advance for the lateness of my october favorites and empties posts. a lot has been going on between work, halloween, and family, so they kind of got on the back burner. expect to see them within the next several days. anyway, i think you guys will start to see a theme with some of the items i picked up this month... ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

amazon: theBalm balm desert, elf long lasting lustrous eyeshadow in soiree, loreal infallible eyeshadow in glistening garnet

soiree, glistening garnet, balm desert

sephora: bite limited lab release lipstick for october (boisenberry), clinique clarifying lotion 3, bobbi brown eye kit (500 points), dr. jart+ dermaclear (freebie with code); buxom eyeshadows ($40 custom palette) in wild nights, silk sheets, lingerie lover, style icon, star treatment, designer or die.

designer or die, silk sheets, style icon, star treatment, lingerie lover, wild nights

boisenberry, golden pink

boisenberry

elf: they finally re-released their illuminating (ambient) palette! yes! i finally get my hands on one! i also ordered their bronzing and contouring palettes, studio matte magic mist & set, studio kiss it goodbye lip color remover, studio baked eyeshadow in burnt plum, essential smudgepot in wine not, and they were having a promo for a fall harvest kit for $6 (essential brightening eyeliner in coffee, studio pout perfector in glow, beautifully bare blush in peach perfection, studio moisturizing lipstick in berry kiss, need it nude eyeshadow palette)

swatches: burnt plum, wine not, berry kiss

bronzer, contour, and illuminating palettes

need it nude palette

sephora: makeup forever artist shadows in D504, D826, I838

D504, I838, D826

our second HelloFresh box

hi guys!!! we finally got our second hellofresh box! we ended up skipping the last two weeks because we went out of town, and last week's choices didn't sound all that interesting or special. anyway, this time we chose:

1. Pan-Seared Steak with Cipollini Onions, Roasted New Potatoes, and Tomato Pan-Sauce
2. Chicken & Butter Bean Cassoulet with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumbs
3. Sole en Papillote with Mushrooms, Croutons, and Brown-Butter Caper Sauce

for recipes of these three dishes, see my HelloFresh recipes folder on my google drive.

dinner 1: seared steak

this was really good. i'm not sure we're going to make this sauce again because it was super soupy as you can see here. there was no thickener in it. it was just water, vegetable stock, tomatoes, and garlic.

dinner 2: chicken cassoulet
this was a lot better than expected. i'm not a huge kale fan because of the texture, but in this casserole, it's not too bad. this was the only of the 6 dinners we've tried that we actually had leftovers; we ate 3/4 of an 8x8 pan. and we will with certainty make this again!
sidenote, i wonder how this would be with fresh butterbeans? that's one of my favorite things when i went to my great grandmother's house growing up. she had butterbean vines all along her fence, and i would go pick them, rinse them, and eat them raw. so good!
-- to anyone interested in making this in the future, the "2" stock concentrates is equivalent to 16oz of stock, and the can of butter beans is about 15.5oz

dinner 3: sole

there's a few things about this recipe. first off, it tasted amazing. and secondly, paul there were a few aspects of the cooking process that we didn't totally agree with.

1. making your own croutons from fresh bread....in a saute pan...not baking them in the oven. granted, he didn't make them crispy/crunchy. so the edges were slightly crisp but still spongy on the inside, which made them super awesome.
2. the recipe calls for one slice of lemon per fish fillet. uh, no. that is too big of a fillet for one, thank you.
3. cooking the fish directly in aluminum foil...instead, we put the green beans, mushrooms, and fish onto some parchment, then wrapped it in foil
4. expectations vs. reality. the photo on the recipe card looks closer to the plate on the right..sans some of the croutons. and reality, the plate on the left, which is a first attempt to pull the fish out of the parchment and becoming a jumbled mess.

thoughts: using this groupon was amazing while it lasted. at the moment we haven't canceled our subscription, but i have paused it for the next two weeks while we decide what we want to do. cost-wise, we really do want to cancel, but at the same time, it's really convenient. haha. another concern with this subscription though is that, i will eventually be working on client projects at their respective offices in faraway cities, so it might become complicated to keep up the subscription anyway.

october 2015: sephora play!

hi guys! we've finally got our second sephora play! box in the mail! (theme: secrets to dewy skin) it was supposed to be delivered on thursday, but you know...usps sucks, so anyway..... ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. boscia detoxifying black cleanser (1oz--mini, $28 for 5oz [$5.60]) -- yay! now i've got 3 unopened bottles of this to try! lol. i think i'll pass off at least one to a friend so they can try too. this is an interesting looking product. it's a blackish grayish color, and the scent and appearance are reminiscent of michael todd's charcoal cleanser.
   repurchase? maybe
2. boscia konjac cleansing sponge with bamboo charcoal (mini, ret. $15 [$5.33 based on mini 3 pack]) -- i have the ecotools version of this sponge and i've been liking it. i've been wanting to try the boscia one, but wasn't totally into the price. comparing the two sponges when wet, the boscia one is a lot spongier and softer feeling than the ecotools one.
   repurchase? maybe
3. sephora collection pearl sheet mask (1 mask, ret. $6) -- i'm slowly getting into the whole sheet mask phenomenon. i think price wise, buying them in bulk from asian websites like imomoko or something is more cost-effective, but i'm interested in trying this out.
   repurchase? maybe
4. belif true cream aqua bomb (.34oz--mini, ret. $38 for 1.68oz [$7.69]) -- do i even need to repeat myself about this? LOVE.
5. repurchase? uh, duh.
6. fresh black tea age delay instant infusion treatment toner (.5oz--mini, ret. $48 for 4oz [$6]) -- i'm interested in trying this out. i typically use toner twice a day, but it's alcohol based and it's not exactly as good for you. so this will definitely be worth a shot, but it is kind of expensive.
   repurchase? maybe
7. dr. jart+ ceramidin day tint spf 15 (oz--mini, ret. $48 for 1.7oz [$]) -- this tint is definitely not for me. it's a little too dark and yellow toned for me. and the scent is a little off-putting. like a slightly medicinal sunscreen type smell. it's extremely familiar, but i can't place it.
   repurchase? no
8. atelier cologne collection azur - mandarine glaciale (sample, ret. $85 for 1oz) -- definitely not for me. i can smell the hints of citrus and ginger, but that's about it. it's one of those scents that i think is borderline gender neutral. it smells slightly masculine to me, and teh paul thinks it's too feminine for guys. so i'm not sure about this one!
   repurchase? no
9. 'coupon' for an extra 50 points on the next in-store purchase

approximate product value: ~$30.62+

we went to a halloween party!

hi guys! one of our friends was having an early halloween party. it was super funnn! anyway, i recycled one of my cosplay costumes that you guys have probably seen at least a few times on here by now... and teh paul went shopping for his costume a mere few hours before the party started..... yeah. he actually isn't mad or anything, i just caught him off guard real quick, and that's what i got. ~Lin-chan ^.~

onto the makeup!

face:

1. maybelline fit me matte+poreless in 120
2. almay clear complexion concealer in light
3. it cosmetics bye bye under eyes in light
4. benefit
1. hoola bronzer
2. dallas blush
5. becca shimmering skin perfector pressed in opal
6. skindinavia oil control setting spray

eyes:

1. wet n wild fergie take on the day eye primer 
2. rimmel london scandalEyes eyeliner in black (upper and lower waterlines)
3. urban decay 
1. shadow pencil in clash (lower lash line)
2. eyeshadow in peace (to set clash)
3. perversion mascara (2 coats (upper), both coats applied before super sizer)
4. makeup forever artist shadows
1. M536 (upper crease blending)
2. D552 (inner corner)
3. ME302 (lid)
4. M548 (crease)
5. makeup geek shadows 
1. baby face (highlight/upper crease blending)
2. starry eyed (applied last, over ME302)
6. kat von d tattoo liner in trooper
7. covergirl super sizer mascara (2 coats (upper), both applied after perversion)

lips: kat von d everlasting liquid lipstick in lolita

4 months at work! (weeks 18 & 19)

i've survived 4 months! time's kind of flown..not exactly. lol. lots of ups and downs still. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

week 18
monday: spent the morning going through the 50 some-odd emails i got last week. a lot of them were miscellaneous company-wide emails, several were invitations to meetings or updates to previously accepted meetings, and the few stragglers that were important things regarding the project we've been working on lately. otherwise, it was a slow day and we didn't really start working on new things with our app just yet.
tuesday: S and i got assigned a new piece of the app to start working on. a lot of the day, i was trying to work on it, but at the same time, i needed to catch up on what i missed all last week. and i had a persisting headache. thankfully it wasn't a migraine, but it lasted the whole day, making it difficult to focus for long periods of time.
wednesday: it was more or less like yesterday. except we got the help we needed and finally felt a sense of accomplishment.
thursday: we added more functionality to what we were doing the past couple days, making a button to call a particular function. the only problem is that we want this other, existing button, to do this new button's function. so we have to figure out how to make that work.
friday: we had a morning call regarding goings on at our office, regarding management changes, etc. afterward, i went to the 4th of 5 mandatory training thingies. after lunch, we finally got to do the STEM volunteering thing at a local middle school. it was super fun, and the kids seemed to really enjoy and learn from the project.

week 19
monday: two of the people in our group went off to a conference for the week, but before leaving, S and i got assigned a task to do. i left for a doctor's appointment shortly after we finished and had lunch. and i signed back in from home for a couple hours afterward.
tuesday - friday: there was a whole lot of nothing happening. we were trying to work on a few different things concurrently. and failing at all of them because S and i are still not fully familiar with how things work. the remaining one person not at the conference is not as familiar with the back-end as he is at the front. so there were a lot of: 'idk try this, oh it didn't work...uhh well......'
thursday: they were offering flu shots in one of the conference rooms, so i went ahead and got mine. i normally get them in my non-dominant arm, but the nurse convinced me that it made more sense to put it in my dominant arm: you're moving that arm more for it to work its way in, and you'll be less sore. and i'll have to admit, she was definitely right. the soreness was gone in less than 36 hours.
disclaimer: i get one every year and never have problems, but i know there's people that randomly decide to get one and it makes them sick....just use your best judgment and previous exposure/reactions to flu shots when deciding if you want to get one.

october 2015 ipsy bag

hi guys! my october IPSY BAG* has finally arrived! (theme: alter ego) the postman decided that they didn't want to deliver to our area on saturday due to the game. shame on them for not coming to our neighborhood earlier in the day! ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. theBalm meet matte hughes long lasting liquid lipstick in committed (.04oz--mini, ret. $22 for .22oz [$4] -- a lot came out on the wand for this little guy. it was kind of ridiculous. scent-wise, i do not appreciate the chocolate scent it has, but at the very least it fades within a few minutes. also, it seems to not dry down all that fast; either that or i layered too much on. it is nice that it has minimal transfer--you can see a very faint outline... shade-wise, i think this leans slightly coral for what i'd like--i think from this line, i'd be happier with charming, but i'm not totally sure.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
2. nourish organic pure hydrating argan face serum (.5oz--mini, ret. $23.99 for .7oz [$17.14]) -- we'll have to see how this one goes. i'm not so sure about it. for sure, this is not a great packaging idea for a serum. a squeeze tube for oil-consistency products..haha that's great! it went everywhere. anyway, it smells really good, since it's a combination of argan, apricot kernel, and rose hip oils.
• likelihood to repurchase: nah
3. emite make up professional slant tweezer (ret. 200kr [~$24]) -- is it sad that it took a pair of tweezers to pull the tweezers out of their packaging tube...? they were wrapped in plastic in the tube and the rubbery tip cap thing was off to the side, making it extremely difficult to pull out of the tube... anyway. i did not have high expectations for this product, considering how crappy their lash curler turned out to be. and those expectations were met. these are ridiculously sharp, but they have no gripping power. they're precise, but you can't even pull a hair on the first attempt with these. for this price, get yourself a good pair of tweezerman's.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
4. balanced guru scrub me body scrub (1oz--mini, ret. $22.99 for 8oz [$2.87]) -- this is coffee scented..or maybe there's coffee grounds in here. idk. i'm not going to use it though. this is an interesting one compared to most scrubs as far as formulation. it's completely dry. you're supposed to pour out a bit and scrub it into wet skin. which makes sense as far as abrasive-action, but you don't typically think of scrubs as being dry.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
5. aurora gel effect nail polish in inky dinky (.4oz, ret. $12) -- this is a really pretty indigo type color. too bad i can't try it anytime soon because of work!
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
6. points: luxie beauty tapered blending eye brush 205 (ret. $12) -- this feels like such a nice brush. it has a lot of give to it, but it still nice and fluffy and great for blending around the crease.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
7. metallic gold/patent black ipsy bag -- this is a really fun bag. i like how each side is a different material and color. the inside is black.
8. card with company info/discount codes
1. thebalm.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 11/30/15)
2. nourishorganic.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsyface30 (exp. 11/30/15)
3. emitemakeup.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 11/30/15)
4. balancedguru.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsyscrubme25 (exp. 11/30/15)
5. auroracosmeticsny.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsyoct (exp. 11/30/15)
6. micabeauty.com: 40% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 11/30/15)
7. purlisse.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsybb30 (exp. 11/30/15)
8. vasanticosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 10/31/15)
9. drbrandtskincare.com: 25% off purchase, code: fall25 (exp. 11/15/15)
10. lavanila.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsylav15 (exp. 11/30/15)
11. ayresbeauty.com: 25% off purchase & free shipping, code: ipsy25 (exp. 11/30/15)
12. coastalscents.com: 25% off purchase, code: pencil25off (exp. 12/8/15)
13. beautywithoutcruelty.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsybwc (exp. 12/1/15)
14. myaromachology.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 11/30/15)
15. skonecosmetics.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 11/30/15)
16. drugstore.com: 15% off eau thermale avene purchase, code: ipsy15 (exp. 11/15/15)
17. heyhoney.com: 20% off purchase, code: comeclean20 (exp. 11/30/15)
18. target.com: 20% off [delectable (?)] purchase, code: delectable (exp. 11/30/15)
19. itcosmetics.com: 20% off $25 purchase & free shipping, code: itlovesipsy (exp. 11/30/15)
20. kbshimmer.com: 10% off purchase, code: ipsy10 (exp. 11/30/15)
21. royalbrush.com: 40% off purchase, code: ipsy40 (exp. 11/30/15)
22. eva-nyc.com: 55% off purchase, code: ipsyoct55 (exp. 11/30/15)
23. peterlamas.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsyoct (exp. 12/15/15)
24. girlactik.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsygirlactik30 (exp. 11/30/15)
25. leeanni.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy8 (exp. 11/30/15)

approximate product value: ~$60.01 + 12 (eye brush)

committed

*Affiliate Link.

target october beauty box

hi guys! today i got this month's target beauty box in the mail! this box is loreal themed. it's kind of a bummer that there's only 3 multi-use products included in this box, along with two foil-packette samples and two tester-type items. but hey, it was only $5, so i can't complain too much! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. voluminous original mascara in blackest black (8ml--full size, ret. $5.89) -- i'm interested in trying this out. a long time ago, i tried the solid gold tube version of this mascara and i really enjoyed it.
   repurchase? maybe
2. elnett satin hair spray (2.2oz--mini, ret. $6) -- i gave away the last can of this that i got because i can't get over the [baby?] powdery scent it has.
    repurchase? no
3. advanced haircare total repair 5 shampoo (1.7oz--mini, ret. $5.99 for 25.4oz [$0.40]) -- this has a really pleasant scent! it's reminiscent of some variation of pantene...i tried too many, so i don't remember which. i'm excited to try!
   repurchase? maybe
4. advanced haircare smooth intense shampoo, pre-conditioner, and straightening conditioner (.34oz each--sample packette, ret. $5.99 for 25.4oz each (shampoo & conditioner), $5.99 for 6.8oz (pre-conditioner) [$0.46]) -- yall know i like my straight hair! i'm interested! i'm not so sure about the pre-conditioner thing.. that's adding extra steps to the routine and i'm lazy.
   repurchase? maybe
5. revitalift volume filler re-volumizing serum ($20.19 for .5oz) & cream sample packettes ($19.99 for 1.7oz) -- meh, i'll try this. "it's never too early to start using anti-aging products". why not.
   repurchase? nah
6. true match swatch card -- this is such a neat idea. it's a bunch of stickers that you can put on your face to figure out what shade you are. i pulled off all of the light sets and tried them on, and i think i'm N1, but that seems too light....so i'll probably compare bottles side by side whenever i decide to try this foundation out.
7. age perfect cell renewal tester thingy -- this was weird. it's a sticker that you put on the back of your hand and then determine whether your skin "needs increasing levels of renewal". i am always hard on my hands and almost never moisturizing them, so yes as i expected, on their scale i need this product. lol. no.
8. $5 off $20 loreal purchase coupon

approximate product value: ~$13

weeks 16 & 17

hi guys!!! you thought this post was going to be more of me complaining communicating about two more weeks of being at work...rightttt? lol. no, it's just one. i took off for vacation for a week to finally check out harry potter world! wut! and we went to a blue man group show while we were there too! so exciting. photos from our trip will be in a later post. hope y'all have been doing well, and onto what i did at work last week! ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

week 16
monday: it was more or less a continuation of last week. the person we're making the app for requested a few changes, so i fixed some of them.
tuesday: same again.
wednesday: we learned front-end. kinda. no, not really. i don't know what i did. "here's some code, copy, paste, and rename a few things!"
thursday: it was more or less the same as the past several days. headaches with trying to understand a particular procedure to do things..to implement into our code.
friday: in the morning, it was more or less what i've been up to lately. after lunch, we were supposed to go do our first volunteering session for that youth program i mentioned a few weeks ago, but apparently the teacher and school cancelled for the day. so i went home early, since i put in extra hours each day! yay!

our first HelloFresh box

hi guys!!! we just got our first hellofresh box!

so i'm sure some of you have heard of blue apron, well this is a similar service. i actually saw blue apron on either groupon or livingsocial and by the time i mentioned it to paul, the blue apron deal was gone and hellofresh was on groupon. so we got 2 weeks of 3 meals for $60 ($5/person/meal). basically the gist of it is that they send you nearly everything you need to cook 3 dinners for 2, the recipe, meat, spices, vegetables, etc. (obviously you have to provide your own butter, oil, and a few other ingredients most people should have anyway). anyway, hellofresh has 5...or 7...menu choices per week. i question whether it's actually 7 choices because maybe those are part of the vegetarian menu? i'm not sure. we got the regular box for omnivores. anyway, out of our five choices, we chose:

1. Seared Steak & Creamy Horseradish Sauce with Rosemary-Roasted Root Vegetables
2. Shrimp Pad See Ew with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Peanuts
3. Roasted Pork Chops with Balsamic-Fig Sauce, Greens, and Rosemary-Roasted Potatoes

[edit: for recipes of these three dishes, see my HelloFresh recipes folder on my google drive.]
the box included a pamphlet with the recipes for three specific dishes we chose. they have pictures on one side, and ingredient quantities and instructions on the backs.

left: shrimp see ew recipe; right: seared steak photo

there were 4 giant ice packs in here!

dinner 1: seared steak

preparation: teh paul made this one. he said it took about as long as he was expected and the instructions were pretty straightforward.
thoughts: this was really good. the sauce was awesome, and the roasted veggies and steak were great! we liked how the steak was a nice, even cut--so it cooked evenly. my only negative about this dish was that i wish it was bigger because..'MURICA. ^______^

>w< kyoot lil soy sauce fishies!!!

dinner 2: shrimp pad see ew

preparation: i cooked this one, and boy was it a new experience. i'm typically the person that prepares everything while everything is cooking. not with this dish. this one, you literally had to have everything chopped and ready to go before turning the stove on, that's how fast paced this dish was.
thoughts: we decided that this would be the best of the three for me to bring to work for lunch, so that's why it's packed in these containers. this was really good. if i'd used more of the thai chili pepper it would have had a better kick to it, but mild was still good. a few complaints were that there's too many noodles, and not enough shrimp and veggies (more broccoli or lack of variety). otherwise, it was really good!

dinner 3: roasted pork chops
preparation: i made this one, and i had more patience this time. i actually cut everything before starting to cook and it worked out great. i liked how there were two individual pork chops in the package (as opposed to the one steak above). the timing for the potatoes was a little off. you were supposed to cook them for 20-25 minutes, and part-way through throw the pork chops on the baking sheet too. but the pork chops were done around the 20 minute mark, and the potatoes needed the 25.
thoughts: this came out really good. i wish i didn't let some of the liquid in the sauce evaporate so much, then it would have been better. i'm not huge on arugula--it's interesting, but not my thing. and the dressing for it was oil and balsamic vinegar, which is also not my thing. the potatoes came out really nicely though. kind of sad that the figs were not fresh. i think they were semi-dried.
-- to anyone interested in making this in the future, "1" stock concentrate is equivalent to 8oz of stock

overall thoughts: we were very pleased with the service and the quality of the options. the only thing i didn't like was the slight anxiety from not receiving a tracking number from hellofresh. which, it did have one; it was shipped via ups.
are we going to continue our subscription after the second week? maybe, maybe not. we did agree that this would be a once in a while dinner idea so that we could try new things and have new recipes to work with....considering recently we've been eating the same 6 or so dishes over and over. not to mention, me bringing some of those dishes as my lunch to work. but between this service and blue apron, blue apron appears to be more cost-effective. the only downside is that (from what i understand), you tell blue apron your dietary restrictions and they send your meals at their discretion. with hellofresh, you get to choose from what's available that week, or just skip the week entirely.